Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 11, 1994 TAG: 9410110121
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Welsh named Groh as the Cavaliers' likely starter Saturday at Georgia Tech, but otherwise offered little in the way of testimonials.
Never mind that Groh leads the ACC in passing efficiency and is ranked ninth in Division I-A. The next-highest ranked ACC quarterback, Spence Fischer from Duke, is 26th.
``I think you're making too much of it,'' Welsh said Monday at his weekly news conference. ``I'm sick and tired of talking about the quarterbacks, if you want to know. I really am. [Despite] the way the defense is playing, I'm spending half my time talking about the quarterbacks.
``I don't know what [Groh's] numbers are. I'm not attaching any significance to it. It's [passing efficiency] throwing touchdowns passes and not many interceptions. We've had other quarterbacks do that. So did Goodwin, er, Goodman.''
Welsh was referring to former UVa quarterback Bobby Goodman, who led Division I-A in passing efficiency after five weeks in 1992.
``Amazing,'' muttered one reporter at Welsh's intransigence.
``I don't know why I'm amazing,'' Welsh responded. ``He almost won the job a year ago. It was that close. And now he's had good games against Navy and Wake Forest, but speaking of numbers, where are they ranked?
``Navy is 100 and something out of 100 and something [teams in Division I-A]. That's what I'm saying. You have to keep it in perspective. He played a fairly good defensive team in Clemson and did what the other guy [Symmion Willis] did. He threw interceptions.''
Willis has been UVa's starter when healthy, but he suffered a pulled right hamstring Saturday night against Wake Forest. He missed an earlier UVa game with Navy after straining his left hamstring.
``I sat with him on the bus back from the airport,'' Welsh said, ``and he said he'd never had a hamstring problem before this year. It doesn't look good for Saturday, but he was a lot better [Monday].''
The Cavaliers, who led 7-0 when Willis was helped from the field with 2 minutes, 49 seconds remaining in the second quarter, took advantage of three Groh touchdown passes in what became a 42-6 romp.
``If you look at the numbers, when the opportunity presented itself, I'm not sure Symmion couldn't have done the same thing,'' offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien said.
Maybe Welsh is trying to avoid a controversy that could simmer for the next two seasons, but his effort to downplay Groh's accomplishments has been unmistakable.
``You noticed, huh?'' Groh told reporters. ``I just have to laugh at what he says. I don't get caught up in all that.''
Willis has more mobility than Groh and a stronger arm, presumably allowing UVa to run more of a full-service offense when he is in the game. But, Groh feels his ability to throw long should not be an issue.
``That's just something that's come up since I've been here,'' he said. ``I've thrown in pro camps and never had anybody say anything about my arm except that it was strong enough.
``You don't have to be able to throw the ball 60 yards downfield. When I've been in there, we've scored. That's the main objective.''
Of the 13 touchdowns Virginia has scored against Division I-A opposition, Groh has been on the field for 12 and third-string quarterback Tim Sherman for one.
``They don't need me to come in and kick some butt,'' Groh said, ``but there are some things I do leadership-wise that I've been doing all my life. All the teams I've played on have won. I can't really tell you why that is.''
PROUD PAPA: Groh got a predictable reaction when he got in touch with his father, Al, who is the defensive coordinator for the New England Patriots but previously served as the head coach at Wake Forest from 1981-86.
``He got a kick out of the way things ended up,'' Mike Groh said. ``People think the Grohs have a lot of bitterness toward Wake Forest, but that's not the case. You spend a lot of time and put a lot of sweat into once place [and] it's nice to go back and win.''
COURT DATE: Virginia offensive tackle Chris Harrison, who has come back from a broken leg to start the first five games, reportedly faces an Oct.25 court date on charges of petty larceny.
The University Journal reported Monday that Harrison was arrested July 20 after reselling stolen books to the university bookstore. University Police Sgt. Maryann Gritmon told the student newspaper that Harrison said a third party had given him the books to sell.
FOOTBALL ALTERNATIVE: Athletic-department officials, puzzled by non-sellouts in the first two games, might take note of the group of 100 or more students who gathered early Sunday for a naked run down UVa's ``Lawn.''
``We may not show up for football games, but we get naked together,'' third-year student Derek Rosner told The Cavalier Daily. A crowd estimated at between 1,000 and 1,500 witnessed the run.
by CNB