TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Florida State and Virginia, who played one of the most memorable games in the first half century of the Atlantic Coast Conference, will inaugurate the league's 50th season Saturday. <br>
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Virginia became the first team to beat Florida State in ACC play, 33-28, on Nov. 2, 1995, when the Cavaliers stopped Warrick Dunn at the goal line on the game's final play to end the Seminoles' league-record 29-game league winning streak. <br>
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The schools combined for 1,044 yards in that nationally televised Thursday night game that saw Florida State's Danny Kanell throw 67 passes. <br>
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But some things have changed since that November evening almost seven years ago. <br>
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For the first time in 10 years, Florida State is not the defending ACC champion and its aura of invincibility is in question. The Seminoles are 47-3 in conference play since that loss. <br>
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``Florida State is beatable just like any other team,'' Virginia linebacker Angelo Crowell said. ``You've just got to look at it like that.'' <br>
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The Cavaliers are one of only three ACC schools to get a victory over Florida State in the last decade. North Carolina State has two, including the Seminoles' only ACC home loss, and North Carolina has the other. <br>
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But like everyone else, Virginia has struggled in their visits to noisy 82,000-seat Doak Campbell Stadium, coming close just once in five previous visits 31-24 in 1996. <br>
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``This is a team that every year you've got to deal with,'' Virginia coach Al Groh said. ``It's dangerous territory as a coach if you try to make too much out of them.'' <br>
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Virginia, one of the league's younger teams this season, will also be trying to rebound from a 43-7 whipping suffered last year at home to the Seminoles. <br>
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Groh said he's committed to sticking with his young players despite the mistakes in last week's 35-29 loss to Colorado State when the Cavaliers suffered five turnovers. <br>
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``There is a lot of high-end talent on this team,'' Groh said. ``I don't have any hesitation using talent.'' <br>
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Junior quarterback Matt Schaub said he'll warn the young players about the distractions in Tallahassee. <br>
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``Just take it all in once you get off the bus and from then on, just go out and play ball,'' Schaub said. <br>
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The teams kick off at 3:30 p.m. EDT in a regionally televised game with temperatures in the high 80's and thundershowers in the forecast. <br>
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Schaub and redshirt freshman Marques Hagans will share the quarterback duties for Virginia while Florida State would like to get playing time for backup Adrian McPherson behind sophomore starter Chris Rix. <br>
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McPherson was hobbled by an ankle sprain for the opener and sophomore Fabian Walker has struggled in his bid for the backup spot. Bowden has said he'd be willing to redshirt McPherson, who is also an outstanding basketball prospect, if Walker were ready. <br>
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Bowden says his club is in unusually good physical shape going into the game with nearly everyone able to play. Offensive tackle Ray Willis is the lone starter questionable for the game.
