COLLEGE FOOTBALL REPORT : WEEKDAY UPDATE : AROUND THE NATION : A First: Virginia Is No. 1

Coach George Welsh, who rescued Virginia’s program from college football’s skid row, has moved the Cavaliers atop the Associated Press poll for the first time in its history.

“Maybe it’s like Andy Warhol,” Welsh said Monday. “Maybe this is our 15 minutes of fame.”

Before Welsh’s arrival in 1982, Virginia had only two winning seasons in 29 years and had not been ranked higher than ninth.

Virginia, 6-0 and ranked No. 2 last week, was a 31-0 winner over North Carolina State; top-ranked Michigan lost, 28-27, to Michigan State.

“This may last only a week,” said Welsh, whose team will be a heavy favorite Saturday when it plays at Wake Forest (2-4).

Virginia, leading the nation with averages of 48 points and 540 yards, has outscored its opponents, 288-66.

“I think we had respect nationally before this year,” Welsh said. “But the polls don’t mean that much to me. They don’t mean anything. They don’t mean anything until the bowls are over.”

The Cavaliers are one of three Atlantic Coast Conference teams in the top 25. Georgia Tech, which will play Virginia at Charlottesville Nov. 3, improved from 18th to No. 11 after beating league foe Clemson. The Tigers slipped from 13th to a tie for 22nd with Iowa.

Miami is No. 2, followed by Tennessee, Nebraska, Auburn, Notre Dame, Florida State, Illinois, Houston and Michigan.