The State from Columbia, South Carolina • 33

2 State Columbia South Carolina Sunday November 2 1986 pass wrecks USC Gamecocks frustrated again 23-22 By HERMAN HELMS Kiwulw KpofW K4Uw RALEIGH NC Chances of a pass working are slim to none But Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium one of the prayer passes clicked for North Carolina State and won another game for Dick Sheridan's "team of The victims were wouldn't you know it? those long-suffering South Carolina Gamecocks Those unlucky snakebit cursed Gamecocks There was no time left on the game clock when State quarterback Erik Kramer fired the desperation ball Split end Danny Peebles surrounded by several defenders made a leaping catch to complete a 33-yard play and give the Wolfpack an incredible 23-22 victory On the previous play last in regulation time the Gamecocks stopped a State running play Thinking the game was over and they had pulled out a 22-17 decision the Carolina players began celebrating as USC spectators raced on the field to congratulate them However Carolina was charged with an offsides penalty and since a game cannot end on a defensive foul the officials cleared the field and called the teams back for the unreal finish THE LAST-GASP win improved State's record to a stunning 6-1-1 in the gifted Sheridan's first season in Raleigh The Gamecocks have lost a series of cliffhangcrs but this one had to be the most painful by far for Joe Morrison's unfortunate squad which has only a 2-5-1 mark to show for some electrifying spectator football Badly outplayed and trailing by 17-3 at halftime the Gamecocks came out smoking in the last half kept chipping away at State's lead and finally surged ahead 22-17 on quarterback Todd Ellis' one-yard sneak for a touchdown with 11:58 to play The go-ahead score by Ellis followed a pass interception and eight- yard return to the Wolfpack 28-yard line by free safety Ron Rabune Scott Hagler kicked field goals of 45 and 21 yards sandwiched around an eight-yard TD pass from Ellis to Sterling Sharpe as Carolina did a 13-0 number on the reeling Wolfpack in the third quarter After they finally got the lead in the fourth period the Gamecocks gave State a chance to come back on them with a scries of questionable and conservative play selections On their next-to-last possession the Gamecocks faced third down-and-one at their 33-yard line A pass play was called but Ellis failed to find a receiver forcing a punt on fourth down by Scott Bame with just over four minutes to play 6 See Gamecocks 5-C Jrfl Ambrrg Tke Mute Heartbreak time for USC: NC Danny Peebles catches game- winning pass despite Ron Rabune (center) Robert Robinson Glemson outlasts Wake 28-20 four TDs key attack Wake Forest: South Carolina vs NC State USC NCS I II 37-113 44-124 297 153 a 9 22-37-3 10-21-2 5-34 -4 1-0 2-0 1-40 3-20 29:42 30:11 First downs Rushes-vards Passing yards Return yards Passes Punls FumMes-lost Penaltias-vards Time of Possession 3 13 14 I 4 22 4 23 NarSi Carolina St FG Cofer 30 Crumpier 1 run (Cnter kick) Crumofer 24 run (Cofer kick) FG Ha Bier 41 FG Hagler 45 USC-Sharaa I pass Irom Elks (Hagler kick) FG Hagler 21 Elks 1 run (pass tailed) NCS-PeeMes 33 pass from Kramer 50230 By BOB COLE Awtrtit IMtUr WINSTON-SALEM NC If Saturday was just another day at the office for Terrence Flagler Rolls Royce is just another car company The talented senior tailback ignored the wet slippery conditions at Groves Stadium and brought new meaning to the phrase "all-purpose by accounting for 274 yards in an outstanding display of football wizardry against Wake Forest He scored four touchdowns two on the ground and two on the receiving end of Rodney Williams passes as the Tigers overcame a slow start and held off the Demon Deacons 28-20 in an Atlantic Coast Conference duel before 20370 (Kenny) Flowers is a candidate for the Heisman Trophy then Flagler is a candidate for Mr said Wake Forest coach A1 Grab of the number Flagler did on his club Satur-day by far the most outstanding tailback we've seal this Flagler set an all-time Clemson single-game all-purpose yardage record bagging 209 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries and catching three passes for 65 yards and two more scores IT WASN'T just the yardage that impressed Groh and the Deacons it was the way he turned ordinary looking plays into works of art His first score was an 88-yard sprint on Clemson 's second play that began with a pitch from Williams He broke a tackle in the backfield cut back against the grain and turned on the after-burners to the end zone for the game's first score He later turned the same play a pitch to the right into a 50-yard scoring run down the right sideline in the second quarter and caught scoring passes of 39 and 21 yards in the third quarter But it took all that plus an outstanding day by the Gemson defense to Jinally subdue the stubborn Deacons who went dowirto 1 who went dowirto the final play CU If 0-302 lfl 44 WFU 27-04 250 II Flnt downs Ruslws-vards Passing yards Return yards Passas Punts FumMes-lost Penalties -yards 13-10-1 17-47-3 7-30 t-44 7-2 0-0 11-100 4-40 Oemsan Wake Forest 7 7 0-21 10 1 7 0-20 Clem-Flagler 00 run (Treadwell kick) WF-FG Hoyle 27 WF-McGM 4 run (Hoyle kick) WF-FG Hoyle 35 Clem-Flagler 50 run (Treadwell kickf WF-McGM 12 run (Hoyle kick) Clem-Flagler 3f pass Irom Ro Williams (TraadwaO kick) Clem-Flagler 21 pess Irom Ro Williams (TraadwaO kick) 20370 before being counted out Wake quarterback Mike Elkins completed just 17 of 47 pass attempts for 250 yards and no touchdowns while suffering three interceptions The last was by Terence Mack with 1:15 remaining and probably ended the hopes of pulling it out Elkins got one last chance with 18 seconds remaining but that one ended with Otis Moore draped on him at the Wake Forest 43 as time expired THE WEv'-IR improved Gem-son's record to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the league Wake Forest fell to 4-4 overall and 1-4 in the ACC Turnovers put Gemson in the hole early and Wake took advantage for a 13-7 lead with 8:13 left in the second quarter 50-yard romp gave Gemson a one-point lead at the half but the Deacons bolted to a 20-14 lead on Darryl McGill's 12-yard scoring run early in the third quarter But Williams turned in one of his best passing days as a collegian hooking up with Flagler on the two scoring I See Tigers 7-C Maur Roktrto The SUM Tiger on the loose Clemson's Terrence Flagler cuts away from Deacons' Kelly Vaughan and sprints for yardage Morrison disputes clock operation By TEDDY HEFFNER Kile Spwii Writer ed in a 33-yard touchdown pass from Erik Kramer to Danny Peebles with no time remaining "I would love to have that clock operator work some of our games in Columbia when we have the opportunity" a bitterly disappointed Morrison said think the last four or five plays were very The series of plays which had Morrison steaming and puffing jerkily at a cigarette began when USC took over with 3:10 to go at its 17 The Gamecocks had used a big second-half rallv to earn a 22-17 lead RALEIGH NC As far as University of South Carolina head football coach Joe Morrison is concerned electric clock operator Larry Honeycutt will never lack a job Honeycutt has a standing invitation to bring his talents to Columbia He was at the controls during a final frantic three minutes Saturday when NC State rallied for a stunning 23-22 victory over USC snap and lost two yards But the clock never started When it was reset just nine seconds were whittled off should have been about Morrison said THE RESETTING also stopped the clock Eventually USC had to punt and a 16-yard shank gave State the first of two last chances A sack appeared to put the final touch on a Carolina win but as State frantically lined up to try one last snap Gus Robinson leaped the center I Set Morrison 5-C Morrison contends the game should come down to a final pass never have that result- Raynard Brown went wide right on the first.