Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 19, 1993 TAG: 9309190203
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHAPEL HILL, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
\ So great has been Florida State's football dominance this season that, after four games, a linebacker is outscoring the opposition.
In what was expected to be their stiffest test, the Seminoles shrugged off an early North Carolina touchdown Saturday night and pulled away in the second half for a 33-7 victory at Kenan Stadium.
It was top-ranked Florida State's 11th consecutive victory as an ACC member and improved the Seminoles' record to 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the conference. North Carolina, ranked 13th, is 3-1, 1-1.
"I don't see anybody in the nation beating them," North Carolina cornerback Jimmy Hitchcock said. "I thought we had 'em. I thought they would get tight because they'd never been down before, but it didn't happen."
The Seminoles, who led 10-7 at the half, buried the Tar Heels with a third-quarter flurry that was capped by an interception and 49-yard return for a touchdown by outside linebacker Derrick Brooks.
It was the third touchdown in as many games for Brooks, two on interceptions and the third on a fumble recovery. Florida State's first four opponents have scored two touchdowns.
"My mood [at halftime] was, `If we're not careful, we're fixing to get beat,' " said Bobby Bowden, the Seminoles' coach. "We had to make some plays and our defense did. That No. 10 [Brooks] again . . . his play wrapped it up."
Brooks stepped in front of a Mike Thomas pass in the right flat and was not touched on his path to the goal line. It gave the Seminoles a 27-7 lead with 4 minutes, 2 seconds left in the third quarter.
"I was in a situation last year where I had the opportunity to make some big plays and I didn't," Brooks said. "This year I was determined that, if the opportunity came again, I wasn't going to pass it up."
Brooks said the Seminoles' priority was stopping a Carolina rushing offense that ranked fourth in Division I-A with 355.7 yards per game. Tailbacks Curtis Johnson and Leon Johnson entered the game ranked 1-2 in the ACC.
The Seminoles rendered Johnson and Johnson ineffective, holding Curtis and Leon to 38 and 14 yards, respectively. Carolina had 104 yards as a team, 17 in the second half.
"Give Florida State credit," said Mack Brown, the Tar Heels' coach. "I thought they were one of the best football teams I've ever seen, and what I saw out there tonight reinforces that."
The Tar Heels were forced to play almost the entire second half without starting quarterback Jason Stanicek, who had a bruised shoulder. Stanicek and Thomas usually share time, so hardly anybody realized Stanicek was injured.
"I hurt it on a play I can't remember," said Stanicek, who left the game after the first series of the second half, with Carolina trailing 10-7. "It then was gradual wear and tear.
"I could've kept playing at the time, but I guess we felt we needed to change the rhythm on offense. I wanted to play, [but] the longer I stayed on the sideline, the stiffer it got until I couldn't raise my arm."
Florida State obviously had watched films of Carolina's game against Maryland, because the Seminoles passed the ball on 20 of their first 23 plays. The Tar Heels were victimized for five touchdown passes in a 59-42 victory over the Terrapins on Sept. 11.
Ward was intercepted on Florida State's first series, however, and he completed just two of his last eight passes to end the half against a defense that dropped as many as eight players in coverage.
Florida State had not trailed at any point in its previous seven games, a streak that ended with 6:21 left in the first quarter when Stanicek connected with diving Bucky Brooks for a 28-yard touchdown pass.
The Seminoles, who fell behind Virginia 3-0 in the eighth game of the 1992 season, did not let the situation last long Saturday. Ward completed all seven of his passes on an 80-yard drive capped by a 16-yard touchdown pass to Warren Dunn.
Dunn did most of the work, breaking two tackles, and there was little question that Carolina was not going to give Ward the long ball.
The Seminoles had 266 yards in total offense at the half, but needed a 27-yard field goal from freshman Scott Bentley to take a 10-7 lead with 48 seconds remaining.
"Charlie was not hot tonight," Bowden said. `'That's going to happen. If you've seen him play before, you know he's been sharper. He threw play after play into the dirt.
"That's why you don't win a national championship unless you play defense. Boy, if our defense keeps up like it's been going, we've got a chance." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB