CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- As anniversaries go, this surely is
one of the favorites in Virginia football history.
It was 10 years ago, a Thursday night, with all eyes on Scott
Stadium as George Welsh's Cavaliers beat No. 2 Florida State 33-28.
It was the first Atlantic Coast Conference loss for the Seminoles,
who won their first 29 games after joining the league in 1992.
Virginia coach Al Groh, then an assistant with the NFL's New
England Patriots, got to watch son Mike quarterback the Cavaliers
to victory. Matching that memory won't be easy Saturday night.
The fourth-ranked Seminoles (5-0, 3-0 ACC) are back at Scott
Stadium for another nationally televised game. Groh's Cavaliers
(3-2, 1-2) are badly in need of another stunning upset to get their
season back on track.
"What we really need from an overall personnel standpoint is we
need our veteran players to play better and we need our younger
players to step up," Groh said.
The Cavaliers are coming off back-to-back losses -- 45-33 at
Maryland and 28-17 at Boston College -- in which the defense allowed
an average of well over 500 yards per game, making the arrival of
the explosive Seminoles a scary proposition.
"They're kind of back to that old Florida State NASCAR offense
-- Gentlemen, start your engines," Groh said.
Florida State is getting improved play from quarterback Drew
Weatherford, who throws to a deep corps of fast wide receivers.
Florida State has been particularly tough on Virginia.
Last season, Virginia was 5-0 when it went to Tallahassee hoping
to take over first place in the league. The Seminoles brushed them
aside, winning 36-3.
The Cavaliers had two other chances to play their way back into
the race last year, but lost at home to No. 18 Miami and on the
road against No. 11 Virginia Tech.
Losing in big games is a habit they'd very much like to break.
"I think it's time for us to beat a good team, to beat a
nationally ranked team," wide receiver Fontel Mines said. "This
is as big a game as any for us because it's a conference game and
they're on our side and we haven't beaten them in 10 years."
Being at home again, especially after losing two in a row on the
road, should help the Cavaliers as much as the presence of many
players from the 1995 team. They will be honored at halftime. Two
of them, Mike Groh and Anthony Poindexter, are Virginia assistants.
But it won't help that Virginia could send a makeshift offensive
line onto the field. Tackle Brad Butler will serve a one-game
suspension for a cheap shot he took at Boston College's Mathias
Kiwanuka last week, and the status of All-ACC tackle D'Brickashaw
Ferguson was to be determined Saturday. He sat out the game against
the Eagles.
The Seminoles could be without several defenders. End Darrell
Burston won't play because of a shoulder injury, and lineman
Anthony Kelly, cornerback Trevor Ford and linebacker Ernie Sims
also are banged up.
Despite the praise heaped on Weatherford by Groh, this week's
game will be only his second start on the road. Coach Bobby Bowden
said his young team still has much to prove, especially away from
the comfort of 80,000 fans in Doak Campbell Stadium.
"It's one of those things you have to do sooner or later, and
we can't wait any later," Bowden said. "So I think we're about as
well prepared as we've been.
"We know it's going to be difficult. We know we're going to
have to play better on the road because home-field advantage means
something."