Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 5, 1993 TAG: 9310050013
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Willis, in his first season as the Cavaliers' starter, ranks second in Division I-A this week in passing efficiency.
"He has a lot of confidence in the huddle," said guard Mark Dixon. "Anytime you can see that in a quarterback, you know that when he drops back, if somebody's open, something big's going to happen.
"He's a special player. He's going to be a big-timer. He's showing it more and more every week."
Willis had the best day of his young career when he completed 11 of 14 passes for 279 yards and a UVa record-tying five touchdowns Saturday in a 41-7 rout of Ohio University. He has a five-game completion rate of 67.9 percent and has a touchdowns-to-interceptions ratio of 13-3.
As a result of his performance, Willis was selected as one of the Atlantic Coast Conference's players of the week.
"I can't say enough about [Willis]," said Larry Holmes, who Saturday had an 87-yard touchdown reception, the eighth-longest pass play in UVa history. "If he improves much more, people are really going to be in trouble."
Holmes, who sat out the 1992 season for academic reasons, came to prominence when Matt Blundin was the UVa quarterback. Blundin was the ACC's player of the year in 1991.
"I can't give [Willis] that much credit," Holmes said. "He's on his way, though."
The coaching staff has been more reserved in its comments, perhaps mindful that Bobby Goodman had a similar start in 1992 and also knowing that the combined record of UVa's opponents is 4-19 overall, 2-19 against Division I-A teams. Goodman had 15 touchdown passes at the same stage last season, and then threw two in the last 4 1/2 games.
"It's [important] that the players have confidence in the quarterback," said offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien, careful not to be drawn into a comparison of Willis and Goodman. "This kid can make the big play, but there's so much he has not experienced yet, so many things that could cause him to stumble."
\ SPREAD THIN: Holmes, whose eight touchdown receptions led the ACC in 1992, has not lost his eye for the end zone. His 10 receptions in the first five games include three for touchdowns.
"Not only haven't I had the long ball," Holmes said after his 87-yarder Saturday, "[but] it's been hard getting my hands on the ball, period. So any time I touch it nowadays, it's a big deal.
"I would say I haven't gotten the ball as I'd like, which isn't necessarily not that much. I'd like to see some improvement, but you know how that goes. I just have to play. I can't coach."
The leading receiver in Virginia's offense has been sophomore H-back Patrick Jeffers, a non-starter who has 21 receptions, four for touchdowns. Nobody else has more than 13.
"In our pass offense, whoever is in that spot is going to catch a lot of balls," O'Brien said of the H-back. "A lot depends on how teams are playing us. We can't control who we pass to.
"I'm sure our running backs would have liked to carry the ball more, but Ohio U. committed nine players to the run and played our receivers man-to-man. We could have thrown 50 more passes and scored 100 points, but what does that serve?"
\ STRONG LEG: Michael Husted's 52-yard field goal for the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday was longer than any Husted attempt during two seasons as Virginia's kicker. Husted's longest field goal for the Cavaliers was 48 yards and his longest attempt was 51.
Although Husted routinely kicked off into the end zone, UVa coach George Welsh passed up the chance at a 57-yard field goal in the closing seconds of a 29-28 loss to Clemson last year, electing to throw a "Hail Mary" pass that fell incomplete in the end zone.
\ EXTRA POINTS: Freshman James Farrior was credited with 18 tackles Saturday, the high for a UVa player this season. Farrior was pressed into service at outside linebacker as a result of injuries to P.J. Killian and Jamie Sharper. . . . Defensive end Walt Derey from Northside High School in Roanoke County had five assists in 14 plays. . . . Despite missing an extra-point attempt for the first time this season, Kyle Kirkeide had his best day kicking off. Three of six were not returned. . . . A donation of $400 has been made by AT & T to the NCAA's Degree Completion Scholarship Fund in the names of Willis and Holmes. Willis' 87-yard touchdown pass to Holmes on Saturday was the AT & T Long Distance pass play of the week. . . . Virginia is down to 83 scholarship players after the departure of sophomore Ray Kane, a little-used lineman. That's three under the limit imposed by the NCAA when UVa was placed on probation in the spring. The limit for schools in good standing is 88. . . . UVa is one of 18 unbeaten teams in Division I-A.
by CNB