No.17 Virginia Tech (7-2) at Virginia (4-6)          3:30 pm EST
----------------------------------------------------------------
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (Ticker) -- Al Groh is no stranger to
facing Virginia Tech. 

Groh has endured a difficult first season as coach at Virginia,
but a victory over Virginia Tech and a return of the
Commonwealth Cup to Charlottesville would ease some of the
disappointment. 

The Cavaliers (4-6) ended a five-game losing streak with a
thrilling 39-38 win over Georgia Tech last week. Billy McMullen
scored on a hook-and-lateral play with 22 seconds left to halt
the school's longest slide in 19 years. 

Groh will face the Hokies for the first time in close to two
decades. He was a member of the Cavaliers' squad that posted
Virginia's only win over Virginia Tech between 1957 and 1970. As
coach of Wake Forest, he posted wins over Virginia Tech in 1982
and 1983. 

Virginia Tech leads the all-time series, 41-36-5 in a series
that began in 1895. The Hokies broke open a close game with a
42-21 win last season and try to win three straight in the
series for the first time since a four-game run from 1980-83. 

Virginia Tech (7-2) has a better record than the Cavaliers, but
their season also has fallen short of expectations. Hopes of a
national title ended with back-to-back losses to Syracuse and
Pittsburgh. 

The Hokies rebounded last week with their fourth shutout of the
season, 35-0, over Temple. It is the most for Virginia Tech
since it blanked five opponents in 1935. 

Freshman Kevin Jones, one of the most highly recruited players
in all of college football last winter, rushed for 155 yards
last week against Temple. Jones has 616 yards in 114 carries, an
average of 5.4 yards per carry. 

Virginia counters with tailback Antoine Womack, who will play in
his third game since returning from an ankle injury. 

Womack had 13 carries for 56 yards last week. 

st 11-17-01 06:57 et