The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 46

C-10 The Oriando Sentinel, Sunday, September 8, 1996 METRO tLi.li.ii M-IS fflJETI UCF scores TD on its 1st possession ucf MP So. Carolina 1 IJ.fi 'IM. IT 11 Date Opponent Aug. 29 UCF 39, William Mary 33 Sept7 South Carolina 33, UCF 14 Sept 14 at New Mexico 6 pm Sept. 21 at Ball St.

2 p.m. k. Sr'i Sir 4 Sept 28 at E.Carolina 4 p.m. Oct 12 Samford 4 p.m. UCF from C-1 "I think it could have been an entirely different game," he said.

"I had so much running room in the third quarter, but I couldnt get my body to move." In the first half, Culpepper completed 14 of 23 passes for 159 yards with touchdown throws of 2 yards to freshman tailback Edward Mack and 19 yards to wide receiver Mark Nonsant However, limping more with every series in the second half, Culpepper hit on just 4 of 9 passes for 51 yards and had a pass intercepted in the end zone early in the third period. That play ended UCFs last serious chance to get back into the game. "We thought we could beat them," UCF coach Gene McDowell said. "We lost, but we never quit fighting, never gave up. That's what I like." The challenge continues.

This was the first of four road games in September. If the New Mexico coaching staff should ask South Carolina coach Brad Scott, he might tell them to be on guard. "Central Florida is very scrappy, very well-coached," Scott said. "They will make a good shewing this year." If they can control the big plays and the big players, such as South Carolina tailback Duce Staley. He scored three times in the first half and rushed 29 times for 187 yards.

The game began marvelously for the Knights. South Carolina opened its season with an unsportsmanlike conduct call before the game for running too far toward UCF's sideline while entering the stadium and kicked off from its 20-yard line instead of the 35. UCF made the most of the op- Oct 19 NE Louisiana 4 p.m. Oct 26 at Georgia Tech 1 p.m. Nov.

2 Illinois St 4 p.m. ASSOCIATED PRESS Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. Nov. 16 Bowling Green 4 p.m.

Wanting more. UCF's Todd Cleveland strives for 1st-down yardage Saturday. Central Florida's next game, at New Mexico at 8 p.m. Saturday, wifl be available to cable operators throughout Florida on pay-per-view. Sunshine Network will produce the telecast Viewers should contact their cable operator to see whether the game wil be available.

The cost of viewing will be determined by the individual cable companies. Andrew Monaco will do play-by-play, Keith Jones will do analysis and Barry Mll-llgan will work the sidelines. Freshman receiver Charles Lee of Homestead still has not been given permission to play by the NCAA Clearing House because of problems with his paperwork pertaining to his eligibility. Offensive lineman Frank Haynes and defensive end Jeff Maul-dln were cleared last week after missing the opener against William Mary. If anyone wants to expand the Florida Citrus Bowl and make it pay for itself, he should look to the $26 million improvements made on Williams-Brice Stadium.

Besides increasing the capacity for football by 7,600 seats to 80,250, other additions are intended to pay for themselves. The stadium now has 35,000 square feet of meeting space available for rent. And eight wedding receptions already have been held in the stadium by Gamecocks fans who can't think of a nicer place to start a marriage. Another sec-ton has added 1,600 luxury seats. South Carolina quarterbacks coach John Reaves, still remembered for his glory days as a Florida quarterback, said his only worry about Gamecocks sophomore quarterback Anthony Wright is his pertectbnistic atrj- portunity, starting on its 37 and driving to score in 10 plays.

The touchdown came on a 2-yard pass to Mack. With the point-after kick by Charlie Pierce, the exuberant Knights led South Carolina of the SEC, 7-0, with 10 minutes, 15 seconds left in the first quarter. The Knights kept the lead for 45 seconds. Then they were tied. And 13 seconds later, they were behind.

Welcome to the big time. South Carolina's first play was a 52-yard pass by the Gamecocks' sophomore quarterback, Anthony Wright. The next play was a 21-yard scoring run by Staley, who brushed aside four would-be tack-lers. With the score tied, UCF took the kickoff. A penalty for an illegal block placed the ball on the Knights' 8.

South Carolina middle linebacker Shane Burnham immediately sacked Culpepper for a safety. Just 48 seconds after taking the lead, UCF trailed, 9-7. By the time the first quarter ended, UCF was behind, 23-7. Staley scored on a 1-yard run, and 6- foot-4 wide receiver Marcus Robinson reached over 5-11 corner-back Darryl Latimore for a 53-yard touchdown catch. Enter Mike Grant, who began marching through South Carolina.

His runs of 36 and 13 yards set up a 19-yard scoring pass by Culpepper to Nonsant, closing the gap to 23-14. Grant finished as UCF's leading rusher with 12 carries for 80 yards. The UCF defense couldn't hold service, however. Staley got his third touchdown of the half on an 18-yard draw play. tude.

"He'll make two or three mistakes, and he'll be so down on himself, even though he made some brilliant plays," Reaves said. "I've tried to get him to loosen up." Minutiae: UCF sold more than 400 tickets for the game and had more than 200 fans attend a tailgate party. Among the fans was former tailback Marquette Smith, on crutches after injuring his knee in preseason camp with the Carolina Panthers. Smith and his wife have bought a home in Charlotte, N.C. Former defensive end Emll Ekfyor also attended the game.

Receiver Todd Cleveland started for the Knights, but he did not return kicks. Mike Huff handled that job. Cleveland has a sore knee. UCF's big hopes after 1st drive didn't last JERRY GREENE GAMECOCKS 33, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 14 The euphoria was short-lived Carolina scored on just two plays on the ensuing possession, then overwhelmed Culpepper for a humbling safety. The scoreboard became increasingly forgettable from a UCF point of view.

Put away the their handful of games against big-name opponents during this season and next, Saturday's bout figured to be the Knights' best chance to spring a surprise. The Gamecocks were in their 1996 shakedown with a new quarterback. New quarterbacks tend to make mistakes. But Anthony Wright, finally getting his chance at the wheel with the Steve Taneyhill era ended, was impressive against a UCF defense sorely short on I-A caliber players particularly in the secondary where Wright found some delightful fishing holes. He kept casting into those inviting waters and pulling out some big ones hell have stuffed and mounted on his dorm wall When Wright wasn't throwing, nifty Gamecocks tailback Duce Staley kept slashing for nice gains abetted by some Teflon tackling on the part of the Knights.

Staley piled up 188 yards and three touchdowns to help keep Culpepper and the Knights in their place for this year at least Armed with a few shining Kodak moments and a $250,000 payday, the Knights return home to Orlando to continue the painstaking pursuit of major-college fame. Team Rod Laoter 1 0 21 0 0 0 0 0 Pawing Player Alt Com Yda TD Wnght It 12 0 236 1 Receiving No Yda Ave 11 120 109 Receiving UCF 20 7 12 1 317 86 29 7-36 30 sc 24 14 8 1 492 256 47 44 54 Player Player Cleveland Nonsant Leister Huzzie Hubbard Mack 34 8.5 32 320 24 24.0 19 19.0 2 1.0 No Yds Avo 3 16 53 2 71 35.5 2 42 21.0 1 52 52 0 1 26 26 0 1 12 120 1 9 90 1 8 8.0 Staley Robinson Davis Mixon Owens Bridges Fleming Moritz 231 236 Kickoff return 1st DOWNS RusTung Passing Penalty TOT. NET YDS. NET YDS. RUSHING Rushes Sar-Yds.

lost Ave. per rush NET YDS. PASSING Hadint PUNTS-Avg. Had blocked RETURN YDS. Punt Return Kkofl Returns Interceptione PENALTIES-Vds.

FUMBlEWjet TIME OF POSS. i Player No Yda AS Hull 3 51 Punt returns Cleveland 2 31 15.5 Rckeron 1 13 13 0 1908 12-19 1 0 0 0 0 -2 2-2 6- 96 3-44 14 7- 50 tM6 2-1 1-1 27:22 32:36 No Yda Ai Player Bridges tare TD 1.0 0 2 -2 Kickoff returns) No Yda Avo. TD Player Cousin Bridges 2 27 13.5 0 17 17.0 Tacklea-aaaista-sacka Beniot 6-1-0, Rickerson 6-0-0, Washington 5-1-0, Thomas 5-1-0, Reddick 5-10, Bryant 4-1-0, Latjmore 3-1-0-, McWhorier 340, Palmer 3-0-0, Tats 344. J. Moore 344, Bush 1-10, Spencer 1-1-0, Harley 2-0-0, Osuna 1-14.

Jackson 144. Raid 1-0-0. Dsvine 144, Durant 144, Dostar 144. SOUTH CAROLINA TRHE TEST DRIVE FROM YOUR EASY CHHIR Individual CENTRAL FLORIDA GUEST from C-1 to ineffective bravery that spawned both pity and plaudits from the school-record audience of 76,411. The magical moment for Culpepper and the Knights was a chillingly easy first drive, UCF taking the opening kickoff and rumbling 63 yards in 10 plays for a 7-0 lead.

On a play-action pass, Culpepper lobbed a strike to wide-open tailback Eddie Mack for a 2-yard touchdown and in the Knights' very first game as a I-A program playing a card-carrying I-A team even your barber has probably heard of, UCF was on top. I'm reminded of the time then-woeful Indiana held a brief lead on one of the great Woody Hayes Ohio State teams. Precocious Hoosiers coach Lee Corso hurriedly assembled his team near the bench and had a shutterbug snap a quick photo with the blessed scoreboard as a backdrop. The 10:15 mark of the first quarter Saturday night would have been a wonderfbl time for photographic souvenirs of the Knights' trip to South Carolina's capital city. "I was almost certain we could take the ball right down the field like that," Culpepper would say, proudly conceding little.

'Two or three plays made the difference. My interception tin the USC end zone in the third period really hurt If we score on that drive, it could have been a different game." UCFs developing star Mike Grant (12 carries, 80 yards) thought the 7-0 lead was merely the start of a college football stunner. "I thought we had 'em," he said in sophomore naivete. "That was the greatest feeling, to move right down the field like that on a Division I team in the first drive." Rushing Tacklee-asaiatt-sacks Young 6-2-0, Hambrick 6-1-0, Freeman 4-0-0, Washing-Ion 1-3-0, Miller 3-1-0, Sullivan 3-0-0, Taylor 2-1-0, Bum-ham 3-0-0, Troupe 2-0-0, Maddox 2-00, Hambrick 2-0-0, Cousin 2-O-0. R.

Green 2-0-09, Rochester 1-0-0, Caldwell 1-0-0, Atkins 1-0-0, Pennington 1-0-0, Wiggins 1-0-0. MISSED FG ATTEMPTS Nona. Ruahlnq Player No. Yds. Net LQ Grant 12 80 60 36 Huzzie 3 16 16 9 Mack 6 4-22 Culpepper 8 22 -6 10 Passing No Yda Net LQ 29 188 187 21 35 27 11 10 3 Player Staley Morrtt Wight Williams Mixon Bush 16 18 15 6 15 13 6 4 Player An Com Int Yds TD Culpepper 32 16 1 210 2 I iBBS Central Florida 7 7 0 0 14 South Carolina 23 7 0 3 33 UCT4JSCSconYioplay PAT Key play Drive First Quarter 74 Mac2paiislromCufceppBr Piercekick Cleveland 19 pats Iran CUpapper 1043 10:15 7-7 Staley 21 run LeenttMck Moot 52 pass OT Wnght 2-73 9:30 74 7-16 Staley 1 run Loavrtlkick Owens 27 pass Irom Wnght 8-56 5:01 7-23 Robinson 53 pass from Wnght Leavmkick 3-64 07 Second Quarter 14-23 Nonsant 19 pass trom Culpepper Pierce kick Grant 36 run 5.70 7:3 14-30 5taley18run Leavittkick Davis 22 pasa Irom Wnght 970 3tf Fourth Quarter 14-33 FGLeavti32 Robinson 18 pass Irom Wnght 1W8 M3 Stop racing around town hunting for the best new car buys.

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