THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, August 20, 1994 TAG: 9408200349
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Virginia's No. 25 ranking this week in the coaches' preseason poll came with some words of advice.
``Cavs need to avoid the dreaded late-season slump,'' it said.
Based on what generally is perceived as collapses the last two years, the warning seemed appropriate.
Two years ago, the Cavaliers jumped to a 5-0 start and finished at 7-4, which did not merit a bowl invitation.
Last year, Virginia enjoyed another 5-0 beginning before again losing four of its final six games. It got a bid to the Carquest Bowl only because the Southeastern Conference did not have enough eligible teams to meet its commitment.
As well-intended as the pollsters' advice may have been, a ``dreaded late-season slump'' seemed far down the Cavaliers' list of concerns Friday as they prepared for their first full-scale scrimmage.
``If we knew what the problem was in the second half of the season the last two years, we'd have corrected it before the second year,'' linebacker and co-captain Randy Neal said.
It also can be suggested that the ``dreaded late-season slump'' already has been taken care of by the schedule-makers.
No question, the Cavaliers would dearly love to win their first five games again this season to put themselves in the position of avoiding such a tailspin.
They open against Florida State and play Clemson two weeks later. Both of those teams contributed defeats the last two years to Virginia's second-half woes.
Coach George Welsh and his players agreed that the toughest part of the schedule has come in the final six weeks the previous two years.
In addition, the Cavaliers ventured into that toughest part of their schedule hindered by key injuries - to Terry Kirby in 1992 and to all four of their leading receivers last season.
``It's not like we choked and just got our butts kicked, as some people seem to think,'' senior center Bryan Heath said.
But Heath did concede that the Cavaliers have not showed much improvement as the last two seasons wore on. He expects playing tougher teams early will change that.
``There is only so much you can do against each other in practice to improve, and the last two years, we haven't played enough competitive teams early to make ourselves better,'' he said.
Welsh also is hopeful that starting out against a team as powerful as Florida State will make his team better prepared for the season.
He recalls that Virginia opened the 1989 season by losing, 36-13, to a No. 2-ranked Notre Dame team in the Kickoff Classic. But they went on to finish 10-3.
``Playing Notre Dame helped us on down the road, even though we stunk up the place in the first half of that game,'' Welsh said.
``When you play someone like that early, it shows you how good you have to be if you are going to win games.''
Welsh only rolled his eyes and shook his head at being ranked No. 25 in the coaches' preseason poll. He is no fan of the polls, and he said he does not participate in the voting.
He and his players know, too, the key to this season has more to do with rebuilding the offensive line than worrying about a ``dreaded late-season slump.''
``I really do believe the season depends on us (the offensive line),'' Heath said, ``on how well we jell, and how well we play together.
``We have a veteran quarterback, good running backs and the best defense in my five years here. I had a meeting with the offensive linemen the other day, and I told them that everything is riding on us.''
The starting offensive unit is strong enough to hold its own. But there is not much experienced depth behind the starters.
``If we had to play Florida State tomorrow, our starters on the offensive line would be ready,'' Heath said. ``But the young kids, . . . they have the ability. It is just a matter of how quickly they learn the offense.''
With Florida State only two weeks away, exams come early this year. ILLUSTRATION: FILE photos
Center Bryan Heath, left, and linebacker Randy Neal know U.Va.'s
toughest games are early this season.
by CNB