Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 22, 1995 TAG: 9511220055
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Holland acknowledges he has no assurances that will happen.
The Peach Bowl has told Holland, as it has told the media, it will wait until the weekend before deciding how it will use its third choice of ACC teams.
``Is no news good news?'' Holland asked. ``There's nothing that leads me to believe that there's anything that can happen this week - positively or negatively - that would keep them from inviting the University of Virginia.
``I could be proven wrong and, yes, I would be distressed, cynical and every other adjective that you could think up.''
Holland made his comments known in a wide-ranging interview in which he also revealed George Welsh, the Cavaliers' head football coach for 14 years has approached him about a contract extension.
``From my standpoint, I was like, `Great, let's put it in the works right now,''' said Holland, who indicated Welsh's current deal has three years remaining. ``He wanted it through the year 2000 - mainly for recruiting purposes, if nothing else.''
Holland said he has received no indication Welsh is interested in another job, although he has been mentioned with the job that came open when Georgia coach Ray Goff was fired last week.
Holland said he thought he might hear something Tuesday from the Peach Bowl, which is looking at 19th-ranked Virginia (8-3) and Georgia Tech (6-4).
Presumably, UVa will get the bid if visiting Georgia defeats the Yellow Jackets on Thursday, depriving Georgia Tech of the required six victories against NCAA Division I-A opposition.
``I don't even know that you can say that,'' said Holland, aware Maryland (6-5) is eligible for a bowl and North Carolina (5-5) can become eligible if it wins Friday at North Carolina State.
Holland said he hasn't had meaningful discussions with representatives of the Carquest Bowl, which has the fourth choice of ACC teams, because nobody knows what the Peach Bowl will do.
Robert Dale Morgan, executive director of the Peach Bowl, said earlier in the week his committee had not discussed what would happen if Georgia Tech were to defeat Georgia and had voted only to wait until after the weekend's games.
``I've tried to say, `Guys, if you're going to end up with us, why wait?''' Holland said. ``I said, `If you're going to take Georgia Tech, then why not say that?' I can respect that, but I can make the case that regardless of what happens in all these games this week, Virginia still belongs in the Peach Bowl.''
RECRUITING: Kofi Bawuah, one of five Virginians named preseason All-Americans by SuperPrep magazine, said Tuesday he expects to sign a letter of intent with UVa.
``I talked to the coach [assistant Ken Mack] from Virginia the other night and right now they're No.1,'' said Bawuah, a 6-foot-2, 250-pound linebacker and fullback from Dale City and Gar-Field High School. ``I anticipate that's where I will go, but I'm still planning to visit Duke and Wake Forest.''
UVa also is the expected destination for Pat Washington, a 6-3, 230-pound tight end and linebacker who picked the Cavaliers over Boston College. Washington is from St.Albans School in Washington, D.C.
by CNB