Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, April 18, 1993 TAG: 9304180122
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
DEFENSE DOES WHAT WELSH WANTED IN UVA SPRING GAME
The offensive gameplan for Virginia's spring football game didn't fill one sheet of paper."We had four or five running plays and about the same number of passes," offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien said. "I never took it out of my pocket."
As a result there was no great chagrin Saturday when the UVa defense, which received points for turnovers and drives stopped, defeated the offense 32-15 at Scott Stadium.
"I would think Maryland and Navy sent scouts down to see us play," O'Brien said of the Cavaliers' first two opponents. "If we're trying something new or a little different with the offense, you don't want to give them any advantage."
So, why not prohibit scouting?
"It wouldn't make any difference," O'Brien said. "Whether you make it illegal or not, people will find a way to find out what's going on. [They'll ask] a high-school coach or the buddy of a buddy."
For the same reason, UVa didn't show all its defensive formations either. But the Cavaliers had five interceptions, counting three points each, two by safety Paul London.
London, who will be a sophomore in the fall, received most of his practice time at wide receiver until moving to defensive back late in the 1992 season. He also had two interceptions in UVa's first scrimmage of the spring, which was not open to the public.
"While I was playing receiver, I thought that's where I wanted to play and I was hesitant when they moved me to defense," said Lon The offense used five quarterbacks, including walk-on Wayne Lineburg from Radford, and none emerged from the pack. Rising sophomore Symmion Willis, who got the first call, was 3-of-9 for 50 yards. Mike Groh and Tim Sherman were the only quarterbacks to complete at least half of their passes, but both were intercepted twice and Groh was sacked twice. don, from Bethel High in Hampton. "It took me a little while to grasp the philosophy."
But London's instincts were sharp Saturday. After making a lunging grab for his first interception, London later picked off a tipped ball in the end zone.
"He makes plays," said O'Brien, who recruited London. "He has a receiver's mentality back there in the secondary. He doesn't want to knock the ball down, like some guys. He wants to catch it."
The offense used five quarterbacks, including walk-on Wayne Lineburg from Radford, and none emerged from the pack. Rising sophomore Symmion Willis, who got the first call, was 3-of-9 for 50 yards.
Mike Groh and Tim Sherman were the only quarterbacks to complete at least half of their passes, but both were intercepted twice and Groh was sacked twice.
"Nobody was way ahead and nobody fell far behind," head coach George Welsh said. "I don't know if any of them was real good. I didn't expect them to be."
If there was a bright spot for the offense, it was the running of Kevin Brooks, UVa's only able-bodied scholarship tailback. Brooks carried 20 times for 128 yards and two touchdowns, the second a 28-yard dash.
"I would like to start," said Brooks, who will be a sophomore in the fall. "That's my number one objective. But, if I don't start, it's not going to hurt me."
The most experienced of Virginia's tailbacks is Jerrod Washington, who started three games in the fall, but he sprained a knee in a scrimmage last week and did not play Saturday.
"If this were the regular season, I think he would be ready to play this [coming] week," Welsh said. "I'm not concerned about the tailbacks if Brooks and Washington are healthy.
"I'd like to feel comfortable with a third and maybe that's where [recruit] Tiki Barber [from Roanoke] fits in."
Fullback Charles Way caught a game-high five passes for 60 yards, but the Cavaliers had trouble getting the ball to Tyrone Davis, whose lone reception was a 40-yarder on the third series.
"The defense has played well all spring," Welsh said. "The offense has had trouble sustaining anything, but that's fine with me. I don't care if all you make is two or three first downs.
"I'm not worried about it. I like it better when the defense is better [than the offense] now and in the preseason. My experience is that you're probably going to have a better football team."