THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 20, 1994 TAG: 9410200516
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
With time threatening to run out on one of college football's most amazing winning streaks, the Duke Blue Devils called timeout last Saturday to draw strength from an emotional speech.
One of Knute Rockne's?
Nope.
Vince Lombardi's?
Nope.
The Blue Devils rallied around the words of University of North Carolina women's basketball coach Sylvia Hatcher just before Ray Farmer blocked a Clemson punt and recovered it in the end zone to give Duke a 19-13 victory.
Hatchell, whose team won the national championship this spring on a last-second shot, had addressed the Duke team the night before, at the request of Blue Devils coach Fred Goldsmith.
``She told us, `You gotta believe,' '' Farmer said, ``and that was what I relayed to the team in our timeout.''
Goldsmith invites a speaker to address his team during a ``share session'' on Friday night before each game.
Assuming the Blue Devils stretch their streak to 7-0 Saturday against Wake Forest, one would wonder who Goldsmith might bring in for the Friday night chat before the game with Florida State.
BARBER HONORED: Virginia tailback Tiki Barber was named ACC offensive back of the week after rushing for 123 yards and scoring a touchdown in last week's victory over Georgia Tech.
Despite his celebrity status, Barber will be on the bench for the start of Saturday's game against North Carolina. Kevin Brooks, who sat out most of the Georgia Tech game because of a bruised shoulder, will return to his starting role against the Tar Heels.
``But Barber is going to play a lot,'' coach George Welsh said.
Welsh also said he would use quarterback Symmion Willis only in an emergency situation. Willis is recovering from a hamstring injury suffered two weeks ago against Wake Forest. Mike Groh, who will start for the third time because of an injury to Willis, will be backed up by Tim Sherman.
LEWIS UNDER FIRE: Georgia Tech coach Bill Lewis, whose Yellow Jackets are 0-5 against Division I-A teams, is getting only lukewarm support from athletics directer Homer Rice these days.
When asked if Lewis' job was in jeopardy, Rice replied, ``The performance of the staff will be evaluated. . . . There is a problem with our football program.''
According to the Atlanta Journal, a few major contributors have told Rice they will decrease or stop their financial contributions unless a coaching change is made. Georgia Tech is in the midst of a $25 million fund-raising campaign.
Lewis isn't commenting on his status, but he acknowledges that Saturday's contest against Maryland ``is an important game for us.''
HOT RUMOR: Another hot topic of conversation in Chapel Hill concerns rumors that Oklahoma may be coming after Brown, a former Sooners assistant coach.
Brown said the rumor is just talk.
``I have not been contacted by Oklahoma, and I am not looking to leave North Carolina,'' he said.
Brown was Oklahoma's offensive coordinator in 1984, the year before he became head coach at Tulane. His brother Watson is on the Oklahoma staff.
The UNC coach criticized the midseason speculation as unfair to those involved, but said being mentioned for was a compliment.
LOOKING AHEAD: East Carolina and Wake Forest have agreed to add two more games against each other to their schedules.
The two already were scheduled to meet in Greenville, N.C., in 2001 and in Winston-Salem, N.C., in 2003. Now, they also will swap home games in 2004 and 2006.
ECU also has upcoming games against Duke in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2003. The big question, though, is whether ECU can get back on North Carolina's schedule before the year 3000.
DRY SPELL: It has been almost four weeks since Florida State won a football game, and coach Bobby Bowden says the Seminoles can't wait to get going again against Clemson this Saturday. The Seminoles' loss to Miami two weeks ago was sandwiched between a pair of open dates.
``We've had so much time off,'' Bowden said, ``we're treating this like a new season.''
Bowden does not think there will be any lingering ill effects from the emotional loss to Miami.
``I hate to say this, but we've been in this situation so much (following a loss to Miami) that we are used to it by now,'' he said. ILLUSTRATION: Sylvia Hatchell
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Duke players congratulated Ray Farmer, left, after he blocked a
Clemson punt and recovered it for a touchdown in Duke's 19-13 win
Saturday. Farmer's score with 3:37 left gave Duke the win.
by CNB