THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 20, 1996 TAG: 9610200162
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: 81 lines
A week ahead of schedule, Virginia on Saturday looked like a team that could give Florida State trouble.
The 20th-ranked Cavaliers (5-1, 3-1 ACC) warmed up for next Saturday's game against the Seminoles by trashing North Carolina State 62-14 on a cold and windy afternoon in Scott Stadium.
It was the most points scored in an ACC game by the Cavaliers and their biggest offensive explosion since a 63-35 win over William and Mary in 1990.
The Seminoles, whose only ACC loss in five seasons was to Virginia a year ago, had to be impressed if they were watching television on their open date.
The victory, coming on the rebound of a lackluster loss to Georgia Tech in their last outing, was easily the Cavaliers' most complete of the season.
The defense was its usual dominating self as it blocked two State punts, returning one for a touchdown, and intercepted four passes.
Sophomore safety Anthony Poindexter had three of the picks as Virginia pushed its NCAA record to 35 consecutive games in which it has had at least one interception.
Tailback Tiki Barber was his same ol' brilliant self, too.
The 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back rushed for 132 yards, including a 52-yard romp, and returned a punt 74 yards for another touchdown.
What wasn't its same ol' self was a passing game that clicked for three touchdowns without an interception.
Before Saturday, the passing game had produced only one touchdown and nine interceptions.
Starter Tim Sherman, who had Virginia in a 45-0 lead at intermission, completed 7 of 12 passes for two touchdowns.
Aaron Brooks, who played most of the second half, was 4 of 5 for one touchdown.
``Both the passing game and the defense was there,'' Barber said.
``Our goal is to win the ACC title and to do that we have to win the rest of our games. We had to prove to everyone we could do it after playing so badly against Georgia Tech.''
Barber's punt return opened the flood gates against a stunned State team that had taken eighth-ranked Alabama to the last second a week ago.
Barber gathered a low punt on his 26, faked a couple of tacklers, and then rode a path of blockers to the end zone.
``I was getting frustrated because I hadn't been able to return many punts this season. People were kicking away from me,'' Barber said.
``As soon as I saw that low punt, I was thinking about returning it. The punter outkicked his coverage and it was a great opportunity.''
Barber scored again on a 2-yard run and Sherman tossed his first touchdown pass of the day, a soft 15-yard fade, to give Virginia a 21-0 lead at the end of the first period.
It was more of the same in the second period.
Barber ran 52 yards for a score, Sherman passed 8 yards to Bryan Owen for another, and Antwan Harris scooped up the ball after blocking a punt and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown.
Rafael Garcia also had a 52-yard field goal in the first-half blitz. ``They (State) knew it was over at the half,'' said Virginia tackle Todd White, ``but we wanted to come out and make sure they knew it.''
Brooks took the Cavaliers to two more touchdowns in the third period before Virginia coach George Welsh began calling off the attack.
Neither Welsh nor State coach Mike O'Cain tried to explain the one-sided affair.
``There's not a whole lot you can say,'' O'Cain said. ``We got beat by a better team. We were about as bad as they were good.''
Welsh agreed the Cavaliers were sharp coming off a two-week layoff, but he said they were not as good as the score indicated.
``State has had a tough schedule and they have had to get up every week,'' Welsh said.
``Maybe they ran out of gas. They are not that bad, and we are not that good.''
The defeat was humiliating for State players who thought they had turned around their season in the last couple of weeks.
``We embarrassed ourselves and our program by getting our ----- kicked up and down the field all day,'' senior tackle Tom Dombalis said. ILLUSTRATION: LAWRENCE JACKSON
The Virginian-Pilot
The No. 3 was prophetic for sophomore safety Anthony Poindexter, who
accounted for three of U.Va.'s interceptions on Saturday. by CNB