THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, September 24, 1996 TAG: 9609240444
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: 57 lines
Virginia coach George Welsh isn't worried about his players' being up for Saturday night's game against Texas.
The Cavaliers have been waiting for this game since losing on a last-second, 50-yard field goal to the Longhorns in Austin last year.
``Everyone broke out in a frown the first time coach Welsh mentioned Texas after the Wake Forest win last Saturday,'' defensive tackle Todd White said. ``Texas is a strong word around here. There is the same big-game atmosphere on campus like before the Florida State game last year.''
Welsh says the loss to the Longhorns was the toughest for him personally last year. He said it ``hurt more'' than the one-point loss to Michigan in last season's opener.
``Maybe because it was the second one we had lost like that,'' Welsh said.
FAMILIAR FATE: Considering the circumstances, the Cavaliers were not sympathetic to the Longhorns' final-play loss on a field goal against Notre Dame on Saturday.
``It couldn't have happened to a more deserving group of guys,'' cracked Virginia tailback Tiki Barber.
Still, the Cavaliers were pulling for Texas to beat the Irish.
``They might have come in here and overlooked us if they had won. Now they are coming in with blood in their mouths,'' White said.
TUBE TALK: The 7:30 p.m. game against Texas is a sellout but will be televised nationally on ESPN.
The ACC said Monday that the Oct. 5 game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta will be televised by ABC, beginning at 3:30 p.m. It will be Virginia's fourth straight television appearance.
SOUTHERN SHIFT: Anthony Southern, who began the season as Tiki Barber's backup at tailback, has been moved to fullback. The move was prompted by a knee injury to redshirt freshman fullback Brad Dittman that put him out for the season.
Southern, who joins Darrell Medley and Charles Kirby at the fullback position, already has impressed coaches with his blocking.
``That (blocking) is primarily what we want from out fullbacks,'' Welsh said.
True freshman Thomas Jones has moved into the No. 2 slot a tailback. Jones has carried 16 times for 146 yards., an average of 9.1 yards per carry.
GO FIGURE: The Cavaliers' defense has received most of the praise and the offense most of the criticism after three games.
Interestingly, though, the offense ranks No. 1 in the ACC with a 407.7 yards-per-game average and the defense ranks fourth, giving up an average of 279.3 yards per game.
The Cavaliers also lead the ACC in punt returns (18-yard average), punting (41.6-yard average) and sacks (five per game).
Barber is the league's leading rusher with a 127.7 yards-per-game average. Warrick Dunn of Florida State is second at 89. by CNB