ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, September 29, 1996 TAG: 9609300139
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
MEMO: Different version ran in New River Valley edition.
There was no place for last-second heroics at Scott Stadium on Saturday night. Tiki Barber took care of that.
Barber, dodging tacklers and raindrops, scored on three consecutive first-quarter runs and set the tone as 19th-ranked Virginia defeated No.13 Texas 37-13.
The Cavaliers stunned a crowd of 45,100 and a national cable TV audience by racing to a 24-0 lead after less than 20 minutes against one of college football's traditional powers.
``There's not that much difference between the teams,'' UVa coach George Welsh said, ``but, they helped us. Then, it was a steamroller for a while.
``Other than that, it's not that big a difference. We had everything go our way and they had nothing go their way. That was the essence of it for a long time.''
The Longhorns (2-2) lost six turnovers, including four interceptions, three by quarterback James Brown. UVa's lone turnover was a fumble on the last play of the game.
Virginia (4-0) helped ease some of the memories of a 17-16 loss to Texas in 1995, when the Longhorns' Phil Dawson kicked a 50-yard field goal into the wind with no time remaining.
It appeared that the weather conditions again might be a factor when a heavy shower arrived at game time, but Barber left nothing to chance on first-quarter touchdown runs of 16, 26 and 12 yards.
``I got a good look at all of them and all I can say is, `Amazing!''' Virginia quarterback Tim Sherman said. ``I honestly felt, on all of them, that he was going to score. But, there wasn't any daylight on any of them.''
The first one was the culmination of a nine-play, 71-yard drive on which Barber twice dove for first downs on third-down plays. Barber also caught three passes on the drive, matching his total for the season.
His first score made it 7-0 with 7 minutes, 40 seconds remaining in the first quarter and, within moments, UVa was on the move again after the second of the Cavaliers' three first-half interceptions.
Ronde Barber's 38-yard interception return gave Virginia possession at its 47 and the Cavaliers needed just two plays before his brother made it 14-0 with 5:16 left.
Another two-play drive, this one set up when Brown fumbled after being hit by James Farrior, put UVa on top 21-0 with 2:35 to go in the quarter. Barber disappeared into the line, then re-emerged on what Sherman said was the ``most amazing'' of the three touchdown runs.
It certainly seemed to be coming easy for Virginia when Farrior picked off a lob by Brown with 13:15 to go in the half; however, that represented a turning point of sorts.
A 30-yard field goal by Rafael Garcia put the Cavaliers on top 24-0, at which point Texas coach John Mackovic benched Brown, the 1995 Southwest Conference Player of the Year, and replaced him with sophomore Richard Walton.
``James tries to make plays and we need him to do that,'' Mackovic said. ``Whether or not he shouldn't have tried to make those plays tonight, I can't say.''
The Longhorns failed to capitalize on a blocked punt and had to settle for a field goal at the end of the half, but Walton earned a second-half curtain call after going 5-for-9.
Walton moved the Longhorns down the field for a quick touchdown to start the second half and Texas trailed 24-10.
It was 27-10, after Garcia's 46-yard field goal, when Texas again moved deep into UVa territory. Three straight Walton completions gave the Longhorns a first down at the 11, but the Cavaliers' defense stiffened and forced another Dawson field goal.
That seemed to take some of the fight out of the Longhorns, who held Barber to 32 yards on 12 carries in the middle two quarters, but then fell victim to one of UVa's least heralded running threats, Sherman.
Sherman carried the ball five times on one drive, twice picking up first downs, before he faked a pitch to Barber and rambled 24 yards for a touchdown that gave the Cavaliers what proved to be an insurmountable 34-13 lead with 13:14 left.
It was the longest career gain for Sherman, a fifth-year senior making only his fourth start as a collegian. He completed 14 of 24 passes for 180 yards and also ran for 44 yards.
Sophomore Aaron Brooks, who had played in the first half of Virginia's first three games, did not make his first appearance until 3:33 remained in the game. His insertion followed an interception by Stephen Phelan, UVa's fourth of the game.
``He's [Sherman] our quarterback now,'' Welsh said. ``I really wanted to get Aaron in the game, but we were on such a roll that it didn't make sense to take [Sherman] out. In some other games, there seemed to be a right time. Tonight, there wasn't.''
Barber finished with 25 carries for 121 yards, becoming the first UVa running back to rush for 100 yards or more in the first four games of a season. He also caught five passes for 52 yards.
``You get to a point where you say to yourself, `They can't stop us,''' said Barber of his feeling after the third touchdown run. ``We were driving them off the ball and, once I got to the second level of the defense, they couldn't tackle me.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Long : 105 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE. 1. Tiki Barber celebrates hisby CNBthird touchdown of the first quarter during Virginia's 37-13 win
over Texas at Scott Stadium on Saturday night. color. 2. STEPHANIE
KLEIN-DAVIS/Staff. UVa's Terrence Wilkins gains yardage as Texas
defenders Kyle Richardson (left) and Gray Mosier (right) try to
bring him down during Saturday night's game in Charlottesville.