THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 26, 1996 TAG: 9609260514
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 104 lines
Florida State coach Bobby Bowden doesn't have any ties to the University of North Carolina, but he seems as happy as anyone over the Tar Heels' surprising 3-0 start this season.
And, why not? He hasn't had to spend most of the week convincing his No. 2-ranked Seminoles that they have to take this ACC foe seriously.
Even Seminole fans are excited about Saturday's game in Tallahassee.
``It is our first home sellout of the season,'' Bowden said Wednesday. ``It is going to be an exciting time with North Carolina coming in undefeated.''
Bowden said the matchup would be the premier game nationally if not for the Notre Dame-Ohio State game.
``It makes a difference when you don't have a (ACC) team coming in here and you are a 25-30 point favorite,'' Bowden said.
``North Carolina is good enough to whip us, and our people know it. This is how you form rivalries when you come into a conference.
``It's like when Virginia beat us last year. That rivalry got hot all of a sudden. If UNC beats us, we've got another rivalry.''
SERIOUSLY, FOLKS: Most people around the league are giving UNC a decent chance of becoming the first ACC team to win in Tallahassee.
Georgia Tech coach George O'Leary thinks the two teams are equal defensively.
``They make you do things you don't want to do,'' he said of the Heels.
Virginia defensive tackle Todd White said he could see the Tar Heels winning if they don't kill themselves with turnovers.
``If Carolina doesn't make many mistakes, it can give Florida State a run for its money,'' White said.
FOOLED YA': Most UNC fans will tell you one reason for the Tar Heels' success is that Mack Brown has opened up the passing game.
Sorry, but that's not right.
Actually, the Heels have completed six fewer passes in 21 fewer attempts for 288 fewer yards than they did in their first three games a year ago.
The difference?
Transfer quarterback Chris Keldorf has thrown six touchdown passes and only one interception while completing 62.7 percent of his passes.
Last year at this time, UNC had completed only one touchdown pass and had six interceptions.
GAINING GROUND: Virginia tailback Tiki Barber can become the first Cavalier to rush for more than 100 yards in the first four games of a season Saturday against Texas.
He also continues to close ground on the school-career rushing record held by Terry Kirby at 3,348 yards. Barber has rushed for 2,412 yards and can take the record by averaging 117.1 per game the remainder of the season. He leads the ACC this year at 127.7 a game.
Barber is confident he will do it if he stays healthy, but he thinks the record will be short-lived.
``Thomas Jones is going to break whatever records I set,'' Barber said of the Cavaliers' freshman running back.
Jones has rushed for 146 yards in three games. Barber rushed for only 41 yards his entire freshman season.
OH, BROTHER: While brother Tiki has his eye on the Heisman Trophy, the Cavaliers' Ronde Barber is one of 10 candidates for the Jim Thorpe Award, presented to the top defensive back in the nation.
Ronde, a junior cornerback, has been first-team All-ACC the past two years and was a third-team All-American last year.
TERPS HEALED: Maryland quarterback Brian Cummings, who separated a shoulder against Virginia two weeks ago, is expected to start Saturday against No. 23 West Virginia.
Coach Mark Duffner said running back Buddy Rogers, slowed by foot and leg problems since preseason camp, is in his best shape since August.
COACH KNOWS BEST: Clemson coach Tommy West is learning that ``doing it the right way'' isn't always the easiest way.
If West had merely winked at some of his players' off-field problems instead of shipping them out, the Tigers might be 2-1 instead of 1-2.
But West isn't second-guessing himself or getting down on what he has left to work with - 74 scholarship players, 11 below the limit.
``We are down some players and that shows up in the record, but we made the right decision on how we want to run this program,'' West said. ``The players we have are working hard and want to win. We just need to rebuild our confidence.''
Look for the Tigers to do that Saturday against Wake Forest.
HOOP NEWS: Duke continues to have problems with point guards in its basketball recruiting.
After saying all summer he wanted to be a Blue Devil, Baron Davis of Santa Monica, Calif., last week gave a verbal commitment to UCLA.
The 6-foot-2 Davis explained he wanted to stay close to home so his grandmother, who raised him, could watch him play.
The good news for Duke is that it's still on the short list of the nation's top two prospects, 6-foot-8 Shane Battier of Birmingham, Mich., and 6-foot-10 Chris Burgess of Irvine, Calif.
The Blue Devils are believed to be the choice of 6-foot-2 William Avery of Oak Hill Academy. Virginia and Clemson also are on his list.
Tonight's game DUKE AT GEORGIA TECH When: 8 p.m.
Where: Dodd Stadium (46,000), Atlanta
Records: Duke 0-3 overall, 0-1 ACC; Georgia Tech 2-1, 2-1
TV: ESPN
Outlook: If a team can't run the ball or stop the other team from running the ball, it usually is in trouble. That makes Duke in trouble tonight against a team with strength on both sides of the ball. Tech lost fullback Charles Wiley for the season, but still has two other backs, C.J. Williams and Charlie Rogers, who rank among the ACC's top 10 rushers. Tech leads the ACC in rushing; Duke is last.
Favorite: Georgia Tech by 17 ILLUSTRATION: Photo
FSU coach Bobby Bowden predicts ``an exciting time'' when UNC visits
Saturday. by CNB