THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 26, 1996 TAG: 9610260491
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: TALLAHASSEE, FLA. LENGTH: 90 lines
Tiki Barber will be a marked man when he trots onto the field for today's game between No. 14 Virginia and No. 3 Florida State.
It's not anything he's said this time, as was the case three weeks ago against Georgia Tech, but what he has done in establishing himself as one of the nation's premier running backs.
Thousands of war-chanting fans in Doak-Campbell Stadium will aim their tomahawk chops toward Virginia's splendid tailback, and for the entire afternoon he will be pursued by a stingy Seminoles defense that is allowing only 44 rushing yards on average per game.
If Florida State (5-0, 4-0 ACC) is to continue its bid for a national championship and avoid the humiliation of sharing another ACC title, their defense has to stop Barber. Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has told his players as much.
``But I don't know if we can contain him or not,'' Bowden says.
They couldn't a year ago, when Barber rushed for 193 yards - the most anyone has had against the Seminoles in a decade - in a 33-28 Virginia victory. That was Florida State's only ACC loss in the five years they've been in the league.
Virginia (5-1, 3-1) needs a win to keep alive its hopes for another league title, and Barber is the key. Perhaps the most talented rusher in Cavaliers history, Barber averages an ACC-leading 126.3 yards per game, 10th-best nationally.
He looked like a Houdini on rocket skates a few weeks ago when he ripped through a Texas defense for three touchdowns in the game's first 12 minutes. He scored another three touchdowns in last week's romp over North Carolina State.
``Barber has everything you can ask for in a great back - speed, quickness, and strength,'' says N.C. State coach Mike O'Cain.
``Barber is too good,'' Bowden says. ``He played here against us as a sophomore two years ago. The first time I saw him break loose, I asked, `Who is that guy?' He got in the game late and broke one for about 58 yards.''
Bowden says Barber had more to do with his team's loss last year in Charlottesville than anyone else. Barber has watched the game film of the win over Florida State more than 50 times, and says he could watch it another 50 times and not be bored.
``That win put Virginia football on the map,'' he says. ``It gave credibility to the whole league.''
It also gave Barber credibility and put him on the deep list of Heisman Trophy candidates for this season. He still gets a mention now and then, and is having a great season, but Virginia's upset loss to Georgia Tech - a game in which Barber had virtually guaranteed victory - dropped him out of serious contention.
Barber, though, already had learned he wasn't exactly the Heisman type and Virginia wasn't exactly the place for a Heisman type. Most of his yardage and touchdowns have come in the first half, and he's been taken out of action after games have been decided.
``If I wanted to win the Heisman, I would have played for 60 minutes against N.C. State,'' he says. ``I'd have stayed in against Central Michigan and rushed for 300 yards.
``But I don't feel I have to stay on the field just to build up my yardage in games like that. If people are looking just at numbers, I am not their guy. If they look at what you've done to help your team, maybe I am their guy.''
Barber insists no one - not even Florida State - should believe it can beat Virginia simply by stopping him.
``Anyone who thinks that doesn't know much about Virginia football,'' he says. ``Virginia football is not built around one player. If someone concentrates on just stopping me, we have other people who can beat them.''
Barber, who has watched the film enough times to know, says there was nothing flukish about last year's win over the Seminoles.
``If you really watch the game, you'll see we dominated it in every aspect,'' he says. ``Our defense held them in check and our offense was able to move the ball effectively. We did everything we had to do.
``We had watched them on film and spotted certain weaknesses. We felt we could do certain things to beat them, and we did.''
Barber understands it will be tougher to win today, especially in Tallahassee. He has great respect for the 'Noles defense, which has not given up a run longer than 14 yards this season, and he is aware that it will be primed to stop him.
``One of my friends knows a girl who is dating a football player down there,'' he says. ``She said all they talk about is beating us, and in particular, they want to beat up on me and Ronde (Barber's twin brother). They are going to be ready us.''
Barber will be ready for them, too.
``I pride myself on getting up for big games,'' he says. ``It's what you do in big games that really matters.''
And for the Cavaliers, they won't get any bigger than the one today. ILLUSTRATION: Despite being Virginia's main weapon, tailback Tiki
Barber insists, ``Virginia football is not built around one
player.'' by CNB