Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 29, 1994 TAG: 9411290088
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Cavaliers accepted a bid to the Poulan/Weed Eater Independence Bowl, which recently agreed to take the fifth choice of ACC teams, and will meet Texas Christian at 8 p.m. Dec.28 in Shreveport, La.
Virginia athletic director Jim Copeland had held out hope that the Cavaliers would receive a bid to either the Peach Bowl or Hall of Fame Bowl, both of which invited lower-ranked ACC teams.
``I've been told by the Peach and Hall of Fame [committees] that it was a close call,'' Copeland said, ``but a lot of times they're going to tell you what you want to hear. I do think it was really tough for the Peach, though.''
The Peach Bowl, with the third choice of ACC teams, selected 23rd-ranked North Carolina State to play No.16 Mississippi State.
The Hall of Fame Bowl opted for No.25 Duke with its fourth choice of ACC teams. The Blue Devils will meet unranked Wisconsin.
Although 19th-ranked Virginia lost to Duke and N.C. State, the Cavaliers routed No.18 North Carolina, which joined Duke and UVa in a third-place tie but got a bid to the Sun Bowl, which had second choice of ACC teams.
``I ask you, over the last seven or eight years, who's had the better football tradition, Virginia or Carolina?''' Copeland said Sunday on the eve of the selections.
He added Monday, ``I felt like I've done what I can do the last two years, but there are dynamics I have no control over. Every year I say, `There has to be a better way,' but at least now they allow us to finish the games.''
Virginia was under consideration by the Fiesta Bowl, among others, before losing to N.C. State 30-27. Coach George Welsh passed up a 36-yard field-goal attempt that would have tied the game with 3 1/2 minutes left.
The Cavaliers, losers in their past four bowl games, will meet a Texas Christian team that has won five of its past six games, including a 24-17 victory Friday over Cotton Bowl-bound Texas Tech.
The Horned Frogs finished 7-4, their first winning record in three seasons under former Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan.
It will be the first bowl appearance since 1984 for Texas Christian.
TCU boasts the Southwest Conference rushing champion, junior tailback Andre Davis and the All-SWC quarterback, junior Max Knake.
Knake will face a UVa pass defense that led Division I-A in interceptions for the second straight year with 27, but has yielded 886 yards in the last three games. The Cavaliers are first in Division I-A in rushing defense, a standing they are likely to keep because postseason games do not count in the statistics.
Independence Bowl chairman Bob Brown said Monday that he expected Texas Christian to bring more than 10,000 fans. Virginia was required to buy 8,450 tickets, more than double what the Cavaliers sold for the Carquest Bowl last year.
The Independence Bowl will pay each team a guaranteed $750,000, the minimum required by the NCAA Special Events Committee. The game will be televised by ESPN.
TICKET INFO: Tickets, priced at $30 and $35, for the Independence Bowl can be ordered beginning today at the Virginia athletic ticket office (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or by calling 1-800-542-8821.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB