Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, November 22, 1994                   TAG: 9411220131
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE                                 LENGTH: Medium

9TH WIN COULD VAULT CAVS INTO COALITION

While Welsh was trying to keep the Cavaliers' minds on North Carolina State, speculation on UVa's postseason destination was otherwise rampant Monday.

Virginia (8-2 overall, 5-2 ACC) has a shot at one of the Football Coalition slots, but first the Cavaliers must get past N.C. State in a battle for second place in the ACC. The Wolfpack (7-3, 5-2) visits Scott Stadium for a regionally televised game at 11 a.m. Friday.

``I'm not going to make any assumptions because there are a lot of variables,'' said Jim Copeland, UVa's athletic director, ``but I think we're a really good candidate, if we win, for one of those three games.''

Copeland was referring to the Cotton Bowl, Fiesta Bowl or Sugar Bowl.

Notre Dame could get one of those spots; however, the Fighting Irish (6-4) must win Saturday at Southern Cal to get the seven victories required by the coalition.

Florida State is a leading candidate for the Sugar Bowl, but only if Alabama wins the Southeastern Conference championship. If Florida beats the Crimson Tide in the SEC title game, it is unlikely the Sugar Bowl would want a rematch of the Florida-Florida State game that will be played Saturday.

Virginia is an early 131/2-point favorite over N.C. State, but nobody needs to remind the Cavaliers that the Wolfpack has altered their bowl plans the past two seasons.

If State wins Friday, it would force a three-way tie for third involving Virginia, North Carolina and Duke. The Peach Bowl has third choice of ACC teams, the Hall of Fame Bowl has fourth and the Poulan Weed Eater Independence Bowl recently secured the fifth spot.

``There will be four 8-3 teams if we lose Friday and one of them will be going to Shreveport [La.], which will be good for the Independence Bowl,'' Copeland said.

Copeland said he spoke Monday with Robert Dale Morgan, the Peach Bowl's executive director, and did not feel the Peach would make any decision this week.

``What's the motivation in doing that?'' asked Copeland, who later acknowledged participating schools might have an extra week to sell tickets.

Last year, Virginia finished in a tie for third place in the ACC, but was bypassed in favor of fifth-place N.C. State for the Hall of Fame Bowl. UVa got an 11th-hour bid to the Carquest Bowl, which had fifth choice of teams from the SEC. The conference did not have five available teams.

``I hope I won't be asleep at the switch this year,'' said Copeland, who was criticized last year. ``I will try and influence what bowl we go to if we're 8-3, but it will not be through [guaranteeing] tickets.''