BLACKSBURG -- While his Virginia Tech teammates celebrated Saturday's 36-0 rout of winless Duke, Hokies tailback George Bell was back home with family in Fayetteville, N.C., pondering his college football future.

Severely hobbled by a pair of injured knees that forced him to retire early from Tech's practice last Thursday, Bell returned home after he was informed by coaches that he wouldn't dress for the Duke game.

"George is going to think about things, he's home today, and we'll talk more," Tech coach Frank Beamer said Saturday. "We're going to have to see where this thing goes. He just doesn't have the explosiveness he's got to have to play right now."

Bell, who had been Tech's No. 2 tailback until last week, met with running backs coach Billy Hite last Monday. It sounds like the third-year sophomore may have played his final down in a Tech uniform, at least for this season.

"George can't even bend his knee ... and that's his good knee," Hite said Saturday. "And I told him there are things in life that aren't real important to you when you're 20 years old as they are when you're 30 years old. The point I tried to make to him and I told him was, 'I want to see you be able to go out and play with your children and be able to walk. And right now you have two bad knees, and you've got one that's really awful.' "

The 5-foot-10, 223-pound Bell shredded the ligaments and cartilage in his left knee during his junior year of high school. His right knee was injured when he fumbled the ball on his third and final carry in Tech's Sept. 9 victory at North Carolina.

Bell's options at this point include applying for a medical waiver from the NCAA, which if granted would still leave him three more years of eligibility at Tech.

Using ex-Tech star tailback Lee Suggs' recent failure to pass a physical with the New York Jets as an example, Hite said he told Bell that "if you have the NFL on your mind, it's not going to happen, you've lost your speed."

"And I told him, 'George, this kills me telling you that, but I'm going to get somebody else ready and I'm not going to play you.' " Hite said. "That's the way I left it with him.

"Of course, he's hurt, but at the same time I think he understands where we're coming from. Again, it's a decision we have to make sometimes for the betterment of our football program and I decided I need to go another route right now."

Hite said Bell would remain on scholarship whether he plays or not.

"I want to keep George involved with the program anyway we possibly can that's legal with the NCAA," Hite said. "I told George, 'We like you that much and want you around that much.' Say, if he wants to be a student-coach, ... break down film, ... be on the sidelines, we want him to be a part of this program."

The Hokies haven't rid themselves of the penalty bug that bit them late last season. Tech was penalized eight times for 85 yards against Duke. Out of 119 Division I-A teams, Tech ranks 95th in fewest penalties per game (7.67) and 100th in fewest penalty yards (65.3). Tech is last in the ACC in both categories. ... Place-kicker Brandon Pace's six points gave him 237 for his career and moved him past former Pulaski County standout Chris Kinzer (234) for fifth on Tech's all-time scoring list. ... Tech has scored in all 12 quarters this season and has scratched in 17 straight dating back to last season. ... Tech is a 26-point favorite against Cincinnati (1-2).