ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 26, 1995 TAG: 9512270003
SECTION: BOWL GUIDE PAGE: BG-13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
IF THE PEACH BOWL wanted to perpetuate its tradition of close games, there was no more appropriate selection than 18th-ranked Virginia.
The Cavaliers have played six games in which the outcome has been in decided in the final minute, four of which resulted in UVa losses.
``A couple of seconds, here or there, and we'd be in the top five just like Northwestern,'' said Virginia quarterback Mike Groh.
The Cavaliers might not want to replay the final four seconds against Florida State, when the Seminoles' Warrick Dunn was stopped inches from the goal line on the final play, but it's fair to say UVa (8-4) never was out of a game this season.
``I've never been around a team that's had so many games come down to the last seconds,'' said the Cavaliers' George Welsh, in his 23rd season as a head coach at the collegiate level. ``I don't know if I've ever heard of it.''
The Cavaliers lost two games by one point, and it would have been three if Virginia Tech's Antonio Banks hadn't returned an interception 65 yards for a touchdown as time expired in the regular-season finale. UVa is only the fourth team since the NCAA started keeping such records in 1971 to lose two games in the same season on the last play.
``We played a tough road schedule, and I think we played well to come out with part of an ACC championship,'' said offensive tackle Chris Harrison. ``But all people are going to look at is we're 8-4 and [they'll] think we're a mediocre team.''
Virginia had seven games against 1994 bowl teams, four on the road (Michigan, North Carolina State, North Carolina and Texas). Five UVa opponents are ranked: No.8 Florida State, No.9 Texas, No.13 Virginia Tech, No.14 Michigan and No.24 Clemson.
``Our goal was to win the ACC championship, and we accomplished that,'' said all-conference running back Tiki Barber, ``but there were so many opportunities we let slip by. Unfortunately, the bad things seem to stick with you longer.''
These Cavaliers did things no Virginia team had done before: They beat Florida State, handing the Seminoles their first conference loss since joining the ACC in 1992; they won at Clemson, ending an 0-17-1 dry spell; and they staged the biggest comeback in school history, rallying from an 18-point deficit to defeat Duke 44-30.
Virginia also rallied from an early 11-point deficit to defeat Maryland 21-18, but the Cavaliers squandered leads of 17, 15 and 13 points - the last in a Sept.9 game with N.C. State that UVa won 29-24 on a touchdown run by Barber with 13 seconds remaining. Barber, who entered the preseason as the Cavaliers' No.2 tailback, set a school record by rushing for 1,397 yards. The Cave Spring High School alumnus lost the ACC rushing title to Dunn by 6 yards, but he led the conference with 1,906 all-purpose yards, another UVa record.
Groh, who did not become a full-time starter until his fourth year at UVa, passed for a school-record 2,510 yards despite injuries that ravaged his receiving corps. Wide receiver Patrick Jeffers and tight end Bobby Neely never started in the same game.
The offense frequently bogged down inside the 20-yard line, as reflected in another record, established by Rafael Garcia for field goals in a season. Garcia was 20-of-27, converting 13 of 14 before a late miss from 46 yards against Virginia Tech.
Garcia and UVa's other kicking specialist, punter Will Brice, both made first-team All-ACC. Brice was victimized by the inconsistency of his snappers, Walt Derey and James Farrior, and was forced to kick right-footed (he's left-footed) on his final punt against Tech.
The Cavaliers had six first-team All-ACC selections - matching their all-time high - including defensive backs Percy Ellsworth and Ronde Barber. The Cavaliers intercepted 25 passes to finish first in the ACC and second in NCAA Division I-A.
On the flip side, UVa's opponents passed for 3,084 yards, the highest yield in the ACC this season. The Cavaliers gave up 250 passing yards or more in four of five games during one midseason stretch.
One reason for that was a rushing defense that ranked 10th in Division I-A - not a great drop-off from 1994, when the Cavaliers ranked fourth. Only Texas rushed for more than 86 yards against Virginia in the last seven games.
``I think [the passing yardage] has something to do with the number of passes that were thrown against us,'' said UVa assistant coach Art Markos, whose secondary saw 495 passes - more than 100 more than any other ACC team. ``But, we still get fooled more than you would like.''
Redshirt freshman Anthony Poindexter, a safety-turned-linebacker, emerged as perhaps Virginia's best open-field tackler and the Cavaliers installed a 3-4 defense to get him on the field. It was instrumental in UVa's 33-28 victory over Florida State, but the Cavaliers became increasingly passive during the final month of the regular season.
``We haven't been a big blitz team anyway,'' Welsh said. ``I think that's something we need to re-examine. Why not take a chance? Maybe we haven't done it enough. But maybe, if we had done it more, we wouldn't have eight wins.''
UVa set an ACC record with its ninth consecutive winning season; indeed, the Cavaliers are among a select group of schools that have posted seven or more victories in every season since 1987.
Welsh feared the Cavaliers had gotten into a rut with consecutive seven-victory seasons in 1992-93, but they won nine games last season and can match that feat Saturday night with a victory over Georgia in the Peach Bowl.
The Peach Bowl was the site of UVa's first bowl appearance, in 1984, when the Cavaliers overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat Purdue 27-24. It was the first of 11 consecutive Peach Bowl games decided by five points or fewer.
NOTE: Please see micorfilm for statistics.
LENGTH: Long : 103 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN/Staff. Former Cave Spring High School starby CNBTiki Barber (21) stepped into the spotlight as UVa's top rusher this
season. Graphic: Chart by staff.