Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 31, 1993 TAG: 9310310165
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RALEIGH, N.C. LENGTH: Long
So, guess what happened.
Unranked North Carolina State took advantage of one of Virginia's classic collapses Saturday and rallied for a 34-29 victory over No. 16 UVa at waterlogged Carter-Finley Stadium.
"That's our history," Virginia co-captain Mark Dixon said. "I don't know why it happens. I don't know why we let it happen. I don't know if it's them. Or, is it us?"
The Wolfpack (6-2 overall, 3-2 ACC) scored 17 consecutive points in the fourth quarter before quarterback Terry Harvey ran out of the end zone for a safety as time expired.
"Since I've been around, it seems to always happen," Dixon, a fifth-year senior, said. "I don't have any excuses. They came right back and took that game from us and did it right in our face. They didn't sneak up on us."
Virginia (6-2, 4-2) seemingly had the game under control when it took a 27-17 lead with 47 seconds left in the third quarter on a 1-yard plunge by Charles Way. At that point, N.C. State did not have a first down in the second half.
The Wolfpack gained only 86 yards in the second half, but it recovered UVa fumbles on back-to-back fourth-quarter possessions, the first by quarterback Symmion Willis at the Cavaliers' 9-yard line.
That led to a 2-yard run by Gary Downs that put N.C. State ahead 31-27 with 7:52 left.
Steve Videtich added a 28-yard field goal with 3:28 left. The play came after a Kevin Brooks fumble at the UVa 45.
The Cavaliers, who previously did not have a 100-yard rushing game from a tailback, got 109 from Jerrod Washington and 107 from Brooks and finished with 508 yards in total offense.
Virginia, which had a total of four turnovers, got to the N.C. State 17-yard line before Willis tossed an interception while the UVa coaches were calling desperately for a timeout with 1:31 left.
"When you fumble the ball twice in the fourth period and you miss a fourth-down conversion, that's our only three possessions and all three were a disaster," offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien said. "If you can't finish a game any better than that, you don't deserve to win."
The Cavaliers had escaped a fourth-and-7 situation when Willis connected on a 49-yard bomb to Patrick Jeffers that took UVa to the N.C. State 25-yard line with 2:23 remaining.
UVa head coach George Welsh said he did not know what play the Cavaliers called on fourth down, but he said a running back lined up out of position.
"There was a lot of confusion out there," said Willis, who explained that intended receiver Larry Holmes ran to an open spot and apparently did not follow the prescribed route. "I don't think we were on the same page."
Willis finished 15-of-26 for 252 yards and one touchdown, but he was intercepted once and dropped the ball, which was recovered by Way, on the play before the fumble.
"[Willis] was fine until the fourth quarter," O'Brien said. "It's the first time he's been in that situation, and you'd like to think he would play better, but it's not always the quarterback. You've got to get people lined up in the right spots, and you need people to pass-protect."
The field was nearly under water when heavy rains stopped 90 minutes before game time.
Harvey dropped the snap three times on the Wolfpack's first two possessions.
"It was like trying to handle a wet melon," Harvey said.
The score was 3-3 before Washington scored on a 23-yard run with 4:31 left in the first half and touched off a wild spree in which the teams combined for 28 points in 2 minutes and 43 seconds.
Harvey tossed touchdown passes of 66 yards to Ray Griffis and 30 to Adrian Hill as the Wolfpack amassed 288 yards in the half - more than UVa had yielded in 60 minutes in a 17-10 victory over North Carolina.
"I cost us seven [points] because I had the quarterback on the long bomb," UVa defensive tackle Ryan Kuehl said. "Hell, no, I'm not going to blame this on the offense. It's our job to keep [N.C. State] out of the end zone."
It was the Wolfpack's fourth straight victory, all after the team trailed in the second half. N.C. State beat Texas Tech 36-34 after trailing 34-23, Marshall 24-17 after trailing 17-10 and Georgia Tech 28-23 after trailing 17-14.
"I knew we'd win - just kidding," said Harvey, who has a career record of 5-0 as a starter. `I'd rather put 'em away early, but this makes it sweeter. I never felt threatened."
Virginia, previously in sole possession of second place in the ACC and a contender for a major bowl bid, dropped into a virtual tie with North Carolina, N.C. State and Clemson. Each has two conference losses.
"If we went into this game living off [the North Carolina win], that shows you exactly what can happen," Dixon said. "One game does not make a season. I don't know if we dwelled on it or celebrated too much or what, but we've got to let that go." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB