THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 23, 1995 TAG: 9509230416
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CLEMSON, S.C. LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines
Football traditions are sacred at Clemson, where boisterous fans wear orange-painted paws on their cheeks and players rub a mystical rock before running down an end zone hill at the roar of a cannon to take the field.
Another tradition is that the Tigers have never lost to Virginia in their home stadium, nicknamed Death Valley, where the two ACC teams play today.
But what is tradition to Clemson seems more like a curse to some Cavaliers, even though U.Va. coach George Welsh strongly rejects such a notion.
``Nonsense,'' Welsh said when told that some of his players were calling Virginia's winless streak in Death Valley a curse. ``It is what you do during the week and how you execute on Saturday that counts.''
But Cavaliers defensive back Ronde Barber insists there is a curse. He's been there. He's seen it at work. Barber was a redshirt freshman two years ago when Clemson prevailed, 23-14.
``It was a hard game to watch,'' Barber recalls. ``You just sit there, watching the curse happen. It was tough.''
The Cavaliers were beaten that day by Dexter McCleon, a freshman who had been switched from defense to quarterback only a few days before the game. McCleon, who has returned to defensive back, rushed for 127 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown sprint, and threw a pass for a 73-yard score.
Virginia, which had not beaten Clemson anywhere until 1990, is 0-17-1 in Death Valley.
The tie was in 1991. Clemson used a Terry Kirby fumble and a 40-yard field goal in the final minute for a 20-20 deadlock.
As much as talk of a ``curse'' irritates Welsh, he admits that he has seen strange things happen in Death Valley.
``We have done some dumb things down there, there is no doubt,'' Welsh says. ``We haven't played smart. We fumbled the ball, we threw interceptions. We have the game won in '91 and our best back, Kirby, fumbles. Then we come back and have a chance to win on a field goal and our kicker kicks the ground. Never got the ball up in the air.''
But a curse?
``A lot of baloney,'' Welsh says, shaking his head. ``Up until 1990, Clemson was just better than us. They never helped us to win the game. They always played well against us. Since 1990, it has been pretty close.''
So close, in fact, the series record for the last five games is 2-2-1.
``We know that we are a better team and have better people,'' Barber says. ``It's a matter of putting that curse, or whatever it is, behind us. We have to show people this is a different era and Clemson doesn't have our number anymore.''
Virginia, after a one-point loss to Michigan in the season opener, has jumped to No. 11 in the polls with three straight victories. A win today would keep the Cavaliers tied with Florida State for the ACC lead.
Clemson, meanwhile, has lost only to Florida State, and second-year coach Tommy West's rebuilding program seems ahead of schedule.
``Their offense is much better than it was last year,'' Welsh says.
The Tigers have had at least 400 yards of total offense in each of the first three games. It's the first time that has happened since 1950.
Sophomore quarterback Nealon Greene is second in the ACC in passing efficiency, and tailback Raymond Priester has rushed for more than 100 yards in each of the last two games.
But if Clemson has an advantage, it is tradition.
``If they were the worst team in the ACC, it would still pose a problem to us because they don't want to be the first Clemson team to lose to Virginia in Death Valley,'' Cavaliers tackle Chris Harrison says.
West says tradition is big at Clemson, and he has reminded his players that Virginia has never won in Death Valley.
``We would like to keep it alive, but we are not overplaying it,'' West says. ``This is not the same Virginia team that Clemson beat 29 times in a row (before 1990). They have improved tremendously since those years.''
But is the improvement enough to overcome tradition, or the curse?
Virginia quarterback Mike Groh believes so.
``The big thing now is winning the game to keep pace with Florida State in the ACC,'' Groh says. ``But it will be nice to look back in a few years and remember we were the first Virginia team to win in Death Valley.'' by CNB