THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 7, 1994 TAG: 9411070177
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Long : 124 lines
The blackout is on in Charlottesville. Heads are in the sand. Eyes closed. Ears plugged.
Virginia coach George Welsh and his players left Saturday's 28-25 defeat to Duke vowing not to read newspapers or tune in to sports shows on radio or television this week.
Linebacker Randy Neal, a team captain, said he doesn't have to pay attention to the news media to know what is being said about the Cavaliers.
In the past two seasons the Cavaliers have left potentially great seasons to wither on the vine.
Now everyone wants to know if it is happening again.
That topic will dominate wherever nervous Virginia football fans gather to contemplate what lies ahead in the next three weekends.
Three games remain against Maryland, Virginia Tech and North Carolina State. All three are winnable, all three losable for these Cavaliers.
While the loss to Duke was a bitter dose of disappointment for a Virginia team that had advanced to 12th in the bowl coalition rankings, it in itself did not signal a collapse.
Duke is a solid team that knows how to break down an opponent's strengths and does not make foolish mistakes. That is called good coaching.
Virginia has been that kind of team, too, most of the season and it can be again for the final three games.
It depends mostly on how the Cavaliers deal with the Duke loss, and the talk this week of another possible collapse.
Neal thinks the best way is to not dwell on the past, but to prepare for Saturday's game against Maryland.
He contends what happened the last two years has nothing to do with this team, which has the right to determine its own destiny.
Indeed, there are differences, too.
The Cavaliers limped down the stretch the past two years with key injuries that sapped their strength.
The biggest hurt now is to their pride, and that can be cured easily by a victory this week.
- FRANK VEHORN SPARTAN DEFENSE BASKS IN LIMELIGHT AFTER WIN
With time running out in Saturday's 28-26 win over Lane, Norfolk State linebacker Richard Montgomery couldn't help himself.
Montgomery climbed on a bench and waved a towel over his head as a homecoming crowd stood and cheered.
Who could blame Montgomery for basking in the moment? It was one of precious few times the Spartan defense has heard cheers all season.
Mostly, the defense has drawn ridicule, and not without some justification. Norfolk State has been literally run over this season, ranking last in the CIAA against the run, and last overall defensively.
Saturday, though, a defense that's been ``dogged'' had its day.
``We were stretched but we didn't break,'' linebacker James Walton said.
The defense gave up just 12 points - 14 were scored by Lane's defense - and none in the second half. The Spartans also stopped Lane on three crucial fourth quarter possessions. Crucial because Norfolk State's potent offense - with quarterback Aaron Sparrow injured - was essentially dead in the water.
``We got together this week and talked about mental preparation, everyone being in the right place,'' Montgomery said.
Linebackers Walton, Andre Nixon and Aaron Hawkins, and safety Carlos Robertson - as they've been all season - were in the right place more than anyone, leading the team in tackles. But the Spartans also got a boost from freshmen Kevin Paige, Lydell Finley and Yacento Scott.
The freshman - combined with some new recruits - offer the best hope of turning the defense around next season.
Walton, Montgomery and Robertson are all seniors, though. For them, it was now or never.
``This was my final homecoming game, I had my parents here,'' Montgomery said. ``It was important to play well.
``The defense only gave up 12 points today. In anybody's book, that's a good day.''
In this longest of defensive seasons, that's reason enough to celebrate.
- ED MILLER LATE-SEASON OFF WEEK IS RECOVERY TIME FOR KNIGHT
It seems a little odd to be into the second week of November and have no game to play on Saturday.
Yet that's the situation facing William and Mary this weekend. The Tribe has an off week before its final regular-season game of 1994 at Richmond on Nov. 19.
``We've never had one (an off week) this late before,'' said Tribe coach Jimmye Laycock. ``We'll give the kids some time off and use it to rest rather than changing and adding anything new.'' More than anything else, the week off will give quarterback Shawn Knight a chance to mend. Knight admittedly was sub-par in the Tribe's 17-0 victory over Maine last Saturday and said his sprained ankle suffered against Virginia Oct. 1 still was bothering him.
``It's pretty sore right now,'' said Knight, who completed 9-of-20 passes for 64 yards. ``The week off will help.''
Knight did not practice as much last week because of the ankle. He sat out roughly half of the practices instead of getting his full number of repetitions.
The Tribe (7-3) will doubtless be doing some serious scoreboard watching this week. Three teams in the Yankee Conference have better records, and unless one of them loses at least once, W&M may not make the playoffs, even if it beats Richmond and finishes 8-3.
James Madison, New Hampshire and Boston University are all 8-1. JMU hosts Connecticut (3-6), New Hampshire is home against Villanova (5-5) and Boston U. is at Army (3-6) this weekend.
Three teams above the 20th-ranked Tribe lost or tied this past weekend. No. 1 Montana was upset, No. 8 Northern Iowa lost and No. 12 North Texas State tied.
Perhaps the most damaging blow to W&M's playoff hopes was Montana's loss to No. 15 Boise State. That win projects Boise directly into the playoff mix.
But the Tribe does have one ally - Maine coach Jack Cosgrove.
``I think they're a playoff team,'' Cosgrove said. ``Absolutely. No question. I think they would represent the league very well.''
Unfortunately for the Tribe, Cosgrove doesn't get to vote on the playoff committee.
- CHARLIE DENN ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by PAUL AIKEN
After delivering a vicious hit, Duke's Ray Farmer picks up Virginia
quarterback Mike Groh. With a 28-25 victory, Duke may have picked up
second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference, too.
by CNB