Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, September 6, 1994 TAG: 9409070108
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Groh could relate to Yellow Jackets' quarterback Tommy Luginbill, who tossed two touchdown passes after unseating 1993 starter Donnie Davis.
``He's a coach's son [and] I'm a coach's son,'' said Groh, whose father, Al, is the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots. ``He did a helluva job but I feel I can do as good a job as Tommy Luginbill.''
Although he wasn't campaigning for the starting job at Virginia, Groh hopes that he will be viewed in a different light after tossing two touchdown passes in the Cavaliers' 41-17 loss to Florida State.
A career highlight?
``There hasn't been too much else to talk about,'' said Groh, who was 8-of-12 for 92 yards after replacing Symmion Willis with five minutes, four seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Nevertheless, coach George Welsh reiterated Monday that Willis would start Saturday at Navy.
``It [Groh's performance] hasn't changed anything as far as we're concerned,'' Welsh said. ``If we had caught the ball better, Willis would have had a better day. You can't drop six passes - actually, we counted seven - and be efficient.''
Welsh indicated that Groh didn't win the back-up job until the second preseason scrimmage despite passing for 254 yards and three touchdowns in UVa's spring game.
``To me that went unnoticed,'' Groh, a fourth-year junior, said. ``I wouldn't say I'm looking for attention, but I felt I might not have gotten credit for what I did in the spring game.''
After losing a battle for the starting job , Groh played in only four games last season, completing six of nine passes. He did not get off the bench when Willis was intercepted four times in back-to-back games.
``I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed,'' said Groh, inserted for two uneventful series in UVa's 20-17 loss to Virginia Tech in the regular-season finale, ``but Symmion and I have a great relationship. We're roommates; we're card partners in our summer Spades tournament. There's no animosity.''
If Groh were doing the coaching, he wouldn't make a change at this point either.
``If I were Symmion, I wouldn't want to be rated after one game,'' he said.
MEDIA DARLINGS: Most of the interview requests fielded by UVa's sports information office were for twins Tiki and Ronde Barber from Roanoke. Ronde, in addition to an interception and blocked kick, was credited with a team-high 15 tackles after the films were graded.
``That's 15 more than I thought I would have,'' said Barber, whose nine solo tackles were also the most by one of the Cavaliers. ``When I saw the stat sheet after the game and I had been credited with eight tackles, I thought, `Whew, it sure felt like more than that.' ''
Tiki Barber, despite rushing for 108 yards, did interviews with a football under his arm for the second week in a row. He has been carrying a football to classes to remind him of a fumbling problem that plagued him during preseason workouts.
``I think [Tiki] played well and played with poise,'' said Welsh, who praised both Barbers for their attention to schoolwork and weightlifting. ``He played better than we had reason to expect. If he had one block from a wideout, I don't believe they would have caught him [on a 58-yard run].
``[Ronde] made some mistakes. He also made some big plays. On that one interception, I don't know if we have a corner who would have broken on the ball like he did. Playing corner for the first time against that team, you're in a tough spot.''
INJURIES: Welsh said he came close to playing true freshmen Adrian Burnim due to injuries at the safety spot. Carl Smith will be back this week after being sidelined by heat exhaustion Saturday and 1993 starter Paul London could make his debut after knee surgery.
The only true freshmen to play were wide receiver Germane Crowell, who caught two touchdown passes, and defensive tackle Tony Agee. Injuries to Mark Krichbaum and Julius Williams elevated Agee, who was in for 27 plays, to the second team.
Welsh said a knee injury suffered by wide receiver Tyrone Davis has been classified as a ``contusion,'' meaning he should be available Saturday. Middle linebacker Randy Neal has a sprained knee but has a history as a ``quick healer,'' Welsh said.
ODDS AND ENDS: Welsh said prize recruit Anthony Poindexter will take a tour with the scout team when he returns from knee surgery, although it is possible Poindexter or Burnim could play this season. ... This will be the fifth year in a row that Virginia has played Navy, which does not appear on any future UVa schedules. ... Pre-season All-ACC defensive end Mike Frederick was credited with only one tackle but graded well, Welsh said. ... Virginia, which converted 45 percent of its third-down plays last year, was 2-for-18 Saturday. ... Florida State's 56 pass attempts were the most ever by a UVa opponent.
by CNB