Richmond Times-Dispatch from Richmond, Virginia • C1

109267DCYD1C 2star CMY college footba 1 09267DCYD1 ZALLCALL 092504 DIVISION I-AA C2 NATION C6 TOP 25 C7 SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2004 SEcnoNC PORTS col lege oot bal I Editor Jack Beminpr (804) 649-6445 jbemingetftimesdispatch.com -f www.timeidiipitch.coin I For Cavs, a win and a loss Stadium on a glorious fall afternoon. Still, the University of Vir- tank foot Virginia improves mark to 4-0, but knee injury sidelines Canty ball team had reason to feel good about itself after whipping Syracuse 31-10 yesterday before a with the way it went" For the first time this season, Virginia found itaelf trailing. Syracuse, on its first possession, went up 3-0 on Collin Barber's 26-yard field goal. Two minutes and 23 seconds later, U.Va. took the lead for good on junior quarterback Marques Hagans' 59-yard touchdown run, an im-provisational masterpiece.

"I think if 8 good for our team to face something like that, but SEE CAVALIER PAGE C5 VIRGINIA 31 SYRACUSE 10 inside: QB Marques Hagans delivers an eyecatching performance. Bat Ufpn'f HtaM. PaC5 (4-0) had expected the Orange to provide their toughest test of the young season, and they were right A goal-line stand early in the fourth quarter kept Syracuse (2-2) from making it a seven-point game, and Virginia responded with a touchdown on its next drive to seal the victory. 1 wouldn't say we passed it with an U.Va. coach Al Groh said.

"I don't know if we're going to the dean's list today. But 31-10, having to deal with some difficult situations, Fm pleased BY JEFF WHITE Times-Dispatch Staff Wms CHARLOTTESVILLE The sight of senior defensive end Chris Canty heading to the locker room on crutches, his left leg in an air cast, sobered his teammates and the fans at Scott BRUM PAHmUHB-DBPAICH crowd of 59,699. The 12th-ranked Cavaliers Brown Virginia's Dennis Haley (45) helps stop Syracuse's Quinton after Brown caught a short pass at Scott Stadium. N.C. STATE 17, VIRGINIA TECH 16 Wide-right Mutes at Tech COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME DAY STATE William and Mary 42 VMI 6 6 West Virginia 45 James Madison 10 Youngstown State 27 Liberty 17 Hampton 49 Morgan State 37 Bethune-Cookman 43 Norfolk State 3 Virginia State 19 Livingstone 13 Virginia Union 20 St Augustine4 Randolph-Macon 16 Catholic 13 Hampden-Sydney 62 Guilford 21 16 Coverage, rages C2-3 TBI A880CMXBD PUSS Sammy Maldonado rushed for 99 yards in Maryland's rout.

MASK aOKMUSmin-DBPAICH The N.C. State bench erupts as Virginia Tech kicker Brandon Pace (46) is comforted by Lance Goff (1 3) after missing a 43-yard field goal attempt as time expired in the Wolfpack's 17-16 win at Lane Stadium. The Hokies John Kinzer is in the foreground. Randall tries to fight Tech trend N.C. State wins when Pace misses from 43 yards as time expires BY MIKE HARRIS yards, but, as most Hokie die-hards know, Tech hasnt made a big kick since Shayne Graham left town.

This one was about 18 inches titT iti on the wrong side of the fj right-hand post 1 ij? ft "ft was one of those SYR 1 4 ill 17-16 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 65,115. Florida State has a history of potential winning kicks sailing wide right Tech hadnt been in a spot where a late kick mattered in a long time. Though quarterback Bryan Randall was sacked 10 times, the Hokies managed to produce a late drive to get in winning position. But Pace, who made three field goals, didnt get this one through the uprights. Tm calling Coach Bobby Bowden and telling him what it feels like to win wide right," said N.C.

State coach Chuck Amato, a longtime assistant at FSU before taking the Wohpack job. Pace was unavailable for com- SEE HOKIES PAGE C4 BLACKS BURG Four games into his senior season, Bryan Randall has to be wondering if hell ever earn his John Ehvay merit badge. A quarterback earns an Elway for leading his team from behind to victory in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Randall made his 29th career start for Virginia Tech yesterday, but he's still 0-for-Ehvay after a missed field goal on the final play of the game left Tech with a 17-16 loss against visiting North Carolina State. With 2:44 remaining and without a timeout, Randall had directed the Hokies from their 6-yard line to State's 24, where he spiked a pass to stop the clock with 3 seconds to play.

Sophomore Brandon Pace was wheeled in to attempt a game-winner from 43 games wnere you name, you fight, you struggle and you suffer," Hokies freshman Eddie Royal said. "If 8 really great if you can win those." Tech hasnt had the knack for winning them JOHN Markon point of view Tmes-Dispatch Staff Witter blacks burg Virginia Tech fans now have something in common with Florida State fans other than being in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Tech now knows the pain of wide right Hokies sophomore Brandon Pace went wide right by about a foot on a 43-yard field goal attempt as time expired yesterday to allow North Carolina State to escape Lane Stadium with a Virginia Tech senior quarterback Bryan Randall has yet to lead the Hokies to a come-from-behind victory late in the fourth quarter. in quite some time. As much as coach Frank Beamer's done with the Hokies program, fourth-quarter SEE MARKON, PAGE C4 ACC -8 Florida State 41 Ctemson 22 -23 Maryland 55 Duke 21 -24 Louisville 34 North Carolina 0 Wake Forest 17 Boston College 14 Coverage, rages C4-6 TOP 25 1 So.

California 31 at Stanford 28 -5 Texas 35 Wee 13 9 Auburn 33 The Citadel 3 -11 Tennessee 42 Louisiana Tech 17 -13LSU 51 Mississippi state 0 -14Utah 49 Air Force 35 -15 Purdue 38 Illinois 30 -16 Florida 20 Kentucky 3 -18 Michigan 30 Iowa 17 Northwestern at -19 Minnesota late -20 Wisconsin 16 Penn State 3 Oregon State at -22 Arizona State late Coverage, rage C7 COMING UP VA.TECK vs. W.Virginia Noon, ESPN Xfcr VIRGINIA: vs. Ctemson, Oct 7 Em 7:30 p.m., ESPN RICHMOND: vs. Maine, Oct 9 K' 3 pjti. Robinson suffers concussion UR's loss a true close call madison, Wu.

Penn State quarterback Michael Robinson, a former Varina High School star, was taken off the field in an ambulance in the first quarter of the Nittany Lions' 16-3 loss to No. 20 Wisconsin yesterday after suffering a concussion on a sack by Erasmus James. On first and 10 from his 18, Robinson spun around just in time to take a hit on the chin from the charging James, who had beaten right guard Tyler Reed around the edge. The Lions' Jason Jefferson hit Robinson a split-second later, and the ball was jarred loose. The crowd at Camp Randall fell silent as medical personnel attended to Robinson for several minutes.

He left the field strapped to a body board and was taken to University of Wisconsin Hospital Ginks, where doctors reported he was moving all his fingers and toes. Robinson, a junior and multidimensional athlete, had caught a pass from Zack Mills on the Nittany Lions' first play. Mills threw an interception on the next snap, sprained his right shoulder on the play and was replaced by Robinson, who completed 1 of 3 passes for 6 yards and was sacked twice. Third-string quarterback Chris Ganter came in when Robinson was hurt The Associated Press Top 25 roundup, Page C7 Lafayette gets the nod on a late ruling that nullifies TD reception BY JOHN PACKETT Times-Dispatch Staif Witter Lafayette coach Frank Tavani has been a coach for 28 years. This is new University of Richmond coach Dave Clawson's 16th year on the sidelines.

Both of them agreed that the ending of yesterday's game between their teams was one of the weirdest they had ever seen. "Ifs football," Clawson said. later, UR faced third and 10 from the Leopards' 23. With :05 remaining, quarterback Stacy Tutt heaved a pass toward the back of the end zone. Exactly what happened at that point depends on who's doing the talking.

None of the officials would comment afterward. The ball appeared to be tipped from just outside the end zone by a Lafayette player, ft came back into the end zone, where Andy Lehatto caught it "I was supposed to get to a certain spot in the end zone," said Lehatto, who caught five passes. SEE SPIDERS, PAGE C2 "Strange things happen." Indeed. For the players and coaches, along with a crowd of 5,121 at UR Stadium, the conclusion brought heartbreak for the Spiders and LAFAYETTE 2 1 g6 UR 1 6 who wound up with a 21-16 victory. But not before a controversial call with no time left that could have meant a miracle 22-21 win for UR.

After Lafayette (3-1) had taken an intentional safety, the Spiders (2-2) got the ball back at their 42 with 30 seconds to go. Five plays Complete schedule, PageC6.