Beamer on BCS: If we win out ...

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Posted 9:22PM on Tuesday, October 25, 2005

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) Frank Beamer has remained steadfast in his view that the Bowl Championship Series standings are not worth talking about during the season, not wanting to appear as though he's focusing on anything but the next opponent. Until Tuesday. Asked if he was surprised by the apparent volatility of the BCS standings in view of Texas' ascension to No. 1 ahead of two-time defending national champion Southern California, Beamer said he would speak about it once, and then never again. ``When you look at the remainder of our schedule, if somehow we could get through that deal with Boston College, Virginia was ranked until last week, you've got Miami and then if you get through those, you'd be playing somebody pretty good in a championship game,'' he said, referring to most of the third-ranked Hokies' remaining games, and a possible appearance in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship in Jacksonville, Fla. ``If you got through all those and the computer didn't go ring-a-ding ding,'' he said, pausing as if to the leave the obvious unsaid. ``I think it's going to happen.'' Beamer may have inadvertently given North Carolina some bulletin board fodder by failing to list them as a game to be played. They come to Blacksburg on Nov. 26. SING-A-LONG HOKIES: When the Hokies win, they sing, one of the signs lead vocalist Jonathan Lewis points to as indicative of the closeness of the 2005 team. ``In the locker room, on the bus, on the plane,'' Lewis said, when asked Tuesday where the vocally inclined on the team are most likely to burst into song. The singers broke out into a veritable concert on the way home from Maryland, he said, after the Hokies improved to 7-0, 4-0 with a 28-9 victory against the Terps. No complaints from the coaches? ``They're in the front, asleep,'' Lewis said, laughing. Lewis, a defensive tackle, said linebacker Vince Hall and cornerback Jimmy Williams join him with gusto, but Williams said Lewis clearly is the leader by default. ``He knows all the lyrics,'' Williams said. Offensive tackle Jason Murphy was trying to get some sleep on the way home from last Thursday's game when Lewis began belting out one of Murphy's favorites. ``They sung the whole flight. It was amazing,'' he said. ``And then when we got off the plane, they were still trying to sing.'' Williams offered an easy explanation: ``We were just feeling good,'' he said. THRILLING THURSDAYS: This week's game against No. 13 Boston College will be the Hokies' second in a row on Thursday night, and they've won their last 11 such games. Their only loss in 12 Thursday night games came against the Eagles in 1995. Lane Stadium has become one of the toughest places to play on the road, but the Eagles seem not to be deterred when the fans are all pulling for the other guys. They're 13-3 on the road since the start of 2003, beating five straight ranked teams. Beamer is hoping for the fans' best welcome for the ACC's newest member. ``I think sometimes people start assuming things are going to happen'' at home, he said. ``When you play Marshall University, they assume that you're going to win. ``I'm hoping that no one is assuming Thursday night, because this team here is legit, they're good, they're confident. I'm hoping our fans will react accordingly.'' HUMES RETURNS: Cedric Humes, who shares the starting tailback job with Mike Imoh, will be ready to go Thursday night, just 19 days after breaking a bone in his arm. ``I'm going to have a hard thing over it with some padding,'' Humes, the more physical of the Hokies tailback tandem, said of his right arm. ``That's probably all the protection I need. Other than that, I'm just going to be running regular.'' A senior, he said sitting out the Maryland game had its ups and downs. ``It's a good thing to see that the team can get over it, get a win without me there,'' he said. ``At the same time, I'm on the sidelines the whole time thinking I want to be out there. It's a big thing to miss a game. I hate to miss a game.'' In Humes' absence against Maryland, quarterback Marcus Vick ran for a career-best 133 yards and a touchdown, Imoh ran for 86 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries and Branden Ore ran for 48 yards on nine tries. Ore had gained 146 yards in the Hokies' 41-14 victory against Marshall. (Copyright 2005 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)