Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 16, 1994 TAG: 9410180047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Medium
No buts?
``No buts,'' Welsh said.
Welsh has been hesitant to compliment Groh for his play against weaker competition. But he was happy with an effective but unspectacular performance Saturday.
Groh, starting in place of injured regular Symmion Willis, completed 12 of 20 passes for 113 yards as the Cavaliers defeated Georgia Tech 24-7 for their fifth victory in a row.
``If he has the ball caught a couple of times, we have a few more first downs,'' Welsh said, referring to three dropped passes. ``I think he did very well.''
Willis was supposed to make the trip and be available in an emergency, but Welsh left him at home. Willis' status for Virginia's game Oct.22 with 15th-ranked North Carolina is undetermined.
``He wasn't ready,'' Welsh said. ``I considered bringing him along in case we needed a holder, but he probably could not have participated in warmups. If you can't do that, I don't like to bring somebody along.''
Groh failed to throw a touchdown pass, but was not intercepted as UVa played its first turnover-free game of the season. Groh has attempted 97 passes this season without being sacked.
Groh said he realizes two of his best games have come against teams, Navy and Wake Forest, that are ranked 96th and 103rd in Division I-A in pass defense, ``but this is only special because it's a conference win,'' he said.
PHANTOM TDs? A television feed in the Georgia Tech press box showed that Virginia linebacker Randy Neal fumbled before he reached the end zone on a 77-yard interception return for a touchdown.
Tech tailback Jimy Lincoln appeared to strip Neal at the 1-yard line and the ball rolled through the end zone. If ruled a fumble, the ball would have been awarded to Georgia Tech at the 20.
``The game wasn't on [commercial] TV; it's all going to look the same in the newspaper,'' said Neal, who in 1992 returned two interceptions for touchdowns in a 41-38 victory over Virginia Tech.
On a replay of Georgia Tech's touchdown, it appeared Charlie Simmons might have landed out of bounds on a 14-yard pass from Tommy Luginbill, ``but, I don't think [the officials] would have taken it away from them,'' Welsh said.
Making big blocks on Neal's return were defensive back Ronde Barber, who sealed off Cedric Zachery at the Tech 30, and defensive end Mike Frederick, who got in Luginbill's way at the 5.
``When I first caught it, I thought I was going to fall down,'' Neal said. ``Once I regained my balance, I told myself, `Dang, nobody's out there.' It's the longest I've run in awhile.''
NO COMPLAINTS: Neal was one of the few Virginia players who said he would be on the lookout the next couple of days to see if unranked Virginia makes the Top 25.
``I don't think anybody on the team is caught up in the rankings,'' Groh said. ``I don't think anybody is concerned at this point.''
ODDS AND ENDS: Will Brice's 78-yard punt in the fourth quarter was just short of a school-record 80-yard punt by Sam Maphis in 1923 against Virginia Tech. ... Walk-on quarterback Wayne Lineburg from Radford made his first road trip. Lineburg wore No. 25. ... Virginia has not been scored upon in the first quarter in its first six games. ... The Game 6 jinx was interrupted for the Cavaliers, who had won their sixth game of the season only once since 1982. ... Defensive tackle Mark Krichbaum, out since the preseason with a broken leg, made his season's debut in the second quarter.
NEXT WEEK: Virginia (5-1 overall, 3-1 ACC) entertains 15th-ranked North Carolina (5-1, 2-1) in a game that may be moved to 3:30 p.m. for television purposes. UVa has won six of the past seven games in the series and has not lost to the Tar Heels at home since 1981.
by CNB