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Football Runs Out Of Gas Against FSU
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Oct. 30, 1999
By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Another slow start for top-ranked Florida State,another come-from-behind victory. And this time, it was the same guy who madethe early going hopeful for Virginia who wound up spoiling the Cavaliers’aspirations.
Chris Weinke shook off three first-half interceptions with three touchdownpasses, including the go-ahead throw to Marvin Minnis in the third quarterSaturday night, as the Seminoles rallied for an easy 35-10 victory at Virginia.
“We stopped ourselves. They didn’t stop us,” Weinke said.
“Without the three interceptions early on, we would have put a lot morepressure on them,” he said. “We gave them confidence in the first half.Without me giving them the ball three extra times, we dominate the wholefootball game.”
As it was, once Florida State and Weinke got going, they were fine.
Weinke finished 24-of-35 for 297 yards with three touchdowns, including a4-yarder to Minnis for the Seminoles’ first first-half touchdown in threegames.
Still, coach Bobby Bowden said he’s concerned about the slow starts.
“It scares me, but as long as they end up like they ended up, I cansurvive, I guess,” Bowden said after career victory No. 301. “It’s funny. Youlook at the score and you say, `Yeah, boy, they’re number one.’ But gosh, youlook at the first half and you say `Gee, I don’t know whether they are numberone or not.”‘
Weinke’s go-ahead pass to Minnis with 3:16 left in the quarter was thesecond scoring hookup for the pair and gave the Seminoles (9-0, 7-0 ACC) a14-10 lead. They padded that 2:46 later when Travis Minor scored on a 6-yardburst.
Two fourth-quarter touchdowns capped the scoring for the Seminoles. One wasa 50-yard pass to Peter Warrick that was highlight film material.
Warrick, held in check to that point, took the short pass in the right flatand outran and outdanced several defenders, finally breaking free with a cut tothe left side that left all of them in position to watch him score.
Warrick finished with six catches for 81 yards. Ron Dugans had six for 84.
Virginia (4-4, 3-3), which led 10-7 at halftime, lost quarterback Dan Elliswhen he was hit hard on consecutive plays at the end of the first half. CoachGeorge Welsh said his junior starter sustained a concussion and was dazed.
“In the first half, I think we wanted the game more than them,” saidVirginia tailback Thomas Jones, who rushed for 164 yards on 26 carries with atouchdown. “In the second half, they made some big plays and we didn’t makeenough.”
Ellis was 7-of-14 for 44 yards in the half, and junior David Riversstruggled mightily in the first extensive playing time of his career. Riverswas 4-of-11 for 32 yards and threw a costly interception to Corey Simons at theVirginia 27, setting up the Seminoles’ third touchdown.
“I don’t know whether it made a difference or not,” Welsh said of thechange at quarterback. “I don’t think we did a good job of blocking themanyway.”
Jones’ night included a 71-yard run – the longest against Florida State thisseason – and ended with him atop Virginia’s career rushing list.
The run moved Jones past Tiki Barber, who finished with 3,389 yards in 1996.Jones has 3,473.
Jones had 113 yards on 14 carries by halftime, making him the first back todo that against the Seminoles in 24 games, and added 51 yards in the secondhalf.
“I definitely would have rather gotten the record on a good note,” hesaid.
Virginia failed to capitalize on interceptions by Byron Thweatt and JertonEvans in the first half, and stayed in the game until the fourth quarterlargely because of a fumble by backup quarterback Marcus Outzen that preventedanother touchdown.
Trailing 10-7, the Seminoles were facing second-and-goal at the 2 whenOutzen replaced Weinke and tried to sneak the ball in. But Outzen was hit onthe play and coughed up the ball, Ljubomir Stamenich recovering for theCavaliers.
Virginia’s halftime lead came on a 26-yard field goal by Todd Braverman with2:21 left. Jones set it up with his 71-yard run down the left sideline. Hejuked around Clevan Thomas to break free and was run down at the 13 by DerrickGibson.
Jones also scored the game’s first points on a 16-yard run with 12:04 leftin the second quarter. The touchdown was set up by Dwayne Stukes’ interceptionof Weinke’s pass intended for Anquan Boldin at the 20 and 9-yard return.
Florida State tied it 6:42 later on Weinke’s 4-yard pass to Minnis. Thethird-down pass capped a 14-play, 91-yard drive that had three third-downconversions, including passes of 8 and 9 yards to Dugans that moved the chains.