FSU, Virginia fired up for big ACC tilt
By Jerry Ratcliffe / Daily Progress sports columnist
October 16, 2004

You may hear a thousand adjectives tossed around today as ESPN analysts attempt to describe tonight’s Top 10 matchup between No. 6 Virginia and No. 7 Florida State in Tallahassee.

For Florida State it comes down to pride. The Seminoles, favored by a field goal (wide left? wide right?), will try to prove they haven’t lost their grip on the ACC, a conference they have dominated for the past 11 years.

Supersize me

For Virginia football, it simply doesn’t get any bigger than this. This is why Al Groh left the New York Jets to return to his alma mater. Tonight is exactly what he had in mind.

How could it get any bigger? Virginia is taking on a legend and a dynasty. What team has dominated college football like the Seminoles over the past 15 years? FSU coach Bobby Bowden has won more games at the major college level than any man in history.

And Virginia is headed right into the teeth of the monster at 7:45 p.m. tonight, hoping to slay the beast with Groh’s formula for success.

“Coming into this season we had one goal and that goal goes through Tallahassee,” Virginia’s massive senior guard Elton Brown said. “I came to Virginia to play big-time football. This is 6 versus 7. This is what you play for.”

A lot on the line

There is tons of pressure on both teams.

Florida State realizes that another slip and the Seminoles are out of the national championship race. A loss to Miami, a game FSU seemed to have control of until the bitter end, left Bowden’s team with one more life.

Their fans don’t know who to boo next, Chris Rix, Wyatt Sexton or Jeff Bowden, the team’s offensive coordinator. They don’t like his play calling. They don’t like Rix’s boneheaded mistakes that seem more freshman-like than a seasoned senior. They don’t know if Sexton is the answer while Rix nurses an ankle sprain.

Virginia, a program starving for national recognition, hasn’t ascended to such lofty heights since 1990. The Cavaliers have something to prove and they will be tested in every possible way within the unfriendly confines of The House That Bobby Built this evening.

As a guest on sports talk radio shows in Denver and Nashville this week, this columnist was surprised to hear the knowledgeable hosts comment that should UVa win, the sky is the limit.

Certainly, the Cavaliers’ destiny would be in their own hands. But that’s another story. Walking out of Tallahassee with a win isn’t easy. Virginia is Oh-for-Six in that department. The rest of the ACC is 1-for-42.

Does that give you a clue as to why Saint Bobby has surpassed Bear Bryant as the king of Southern Fried Football?

Make no mistake about it, Virginia has gained Bowden’s attention.

While chatting with son, Tommy, head coach at Clemson, Bobby Bowden was alarmed over what he heard.

“Tommy simply could not stop [Virginia],” Bobby Bowden said. “They remind me of the old New York Giants when [Bill] Parcells was there. And they remind me a little of the Denver Broncos when they first won the Super Bowl. They get the football and you simply can’t get it away from them. That bothers me more than anything. The big thing is, can you get the ball from them.”

Tommy Bowden thinks his father’s team can.

“I would say that Florida State is going to be able to stop the run better than we did,” the Clemson coach said. “They’ll tackle 18 [Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans] better than we did and they’ll be able to pressure him more than we did. I think they will be able to slow Virginia’s run.”

Tommy Bowden, whose Tigers lost 30-10 to UVa and lost a 41-22 game to FSU, believes that 17 points might be enough to win this game. He didn’t go as far as to pick a winner, but who’s his daddy?

By scoring comparisons, Virginia looks better on paper. UVa beat Syracuse 31-10. FSU beat Syracuse 17-13 and was lucky to win. UVa beat North Carolina 56-24. FSU beat UNC 38-16.

Statistically, the Cavs have an edge, but again, all that’s on paper. Virginia believes it has nearly caught up to FSU in stockpiling talent. Tonight will be a good measuring stick as to just how much.

“Virginia doesn’t seem to have a weakness,” Bobby Bowden said. “Al has really recruited good. It’s kind of like he had a formula. He went out and got a tight end, then an offensive line, then a running back, then a quarterback, then a defense that could play his style. If I was a poker player, I’d say he’s coming in here with a full house.”

Bowden particularly likes Hagans, whom he compared to Michael Vick.

Every time Hagans hears such talk, he just smiles and says, “I wish I had Mike Vick’s paycheck.”

Personally, this columnist thinks the two keys to the game will be if Virginia can stop Florida State’s offense, although there is a possibility that FSU might stop itself, ... and, how effective Hagans will be against FSU’s aggressive defense.

Oh, yeah, and the two X-factors. We believe Groh has some surprises up his sleeves for the Seminoles, stuff he hasn’t sprung on anyone yet, saving them for the right moment. The other is Connor Hughes.

When it’s all said and done, it could be Hughes’ foot that determines this outcome. No wide right, no wide left. How about wide down the middle?

Hagans eyes redemption
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 16, 2004

Marques Hagans wants redemption. He can get it tonight when he returns to the site of his first collegiate start at quarterback.

Why redemption?

It is quite simple. Hagans played awful two years ago at Florida State.

The signal-caller completed just one pass for four yards. He ran the ball seven times for just 14 yards.

By halftime, Hagans was watching from the sidelines as Matt Schaub regained the reigns of the Cavalier offense.

“That was probably the worst game I ever had,” Hagans said. “I’ve been thinking about it ever since it happened. It’ll probably be with me as long as I continue to play sports. It was a bad outing. You wished things could have gone better. It’s something that I won’t forget.”

It got worse for Hagans after the game. Virginia coach Al Groh decided that Schaub was the best option at quarterback for his team.

Hagans was out of the mix. He could have dwelled on the decision and became a distraction but that is not in Hagans’ character. The Hampton native remained positive.

It paid off.

Groh came to Hagans with an interesting idea.

“I can picture him sitting right across from me and the conversation was, ‘Hey look. The head coach around here really likes to see you in the game and right now we have a pretty good quarterback, so under the present circumstances that’s going to be difficult to do as the quarterback. But there’s a way we can do that,’” Groh said.

Groh wanted Hagans on the field and Hagans did not want to watch his teammates from the sidelines. He had done enough of that during his first year at UVa in 2001 when he redshirted.

“His exact words were, ‘Coach, I just want to play. Wherever you think, that’s what I want to do,’” Groh said.

So Hagans tried his hand at returning punts in 2002 while continuing to back up Schaub.

Hagans did quite well. He finished sixth in the league by averaging nine yards per return.

Last season, Groh took the experiment a step further. The coach added wide receiver duties to Hagans’ task list. Once again, he did quite well, finishing third on the team among wideouts with 28 catches for 262 yards.

Hagans wasn’t totally satisfied. He wanted to be under center.

With Schaub out with a shoulder injury, Hagans got a chance last year against Western Michigan. He did not disappoint.

Despite having limited practice time at the position, Hagans completed 12 of 20 passes for 162 yards and three touchdowns. More importantly, Hagans led the Cavaliers to a 59-16 win. He also avoided being sacked on a number of occasions, rushing the ball nine times for what was then a career-high 68 yards.

With Schaub headed for greener pastures in the National Football League with the Atlanta Falcons, Hagans saw his chance to return to the position he loved so much. In the spring, Hagans worked with a handful of other quarterbacks as they all jockeyed for position on the depth chart.

As could be expected, Hagans was rusty. In the spring game, he went 7 of 15 for 64 yards. He knew he could be better. He knew he would be better. But he knew it would not come without a better appreciation for the position.

Hagans turned to quarterbacks coach Mike Groh. Together they broke down film - lots of film. Slowly, Hagans evolved into a better quarterback.

“I can’t say the progress was instant,” Al Groh said. “He’d have good days, he’d have some bad days.”

When the team opened its preseason practice period at the end of the summer, Hagans strolled into practice a smarter and stronger player. His head coach took notice.

“Really since he came back for training camp in August, every day from that point on it was really forward progress for him,” Groh said.

With Hagans back under center, Virginia promptly has reeled off five straight wins to open the season, the best start for the program since 1998. UVa’s offense leads the conference in total offense (493.2 yards per game), rushing offense (275), passing offense (218.2) and scoring (42.4).

More importantly, Hagans has emerged as a field general.

“I believe in the players around me and I want them to believe in me,” Hagans said.

Apparently they do.

“He’s definitely evolved into a leader,” junior tailback Wali Lundy said. “He’s always motivating people to do better on the field [saying things like], ‘Come on baby. We need this play,’ or, ‘Come on. Just give me a little time, I’ll make this play.’”

Virginia tailback Alvin Pearman agrees.

“Before the season, everybody was worried about his experience, what he’s going to be like as soon as the lights turn on. But [he’s] the kind of guy when the lights come on, he’s ready to play. ... He’s a competitor. He loves to play and he hates to lose. [His] performance has surprised a lot of people, but it has not surprised his teammates or his coaches.”

Can Virginia stick it to FSU?
No. 6 Cavaliers seeking monumental road win
By Jay Jenkins / Daily Progress staff writer
October 16, 2004

To the victor belong the spoils. Tonight’s victor also gets the Jefferson-Eppes Trophy.

Before the annual ACC contest between Florida State and Virginia in 1995, the trophy was created in memory of Francis Eppes VII and Thomas Jefferson.

Eppes was a three-time mayor of Tallahassee, Fla., and a longtime president of the Board of Education of the Seminary West of the Suwannee, the forerunner of FSU.

Jefferson, who was Eppes’ grandfather, was the founder of the University of Virginia.

For Virginia fans, the trophy almost seems like an urban legend.

After a one-year stay in Charlottesville following the Cavaliers’ win in 95’, the trophy has had a permanent home in Seminole country.

Virginia football coach Al Groh would like nothing better than to take it back.

It will not be easy.

The Cavaliers have never won a football game in the state of Florida. They also sport a 0-22 record all time in road games against top 10 teams.

On the other hand, Florida State is practically unbeatable at Doak Campbell Stadium. Since joining the league in 1992, they have posted a 49-1 mark at home against ACC competition.

Add to the equation that the Seminoles have never lost an ACC game in the month of October and you have all the ingredients for Virginia’s first loss of the season. But the game is not played on paper. It’s played on the field.

That’s as good a place as any for Groh. His team has been dominant this season.

The Cavaliers are third in the country in scoring (42.4 points a game) and fifth in rushing yardage (275). They also bring the country’s sixth-ranked defense (11.6 points allowed) into Tallahassee, looking to make a major statement.

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden has raved about Virginia’s team and the coaching job that Groh has done with the team.

“Right now, he’s getting more out of his [players] than I’m getting out of mine,”‘ Bowden said. “Virginia looks bona fide to me. Virginia is a team that has recruited well and recruited with a purpose.”

While a win for the Cavaliers would shock many in the college football world, the Seminoles need a win for a bigger reason. They are trying to stay alive.

A loss to Virginia would give Bowden’s bunch a pair of ACC losses (FSU lost its season opener at Miami) and make it near impossible for the team to win the league title.

Thus far this season, Florida State has leaned hard on its defense and its running game. The Seminoles’ defense ranks third in the country in run defense with an average of 65.6 yards allowed per game.

Offensively, they are averaging 200.2 yards a game on the ground, which ranks 19th nationally. But that could be difficult against a Virginia defense that stands 11th in the nation in run defense (85.4 yards a game).

“It will be a big test for us - a test we have been preparing for quite some time,” Groh said. “I think we are all curious to see how we match up.

“I don’t know if we’re ready enough.”

BIG TO BEGIN WITH
When UVa beat FSU in 1995, it was unexpected and met with much less anticipation than tonight
By Doug Doughty
981-3129
The Roanoke Times

To those people tempted to say that No.6 Virginia's game tonight at seventh-ranked Florida State is the biggest in UVa football history, it is important to point out that the Cavaliers have been this way before.

Since 1990, when Virginia opened the season with seven straight victories, the Cavaliers have been 5-0 on four occasions, never once getting to 6-0.

In some ways, Virginia has been better off losing early, as in 1995 when the Cavaliers, then 6-3 and ranked No.24, knocked off unbeaten and second-ranked Florida State 33-28.

That is widely considered the biggest victory in UVa history, but was it the biggest game? Not from an anticipation standpoint. Visiting Florida State was an 18 1/2 -point favorite that night.

"At that time, we hadn't lost a game in the ACC and it just was not drawing the rave reviews that this thing is going to do," said Florida State coach Bobby Bowden. "At that time, people were just trying to catch us and Virginia was the first that did."

Bowden said that the buildup for tonight's 7:45 p.m. matchup has rivaled the buzz that accompanies a Florida State-Miami or Florida State-Florida game in Tallahassee, Fla.

"Virginia, they look so bona fide to me," Bowden said. "They're not coming in here with a lucky 5-0 record. As I've watched the other teams throughout the country play this year, they look as good as any of them."

Entering the game against Florida State (4-1, 2-1 ACC), Virginia (5-0, 2-0) has not beaten a team with a winning record. But for Bowden to cast aspersions on the Cavaliers' opposition, it would be taking a shot at his son, Tommy, who coaches the Clemson team that lost at Virginia, 30-10, in UVa's last appearance.

Virginia coach Al Groh stopped short of saying it was the biggest game in school history, saying that "in order for it to be the biggest game, you needed to have a lot of big games before it."

Indeed, this matchup of top-10 teams is not the first in UVa history. In 1952, fourth-ranked Duke came to Charlottesville and knocked off ninth-ranked Virginia 21-7.

Former Roanoke Times sports writer Bill Brill, then a 21-year-old recent Duke graduate, was at that game.

"It was bumper-to-bumper traffic all the way from Richmond on [U.S.] 250," said Brill, whose family home was in Middlesex County on the Northern Neck. "I stayed over with a friend at a frat house and it was one of the [wildest] evenings I ever witnessed and perhaps participated in."

Five years earlier, 10th-ranked Virginia had visited No.4 Pennsylvania when both teams were unbeaten, but there were few big games between 1953-1978, a 26-year period during which UVa had one winning season.

All that changed with the 1982 arrival of George Welsh, who had 16 winning seasons and one .500 season, but refused to acknowledge that any contest was a big game in what became a standing joke by the end of his career.

It was Welsh's 1990 team that ended Clemson's 29-year hold over the Cavaliers in a game that prompted The Roanoke Times to market T-shirts with a reproduction of the front sports page and its banner headline "Finally." But, in Welsh's mind, there was nothing to rival the game later that season matching unbeatens Virginia and Georgia Tech.

It was the Cavaliers' only home game during the three-week span when UVa was ranked No.1 - the only time it has been ranked No.1. Prior to the game, won by the Yellow Jackets 41-38, reporters were given T-shirts commemorating the event.

"We had a week off before that game and I don't think it helped; it was like the Army-Navy game," said Welsh, an ex-Midshipmen quarterback and head coach for whom that would be the ultimate compliment. "When it was all over, I thought we would have been better off on the road.

"Guys would be late to meetings because they were being interviewed. Every night, there would be a TV unit at practice, at least for a while. Even Thursday, I consented to interviews, which I would almost never do. A Washington TV station caught me on the way."

As for his theory that there are advantages to the visiting team in weeks like this, Welsh pointed to the Thursday night ESPN game between a pair of pair of unbeatens, visiting Louisville and Miami.

"I can't believe Louisville lost [41-38]," said Welsh, who had fallen asleep by the time the game ended and was in his McCue Center office at 8 a.m. Friday.

In the fourth year of his retirement, Welsh still keeps his coaching hours.

"It's been pretty calm in here," Groh said Thursday in his last pregame teleconference. "There's nobody on the streets when I come in here in the morning and there's hardly anybody on the streets when I come home. If there's been a lot of [hoopla] surrounding this game, I've been unaware of it."

Just let 2 1/2 -point underdog Virginia beat the Seminoles on Saturday and there may be some people on the streets when he returns.

Talent gap disappears
Commentary by Aaron McFarling
The Roanoke Times

A few years ago, Florida State really wanted this high school kid named Ahmad Brooks. The Seminoles sent him letters. They called him. They sent coach Bobby Bowden to his home.

"We never had a good feeling about getting him," Bowden recalled this week. Why? Because Brooks, one of the top five high school linebackers in the country, wanted to go to Virginia and play for coach Al Groh.

So did Wali Lundy. And Kai Parham. And D'Brickashaw Ferguson. And Kwakou Robinson. And 21 other talented high school players who comprised the 2002 UVa recruiting class, which an ESPN.com analyst called the best the school had ever had.

Before you can even think about winning games like tonight's matchup with No.7 Florida State, you've got to win battles in living rooms. In the past four years, Groh's staff has scored quiet victories in Virginia Beach and Woodbridge and Hampton and Newport News and a bunch of places in between, finally stockpiling enough talent to make a propitious raid on Tallahassee.

And don't think the garnet-and-gold army doesn't know it.

"There's a large contingent of FSU fans - and most football-crazy fans are probably like this - that are very into recruiting," said Gene Williams, the founder and administrator of Warchant.com, a Seminoles fan Web site and message board. "They follow it closely, and they've seen how well Al Groh has done on the recruiting trail.

"So they kind of saw this coming."

In addition to his online work, Williams has had a radio show in Tallahassee for about five years, giving him constant interaction with the FSU faithful. What he's noticed is a growing respect for UVa, despite the fact that the Seminoles have won 11 of the 12 meetings between the two schools.

"I know a lot of people were talking on our message boards last Thursday," he said. "They saw the game against Clemson and were very impressed with [quarterback Marques] Hagans and the speed of the defense. They see a lot of similarities between that Virginia team and some of the teams that came out of Florida State in the '90s."

Therein lies the difference between this UVa team and most of the other ACC teams that have tried to challenge FSU in years past - the Cavaliers can match up physically.

Since the Seminoles joined the league in 1992, only two teams have posed much of a threat to their conference supremacy. Maryland won the title outright in 2001 but didn't have the speed to conquer FSU head-to-head, losing in Tallahassee by three touchdowns. In 1995, a loaded UVa team beat FSU in Charlottesville but had to share the title with the Seminoles.

Bowden doesn't have to look hard to see that UVa is at least nearing that old level. The Cavaliers boast an unblemished record, a top-five offense, a top-six defense and a No.6 ranking in The Associated Press poll.

But if you really want to make Bowden nervous, throw out all those rankings. Simply put a team on the field that is just as fast as his.

He saw it against Miami in the opener, a 16-10 overtime victory for the Hurricanes.

He'll see it again tonight.

"I see a team that has recruited well," Bowden said of UVa. "A team that has recruited with a purpose and looks like it's coming in here with a full house."

Of course, with a big home crowd, excellent athletes and tons of history on his side, Bowden could be palming a royal flush as we speak. A national television audience will find out soon enough.

But for the first time in a long time, the Cavaliers should feel confident about sliding all their chips into the pot. All those living-room victories have built quite a stack.

Big games exactly what ACC needs
The Virginian-Pilot
© October 15, 2004

Though it basks in compliments from all the important media outlets, the ACC isn’t yet where it wants to be when it comes to football.

For sure, the ACC currently boasts of three schools in the top seven. Not too shabby. But the ACC wants to make a bigger, more lasting impression. With expansion, it intends to capture the imagination of college fans nationwide, not simply on a regional basis, and not only when Miami and Florida State face off.

Click here The ACC hopes to be more like the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten and Big 12, where the boola boola spills over from the conferences onto the dusty prairies and fruited plains in October and November, and where treasured traditions and resounding rivalries are woven into the consciousness of all fans.

The ACC is at least one big boola short of that. Saturday’s game between undefeated Virginia and perennial bully Florida State, though, is a move in the right direction.

This is the sort of attention-grabbing event the ACC aspires to produce on an almost weekly basis in years to come. But you can’t always arrange for a game between the nation’s sixth- and seventh-ranked teams. The ACC will have arrived when, like the SEC, a contest between, say, the third- and fourth-best teams in the league is rated a must-see beyond conference borders. When people in Nebraska and Oklahoma, Louisiana and Alabama, L.A. and Seattle tune in to an ACC football game the way they do now for ACC basketball.

Even U.Va. fans must be mindful that Al Groh’s 5-0 Cavaliers have played only a single road game, and that was a laugher at Temple.

But it’s true, too, that Florida State, like future U.Va. opponent Miami, appears more vulnerable than in the past, and that the Seminoles have looked very mortal on occasion the past couple seasons. For additional inspiration, Virginia can look back to 1995, when the Cavaliers shocked Bobby Bowden’s second-ranked team in Charlottesville.

That game, Ol’ Bobby noted this week, “wasn’t drawing the rave reviews this game is.”

Reviews? More like previews, but you get the point. This is the biggest game any current Cavalier has played. To put down roots in the BCS’s upper echelon, Groh’s players must contend with the Seminoles and the occasion.

Last year, U.Va. fell to Florida State by less than a touchdown, so talent level isn’t the biggest factor in this game. Composure could be .

If the Cavaliers cope well with the surroundings, they can hope to capitalize on an apparent advantage at quarterback.

Marques Hagans has been a revelation this season, but he’s never led a team into a cauldron like the one he’ll find in Tallahassee. Meanwhile, Florida State sends out Wyatt Sexton for his third consecutive start at quarterback in place of the erratic Chris Rix. Under Sexton, the Seminoles have been steadier and less prone to ridiculous turnovers.

U.Va.’s defense may have something to say about that. It looks like both defenses could call the tune in what is a rarity: an ACC game worth everyone’s attention.

It’s a conference, after all, that until this year, did not offer Football Nation a Big Game along the lines of Oklahoma-Texas, Florida-Georgia, or Ohio State-Michigan. Sure, Miami vs. Florida State resonates loudly, but the rivalry is not exactly stitched into ACC folklore.

The ACC needs more noteworthy games between more of its schools. Until that begins to happen, the prime-time confrontation between Virginia and Florida State will serve as a barometer of where ACC football is and where it plans to go.

In a class by himself
By JOHN COSCIA
Register & Bee sports editor
Saturday, October 16, 2004

GRETNA, Va. - When the public address announcer declared Vicqual Hall the 2004 King of the Homecoming Court during Gretna High School’s halftime festivities on Friday, she was overstating the obvious.

He had earned the anointment as king of his domain long before this night.

But the capacity crowd erupted in applause nonetheless.

While Hall’s unofficial appointment came last year when he led his team to its first-ever state football championship, his true coronation came at 9:11 p.m. Friday with 6:41 left in the fourth quarter of the Hawks’ game against Chatham.

Hall took the shotgun snap from center Josh Newby, stepped right, made one move to the open hole created by his blockers and gained an otherwise uneventful six yards.

It was a modest carry for the “Showman,” who has been known to average 35 yards an offensive play (12 plays for 384 yards against Tunstall).

This, however, was no ordinary carry.

It couldn’t be, for this was a run at history.

This play fell into the category of a real game-stopper.

And that’s exactly what head referee Bob Floyd did.

He blew his whistle and called for an official time out. Hall had just eclipsed Ronald Curry’s record for total offensive yards in a career - 11,519 - set back in 1997.

Within seconds, an impromptu on-field ceremony had been organized. Hall then was joined on the field by his mother, Rochelle Hall, and presented with the game ball. Mother and son then enjoyed a final embrace at which time they both exited the field. With Gretna comfortably ahead 61-12, Hall’s night was done. He finished with 366 yards of total offense (282 yards passing and 84 yards rushing) and six touchdowns. That brings his current career yardage total to 11,525 yards.

Hall had tied the record a couple of plays earlier on a five-yard pass play to longtime friend Horace Hubbard, but it was his six-yard run that put him atop the record books.

Hubbard was emotional as he reflected on the accomplishments of his best friend since childhood.

“When I heard Vic call my number, I just looked at him and told him, ‘Yo Vic, don’t throw it too hard or I won’t be able to catch it. Just lob it to me and I’ll get it,’” Hubbard said. “It’s pretty emotional for me right now. I can’t tell you how happy I am for him. The person I grew up with my whole life, since I was real small, has just broken the state record. It’s a great thing.”

The crowd was in tune with the record-setting pace throughout the night, and once Hall got to within striking distance they began the chant of “Let’s go Vic!”

It looked as if he was going to break the record late in the third quarter. The Hawks were comfortably ahead 55-12 and Hall was five yards away on his own 31-yard line. But instead of keeping the ball himself, he handed it off inside to Rico Reynolds, who hit it up the middle, popped the line, and ran 69 yards for the touchdown.

“That was supposed to just be for a first down,” one Gretna coach laughed as the crowd booed in disbelief. Of course the fans weren’t upset, they just wanted Hall to get the record.

“Coming into the game, I knew how close I was, but honestly I just wanted to win. That was the important thing. This record isn’t an individual record. I have a lot of people that are responsible for me breaking this record,” Hall said. “The offensive line, running backs, coaches and receivers, both those here now and those that I’ve played with my whole career, are all part of this record. It’s the kind of thing you can’t do alone.”

Curry, who set the record while at Hampton High School in 1997, weighed in on Hall taking over the top spot as offensive king in the state of Virginia.

“I heard about him,” Curry said Wednesday while working out with the Oakland Raiders. “My cousin still lives up there and he has seen him play. I heard he’s pretty good. He’s got to be pretty good.

“I’ve got all those records, but I also got three state championships and a national title. If he could top that ...

“But I tip my hat to him. Any time you can put up big numbers, you got to know that the kid is good. I do think that I got those records against the top competition in Virginia. But my hat’s off to him. I’m not trying to hate on him.”

With the departure of Brandon Turner to graduation last year, Hall was going to need another go-to guy if his numbers were going to continue to grow. The two receivers that have most dominantly stepped into that role are Matt Short and Jason Meyers.

“It means a lot to break the state record. I never thought in a million years that I’d be a part of something like this,” Meyers said. “Guys like Vic don’t come around often.”Short, who has for all intents and purposes has become Hall’s main target this season, agreed.

“I would have never thought coming here my freshman year that I’d be a part of Vic breaking a record - especially one like this,” Short said. “Our coaches expect perfection from us and they’re a big reason why we’re so good.”

Chatham head coach Matt Foutz waded his way through a sea of Gretna blue jerseys sported and found Hall in the end zone, removing his shoulder pads.

“Congratulations,” Foutz said as he shook Hall’s hand. “You did a great job.”

Being 'The Man' isn't easy
Wyatt Sexton isn't Chris Rix, and for now that's good enough for Florida State fans.
BY DAVE JOHNSON
247-4649
Published October 16, 2004

Wyatt Sexton might be the most popular man in Tallahassee. Not because he is Wyatt Sexton, but because he isn't Chris Rix.

But Sexton is discovering what every quarterback eventually comes to know: That being "The Man" ain't easy. With Rix sidelined because of a sprained ankle, Sexton has started Florida State's last two games.

The Seminoles are 2-0 under Sexton, a sophomore who threw five passes last season but came dangerously close to losing last week at Syracuse.

His numbers are solid: 58 completions in 92 passes (63 percent) for 571 yards. He's thrown four touchdown passes, which is four more than Rix had in three starts. When Rix went down Sept. 25 against Clemson, the Seminoles trailed 7-3. Sexton led them to a 41-22 victory.

Sexton, who is expected to start tonight against sixth-ranked Virginia, is enjoying his moment. But he's been around the game long enough to know such moments can be fleeting.

Q. So, for a kid who grew up around Florida State football, have the past three weeks been what you envisioned when your time came?

A.

It's definitely been just as much fun as I would have ever expected it to be. There have been some other pressures that have gone along with it that have been not as enjoyable, but that comes with the territory.

Q.

How bad can the pressure get?

A.

You can't understand the pressure and I don't want to say unjust judgment people give toward you, but that's kind of what it is. Everybody's so critical of your every move. You know, they want you to be so perfect all the time.

Q.

What kind of reaction have you been getting around campus?

A.

A lot of people have been kind of relieved. That's the feeling I've been getting from everybody. But I just deal with it the same way I've always dealt with it. I don't let it affect me, and I just keep doing what I'm doing.

Q.

Considering your father, Billy, has been a Seminoles assistant coach the last 28 years, was there ever any doubt you'd play here?

A.

There was a small amount of doubt in probably my junior and senior years right between those years, in high school just because of the fact that my dad was a coach at Florida State. There was no doubt in my heart that I wanted to play for Florida State, but it was a question of me wanting to deal with the fact that my dad was there and all that comes with that. But I realized that if I'm a good enough player to play, then I'll play. That's not going to be an issue.

Q.

Has it been tough, though? Have you ever felt pressure to prove that you earned your scholarship and that it wasn't because of your dad?

A.

That's always been an issue for me, even in high school. My dad went to my high school here in Tallahassee, and people felt even back in high school that the only reason I was playing was because of my father. Just time on the field and showing people I could play alleviates all those questions.

Q.

How do you think you've done so far?

A.

I felt I was off to a decent start against Clemson and North Carolina. I don't really think I stepped forward against Syracuse. I don't think I played too poorly. There are probably three or four plays I'm a little disappointed about.

Q.

Your coaches and teammates have praised you for not acting like a deer in headlights, especially against Clemson when you had to come in at a moment's notice.

A.

There was never really a time of disbelief. It was pretty nerve-racking when I went into the Clemson game, but after a series or two I pretty much settled down. I haven't been too nervous since then.

Q.

You're facing a team tonight that you've beaten 11 out of 12 times and eight games in a row. Any chance you'll overlook them?

A.

That won't be an issue. We're going to be ready to play those boys.

One man's leg could be pivotal
Virginia's shaky punting game hasn't been costly yet. That could change tonight.
BY DAVE JOHNSON
247-4649
Published October 16, 2004

Everyone who follows Virginia football has a particular memory of the Cavaliers' epic victory over Florida State in 1995. Adrian Burnim and Anthony Poindexter teaming to stop Warrick Dunn inches short of the goal line on the game's final play. Tiki Barber's 193-yard rushing night. That the game lasted nearly four hours.

One thing you probably don't remember is what a difference U.Va. punter Will Brice made in the outcome. Of his eight kicks, five pinned the Seminoles inside their 20-yard line. Each of the remaining three went at least 50 yards. For the night, Brice averaged 47.1 yards per punt. Both coaches mentioned his name a few times during their post-game press conferences.

If tonight's game at Doak Campbell Stadium comes down to punting, that could be bad news for Virginia coach Al Groh. His team is last in the conference in net punting at 29 yards per attempt. Sean Johnson, who barely won the job in preseason, has punted 12 times this season for an average of 32.2 yards.

So far, it hasn't mattered. Sixth-ranked Virginia (5-0, 2-0 ACC) has outscored its opponents 212-58. But tonight, in its toughest test to date against No. 7 Florida State (4-1, 2-1), it might.

"It's almost guaranteed to be more of a factor tonight than it has been so far," Groh said. "How could be any less of a factor that it has been? We've talked to the players about field position being an important factor in this game. And I'd say it's quite likely we'll have more punts in this game than we've had in any of the others."

It does stand to reason. Virginia is averaging 42 points and 493 yards a game. In five games, the Cavs have 28 touchdowns and six field goals. But FSU is 10th nationally in total defense at 262 yards allowed per game. So Johnson may play a major role.

"Sean has hit some major league-looking balls during practice, but we're anxious to see him do it in the game," Groh said.

If Virginia was to have its way with Florida State tonight, it would certainly be an interesting story. The Seminoles are 49-1 in ACC home games, the lone loss coming to N.C. State. Virginia has beaten FSU once in 12 tries, and it happened nearly nine years ago.

But tonight will see a rarity: The Seminoles facing an ACC opponent that is ranked higher than they are. FSU coach Bobby Bowden isn't surprised by Virginia's position in the polls.

"I really think this is the third or fourth year of the recruiting success that Coach Groh has had at Virginia," Bowden said. "He's had some successful recruiting years. Some have been acknowledged in the press - top five, top three, top four.

"When I saw them play last week against Clemson, they looked as good as anybody else I've seen in the country. I think that's what's happening in the ACC. Everybody's upgrading their program, and Virginia, they just look doggone good."

 

FSU-Virginia matchup

FSU RUN VS. VIRGINIA RUN DEFENSE

THE TEAMS: FSU averages 200 rushing yards per game; Virginia allows 85.4 rushing yards per game.

KEY PLAYERS: TB Leon Washington (back-to-back 100 yard rushing games), TB Lorenzo Booker (74.2 ypg.); LB Ahmad Brooks (37 tackles, 6 for loss, 4 sacks).

ANALYSIS: Booker and Washington have been extremely effective on the edges, and that's where Virginia's 50 defense is strong as well. Receivers must block better than a year ago, and another solid effort out of Bobby Meeks, Ray Willis and Paul Irons is critical. EDGE: FSU

FSU PASS VS. VIRGINIA PASS DEFENSE

THE TEAMS: FSU averages 178 passing yards per game; Virginia allows 163.2 passing yards per game.

KEY PLAYERS: QB Wyatt Sexton (completing 63% of passes), WR Craphonso Thorpe (22 catches, 237 yards, 1 TD).

ANALYSIS: The key will be for FSU to find a way to draw in Virginia's secondary and create one-on-one matchups. Hitting the quick, short passes should be key again for Wyatt Sexton. Ahmad Brooks can bring on the pressure but protection has been mostly good for FSU lately. Don't be surprised if Chris Rix sees significant action. ADVANTAGE: FSU

VIRGINIA RUN VS. FSU RUN DEFENSE

THE TEAMS: FSU is allowing 65 rushing yards per game; Virginia is allowing 275 rushing yards per game.

KEY PLAYERS: DL Travis Johnson (9.5 tackles for loss); LB A.J. Nicholson (31 tackles); Wali Lundy (96.8 ypg.; 10 TDs).
ANALYSIS: Johnson against right guard Elton Brown. Johnson and Co. have not allowed a rushing TD since Miami. Although dominating against the run, FSU has allowed opponents to bust loose for big yards, and Virginia obviously has that capability. ADVANTAGE: Virginia

VIRGINIA PASS VS. FSU PASS DEFENSE

THE TEAMS: FSU is allowing 196.2 yards passing per game, 7th in ACC; Virginia is averaging 218 passing yards per game, 1st in ACC.
KEY PLAYERS: FS Pat Watkins (3 INTs); DE Chauncey Davis (2½ sacks); QB Marques Hagans (199 passing yards per game, 1 INT).
ANALYSIS: A costly breakdown or two in the secondary has been more common than defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews would like. But the real spotlight will be on FSU's defensive ends, who must keep Hagans from breaking containment for a big gain. Advantage: EVEN

EVEN

SPECIAL TEAMS

KEY PLAYERS: FSU - PK Xavier Beitia has missed three clutch field-goal attempts this season; P Chris Hall (42.6 yards per punt). Virginia - PR Alvin Pearman (12.7 yards per punt return, 70-yard TD).

ANALYSIS: FSU has had every kind of breakdown imaginable on special teams. And if this one comes down to a field-goal attempt for the Seminoles, don't be surprised if FSU coaches go with other options. ADVANTAGE: Virginia

OVERALL

INJURY REPORT: FSU - none reported. Virginia - none reported.

WHAT TO EXPECT: FSU has the home advantage, and Wyatt Sexton should play better than a week ago. But Virginia is simply playing better and that's enough for the upset. Virginia 24, FSU 20

Virginia respectfully steps to the forefront
By Mark Blaudschun, Globe Staff | October 15, 2004

Here's the question of the week: How good is Virginia? The Cavaliers are unbeaten, ranked No. 6 in the country, and about to face No. 7 Florida State tomorrow in Tallahassee. The Cavaliers' victories have come against Temple, North Carolina, Akron, Syracuse, and Clemson, none of which has a record above .500. Yet, the Cavs are the team du jour.

"Guys were probably looking ahead to Virginia," FSU running back Leon Washington said after the Seminoles' tight win over Syracuse last Saturday, "and watched Virginia play on Thursday night" in a 30-10 victory over Clemson.

It is a sign of respect that players from Florida State would be "looking ahead" to Virginia. And tomorrow's matchup gets even more interesting when you compare some scores: Florida State outlasted Syracuse, 17-13, while Virginia rolled over the Orangemen, 31-10.

However, while Virginia has moved past Florida State in the polls, the Seminoles are a field goal favorite.

FSU coach Bobby Bowden has added to the aura. "When I saw [Virginia] last week against Clemson, they looked as good as anybody I've seen," said Bowden. "Virginia just looks doggone good."

The Cavs are fifth in the country in total offense, fifth in rushing offense, and in the top 10 in total defense and scoring defense, statistics that indicate progress, even if the level of competition has not been that high.

Not that any of this should be a major surprise. Virginia coach Al Groh has done a marvelous job of recruiting for three straight seasons, turning the Cavaliers into a major player in the Atlantic Coast Conference, if not nationally.

And there will be no need for debate about the Cavs this season. They play at Florida State tomorrow, host Miami in November, and finish the regular season at Georgia Tech and at Virginia Tech, dangerous places for a ranked team.

If the Cavs emerge from November unbeaten, they could wind up in the Orange Bowl Jan. 4, playing for the national championship.

Even if they have one loss, they would merit Bowl Championship Series at-large consideration (if the loss comes against FSU or Miami). No matter how you look at it, Virginia is a major player in a league that's getting tougher each week.

Different time, different team
Cavs are faster, stronger than'02 edition that was swamped by Seminoles
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER
Oct 16, 2004

With 3:25 left in the third quarter, the score was 33-0, and the 79,406 fans at Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee, Fla., had long since stopped worrying about the outcome. The University of Virginia football team would rally for three fourth-quarter touchdowns, but fifth-ranked Florida State was never threatened in its 40-19 romp.

For U.Va., the second game of the 2002 season, its second campaign under coach Al Groh, was a humbling experience.

The Seminoles "were just too much for us," senior tailback Alvin Pearman recalled this week. "They were too big, too strong and too fast for us."

Fast forward 110 weeks. Tonight at 7:45, with an ESPN audience looking on, Virginia will try again to do what it never has done - win at FSU. This time, the Cavaliers appear better-equipped to challenge the reigning ACC champions.
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"We've become a fast, physical football team," Pearman said, "and we feel we can compete with anyone."

For the first time in a series that dates to 1992 and which FSU leads 11-1, U.Va. enters the teams' annual meeting with the higher national ranking. At No. 6, the Cavaliers (2-0, 5-0) are one spot ahead of FSU (2-1, 4-1) in both major polls.

"They look so bona fide to me," said Florida State's Bobby Bowden, the winningest coach in major-college history. "They're not coming in here with a lucky 5-0 record. As I've looked at other teams in the country, they look as good as anybody."

Each team's victims to date include North Carolina, Clemson and Syracuse. But Florida State opened the season with an overtime loss to Miami, and U.Va. hasn't faced an opponent of the Hurricanes' or Seminoles' caliber.

Still, the Wahoos' statistical dominance has been overwhelming. They lead the ACC in numerous categories, including total offense, rushing offense, passing offense, scoring offense, passing efficiency, first downs, third-down conversions, kickoff returns and time of possession.

"It looks like to me, if I was a poker player, which I ain't, but I used to - I'm talking about in college - they're coming in here with a full house," Bowden said.

Seven freshmen started for Virginia when it played at Florida State in 2002, including quarterback Marques Hagans. Then a redshirt freshman making his first start, Hagans completed only 1 of 7 passes for 4 yards before giving way in the second quarter Matt Schaub, who turned around his career with a stellar effort. Schaub went on to become the ACC's player of the year in 2002 and continued rewriting the U.Va. record book in'03.

Of his performance against FSU in 2002, Hagans said, "I think that was probably the worst game I've ever had [at any level]. It'll probably be with me as long as I play sports. It's just something I won't forget."

Hagans, who's seven inches shorter than the 6-5 Schaub, has been spectacular in his first season as a full-time starter. He's completed 68 of 97 passes - a cool 70.1 percent - for 995 yards and five touchdowns. Hagans has thrown only interception and is far and away the ACC's leader in passing efficiency.

"I always wished I could have performed better [against FSU in 2002], but life goes on," Hagans said, "and we get a second chance. We'll see how it goes [tonight]."

A season ago, FSU bolted to a 13-0 lead and held on for a 19-14 victory over Virginia at Scott Stadium. That was the site of the historic game in 1995 when the Seminoles suffered their first ACC loss, falling 33-28.

The'95 victory "was great for the program," said Virginia offensive guard Elton Brown, an All-America candidate. "We're trying to bring that feeling back here."

In ACC games at Doak Campbell, FSU's record is 49-1, the loss coming against N.C. State in 2001. As Groh noted, however, the Seminoles have been nearly as dominant in their conference road games.

"I think it's been more about the players on the field than the people in the stands [at Doak Campbell]," Groh said.

A victory tonight would rank as perhaps the greatest in U.Va. history. It won't come easily, the Cavaliers know.

"This is a heavyweight boxing match," said Pearman, who set a school record with 16 receptions against FSU last year. "We're going to be trading blows throughout the game. This is not a game that's going to be won in the first quarter, and we know that."

 

Doak choke? U.Va. is confident
BOB LIPPER
POINT OF VIEW
Oct 16, 2004
Bob Lipper
Contact Bob Lipper at (804) 649-6555 or e-mail blipper @timesdispatch.com

For openers, most of the games in Tallahassee haven't been competitive. They have, by and large, been out-and-out routs. Yeah, there was that 31-24 decision of 1996, but even then Florida State broke away in the second half and maintained control the rest of the way. More typical of Virginia's visits to Doak Campbell Stadium was the 40-19 laugher of two years ago. Other than'96, it's the closest the Cavs have come to the'Noles on the road.

Brian Barthelmes was there that day. He's a 6-6, 288-pound brute of a U.Va. offensive guard now. He was a callow rookie then. He took a look around the teeming stands and at the Michael Boulwares and Darnell Docketts and Anquan Boldins racing up and down the field and knew he'd come to a different sort of venue.

"I was a redshirt freshman," Barthelmes said the other day. "I think that was my first college game. I loved the place. I thought it was really neat. Virginia didn't have that kind of crowd then. To go to a place where the fans are so into it - to see the whole crowd arm-chopping and chanting - that's pretty cool, man. It's intimidating to most people, but we'll play anywhere."

The Cavaliers can win in that snakepit tonight, can affirm their leapfrog-the-'Noles status as campusball's sixth-ranked football squad, can continue tracking toward Showdown II - this one at home - against Miami next month, can embrace notions of giddy possibilities.

Can erase their history of Leon County miseries if they Elton Brown and Ahmad Brooks the Seminoles to death from both sides of the ball.

The Cavs won't outsprint FSU. They wouldn't have won a footrace against Clemson two Thursdays ago, and the'Noles are better at that game than the Tigers. U.Va. used its bulk to bludgeon Clemson in the second half. It'll need another bulldozer effect to get the best of Tommy Bowden's daddy tonight.

"When you run the ball, that's when the clock clicks down," Barthelmes reasoned. "When you have the ball, the other team doesn't. It's as simple as that. The other team can't score."

This isn't a vintage FSU team. Heck, it isn't a vintage FSU decade. From 1987-2000, the'Noles were top-five in the final AP poll. They haven't finished in the top 10 the past three years. As for this edition, it has quarterback issues and was lucky to escape Syracuse last week in the midst of a special-teams meltdown Bobby Bowden termed "idiotic."

Those disclaimers notwithstanding, these'Noles have bite. Primarily, they can run and they can defend - the two areas where U.Va. must neutralize them. The Cavs average 275 yards rushing. FSU yields only 65.6. Something's gotta give.

"You always want to play a team like Florida State," said Brown, the Cavs' mammoth right guard. "They're the steppingstone. It's kind of like a test for your team, a measure for your team. We've got a five-game winning streak. We're confident. We feel we can play anybody now. We're ready to go down and play."

No offense to the Temples, North Carolinas and Akrons, but U.Va. has been ready since last summer. That's how long this matchup has loomed.

"We've always been thinking about Florida State," said Brooks, the linebacker who'll be expected to track down'Noles runners Lorenzo Booker and Leon Washington. "We know we've got a big challenge ahead of us. It's time for the heavyweight match. It's time to step our game up. It's time to show the world what Virginia football is all about."

It's time for the Cavs to enrich their diet. They've feasted on appetizers and home cooking so far. It's no surprise they're 5-0. But they're also pretty darn good. It'll be no stunner if they're 6-0 after this excursion.

 

Determined Cavs believe they can run vs. 'Noles
Virginia's players say they won't be intimidated this year by Florida State.
Oct 16, 2004
By Josh Robbins | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted October 16, 2004

TALLAHASSEE -- The Virginia Cavaliers remember their last visit to Doak Campbell Stadium all too well. Florida State outmuscled them on that late-August day two years ago in a 40-19 rout.

The Cavs vow this time will be different.

"You're always playing the old Florida State, and we were always kind of intimidated when we played them," said Virginia center Zac Yarbrough, a former Winter Park High standout.

"But we're trying to be one of those teams now that everybody is intimidated by."

When sixth-ranked Virginia and seventh-ranked Florida State meet tonight in a critical Atlantic Coast Conference game, the Seminoles will face a more mature, more hard-nosed opponent and an opponent with similar national-title dreams.

The Cavaliers (5-0 overall, 2-0 in the ACC) tore through their relatively easy early-season schedule and, behind a solid offensive line and an impressive tailback tandem, average 275 yards rushing a game, the fifth-highest total in Division I-A.

The Seminoles (4-1, 2-1), on the other hand, statistically have the nation's third-best rushing defense, allowing 65.6 yards per game.

"Something's got to give, right?" said defensive tackle Travis Johnson, FSU's primary run-stuffer.

"If we play our game, I don't see us giving."

The matchup between the Cavaliers' running game and the Seminoles' run defense will play a major factor in tonight's game and, by extension, where the teams spend bowl week.

The Seminoles cannot afford a second ACC loss. Their national-title hopes would evaporate, and they likely would finish no higher than third in the ACC. In other words, tonight's winner stays in the hunt for the Orange Bowl, and the loser could end up in the Peach Bowl.

Two seasons ago, with guard Elton Brown and tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson beginning their first full seasons as starters and Yarbrough not yet a starter, the Cavaliers managed 62 rushing yards against the Seminoles. Last season, with tailback Wali Lundy out with an injury, the Cavaliers were held to minus-5 yards but lost just 19-14.

"We know they're the strongest front that we've played all year," said Virginia tailback Alvin Pearman, who tied an ACC single-game record last season with 16 receptions against FSU. "They're a very talented bunch. At the same time, we're confident in our running game."

Because Virginia's wide receivers aren't considered deep threats, look for FSU to position a safety close to the line of scrimmage and focus on stuffing the run. But the Seminoles also have to worry about the scrambling ability of quarterback Marques Hagans, who has become much more proficient since that game in Tallahassee two seasons ago.

"We've got to give him different looks," FSU linebacker A.J. Nicholson said. "We'll see what he's made of then."

Cavaliers Have Been Programmed for This
FSU Matchup Will Show If U-Va. Has Arrived
By Mark Schlabach
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, October 16, 2004; Page D01

These are the games college football programs spend years building toward, a chance to rise from the ranks of the also-rans to a place among the sport's elite. Over the past four years, Virginia Coach Al Groh has built his team to compete with Florida State, football kings of the ACC for more than a decade.

While Groh admits his team still doesn't have as much strength, speed or depth as the Seminoles, the Cavaliers might be as close to Florida State's talent as they've ever been. Tonight, Groh will find out how good his team really is when the sixth-ranked Cavaliers play seventh-ranked Florida State at sold-out Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee.

"It'll be a big test," Groh said, "a test we've been preparing for a long time."

Certainly, Virginia hasn't had this much to gain, or lose, since it was ranked No. 1 in the nation more than a decade ago. With a victory, the Cavaliers can take sole possession of first place in the ACC and win on the road against a top-10 team for the first time in school history. A win also would be just Virginia's second ever over Florida State.

"It will put us in first place [in the ACC] if we win; that's what it will do," Groh said. "What any of these games do for our program, we'll find out in December."

Tonight's nationally televised game is Virginia's most important since the then-No. 1 Cavaliers lost at Georgia Tech, 41-38, on Nov. 3, 1990. If anything, that game proved how narrow the window is for teams to move up to the elite level. Virginia was never able to recover from that loss under coach George Welsh, losing three of its last four games in 1990, and then contending for an ACC championship only once in Welsh's final 10 seasons. Since the end of the 1990 season, the Cavs have been ranked No. 10 or higher for only six weeks during the previous 13 seasons combined.

After Welsh retired following the 2000 season, Groh left the NFL's New York Jets to return to his alma mater, and after a 5-7 record in his first season as coach, the Cavaliers showed marked improvement in each of the past two seasons. But, clearly, Groh was building his program to this year, when the players he recruited became juniors and seniors. And the players have responded, running over their first five opponents by an average of 31 points. Virginia (5-0, 2-0) has never won in Tallahassee, where the Seminoles (4-1, 2-1) have gone 49-1 since joining the ACC in 1992. The Cavaliers have come close to winning at Doak Campbell Stadium only once, losing 31-24 in 1996; Florida State has won each of the other five games by 24 points or more, including a 40-19 victory two years ago.

But even Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden, who has a 13-1 record against Virginia, says this is a different Cavaliers team. Last week, Bowden watched on television as Virginia dismantled Clemson, 30-10, in Charlottesville. The Tigers are coached by his son, Tommy Bowden.

"They're not coming in here with a lucky 5-0 record," Bowden said. "They're coming in here with a team as good as any of them. . . . When I saw [Virginia] last week against Clemson, they looked as good as anybody I've seen. Virginia just looks doggone good. They are as good as they are saying."

It is only the 20th time during Bowden's 29 seasons at Florida State that a higher-ranked team has visited Tallahassee, and the Cavaliers are the first ACC team to accomplish that feat. Even so, Virginia is still looking for validation. The five teams the Cavaliers have beaten have a combined record of 10-19, and none of them have a winning record. Beating Florida State, which has won the ACC championship in all but one of its 12 seasons in the ACC, would prove that Virginia has finally arrived.

While Groh said his players are confident, he also knows they're attempting to win where no other Virginia team has won before.

"They can see their performance, so they ought to have confidence in themselves," Groh said. "By the same token, they are attempting to do something they haven't done before. We're playing a team in which we haven't had positive results, so we're just envisioning something that we want to have happen."

On paper, the teams are strikingly similar. For the first time since 1987 -- a span of 200 games -- the Seminoles have run for more yards than they've gained passing in four straight games. Florida State is led by tailbacks Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker, who have combined to run for 829 yards in the past four games. Virginia also relies on a tailback-by-committee, with Wali Lundy, Alvin Pearman and Michael Johnson sharing carries. Both teams have big and experienced offensive lines, and each team's linebackers are as athletic as any in the nation.

Florida State's offensive plan is out of necessity; the Seminoles are playing unproven quarterback Wyatt Sexton, who will be making his third start. Senior quarterback Chris Rix has missed the past two games because of a high ankle sprain, and was on the verge of being benched before he was hurt. Virginia quarterback Marques Hagans also is inexperienced, but he has completed 70.1 percent of his passes with only one interception in 97 attempts.

For the first time, the Seminoles may have more concerns than the Cavaliers.

"They have got speed, but they are more athletic," Bowden said. "Their linemen are athletic, and their tight ends and receivers are more athletic. You can see the job that [Groh] has done there in four years with the groups that he has recruited. They are a top-five or top-six football team, in my opinion."