ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 3, 1996 TAG: 9611050019
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C.
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
THE CAVALIERS handle Duke 27-3 and record an interception for the 36th consecutive game.
If George Welsh didn't know it, everybody else did.
With four minutes left Saturday at Wallace Wade Stadium, Virginia's NCAA record of 36 consecutive games with at least one interception was clearly in jeopardy.
``We thought the streak was over,'' Cavaliers linebacker James Farrior said. ``We thought, `This is the end.'''
That was before UVa safety Antwan Harris, a freshman from nearby Raleigh, faded into the end zone and picked off a Kevin Thompson pass on fourth-and-21 with 3:20 remaining.
The interception was greeted with jubilation on the Cavaliers' bench, which was a little more subdued when the clock ran out on a 27-3 victory over winless Duke.
``I thought [the celebration] was because they thought they'd pitched a shutout,'' Welsh said. ``I didn't think about [the streak]. Absolutely not. I had forgotten all about it.''
Duke, trailing 27-0 at the time of Harris' interception, averted a shutout when Sims Lenhardt kicked a 26-yard field goal with 1:07 remaining. The Blue Devils had gone for touchdowns on two previous fourth-down plays.
``I didn't want to get shut out, so we took the field goal at the end,'' Duke coach Fred Goldsmith said. ``We didn't come close to scoring the play before or the other times we were down there. I felt like I owed it to the kids because we were down 27-0 at the half.''
Virginia (6-2 overall, 4-2 ACC) may not have scored in the second half, but it wasn't from a lack of movement. The Cavaliers had seven penalties and four turnovers in the second half, two of them inside Duke's 15-yard line.
``We came out and did what you're supposed to do in the second half,'' UVa offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien said. ``Twice we took the ball inside our 20-yard line and had a 10-play drive and an eight-play drive. We should have scored at least 37.''
The Cavaliers finished with a season-high 12 penalties, one of which nullified an apparent 82-yard touchdown return by Tiki Barber in the first half. Barber had a 33-yard punt return called back in the second half.
``I can't understand it,'' said Welsh, originally under the impression that UVa had 17 penalties. ``I can't explain how we can have two penalties one week [at Florida State] and then 17 the next. To me, it's an indication the concentration level isn't there.''
The Cavaliers, who led 3-0 at the end of the first quarter, took command during a 24-point second quarter that featured two Barber touchdown runs and a 37-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Anthony Poindexter.
Barber finished with 24 carries for 125 yards, giving him 1,034 yards for the season and 3,063 for his career. He had 198 all-purpose yards, including four receptions for 42 yards.
Barber had 17 carries for 101 yards at the half - the fourth straight game in which he has had 100 yards or more at the half - but the Blue Devils were prepared for him to start the second half. He had six attempts for 3 yards before breaking off a 24-yarder.
Quarterback Tim Sherman made Duke pay for its attention to Barber, however, by completing 16 of 26 passes for a career-high 253 yards. Sherman was 10-of-14 for 168 yards in the first half.
``That was good,'' Welsh said, ``but, we're still ragged on offense. We don't seem to be able to make a drive. I don't know how [anybody believes] we're 6-2 when they hear me every week. But, we won, so I'll sleep better.''
Welsh didn't have to be reminded that, only two years ago, Virginia came to Duke ranked 13th in Division I-A and was beaten 28-25. Of course, that Duke team was 7-0; this one is 0-8 (0-5 ACC).
``I think it's a tough [place] to come play, unless they're winning,'' Welsh said. ``Then, they have crowds. If they're not winning, then they don't have any crowds and it's dull. You have to generate your own excitement.''
It was mostly UVa fans in the crowd of 28,276 who were around to witness Harris' streak-preserving interception. Harris, who said he was aware of the streak before signing with the Cavaliers last winter, became the 20th player to share in the record.
Nobody has been more involved in the streak than cornerback Ronde Barber, who has 15 of UVa's 82 interceptions during that span. Barber was not on the field in the closing minutes, but he was as worried as anybody.
``Oh, man, was I !'' Barber said. ``And then, when they took me out of the game, I was like, `No, no.' But, I'm going to look at it as a positive and say it added to the victory because we really cut it close.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. 1. Duke quarterback Matt Rader runs from Virginia'sby CNBTodd White (bottom) and Jamie Sharper during Saturday's game. color.
2. Virginia's Demetrius Dotson (right) just misses the ball as
Duke's Lamar Grant makes the defensive play.