Which is just what Virginia cornerback Almondo Curry wants opponents to think. He believes his size, in this case, helps him pull off his specialty: the surprise sack.

"I'm a little guy. No one expects the little guy to come after the QB," Curry said. "So when I come, no one picks me up."

That may change in the future, especially if Curry keeps doing what no Cavalier cornerback has done before. Since the program started keeping defensive statistics in 1978, the team's cornerbacks had never recorded a sack before he made three last season.

The junior added his fourth during UVa's 34-21 victory over South Carolina on Sept. 7, throwing 220-pound quarterback Corey Jenkins for an 8-yard loss late in the first half.

Of the players on the current roster, only senior linebackers Angelo Crowell and Merrill Robertson, with five each, have more career sacks than Curry. Altogether, UVa's defensive linemen have two career sacks.

"It's great. I love getting sacks," said Curry, nicknamed "Muffin" by his grandmother. "It's like defensive linemen feel when they get an interception. It's unexpected."

Curry enjoys defying expectations. Though he is the shortest player on the team, he is one of the surest tacklers. He also is fast and fearless, which may be more important traits than size for a cornerback.

"I'm not a fan of little players, but I am a fan of highly competitive guys," UVa coach Al Groh said. "He's a highly competitive guy. He's got a lot of moxie."

Partly for that reason, Groh started Curry against the Gamecocks. He replaced 6-2 junior Art Thomas, who struggled in the first two games. Curry also started six games last season, but he says he is better prepared to handle that role now.

"The defense was kind of confusing at first. It took awhile to get used to," he said. "I feel a whole lot more comfortable this year. I don't have to look back at the safeties to see what coverage we're in. I had to think a lot last year instead of reacting. Now I feel more like a player. I trust myself more. I know the defense, so I can rely on my instincts."

Groh says Curry has excellent football instincts: "He understands how to play the game. He's a playmaker guy."

Curry has just one interception, last year against Wake Forest, but he makes plays in other ways. In addition to his sacks, he has caused three fumbles and recovered two others.

Groh compares him to a point guard who is adept at swiping the ball away from an opponent. Curry likes the basketball analogy, but he says he prefers football "because you don't get reach-in fouls."

"When I'm making a tackle, I'm always going for the ball," Curry said. "I want to get off the field. I don't want to be out there chasing receivers. I want to get our offense the ball."

In football, size matters. Curry knows this, but he uses it as motivation.

"That's my downfall - I'm the short guy," he said. "So I have to make up for it in other ways: aggressiveness, toughness. That's the way I've always been. That's the way I have to play if I want to make a name for myself."

Many of Virginia's football players took advantage of a rare free weekend to get out of town and enjoy some rest and relaxation.

"I think it was good for everyone," said Estes, who reported that he caught and fried several small croaker. "The first three games were sort of like the preseason. Now we have a lot of games in a row. It's like a new season now."

The Cavaliers (1-2) have not played since upsetting South Carolina, 34-21, on Sept. 7. They begin a stretch of six straight game weeks with a matchup Saturday against Akron (0-3) at Scott Stadium.

The positive momentum from their first victory may have dissipated by then, but the off-week still came at a good time, some players said.

"We've played three tough games. We all have little bumps and bruises, so it just gave our bodies a chance to recover," Mullins said. "It might have been good to play [last Saturday], but to be a good team, you can't depend on momentum. You have to do the same things every week."

UVa coach Al Groh said the off-week should have been especially beneficial for the true freshmen, 13 of whom played in the first three games.

"It was good for them to get a little sense of where they are and … decompress a bit," Groh said.

Not so special. Groh, not surprisingly, watched a lot of football on television last weekend. One thing that jumped out at him, he said, was the impact of special teams on many of the college and pro games.

That observation was hardly a revelation to the longtime coach. Groh's own team struggled in many phases of special teams in its first three games, so he said the Cavaliers spent "a significant amount" of practice time on that aspect of the game last week.

"When I said we're going to do things to improve the team, that's an area where I think we need to improve our team," Groh said.

The kickers, Bryan Smith and Kurt Smith, have missed three extra points (two by Bryan, one by Kurt) and their only field-goal attempt (Kurt). The kickoff coverage team allowed a 95-yard return for a touchdown against South Carolina. Tom Hagan is averaging 36.8 yards per punt with a net of 30.9. One of his punts was blocked.

"It's got to be better," Groh said when asked about the punting game. "That's not a challenge, putting pressure on anybody, that's the reality. Some guy down there at the Waffle House reading the newspaper can say, reading the ACC statistics, "Oh, gee, they need to kick the ball a little further."

Pinpoint passing. Junior quarterback Matt Schaub ranks second in the ACC in passing efficiency behind N.C. State's Philip Rivers. His 68.1 completion percentage tops the conference and he has more than twice as many touchdown passes (7) as interceptions (3).

"If he can continue to do that all year long, I think we'll be pretty proficient on offense," Groh said.

Still, Groh said, redshirt freshman Marques Hagans likely will continue to see action in every game. But that won't mean Schaub is getting yanked, as some reporters like to write when starters are replaced.

"The next time Hagans goes in the game, don't write, 'They changed quarterbacks,'" Groh said. "Because we're not. We're just putting the other quarterback in the game."

Extra points. Kickoff for the Sept. 28 game at Wake Forest has been set for 6:30 p.m. The game will not be televised. … Crowell is averaging 11 tackles per game, second most in the ACC. North Carolina safety Dexter Reid has made 14 stops per game. … Junior center Kevin Bailey and junior linebacker Raymond Mann, who suffered knee injuries against Florida State, will not play against Akron and could be out much longer. Bailey has a heavy leg brace and is using crutches to get around.

Akron, to be sure, is several steps down from Colorado State, Florida State and South Carolina in terms of caliber of competition. The Zips of the Mid-American Conference are 0-3, having lost to Iowa, Maryland and Central Michigan by a combined score of 125-52.

Yet the Cavaliers (1-2), despite being installed as 23½-point favorites, insist they aren't looking at Akron as a gimme victory on an otherwise challenging schedule.

"Yeah, it's Akron. But I know guys aren't going to go, 'Hey, it's Akron. It's a win,'" said cornerback Almondo Curry. "Our mentality is to go after these guys."

Said linebacker Angelo Crowell: "There's definitely a danger. You can't take anybody lightly. They're going to be hyped and ready to play us. We can't look down on them. We have to look at them as if we're playing another ACC team."

Several UVa players pointed out that there is an easy cure for overconfidence: Just remember Richmond.

Virginia faced the Division I-AA Spiders in the second game last season and barely escaped with a 17-16 victory, partly because Richmond missed an extra point and committed two turnovers down the stretch.

During Al Groh's 15 games as coach, the Cavaliers have won just twice by more than six points – last year's 31-10 rout of Duke and their 34-21 upset of South Carolina on Sept. 7.

"I don't think we can underestimate anyone," said quarterback Marques Hagans. "We can't take anyone lightly. If we lose our focus, we can definitely lose this game."

As of Monday afternoon, Crowell admitted he knew nothing about Akron. He didn't know its nickname (which was shortened from Zippers in 1950) or where it is located (northeast Ohio). But since then, the Cavaliers have familiarized themselves with their next opponent, a late addition to the schedule after the NCAA approved a 12th regular-season game.

The Zips have a quality quarterback in sophomore Charlie Frye, who has thrown for 2,745 yards in 14 games. Junior receiver Matt Cherry has caught 16 passes for 231 yards and two touchdowns this season.

"We have to defend the quarterback, put pressure on him. No one's done it," Groh said. "They called 350 pass plays last year and he was sacked just 20 times."

Overall, however, Akron has struggled. Iowa rushed for 376 yards against the Zips in its opening 57-21 victory. Maryland also had an easy time in a 44-14 triumph, while Central Michigan rallied from a 17-3 halftime deficit to win, 24-17, last Saturday.

Akron ranks 113th nationally in scoring defense (41.67 points allowed per game) and 111th in total defense (463 yards). The Zips have not rushed for more than 87 yards in any game and likely will be without their top tailback, Doak Walker Award candidate Brandon Payne, who has a sprained ankle.

Still, the Cavaliers claim they are wary.

"Everyone knows Akron is not as strong as the other teams we've played, but they're used to playing big teams," said tight end Patrick Estes. "They won't be intimidated. We'll have to be ready."

The Zips. That's the only thing that UVa linebacker Angelo Crowell knew about the Cavaliers' upcoming opponent, a team that Virginia has never faced before.

Asked if he knew where Akron was located, Crowell said he had no idea. But then again, this is a football game, not a geography pop quiz.

A half dozen or so Clemson players were clueless about their upcoming opponent as well, Ball State. They couldn't name the state that Ball State is located (Indiana). One player did know something about Ball State thanks to watching late night television.

"David Letterman went there, didn't he?" said Tigers center Tommy Sharpe.

Bowden on JoePa

After Joe Paterno's Penn State team clobbered Nebraska last weekend, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden was asked what he thought about the 40-7 game.

"That Joe isn't going anywhere," said Bowden, who ranks behind only Paterno in career all-time victories on the Division I-A level. Bowden has 326, three behind Paterno.

Say what?

Sometimes you have to wonder about UNC coach John Bunting. After his kicker booted three field goals of 50 yards or more to beat Syracuse last week, Bunting said he hadn't decided on whether or not to put the guy on scholarship.

Now, after watching Texas amass 569 yards of offense in a 52-21 rout of the Tar Heels last weekend, Bunting had this to say: "I do not think we were overmatched. Dave Huxtable [UNC's defensive coordinator] told me when we went down to meet the players Sunday, 'I wish we could play them again.' I feel the same way."

Trash talkin'

Clemson coach Tommy Bowden wasn't too happy when he heard that his left offensive tackle, Gary Byrd, had ripped Georgia Tech fans, calling them ignorant. Those comments only stirred the rivalry for the game.

So, Bowden told Byrd that with the game on the line, Clemson was going to run the ball to Byrd's side so that the big tackle could back up his trash talk. Apparently, he did.

The big play

Clemson hadn't run a play longer than 30 yards in its first two games until the Tigers ran into Georgia Tech last weekend. Big plays helped turn the tide in the game said Tech coach Chan Gailey.

Among the big plays surrendered were: a 77-yard end around for a TD; a 44-yard TD pass; a 25-yard gain by Yusef Kelly, who rushed for 89 yards in the game; a 79-yard punt return by Derrick Hamilton (who had 256 all-purpose yards), setting up a Clemson TD just before halftime.

If that wasn't enough, QB Willie Simmons made Bowden look good just before the half. Facing a fourth down at the Tech 2 in the final minute, Bowden had sent his field goal team out but was wondering whether he should take a shot at the end zone.

"I was standing there thinking to myself, 'Kick it. No, don't. Shut up. Go for it. No, don't. Be quiet. Shut up,'" said Bowden.

Gailey made the decision for him, calling time out in order to get his kick block team in the game. Bowden decided to go for it and called a naked bootleg by Simmons. Tech defended well, but Simmons instinctively heaved a shovel pass to tight end Bobby Williamson in the end zone for a TD that put Clemson up 17-6 at the half.

A new legend? Terrence Holt is following in his brother Tory's footsteps at N.C. State. Terrence blocked the 12th kick of his career last week against Navy, an ACC individual record.

"He's going to make us forget about that other Holt guy who played here," said State coach Chuck Amato. "What was his name?"

Short yardage ... After all the excitement about the possibility of using Damarius Bilbo as a Kordell Stewart-type player last week, Georgia Tech never even put Bilbo into the game. ...UNC and N.C. State set a two-game attendance record for the Triangle area last weekend as Carter-Finley was filled to near capacity with 51,094 for the Wake game and a crowd of 60,500 (second-largest in Kenan Stadium history) watched Mac Brown's Longhorns come back to crush the Heels ...N.C. State's Philip Rivers leads the nation in passing efficiency. ...UVa's Billy McMullen is 20th on the ACC all-time receptions list and 25th in receiving yardage. ...The Cavaliers' 10 fumble recoveries in three games has already matched their entire 2001 total in that category.

The picks. N.C. State 31, Texas Tech 24; Clemson 33, Ball State 10; Virginia 42, Akron 13; Purdue 27, Wake Forest 14; BYU 40, Georgia Tech 31; Maryland 24, Eastern Michigan 3; Florida State 52, Duke 17; Virginia Tech 27, Texas A&M 20.