DATE: Sunday, November 9, 1997              TAG: 9711090154

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER  

DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE                   LENGTH:   82 lines

U.VA. NIPS GA. TECH IN HEARTSTOPPER

It had been seven years since Virginia and Georgia Tech went at it like they did Saturday at Scott Stadium.

Georgia Tech emerged victorious on that day and the momentum shot the Yellow Jackets to a national championship.

Virginia's heart-pounding 35-31 victory Saturday won't take the Cavaliers to a national title, but it did assure an 11th straight winning season and enhanced their chances for a postseason bowl trip.

Virginia (6-3, 5-2 ACC) will qualify for a bowl by winning one of its last two games against North Carolina State and Virginia Tech.

Georgia Tech (4-4, 3-3) has to win two of its final three to stay in the bowl picture.

In an offensive brawl that left some 40,000 cold and wet fans breathless, the Cavaliers scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard run by tailback Anthony Southern with 1:16 remaining.

``If I survive this season, I will live to be 90,'' said Cavaliers coach George Welsh, 64.

``That (game) was unbelieveable.''

The winning drive was set up by safety Anthony Poindexter's fumble recovery on the Cavaliers' 25 with 7:14 remaining.

It was the second fumble recovery by Poindexter, still hobbled by sore ankles that kept him out of last week's win over Maryland.

Other than Poindexter, it was an afternoon for the offense to shine on both sides.

Virginia quarterback Aaron Brooks completed 19 0f 26 passes for 308 yards and four touchdowns.

Georgia Tech quarterback Joe Hamilton completed 21 of 25 passes for a career-high 337 yards and one touchdown.

His favorite receiver, speedster Derrick Steagall, caught seven balls for a school-record 223 yards, including a 74-yard touchdown reception.

Hamilton tried to hook up with Steagall again in the final minute to salvage the victory but he overthrew him.

The game ended with Tech turning the ball over on downs at its 45.

``What a game,'' Virginia defensive tackle Antonio Dingle said.

``I was crying like a baby at the end. I don't know if it was because I was excited, glad it was over, or the pain in my ankle, but they were big tears.''

Like Dingle, who forced one of Tech's three fumbles, and Poindexter, most of the defenders were playing with some kind of injury.

``We have too many (defensive) guys not practicing or practicing with injuries and maybe that showed up,'' Welsh said.

``We were in disarray on defense a lot of the time. I didn't think we would win because I didn't think we would stop them.''

The defense did stop them in the end, though. In the meantime, Brooks kept the Cavaliers in the game with his passing.

His scoring strikes were 7 and 20 yards to Bryan Owen, 10 yards to Billy Baber and 15 yards to Germane Crowell.

Brooks credited offensive coordinator Sparky Woods for his play calling and his offensive line for its support.

On other times Brooks did it himself, as when he stared in the face of thundering blitzes to complete a pair of passes to Southern during the winning drive.

The back-and-forth pace reminded many fans of the 1990 game when then-No. 16 Tech upset No. 1-ranked Virginia with a field goal in the final minute.

In that game, Virginia was denied a touchdown late in the game because it did not have enough players on the line of scrimmage.

Ironically, they could have lost Saturday's game because of having too many players on the field.

Brooks' 9-yard run into the end zone with 2:16 left was called back and the Cavaliers were penalized back to their 24 because of the infraction.

This time the Cavaliers recovered to score the winning touchdown.

The big play was a pass interference penalty against the Yellow Jackets in the end zone that gave Virginia a first down at the 2.

``I hope that was a good call when I see it on film,'' Tech coach George O'Leary said.

``I don't think he (the official) would have called it if it wasn't (interference),'' Welsh said.

Southern, in the game because of his power running, took the ball across the goal on his second try for the victory. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Georgia Tech's Charles Wiley fumbles as he's hit by Virginia's

Antonio Dingle, right. The Cavaliers' Byron Thweatt, left, closes

in.

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