
DATE: Sunday, September 28, 1997            TAG: 9709290239

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO

DATELINE: CHAPEL HILL, N.C.                 LENGTH:   69 lines

LOOKING FOR A QB CONTROVERSY? TRY BROOKS' PERFORMANCE

If the media can be trusted, it was supposed to be North Carolina that had the quarterback controversy.

Judging by Saturday's football game, Virginia could tell the team from Nike U. a thing or two about controversy.

Having two talented quarterbacks is not a problem, especially when one of them, Oscar Davenport, is carried from the field with a sprained knee. Having your quarterback pass for a mere 44 yards in four quarters. Now there's your controversial situation.

``We just caught the blues,'' quarterback Aaron Brooks said, trying to understand his own and U.Va.'s second-half miseries.

``I don't think,'' Cavaliers coach George Welsh said following U.Va.'s 48-20 loss, ``we were overwhelmed.''

If not, it will have to do until the next time U.Va. gives up 45 unanswered points.

``I've been there before,'' said Welsh, recalling lopsided losses and painful seasons. ``Maybe this is one of those years.''

Saturday, Brooks looked like a quarterback who might gamely, but ineffectually, preside over one of those years. He completed seven of 15 passes, the longest going for 13 yards. The closest thing this game had to a turning point came early in the third quarter when Brooks threw an ill-advised screen pass that was intercepted by Dre' Bly and returned 17 yards for a touchdown.

On U.Va.'s next possession, Brooks fumbled the first snap from center. As a result, Carolina was required to move only 26 yards for its next touchdown.

The blues, indeed.

Ahead 20-10 at the half, U.Va. suddenly found itself down by seven points. It felt more like 57.

``If we were at least punting in the third quarter,'' said Welsh, ``that might have been OK.''

Instead, the game turned ugly, as the Tar Heels began punting the Cavaliers all over Kenan Stadium.

Not unnaturally, U.Va.'s defense felt abandoned when the offense turned over the ball four times, leading to a quartet of Carolina touchdowns. A touch of ``us vs. them'' found its way into the postmortems.

``We can't play with our backs to the end zone the whole second half,'' said U.Va. defensive back Anthony Poindexter.

Given an opportunity to say something nice about the No. 5-ranked Tar Heels, defensive tackle Tony Dingle shot back, ``If you have a team that turns over the ball God knows how many times, you're supposed to win.''

Added Poindexter: ``At least give us some good field position to punt from.''

It was asking too much of the U.Va. offense.

``I can't explain it,'' said Welsh.

Any explanation would have to include Brooks. As a decision maker, he has a long way to go. In his defense, though, U.Va. is not exactly blessed with an abundance of quick, talented receivers. Or, not surprisingly, great confidence.

``Once a bad thing happens,'' said Welsh, ``it seems like four more bad things happen. It's different people.''

But if the quarterback is the lightning rod for criticism, Brooks could be on his way to stirring up a thunderstorm.

``I always say,'' Welsh cautioned, ``one swallow doesn't make a spring.''

Welsh, then, will swallow hard and stick with Brooks, for the simplest of reasons.

``He's the best we've got right now,'' he said.

Yep, might be one of those years. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot

North Carolina's Dre' Bly...