THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 15, 1995 TAG: 9510150281
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 99 lines
Pete Allen is some guy.
Not only did the Virginia wide receiver invite a busload of kids from his neighborhood church in Norfolk to Saturday's game against Duke, he gave them plenty to cheer about on a dark, rainy afternoon in Scott Stadium.
With the Cavaliers' season seemingly stuck in the the mud, the 5-foot-10, 148-pound Allen brought his team alive with an 82-yard touchdown reception that triggered a hard-fought 44-30 victory over Duke.
At the time of Allen's catch, only four minutes into the second period, the Cavaliers already were down 21-3 to a Duke team that entered the game a 22-point underdog.
``It was important for us to start getting that lead down, so that touchdown from Allen was a very big play,'' Cavaliers coach George Welsh said.
The 19th-ranked Cavaliers (6-2, 5-1) still trailed 24-13 at intermission, but blew the Blue Devils (2-5, 0-4) away with a 31-point explosion in the second half.
Included in the offensive outburst led by quarterback Mike Groh was a 67-yard scoring pass to Allen that provided Virginia a 38-30 lead early in the fourth period.
Groh, forced from the game by a bruised knee late in the second period, came back to play all of the second half and set a school passing-yardage record.
He completed 20 of 41 passes for 346 yards and four touchdowns.
He broke the school record of 344 passing yards set by Shawn Moore in 1990 on his final completion, a 4-yard toss to Allen, with 56 seconds remaining in the game.
Allen caught five of Groh's passes for 160 yards. None was bigger than the first touchdown reception that started Virginia's comeback.
``That was just a great catch by Pete for our first touchdown,'' Groh said. ``That play set the tone for our offense the rest of the game.''
Allen said he gave the defender a quick stutter step and then headed toward the sideline, where he had to wait for Groh's toss to get to him.
``It seemed like it took forever for the ball to get there,'' Allen said.
Once the ball arrived, Allen turned and raced 50 yards to the the end zone.
Or, as one of Allen's fans from First Baptist Logan Park Church said, ``He just turned on the jets.''
On Allen's second touchdown, which broke Duke's upset spirit, Allen was tripped up at the 5, but still managed to dive into the end zone.
Groh threw 22 yards to wide receiver Patrick Jeffers and 11 yards to tailback Tiki Barber for his other two touchdown passes.
Jeffers said he was surprised that Groh was able to play the second half after being dropped by an uncalled late hit with 2:49 remaining in the first half.
``He showed a lot of heart by coming back and playing like he did,'' Jeffers said.
``But we needed him. If we had walked out of here losers today, our whole season pretty much would have been down the drain.''
Groh, who went to the dressing room ahead of his teammates at intermission, said he knew he was going to return for the second half.
``The same thing happened in a previous game, and I played on it,'' he said.
Groh said he was getting treatment for the injury and did not participate in the emotional locker-room oratory by his teammates.
Defensive back Percy Ellsworth admitted he was ``a little worried'' when U.Va. fell behind 21-3. ``But I knew we weren't playing well and if we turned things up we could still win,'' he said.
Ellsworth got the momentum going quickly in the second half with an interception that stopped Duke's first offensive drive.
Five plays later, Tiki Barber scampered 9 yards for the touchdown and Jeffers made a catch for the 2-point conversion.
The defense continued to stop Duke, and Rafael Garcia's 22-yard field goal tied the score at 24 with 4:22 left in the third period.
On its next possession, Duke quick-kicked from its 17 on third down, and Ellsworth scooped up the ball and returned it 30 yards to the Blue Devils' 46.
Barber caught the first touchdown pass of his career 36 seconds before the end of the third period to give Virginia a 31-24 lead.
Duke came back to score its only second-half touchdown, but the kick for the extra point sailed wide.
Two minutes later, Groh made his second long-distance scoring connection to Allen and the Blue Devils never threatened again. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Wide receiver Pete Allen's 82-yard touchdown catch sparked
Virginia's comeback.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Virginia wide receiver Patrick Jeffers fights to break the tackle of
Duke cornerback Sidney Wells during the first half. The Blue Devils
bogged down the Cavaliers in the first half, leading 24-13 at
intermission, but Virginia turned the game around in the second
half. Jeffers caught one of quarterback Mike Groh's four touchdown
passes as Groh set a school passing yardage record, passing for 346
yards.
by CNB