Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, October 8, 1995                   TAG: 9510090129
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: JAMES C. BLACK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

HEELS' DEFENSE HAD TOP 10 REASONS FOR PUTTING DOWN UVA

But what the Cavaliers didn't have on Saturday was the country's top-ranked defense and North Carolina showed everyone at Kenan Stadium who did.

UNC held Virginia to season lows in points (17) and total yardage (266) as the Tar Heels defeated UVa 22-17 for their first ACC win of the season.

Accomplishing a feat their basketball brethren achieve on a yearly basis, the Tar Heels' win Saturday was their first victory over a top-10 opponent since defeating seventh-ranked Texas 26-10 in the 1982 Sun Bowl.

``This is tremendous,'' linebacker Kivuusama Mays said. ``They're [rated] in the top 10 in the country and we're not even rated. They were supposed to run us over but it was a role reversal.''

Mays was just one of a handful of defenders responsible for game-saving plays when UNC (3-2 overall, 1-1 ACC) needed it the most.

The 6-4, 245-pound sophomore was in on six tackles, none bigger than a hit he made on UVa quarterback Mike Groh on the Cavaliers' final possession.

Trying to avoid a sack, Groh scrambled but got wrapped up by Mays and then fumbled. Once Groh finally regained control of the ball, UVa suffered a 9-yard loss.

``We felt it was our chance to prove to ourselves and the country why we have the No.1 defensive team in the country,`` Mays said.

According to a few of the Tar Heels, quotes from Cavalier players appeared in newspapers prior to Saturday's contest discrediting UNC's defense.

``We read a few articles where [quarterback] Mike Groh said as long as they play their game, they would pick our defense apart,`` cornerback Fuzzy Lee said. ``That showed they had no respect for our defense.``

And still there was more.

On fourth-and-8 with 33 seconds remaining, the Cavaliers' comeback was denied when safety Omar Brown slapped away Groh's pass attempt to wide receiver Germane Crowell. For Brown, the play served as redemption.

It was the 5-10 sophomore was called for pass interference in the end zone against Crowell early in the third quarter which set up UVa's second touchdown.

``After that, I kept telling myself, `I owe 'em,' Brown said. `` `I owe the rest of the boys.' ``

Earlier in the quarter, UVa (5-2, 4-1) had a golden opportunity to cash in on one of the very few UNC's mistakes on the day.

Defensive back Paul London intercepted Tar Heel quarterback Mike Thomas' pass and returned the pick to Carolina's 22. But all the Cavaliers could get was a 32-yard field goal from Rafael Garcia, which gave UVa a 17-16 lead at the time.

``Our young defense had a chance to fold and [we] forced them to kick a field goal,`` coach Mack Brown said. ``That's one of the key plays in the game.``

But UNC's defensive dominance was not limited to the fourth quarter.

UVa, averaging just under 30 points and 21 first downs a game prior to Saturday's contest, didn't earn a first down until its fourth possession of the game in the second quarter. The Cavaliers put together three first downs on that drive, but eventually punted.

Keywords:
FOOTBALL