Virginia's record is now 9-4, a considerable improvement over its 6-4 mark after three straight late-season losses to North Carolina, Navy and Loyola.

Because of late-season losses, neither team has a chance to be voted the nation's top-ranked team when final polls are released.

In the regular season, they won their home opener against Carolina, 31-18, avenging their late-season loss from the previous year.

Brian McRae, the Mets' center fielder, raised that issue after a late-season loss last year, and others have brought attention to it this season.

Soon the boos were filling the place that had responded with stunned buzzing to late-season losses to Tennessee and Penn State in the previous two years.

Next season, Maryland is moving to a bigger arena on campus, and although the team has two games left here, handing Duke a late-season loss was fitting.

A late-season loss to Michigan State knocked them out of the national championship picture.

"She had on her game face, too," McNabb said of his mother's demeanor before a late-season loss to San Francisco.

Several Jets said that late-season losses would not shake their confidence, but others had trouble masking the wounds from this latest defeat.

Last year, after a late-season loss ended the Jets' playoff hopes, Evans cried.