ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, December 28, 1996 football TAG: 9612300105
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MIAMI
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
A quarterback controversy that has simmered all season came to a boil Friday night at the Carquest Bowl.
Virginia football coach George Welsh elected to stay with fifth-year senior Tim Sherman and the results proved disastrous in a 31-21 loss to Miami before 46,418 at Pro Player Stadium.
Defensive back Tremain Mack scored touchdowns on a fumble return and an interception return as 19th-ranked Miami (9-3) captured its first bowl victory since 1991.
Virginia, on the other hand, lost for the eighth time in eight trips to Florida and, at 7-5, suffered five losses in a season for the first time since 1993, when the Cavaliers lost in the Carquest Bowl to Boston College.
The teams, which never had met in football, became acquainted 45 minutes before the game when the Hurricanes bulled their way into a group of UVa linebackers running an interception drill.
James Farrior came to the rescue of defensive coordinator Rick Lantz and several Virginia players quickly joined the fray. Punches were thrown before order was restored.
``It was just a class-less act,'' said UVa co-captain Tiki Barber, whose playing time was limited by injury. ``They got in our drill and were just trying to incite us to do something. It's not a good part of the game.''
The cease-fire lasted only as long as the second series of the game, when Virginia was called for back-to-back personal fouls, the second resulting in the ejection of fifth-year senior Jon Harris with 12:43 left in the quarter.
``They said it was because he got both personal fouls,'' Welsh said. ``If that's the case, then why didn't they tell us about the first one. [Harris] didn't know it was on him.''
By the time the penalties were walked off, Miami, which had taken a 7-0 lead on a 70-yard pass from Ryan Clement to Yatil Green, was kicking off from the UVa 35. The Hurricanes executed an onside kick, which was muffed by Ronde Barber.
Earl Little recovered for Miami, but Barber promptly atoned for his error when he stepped in front of Magic Benton, deflected the ball behind him and made a juggling interception that kept Miami from taking an immediate 14-0 lead.
The Hurricanes' second score had to wait until 3:47 remained in the first quarter, when Mack scooped up a ball fumbled by UVa freshman Thomas Jones and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown.
Jones was in the game because Tiki Barber, the ACC player of the year, had suffered a hip contusion with 5:49 left in the quarter. Then, while trying to make a diving tackle on Mack's return, Sherman hurt his shoulder.
That was the signal for backup quarterback Aaron Brooks, who led the Cavaliers on a four-play, 74-yard drive that featured a 34-yard Jones run and a picturesque 29-yard touchdown pass to Germane Crowell.
``I was excited,'' Brooks said. ``I felt I had some momentum and I felt the team had momentum. I was just ready to play. I was ready to roll from there on out. I felt very strongly I would stay in the game.''
When Trent Jones fumbled for Miami on its next possession, it was Sherman, however, who was at quarterback for Virginia. The Cavaliers had good field position, but failed to pick up a first down on their next two series.
After a goal-line stand, it looked as if Virginia would go into the half trailing only 17-7 but that was when Mack picked off Sherman's floater and took it 42 yards for another touchdown.
A 58-yard kickoff return by Shannon Taylor gave the Cavaliers one more chance before the half, but, again, Sherman was off the mark. His look-in pass was well behind a wide-open Crowell on fourth-and-three from the Miami 12.
Welsh, taking an increased role in the play-calling with offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien already leaving for Boston College, left himself open to second-guessing by passing up the field goal, although that option later proved risky. Welsh finally changed quarterbacks to start the second half, inserting Brooks after Anthony Poindexter had blocked a punt that gave Virginia possession at the Miami 1. The subsequent touchdown cut the deficit to 24-14 with 12:43 remaining.
At that point, Brooks had been in the game for 42 seconds and been responsible for two touchdowns. He also took the the Cavaliers to the Miami 5 before Mack blocked Rafael Garcia's field-goal attempt.
The holder, Sherman, fumbled the snap before Mack came from the left side for his 10th blocked kick of the past two seasons. Defensive tackle Kenny Holmes later blocked a Garcia field-goal try with 14:09 left.
It was reminiscent of the 1993 Carquest Bowl, when Kyle Kirkeide missed two field goals and an extra-point attempt in the Cavaliers' 31-13 loss to Boston College.
``The mistakes were costly,'' said Ronde Barber, who set a Carquest Bowl record by intercepting two passes. ``Every time we we'd get it going, we'd turn it over and they would take it to the house.''
In his last college game, Tiki Barber had seven carries for 14 yards, with his last attempt coming in the third quarter. He said he tried to dive under a Miami tackler and was speared in the back.
``I had a lot of aspirations coming into this game,'' he said. ``I wanted to do great things and showcase my talents. It was a freak accident, but that's just the way things go.''
LENGTH: Long : 107 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. DON PETERSEN Staff. Virginia's Tiki Barber grimacesby CNBon the sideline as trainers work with him after he suffered a hip
contusion in the first quarter of the Carquest Bowl. Barber returned
in the second half and saw limited action before retiring to the
locker room. 2. ERIC BRADY Staff. Virginia's Sam McKiver tackles
Miami's Trent Jones during the Carquest Bowl on Friday night. 3. AP.
Tremain Mack returns an interception 42 yards to give the Hurricanes
a 24-7 lead at halftime. Germane Crowell pursues. color. 4. DON
PETERSEN Staff. UVa's Ronde Barber intercepts a pass intended for
Miami's Magic Benton during the first quarter Friday night. 5. AP.
Virginia quarterback Tim Sherman is sacked by Miami's Tony Coley
during the first quarter at Pro Player Stadium.