THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 7, 1996 TAG: 9610070126
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 78 lines
GEORGIA TECH 13 VIRGINIA 7 Glaring problems on offense are haunting Cavaliers
If George Welsh didn't already know, he got a jarring wake-up call Saturday with Virginia's first loss of the season.
The Cavaliers are not going to be a solid, consistent team until glaring problems are solved on offense.
The Cavaliers have gone as far as tailback Tiki Barber's strong legs can carry them.
If Virginia's offense can be shut down by Maryland and Georgia Tech, what happens when it goes up against Florida State and North Carolina?
The Cavaliers have been one of the most offensive teams in the ACC the last several years because of their versatility.
Now their only consistency is Barber to the left, Barber to the right, Barber off tackle.
Five games into the season, the Cavaliers have scored only once through the air.
The Cavaliers best pass plays are when either quarterback Tim Sherman or Aaron Brooks go back to throw and decide to run instead.
But it's not all their fault. Receivers are dropping balls and linemen aren't protecting.
A break in the schedule this week provides Welsh valuable time to sort out the offense and make needed adjustments.
Maybe he should play some blue-chip freshman receivers he had hoped to red-shirt.
Maybe he should put more option into the game plan, since both quarterbacks are talented runners.
Maybe he should concentrate on prepping one quarterback for game day instead of splitting practice time between two.
The Cavaliers can still have a very good season, but not with the offensive effort they had against Georgia Tech.
Next game: North Carolina State, Oct. 19, Charlottesville.
FRANK VEHORN
CENTRAL STATE (OHIO) 24 NORFOLK STATE 14 Parting ways with Foreman Field will be good for NSU
Two more weeks and it'll be over. The Norfolk State Spartans have four remaining games, but none at their home-away-from-home, Foreman Field.
A storied relationship will end. And for most of the Spartans it will be good riddance. The Spartans are building their own 30,000-seat facility on their campus and won't have to borrow from Old Dominion University anymore.
The problem with borrowing a playing facility like Foreman Field manifests itself in many ways evident Saturday night in the Spartans' loss to Central State of Ohio.
The field was sloppy on a day when it had not rained because two college field hockey games had been played earlier that day.
To slow down the bounce of the field hockey ball, the artificial turf is hosed down. That's good for field hockey and bad for football players who are trying to make cuts on slick plastic. Foreman Field was at times like an ice rink Saturday night. Errant passes actually splashed when they hit the turf.
The field hockey games bring to light another problem NSU has had when forced to play at Foreman Field: scheduling. It would have been preferable to play on a sunny, crisp fall afternoon rather than at night. But when you are a tenant and not a landlord, you take what you can get. And ODU field hockey has first dibs.
Asked if he will miss Foreman Field, head coach Darnell Moore said, ``After the Virginia Union game, I will not look back. All of the little things are disconcerting.''
Moore spoke while breathing exhaust fumes. With inadequate locker room space, the Spartans pull off their pads and load into two team buses behind the stands following games. After wins, the ride might not be so bad. After losses, it's a little longer back to campus.
Some of the Spartans, however, have fond memories of the place.
``It's not a negative to me,'' said defensive back Lydell Finley. ``The Norfolk State people deserve a stadium of their own to go to. But I've kind of liked it over here. It's a nice, big stadium and we've put a lot of people in it. I've felt like it was home.''
Maybe so. But only because it was the only option.
Next game: Oct. 19, Virginia Union vs. Norfolk State at Foreman Field, 1:30 p.m.
RICH RADFORD by CNB