CBS SportsLine wire reports
Oct. 31, 1998
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Comments by Aaron Brooks prior to Virginia's game at Wake Forest found their way onto the Demon Deacons' bulletin board. His play Saturday made the highlight reel.
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Earlier in the week, Brooks said his arm and overall talent was much better than Wake Forest quarterback Brian Kuklick and the only thing he was worried about was blowing out the Demon Deacons.
He seemed indifferent after the game when told his comments were posted in Wake Forest's locker room.
"Did it pay off putting it up on the bulletin board?" Brooks asked. "It's a psychological thing."
Brooks was even more direct when asked about Virginia's dominance over Wake Forest.
"WE JUST PLAY VIRGINIA FOOTBALL and they play Wake Forest football, and that's saying whatever it's saying," Brooks said.
Thomas Jones rushed for 142 yards to reach 1,000 as the Cavaliers (7-1 overall, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) won at least seven games for an ACC-record 12th consecutive year.
"He has earned them (the yards)," coach George Welsh said when informed Jones reached the milestone. "He has been a great kid and a great back. He works like hell in practice and he sets a great example."
The Cavaliers put together scoring drives of 80, 75 and 92 yards in a warmup for next weekend's showdown at No. 5 Florida State.
Welsh said he hasn't necessarily been happy with his team's defensive play of late.
"We used to get four, five, six sacks a game and we're not getting there now," Welsh said. "We are giving up too many big plays. How many long ones were there today? We're not giving up touchdowns, but next week we will" if tackles are missed against the Seminoles.
VIRGINIA'S SECONDARY ALSO didn't miss a beat without Anthony Poindexter in the lineup. The star safety was lost for the season a week ago with a knee injury, but the Cavaliers intercepted two passes off Kuklick, each leading to scores.
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Virginia's Thomas Jones (6) dives over the top for a TD
in the first quarter of the Cavaliers' victory at Groves Stadium.
(AP)
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"The season is not over yet," said Wake Forest coach Jim Caldwell, whose team finishes with games against North Carolina State, Florida State and Georgia Tech. "Those are three very tough opponents, but our team doesn't have any quit in them."
Jones, the ACC rushing leader who entered the game with 860 yards, posted his fourth straight 100-yard game and sixth this season. His 1-yard scoring leap capped Virginia's 80-yard drive in the second quarter as he became the eighth runner in school history to reach 1,000.
Brooks' weaving 35-yard scoring run after the second interception off Kuklick gave Virginia a 24-9 lead midway through the third quarter, while his 9-yard scoring pass to Ahmad Hawkins on the first play of the fourth quarter put the game away.
The Demon Deacons played most of the second half without ACC career receiving leader Desmond Clark, who bruised his left knee on a 4-yard completion with 8:12 left in the third quarter. He had caught at least one TD pass in six straight games but failed to find the end zone Saturday.
WAKE FOREST ONCE AGAIN FELL into an early 7-0 hole when Kuklick's pass over the middle was intercepted and returned 38 yards for a score by linebacker Wali Ranier.
Later in the first quarter, Kuklick became the eighth quarterback in ACC history to throw for 7,000 yards, but the Wake Forest offense couldn't get cranked up and had to settle for field goals of 39, 34 and 33 from Matt Burdick en route to a 17-9 halftime deficit.
In addition to Rainer's score less than six minutes into the game, Virginia drove 80 yards on 13 plays for its other first-half TD, getting a score on Jones' short TD run. He set up the score with a run of 26 yards on a third-and-1 play.
Kuklick was benched in the final quarter in favor of Ben Sankey, who led Wake Forest on its final scoring drive with 8:07 left.