North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Battles Virginia in Charlottesville
11/17/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
For all of its sophistication, the sport of football can actually be a fairly simple game. The great Lombardi always preached that the outcome of a given game almost always boils down to which team does the best job of blocking and tackling.
And like Lombardi, Virginia coach George Welsh and NC State's Chuck Amato are confessed advocates of an old-school philosophy of football that dates back to the days of George Halas and Bronco Nagurski.
Sure the Cavaliers and Wolfpack will employ their share of fancy pass plays and funky formations when they meet Saturday in Charlottesville, but this confrontation will likely be decided by tackling and blocking. It is as simple as that.
Welsh is aware that NC State has yielded an average of 189 rushing yards per game. He also has a running back in Antoine Womack who leads the ACC in rushing with an average of 94.1 yards per contest. Add to the mix the uncertain status of injured Cavaliers' quarterback Dan Ellis, and you can pretty much guess what Virginia's offensive game plan will be. It is as simple as that.
"It is a typical Virginia team that is big and strong up front," Amato said. "They have a plethora of strong tailbacks."
Then, Amato spelled it out: "W-O-M-A-C-K."
Chances are, the NC State defense will be force-fed a steady diet of W-O-M-A-C-K on Saturday. It will be a strategy Welsh coached teams have repeatedly employed against the Pack over the years. In fact, Virginia has had at least one 100-yard rusher in seven of the last eight games against NC State, including Thomas Jones' 221 yard explosion in UVa's 47-26 win at Carter-Finley last year.
The expected physical nature of this contest will only be amplified by the enticing rewards hanging in the balance for both clubs. Already bowl eligible at 6-3, NC State can almost guarantee itself a post-season berth by winning. Meanwhile, Virginia will be facing near bowl extinction if it loses. Also at stake is Virginia's remarkable streak of winning seven or more games in 13 consecutive seasons. And even if they do succeed this week, the Cavaliers would need an upset victory at Virginia Tech to keep their cherished streak alive.
For a program that's been a model of consistency over the last 15 years, Virginia has been on a constant elevator ride this season. At no point have the Cavaliers won more than two games in a row. And in their last outing on November 9, the Wahoos were walloped at Georgia Tech, 35-0.
"We shouldn't have regressed this much," Welsh said. "We have to get it back. Maybe some of it is mental with everybody trying to make big plays instead of playing our game. There is no question our backs are to the wall just like we were some other years here. We have to win the last couple to have a good season."
The inconsistency is partly attributable to a hamstring injury suffered by Ellis about a month ago. Ellis' attempts to play through the pain have been noble, but without him at full strength, Virginia's offense has struggled.
Since Ellis first pulled his hamstring in the first half against Maryland on October 7, the UVa offense has failed to gain more than 290 yards in a game. In 10 possessions at Georgia Tech, the Virginia offense produced six punts and three turnovers.
Still, this figures to be a very difficult test for the Wolfpack.
"Any team that's looking to become bowl eligible is going to play their 'A' game," said NC State fullback Derek Roberts. "The only thing we can be concerned about is ourselves. We're on the road. Virginia has always been a hostile place to play. Their players will be excited about playing at home. Their seniors will be up. We need to take care of business and pick up the 'W.'"
A total of 13 Virginia seniors will be playing their final home game at Scott Stadium, and some have even speculated that this could be Welsh's last game in Charlottesville as well.
Virginia has won the last two meetings, and four of the last six, but still trails in the overall series count, 30-18-1. NC State's last win in Charlottesville came in 1994.
Tale of the Tape
NC State Virginia
Record 6-3 5-4
Points Per Game 32.4 20.3
Points Allowed 30.0 21.8
Total Offense 408.1 360.3
Rushing Offense 95.6 155.4
Rushing Defense 189.6 181.4
Passing Offense 312.6 204.9
Passing Defense 195.0 238.2
Turnover Margin +3 +1
***The NC State-Virginia game will not be televised. Airtime on the Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network is 2:00 p.m. The radio coverage in Asheville will change for the last two weeks of the season. Instead of airing on regular affiliates WQNQ-FM/WQNS-FM, the Virginia and Wake Forest games will move to WTZY-AM News/ Talk 880.
Wolfpack fans attending the game in Charlottesville can hear the broadcast on 87.7 FM.
