Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 24, 1995 TAG: 9509250094
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CLEMSON, S. C. LENGTH: Medium
George Welsh knew he should feel good once his Virginia football team checked into the Marriott Hotel on Friday afternoon in Greenville.
Welsh looked at his room assignment and smiled. ``I was in room 711,'' Welsh said. ``We couldn't lose could we?''
Welsh's lucky number and a fortunate pass play from Mike Groh to Patrick Jeffers were the difference in this one.
After a punishing Clemson drive that ended in a third-quarter field goal, 11th-ranked Virginia ran two plays - a 4-yard loss and an incompletion. It was on third-and-14 on their 24-yard line and the Cavaliers' tiring defense was about to come back out on the field.
Jeffers ran the play in from the sideline, yelling a jumble of letters and numbers that said Groh was supposed to throw him a slant pass underneath the Tigers' coverage.
Jeffers lined up by the Cavaliers' sideline opposite Clemson cornerback Dexter McCleon, the hero of Virginia's last loss in Death Valley. He ran toward the defensive back, faked a step inside and kept running down the sideline.
``There was a miscommunication in the huddle,' Jeffers said. Groh ``was waiting and waiting for me to come underneath. Finally, he just had to double-pump and throw it up.''
The ball sailed downfield and almost caught Jeffers in stride as the senior wide receiver gathered it in and sprinted for a touchdown. The sixth-longest pass against Clemson in Death Valley history was a bad play gone good.
``It was a little bit of a floater,'' Jeffers said.
``Great pass, great catch, great protection,'' said Groh. And a great read on his part.
The play is called ``four streak.'' Jeffers wouldn't say what he called it when he gave it to Groh.
But even with Jeffers mixing up his ABC's and 123's, the one that mattered was 711, Welsh's lucky number.
The other numbers in the game would leave you wondering how this one ended up 22-3 in Virginia's favor. Clemson out-passed the Cavaliers 213 yards to 171. The Tigers out-rushed them 180-132, and they had the ball for 35:10 to Virginia's 24:50.
It was the first time the Tigers held an advantage in all of those statistics and still lost since a 20-16 shortfall at Georgia in 1980. Georgia won the national championship that year.
Now, the only number that matters to this Clemson team is 1. Before today, the Tigers were 17-0-1 against the Cavaliers in Death Valley. This Clemson team changed that record - for the worse.
The Tigers aren't going to forget all the opportunities they wasted in Virginia territory. Joe Crocker intercepted a pass by Clemson quarterback Nealon Greene at the Virginia 43 in the first half, and Greene threw another to Paul London in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
Greene fumbled on his 25 in the third quarter to set up a Cavaliers field goal and his final fumble in the fourth quarter set up another Virginia attempt.
Clemson coach Tommy West said, ``You can't blame this thing on Nealon Greene.'' But the Tigers' passing game, despite the yardage, was nearly non-existent when they needed it.
``To get inside the 20 so many times and not score, it hurts,'' said Robert Jackson, a Clemson offensive tackle.
The Cavaliers have had that kind of feeling every other time they've come this way.
``Certainly, I haven't been around here for all 17 losses,'' Groh said. ``They can't hold that over our heads anymore.
``But winning down at Clemson wasn't at the top of my list of goals. Winning a lot of games was at the top of the list.''
Throwing that pass to Jeffers wasn't even on his list, but Groh and the Cavaliers gladly will take it.
by CNB