On This Date: 1991 (18)Clemson- 20 Virginia- 20 T

Oct 12, 2018, 10:22 AM

October 12, 1991
Death Valley, SC

CLEMSON, S.C. — Virginia came within one knee and three fingers of winning its first football game ever at Death Valley on Saturday.

But Terry Kirby's fumble with 2:24 remaining and Michael Husted's missed 34-yard field-goal attempt with one second left allowed 18th-ranked Clemson to escape with a 20-20 tie.

`We really lost,'' Virginia quarterback Matt Blundin said. ``I know their guys are feeling a lot better than we are.''

Indeed, the Tigers, who scored 10 points in the final 3:22, celebrated wildly after linebacker Wayne Simmons tipped Husted's kick with three fingers to preserve the tie in the Cavaliers' 17th visit to Clemson. Virginia, whose only victory ever against the Tigers was last season in Charlottesville, is 1-29-1 all-time against Clemson.

``I could have made it, I should have made it,'' said Husted, who had made all seven of his previous kicks inside 40 yards this season. ``Their surge came right up the middle, and that's where I hit it. I couldn't tell if I hit it too low.''

Husted's 47-yarder with 7:30 remaining gave Virginia (3-2-1, 1-2-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference) a 20-10 lead, and after Clemson (3-1-1, 1-0-1) drew within 20-17 on Rudy Harris' 1-yard run with 3:22 left, the Cavaliers had a chance to run out the clock.

With Clemson down to one timeout, Kirby ran 4 yards on third-and-2. But just as his second knee was about to hit the grass, Clemson safety Robert O'Neal jarred the ball loose. Kenzil Jackson recovered for the Tigers at the Virginia 49, and eight plays later, Nelson Welch's 40-yard field goal tied the game at 20 with 46 seconds remaining.

Welch, a redshirt freshman, had missed earlier kicks of 27, 33 and 34 yards.

``That's the first time it's ever happened to me,'' Kirby said of fumbling with the game on the line. ``I don't know what happened. I thought I was in the open, and then I got hit. A first down right there is the key to the game. I got it, and then I fumbled. ... It hurts. I take it personally.''

But even after Welch's tying field goal, Virginia had a chance to win. Starting from the U.Va. 22, Blundin passed 12 yards to Larry Holmes. Clemson was penalized 15 yards on the play for having 12 men on the field, giving the Cavaliers first down at their 49.

Blundin then threw 10 yards to Kirby and 22 yards to Brian Satola, who made a fabulous leaping catch at the Clemson 19 with 15 seconds remaining. Blundin's 2-yard sneak on the next play placed the ball in the middle of the field for Husted.

``I told the team they shouldn't be down,'' Welsh said. ``We have a good chance for a good year, I think.''

Welsh was most disappointed in a defense that gave up 511 yards, including 315 rushing, but was spared by Welch's missed field goals. Clemson tailback Ronald Williams ran for 185 yards, fullback Harris 102.

Virginia's offense, meanwhile, gained 354 yards and was almost perfect until Kirby's fumble. Blundin passed for 241 yards and two touchdowns and was not sacked. The Cavaliers were not penalized in the game, and they had no other turnovers.

Blundin was especially effective rolling out from the shotgun formation, which eased the pressure on Virginia's injury-riddled offensive line and bought Blundin more time to throw against the nation's top-ranked defense, which was allowing 207.5 yards per game.

``We really needed to do that so they couldn't just tee up and blitz,'' Blundin said.

Blundin threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Mundy on Virginia's first series, and his 10-yard toss to Mundy set up a Husted 32-yard field goal that gave the Cavaliers a 10-0 lead.

Virginia had a chance to extend the lead, but safety Keith Lyle tried to scoop up quarterback DeChane Cameron's errant pitchout at the Clemson 19-yard-line instead of falling on it. Rodney Blount recovered for the Tigers, and three plays later, Williams ran 56 yards for a touchdown.

``I was thinking end zone,'' Lyle said. ``Then I realized I couldn't advance it.''

College football rules prohibit advancing a fumble that is loose behind the line of scrimmage.

But Virginia countered with Blundin's 32-yard touchdown strike to Larry Holmes, which gave the Cavaliers a 17-7 halftime lead.

``We've got a lot to play for,'' Welsh said. ``We have three straight games at home. But we've got to start getting better.''

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On This Date: 1991 (18)Clemson- 20 Virginia- 20 T

I member that one. we outgained them by 200 yds, missed 3 fg

Those were the Ken Hatfield years..

Early signs the program was about to be in decline

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