THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 26, 1994 TAG: 9411260156
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines
Virginia went for the bundle Saturday against North Carolina State and may have to pay dearly for not making it.
In line for a major bowl bid if they won or tied, the Cavaliers found themselves in limbo and a couple of million dollars short after losing, 30-27, on a chilly, topsy-turvey day in Scott Stadium.
Unranked N.C. State's upset of No. 13 Virginia sent bowl scouts back to the drawing boards, some with smiles and others with frowns.
The happiest was Independence Bowl official Bob Brown.
``I thought I was coming up here to get a 7-4 N.C. State team and I might have wound up with an 8-3 Virginia team,'' Brown said.
Meanwhile, Fiesta Bowl representative Tom Fridena, who had been tracking the Cavaliers the last few weeks, said the loss probably drops Virginia out of the major bowl picture.
If so, losing a huge gamble in the fourth quarter may have cost Virginia more than $2 million - the difference in the payouts between major bowls and the Independence.
On fourth and 1 at the Wolfpack 19, coach George Welsh ordered the Cavaliers to go for it instead of sending in kicker Rafael Garcia for a game-tying field goal attempt.
Fullback Charles Way, a bull most of the day, took a handoff from quarterback Mike Groh, turned left, and came up inches short.
``I don't want to talk about it,'' said Way, the Cavaliers' leading rusher with 132 yards. ``I just want to forget about it.''
The Wolfpack took over with about 3 minutes remaining and ran out the clock for its third straight victory over Virginia.
N.C. State (8-3, 6-2) finished second in the ACC while Virginia (8-3, 5-3) wound up in a three-way tie with Duke and North Carolina for third place.
If Virginia had gone for the field goal and salvaged a tie, it would have grabbed a share of second-place and probably would have remained in the major bowl picture.
``I am sure a tie would have hurt State more than it would have hurt us,'' Virginia coach George Welsh admitted.
So, with so much riding on it, why not go for a tie?
``With just one yard to go, I thought we could make it,'' Welsh said.
``I just felt we could get it, and we didn't. If we had needed two or three yards, I probably would have kicked.''
However, earlier in the period, on fourth-and 5 at N.C. State's 36, Virginia went for the first down and also failed.
Welsh said the fact Garcia, who kicked five field goals last week, had missed a 42-yard attempt in the second period did not influence his decision.
He refused to second-guess his decision, but admitted it was crucial.
``You can argue that we should have kicked it and tried to tie it,'' Welsh said, ``(because) after that, it made it tough to win or even to tie.''
But the fourth-down call was just one of several times the Cavaliers came up short.
Virginia was a two-touchdown favorite coming into the game, but never played like it.
The Cavaliers gave up two long touchdown passes of 62 and 69 yards, and a crucial 84-yard touchdown run by freshman Tremayne Stephens that provided N.C. State a 30-25 lead with 8:22 left.
N.C. State's 2-point conversion attempt was intercepted by Joe Crocker and returned 105 yards to put Virginia within a field goal of tying the score.
Virginia took the kickoff and drove to N.C. State's 36, where a fourth-down pass from Groh to end Bobby Neely was three yards short.
The only time Virginia seemed on the track was in the opening minute of the second half.
Cavaliers linebacker Randy Neal picked off pass by Terry Harvey, under pressure, and returned it 28 yards for a 19-7 lead.
Harvey reinjured his left shoulder on the play and was replaced by Geoff Bender, also coming back from a shoulder injury.
Bender immediately took the Wolfpack for a 70-yard touchdown drive and another drive for a 36-yard field goal in a 2:33 span to trim the lead to 19-17.
The scores were sandwiched around a first-down fumble by Kevin Brooks at the Virginia 37.
A couple of minutes later, Bender hit flanker Adrian Hill for a 69-yard touchdown and a 24-19 lead.
Virginia regained the lead briefly on Groh's 52-yard scoring strike to Patrick Jeffers.
But Jeffers, on the next series, turned the ball over on a fumble after a reception at the N.C. State 12.
``We didn't convert on fourth down, we made too many mistakes on offense, and we gave up too many big plays,'' Welsh said.
``It is hard to beat somebody when you give up that many big plays.'' ILLUSTRATION: Associated Press photo
North Carolina State tailback Tremayne Stephens, left, applies a
stiff arm to Virginia's Ronde Barber for additional yardage.
by CNB