The Charlotte Observer from Charlotte, North Carolina • 97

Sports tthe Charlotte Observer Sunday September 24 1989 Section Score Phone: (704) 379-6535 Tigers Fool Ford Slow Terrapins To A Crawl and scored on Allen's 2-yard run 45 seconds later It was I 7-7 and the Terps who had just lost senior quarterback Neil O'Donnell to a bruised right hand were broken "That blocked punt was probably the turning point" Ford said "But then Mitch usually blocks ours in practice every day" After the two quick scores the Clemson defense smelled blood While Maryland simply couldn't move the Tigers added another McFadden touchdown before the See CLEMSON Page I2G 31-7 The victory lifted the seventh-ranked Tigers to 4-0 and prompted Ford to say "I can't read 'em yet" That statement got a laugh from Clemson tailback Terry Allen who knifed through the Terrapins for 97 yards rushing 88 in the decisive first half It was definitely low-key before the game" said Allen "It was as quiet as I've ever heard it" But so what? "I guess coach Ford expected us to be all jumping around and moving around before the game" said senior linebacker By STAN OLSON Staff writer CLEMSON SC Clemson football coach Danny Ford was worried Here were his Tigers just moments from doing battle with Maryland in Clemson's first ACC game of the season and no one was jumping around slapping helmets or hollering "It didn't seem like we were ready to play" Ford said later "I thought we were flat" Right The unemotional Tigers promptly marched into Memorial Stadium Saturday and flattened Maryland on the ground ripped off a nine-play drive culminating in fullback Wesley McFadden's 6-yard scoring run with 12 minutes 18 seconds left in the half Three plays later the defense forced the Terrapins to punt And a junior kick-blocking specialist named Mitch Belton blocked that kick Belton a 5-8 walk-on who would deflect another punt later said just six of the Tigers were trying to block the kick He faked outside cut inside Maryland's right guard dove and got the ball with his right forearm knocking it out-of-bounds Clemson took over on the Maryland 7 Vince Taylor who led the defense with I 3 tackles "But we weren't flat just loose all of us joking in the locker room" Ford continued to worry during pregame warm-ups which he thought lacked intensity But then he shrugged and said "Well we never lost a game in warm-ups" And they would not lose this one With the defense like sharks in a feeding frenzy and the offense feeding off the defense the Tigers wrapped the game up in the second quarter Maryland (0-2 0-3) led 7-3 at the end of the first period But the Tigers staying I Pack Rips Tar Heels 0 Tali II it Stormy Pack Sends North Carolina Crashing To Earth RALEIGH Now Mack Brown knows how Charleston felt NC State Hugo'd his North Carolina Tar Heels Saturday 40-6 and you shouldn't be misled by the closeness of the score Had say Jimmy "Take No Prisoners" Johnson been standing in benevolent Dick Sheridan's shoes this baby could have been in oh the 60-0 range This was the way Oklahoma and Ohio State and Florida and those guys used to beat up North Carolina when Jim Hickey and Dick Crum and those guys were the coaches One who used to revel in the snarling snapping rivalry of these two teams rivalry that has sadly cooled to gentlemanly temperature thought he saw a hint of bad blood in the pregame ceremonies When the captains went to midfield for the coin toss NC State's other players lined up on a hash mark in kind of want you" gesture The Tar Heels noticing this then lined up on their hash mark and there was "1' some jawing and gesticulating ''W: 41 going back and forth That At 4 looked like a good sign but it was misleading NC State 1 4 1- j9 meant it but North Carolina didn't The Wolfpack looked sharp big-game sharp Brown said A kv is young Tar Heels may have been too ready but they could have fooled this guy And then the Tar Heels blamed a fumble Brown on their second possession when they were driving for taking the wind out of their sails That seems a trifle early for 4 Ron 4 i S''' Greer' 1'''''''''''''' Stormy Pack Sends North Carolina i--- 's i 01: Crashing To Earth 4- -1 4st 2' Cras l' -mvs' RALEIGH Charleston felt Now Mack Brown klinnonwTsahrow i 4 mmyisied iio' 44 '')'sr4 4'17' ahoisdNyoortu hshCoauriodutjhtme eL 7 eNe I sCS aSttuartde aHy 6d 1 Ty at hk ee cNI oos pe nnessos 4noefr ts Johnson core k-s'- 111111 60-0 range' Hbaede'nsasYtanding in 6 '4 3 oh the benevolent in oh shoes this this baby nedanto 0 '1- could have been nk kgluayhsomus -1-t and This Fl o7iadsa tahnedwtah3O those snap 0 0 rivalry that has pe ('-'-'' jes were the I in the snarling Carolina when Jim Dick Crum and those guys '7' CO kr Poregidifiined up One who used toertelvvoe pregame cere- 4 4 ping rivalry of thestlemauly sadly cooled to teams ri 4 's A- temperature i 4 ---r' ---t-- he saw a hint ofgband blood in thet went ee nr players ant you" ges- 4 :747 s'1 00-- A0 monies When the captains st a the coin toss A on a hash mark in kind of ture lined UP on and there was itt The Tar Heels ntohteitcrinhgasthhims '''4' i sign but It i 0 back an That i State --Agi I some jawing adndfogrtehsticulating h' hluft a :41 glooked like a lb sharP' 4 meant it i if- i dinh' te row bg-game 1 young Tar Heels may i11'- his yotuob eh- -a aPdr P-y but they An nsdacould have 'le en 4 been I have fooled this guy And a fumble av Heels blame S' the Tar Brown on their second possession when they of their sails That se were driving for taking Pthoesswesinsidono'ut ems a trifle early for head- I 40t) ''N tt- I '4 vsimill I Best Not Good Enough JEFF SINERStaff NC State's Chris Corders fights to keep his hands on the ball as he falls Raleigh Corders caught two scoring passes and the No 18 Wolfpack into the end zone for a touchdown against North Carolina Saturday in beat the Tar Heels 40-6 JEFF SINERStall NC State Rolls By UNC 40-6 ACC STANDINGS Conference All Games Pt OP I I Pts OP NC Stale 4 0 0 125 57 4 0 0 125 57 Virginia 2 0 0 66 38 3 1 0 93 80 Clemson 1 0 0 31 7 4 0 0 122 37 Duke 0 1 0 28 49 1 3 0 117 114 Carolina 0 1 0 6 40 1 2 0 61 60 Wake Forest 0 1 0 17 27 0 3 0 41 52 Maryland 0 2 0 13 41 1 3 0 46 55 Ga Tech 0 2 0 38 55 0 3 0 48 76 Saturdays Results NC State 40 North Carolina 6 Clemson 31 Maryland 7 Army 14 Wake Forest 10 South Carolina 21 Georgia Tech 10 Virginia 49 Duke 28 Next Saturdays Games Duke at Clemson Noon (WSTV channel 3) Maryland at Michigan 1 pm Rice at Wake Forest 1 pm Navy at North Carolina 4 pm Kent State at NC State 7 pm William Mary at Virginia 7 "The biggest thing" he told reporters "is you all are in the wrong dressing room NC State deserves full credit for today and I'm very very disappointed with our football team "Hopefully there is not a 40-6 gap between the two programs We have made tremendous progress since last year But today you couldn't tell it" Any chance the Tar Heels had dissipated when tailback Randy Jordan bobbled a handoff from Hall with four minutes 57 seconds left in the first quarter NC State's Mark Thomas recovered North Carolina had driven to the Wolfpack 14 after Torin Dorn's inter-See WOILFPACK Page 12G the second half before leaving late in the third quarter His replacement Preston Poag did not attempt a pass Wolfpack coach Dick Sheridan called it is team's best performance of the season and admitted that perhaps his biggest challenge was trying to keep the score respectable -I'm never going to call 'em off completely because you always want your players to play all out" he said "But we did run some low-percentage plays and tried to get our young players some experience We're interested in winning but not by how much" In the North Carolina dressing room Tar Heels coach Mack Brown looked as though he'd been hit by a Mack truck Or a hurricane perhaps By CHARLES CHANDLER Raleigh Bureau RALEIGH It was devastating With 57200 watching Saturday in Carter-Finley Stadium 18th-ranked NC State beat North Carolina 40-6 and it could have been worse Much worse Consider that: NC State had 26 first downs to North Carolina's nine and 478 total yards to the Tar Heels' 119 North Carolina quarterbacks Jonathan Hall and Chuckle Burnette completed three of 17 passes for 22 yards and three interceptions NC State quarterback Shane Montgomery was 14 of 22 passing in the first half for 185 yards and two touchdowns He threw three times in Chances are though North Carolina's best shot wouldn't have been good enough on this fresh sparkling Saturday afternoon The Wolf-pack 4-0 and already hosting scouts from the Florida Citrus Bowl looked nothing short of gorgeous Sheridan ordered only three passes in the second half none after Shane Montgomery had rifled a 30-yarder to Bobby Jurgens to raise the score to 33-0 late in the third quarter There may not be a more accurate collegiate passer in the country than Montgomery whose completion percentage for last season and this is in the neighborhood of 60 When he retired late in the third quarter Saturday he had completed 16 of 25 for 222 yards and three touchdowns Meanwhile the Wolfpack defense chewed up the North Carolina offense and spat it out leaving it with a mere 119 yards What it was was a good team playing well against a weak team playing poorly but a suggestion that this game reflected the difference in the two programs caused Brown to bristle "I'm not sure where that gap (between the two programs) is" he said "but hopefully it's not a 40-6 gap We're a much better program than we were last year although there was no indication of that today" Brown shuttled three tailbacks in and out hoping one would emerge as a gamer but about all they did was fumble He hooked senior quarter back Jonathan Hall in the sec- ond quarter and put in fresh- r-4pAs man Chuckie Burnette and about all Burnette did was throw more completions to the 0k f' Wolfpack than he did to his i own buddies i That's the price you pay when you're starting over -1voel Carter Finley Stadium is not i an ideal place for anyone 1 Jr especially North Carolina to break in new guys but it has Hall to be done sometime Burnette will be a star someday but he'll probably never forget that awful Saturday when he was three for 15 for 22 yards with three interceptions nv-u lsay yv viva were last year alt of that today" Brown shuttle( ing one would err they did was fum Wit 4VN 1 Hall will be a star som forget that awful 15 for 22 yards Difference A Day Makes 2-Track Minds In Martinsville Irish Scramble Past Spartans One day Charlotte thinks about the meaning of life and hope and the next day about the meaning of the NC State-North Carolina football game Gary Schwab Page 2G Trouble Up A Storm The college football teams of Savannah State and Virginia Union have trouble up a storm in Charlotte Tom Sorensen Page 2G Fishing Facilities Ravaged Reports indicate that fishing facilities on the South Carolina and Southeastern NC Coasts were struck devastating blows by Hurrican Huge and recovery may take moths Page 15G By TOM HIGGINS Staff Writer MARTINSVILLE Va Ordinarily NASCAR Winston Cup Series competitors have one-track minds during race weekends That "track" is the speedway and the event they happen to be running But these aren't ordinary times and a track of another kind competed strongly with today's Goody's 500 at Martinsville Speedway (12:40 pm ESPN) for the attention of drivers crewmen and owners That was Hurricane Hugo's track through the Carolinas where most of stock car racing's participants live "I'm not scared of about anything" said Ricky Rudd "But Thursday night when that storm passed over our home on Lake Norman Linda (Mrs Rudd) and I huddled in the hall all night I've never seen anything like I saw that night Now I know why people worry about hurricanes" Rudd lost his boat and boathouse a loss of about $25000 See DRIVERS Page I4G Observer Wire Services SOUTH BEND Ind Raghib Ismail was not given the opportunity of touching a kickoff Tony Rice appeared more like the uncertain underclassman than the effective quarterback he has become at Notre Dame But despite committing four turnovers two on interceptions of Rice and another on his limbic top-ranked Notre Dame (3-0) protected the small remains of an early lead to defeat Michigan State 21-13 Saturday afternoon "They made the mistakes but they still won the game" said Michigan State coach George Per les whose team is 1-1 The defending national champions haven't been so plagued by turnovers since their 1988 Cotton Bowl loss to Texas MM "It just wasn't a very pretty thing particularly the four turnovers" Notre Dame coach Lou Holtz said In fact Notre Dame hadn't put the game away until leading 14-13 the Irish got a touchdown run of See NOTRE DAME Page 10G Three Drivers' Tales Grooming New Passer Grooming IN Motorsports writer Tom Higgins tells a tale of three drivers Page 14G i 1 i I 4 i i i 1 I i i 1 I INSIDE Baseball 4G-5G NBA 6G College Football 7G-12G NFL 14G Golf 15G Outdoors 15G Motorsports 14G Update 13G THETOP 25 THE REGION REVENGE Brown understandably a little testier than he ordinarily is after a game said he believes the Tar Heels will be a good team before the season is out and they might The passing game must improve if that's going to happen and that means Brown has to go with the freshman Hall a fifth-year senior has never been better than an average passer and he can't throw deep It's time Brown bit the bullet and started getting Burnette ready The Wolfpack meanwhile has four ACC wins in its pocket and doesn't face another league opponent for three weeks There are two built-in wins coming up over Kent State and Middle Tennessee State then NC State faces Clemson at Clemson And in this league conference victories don't mean anything unless you have one over Clemson Looking at the next couple Sheridan said "We can't relax against anyone We're not an overpowering team" Yeah Tell that to Mack Brown Brown underst ordinarily is after Heels will be a go4 out and they mig prove if that's goi Brown has to go year senior has ril age passer and he Brown bit the but ready The Wolfpack in its pocket and ponent for three wins coming up nessee State then Clemson And in don't mean anyth Clemson Looking at the We can't relax al overpowering teal Yeah Tell that 4 I 401k6 'drV4 if A 4V 01t T'''''il No 1 Notre Dame 21 Michigan State 13 No 2 Miami 38 Missouri 7 No 15 Alabama 15 Kentucky 3 No 9 West Virginia 30 Louisville 21 No 20 Illinois 41 Utah State 2 Stanford 18 No 22 Oregon 17 No 8 Arkansas 24 Mississippi 17 Clemson 31 Maryland 7 South Carolina 21 Georgia Tech 10 NC State 40 North Carolina 6 Howard 10 SC State 7 The Citadel 14 Navy 10 Appalachian 23 James Madison 14 Winston-Salem State 281ivingstone 15 Newport News 25 Methodist 0 One of the few bright spots in Georgia Tech's 1988 season was a surprisingly easy victory over South Carolina Saturday coach Sparky Woods' Gamecocks broke from the gate quickly and exacted revenge on the Yellow Jackets winning 21-10 in Columbia Story 12G Woods A ft!.