Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 8, 1995 TAG: 9510090067
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHAPEL HILL, N. C. LENGTH: Long
UVa's first appearance in the top 10 since 1992 proved to be short-lived as unranked North Carolina came from behind for a 22-17 victory Saturday at Kenan Stadium.
The ninth-ranked Cavaliers, who had trailed 13-0 and were apparent candidates for a blowout in the first half, took a 17-16 lead on a 32-yard field goal by Rafael Garcia with 12:07 remaining.
``I just hoped we could come down here and squeeze one out,'' said UVa coach George Welsh, who has won only twice in Chapel Hill in his 14-year tenure. ``We could have won the game.''
UVa (5-2 overall, 4-1 ACC) had its chances, even after the Tar Heels (3-2, 1-1) scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 6-yard run by Leon Johnson with 6:13 to play.
The Cavaliers twice penetrated the UNC 40-yard line, the first time after a 27-yard completion to Patrick Jeffers gave them a first down at the 33 with more than five minutes remaining.
After Carolina stopped Tiki Barber for no gain, UVa offensive tackle Chris Harrison had an exchange with Tar Heels' defensive back Sean Boyd and was called for a personal foul.
``It was probably one of the biggest mistakes I've ever made,'' said Harrison, who is in his sixth year at UVa. ``I know that push - or whatever it was - would set us back a long way.''
Harrison later said he took a swing at Boyd in retaliation for what he felt was an unnecessary shot to the back after the whistle.
``There's no justice on the football field,'' said Harrison, when asked if both players should have been flagged. ``I hit the dude after the whistle. I screwed up. My fault. My mistake.''
The penalty sent Virginia back to the 48, where the Cavaliers had second-and-25. Then, after a 7-yard Mike Groh scramble, UVa had to use its second of three timeouts.
``A dead-ball foul [results in] loss of down, which makes it even more difficult,'' said Virginia offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien. ``It's hard enough to make 25 yards in four plays, much less three.''
It would be unfair to shower much blame on Harrison because the Cavaliers had one more scoring chance - and a good one, at that - after getting the ball for the last time with 2:01 left.
A short punt by Scott Caparelli gave Virginia possession at the Tar Heels' 39, but the Cavaliers could not pick up a first down before Omar Brown knocked down a fourth-down pass to Germane Crowell.
Brown, who deflected two passes on Virginia's last series, had been called for interfering with Crowell in the end zone prior to Virginia's second touchdown.
``I was thinking, if we don't score another touchdown, I had cost us the game,'' Brown said. ``After that, I kept telling myself, `I owe 'em. I owe the rest of the boys.' I had to pay them back.''
The Tar Heels held Virginia to 266 yards in total offense, the Cavaliers' low since the 1992 season, and did not give up a first down until 11:34 remained in the second quarter.
At one point, after a 19-yard option pass from Johnson to Marcus Wall put the Tar Heels ahead 13-0, North Carolina led the Cavaliers 193-18 in total yardage, 13-0 in first downs and 35-9 in plays.
``Our big problem was, we came out dead,'' Barber said. ``We weren't up for it; I don't know why. We weren't overconfident. We'd seen them on tape.''
UVa finally got on the board when Groh hit Crowell for a 26-yard touchdown pass and the Cavaliers were almost fortunate to be down only 16-7 after a first half in which Carolina controlled the ball for more than 20 minutes.
The third quarter was almost a carbon copy of the first quarter, except that Virginia held the Tar Heels without a first down. Aside from the winning touchdown drive, Carolina had 33 yards in the second half.
The key play came on fourth-and-1 from the Virginia 25, when Johnson took a pitch from quarterback Mike Thomas, avoided at least two would-be tacklers in the backfield and raced 19 yards to the six.
``We were in position,'' UVa defensive coordinator Rick Lantz said. ``Isn't that something? Those were secondary people in there, but you've got to make the play. That's [Carolina] a talented football team, though.''
The Tar Heels have outgained their opponents by more than 250 yards per game, but have been victimized by a turnover differential that ranked them 108th out of 108 Division I-A teams.
Carolina only had one turnover Saturday - compared to none for the Cavaliers - but that almost proved costly. Paul London's interception and return to the UNC 22-yard line led to Virginia's go-ahead field goal.
``Our young defense had a chance to fold and forced them to kick a field goal,'' North Carolina coach Mack Brown said. ``That's one of the key plays in the ballgame, I feel like.''
It was the third straight victory for the Tar Heels, who snapped Virginia's five-game winning streak and quieted the talk of a major New Year's Day bowl for the Cavaliers.
``It makes us 5-2 instead of 6-1,'' said Welsh, whose Cavaliers have squandered fourth-quarter leads in their last three losses dating back to last season, ``but there's a lot of football left to be played.
``That's why I wasn't getting too excited. It doesn't matter where you're ranked; you've got to go back to work. I'd like to think we can be a better football team next week.''
see microfilm for box score
by CNB