The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 37

Let It Rip! Do you have gripe? Try our new call-in line, i-Details, C-1 8 Running away with it Davis gets 378 yards in Iowa State victory C-9 'Canes blow by Panthers 1 Miami shuts out winless Pitt, 45-0 C-13 "A rm in Ftorida 21 Howard 20 Syracuse 52, Va. Tech 21 407) 072-7200 The Orlando Sentinel SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1 996 Sports Inside, C-2 Columbus beats Tampa, 2-1 to tie Major League Soccer playoff series at 1-1. Baseball, C-4 METRO 1 FSU's stingy defense keeps Heels underfoot TALLAHASSEE By recent Florida State standards, the 13-0 final tally of the Seminoles' (choose one) victoryescape may sound more like a baseball score. Appropriately. I say "appropriately" because the outcome FSU shuts out soggy Carolina, 13-0 adds a long-overdue trophy baseball to veteran FSU coordinator Mickey Andrews' defensive meeting room.

Along the top of one waD is a shelf holding four now-yellowed baseballs in an FSU tradition expanded to the football team by Seminole baseball assis By Alan Schmadtke OF THE SENTINEL STAFF THE SPORTS COLUMN soaked, 13-0 victory at Doak Campbell Stadium. "I wish," defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews said, "we could get some of our guys to put a hat a helmet hit on the ball like that." In truth, FSU's defense did everything but cause a fumble before 80,120 and ABC's regional television audience. Bolstered yet again by defensive ends Pete Boulware, Reinard Wilson and Greg Spires, the second-ranked Seminoles swamped No. 11 North Carolina, seizing firm control of the Atlantic Coast Conference race. A combination of eight sacks, a blocked field-goal attempt, two blocked punts and just 187 yards in total offense by North Carolina delivered the Seminoles their first shutout since 1993.

In a duel of defenses, FSU (3-0, 3-0 in the ACC) turned back the few threats mustered by the Tar Heels (3-1, 2-1) and forgave a sputtering offense on a less-than-ideal day. "The defense played even better than I thought we could," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said. Said Daryl Bush: "After we kicked that field goal in the first half, I didn't even care if we scored again. Today, that was going to be enough. We felt that good." Florida State's defense glossed over an offense that produced only 213 yards, fewest by an FSU team since 1986, and converted only one of 12 times on third down.

Please see FSU, C-11 TALLAHASSEE On a day when the heavens opened, the offenses coughed and the defenses dominated, it was appropriate that the game's most significant play was made by a receiver as a tackier. Andre Cooper watched from the other side of the field Saturday as North Carolina cornerback Dre' Bly stole a long pass intended for Florida State's Wayne Messam, then made a beeline for Bly. Cooper cut Bly at the knees, Bly fumbled, and FSU offensive tackle Todd Fordham recovered at the 11-yard line, setting up the only touchdown in the Seminoles' rain- ASSOCIATED PHESS Dunn deal. Tar Heels' defender Robert Williams (left) can only stand by and watch as Warrick Dunn dives into the end zone for the Seminoles' lone touchdown on Saturday. Gators swamp Wildcats vanquish Knights UCF returned home after its 28-7 loss to East Carolina with an 04 mark on its first I-A road trip.

By Jerry Greene As expected, Florida had an easy time with Kentucky, holding it to 67 total yards in a 65-0 beating. By Chris Harry OF THE SENTINEL STAFF 'tfi OF THE SENTINEL STAFF tant Chip Baker. For years, when an FSU pitcher "nails" a shutout, he is given a baseball bearing the date and score, with a spike nail hammered hallway into the ball So when FSUs stingy, 1993 football defense earned national awe, Baker began presenting Andrews an inscribed, nail-impaled baseball with each shutout "We had four shutouts in '93," the jubilant Andrews said after Saturday's game. "But we haven't had much reason to shore up that shelf lately." Florida State had pitched just one football shutout in a string of 31 games stretching back into that '93 national championship season. Saturday's return to goose egg defense couldn't have been more timely for Andrews' defenders, allowing the No.

2 but sputtering Seminoles to avoid a landmark stumble at the hands of Mack Brown's rising ACC power, North Carolina. The No. 11 Tar Heels, formidable stoppers in their own right with two shutouts this season, brought the tent down on FSUs famed circus offense and came within a trio of kicMng-game miscues of pulling off a landmark shocker. Carolina held struggling QB Thad Busby and the "Notes to seven first downs and 213 yards in total offense. FSUs initial first down in the 3:30 game came at 4:35, deep into the second period.

Sweatsock historians said FSU hasn't gone more than an hour without a first down since 1983 commencement ceremonies. Bobby Bowden confessed the game felt more like an escape than a conquest because of his offensive mind-set "But maybe I'm an offensive has-been," he laughed, adding: "I have learned through the years to appreciate any kind of a win." To all but defensive coaches, linebackers' mothers and the late Gen. Robert Neyland (the conservative legend who once coached Tennessee to an estimated 418 3-0 victories), most outsiders will view this old-fashioned game of field position and smothering defense as a glitch in Seminole pyrotechnics. For non-scoring, it resembled most any Tampa Bay Bucs game, except with 40,000 more spectators. But to Andrews, premier defensive ends Peter Boulware and Reinard Wilson and the FSU defense, this was a crown jewel.

They were offering no apologies. "Escape? This wasn't an escape," snorted Darryl Bush, the brainy middle linebacker out of Lake Brantley High. "Never did we feel our backs were to the wall." True, the Heels' deepest penetration was to the FSU 33, their best scoring "threat" a 53-yard field-goal try that was blocked Boulware and Wilson combined for 4W of the eight sacks that erased the Heels' offense. It was as if Boulware and Wilson reached under the hood, yanked out the spark plug wires and leered: "Hah! Let's see you crank this thing now!" Brown, proud of his Heels but disappointed at missing a monumental opportunity, pronounced Boulware and Wilson "the best set of defensive ends I've ever seen in college football There's no question we had an opportunity. It got away because they blocked two punts.

FSUs kicking game has probably become the best in the country. Their kickers are seniors and ours are fresh-mea That was the difference." The two blocked punts suffered by freshman Derrick DePriest lead directly to FSU field goals. But FSUs lone touchdown came gift-wrapped by another Carolina freshman, exciting cornerback Dre' Bly. Dre' is short for Andre. Apparently, Bly is short for Doubly, as in "doubly charitable" on Saturday.

Bly foolishly fielded a punt on his 5, gave ground across field and barely avoided a safety when knocked out of bounds on the Carolina 1. That resulted in prime FSU field position that was nearly negated when Busby floated a popup that nearly caused three zebras to invoke the infield fly rule. Bly made the easy pick near the goal line, but fumbled it away during his runback at the Carolina 11. Warrick Dunn then squirted off tackle for the GREENVILLE, N.C Talk about a team that needs some rest and relaxation at home. When the University of Central Florida Golden Knights returned to Orlando late Saturday night nobody could have blamed them if they had kissed the ground The seemingly never-ending stretch of four road games finally ended Saturday, when the young Knights were beaten by the East Carolina Pirates, 28-7, before a "Parents' Day" crowd of 34,121 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

This game was much like UCFs previous three against Division I-A competitors. The Knights (1-4) had a chance, trailing, 14-7, in the second half, but the offense could not mount a charge, and the worn-out defense could no longer hold back the Pirates by the end of the third quarter. It also marked the third of the Knights' four games in which sophomore quarterback Daunte Culpepper did not finish the game. Injuries had nothing to do with it Please see UCF, C-12 GAINESVILLE No one in touch with reality gave the Kentucky Wildcats much of a chance against top-ranked Florida at "The Swamp." To think the game could be com-, petitive would have been a reach. But 67 yards? That's how many the Wildcats got in 60 minutes of football Saturday at Florida Field, in a brutal 65-0 beating.

A point for every yard and Kentucky could've claimed a victo-. ry, but that's not how college football works. A crowd of 85,422, along with a quickly tuned-out regional television audience, saw a UF team that was as dominate as its opponent was inept. The end result probably had impressed no one. "These kinds of games really don't prove a lot," Gators coach Steve Spurrier said afterward.

"This just proves we can beat Kentucky." A lot of teams could, by the look of things. Danny Wuerffel threw for 279 yards and three touchdowns better numbers than UK had put up in its three previous games combined in one half of play. Jacquez Please see GATORS, C-10 JOHN RAOUXTHE ORLANDO SENTINEL Almost there. Kentucky drags down up inches short of his 3rd touchdown UF receiver Reidel Anthony, who comes during the waning seconds of the 1st half. i vu-n ir fitr With camp around the corner, Magic can catch teams sleeping By LC.

Johnson OF THE SENTINEL 0TAFF Sports changes ahead Look for some new features in the Sports section beginning this week. On Monday, we'll have expanded NFL coverage and a comprehensive wrapup of college football from each weekend, including the return of George Diaz's Goal-Line Stance column on the national college football picture. NASCAR fans can look for information on the week ahead. On Tuesday, we'll introduce a redesigned Page 2 in the Sports section with schedules, ticket information and the latest line each day. As part of the Fantastic Friday package, look for a new feature each Friday on recreational sports, plus a new women's sports column.

Friday's Sports section also win include a revamped package to help you plan your weekend sporting activities. You'll also find a new feature, Let It Rip, a sports version of Ticked Off. Call in your gripes about the world of sports, and we'll publish a selection of your comments each Monday and Friday. We've all been working hard over the summer. I know I played basketball every single day.

Penny Hardaway Hardaway went through myriad emotions in the days after the announcement of O'Neal signing a 7-year, $121 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. Hardaway had always envisioned him and O'Neal helping lead the Magic to an NBA title some day. Possibly a string of them. All of that changed on one dreary Saturday afternoon. At first, Hardaway called this Ptease see MAGIC, July 18, 1996.

This is a date that Penny Hardaway will remember for a long time. It was his 25th birthday and the eve of the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. But it also was the day that the point guard lost center Shaquille O'Neal as an Orlando Magic teammate. game's only TD and a 1M FSU lead It was still only the second period, but the way the Seminole defense was playing by then, Carolina might have pecked away until Tuesday before scoring that many points. Somewhere, baseball assistant Chip Baker began hammering a nail into horsehide.

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