University of Virginia Library

Cavs Win, 15-12

H. Davis Sparks Wake Demise

By DOUG DOUGHTY

CD/John Markon

Defensive Back Steve Sroba Sparkles On Interception Return

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -
For Virginia it was the case of
the long-lost son coming home,
and the father couldn't have
been happier.

Harrison Davis, not having
taken a snap from center in six
games, came off the bench to
replace the injured Scott
Gardner in the second quarter
and led the Cavaliers over
lowly Wake Forest, 15-12, at
Winston-Salem Saturday.

Although Gardner had
injured his thumb and was
suffering from a slight
hamstring injury, the
insertion of Davis was no
odious task for Wahoo mentor
Don Lawrence.

Gardner in one quarter of
play passed poorly and had
two of his tosses intercepted. If
not for is profitable
scrambling(50 yards gained in
seven carries), the 6-3,
185-pounder might have made a
quicker departure.

When Davis entered, Wake
was leading 3-0, by virtue of a
Chuck Ramsey field goal on
the second possession of the
game. Ramsey kicked another
field goal in the second quarter
which, sandwiched around a
Cavalier touchdown. drive,
made the halftime tally 7-6,
Virginia.

Charity was the main
ingredient of the first half. The
Cavaliers fumbled four times
which, added to Gardner's two
interceptions, made six
turnovers for the half.

Less hospitable, the Demon
Deacons only fumbled once
and had a pass intercepted, but
quarterback Kit Basler's bobble
at his own 29 midway through
the second quarter was turned
into a Wahoo TD after Kevin
Michaels' recovery.

Davis moved the 30 yards in
four plays, with the clincher
coming on a nine-yard
across-the-field pass to Mike
Lacika. After a wobbly snap
from center, Billy Maxwell
lamely punched the ball over
the goal post for his 23rd
straight conversion of the year.

Wake was just as miserable
in the second half as it had
been in the first 30 minutes.

But that miserable outfit
was good enough to take a
12-7 lead after three quarters.

Basler, who completed no
passes and had two intercepted
for the game, let power backs
Frank Harsh and Ken Garrett
march the ball down the field
and then, on a third-and-eight
situation from the Cavalier 23,
he dashed to the goal line off a
broken play to put Wake in the
lead.

Things weren't looking good
for the Wahoos but Davis
proved the man for the
occasion. The next series after
the touchdown, the 'Hoos
moved the length of the field,
with opportune passes to
Chuck Belic characterizing a
12-play, 71-yard march to
paydirt. On a
fourth-and-seven from the
Wake 19, Davis spotted Belic in
touchdown territory and the
Pennsylvanian made a nifty
catch of a high pass for the
score.

"Belic caught one heck of a
pass. It was off a bootleg, and
we went outside with it instead
of inside like we did against
Virginia Tech earlier in the
year", was coach Lawrence's
description of the play, Unlike
the majority of the plays,
which Davis called himself,
Lawrence had this play
brought in from the bench.

Wake was to threaten once
more, but with only four
minutes left, the Deacs had a
drive stalled at the Cavalier 40
and a fourth-down desperation
heave to split end Richard
Carter was broken up by Tom
McGraw, who played nose
guard in the new formation
designed to slow the Wake veer
offense.

Star of the game had to be
Harsh. On a team that had
little else, Harsh bulled to 168
yards in 23 carries. His coach,
the "lame duck" Tom Harper,
likened Harsh (a freshman) to
Don McCauley, the all-time
leading ACC rusher.

Leading the Cavaliers to 285
yards rushing, their highest
total of the year, was John
"the dropper" Rainey, who
tenaciously hung on to the ball
for 87 yards on 21 carries.