THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 27, 1996 TAG: 9610270182
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO
DATELINE: TALLAHASSEE, FLA. LENGTH: 69 lines
This may be as good as it ever gets for a Virginia football team playing in Doak Campbell Stadium.
The bounces were kind to U.Va. Saturday afternoon. The penalties, too. And for the longest time, the heavily-favored home team proved more hospitable than hostile.
Somehow, even without a U.Va. pass completion until one minute remained in the second quarter, the Cavaliers led by a field goal in a wild, bizarre first half.
``What more can you ask,'' said George Welsh, ``to come down here and be up by three at the half?''
If you are the U.Va. coach, you can ask for a third quarter as improbable and rewarding as the first two.
But no.
``We had a bad quarter,'' Welsh said moments after Florida State's 31-24 victory. ``We lost momentum. We lost everything in that quarter.''
U.Va. lost the lead in the third quarter, but not because of bad luck.
In the first half, running back Tiki Barber, who would rush for 150 yards in a sparkling performance, saved U.Va. twice by falling on loose balls coughed up by teammates inside the U.Va. 30.
In that half, U.Va. stunned the crowd of 80,237 by scoring its second touchdown on a 6-yard drive, set up by a fumble by Florida State quarterback Thad Busby.
The Cavaliers were being outgunned through the air to the tune of 185 to 38 when they went to the locker room ahead by three.
This is not the way it is supposed to work in piney-woods Florida, where ACC teams come to be buried in shallow graves.
In the third quarter, fate did not frown on U.Va., either. Pooh Bear Williams, Florida State's massive fullback, fumbled into the end zone while rumbling for an apparent touchdown. And another Seminoles touchdown was called back when a lineman for the home team was detected for the unlikely infraction of grabbing a U.Va. face mask.
Down on the field, U.Va. defensive tackle Todd White was thinking, ``Maybe it was meant to be by God that we're supposed to win.''
White laughed as he recalled the moment.
``That's what I was thinking when the bounces went our way,'' he said. ``That's what's disappointing. We didn't go ahead and make things happen ourselves.''
Nothing much happened for U.Va. on offense, not surprising seeing as how the Cavaliers entered the game unarmed. In an understatement of heroic proportions, Welsh observed, ``We gotta throw and catch it more.''
Starting quarterback Tim Sherman, though, captured the mood of the weird first half. ``When our first completion came,'' he said, ``we were tied 14-14, so who cares?''
But then came the third quarter. And though Florida State would score but one touchdown in the period, Welsh knew the game was getting away.
``Somewhere from the start of the third quarter to sometime in the fourth quarter, it was all Florida State,'' he said. ``No ifs, ands, or buts.''
Midway through the fourth quarter, down by a touchdown, U.Va. would foolishly attempt a fake punt at midfield, allowing Florida State to take over and score another touchdown.
But perhaps overlooked in all the discussion of the botched play was the porousness of U.Va.'s usually reliable defense.
``We gave up 500 yards plus,'' Welsh said. ``That's too much.''
The defense gave up touchdown runs of 65 and 42 yards, and scoring passes that covered 48 and 21 yards.
All that and U.Va., a 17-point underdog, lost by only a touchdown.
``We didn't deserve to win,'' said Welsh. ``It wasn't like we outgained them and outplayed them and still lost. It wasn't like that at all.''
Still, this may be as good as it gets for a Cavalier football team visiting Florida State. Or as weird. by CNB