Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 27, 1994 TAG: 9411290043
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
There was plenty of each of those emotions Friday afternoon at Scott Stadium, where most of a surprising holiday crowd of 36,300 watched a football game so entertaining that even visiting bowl scouts were left dazed and confused.
There were seven turnovers in North Carolina State's 30-27 triumph over Virginia, but the real ugliness didn't occur until the final seconds were ticking off the clock. Exiting the press box with several media members were assistant coaches for both teams.
As the Cavaliers' coaches exited the press box door and turned down the stadium ramp, several UVa fans began screaming and cursing at the coaches.
``Until we get rid of you guys, we'll never get to the next level,'' hollered one red-faced fan dressed in blue and orange.
Another man several feet away yelled, ``Ask George [Welsh] when he's going to retire.''
And his team - and supposedly their team - is 8-3 and headed to a bowl for the sixth time in eight years. Among the pre-Florida State ACC members, only N.C. State's seventh consecutive bowl finish this year is better.
Yes, Virginia lost an opportunity for its highest ranking in history in the final regular-season polls, but perhaps these boo 'Hoos should remember that before Welsh, UVa's football success would have fit into a Jefferson Cup.
These fans no doubt were unhinged by Welsh's decision to run the ball on fourth-and-one late in the game from the State 19, when a 36-yard field goal could have tied the score. And kicker Rafael Garcia is 14-for-15 from 40 yards or closer this season.
A gamble? Sure. It was a stunning decision, considering UVa's struggles in the red zone this season. That's why Garcia has a school-record 17 field goals. But let's seek some perspective. The Cavaliers averaged almost 32 points and 405 yards per game this season, which isn't exactly a faltering offense.
The defense has led the nation in interceptions the past two seasons. This year's defense may have been the best overall in UVa history. As for the coaching staff, it didn't fumble, drop wide-open passes or get burned deep by the Wolfpack.
If the Cavaliers' fans were frothing about the Fiesta Bowl possibility, playing in a major bowl doesn't mean a program is at the next level, particularly this season. It just means there are more vacancies at the top of the bowl coalition than usual, thanks to NCAA probation for some and mediocrity by others.
``I think this football team had a good year,'' Welsh said. ``I don't think this way and I don't like to say something like this after a loss necessarily, but if you would have said, `Eight-and-three, would that be a good season for this football team?' back in August, everybody on this staff would have said, `Absolutely.'
``The offensive line had to be rebuilt. Back and forth at quarterback [between Symmion Willis and Mike Groh until the latter won the job after midseason]. I think this football team did very well.''
It just as legitimately could have been 6-5 as 8-3. Now, however, Virginia has eight consecutive seasons of at least seven victories. The only other Division I-A programs that can say that are Nebraska, Florida State, Miami, Colorado, Alabama, Michigan and Texas A&M. That's pretty exclusive company.
Getting to the next level didn't used to be a consideration at UVa. Getting to respectability was, and Welsh and his program have provided more than that. Only one other program in ACC history - Maryland (1973-80) - has had eight consecutive seasons of at least seven victories. So, what is the next level?
It's FSU, Miami and Florida. So, maybe UVa could get there by moving the Lawn to Orlando or Tampa. It's Nebraska, Alabama, Penn State, Notre Dame, Colorado and Michigan, thanks to tradition and television. But some of those programs have won no more consistently than UVa in recent autumns.
That's about it these days. It's college football in the '90s. Or, perhaps we should say it's college football in the 80s - as in the 85-scholarship limit which spreads the talent. UVa's program is impressive because it wins and graduates students. It doesn't do it with the greatest talent, either. The UVa alumni who are big names in the NFL aren't a large fraternity.
How disappointed should Welsh's team be about finishing in a third-place tie with Duke and North Carolina in the ACC? The Cavaliers were picked third behind FSU and UNC in the preseason. UVa is the only team in the ACC that beat a ranked non-conference foe (Virginia Tech) on the road.
How close to nowhere was UVa's program? Well, the Cavaliers still trail in series history against Virginia Tech and every ACC team except Wake Forest. However, against the seven longtime ACC foes and the Hokies, UVa is 45-17-1 the past eight seasons. That's more than competitive.
To the victors, too, go the spoiled. They shouldn't worry about getting to the next level. They should worry about what really might happen when Welsh retires. He's 61 and good for a few more bowls, if that's good enough.
by CNB