ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, November 7, 1993                   TAG: 9311070199
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: E9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE                                LENGTH: Medium


VIRGINIA'S WILLIS PASSES A BIG TEST

There were times Saturday when Virginia quarterback Symmion Willis could have used a get-acquainted session with his receiving corps.

Willis became only the third UVa quarterback to pass for 2,000 yards in a season, joining Scott Secules and Shawn Moore, but he threw a career-high four interceptions in UVa's 21-9 victory over Wake Forest.

"Nothing I did would go right - not just the interceptions, but mental mistakes, key reads," said Willis, a sophomore. "I was getting down on myself and I think it hurt me.

"I was thankful it was only 9-7 at the half."

Willis was intercepted three times in the first half, then threw a fourth interception on his first pass of the second half.

"I was able to put that behind me," he said. "I just knew it was time for me to step up. It seemed like [teammates] were looking for me to make something happen."

Willis enjoyed his sixth 200-yard passing game of the season, despite the absence of tight end Aaron Mundy and wide receivers Larry Holmes and Patrick Jeffers for most of the game.

Jeffers suffered a fractured collarbone on his only reception, a 40-yarder that led to the Cavaliers' first touchdown in the second quarter. Team physician Frank McCue said the usual recovery time from such an injury is eight weeks.

"A big loss," said Tom O'Brien, UVa's offensive coordinator. "He was our best receiver right now, our most consistent receiver."

Holmes, the team's No. 2 receiver behind Jeffers, has a separated shoulder and was not in uniform. Mundy did not start and played sparingly because of knee problems.

Moreover, Tyrone Davis failed to start for the first time all season because of a sprained thumb, but he replaced Jeffers at flanker and caught two touchdown passes for a total of 68 yards, including a 37-yarder for Virginia's first score, and ran a reverse for 15 yards.

"The doctors thought he had `the Shawn Moore injury,' " said O'Brien, referring to the broken thumb that sidelined Moore, the ACC player of the year, in 1990. "It was in a splint, which doesn't help during the week, but allowed it some extra time to heal."

Walk-on Andrew Dausch made his first catch of the season and also had a key block on Davis' touchdown, as did fellow wide receiver Petey Allen on the first of Jerrod Washington's two touchdown runs. Bobby Neely had three catches for 42 yards in place of Mundy.

Each of the injured receivers except Jeffers has a chance to play Saturday at Clemson.

\ IN QUESTION: Jeffers' reception was one of two close calls that went in Virginia's favor.

Wake Forest defensive back Alexis Stockwell took the ball from Jeffers, but an official ruled that Jeffers had possession when he hit the ground. Later, Wake defensive back Tom Stuetzer was called for pass interference against Davis on a fourth-and-five play, leading to UVa's final score.

\ QUOTE-UNQUOTE: "I was very concerned at the half, very disturbed. I didn't say much. I asked [the players] to talk. I was tired of talking. I've been talking all year. I wanted to see if we had some leaders. Not much was said, but the right things were said." - UVa coach George Welsh.

"We did not play as poorly as last week [a 54-0 loss to Florida State]. We are moving in the right direction. I came into the game thinking we needed to score 30 points to win. We got enough turnovers [four] to win the game." - Wake Forest coach Jim Caldwell.

\ EXTRA POINTS: Virginia clinched its seventh consecutive season of seven victories or more. . . . Jerrod Washington's only two 100-yard rushing days of the season have come in the past two weeks, including a season-high 148 yards Saturday against Wake. . . . UVa linebacker Randy Neal unofficially was credited with 20 tackles, nine solo. . . . Caldwell said quarterback Jim Kemp was not injured before the Deacons went with Rusty LaRue for the last two series.

\ UVA NEXT WEEK: The Cavaliers (7-2 overall, 5-2 ACC) visit Clemson (6-3, 4-3) at 12:10 p.m. in a game that will be televised on the ACC network. Virginia is 1-30-1 against Clemson, including 0-16-1 at Memorial Stadium, although the Cavs have a one-game non-losing streak at Clemson after a 20-20 tie in 1991.

Keywords:
FOOTBALL



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