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Oct. 18, 2003
Recap?|?Box Score?|?Notes | Video Highlights and Postgame Comments
Virginia Coach Al Groh
That’s one of the best teams we’ve played since we’ve been here. It shows howfar we’ve come.
I didn’t like being behind. There are certain things Florida State hashistorically done to teams to break the game open early. We tried to set the game upto avoid that from happening.
(On Thorpe’s TD) The coverage is designed to take that play away. It was anunfortunate start.
(On UVa’s punting, which averaged 28.5 yards/kick) Obviously, that is notworking the way it needs to. It cost us an awful lot of field position.
(On Pearman’s 16 receptions) We ran our regular stuff. We just ran it more.
… A lot of times, the ball goes to the guy who is most open to thequarterback. If somebody else had been open, maybe he would have had eight of Alvin’sreceptions.
(On the Virginia’s last offensive play) There was a misunderstanding on thepart of the center as to what the snap count was. It was an unfortunate play.We never really had a chance to win the game after that.
The defense did what the defense is supposed to do. It is not always EasyStreet. … [But] we didn’t make any game-changing plays. We didn’t take the ballaway.
Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden
We’ve had come-from-behind wins, and we’ve had last-second wins, and we’vehad bigger wins, but I think this was one of the guttiest wins we’ve ever had.
(On Florida State’s rushing game) We felt like we probably would have tothrow more, but they were determined they were not going to give us anything longafter that first one. And I don’t know how we got that one.
(On Rix’s play) He played good enough to win. The fact that he didn’t turnthe ball over was very important.
(On why Virginia didn’t run the ball more) He was so successful with thatother stuff, there was no reason to run it. I was hoping he would run the ballmore.