FORTUNATELY FOX WAS WRONG ... NO MASS EXODUS IN HOKIEVILE

 

The day before Virginia Tech fired football coach

 BRENT PRY, Fox Sports on SiriusXM decided the 

0-3 Hokies better wait at least one more game … or 

there might be a mass walkout to keep from losing a 

year’s eligibility before moving on to another 

program.

To date only corner back DANTE LOVETT has 

made it official … ESPN identified DL KEMARI 

COPELAND and WR AYDEN GREENE as likely 

possibilities, which didn’t make any friends for the 

World Wide Leader in Blacksburg.

So who will replace 14-26 Pry in Hokieville?

 SHANE BEAMER? Unlikely … now that he’s 

running a successful SEC program at South Carolina 

and signed a new contract. James Madison’s BOB 

CHESNEY has been mentioned.

I would have said give his predecessor in 

Harrisonburg anything he wants … but CURT 

CIGNETTI continued to distance himself Saturday 

when 19th-ranked Indiana rolled 63-10 over No. 9 

(and previously unbeaten) Illinois. The 

homestanding Hoosiers led 35-10 at halftime, having 

five sacks and seven other tackles for losses, when 

NBC’s KATHRYN TAPPEN asked Cignetti: “What 

more do you want to see from your offense?”

“More points,” he said, and actually smiled.

Indiana (4-0) took the second-half kickoff and scored 

again on JMU transfer KAELON BLACK’s 40 yard 

run. In all, 11 former Dukes followed Cignetti to 

Bloomington a year ago … including D’ANGELO 

POUNDS, a DB who started the scoring Saturday by 

blocking a punt then retrieving the ball and running 9 

yards to the end zone.

With five minutes left in the third quarter Indiana led 

49-10 thanks to a five-yard pass from QB

 FERNANDO MENDOZA to another ex-Duke

 ELIJAH SARRATT for his second TD catch of the 

game.

A transfer (not from JMU but California, the 

University of), Mendoza sat down to start the final 

period with five touchdowns having completed his 

last 17 passes. Indiana, nevertheless, scored again 

with 14:09 remaining.

“… and Cignetti still looks displeased,” said NBC’s

 TODD BLACKLEDGE.

But … we digress. (What else is new?)

A final thought or two on VaTech’s search for a new 

coach … while wondering if Frank Beamer might 

have another season or two in him. After all, at 78 

going on 79 Oct. 18, he’s just a kid. Probably not.

The Hokies have some meetings scheduled to come 

up with the amount of money to put into football 

they can feel comfortable with (read: afford). 

Assuming figures we’ve seen are correct, they 

currently operating with a “can’t-compete budget” of

 only $41 million.

Meanwhile, what’s become of athletic director

 WHIT BABCOCK, who has been strangely silent? 

It’s been said he’ll be involved in the search but who 

knows?

After all, Babcock was responsible for hiring the last 

two football coaches, neither of whom proved a good 

choice. That usually is enough to lead to a one-way 

ticket out of town.

Until next time ...