On paper, the Cavaliers stand little chance against No. 1 Florida State tomorrow night at Scott Stadium. On paper, the stifling Seminole defense will make mincemeat of an inconsistent Virginia offense struggling to find its rhythm. On paper, the Seminoles are poised to continue their dominance in the ACC and notch win number 301 for head coach Bobby Bowden.
But that's also what they said in 1995.
Even though Virginia handed Florida State its first-ever ACC loss in a thrilling 33-28 win four years ago, the Cavaliers expect to have their hands full this weekend. Because of the nature of the opponent, Cav Coach George Welsh is not putting too much undue pressure on his players to win.
"We've got too many tough games left -- I'm not putting any special emphasis on this one," Welsh said.
The Cavaliers are coming off a bye week, refreshing players after a 47-26 victory at N.C. State Oct 16. FSU, however, beat Clemson last week in a tough, hard-fought chessmatch to propel Bowden into college football's elite class of coaches with 300 wins.
In its win over the Tigers last weekend, the Florida State defense was an iron curtain -- it single-handedly won them the game, holding Clemson to a meager 70 yards and no points in the second half.
"I think what happens with Florida State is their defense raises their level of play and takes over and shuts down the other team's offense and that allows you to get another touchdown or couple of field goals to win it," Welsh said.
But the Florida State defense still is not impeccable, despite the team's No. 1 ranking. The Seminoles have a propensity to give up the big play, a weakness that Virginia must exploit to remain competitive.
"They're looking mortal in defense -- giving up some big plays," Cav quarterback Dan Ellis said. "Everybody who's played them close had made big plays on them."
As always, Thomas Jones, Heisman trophy candidate and fourth-year running back, will be asked to shoulder most of the offensive responsibilities. After only seven games Jones eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark and he finally is gaining notoriety in the nation as a premier offensive threat.
He now ranks second in the nation in rushing with 1,109 yards and is a mere 81 yards away from Tiki Barber's school career rushing record. But against the Seminoles, who have allowed an average of 86 yards rushing per game this season, gaining those 81 yards will be an uphill battle.
Instead of letting Jones bear all of the pressure, Ellis will be called on to relieve him of some offensive responsibility.
"Thomas probably isn't going to have his usual 200-yard game, so we need to make big plays down the field," Ellis said.
Ellis and the Virginia receivers will be aided by the absence of junior Tay Cody, Florida State's starting cornerback who was given ACC Player of the Week honors for his play against the Tigers.
Following the Oct. 7 arrest of Seminole senior wide receiver Peter Warrick for felony grand theft, Cody was arrested for marijuana possession Tuesday and has been suspended indefinitely by Bowden.
Although Warrick returned to play last week after agreeing to a plea bargain, the distraction of Cody's arrest may prove to be something on which the Cavs can capitalize.
Nonetheless, Florida State will have to be beaten at both sides of the ball. Even with the Virginia defense at its most injury-free state this season, containing Heisman trophy candidate Warrick and company is a tough order to fill. Florida State features a potent passing game led by Warrick and junior quarterback Chris Weinke, who is ranked 18th in passing efficiency and has been a stabilizing force amid Florida State's recent off-field problems.
"We're not going to put up 47 points unless their defensive backs are dead and their defensive line stops playing," Ellis said. "Our defense is going to have to help us out because we're not going to score a lot of points on them."
The Cavaliers remain optimistic at the prospect of another upset. In their eyes, Florida State is not an unstoppable juggernaut, but a team that can be beat if everyone plays their best.
"They're human just like we are," fourth-year cornerback Dwayne Stukes said. "They do the same things we do -- we practice and we hit -- they hit. Of course they have playmakers, but we have playmakers too. It all comes down to technique"
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