THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, December 28, 1995 TAG: 9512280074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
University of Virginia fans may yet change the perception that they do not support their team in bowl games.
Peach Bowl officials say all 71,500 seats in the Georgia Dome for Saturday night's game between the Cavaliers and Georgia have been sold, and they were delighted with the response from Virginia fans.
Virginia sports information director Rich Murray estimated that more than 20,000 Cavaliers fans will attend the game.
Virginia got a bad bowl rap the last two years when it failed to sell its allotment of tickets for the Carquest and Independence bowls. The Cavaliers, though, were a late selection for the Carquest, and their fans couldn't work up much excitement over going to Shreveport, La., for the Independence.
The Peach Bowl sellout is the second in the four years the game has been played in the Georgia Dome - and resulted in the lifting of a television blackout in the Atlanta area, officials said Wedneday.
REMATCH WANTED: Virginia quarterback Mike Groh would dearly love to have a second chance at playing Virginia Tech again, but he's glad the Cavaliers didn't wind up playing the Hokies in the Gator Bowl, once a remote possibility.
``We are pretty excited about being in the Peach Bowl,'' Groh said. ``This is where most of us wanted to go.''
Groh, though, is offering to play Virginia Tech ``any place, any time'' that it could be arranged.
``If they wanted to play in the middle of the woods, with no one around, I am sure a lot of guys on our team would be willing to play that game,'' he said. ``We could get the equipment guys to load up the vans and go out in the middle of nowhere and play them again.''
The Cavaliers feel they played their poorest game of the season in losing 36-29 to the Hokies in the regular-season finale.
Most Virginia players are picking Texas, which beat them 17-16 in October, to defeat Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl.
``Texas has a better football team and I don't think Tech's offense will put up many points against them,'' Groh said.
LONG TRIP: The Cavaliers have been in Atlanta and practicing at Georgia Tech since Saturday, but they have been on the road longer than that.
Coach George Welsh took the team to Furman University near Greenville, S.C., on Dec. 19 for three days of practice in hopes of dodging any bad weather that might have hit Charlottesville.
The temperatures were sub-freezing there, too, but there was no snow or sleet.
SMOOTHIE: Welsh can't dodge the question, but he's doing a good job at side-stepping the controversy that has engulfed Georgia the last few days.
Welsh was asked at a news conference his opinion of Kansas coach Glen Mason accepting the Georgia head coaching job and then turning it down.
``I don't think it's an embarrassment to Georgia,'' Welsh said. ``I think the guy (Mason) just changed his mind.''
Marshall's Jim Donnan, a former North Carolina State quarterback, was Georgia's second choice to replace Ray Goff, who will be coaching his final game Saturday night. by CNB