The first 29 times Virginia played Clemson, the Tigers emerged victorious. In fact, the Cavaliers fell by a double-digit margin 21 of those times.
The times, however, have changed. After the Cavs first knocked off then-ninth-ranked Clemson in 1990, the series has been dead even, though Virginia has won two of the three games in the Groh era.
All three have been outstanding games, decided by a combined total of 10 points. In 2001, the Cavaliers, after squeaking a one-point victory over Richmond, went into Death Valley and somehow upset the 19th-ranked Tigers. To this date, it remains Groh's sole road win over a top-25 program.
In that game, Billy McMullen hauled in a one-yard touchdown pass with one second remaining to lead the Cavs past Clemson, 26-24, despite Tiger cries that McMullen pushed off.
McMullen again led his Cavaliers past the Tigers in 2002, scoring on an end-around on fourth-and-goal early in the fourth quarter, giving Virginia a lead it never relinquished. The Tigers made it close, however, scoring with 91 seconds left to close the gap to 22-17, but an onside kick attempt failed.
Last year, it was Clemson that played the spoiler role when they hosted the then 25th-ranked Cavaliers.
Clemson's Kevin Youngblood, in an episode of déjà vu, pushed off to free himself in the endzone in overtime to give the Tigers a 30-27 victory. This came after Virginia rallied from a 13-0 halftime deficit to force overtime.
"Virginia got us two years ago just like this," Clemson quarterback Charlie Whitehurst said to reporters at the time. "It just happened to them this time. We were on the other side and felt the joy of winning."
Which brings us to this season, when Clemson has not felt much of that joy.
When Virginia released its 2004 schedule, I immediately circled today. Clemson was a program on the rise, as were the Cavaliers, so this figured to be a matchup between two top-25 teams.
Clemson, led by preseason Heisman hopeful Whitehurst, figured to be relying on an explosive aerial attack, despite inexperienced receivers, and many experts, in addition to myself, saw them coming into Charlottesville at 3-1, falling only to Florida State.
In summer practice, however, the Tigers lost starting tailback Duane Coleman to a broken foot, compounding the pressure on Whitehurst. Left with just one veteran receiver and no consistent ground game behind a green offensive line, the junior has struggled, tossing an astounding 10 interceptions, committing four fumbles and completing just 49 percent of his passes in four games.
Without Coleman, the Tigers ran the ball only 11 times against Florida State on Sept. 25, allowing defensive linemen to key on the pass rush.
Coleman, however, is back and will start tonight, which means the Tigers will run more and ease the pressure off of Whitehurst. Plus, great quarterbacks don't struggle forever, making tonight scary given the struggles of Virginia's secondary and the loss of defensive end Chris Canty.
Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have been nothing short of dominant this season. The Cavs have vaulted into the national spotlight, with pundits mentioning the idea that they could win the ACC, and Vegas making them 2.5-point favorites against fourth-ranked Miami on Nov. 13.
Despite the Tigers' record, there is no doubt that Clemson will be the Cavs' toughest test yet. The Tigers may be down, but they should not be 16.5-point underdogs, especially given the series' recent history. In 2001 and 2003, the ranked home team fell victim to an upset by the unranked visitor.
The next nine days will bring two of the biggest games of the Groh era. Since fall break does not allow me a column next week, I need to squeeze in my take on eighth-ranked Florida State.
The possibility exists that for the first time in school history, a top-10 Virginia team will square off against another top-10 squad.
Florida State's offense is not the explosive force it was in the 1990s under genius offensive coordinator Mark Richt, who left prior to 2001 to take the Georgia head coaching job. Since then, Richt has a better record at Georgia than Bobby Bowden's Seminoles.
Florida State quarterback Chris Rix is out again this week nursing an ankle injury, but those in Wahoo Nation should hope for a speedy recovery for the turnover-prone quarterback.
Yet the 'Noles are stocked with weapons all over the field. Their team speed is astounding. Coaches have been known to prepare their offenses for Florida State's defensive athleticism by putting 13 defenders on the practice field that week. And the game is at night, at a hostile stadium in which Virginia has never won.
Still, this Cavaliers squad has been designed to win on the road, something Groh has yet to prove against quality teams. The power running game can control the clock, and the defense can force big turnovers.
It certainly is an exciting time to be a Cavalier fan, and, looking ahead, the Florida State matchup will be an epic battle. Clear your calendar next Saturday night. You won't regret it.
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