Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, April 7, 1994 TAG: 9404070079
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Doug Doughty Staff Writer
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
\ George Welsh has bigger things in mind than an eighth consecutive season of seven victories or more for Virginia's football team.
"I haven't thought about [that] streak," the Cavaliers' coach said Wednesday. "I was disappointed in 7-4 last year. There were some extenuating circumstances that affected us, [but] I still think that team should have won more than seven."
The Cavaliers, once 5-0, actually finished 7-5 with a 31-13 loss to Boston College in the Carquest Bowl.
Welsh addressed the late-season slide in a meeting with the players and said he told them a 7-4 record "shouldn't be satisfactory here. I think we should have higher aspirations than that.
"This team shouldn't be satisfied with 7-4, either. That may have to be tempered if [the Cavaliers] get wholesale injuries. I know when we're outclassed, but there were some key games last year when I don't think teams were better than us and they beat us."
UVa was favored in games it lost to North Carolina State, Clemson and Virginia Tech, although Welsh didn't identify the opponents to whom he was referring.
"We used to take pride in not losing games in November," Welsh said. "That went on for years and years. Now, we're losing them and I don't have an answer for it.
"You should be getting better at the end of the season, but the last two years we've slipped a little bit, even though we were playing better teams [in November]. I think the injuries contributed, but that did not cause the fumbles and other stupid things we did."
Virginia is only the second ACC team to record seven or more victories in seven consecutive seasons, joining Maryland, which performed the feat eight seasons from 1973-80. However, the Cavaliers have had exactly seven victories in three of those seasons, including the past two.
"Before, winning seasons were good enough," said Welsh, who inherited a program that had two winning seasons in 26 before his arrival in 1982. "Now, to me, I'd like to think we can reach the eight- or nine-win level year after year."
\ INJURIES: As many as a dozen players could be sidelined by injury Saturday, when the Cavaliers wind up spring practice with their annual intrasquad scrimmage at 1 p.m.
None of the injuries is expected to linger into the fall; however, some prominent players will not be in action Saturday, including All-ACC defensive end Mike Frederick (back), defensive tackle Mark Krichbaum (toe) and wide receiver Tyrone Davis (ankle).
\ HOLMES PROGNOSIS GLOOMY: Welsh said he will meet next week with wide receiver Larry Holmes, who has not participated in spring drills but was listed on a roster distributed to the media Wednesday and apparently remains in school.
"We couldn't reach him for a month," said Welsh, who said Holmes left the team on his own. "I'm not optimistic. For one thing, I don't know whether he will be eligible academically. We'll miss him. He's a quality wide receiver and punt-returner."
\ CONTINGENCY PLAN: Although Welsh said he could not say for sure that Holmes would skip his final season of eligibility, the Cavaliers have moved redshirt freshman quarterback Derick Byrd to wide receiver and invited walk-on Andrew Dausch back for a fifth year.
Dausch, a top midfielder for the UVa men's lacrosse team, has not participated in spring football drills and there was some question whether the Cavaliers could afford to give him a football scholarship in the fall.
Welsh said Byrd's status will be re-evaluated in August, based on how much help the Cavaliers need at wide receiver and how much practice time they can give him at quarterback. Byrd scrambled for a 30-yard touchdown run in UVa's first spring scrimmage.
"He's got a lot of athletic ability; he's probably the quickest quarterback we've had here," Welsh said. "He knows and I've told him that he's definitely going back to quarterback next spring. He's got four years, though, and I think we'll need his talents somewhere else in the fall."
by CNB