‘D’ In Slush Funds Fsu’s Win

Across the nation

Steady, drenching rain and sloppy ball-handling conditions helped. Bright sunshine and cloudless skies may have made no difference.

Neither of the nation’s two top-ranked defenses appeared to need an assist from foul weather Saturday afternoon at Tallahassee, Fla.

Florida State, trying to protect a No. 2 national ranking and Atlantic Coast Conference supremacy, forged a 13-0 victory over 11th-ranked North Carolina on scoring “drives” involving a cumulative 24 yards and one actual first down.

Sophomore Dexter Jackson blocked two punts to position Scott Bentley for 33- and 37-yard field goals, and the only touchdown came on Warrick Dunn’s 11-yard burst one play after a fortuitous interception-fumble combo by star-crossed Tar Heel freshman cornerback Dre’ Bly.

That was it before a soaked gathering of 80,120 at expanded Doak Campbell Stadium as FSU improved to 3-0 (all in the ACC) and dropped North Carolina to 3-1 (2-1 in the ACC).

FSU, No. 1 in NCAA Division 1-A total defense with a 143.5-yard average yield through two games, permitted North Carolina 187 yards. The Seminoles’ net of 213 yards came against a UNC defense that entered allowing an average of 163.0 yards per game.

East

Syracuse 52, (18) Virginia Tech 21: At Syracuse, N.Y., the Orangemen (1-2, 1-0 in the Big East) ended a 13-game winning streak for the Hokies (3-1, 2-1) with a 17-point spurt in the second quarter, sparked by Tebucky Jones’ 23-yard TD run and Phil Nash’s score on a blocked punt.

(23) West Virginia 13, Maryland 0: At Morgantown, W. Va., Amos Zereoue ran for 145 yards and a TD and the Mountaineers (5-0) held the Terrapins (2-2) to 62 total yards and prevented them from getting past midfield.

Boston College 43, Navy 38: At Boston, Matt Hasselbeck threw for three touchdowns and ran for one and the Golden Eagles (2-2) shut down the Middies’ (2-1) option offense and scored on their first four possessions in the second half.

South

(1) Florida 65, Kentucky 0: At Gainesville, Fla., the Gators (4-0, 2-0 SEC) made their first game as No. 1 a memorable one as Danny Wuerffel threw for three TDs, Jacquez Green returned two punts for scores and the defense held the Wildcats (1-3, 0-1) to five first downs.

Tim Couch, making his first start for Kentucky, was intercepted on his first pass and was 6 of 18 for 13 yards.

(10) Miami 45, Pittsburgh 0: At Miami, Tony Gaiter became the second Hurricanes receiver to catch three TD passes in a game - one an 85-yarder - as Miami (4-0, 2-0 Big East) whipped the Panthers (1-4, 0-2) for its second straight shutout.

(19) Virginia 34, (13) Texas 13: At Charlottesville, Va., Tiki Barber, unfazed by a driving rain, had first-quarter TD runs of 16, 26 and 12 yards as the Cavaliers (4-0) avenged last year’s last-play loss to the Longhorns (2-2).

Southern Miss 24, Louisville 7: Jamaal Alexander returned a fumble 42 yards for a TD and Chandler Smith ran 13 yards to score off a blocked punt to lead the Golden Eagles (4-1, 1-0 Conference USA) over the Cardinals (2-3, 0-1) at Louisville, Ky.

Miss. St. 14, S. Carolina 10: At Columbia, S.C., Izell McGill returned an interception 28 yards for a score and the Bulldogs (2-1, 1-0 SEC) had eight sacks against the Gamecocks (2-2, 1-1).

Clemson 21, Wake Forest 10: At Clemson, S.C., Raymond Priester ran for 187 yards and a touchdown and Billy Luckie directed two long first-half scoring drives to lead the Tigers (2-2, 1-1 ACC) over the Demon Deacons (2-3, 0-3).

Southwest

(12) Colorado 24, Texas A&M 10: At College Station, Texas, Koy Detmer threw TD passes of 50 and 9 yards and the Buffaloes (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) had seven sacks and forced four fumbles in beating the Aggies (1-3, 0-1), who have lost only four of their last 68 games at Kyle Field.

Tulsa 31, Oklahoma 24: At Norman, Okla., the Golden Hurricane (2-2) got a 2-yard touchdown from Solomon White midway through the fourth quarter and made it hold up for their first victory over the Sooners (0-3) in six tries since 1943 and the first in Norman since 1919.

Arkansas 38, NE Louisiana 21: At Little Rock, Ark., the Razorbacks (1-2) avoided their worst start since 1958 with the win over Northeast Louisiana (2-3).

Midwest

(3) Penn St. 23, Wisconsin 20: Brett Conway’s 25-yard field goal with 1:23 left lifted the Nittany Lions (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten) to their first win over Wisconsin (3-1, 0-1) at Madison, Wis.

John Hall’s 58-yard field goal attempt was long enough but sailed 4 feet wide left as the clock expired.

(8) Nebraska 65, Colorado St. 9: At Lincoln, Neb., Scott Frost (13 of 18 for 143 yards) threw two TD passes and ran for a TD as the Huskers (2-1) routed the Rams (2-3).

(25) Northwestern 35, Indiana 17: At Bloomington, Ind., Darnell Autry rushed for 128 yards and three TDs, including runs of 50 and 23 yards, and Steve Schnur threw two TD passes to D’Wayne Bates as the Wildcats (3-1, 1-0 Big Ten) opened defense of their Big Ten title. Autry has topped 100 yards in 17 straight games. Indiana is 2-2, 0-1.

Texas-El Paso 37, Northern Illinois 6: At De Kalb, Ill., backup QB Matt Hickl ran for two touchdowns and passed for one in leading the Miners (2-2) over the Huskies (1-4).

Purdue 42, N.Carolina St. 21: At West Lafayette, Ind., the Boilermakers’ revised backfield paid immediate dividends with Edwin Watson rushing for a career-high 227 yards and scoring three touchdowns as Purdue (1-3) defeated the Wolfpack (0-3).

Michigan St. 47, E. Michigan 0: At East Lansing, Mich., Nigea Carter and Sedrick Irvin each scored two touchdowns and Derrick Mason returned a punt 69 yards as the Spartans (2-2) defeated the Eagles (1-4).

West

Utah 45, (20) Kansas 42: At Salt Lake City, Mike Fouts threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Rocky Henry with 1:39 remaining to lift the Utes (4-1) over the Jayhawks (2-1).

(24) Brigham Young 31, SMU 3: At Provo, Utah, Steve Sarkisian was 23 of 30 for 358 yards and a TD and freshman Ronney Jenkins ran for two TDs for the Cougars (4-1, 2-0 WAC).

All the scoring came in the first half. SMU fell to 2-3, 1-2.

Wyoming 33, UNLV 21: At Las Vegas, Josh Wallwork threw for 305 yards and three touchdowns and the Cowboys (5-0, 3-0 WAC) avoided an upset by rallying to beat the Rebels (0-5, 0-3).

Air Force 45, Rice 17: At Air Force Academy, Colo., Beau Morgan ran for one touchdown and passed for one and fullback Nakia Addison scored twice as the Falcons (3-1, 3-1 WAC) spoiled the WAC debut of the Owls (1-3, 0-1).

New Mexico 27, TCU 7: At Albuquerque, N.M., quarterback Donald Sellers collected 332 total yards and guided New Mexico (4-1 overall, 1-1 WAC) to back-to-back touchdowns to open the game, handing the Horned Frogs (1-2, 0-1) a loss in their WAC debut.

Fresno St. 20, Hawaii 0: Michael Gray rushed for 129 yards and Michael Pittman added 108, leading the Bulldogs (1-3, 1-1 WAC) over the visiting Rainbows (1-4, 0-2), who have yet to score in a conference game this season.