Friday, September 27, 1996

'Horns now know the feeling they gave Virginia
By HANK KURZ Jr.
Associated Press

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Last season, when Virginia was victimized by The Pass at Michigan and The Comeback by Virginia Tech, it was The Kick at Texas that the Cavaliers found hardest to wipe from their minds.

The Kick was a 50-yard field goal by Phil Dawson as time ran out, the first game-winning, final-play field goal in Texas' 103-year history.

On Saturday, it will be the 13th-ranked Longhorns trying to recover from a crushing blow of the foot. Texas visits No. 19 Virginia still reeling from a buzzer-beating field goal that gave Notre Dame a 27-24 victory last week.

"We have to move on," Texas safety Chris Carter said.

"I don't think we are very popular with Virginia after the way things went last year, but that may be what we need to motivate us," Dawson said.

The Longhorns would do well to see how Virginia rebounded last season. Ten days after the loss, the Cavaliers stopped Warrick Dunn inches from the end zone on the final play and beat then-No. 2 Florida State 33-28.

Coach George Welsh, whose team also lost its 1995 opener on the last play at Michigan and its regular season finale to a 22-point, fourth-quarter comeback by Virginia Tech, said the Texas loss was the worst of them.

But, he said, he thinks the Longhorns players will bounce back.

"Young kids will forget it sooner than coaches do," he said.

The Longhorns don't expect Virginia to forget last year's game.

"I'm sure they will be thinking about that kick in getting ready for this game because they lost two games that way last year," linebacker Dwight Kirkpatrick said. "This is a big game for them because they are 3-0."

Virginia, still using a platoon of fifth-year senior Tim Sherman and sophomore Aaron Brooks at quarterback, ranks 12th in the nation with a 41.6 scoring average. But the team's fate usually rides with its defense.

The Cavaliers have 15 sacks and have limited opponents to averages of 50 yards rushing, sixth in the nation, and 10.3 points, 10th overall.

"They blitz, they stunt, they are moving all the time," Texas coach John Mackovic said. "This is a front seven that is the most active of anyone we have seen so far and will be among the most active of any we will face."

Texas will keep an eye on Tiki Barber at all times, and that would have been the case even before his comment that the Longhorns got their due last week.

"He's a real shifty back with a lot of speed," Carter said. "We are going to have to contain him and keep him boxed in and not let him get out in the open. He can make you miss and run right by you."
Barber ran 23 times for 123 yards in last season's meeting. His twin brother, cornerback Ronde Barber, also choked off a Texas drive in the first half when he intercepted James Brown's pass at the Virginia 1.

"They have a pretty good defense," Brown said. "They have a great secondary. They have some fast, physical guys. That secondary has been together for a while and they make a lot of plays."
Virginia brings an NCAA-record streak of 32 games with at least one interception into the game.