Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 26, 1994 TAG: 9411280037
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
On the day after Thanksgiving, the Cavaliers found they could be the ACC team holding the bowl of leftovers - the Independence - as North Carolina State pulled the rug out from under UVa's big-bowl dreams in the last game on Scott Stadium's carpet.
With the Fiesta Bowl ready to talk turkey on a $3 million payday for UVa, the Wolfpack came from a 12-point second-half deficit to clinch second place in the league with a 30-27 victory.
It also left State, UVa, North Carolina and Duke holding matching 8-3 records. That would be a nice poker hand, but it has the ACC's bowl partners wondering which card to play first.
``I came here thinking I'd be going to North Carolina State's locker room after the game,'' said Bob Brown, chairman of the Poulan Weed Eater Independence Bowl.
The Shreveport, La., resident visited the dour Cavaliers instead.
``We're happy to have the chance to play another game,'' UVa coach George Welsh told Brown.
That certainly wasn't a declaration of Independence, nor a concession speech. Starting today, the ACC's bowl games before the bowl games will be played over the phone.
``You tell me who goes where now,'' said Tom Fridena, a Fiesta selection committeeman who has seen UVa play four times this season.
Now, the postseason fate of the Wolfpack, Cavaliers, Tar Heels and Blue Devils is in the hands of the bowlers in polyester blazers. Now, we'll really see who's who behind Florida State in ACC football.
The Cavaliers came into the game hoping for a Notre Dame loss tonight to Southern Cal, then hoping the Fighting Irish at 6-5 would accept an already-offered contingency bid to the Sun Bowl.
They left Scott Stadium wondering where in their Rand McNallys they could find the ArkLaTex, the region that's home to the Independence.
It isn't exactly the Louisiana location the Cavaliers would have preferred. The Sugar Bowl, a sweet New Orleans trip that pays $4.1 million, was another potential destination had UVa finished at 9-2.
``You could have five or six 8-3 teams out there,'' Fridena said. ``The four ACC teams, Southern Cal, Virginia Tech. Who knows what happens.''
The Fiesta really wants ACC champ Florida State against Colorado, but would have to bid more than $3 million - and outbid the Cotton Bowl - to get a shot at the Seminoles.
After FSU, that bowl liked Virginia because it was the next-ranked available team. If USC beats Notre Dame, the Trojans will be the highest-ranked among the 8-3 coalition possibles.
Southern Cal was 17th in last week's poll, one spot in front of the Hokies, who apparently have locked up the Big East's second coalition spot unless Boston College wins at fifth-ranked Miami tonight.
N.C. State, unranked and a 14 1/2-point underdog, went 3-1 in November - the loss to No.7 FSU - with wins by two, one and three points. The Cardiac 'Pack will sell those close calls and figures it elevated itself into the second ACC slot and a Gator Bowl berth.
Which is what the Hokies want. Tech already has the Big East's third spot to the Carquest in hand if they don't go higher - like the Gator or Sun Bowl, where the Hokies would seem to have the edge over N.C. State because of their higher ranking.
The Peach gets the ACC's third team. Peach executive director Robert Dale Morgan and one of his scouts bolted when UVa went ahead 25-24 with 2:33 left in the third quarter.
Was their trip just a courtesy call? The Peach reportedly wants a neighborly battle pitting North Carolina against South Carolina, as the Southeastern Conference's fourth team. However, the Tar Heels could be the play-in team if the top tier of the coalition needs a second ACC club.
The Hall of Fame Bowl gets the ACC's No.4 and wants Duke. So, it appears Virginia's logical options now are the Peach - if it passes on both UNC and State, which is not likely - or the Independence, which pays the NCAA bowl committee-mandated minimum of $750,000 per team.
It's fortunate the ACC locked into a spot for a fifth team last week with the Independence. Brown said he will be thrilled with whichever ACC team is left after others pick.
``No matter what, we get an 8-3 team,'' said the Independence chairman, whose Dec.28 game also is considering Texas Christian (7-4), West Virginia (7-5), Air Force (7-4 with Hawaii to visit) and would take Mississippi State (7-3, playing Ole Miss today) if the Bulldogs somehow slide past the five locked-in SEC slots.
Last year, the Wolfpack aced out the Cavaliers for the Hall of Fame spot with phone lobbying, and UVa had to hope for an Arkansas win over LSU to back into the Carquest.
This time, the 'Pack took advantage of four UVa turnovers, three missed conversions, a wide-right field-goal try and Welsh's late fourth-and-one decision to run when a 36-yard field goal could have tied the game and kept UVa ahead of its ACC bowling brethren with an 8-2-1 finish.
Welsh said he wouldn't second-guess himself on that decision later. However, in this situation, a tie wouldn't have been like kissing a Weed Eater.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB