DATE: Sunday, September 14, 1997            TAG: 9709140238

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C4   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAMES C. BLACK, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: GREENVILLE, N.C.                  LENGTH:   70 lines

ECU RALLIES TO LEAVE DEACONS IN ITS WAKE THE PIRATES SCORED 19 UNANSWERED POINTS TO OVERCOME A 21-0 DEFICIT.

Danny Gonzalez hit Scott Harley on a 6-yard toss with 3:44 left in the fourth quarter in East Carolina's stunning 25-24 victory over Wake Forest before a record crowd of 38,031 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Wake Forest, picking ECU apart play after play, marched up and down the field in its first four possessions to take a 21-0 lead with 9:23 left in the second quarter.

``We knew we would have to put more points on the board,'' Wake Forest coach Jim Caldwell said. ``We didn't and we let it slip away.''

And the Pirates (1-1), hosting an ACC foe for the first time since Wake traveled to Greenville in 1963, were there when the Deacons (1-1) fell flat.

ECU scored 19 straight points after Wake's opening burst and trailed 24-19 before Gonzalez made the unexpected connection.

``The throw, just Danny finding him, was an NFL throw,'' ECU coach Steve Logan said.

``Most NFL quarterbacks don't find the third receiver and he found the fifth.''

In fact, Harley was perhaps more surprised than anyone to be the recipient game-winning toss.

``I thought I had to stay in and pick up someone but I didn't see anyone coming,'' said Harley, who had three catches for 16 yards. ``Then I saw Danny scrambling so I went out for the pass.''

Harley, who was questionable with a left ankle sprain, gained 68 yards on 14 carries.

But Gonzalez to Harley was just one of the big plays that gave ECU its biggest come-from-behind victory since trailing Syracuse 21-0 two years ago.

The Pirates finally got on the board with an 11-yard run by Ramondo North with 6:19 left in the first half, cutting the deficit to 21-7.

Then came ``the kick.''

ECU, desperately looking for a spark, attempted and recovered an on-side kick at Wake's 47. Six players later, fullback Jamie Wilson scored on a 9-yard run to cut the deficit to 21-13.

``We had one bullet in the gun and we had to use it,'' Logan said.

Well the shot had an apparent effect on two teams that were headed in different directions earlier in the quarter.

The plethora of 10-plus yard receptions that highlighted Wake's earlier drives was gone. So too was the containment of ECU linebacker Roderick Coleman and noseguard Travis Darden.

The defensive duo combined for seven sacks - five after intermission - for a combined 52 yards.

``It was bad looking at the scoreboard and seeing it was 21-0,'' said Coleman, who had four sacks. ``In the second half, our second wind kicked in.''

And each play the defense made seemed to lead to a highlight-reel catch on the offensive end.

On the Pirates' opening possession of the fourth quarter, Gonzalez hit a sliding Troy Smith on 4th and 9 for a 34-yard score with 12:06 to cut the deficit to 21-19.

After Matthew Burdick's 30-yard field goal gave Wake a five-point lead with 6:28 left, Smith made another big grab during the game-winning drive.

On first down from ECU's 43, Smith came back to a short pass and made a 44-yard reception.

``I didn't appear open on that one,'' said Smith, who finished with seven catches and 168 yards. ``Danny gave me a chance by hanging it up in the air. I just wanted the ball more than the defender on the ball.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jammie Deese of Wake Forest, left, and Forrest Foster of East

Carolina look for the sign from the referee, confirming a

first-quarter Deacon touchdown.

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