Virginia Tech rover Michael Crawford has played against some tough competition this season. He helped Tech beat nationally-ranked Marshall, Texas A&M and LSU.

He even played this past Saturday against Syracuse. But now, Crawford could be facing his most daunting challenge yet.

Crawford, a junior, underwent an open biopsy Monday, a test to discover if he has cancer of the lymph nodes. The results are expected tomorrow.

‘I still feel the same way,’ Crawford said after Saturday’s 50-42 loss to SU. ‘I don’t feel sick, so hopefully, if everything pans out like I’m hoping, I’ll be back this season.’

Monday’s test was the last in what has been weeks of increasingly bad news for Crawford. What was once thought to be an upper respiratory infection could turn out to be much worse.

‘When we thought he had an upper respiratory infection, we treated him and figured that was it,’ Virginia Tech head trainer Mike Goforth said. ‘Then one side of the node stayed kind of tough, a little bit rougher and enlarged. So our doctor started following that and did a (follow up) on him.’

The first test was a scan of the throat, which showed enlargement and some irregularities. From that, doctors performed a needle biopsy, where lymph cells are removed and tested.

‘With needle biopsies, you have four categories,’ Goforth said. ‘The first one is no suspicion of cancer, next one is suspicion, the third one is high suspicion and the fourth is a definite. His biopsy came back highly suspicious. And then, he followed up (Monday) with an open biopsy. It will confirm whether the tumor is malignant or benign.’

Since the open biopsy — in which tissue is removed — was performed Monday, Crawford played Saturday without pain. He had six tackles Saturday.

‘His blood work is basically normal. He had no abnormal lab work and he’s feeling well,’ Virginia Tech team doctor Gunnar Brolinson said. ‘The risks were nil, and he wanted to play. Obviously, if his head hadn’t been in the game, if he didn’t feel like playing, we wouldn’t have put him out on the field. But he really wanted to play.’

Crawford’s determination on the field mirrors his approach to his potential illness. Brolinson said Crawford never got down on himself when he was told about the likelihood he had cancer.

‘His reaction was, ‘Hey, let’s go ahead, let’s see what I got, let’s get to treatment and let me beat this thing,’ “ Brolinson said. ‘He’s such a positive kid, you almost worry if he’s even accepting this. But in listening to him, he’s a very spirited kid, and he just wants to get it over with. He has complete faith that he will be able to overcome this and be able to play again.’

While most would consider any type of cancer a serious health threat, this situation is not too dangerous. Crawford’s cancer is similar to that of hockey player Mario Lemeiux, who returned to the Pittsburgh Penguins after being forced to temporarily stop his National Hockey League career.

‘The funny thing is he doesn’t have any high white (blood) cell counts or anything like that,’ Goforth said. ‘If it is cancer, we’ve caught it early enough so that there shouldn’t be any problems.’

If the tests come back positive, Crawford will start therapy ‘pretty soon,’ Brolinson said. The strength of the treatment — either chemotherapy or radiation treatment — would keep Crawford out for the remainder of the season. But Crawford should recover fully and return next season, Brolinson and Goforth said.

But all Crawford knows now is his next game is against West Virginia on Wednesday. Since the open biopsy consists of a much larger incision in the lymph nodes, the healing time will determine if Crawford will play against the Mountaineers. Right now, he is listed as probable.

‘He continues to do very well, very upbeat, very positive attitude,’ Brolinson said. ‘We continue to keep our fingers crossed and hope the open biopsy comes back negative. And there’s still a chance that could happen. We’re all really big Michael Crawford fans.’

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Syracuse (+8.5) at Boston CollegeSaturday, Noon, ESPN Plus

The re-energized Orangemen have won three consecutive games, including a 50-42 victory over then-No. 8 Virginia Tech.

Quarterback Troy Nunes is 3-0 since taking over for R.J. Anderson. Running back Walter Reyes has 363 yards rushing in his last three games.

Boston College is winless in the Big East, but was able to trip previously unbeaten Notre Dame two weeks ago.

Pick: Boston College 24, Syracuse 20

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Georgia (-2.5) at AuburnSaturday, 3:30 p.m., CBS

Led by running back Musa Smith’s 148 yards, Georgia rebounded after its loss to Florida with a 31-17 win last week against Mississippi.

But this week, the Bulldogs will be without leading receiver Terrence Edwards, who separated his left shoulder against Ole Miss.

Meanwhile, Auburn has won three straight games against Georgia. The Tigers’ backfield combination of Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown has 1,445 yards and 20 touchdowns this year.

Pick: Auburn 23, Georgia 22

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Alabama (-2.5) at LSUSaturday, 8 p.m., ESPN2

Alabama’s troubles off the field never seem to end, much like its success on the field.

The Crimson Tide is banned from participating in the SEC title game because of NCAA rules violations but could still win the SEC West with two more conference victories.

LSU boasts the nation’s No. 1 defense, while Alabama ranks third. Crimson Tide quarterback Tyler Watts has just five touchdowns this season. LSU will try to carry the momentum from their miraculous Hail Mary touchdown to beat Kentucky last Saturday.

Pick: Alabama 20, LSU 16

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Iowa (-10.5) at MinnesotaSaturday, Noon, ESPN

Iowa quarterback Brad Banks is starting to throw his name into Heisman Trophy talk. He ranks first in the country in quarterback rating (167.9) and has 2,269 passing yards and 23 touchdowns compared to four interceptions.

Minnesota has lost two straight, albeit to Michigan and Ohio State. With a win, Iowa would set two school marks — 11 wins and an undefeated Big Ten record.

Pick: Iowa 38, Minnesota 22

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Arizona State (+15.5) at USCSaturday, 7 p.m., TBS

Speaking of Heisman candidates, how about Carson Palmer?

The USC quarterback has 2,746 yards and 22 touchdowns. During the Trojans’ last three games, Palmer has thrown for 13 touchdowns.

The Sun Devils enjoyed their temporary stay in the Top 25 but dropped out after allowing 99 points in back-to-back losses to Washington State and California.

Pick: USC 45, Arizona State 27

Published on November 13, 2002 at 12:00 pm