On This Date: 1989 (15)Clemson- 34 Virginia- 20

Oct 7, 2022, 9:52 AM

10/07/1989
Death Valley, SC

CAVALIERS FAIL AGAIN AT CLEMSON

By Mark Maske
Washington Post

CLEMSON, S.C.- Just when the Virginia Cavaliers had begun to believe they had played out every losing ###### in 34 years of futility against Clemson, they wrote a new one. Clemson's 34-20 victory over Virginia before 82,000 in Death Valley today was fashioned not in the 15th-ranked Tigers' traditional ground-oriented manner.

Instead it came primarily on the arm of quarterback Chris Morocco, a senior who produced his first two career touchdown passes and Clemson's 12th 200-yard passing game of the decade. And a Virginia squad that had to play without quarterback Shawn Moore, tailback Marcus Wilson and a pair of defensive starters couldn't keep pace. Sophomore Matt Blundin saw the first appreciable playing time of his career in place of Moore and fared respectably -- completing 14 of 34 passes for 248 yards and two touchdowns -- but threw two interceptions and was of no help to a Cavaliers rushing attack that could muster but 54 yards.

Virginia thus left with its four-game winning streak snapped and its six-game Atlantic Coast Conference victory string ended. What remained intact was the nation's longest active winning streak of one Division I-A school over another -- the Tigers are 29-0 against the Cavaliers.

"This was Clemson, after all," Virginia cornerback Tony Covington said. "Whatever can go wrong for us will go wrong." Most of what went wrong, however, did so in last week's Cavaliers win over William and Mary. Moore bruised his right shoulder and Coach George Welsh went with Blundin, who entered today's game with three career passing attempts. "You spend your time hoping you get a chance to play, but you don't really want to have to go out against Clemson in Death Valley on national TV and have to produce right away," Blundin said. Blundin was picked off twice in the first half, leading to 10 Clemson points and a 17-7 Tigers lead. But he got the Cavaliers back into contention with a 75-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Herman Moore early in the third quarter, though the Tigers took control with an eight-minute scoring drive immediately thereafter.

"Blundin did fine," Welsh said. "He got us 20 points . . . I'm not overly disappointed. We had a lot of people hurting and we hung in there with a chance to win until late in the game." The afternoon began ominously for the Cavaliers (4-2, 2-1 in the ACC), with Blundin's first passing attempt proving disastrous. Trying to throw into double coverage, he had the ball deflected at the line of scrimmage by defensive tackle Otis Moore and intercepted by cornerback Jerome Henderson at the Cavaliers 30-yard line. But Clemson's drive stalled and the Tigers had to settle for Chris Gardocki's 21-yard field goal 3:22 into the game. Gardocki missed a 35-yard attempt off the left upright on Clemson's next possession, and the Cavaliers used some good fortune to march 80 yards to a 7-3 advantage.

With a first down at the Clemson 22, Virginia tried its most reliable scoring play from such distances -- an alley-oop to Herman Moore -- and ended up with a touchdown to tight end Bruce McGonnigal. Blundin sent the high lob toward Moore, who was double-teamed by the 5-foot-9 Dexter Davis and the 6-foot Robert O'Neal at the front of the end zone. The ball was thrown too short and all three seemed to touch it and bat it backwards; McGonnigal grabbed the rebound and fell across the goal line. "I'm not going to outjump anyone, so you have to learn to live off what you can get," McGonnigal said. Virginia's lead lasted just 43 seconds, though. A squib kick gave Clemson the ball back at its 39, and the Tigers (4-2, 2-1) scored two plays later when backup tailback Joe Henderson weaved through and around four Cavaliers tacklers on his way to a 45-yard touchdown and a 10-7 Tigers lead as time expired in the first quarter. Tailback Terry Allen fumbled to end Clemson's next march at the Virginia 21 -- the first regular season giveaway by a Tigers tailback in 320 carries.

The play proved doubly costly because Allen also strained his left knee and spent the second half on crutches. Blundin threw his second interception when O'Neal dove to grab a deflected pass at the Virginia 37, and the Tigers took advantage to widen the margin to 17-7 on Morocco's 13-yard pass to Cooper. Jake McInerny's 36-yard field goal got Virginia to within 17-10 at halftime, and the Cavaliers wasted no time forging a tie after the intermission. After Virginia forced the Tigers' first punt, Blundin used a pair of fakes in the backfield to help get Moore 15 yards beyond the nearest defender en route to a 75-yard scoring play. From there, the Tigers took command.

Clemson held the ball for 18 plays and eight minutes to go 80 yards to Morocco's nine-yard touchdown run and a 24-17 lead. "That drive was the key," Morocco said. "They were coming back on us and we needed to take control of the game again." McInerny's 39-yard field goal cut the Cavaliers' deficit to 24-20 as the third quarter ended. But a 43-yard, Morocco-to-Cooper touchdown made it 31-20 with 9:25 remaining and Gardocki's 23-yarder provided the final margin at the 2:50 mark.

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On This Date: 1989 (15)Clemson- 34 Virginia- 20

Re: On This Date: 1989 (15)Clemson- 34 Virginia- 20

Hank you for posting these. I always read them.***

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