THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, September 18, 1994 TAG: 9409180202
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
Penalty flags hit the ground about as often as George Welsh's hat.
Or a little more often than Welsh changed quarterbacks.
The Virginia football team gave away the ball seven times on interceptions or fumbles, four times in or near their opponent's end zone.
The Cavaliers dominated the line of scrimmage and the clock, not to mention the stats, but were fit to be tied with a couple minutes to play.
As strange as this game was, as hard as U.Va. tried to throw it away, the Cavaliers couldn't find a way to lose to a school it once couldn't beat.
``Just bizarre,'' said Welsh.
Just wonderful, said the students who dismantled the goal post in the south end of Scott Stadium.
Observers wondered if an upright had ever been brought down for a worse game.
Failing to settle on a quarterback the third Saturday of their season, the Cavaliers thankfully settled for a game-winning chip shot from placekicker Rafael Garcia with 26 seconds to play.
The Cavs pulled off the play cleanly, though not without some anxiety. U.Va. had already botched an extra point snap in the first half, so Garcia wasn't taking anything for granted.
``With all that had happened,'' he said, ``I thought, `Why not again?' ''
Virginia's 9-6 victory came in what was quietly billed as the 1,000th football game in the history of the ACC. There probably have been 994 better.
``Usually,'' said Welsh, ``you lose games like that.''
If U.Va. was ever going to double its victory total against Clemson, it was Saturday. Tommy West's Tigers are adrift offensively and average on defense.
``I'm not sure we didn't lose it on both sides of the ball,'' West said.
Clemson can't run the ball. It's passing game is only a little worse. These Tigers don't growl, they whimper.
``Their offensive line is very young,'' said Welsh. ``They're struggling. We have a pretty good defensive team, though.''
Virginia's defense did whatever it had to, including setting up Garcia's winning kick when Rhonde Barber picked off a Clemson pass and zig-zagged 35 yards to the Clemson 5.
``We're told to run down the sidelines because that's where our blocking is,'' Barber said. ``But our offense wasn't working too well, so I was just trying to get it as close as I could and let Raffy win it.''
Neither Symmion Willis nor Mike Groh won the heart of their coach.
``We have to re-evaluate everything on offense,'' Welsh said.
Everything, maybe. Quarterback, for sure.
Willis. Groh. Willis. Groh. Willis. Back and forth it went, with each quarterback getting enough playing time to throw two interceptions each.
``We have to take stock,'' said Welsh.
The most-asked question in Hooville this week will be, Who's No. 1? From the look of things, the Cavaliers don't have a No. 1 quarterback; they have a pair of No. 2s.
After the game, Willis insisted he was still the starter. ``I've proven myself,'' he said.
``I have no comment on that,'' said Groh, who thought everyone was missing the bigger point.
``Our locker room is as excited as I've ever seen it,'' he said. ``You don't get to beat Clemson very often.''
If you're U.Va., and you've just defeated Clemson for the second time in 34 games, you try not to linger on the doubts.
Said offensive coordinator Tom O'Brien, ``In the 13 years I've been here, this is probably as hard as Virginia has fought and won the game. We overcame seven turnovers. Let's look on the bright side.'' by CNB