Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 17, 1995 TAG: 9509180136
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
The Cavaliers were unusually obliging, never allowing Georgia Tech to gain any momentum in a 41-14 victory that essentially was decided after three quarters.
Some football coaches might have been comfortable with a 21-7 halftime lead, but not UVa's George Welsh, hardly a fountain of optimism in the best of times.
``Uh-uh,'' Welsh said. ``I thought it was deja vu again the way the third quarter started. We've been up 20-7 [or] 21-7 in the second half before, but we haven't played as well.''
Twice this season, Virginia has been up by 17 points in the fourth quarter, only to lose to Michigan (18-17) and come back to beat North Carolina State (29-24) after losing the lead.
``I was thinking it,'' Welsh said. ``I think [the players] were, too. This game scared me, [but] they all scare me. I always think about what can go wrong.''
Clearly, it was the most complete performance of the season for 16th-ranked Virginia, which raised its record to 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the ACC. Georgia Tech, a 141/2-point underdog, fell to 1-2 and 0-1.
Although the Yellow Jackets had lost 12 consecutive games against Division I-A opposition, they led 20th-ranked Arizona until the final two minutes before falling 20-19 in Tucson, Ariz.
Georgia Tech gave up 13 yards on the ground at Arizona, which proved to be all the motivation the Cavaliers needed. Against a Yellow Jackets defense that ranked third in the country in rushing defense and total defense, UVa gained 379 yards, 196 on the ground.
Leading the way was junior tailback Tiki Barber, who carried 17 times for 105 yards and became the fifth modern-day Virginia player to score four touchdowns in a game.
Eugene Mayer scored five touchdowns in a game for Virginia three times between 1912-1915, but, for statistical purposes, the NCAA recognizes 1937 as the start of the ``modern'' era.
``I don't keep track of those things,'' Ken Mack, who coaches the running backs, said. ``But, it wouldn't have bothered me if [Barber] had scored five or six touchdowns. He deserved it.''
Barber's longest longest run was a 48-yarder to the Georgia Tech 2-yard line, although an illegal block set the Cavaliers back to the Yellow Jackets' 13. Four plays later, he added a 1-yard touchdown run to his earlier scoring runs of 8, 3 and 10 yards.
``Maybe I scored four touchdowns in a game in high school,'' said Barber, who played at Cave Spring in Roanoke. ``I can't remember. It certainly hasn't been in college.''
Barber, who scored three touchdowns in his first two seasons at Virginia, already has seven this year. He has rushed for 100 yards or more in three games and 99 in the fourth.
``We knew we could run on them; I knew we could run on them,'' said Barber, who also had a 38-yard punt return and two pass receptions. ``What they had done against Arizona didn't bother us.''
The Yellow Jackets' defensive line was coached by Larry New, who moved to Georgia Tech this year after two years at Virginia, which ranked No. 1 in Division I-A against the run last year. That may have been the ultimate challenge.
``Coach [Danny] Wilmer gave us a real inspiring speech Friday night about how we had changed since Coach New left and didn't play with as much fire anymore,'' offensive tackle Chris Harrison said. ``It really made a statement for our offensive line that we could pick up that kind of yardage.''
After Georgia Tech went 66 yards for a touchdown on its first possession, the Cavaliers scored 41 unanswered points. The Yellow Jackets trailed 41-7 before reserve running back Phil Rogers scored on a 1-yard run with 1:17 remaining.
Sophomore tailback C.J. Williams was leading the ACC in rushing, but was limited to 56 yards in 18 carries.
``Sometimes it seemed like [our backs] were going down before they were really hit,'' Yellow Jackets coach George O'Leary said, ``[but] I think you have to give Virginia credit. I think this team is better than Arizona.''
The turning point of the second half came with 6:50 remaining in the third quarter, when UVa's Anthony Poindexter hit Williams and caused a fumble that was recovered by James Farrior at the Tech 15-yard line. The Cavaliers needed only 32 seconds to go ahead 27-7.
Poindexter, a redshirt freshman who has played mostly in the secondary, was given his first career start as a replacement for second-team All-ACC linebacker Jamie Sharper. Sharper is expected to miss at least two games following knee surgery.
``After Jamie got hurt, maybe they all rose up and said, `More is expected of me,''' defensive coordinator Rick Lantz said.
see microfilm for box score
by CNB