The Cavalier daily :: Tuesday, October 19, 1971 :: University of Virginia Library

The Cavaliers lost both another
ballgame and another one of their
excuses for a 1-5 record when
Virginia fell to a second half
Clemson rally and dropped a 32-15
decision to the Tigers Saturday
afternoon in Richmond's Tobacco
Bowl.

Fragile Wahoo quarterback Larry
Albert, who played so well against
Vanderbilt but missed most of the
South Carolina game, saw almost
three full periods of action against
Clemson before being reinjured. He
was not able to direct a single
sustained drive and was generally
ineffective. Down 7-3 at halftime,
the Tigers were able to parlay a
porous Cavalier pass defense and a
few turnovers to insure victory.

The breakdown of the Wahoo
secondary was almost as complete
as it was tragic. A good part of
Clemson's second half offense
consisted of Tiger QB Tommy
Kendrick throwing long passes up
for grabs and the Clemson receivers,
in Cavalier Coach Don Lawrence's
words, "outhorsing" their Virginia
defenders for the ball.

A sizzling 71-yard run by Kent
Merritt had supplied the 'Hoos with
their small lead but in the third
quarter the roof fell in. On a third
down play during Clemson's first
series, Kendrick looped a 57-yard
skyscraper to end Don Kelley,
ostensibly covered by Bob McGrail,
on the Cavalier 20. Six plays later
Wade Hughes scored from the one
and Virginia lost its only lead.

Less than two minutes later
Kendrick ballooned another long
one to Kelley who again victimized
McGrail, somewhat less of a factor
this time, for a 75-yard scoring
play. Clemson kicker Eddie Siegler,
after missing his first point after,
connected on this one to make it
23-7 Clemson with 10:04
remaining.

With 8:30 to go the Cavs got the
ball back and started to move.
Albert turned his own right end for
a fifteen yard gain before he ran
out of bounds and was
subsequently smacked into the
Wahoo bench by a headhunting
Tiger. Clemson lost fifteen yards
but the Cavs lost any semblance of
an effective Albert.

After Harrison Davis came on
and racked up another first down
Albert reentered the game to a
chorus of cheers, saw a short run
wiped out by a clipping call, and
was decommissioned for the
afternoon following his being
leveled by Clemson lineman shortly
after he released a pass, one that
was picked off by Clemson's Ben
Anderson on the Tiger 25.

One play later Kendrick hi John
McMakin with a 40-yard aerial
made somewhat easier when Wahoo
safety Steve Sroba fell down
attempting coverage. From the
Cavs' 30 the Tigers used seven plays
to score, fullback Heide Davis doing
the honors with a 7-yard run. The
kick by Siegler made it 23-7.

Recovering a fumble on his own
35, Kent Merritt started and ended
his team's only touchdown drive.
Harrison Davis passes to end Bill
Davis and the final 15-yard toss to
Merritt marked the four play
march. Davis ran successfully for a
two-point conversion pulling the
Wahoos within striking distance at
23-15.

The rest was all denouement.
Clemson was stifled on their next
possession but got the ball back
when Davis was intercepted by
Marion Reeves on the Cavalier 35.
A 40-yard field goal by Siegler
followed and the 'Hoos were all but
out of business. A questionable pass
interference call on Virginia's Bill
Kettunen led to the final Tiger
score, that coming on a 5-yard run
by Rick Gilstrap.

A bright spot in the gloom that
literally and figuratively enveloped
Richmond's misty City Stadium
was the play of Merritt, the fastest
man on the field. His 71-yard run
was quite impressive, starting out
over tackle and ending when he
ignited the afterburners and left the
entire Tiger squad strung out
behind him.

Photo by Jay Adams

Don Lawrence Ponders Strategy During Recent Game

Clemson's Tigers Sent Wahoos To Fifth Defeat Saturday