THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 3, 1996 TAG: 9611030200
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MIKE NORBUT, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: 63 lines
Hampton University had plenty of opportunities to put Liberty away Saturday.
And if the Pirates had enough time, chances are they would have.
But Stacy Nobles' 4-yard touchdown run with 1:12 remaining lifted the Flames (4-5) to a 34-30 win over Hampton in a see-saw game in which the lead changed hands six times.
The sparse crowd of 2,049 saw the Pirates' second loss in as many games at soggy Armstrong Field. Before this season, Hampton (4-4) had been 16-0 at home dating to 1992.
``It's been the same old story all year,'' Pirates coach Joe Taylor said. ``We've been good. We're just not very lucky.''
Bad luck did not account for Hampton's offense getting only two touchdowns in six trips inside Liberty's 20. But it did play a part in the crucial play of the game, when Donald Turner's fourth-quarter interception of Flames quarterback Ben Anderson at Hampton's 10 was called back because of a defensive holding penalty.
Liberty capitalized on the good fortune on the next play, as Andrew McFadden scored on an 8-yard run. Phillip Harrelson's extra point tied the game at 27.
``I thought that interception called back was the play of the game,'' Taylor said.
``The play was all the way over on the other side of the field. I'll have to wait to watch the film,'' he said when asked if he saw the hold.
Hampton responded to retake the lead with a 14-play, 57-yard drive, culminating in a 26-yard field goal by Todd Covington.
``We were trying to get a touchdown on that last drive,'' said Pirates receiver Mike Jenkins, who had five catches for 81 yards. ``Then we were hoping our defense would stop them so we could get the ball back and stop the clock.
``Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.''
The Flames took over with 6:44 left on the clock at their own 48, and moved methodically down the field behind the powerful running of Nobles, who carried the ball the final seven plays of the 11-play drive to score the decisive touchdown. Nobles finished the day with 41 yards on eight carries, while McFadden had 69 yards on 19 carries. Each scored twice.
``We were fortunate we were able to move the ball,'' Liberty coach Sam Rutigliano said. ``McFadden's not a heavy-duty back, so on the wet field we had to go with the power.''
Liberty was getting along fine without the straight-ahead attack early on, as the Flames jumped to a 17-3 lead behind two touchdown passes from Anderson, who was 27 of 38 for 265 yards. Green Run High graduate Glenwood Ferebee caught four of them for 34 yards.
Hampton clawed back into the game behind the passing of freshman quarterback Roy Johnson (17 of 31, 258 yards, one interception) and the hard hitting of Turner, who jarred the ball loose from McFadden after a completed screen pass early in the second quarter.
Linebacker Montee Foote picked up the fumble and rumbled 15 yards to cut Liberty's lead to 17-10.
The Pirates went in with a 20-17 lead and the momentum at halftime, but both changed often in the second half.
The Flames got it back with a 12-play, 69-yard drive to open the third quarter, capped by Harrelson's 38-yard field goal.
``The difference today had nothing to do with X's or O's,'' Taylor said. ``It's just that Liberty's will was stronger than our will.'' by CNB