THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 16, 1994 TAG: 9410160208
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Medium: 95 lines
Virginia coach George Welsh says he still doesn't know, or even care at this point, if his Cavaliers are a Top 25 team.
But Welsh left windy Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday feeling better about his team than he has all season.
Facing their strongest challenge since losing the season-opener to Florida State, the Cavaliers used a mistake-free offense and rock-solid defense to beat Georgia Tech, 24-7, for their fifth straight victory.
While whacking a team whose record dropped to 1-5 (0-4 ACC) isn't impressive in itself, the victory was significant for other reasons.
Tech's previous four defeats were to teams ranked in the Top 25, and the scores of those games were closer than the one Saturday on its home turf.
Virginia (5-1, 3-1) also pulled off its most impressive victory with starting quarterback Symmion Willis and starting tailback Kevin Brooks nursing injuries.
Willis remained in Charlottesville for treatment of a pulled hamstring while Brooks got only a few minutes of playing time in the second half.
Mike Groh, taking over for Willis, was not as flashy as he has been in previous relief performances, but this was a game in which handoffs were more valuable than passes.
``I thought coming in we could run on them all day, and that was the game plan,'' Groh said.
Sophomore tailback Tiki Barber plundered Tech's defense for 123 yards and one touchdown, and fullback Charles Way pounded for 59 yards and another touchdown.
But, as has been the case in every other Virginia victory this season, the lead role was played by the defense.
And for the second straight game the defense put the Cavaliers' first touchdown on the scoreboard.
Last week against Wake Forest it came on a blocked punt. This time, linebacker Randy Neal scooped up an interception and returned it 77 yards for the touchdown.
Video replays showed Neal fumbled at about Tech's 2, and the ball bounced out of the end zone.
But there was some question, too, about Tech's touchdown, the first scored against the Virginia defense in the last four games.
Tech quarterback Tommy Luginbill got the score on a 14-yard pass to split end Charlie Simmons in the second quarter.
Replays indicated that Simmons may have been out of bounds on the catch.
Neal said he stumbled momentarily after making the interception.
``I don't get that many chances to run the ball, so I said, `Oh, Lord, please don't let me fall.' ''
He said he caught his balance, looked up and couldn't see anyone between him and the goal line.
Cornerback Ronde Barber alertly ran downfield ahead of Neal and gave him a key block at about the 15.
A Tech defender finally caught up with Neal at the 5 and slapped the ball to knock it out of Neal's grasp just before he crossed the goal line.
``I didn't know if I were in the end zone or not,'' Neal said. ``I looked at the official and he signaled touchdown. He's the one who gets paid to make the calls.''
Georgia Tech trailed the remainder of the game.
Rafael Garcia kicked a 28-yard field goal for a 10-0 lead in the opening seconds of the second quarter, and Barber's 3-yard run later in the period gave Virginia a 17-7 halftime advantage.
Way scored the Cavaliers' final touchdown on a 1-yard run with 4:46 left in the third period.
``We never felt threatened,'' offensive tackle Jason Augistino said. ``After the first couple of series they weren't playing as hard.
``I think we took a little fight out of them.''
Luginbill passed for 310 yards despite spending most of the afternoon trying to elude Virginia defenders.
He was sacked six times for a total of minus-41 yards.
``We had a very good pass rush, and he (Luginbill) couldn't go back in the pocket and wait for his receivers,'' Welsh said.
``I think that was the key to the game - that and our punting.''
Punter Will Brice averaged 47 yards and kept Tech in its own territory during most of the second half.
Welsh said he thought Groh ``played well'' and noted that some of his passes were dropped.
``I would like to have thrown the ball a little more, but the tempo of the game dictated our calls,'' Welsh said.
The Cavaliers netted 220 yards rushing while Georgia Tech finished with just 19.
``We wanted to run the ball and the clock in the second half,'' Welsh said. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Virginia tight end Bobby Neeley, center, hangs onto the ball as
Georgia Tech defenders swarm around him in the Cavaliers' victory.
by CNB