ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, September 24, 1996 TAG: 9609240055
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
So many games decided in the final minute. So many tough losses. After a while, they had to run together.
Not for Virginia coach George Welsh.
One game stands out - a 17-16 loss to Texas, when Longhorns kicker Phil Dawson booted a 50-yard field goal with no time remaining.
``That was the toughest loss last year,'' Welsh said Monday. ``To me, that hurt more than Michigan. I don't know why. Maybe because it was the second one like that.''
Virginia had lost its opener to Michigan 18-17 when the Wolverines threw a last-second touchdown pass. The Cavaliers are the only team to lose two games on the final play in the same season since the NCAA started keeping track of such statistics in 1971.
Dawson said after the game that a Virginia timeout allowed him to collect his thoughts after two earlier misses, but Welsh indicated Monday there was a reason behind Virginia's decision.
``The defensive coaches wanted to rush 11 guys,'' Welsh said, ``and I said, `No, I don't want to do that.' So in the meantime, to make sure we got it right, we took a timeout.
``That was all right with me. That was maybe the thing to do anyway. I didn't think he could make it; honest to God, I didn't. If we rush 11 guys and they fake it, we don't have a chance.''
Although Dawson is considered one of the top kickers in the country, his final kick was into a stiff wind. Moments earlier, UVa's Rafael Garcia had taken advantage of the jet stream to kick a 56-yarder at the other end of the field.
``The thing the timeout did - and I'm 99 percent sure of this - was that the wind wasn't blowing as hard after the timeout,'' Welsh said. ``It looked to me that it would have been good from 52 or 53 yards.''
Dawson and others would argue that point, but that has only added to the buildup for Saturday, when 13th-ranked Texas (2-1) visits No.19 UVa (3-0) in a game that will be televised by ESPN at 7:30 p.m.
The Longhorns know something about how Virginia felt last year after Saturday, when Notre Dame got a last-second, 39-yard field goal from Jim Sanson and defeated Texas 27-24 in Austin, Texas.
``If Texas had won, it would have been best for us,'' Welsh said. ``That's the way I always feel. Then, they're [the Longhorns] going to be in the top 10. If you win, that makes it better.''
KICKERS GALORE: The Sporting News rated Dawson the No.2 kicker in the country this year behind Virginia's Rafael Garcia, who is 5-of-6 on field-goal attempts this year, with his only miss from 53 yards.
Almost as impressive as Garcia's field goals are his kickoffs. Ten of Garcia's 18 kickoffs have resulted in touchbacks and another five have reached the end zone.
That's a dramatic improvement from last season, when there were 17 touchbacks on Garcia's 69 kickoffs. Garcia has had two kickoffs this year that have not reached the 2-yard line and one of them was when UVa kicked off from the 20 after a penalty.
SHARING TIME: Virginia's starting quarterback, Tim Sherman, was on the field for 41 plays Saturday, back-up Aaron Brooks for 30 and No.3 Will Thompson for seven. The Sherman-Brooks breakdown was 22-20 in the first half.
``We talk about it every week, and what we've come up with is, we let Sherman go for a while,'' Welsh said. ``Don't take him out too soon, but don't wait till the second half to get Brooks in.
``If both are doing well and keep improving, I don't see any reason why we can't keep doing it. Somebody will come to the front one of these weeks, I would think. But, so far it hasn't happened.''
INJURIES: Pain tolerance apparently is the determining factor in whether wide receiver Germane Crowell returns from a dislocated toe that kept him out of action Saturday at Wake Forest.
``I don't know what the [trainers'] estimate is, but he should be ready,'' said Welsh, who also hopes to have safety Joe Williams (groin injury) for the first time since the opening game.
*One reason back-up tailback Anthony Southern received playing time at fullback Saturday was an injury to Brad Dittman. The former No.2 fullback is scheduled for season-ending knee surgery.
NEWS BLACKOUT: Welsh obviously did not know Arizona State had upset top-ranked Nebraska 19-0 until asked for his impression by talk-show host Chuck Noe around 7:45 p.m. Sunday.
``What?'' Welsh responded. ``No kidding. I hadn't heard that. Unbelievable. I'm shocked.''
TUNED IN: ABC has picked up the Cavaliers' game at Georgia Tech on Oct.5. The game will be played at 3:30p.m. and will be shown on WSET Channel 13.
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN/Staff. 1. Virginia's Rafael Garcia, rankedby CNBby The Sporting News as the nation's No.1 kicker, has been
impressive on field goals and kickoffs. color. 2. (headshot) Welsh.