ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 22, 1996 TAG: 9612230142
SECTION: ORANGE BOWL PAGE: O-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
Rafael Garcia's college career will end on the same field where, in many respects, it began three years ago.
Garcia's playing time in the 1993 Carquest Bowl was limited to three first-half kickoffs, only one of which was returned, but from that day on he was Virginia's place-kicker.
In fact, Garcia would have been the Cavaliers' place-kicker in the second half of that game at Joe Robbie Stadium, if only there had been an opportunity to use him in the 31-13 loss to Boston College.
After watching Kyle Kirkeide miss two field-goal attempts and an extra-point try in the first half, UVa coach George Welsh decided at halftime he would change kickers.
``I was going to kick any long field goals and [Patrick] Harkleroad was going to kick the short ones,'' Garcia said. ``Harkleroad, now there was a character.''
Kirkeide had converted eight of 12 field-goal chances during the regular season and, with 60 points, set a scoring record for UVa freshmen that still stands. However, he never attempted another field goal after the 1993 season.
``The field was wet and Kirkeide just had a bad game,'' Garcia said. ``He was only a freshman. He was from Florida. His whole family was there. He had to be nervous.
``After that, Kirkeide pretty much fell apart. At halftime, he was almost in tears when they told him he wouldn't be kicking any more. I felt terrible for him, but there wasn't anything I could do.''
Kirkeide competed for the job during fall practice in 1994 and had a kickoff as late as the second game of the 1995 season, but he could see the handwriting on the depth chart and decided to focus his full attention on baseball.
Harkleroad, who had been the Cavaliers' punter in 1992, apparently grew weary of providing comic relief for his fellow specialists and did not return for his final season of eligibility in 1995.
By then, Garcia was on his way to school records for field goals in a season and a career. At a school where nobody had kicked more than 16 field goals in a season or 38 in a career, Garcia had 17 or more in three successive seasons and finished 58-of-76.
He also tied a school record with five field goals in Virginia's 42-23 victory at Virginia Tech in 1994, and he was 8-for-8 at Lane Stadium before missing from 38 yards on Nov.29 in UVa's 26-9 loss to the Hokies.
His last attempt seemed ill-fated from the start. Some of the Virginia players, including Garcia, were caught by surprise when Welsh decided to try a field goal. Plus, regular holder Tim Sherman was out of the game with an injury.
``I didn't know we were kicking a field goal,'' Garcia said. ``It was third-and-one; I watched the play and thought we got the first down. So, I went back to where the heater was. Then, all of a sudden, everybody's yelling for me, `Field goal! Field goal!'
``So, there I was, running out on the field, and I didn't know how long it was or from what angle. I didn't know who was holding. I totally messed up that kick. I thought about taking a timeout, but I can't imagine what George would have thought.''
Welsh claims to have little understanding of the kicking craft and is not known for his patience, but it has been hard not to have faith in Garcia. Less than two weeks earlier, Garcia had kicked a 32-yard field goal with 39 seconds left to lift UVa over then-No.6 North Carolina 20-17.
``If I had missed that, they might have deported me,'' said Garcia, a Spanish exchange student who arrived at George Washington High School in Danville in the fall of 1992 and never left Virginia.
He was named first-team All-ACC as a junior, but was dropped to the second team this year behind North Carolina State's Marc Primanti, who has made 27 consecutive field-goal attempts dating to the 1995 season. Garcia also was named second-team All-American behind Primanti, winner of the Lou Groza Award as the nation's top kicker.
``I watched the awards show and I was telling somebody, `That was supposed to be me,''' said Garcia, rated the nation's No.1 kicker by The Sporting News in its preseason yearbook, ``but I guess you can't argue with 27-for-27.''
Primanti does not compare with Garcia in one other important aspect of the job. Of Garcia's 51 kickoffs this season, 25 were not returned and another 11 reached the end zone.
Primanti ``doesn't [kick off], and maybe that's something that should be considered,'' said Garcia, whose 21 field goals this year led Division I-A. ``But, there's nothing you can do about it.''
Garcia could be rewarded for his leg strength at the next level, where kickoffs are from the 35, not the 30. Indeed, it was his kickoff ability that led Welsh to use Garcia in the seventh game of his freshman year, thus nullifying a redshirt option.
``For the past three years, I've known this was my last year,'' said Garcia, who, with an extra year, would have had a good shot at the ACC record of 70 field goals set by Clemson's Nelson Welch.
``I wouldn't mind playing one more year,'' he said. ``I love football. I love going to school here. But, I've prepared myself for this. I'm ready to move on.''
LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: NHAT MEYER Staff. Rafael Garcia (16) led Division I-Aby CNBwith 21 field goals this year and has made 58 of 76 attempts during
his career at UVa. color. KEYWORDS: FOOTBALL