News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • Page 37

NEWS-PRESS, SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1994 5C COLLEGE FOOTBALL iirsfi tie st 41-17 FSU, pass "We knew we had them. It's only Virginia." 'OMAR ELLISON FSU receiver New QB performs like vet QB throws for 330 yards in 1st start ByBILLVILONA Pensacola News Journal TALLAHASSEE So much for Florida State's bummer of a summer. The return of football season has revealed productive business as usual for the Seminoles. In the same manner they lit up scoreboards and dominated Atlantic Coast Conference teams last year, the defending national champions overcame a sluggish start to crush Virginia 41-17 Saturday afternoon at steamy Doak Campbell Stadium. it i I i- all too familiar in the ACC.

Since joining this league in 1992, the Seminoles have recorded 17 consecutive wins and outscored ACC teams at home by a six-touchdown average. "We played much better in some areas than I expected," said Bowden. One area was quarterback. Kanell, a 6-foot-4 junior who backed up Ward last year, settled into a groove after looking unsure of himself in the first quarter. After throwing an interception in the game's first series his first as a collegian that led to a Virginia field goal, Kanell eventually caught fire.

He completed 32-of-48 passes for 330 yards and four touchdowns. "For a first day, I felt it was all right," said Kanell, who communicated with Ward via press box telephones. Ward spent the game watching with coaches. Added Kanell: "Virginia did some things we weren't expecting and we got a little mixed up." The Cavaliers came out with an eight-man defensive front and blitzed more often than they ever showed in previous games. It caused the Seminoles to go scoreless in the first quarter.

That happened only once last year against Georgia Tech. The Cavaliers' 3-0 lead, on Rafael Garcia's 30-yard field goal, marked the first time Florida State trailed after the first quarter since 1991 against Louisiana State. "It was a day of relief," said quarterback Danny Ka-nell, who tossed four touchdown passes in his debut as Charlie Ward's successor. "We were on the field and on TV again for something other 5 ByBILLVILONA Pensacola News Journal TALLAHASSEE Danny Kanell's fourth pass Saturday as Florida State's new quarterback nearly went for a touchdown. By the opponent.

But after Virginia's Ronde Barber returned an errant Kanell pass into Seminole territory, setting up the Cavaliers' only first-half points with a field goal, Kanell never wavered. He shook aside a shaky beginning and guided the Seminoles as they hoped right into a 41-17 rout of the Cavaliers at Doak Campbell Stadium. "As we were coming of the field, I went over to him and said, 'Don't worry about He was already waving me off," said center Clay Shiver. "He said, 'Listen, it's no He wasn't nervous at all." Aside from Florida State's season-opener after a turbulent offseason, Kanell was this game's main subplot. His fate was following Heis-man Trophy winner Charlie Ward, whom he subbed for during the past two seasons.

"I can't be like Charlie Ward, nobody can, but I hope I can be just as effective," said Kanell, who passed for 330 yards and four touchdowns. After one game, it looked pretty familiar. Ward attended Saturday's game. He sat in the Florida State coaches' press box. After the Seminoles' offense failed to score on their first four possession, Ward got on the headphones and passed down some advice to Kanell.

"He told me to settle down and start throwing some shorter passes," said Kanell. FSU I 22 it" 24-116 '4 -f-hi 39-56-1 IV 'v i-i IF Vlr 14 37-127 15S 28 17-36-1 10-35 4-2 6-49 32:50 Flrstdowns Rushes-yards Passing Return yards Comp-att-int Punts Fumbles-lost Penalties-yards Timeof possession Virginia Florida St. 3 0 0 14 17 0 20 14 7 41 kanell than a scandal." This time, the only trouble was exactly what second-ranked Florida State handed out to the Cavaliers. Despite the absence of suspended leader Derrick Brooks, the Seminoles' vaunted defense frustrated and suppressed Virginia until the game was out of hand. The No.

25 Cavaliers (USA TodayCNN poll) amassed only 78 yards in the first half. They didn't get near the end zone until the fourth quarter. "I hope it shuts everybody up," said linebacker Todd Rebol, a Charlotte High School graduate. "We're ready to be a national championship contender again. I think we showed we're back." Virginia couldn't argue.

After holding the Seminoles scoreless on their first four possessions, the Cavaliers were victimized for 20 second-quarter points and trailed 34-3 midway through the third quarter. "If I were (Florida State coach) Bobby Bowden, I'd be very pleased with this performance, considering all that's happened," said Virginia coach George Welch. Bowden was pleased. "For a first game, I feel real good," he said. "I don't think what's happened this summer affected our boys one bit.

They played well because they wanted to win." Florida State's performance was Vlr FG Garcia 40 FSU Dunn 16 pass from Kanell (kick blocked) FSU Glenn 3 pass from Kanell (Bentley kick) FSU McCorvey 4 pass from Kanell (Bent-leykick) FSU Preston3run(Bentleyklck) FSU Crockett 1 run (Bentley kick) Vlr Crowell 20 pass from Groh (Garcia kick) FSU McCorvey 3 pass from Kanell (Bentley kick) Vlr Crowell 5 pass from Groh (Garcia kick) INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING Virginia, Barber 12-108, Brooks 11- 21, Way 7-19, Medley 2-1, Groh 2-(minus 3), Willis 3-(minus 19). Florida Preston 3-70, J.Green 8-25, Ellison 1-12, Crockett 5-9, Dunn 4-4, Kanell 1-2, E.G. Green l-lminus 2), Stark 1-(minus4). PASSING Virginia, Willis9-24-l-66, GrohS- 12- 0-92. Florida Kanell 32-48-1-330, Stark 7-8-0-67.

RECEIVING Virginia, Crowell 5-66, Jef-fers3-33, Brooks 3-7, Byrd 1-13, Allen 1-11, Owen 1-9, Neely 1-7, Berey 1-7, Davis 1-5. Florida McCorvey 11-107, Cooper 5-44, Ellison 5-43, Dunn 4-71, Preston 3-27, Messam 3-20, Crockett 2-29, Long 2-24, J.Green 2-18, E.G.Green 1-11, Glenn 1-3. A 74,551. The Associated Press BREAKING AWAY: Florida State fullback Vack Crockett runs past Virginia's Joe Williams on Saturday. 's 7 To tosses suefl UF 70-21 NOTEBOOK earni By FRED GOODALL The Associated Press '74 Gators eclipse attendance mark By BILL KING and DAVID JONES Florida Today GAINESVILLE The Florida Gators drew their largest crowd for a home opener in school history Saturday, selling 84,721 tickets for the New Mexico State game.

Florida was assured of breaking the school's single-season attendance record before playing a down this season. Saturday's game sold out just before kickoff. The other six home games vs. Kentucky (Sept. 10), LSU (Oct.

8), Auburn (Oct. 15), Georgia (Oct. 29), Southern Mississippi (Nov. 5) and South Carolina (Nov. 12) were all sold out weeks ago.

Florida Field was expanded to 83,000 in 1991. For the first time, the Gators have seven home games. Gators defensive coordinator Bob Pruett worked the game from the press box, saying he felt he'd get a better view and would be able to stay out of the "emotions" of the game. Pruett is the first coordinator under Gators coach Steve Spurrier to be in the press box for a game. It was a great day to be a Florida freshmen.

When Elijah Williams lined up at tailback to start the game, he became the first freshman since Errict Rhett (1990) to start at the position for the Gators. WR Ike Hilliard's first collegiate catch went for a 6-yard touchdown, Florida's first score of the season. His next two receptions covered 23 and 21 yards and his fourth catch still in the first half was a 7-yard score. Fellow freshman WR Reidel Anthony caught his first pass as a college player in Florida's second scoring series a 1 4-yard catch to move the ball to the Aggies' 32. Yet one more first-year player, Fred Taylor, broke in with a bang, gaining 11, 5 and 7 yards in his first three rushes as a Gator.

Cody Ledbetter's 73-yard touchdown pass to Lucious Davis was the ninth longest play by an opponent in Gators' history. The longest: a 93-yard pass from Georgia's Buck Belue to Lindsay Scott in 1980. Florida was 63-24 in its previous 87 season openers, 4-0 with Spurrier as head coach, 22-1 in its last 23 season openers at home and 45-6 overall in opening games in Gainesville. GAINESVILLE Terry Dean showed why there's no quarterback controversy at Florida. The fifth-year senior, who considered transferring when he lost his job to Danny Wuerffel last September, threw an NCAA-record tying seven touchdown passes in the first half Saturday night to lead the top-ranked Gators to a 70-21 season-opening rout of New Mexico State.

Dean completed 20 of 30 passes for 271 yards as his team scored on seven of eight possessions before coach Steve Spurrier called on third-stringer Eric Kresser to lead the last scoring drive of a 56-point half. "He's got a chance to be the best quarterback I ever coached," Spurrier said, "and he played like it tonight." Jack Jackson caught four scoring passes and Ike Hilliard, Aubrey Hill and Sorola Palmer one each from Dean, who tied the NCAA record for TD throws in a half set by Dennis Shaw of San Diego State against New Mexico State in 1 969. Dean also broke his Southeastern Conference single-game record of six set against Southwestern Louisiana last season. "It was refreshing to come out and have that kind of a start," he said. "I knew about the record because I got it last year.

When I got to four, I thought: 'Gosh, I have a chance to get Then five and six. With the last one, I knew I had it as soon as I threw it." Spurrier, however, said it was important to keep the performance against an overmatched opponent in perspective. "It was a record, but it doesn't feel like one," the coach said. "We were superior talent- and personnel-wise. We're not sitting around patting ourselves on the back for winning this one." Kresser threw a 7-yard scoring pass to Hilliard on the only drive he directed in the first half.

Wuerffel, who begins his sophomore season as a backup despite throwing for 2,230 yards and 22 TDs in 1993, played most of the second half. New Mexico State was out-gained 462 yards to 1 53 in the opening half, but did have its moments against a Florida secondary that has been at the bottom of the SEC in pass defense the past two years. Cody Ledbetter threw three TD passes to Lucious Davis, who eluded Florida's Lawrence Wright The Associated Press BIG SQUEEZE: New Mexico State punter Chad Zecha fumbles after being hit by Florida's Fred Weary (left), Darren Hambrick (center.) and Mike Harris on Saturday. Fred Taylor and Kedra Malone scored on runs of 9 and 13 yards in the fourth quarter. "(Florida) set all kinds of records last year, but they're better now," New Mexico State coach Jim Hess said.

"To coach Spurrier's credit, he could've scored a hundred but didn't." Daviskick) Fla Hill 15 pass from T. Dean (J. Davis kick) NMS L. Davis 27 pass from Ledbetter (Culinkick) Fla Palmer 10 pass from T. Dean (J.

Daviskick) Fla J. Jackson pass from T. Dean (J. Daviskick) NMS L. Davis 7 pass from Ledbetter (Culinkick) Fla J.

Jackson 3 pass from T. Dean (J. Daviskick) Fla Hilliard 7 pass from Kresser (J. Daviskick) Fla Taylor9run(J. Daviskick) Fla Malone 13 run J.

Davis kick) INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING New Mexico State, Ledbetter 12-37, Montei 3-30, Compton 7-14, Bratter 3-7, Truehill 4-4, Piiula 2-1, L.Davis 2-(minus 3), Snowden 2-(minus 7), Zecha Hminus 11). Florida, E. Williams 13-96, Tavlor 15-72, Mob-ley 5-24, Malone 1-13, Schottenheimer 1-1, Dean 2-5. Wuerftel 1-1 PASSING New Mexico State, Ledbetter 14-31-1-221. Florida, T.

Dean 20-30-0-271, Kresser 3-6-1-51, Wuerftel 6-9-0-42, Schottenheimer 2-4-0-35. RECEIVING New Mexico State, L. Davis 5-127, Manuel 4-61, Piiula 3-21, Osborne 1-8, Truehill 1-4. Florida, J. Jackson 7-94, Hilliard 5-65, Doerlng 4-64, Palmer 3-30, Taylor 3-15, Anthony 2-37, Hill 2-79, McGriff 2-15, Naba" 1-26, E.

Williams 1-15, Gibbons 1-9. A 84,721. son finale. He threw for 259 yards in that game, then led victories over Alabama in the SEC championship game and West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl to clearly establish himself as No. 1 again.

Jackson's four TD receptions were a school record. He also returned a kickoff 45 yards to set up Dean's fifth TD pass. The junior, who scored a team-leading 12 touchdowns in 1993, had seven catches for 94 yards. "There was a point where I felt like we should score more," Jackson said. "Not really to impress anyone or stay No.

1, but to satisfy ourselves. Playing a team like that, you expect to win by 40 or 50 points." Dean, and Jackson departed at the half with Florida leading 56-21. at the Aggies 35 and outran the pursuit on a 73-yard scoring play on New Mexico State's second offensive play. Davis also scored on second-quarter receptions of 27 and 7 yards, the latter coming after New Mexico State's Enrique Ramirez blocked a punt and recovered at the Florida 7. It was the only Gators drive the Aggies were able to stop before halftime, and they needed help from penalties that wiped out a 50-yard run by Florida's Elijah Williams and a 40-yard pass from Dean to Hill.

After losing his starting job in the third game of last season, Dean got another chance when a knee injury sidelined Wuerffel for the last half of the Gators' regular-sea NMS Fla 13 34 36-72 38-219 221 399 36 21 14-31-1 31-49-1 6-27 2-27 1-0 0-0 9-59 11-99 29:26 30:34 First downs Rushes-yards Passing Return yards Comp-att-int Punts Fumbles-lost Penalties-yards Time of possession 7 14 0 0 21 21 21 0 14 70 New Mexico St Florida Fla Hilliard 6 pass from T. Dean J. Da-yiskick) NMS L. Davis 73 pass from Ledbetter (Culin kick) Fla J. Jackson 13 pass from T.

Dean J. Daviskick) iv Fla J. Jackson 8 pass from T. Dean J..