Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, December 28, 1994 TAG: 9412280077
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SHREVEPORT, LA. LENGTH: Long
At the very least, it appeared Horned Frogs coach Pat Sullivan would be - pardon the pun - a lame duck.
A news conference had been scheduled to introduce Sullivan as Louisiana State's head coach when negotiations stalled over a buyout clause in Sullivan's contract.
TCU officials said they would not release Sullivan without a hefty settlement, and LSU said its contract offer was made with the settlement in mind, which essentially made Sullivan responsible for the buyout.
Texas Christian made the decision easier for Sullivan with a five-year contract extension, but he still had to face his assistant coaches and players.
``I was straightforward and honest with those guys,'' Sullivan said. ``I talked to those guys [and] they knew everything that was going on from Day One.
``During that period of time, the only thing we had going on as far as bowl preparation was conditioning. It was right in the middle of exams. Our practices before we came down were as spirited and enthusiastic as I've ever been around.
``Probably the most heartfelt week I've had in three years at TCU has been this past week and the reaction of our family - and by that I mean our administration and players - has been really satisfying.''
There were unconfirmed reports Sullivan would not have taken all of his assistants with him, but the players seemed unfazed by the near-loss of their head coach.
``I don't think it affected anything,'' said Royal West, a TCU defensive tackle. ``If he would have left, we would have accepted it. When he stayed, we accepted it. We realized the anguish he was going through.''
MISSTEP: Sullivan said there will be no further punishment for Southwest Conference rushing champion Andre Davis, one of two players who was late for the team's 1 p.m. Sunday reporting time.
Davis was required to meet running backs coach Bud Casey at 5 a.m. Tuesday to run the steps at Independence Stadium. Sullivan estimated Davis has run 1,200 steps since the spring.
``He told me he came down to your hotel,'' Sullivan told UVa coach George Welsh at a Tuesday news conference. ``I think he's a little superstitious [about the steps]. He's played awfully well for us.''
As a freshman, Davis had one carry for 1 yard in 1992. He increased that to 867 yards last season and 1,494 this year. That included a 325-yard effort against New Mexico in the second game and a total of 816 yards in the past five games.
PARTISAN CROWD: Bowl officials expect TCU to have 8,000 to 10,000 fans in the stands tonight - almost eight times the UVa following.
The Horned Frogs finished third in the Southwest Conference with a school-record average attendance of 37,074. That was a 42.5-percent increase, the biggest jump in Division I-A this year.
ALWAYS A CONNECTION: Just when it appeared Virginia was playing against a team with which quarterback Mike Groh was unfamiliar, Groh found somebody he knew on the TCU staff.
Charlie Rizzo, who coaches the TCU linebackers, was an assistant under Groh's father, Al, at Wake Forest. Rizzo also coached at William and Mary and Georgia Tech before joining Sullivan, a fellow Auburn alumnus.
Al Groh coached at Wake Forest and North Carolina and sent his son to camps at N.C. State and Virginia Tech. The older Groh, defensive coordinator of the NFL's New England Patriots, had to cancel Independence Bowl reservations when New England made the playoffs.
WAIT A MINUTE: The day after Virginia's arrival, the Shreveport Times published a picture of UVa fullback Charles Way holding a baby identified as Way's child.
``I want a retraction,'' Way said Tuesday. ``In the paper I saw that I had a kid. That was Coach [Ken] Mack's baby. I want to clear that up right now.''
MEANING BUSINESS: Virginia linebacker Curtis Hicks, visiting his fourth bowl in five years, said he has never seen the Cavaliers prepare as seriously.
``To tell the truth, this is the best feeling I've had about the team,'' he said. ``Maybe that's because we've lost [four] in a row, but the guys have that look that they're here to do a job.
``I know, the last two nights [before curfew], I didn't go out and a lot of guys didn't go out. We're really intent on winning this ballgame.''
BARBER UPDATE: Mack, UVa's running backs coach, said he isn't sure how much playing time sophomore Tiki Barber will get after suffering a fractured shoulder Nov.19.
``I told Tiki that he looks a little timid right now,'' Mack said. ``It's all the injury. I'm not questioning his courage or toughness. He's as tough as they come.''
DATE WITH HISTORY: Virginia, with a loss tonight, would become the first ACC team to lose five consecutive bowl games. ... ACC teams are 0-1-1 in the Independence Bowl, including Clemson's 20-13 loss to Minnesota in 1985 and a 34-34 tie between Maryland and Louisiana Tech in 1990.
ODDS AND ENDS: TCU researchers are saying the Horned Frogs have met Virginia previously only in tennis and, possibly, golf. ... The Cavaliers have given up more touchdown passes (14) this season than in the two previous seasons combined (nine in 1993, one in 1992).
Memo: ***CORRECTION***