ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, September 10, 1996 TAG: 9609100047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: UVA NOTES
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
A passing of the torch is starting to take place at Virginia, where All-ACC tailback Tiki Barber has developed a bond with freshman Thomas Jones.
When Jones scored his first collegiate touchdown Saturday, Barber switched ends of the bench in order to greet Jones as he came off the field.
``Thomas is going to make them forget about me,'' Barber said. ``I guarantee you. He's really good. I was excited from the first time I saw him.''
The first time Barber saw Jones run was in the preseason. The first time UVa fans saw Jones was Saturday night, when he raced 57 yards on his first collegiate carry.
Jones finished with five carries for 76 yards and a touchdown in the Cavaliers' season-opening 55-21 victory over Central Michigan.
``I was happy for him,'' Barber said. ``I was almost proud, like he was my little ''
Brother?
``Yeah,'' said Barber, whose bond with his twin brother, Ronde, is well-documented. ``I wasn't the first one down there to congratulate him, but I was there. I know it had to be a great feeling for him to score in his first game.''
They roomed together Friday night in the team hotel and Barber isn't sure how much sleep Jones got. Barber knows he didn't get much.
``He was keeping me up [with his] talking,'' Barber said. ``I didn't mind. I knew he was excited. I'm really close to Thomas and we talk about everything.''
When Jones came to Virginia on his recruiting visit last December, Barber was his host.
``I had a feeling he was going to [sign] here when the first thing he told me was that he wanted to learn under me,'' Barber said. ``He had the same running style that I did and some of the problems he had early on were the same problems I had.''
Barber played behind a pair of established tailbacks, Jerod Washington and Kevin Brooks, as a true freshman. Already, Jones has rushed for more yardage than Barber, who had 16 carries for 41 yards in 1993.
UVa has a rule that freshmen do not do midweek interviews until at least midway through the season. And, coach George Welsh was only half-kidding when he asked the media not to ``bug'' Jones, who rushed for more than 7,000 yards at Powell Valley High School.
``He knows he's not going to get major carries in some of the bigger games we play,'' Barber said, ``but he knows what it's like to play college football and he's on his way. Next year, he's going to be the guy to watch.''
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Barber, who ranked 12th on the Cavaliers' all-time rushing list after his junior year, moved up four places Saturday with his 147-yard night. Barber, who now has rushed for 2,175 yards, passed Billy Copeland (2,051), Nikki Fisher (2,069), Brooks (2,082) and Howard Petty (2,171).
Next up for Barber is No.7 Marcus Wilson at 2,219, but Barber's stated goal is to break the school record held by Terry Kirby. Barber would need to average 113 yards over the last 10 games to overtake Kirby, who finished at 3,348.
ALMOST ALONE: Jones was one of two ``true'' freshmen who played for the Cavaliers on Saturday night. Wide receiver Demetrius Dotson, a high-school All-American from Staten Island, N.Y., got in the game but did not catch a pass.
COFFEY QUALIFIES: Welsh reported that signee Kevin Coffey, whose eligibility had been in question, has been certified by the NCAA Clearinghouse. Coffey, a wide receiver from Cleveland, did not enroll until classes were under way and will not practice until he is comfortable academically.
WALK-ONS REWARDED: Welsh has given scholarships to a pair of walk-ons, wide receiver Bryan Owen and safety Steven Phelan, both in their fourth year of school and third season of eligibility.
Owen, who played soccer in high school and did nothing but kick for the football team, started three games for the Cavaliers last year. Phelan, who made a reputation on special teams, played extensively in the secondary Saturday night and had the first pass interception of his career.
TERPS FORTIFIED: Maryland linebacker Ratcliff Thomas, who missed the first two games of the season with a dislocated shoulder, has been upgraded from questionable to probable for the Terrapins' meeting with Virginia at noon Saturday at Scott Stadium.
Maryland also has regained the services of wide receiver Mancel Johnson, suspended by coach Mark Duffner for the first two games of the season. Johnson, implicated in a series of thefts in a dormitory, had 30 receptions for 359 yards and three touchdowns last year.
ODDS 'N' ENDS: Almost overlooked Saturday was the play of UVa linebacker James Farrior, who had a team-high 10 tackles, including a sack. Farrior caused a fumble and later returned an interception 55 yards for the first touchdown of his career. It was Farrior's sixth career interception. Outside linebacker Shannon Taylor, who played quarterback at Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, had 41 plays in his college debut Saturday night and registered a sack.
LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Jones. color.by CNB