Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 24, 1995 TAG: 9509250092
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CLEMSON, S. C. LENGTH: Long
How about a cold day in Death Valley? The Cavaliers, who are building a reputation for playing well in inclement weather, ended four decades of frustration Saturday with a 22-3 victory at Clemson Memorial Stadium.
Virginia never had beaten Clemson on its home field, known as Death Valley, before the Cavaliers held the Tigers without a touchdown for the second year in a row and first time at home since 1985.
``I think we've broken all the jinxes or curses or whatever the media wants to put on us,'' said UVa coach George Welsh, whose 1990 team beat the Tigers 20-7 in Charlottesville after Clemson had won the first 29 games in the series.
``This may be the last [jinx] for Virginia. The next guy after me won't have to read about and hear about all that. I'm glad it happened on my watch.''
Although the Cavaliers came into the game with an 0-17-1 record at Clemson and 2-31-1 mark overall, the victory gave them a 3-2-1 mark against the Tigers since 1990.
``I never said anything about not having won here,'' Welsh said, ``but the players know now that they're the first team to do it. Sure, I said something [afterward].
``We did what we had to do and it's what I told the team on Tuesday: `We're the 11th-ranked team, not Clemson. And if we go down there and play with poise and confidence, then good things will happen.'''
The Cavaliers (4-1 overall, 3-0 ACC) ignored a driving rain and played a virtually mistake-free game, except for a second-quarter interception. Clemson (2-2, 1-2) outgained UVa 393-303, but was victimized by four turnovers.
The Tigers penetrated the Cavaliers' 20-yard line four times - and had six possessions inside the 30 - but only once got as far as the 10.
Clemson's best scoring chance came in the closing minutes of the second quarter, when the Tigers drove from their 15-yard line to the UVa 1 before Raymond Priester was stopped inches short of the goal line on fourth down.
Joe Crocker was given credit for the tackle, but Priester actually ran into the back of fullback Emory Smith, who had been stood up by Virginia defensive tackle Todd White.
``I think the coaches have to get credit for that,'' White said. ``All I saw was this big blur and I went for him. Smith scored four touchdowns on the same play last week. We knew it was coming.''
The defensive stop enabled Virginia to take a 12-0 lead into halftime, although Welsh was fearful that two missed extra points might come back to haunt the Cavaliers.
Clemson was still very much in the ballgame following a 27-yard Jeff Sauve field goal with 6:13 remaining in the third quarter, but all it took was three plays and 59 seconds for Virginia to apply the stranglehold.
Virginia was facing a third-and-14 and the Tigers' faithful were on their feet before UVa quarterback Mike Groh remembered an earlier tip and went looking for roommate Patrick Jeffers.
Clemson defensive back Dexter McCleon lunged and fell down as Jeffers caught Groh's bomb in full stride at the Clemson 40-yard line and raced the rest of the way untouched for a 76-yard touchdown play.
``When we threw it to Pete Allen on the same play earlier in the game, Jeffers came back to the sideline and said, `I beat my guy; he can't stay with me,''' offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien said. ``It was nothing fancy, just a deep pass.''
Groh admitted the pass didn't have much spiral to it, but that was to be expected on a windy day when the stadium lights were on before noon and the rain was steady and at times driving.
The conditions weren't much different from those at the Independence Bowl, where the Cavaliers beat Texas Christian 20-10, or last week against Georgia Tech, when UVa won 41-7.
``I don't like conditions like this,'' said Groh, who was 9-of-20 for 171 yards. ``I just never let it enter my mind. It's like one of my old coaches used to say, `Hey, I don't want to hear your problems.'
``It's easy to use rain as an excuse. It's a built-in excuse if you want to use it. Some guys will. As far as I'm concerned, it's just water and you can still execute offensively.''
Clemson quarterback Nealon Greene had more impressive numbers - 19-of-36 for 213 yards - but was intercepted twice and lost two fumbles. The second, on Clemson's first play after Virginia had gone ahead 19-3, was particularly deflating.
``I thought we were still in the game in the second half, although we didn't deserve to be, but then we took ourselves out of it,'' Clemson coach Tommy West said. ``You get it down there, you gotta knock it in.''
Virginia junior Tiki Barber and Clemson sophomore Priester had identical rushing totals - 27 carries for 111 yards - but Barber's seemed to mean more. His 11-yard touchdown run made it 12-0 with 2:48 left in the first quarter.
``It's especially sweet for me because this was the other school I was going to come to,'' said Barber, recruited by Clemson out of Cave Spring High School, ``but give most of the credit to the defense.''
Redshirt freshman Anthony Poindexter, replacing second-team All-ACC linebacker Jamie Sharper, had a team-high 15 tackles. Sharper, who underwent knee surgery Sept.12, is one of four UVa regulars who missed the trip.
``We want to start a new tradition,'' White said. ``We want to show the nation that we're not like the Virginia teams of old that liked to clench up and choke. When we start a job now, we want to finish it.''
\ see microfilm for box score
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB