THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 12, 1995 TAG: 9511120276
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: COLLEGE PARK, MD. LENGTH: Long : 163 lines
Virginia tailback Kevin Brooks would have celebrated winning a piece of the ACC title along with everyone else even if the Cavaliers had beaten Maryland in their normal fashion Saturday.
But it wasn't business as usual and Brooks, who was brought out of mothballs to help the Cavaliers clinch at least a share of the championship with a 21-18 victory over the Terrapins, had a special reason to celebrate.
The senior reserve led the Cavaliers on a key second-half drive that gave U.Va. its first lead, spurring them to victory.
No. 14 Virginia (8-3, 7-1) will win the championship outright if Maryland beats Florida State next Saturday in Tallahassee.
If Florida State wins, the teams will share the championship. Virginia also tied for the title with Duke in 1989.
``It really feels great winning the title and to be a part of it,'' said Brooks, a former standout at Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake.
``I can walk away from here with a smile now, but when the game started I didn't think I would get a chance to contribute much.''
Brooks had been the Cavaliers' No. 1 running back before his injuries and Tiki Barber's emergence as a superstar this season pushed him deep into the background.
But on this damp, windy afternoon when the moist, loose turf in Byrd Stadium was as treacherous as banana peels, Barber spent most of the first half slipping and sliding as if he were running on ice.
``That's exactly what it felt like, too,'' Barber said.
Virginia's championship hopes were on thin ice, also, until Brooks provided the traction in the second half to help usher the Cavaliers safely to their goal.
Brooks ended an 80-yard drive with a 5-yard run at 6:48 in the third period to give heavily favored Virginia an 18-11 edge.
Brooks, who had only two carries in the first half, rushed six times for 68 yards during the drive as Barber watched from the sidelines.
The Cavaliers pushed the advantage to 21-11 on a 41-yard field goal into the strong wind by Raphael Garcia early in the fourth period.
Garcia's second field goal of the game proved decisive after Maryland recovered a blocked kick on the Virginia 5 and scored on Buddy Rodgers' strong run on the next play with 3:17 left.
Virginia, which had lost twice on last-second plays, didn't give the Terps another chance to break its heart.
With Barber back on the field, Virginia picked up a pair of first downs to run out the clock.
Barber, who had brought Virginia to the brink of the title with a great performance in last week's win over Florida State, came into the game needing 2 yards to set a school rushing record for a season.
He finished with 116 yards, getting most of it after changing his running style to compensate for the slippery conditions.
``I had to start taking bigger steps and not cut so much,'' Barber said.
Brooks, who has a more direct running style, wound up with 103 yards, 88 in the second half.
Running backs coach Ken Mack said he told Brooks during intermission that he would start the second half.
``Someone on our offensive staff told me a couple of weeks ago that we were going to need Kevin again, and he was right,'' coach George Welsh said.
``He really did a great job on that touchdown drive.''
Just as important in the victory was was another great defensive performance by the Cavaliers, who intercepted quarterback Scott Milanovich four times and yielded only 85 yards rushing.
Terps speedster Jermaine Lewis left the game with a hip pointer in the third period after gaining only 2 yards rushing and catching one pass for 1 yard.
Both of Maryland's touchdowns came on short drives after Virginia mistakes.
After taking a 3-0 lead on its first possession, Maryland took advantage of the strong wind and slick field to recovering the ensuing kickoff on the Virginia 16.
The kickoff into the wind was short and returner Pete Allen slipped as he rushed to field it, giving Maryland's Paul Jackson a chance to recover.
Six plays later, Milanovich scored from the 1 and Maryland then caught Virginia napping on a fake kick for a 2-point conversion.
The Cavaliers were down 11-0 without its offense having been on the field.
``That is why we weren't that worried,'' quarterback Mike Groh said.
``It wasn't like they had stuffed our offense to get that lead. We felt once we got out there we would even things out.''
They did by intermission with a 22-yard Garcia field goal and a 2-yard touchdown run by Barber.
Redshirt freshman safety Anthony Poindexter notched the first interception of his career to begin the touchdown drive from Maryland's 47.
Virginia's go-ahead touchdown drive in the third period came off Paul London's interception, and Garcia's fourth-quarter field goal was the end result of Joe Crocker's interception.
London also had a second interception that did not result in a score.
``Without a question, the interceptions were the difference in the game,'' Welsh said.
The interceptions allowed the Cavaliers' secondary to push its streak of consecutive games in which it has had an interception to 27.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Virginia tailback Kevin Brooks would have celebrated winning a piece of the ACC title along with everyone else even if the Cavaliers had beaten Maryland in their normal fashion Saturday.
But it wasn't business as usual and Brooks, who was brought out of mothballs to help the Cavaliers clinch at least a share of the championship with a 21-18 victory over the Terrapins, had a special reason to celebrate.
The senior reserve led the Cavaliers on a key second-half drive that gave U.Va. its first lead, spurring them to victory.
Fourteenth-ranked Virginia (8-3, 7-1) will win the championship outright if Maryland beats Florida State next Saturday in Tallahassee.
If Florida State wins, the teams will share the championship. Virginia also tied for the title with Duke in 1989.
``It really feels great winning the title and to be a part of it,'' said Brooks, a former standout at Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake.
``I can walk away from here with a smile now, but when the game started I didn't think I would get a chance to contribute much.''
Brooks had been the Cavaliers' No. 1 running back before his injuries and Tiki Barber's emergence as a superstar this season pushed him deep into the background.
But on this damp, windy afternoon when the moist, loose turf in Byrd Stadium was as treacherous as banana peels, Barber spent most of the first half slipping and sliding as if he were running on ice.
``That's exactly what it felt like, too,'' Barber said.
Virginia's championship hopes were on thin ice, also, until Brooks provided the traction in the second half to help usher the Cavaliers safely to their goal.
Brooks ended an 80-yard drive with a 5-yard run at 6:48 in the third period to give heavily favored Virginia an 18-11 edge.
Brooks, who had only two carries in the first half, rushed six times for 68 yards during the drive as Barber watched from the sidelines.
The Cavaliers pushed the advantage to 21-11 on a 41-yard field goal into the strong wind by Raphael Garcia early in the fourth period.
Garcia's second field goal of the game proved decisive after Maryland recovered a blocked kick on the Virginia 5 and scored on Buddy Rodgers' strong run on the next play with 3:17 left.
Virginia, which had lost twice on last-second plays, didn't give the Terps a chance to break its heart.
With Barber back on the field, Virginia picked up a pair of first downs to run out the clock.
Barber, who had brought Virginia to the brink of the title with a great performance in last week's win over Florida State, came into the game needing 2 yards to set a school rushing record for a season.
He finished with 116 yards, getting most of it after changing his running style to compensate for the slippery conditions.
``I had to start taking bigger steps and not cut so much,'' Barber said.
Brooks, who has a more direct running style, wound up with 103 yards, 88 in the second half.
Running backs coach Ken Mack said he told Brooks during intermission that he would start the second half.
``Someone on our offensive staff told me a couple of weeks ago that we were going to need Kevin again, and he was right,'' coach George Welsh said.
``He really did a great job on that touchdown drive.''
Just as important in the victory was was another great defensive performance by the Cavaliers, who intercepted quarterback Scott Milanovich four times and yielded only 85 yards rushing.
Both of Maryland's touchdowns came on short drives after Virginia mistakes.
After taking a 3-0 lead on its first possession, Maryland took advantage of the strong wind and slick field to recovering the ensuing kickoff on the Virginia 16.
The kickoff into the wind was short and returner Pete Allen slipped as he rushed to field it, giving Maryland's Paul Jackson a chance to recover.
Six plays later, Milanovich scored from the 1 and Maryland then caught Virginia napping on a fake kick for a 2-point conversion.
The Cavaliers were down 11-0 without its offense having been on the field.
``That is why we weren't that worried,'' quarterback Mike Groh said. by CNB