Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, December 30, 1994 TAG: 9412300106
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SHREVEPORT, LA. LENGTH: Long
Virginia football players who visited the nearby riverboat casinos this week learned a valuable lesson:
Leave nothing to chance.
In conditions that were ideal for excuse-making, 18th-ranked Virginia made sure the Independence Bowl would not be decided by one spin of the wheel.
The Cavaliers dominated Texas Christian on both sides of the ball and came away with their first bowl victory since 1987, a 20-10 triumph Wednesday night before an announced crowd of 27,242.
A three-hour downpour ended moments before kickoff, but then the wind started blowing. Then, it started drizzling. Then, it started pouring again. Then, it stopped. Then, it resumed.
``I began preparing mentally as soon as I saw the first weather reports Sunday,'' said Mike Groh, Virginia's quarterback. ``I was determined not to let the weather affect how I played.''
Groh was named offensive player of the game after completing 14 of 23 passes for 199 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown toss to Tyrone Davis that put UVa ahead 17-3 in the third quarter.
The Cavaliers extended their lead to 20-3 on Rafael Garcia's second field goal of the game and were able to coast to their ninth victory of the season. UVa had reached that level twice previously, in 1895 (9-2) and 1989 (10-3).
TCU, which did not score fewer than 17 points in a game during the regular season, needed a fourth-and-goal pass from the 1-yard line to score its lone touchdown. The drive covered 48 yards following a short kickoff and personal-foul penalty against Virginia.
Kickoffs were a problem for UVa all night, but coach George Welsh said the Cavaliers' defense was the best in his 13-year tenure and it seldom has looked better than it did against TCU.
The Horned Frogs, who led the Southwest Conference in total offense with more than 400 yards per game, finished with a season-low 191 on Wednesday night.
TCU quarterback Max Knake, who passed for 24 touchdowns and more than 2,600 yards during the regular season, misfired on his first seven attempts and finished 8-of-24 for 66 yards with one interception.
``From what I had seen on film, he reminded me of Groh,'' said UVa defensive tackle Ryan Kuehl. ``In person, he was more like [Wake Forest football and basketball player] Rusty LaRue, except I'm not sure if he can hit the 3-pointer.''
Southwest Conference player of the year Andre Davis, who had rushed for 100 yards or more in TCU's six previous games, finished with 97 yards on 24 carries against the nation's No.1-ranked rushing defense. He had six carries for no gain or losses.
``As soon as we saw the rain, we weren't disappointed,'' said UVa co-captain Mike Frederick, named defensive player of the game. ``We knew then it would be strength on strength.''
UVa was unable to mount a terrific pass rush - ``I felt I was on skates all night,'' Frederick said - but the coverage rarely broke down despite two first-time starters at cornerback in Sam McKiver and Joe Williams.
``I was worried about Joe Williams,'' Welsh said. ``McKiver has played enough [as a fifth defensive back]. We knew about him, but I was nervous about Williams. He played with a lot of poise.''
Williams, a redshirt freshman who had received negligible playing time during the last month of the regular season, had the unenviable task of replacing ACC rookie of the year Ronde Barber, sidelined by a sprained foot.
``I felt the team was depending on me,'' Williams said. ``Whatever Ronde would have done, that's what I wanted to do. I sort of wanted them to test me, but they never did.''
Virginia had 436 yards in total offense, including 237 on the ground. Kevin Brooks carried 17 times for a season-high 114 yards, including a career-long 52-yarder.
Fullback Charles Way scored UVa's first touchdown on a 6-yard run and finished with 24 carries for 90 yards as part of a ball-control offense that ran 75 plays to the Horned Frogs' 56.
The Cavaliers' goal-line offense, a weakness during the regular season, continued to experience problems. Virginia failed to score touchdowns on three possessions inside TCU's 20-yard line, twice missing field-goal attempts.
``It was a kicker's worst nightmare,'' said Garcia, who didn't see one of his kickoffs reach the Horned Frogs' 15-yard line and watched two go out of bounds.
TCU still had 7 minutes, 21 seconds remaining when it blocked a 25-yard field-goal attempt by Garcia, but the Horned Frogs showed little sense of urgency. They began the drive with two running plays and consumed more than four minutes in reaching the UVa 38.
``We had seen them play that way before,'' Welsh said. ``They don't take timeouts. I'd have been plenty worried if they'd scored with two or three minutes left, but the clock kept running.''
It seemed the Horned Frogs (7-5) were happy just to be playing in a bowl for the first time since 1984. Virginia (9-3) was on more of a mission after losing in its past four bowl appearances.
The Cavaliers felt slighted when three lower-ranked ACC teams went to higher-paying, bigger-name bowls, but all was forgotten by the time the team arrived in Shreveport.
Much was at stake, including the highest season-ending ranking in the program's history. Virginia's best previous finish in the Associated Press poll was 18th in 1989.
``I've been saying all season that I didn't want to know what we were ranked until Jan.2,'' Frederick said. ``When do the polls come out, Tuesday? I might take a look this time.''
by CNB