
DATE: Sunday, November 9, 1997              TAG: 9711090163

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHAPEL HILL, N.C.                 LENGTH:   70 lines

SEMINOLES' DEFENSE SUFFOCATES HEELS

North Carolina lost a game, a quarterback, and a shot at the national title all in one frustrating evening Saturday night at Kenan Stadium.

In a game billed as the biggest in UNC history, the No. 5 Tar Heels were no match for No. 3 Florida State, falling 20-3 in front of a record crowd of over 62,000.

As if mighty Michigan and lucky Nebraska hadn't already muddled the minds of national pollsters in earlier matinees, the Seminoles' defense and quarterback Thad Busby put on a heck of a late show to thrust themselves into the run for No. 1.

The Seminoles (9-0, 7-0 ACC) were never threatened by a UNC offense that drove across midfield just once. Florida State sacked UNC quarterback Oscar Davenport seven times, knocking him from the game with an ankle injury midway through the third quarter. He was replaced by backup Chris Keldorf, who was also sacked twice. FSU's nine sacks tied a team record.

The loss snapped the Tar Heels' 10-game winning streak and almost certainly dashed any hopes UNC had of meeting No. 1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. UNC (8-1, 5-1) is now 0-29-1 against teams in the Associated Press top five, and 0-8-1 against FSU. The Seminoles are now 46-1 all-time in ACC games.

A 46-yard field goal was all the Tar Heels could manage on a night when FSU's defense, ranked fourth in the nation, out-performed UNC's second-ranked unit.

Florida State managed just a field goal itself in the second half, but 17 first-half points were more than the Seminoles would need.

The Tar Heels had no answer for the quick, swarming Seminoles, who held them to 9 total yards and sacked Davenport four times.

Meanwhile, the FSU offense, shaky on its first three possessions, began finding soft spots in the UNC defense late in the first quarter. Busby steered clear of UNC's All-American corner, Dre' Bly, and instead began picking on the Tar Heels safeties and linebackers.

After a UNC punt gave FSU the ball on its own 45 with 6:59 left in the quarter, Busby moved the Seminoles 55 yards in seven plays, hitting Melvin Pearsall from eight yards out for the game's first score.

FSU's defense set up its next score, forcing UNC to punt from its own 1. The Seminoles took over at the Tar Heel 28. Two plays later, with the FSU at the 9, E.G. Green beat Robert Williams and made a one-handed grab of a Busby pass in the corner of the end zone.

FSU made it 17-0 on a 32-yard field goal by Sebastian Janikowski. The score was set up by a blocked punt by the Seminole's Brian Allen that gave the Seminoles the ball on the UNC 14.

FSU managed 150 yards offense in the half - 105 through the air - and had 11 first downs to UNC's two.

Florida State moved one step closer to a possible rematch of the 1993 national championship game with No. 1 Nebraska in the Orange Bowl. The Seminoles beat the Cornhuskers 18-16 four seasons ago in Miami to give coach Bobby Bowden his only national title.

The first matchup of top five teams in ACC history occurred on Bowden's 68th birthday and some fans scaled 10-foot fences to sneak past security guards. In addition, more than 500 media credentials were issued and actor Burt Reynolds, who played football at Florida State in the '50s, stood on the Seminoles sideline.

Janikowski added a 40-yarder with 6:58 left in the third quarter. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot

UNC's Oscar Davenport felt the heat all night, this time from FSU's

Andre Wadsworth, as the Seminoles tied a team mark with nine sacks.

Photo

HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot

Florida State's E.G. Green makes a one-handed catch as North

Carolina's Omar Brown defends.