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©GRAPHICS 31,ING. 1990
tee
1991 EAST CAROLINA UNIVERSITY
FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
ORDERING FOOTBALL TICKETS
Season Ticket Prices
Reserved
ECU Faculty/Staff
Economy Plan
(Block of 5 tickets)
DATE OPPONENT TIME
Aug. at Illinois (ESPN) ...... 4:08 p.m.
Sept. MEMPHIS STATE...... 7:00 p.m.
(ParentsT Weekend)
ILLINOIS Sept. 21 at Central Florida ...... 7:00 p.m.
Sept. 28 SOUTH CAROLINA... .1:30 p.m.
(Pirate Club Weekend)
Aug. 31/Champaign, lll. Oct. 5 AKRON oe 2:00 p.m. Akron (HC)
sshpsiceniahethiitlngs Pittsburgh
Head Coach: John Mackovic
Colors: Grange and Bie iii Sel
Nickname: Fighting Illini (Chamber of Commerce Weekend)
Conference: Big Ten ee 2 TAME. es se. 1:30 p.m.
1990 Record: 8-4 (Hall of Fame Weekend)
Primary Offense: Pro-Set Nov. 9 at Southern Mississippi 2:00 p.m.
Primary Defense: 4-3 . Nov. 16 at Virginia Tech........ 1:00 p.m.
Starters Returning: Offense: 6 oom st Mt CRnEEe
Defense: 9
Individual Game
Memphis State
South Carolina
A\ZINNING
_ DIFFERENCE
No matter what the endeavor, at Wachovia Bank we
believe that to consistently outperform the competition,
_ you cai never settle for anything less than your best.
To Order Your Tickets... 4
All Seats Reserved a
{
THE WACHOVIA WAY
oIts more than what we do. Its how we do it.?
Call: 1-800-DIAL ECU Toll Free in N.C.
or (919) 757-4500
Write ECU Athletic Ticket Office
TIMES ARE EASTERN AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE or Minges Coliseum
HEAD COACH: BILL LEWIS Visit: Greenville, NC 27858-4353
ON THE COVER: Senior David Daniels was one of 34 Or: Stop by any Wachovia Bank
finalists in 1990 for the Doak Walker National Running Office in eastern North Carolina
Back Award
HOME GAMES IN ALL CAPS
Series vs. ECU:
Illinois leads, 1-0
First Meeting:
=X Oy 210) BIN Y-WAOIN AVA pte) Ain a
1991 FOOTBALL
Sept. 19, 1987
in Champaign
(UL, 20-10)
SOUTH
CAROLINA
AKRON
Sept. 28/ Greenville, NC
Head Coach: Sparky Woods
Colors: Garnet and Black
Nickname: Gamecocks
Conference: Independent
(SEC in 1992)
1990 Record: 6-5
Primary Offense: Multiple
Primary Defense: Multiple
Starters Returning: Offense: 6
Defense: 6
Series vs. ECU:
USC leads, 8-0
Oct. 5/Greenville, NC
Head Coach: Gerry Faust
Colors: Blue and Gold
Nickname: Zips
Conference: Independent
1990 Record: 3-7-1
Primary Offense: Multiple 1
Primary Defense: Multiple 50
Starters Returning: Offense: 3
Defense: 7
Series vs. ECU:
First meeting
beginning July 22.
TULANE
SOUTHERN
MISSISSIPPI
Nov. 2/ Greenville, NC
Head Coach: Greg Davis
Colors: Green and Blue
Nickname: Green Wave
Conference: Independent
1990 Record: 4-7
Primary Offense: Pro Style
Primary Defense: 4-3
Starters Returning: Offense: 5
Defense: 5
Series vs. ECU:
First Meeting
Tulane
Green Wave
Nov. 9/ Hattiesburg, Miss.
Head Coach: Jeff Blower
Colors: Black and Gold
Nickname: Golden Eagles
Conference: Independent
1990 Record: 8-4
Primary Offense: Pro-I
Primary Defense: 50
with variation
Starters Returning: Offense: 7
Defense: 7
Series vs. ECU:
. USM leads, 13-3
For Tickets Call:
MEMPHIS
STATE
CENTRAL
FLORIDA
Sept. 14/Greenville NC
Head Coach: Chuck Stobart
Colors: Blue and Gray
Nickname: Tigers
Conference: Independent
1990 Record: 4-6-1
Primary Offense: Pro Set
Primary Defense: 50
Starters Returning: Offense: 9
Defense: 5
Series vs. ECU:
ECU leads 1-0
First Meeting:
Nov. 3, 1990
at Memphis
(ECU, 24-17)
Sept. 21/ Orlando, Fla.
Head Coach: Gene McDowell
Colors: Black and Gold
Nickname: Knights
Conference: Independent
(Div. I-AA)
1990 Record: 10-4
Primary Offense: Multiple/
Pro-Set
Primary Defense: Multiple
Starters Returning: Offense: 2
Defense: 6
Series vs. ECU:
First Meeting
SPORTS
SYRACUSE
PITTSBURGH
Oct. 12/Syracuse, NY
Head Coach: Paul Pasqualoni
Colors: Orange
Nickname: Orangemen
Conference: Big East
1990 Record: 7-4-2
Primary Offense: Pro-Option
Primary Defense: 3-4,
Multiple, 4-3
Starters Returning: Offense: 5
Defense: 6
Series vs. ECU:
Syracuse leads, 2-0
Oct. 26/ Greenville, NC
Head Coach: Paul Hackett
Colors: Blue and Gold
Nickname: Panthers
Conference: Big East
1990 Record: 3-7-1
Primary Offense: Multiple Pro
Primary Defense: Multiple 3-4
Base
Starters Returning: Offense: 10
Defense: 5
Series vs. ECU:
Pitt leads, 2-0
Last Meeting:
Nov. 18, 1989
Pitt, 17-10
VIRGINIA
TECH
CINCINNATI
Nov. 16/ Blacksburg, Va.
Head Coach: Frank Beamer
Colors: Maroon and Orange
Nickname: Hokies
Conference: Big East
1990 Record: 6-5
Primary Offense: Multiple
Primary Defense: Wide-Iackle-Six
Starters Returning: Offense: 7
Defense: 8
Series vs. ECU:
Virginia Tech
leads, 3-2
Last Meeting:
Sept. 15, 1990
VPI, 24-23
Nov. 23/ Cincinnati, OH
Head Coach: Tim Murphy
Colors: Red and Black
Nickname: Bearcats
Conference: Independent
1990 Record: 1-10
Primary Offense: Multiple
Primary Defense: Multiple 50
Starters Returning: Offense: 10
Defense: 8
Series vs. ECU:
ECU leads, 5-0
Last Meeting:
Oct. 20, 1990
ECU, 56-32
The 1991 football season holds a lot of
promise for East Carolina University.
First, Coach Bill LewisT squad returns 30
lettermen, of which 14 are starters. Eight
starters return on the offensive side of the
ball including every skill position except
one wide receiver. '
Second, the Pirates will open up the
1991 season on ESPN against Illinois. The
Aug. 31 national televised game is ECUTs
first since a TBS contest against Miami
(Fla.) in 1986.
Third, ECU sports its first pre-season
All-America with linebacker Robert Jones.
The senior from Blackstone, Va. is a top
candidate for the Butkus Award, given an-
nually to the nationTs top linebacker. He is
the leading returning tackler in the nation
with 167 stops last season.
ci ee Re
For every positive, there comes some
negatives. And that gives Lewis and his
staff some worries entering the 1991
season.
First, with a lot of the starters returning,
there are none in the secondary. Only
Derrick Fields has some starting experience
in the secondary and he has been fighting
injury problems for the last 12 months. The
Pirates signed two junior college defensive
backs in hopes they can fill the void.
Football Coaching Staff
Head Coach:
Bill Lewis (East Stroudsburg State, 63)
Assistant Coaches:
Steve Logan (Tulsa, 75)
Quarterbacks/Offensive Coordinator
Steve Shankweiler (Davidson, T75)
Offensive Line/Offensive Coordinator
Mike Cassity (Kentucky, 75)
Defensive Coordinator/Secondary
Cary Godette (East Carolina, 77)
Defensive Line
Dave Huxtable (Eastern Illinois, T78)
Inside Linebackers /
Special Teams Coordinator
Jeff Jagodzinski (Wisconsin-Whitewater, 85)
Tight Ends «
Greg Nord (Kentucky, T79)
Runningbacks
Bob Slowik (Delaware, T76)
Outside Linebackers
Dale Steele (South Carolina, T76)
Wide Receivers / Recruiting Coordinator
Director of Strength and Conditioning:
Jeff Connors (Salem College, T80)
Director of Sports Medicine:
Rod Compton (Ohio University, 69)
Equipment Manager:
Fred Sponhaltz (Anderson College, 51)
Date Opponent ;
Aug. % at Illinois (ESPN)
Sept. 14 MEMPHIS STATE "
(ParentTs Weekend)
Sept. 2 at Central Florida
Sept SOUTH CAROLINA
(Pirate Club Weekend)
etre AKRON
(Homecoming)
Oct. at Syracuse
Oct. 26 oPITTSBURGH
Nov. 2 ° TULANE
(Hall of Fame Weekend)
Nov. 9 at Southern Mississippi
Nov. 16 at Virginia Tech
Nov. 23 at Cincinnati
All Times Eastern
Greg Grandison will see a lot of time at
strong safety after transferring from Pearl
River Junior College. He began his col-
legiate career at the University of Florida,
where he started four games as a redshirt
freshman.
Aaron Harvey will also see plenty of
playing time, probably at free safety. He
comes to ECU from Garden City Com-
munity College.
Second, the schedule is another tough
one. The Pirates open against Illinois and
also play South Carolina, Syracuse, Pitts-
burgh, Southern Mississippi and Virginia
Tech.
The Pirates close the season with three
straight road games against Southern Miss,
Virginia Tech and Cincinnati.
Kw ok
A solid cast of talent takes the field to
handle the tough opposition. On offense,
quarterback Jeff Blake returns after a
banner junior season, where he broke the
school record for total offensive yardage.
oJeff is still learning the position,? said
Lewis, oand that is kind of scary when you
think of his talents. He has put himself in
(Chamber of Commerce Weekend)
a position to have an outstanding senior
season.?
Blake is surrounded by outstanding skill
players.
David Daniels and Michl Rhett return
at fullback while Cedric Van Buren and
newcomer Charles Miles will see the bulk
of the duty at tailback.
Daniels was a top 35 finalist for the
Doak Walker National Running Back
Award and Rhett is a tough blocker and
hard-nosed runner. Van Buren had an
outstanding spring and has picked up a
step or two. Miles is a junior college
transfer who quickly became one of the
PiratesT fastest players.
Luke Fisher is one of the premier tight
ends in the country. His 35 catches for 534
yards demonstrate his effectiveness as a re-
ceiving threat. He is also an outstanding
blocker, at the line of scrimmage and
downfield. He has become an important
figure in the offense. If the Pirates are to
succeed this season, Fisher will have to
figure prominently in the offense.
Dion Johnson is now a full-time wide
receiver after splitting time between that
spot and running back last season. Johnson
SS TES EE EI SS PR LEE TSE
is another burner who has deep threat
potential. Hunter Gallimore will start at the
other receiver spot. He is a textbook
possession receiver who has great hands.
Ko RE
The offensive line returns four starters
including Tom Scott, a 6-7, 338 pound
tackle, who has the potential to be ECUTs
best ever.
Scott, only a junior, was a pre-season
All-Independent choice by College & Pro
Football Newsweekly.
Keith Arnold, Nick Wilson and Mike
McCalop give the Pirates plenty of ex-
perience on the offensive line and
sophomore Jerry Keller has a ton of poten-
tial at a guard spot.
% KOR
One player stands out on the defensive
side of the ball. For three years, Robert
Jones has been a mainstay and this season,
should be no different. He has made vir-
tually everyone's pre-season All-America
team. Jones had his best spring and should
be even better than last seasonTs 167 tackles.
Ken Burnette will start alongside Jones
at inside linebacker while Tony Davis and
Ernie Lewis will see plenty of playing time.
Another junior college transfer, Mike
Bystol, should start at one defensive tackle
spot. The College of DuPage transfer quick-
ly became ECUTs strongest player and that
should make a big factor on the defensive
front. Derek Taylor will return again at
noseguard and Greg Gardill sees another
season at a tackle spot.
The defensive end spot is deep with
Jerry Dillon and Bernard Carter getting the
starting nods. Both have outstanding
athlete talent and should give the Pirates
a big-play defender on both sides of
the ball. Stephen Braddy and Marc
Washington will also see plenty of playing
time at the defensive end spots.
a Oe
The secondary is Young. Gone are Ed
Brogdon, Ernest Tynes and Richard
Wright"three starters from last season.
JUCO transfers Greg Grandison and Aaron
Harvey will help out returning starter Chris
Hall and redshirt freshman Fred Walker
and Anthony Freeman will also see plenty
of playing time.
Other young players like Greg Floyd
(Soph.), Garrett Beasley (Soph.) and Tim
Marshmon (jr.) will each get a crack at
starting positions. Floyd played running
back last season while Beasley and
Marshmon have seen limited playing time.
rh taketh: canbe
The special teams look as solid as any
time under LewisT tenure. John Jett returns
for his senior season. He's a solid punter
who has a knack for hitting the coffin
corner. His average has suffered due to his
accuracy. Anthony Brenner redshirted last
year, but kicked four of six field goals
during his freshman season in 1989.
Dion Johnson and Hunter Gallimore
give ECU a threat in the kickoff and punt
return department. Last season, Johnson
was ninth in the nation in kickoff returns
and 10th in all-purpose rushing. Against
Temple, Johnson returned a kickoff and
punt for touchdowns.
2 ee x
The one thing that the Pirates can't af-
ford to have happen is what happened last
season " injuries. This is still a young team
and the second and third units do not have
a lot of experience. Lewis and the coaching
staff would rather wait until the 1992
season to put some of his younger players
in key roles.
Urive
.
ts
"Jack."
armbar &
[
%
?
TheDaily
Reflector
i bec oer
- Sunday, September 1, 1991
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. " A little
celebrating too early may have
cost East Carolina a chance to
celebrate later.
And head coach Bill Lewis
would like a clear explanation.
They said we were celebrating
in their bench area,? said Lewis.
explaining a 15-yard unsport-
smanlike penalty that helped
thwart a stirring comeback that
ended in a 38-31 loss to Illinois in
the season-opener for both teams
Saturday afternoon. oITve got to
get an interpretation on that.?
_ A new rule in college football
this season, generically tabbed the
oMiami Rule,? penalizes teams
for taunting and overzealous
celebrating.
But, Lewis queried, where do
you draw the line?
oThe nature of where that ball
was recovered " ITve never heard
of people drawing lines of where
you could celebrate,T he said.
oITm not saying the officials were
wrong by any means.
Natural exuberance and cele-
brations are permitted. If a guy
intercepts a ball and goes out of
bounds, youTre telling me he canTt
come up out of bounds and cele-
brate. He could very well be in the
bench area.
oThatTs what happened. We took
possession of the ball and got
Klingler sets
NCAA mark
in 73-3 win
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
po
oYou play first-and-10 a heck of a lot different than
you play first-and-25. Although we had used our
time-outs, we still had enough clock time to do
what we wanted to do.?T
Knocked out of bounds with it ...
ITm going to have to look at it on
the film. There could be more to
it. Our kids could have been guilty
of verbal taunting. ITll look for
that.?
Here was the situation:
East Carolina, trailing once by
as much as 38-10, had just scored
on an 80-yard pass from Jeff Blake
to Dion Johnson to get within 38-31
with 1:56 left.
"Bill Lewis
The Pirates had one time-out
remaining. Recovering an on-side
kick was their only hope.
Sophomore Anthony Brenner
sent a wobbly kick toward the II-
-linois bench. The ball ricocheted
off the hands of two players and
was grabbed by ECUTs Clayton
Driver.
Pirate players reacted. A penal-
ty was called, backing ECU from
S
comeback against Illi
e NFL
the Illini 46 to its 41 and setting up
a first-and-25.
After one incompletion, Blake
was dropped for a 4-yard loss.
Passes of 7 yards to Driver and 8
yards to tight end Luke Fisher
followed, but the Bucs were 14
yards shy of a first down.
Illinois took over and killed the
clock.
oYou play first-and-10 a heck of
a lot different than you play first-
and-25,? Lewis said. Although we
had used our time-outs, we still
had enough clock time to do what
we wanted to do.?T
Before that, Illini junior
quarterback Jason Verduzco and
Blake staged an incredible rial
show for a national television au-
dience and a Memorial Stadium
¢ College Football "
¢ Major League Baseball
, @ ? ;
turnout of 46,313.
Verduzco, with ample time to
stand in the pocket and pick his
receivers, threw for 352 yards "
six shy of a career high. Blake, of-
ten forced to scramble and sacked
six times, was one yard better
with 353 yards " a new ECU
school record.
Verduzco completed 25-of-36
passes. Three were for
touchdowns. He was not in-
tercepted.
Blake hit on 21-of-42. He also had
three for TDs. He was intercepted
once.
oI think it was a pretty good
display of two quarterbacks
throwing that thing around pretty
(See PIRATES, C-12)
Haarhuis upsets
limping Becker
Connors advances to fourth round
__
By Melissa Isaacson
TQ
%,
bd
First Quarter
ECU: Jeff Blake 1 run (Anthony Brenner kick), 11:30. Scoring Drive:
10 plays, 83 yards after kickoff. Time Elapsed: 3:30. Key Plays: Jeff
Blake pass to Luke Fisher for 19 yards on third-and-five from the ECU
23, Blake 16 pass to Fisher, Cedric Van Buren 17 run. Score: ECU 7, II-
linois 0.
Illinois: Chris Richardson 32 field goal, 9:42. Scoring Drive: 5 plays,
48 yards after kickoff. Time Elapsed: 1:48. Key plays: Jason Verduzco
15-yard pass to Kameno Bell, Verduzco 31-yard pass to Gus Palma.
Score: ECU 7, Illinois 3.
Illinois: Elbert Turner 4 pass from Verduzco (Richardson kick), 6:27.
Scoring Drive: 5 plays, 20 yards after Fimel Johnson interception. Time
Elapsed: 2:50. Key Plays: Scott Turner 9-yard run on reverse, Verduzco
4-yard pass to Elbert Turner on third-and-goal from the 4 yard-line.
Score: Illinois 10, ECU 3.
Illinois: Ken Dilger 8 pass from Verduzco (Richardson kick), :20.
Scoring Drive: 8 plays, 60 yards after punt. Time Elapsed: 2:54. Key
plays: Verduzco passes of 17 and 11 yards to Elbert Turner, Verduzco
8-yard pass to Dilger for TD. Score: Illinois 17, ECU 7.
Second Quarter
ECU: Brenner 50-yard field goal, 10:50. Scoring Drive: 12 plays, 47
yards after kickoff. Time Elapsed: 4:30. Key Plays: Blake 12-yard pass
to Clayton Driver, Blake 10-yard pass to Fisher, Blake 6-yard run on
third-and-1. Score: Illinois 17, ECU 10.
Illinois: Kameno Bell 55 run (Richardson kick), 2:21. Scoring Drive: 2
plays, 55 yards after punt. Time Elapsed: :20. Key Play: BellTs 55-yard
run. Score: Illinois 24, ECU 10.
Third Quarter
Illinois: Bell 13 run (Richardson kick), 10:41. Scoring Drive: 10 plays
66 yards after kickoff. Time Elapsed: 4:19. Key Plays: Verduzco 7-yard
pass to Bell on third-and-6, 19-vard pass to Steve Feagin, 11-yard pass to
Bell, 21-yard pass to John Wright, BellTs 13-yard run. Score: Illinois 31,
ECU 10.
Illinois: Palma 21 pass from Verduzco (Richardson kick), 4:22. Seor-
ing Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards after punt. Time Elapsed: 2:00. Key Plays:
Verduzco 37-yard and 21-yard passes to Palma. Score: Illinois 38, ECU
10.
ECU: Dion Johnson 40 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 3:16. Scoring
Drive: 4 plays, 67 yards after kickoff. Time Elapsed: 1:06. Key Plays:
15-yard pass interference penalty, BlakeTs pass to Johnson. Score: II-
linois 38, ECU 17.
Fourth Quarter
ECU: Clayton Driver 16 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 14:48. Scor-
ing Drive: 8 plays. 65 yards atter fumble recovery by Bernard Carter.
Time elapsed: 1:32. Key Plavs: Blake 17-yard pass to Fisher. Junior
Smith 11-yard run. BlakeTs pass to Driver. Score: Illinois 38, ECU 24.
ECU: Johnson 80 pass trom Blake (Brenner kick), 1:56. Scoring
Drive: 1 play, 80 yards. Time Elapsed: :12 seconds, after punt. Key
Play: BlakeTs pass to Johnson. Score: Illinois 38, ECU 31.
Pirat
(Continued from C-1)
effective early in the season,?
Lewis said.
The two teams " finding little
resistance " combined to churn
out 1,035 total yards.
Illinois had the more effective
running game, picking up 190
yards. A big chunk of that came
from Kameno Bell, who rushed for
108 yards and two touchdowns.
Bell also caught five passes for 60.
yards.
Elbert Turner was VerduzcoTs
favorite target, hauling in seven
passes for 78 yards and one TD.
Gus Palma caught four passes for
114 yards.
oOur offense made a lot of
plays, especially early in the
game,? Illinois head coach John
Mackovic said. Jason was pretty
sharp and our offensive line did an
excellent job.?
Blake spread his passes to nine
different receivers. Fisher had
eight receptions for 95 yards and
Johnson had five for 157.
With the Illini loading up to stop
the option, ECU resorted to the
pass from the start. Blake went to
the air the first six plays. Five
were complete.
oIf people are going to line up
and defend the option we are going
to throw,? Lewis said. They were
well-prepared to stop option. The
next thing we were going to go to
was throwing the football.?T
But after an impressive 10-play,
83-yard drive after the opening
kickoff. ECU sputtered.
By then, Verduzco had_ the
Fighting Illini up 38-10.
BlakeTs 40-yard pass to Johnson
and Anthony BrennerTs PAT got
the Pirates within 38-17 with 3:16
left in the third period. A fumble
forced by Robert Jones and recov-
The Associated Press
IllinoisT Julyon Brown (60) and Dana Howard stop ECUTs
Charles Miles behind the line of scrimmage .
ered by Bernard Carter at the
ECU 35 set up the next score " a
16-yard toss to Driver on a timing
pattern in the back right corner of
the end zone 12 seconds into the
fourth period.
The touchdown was a carbon
copy of the previous play in which
Hunter Gallimore was ruled out of
the end zone.
ECU missed two chances to inch
closer when BrennerTs 37-yard
field goal try was off the mark
and BlakeTs pass to Driver fell in-
complete on a fourth-and-14 from
nin i... eee
the 24.
But after a booming 67-yard
punt by Forry Wells, Blake found
Johnson on a crossing pattern
near the ECU 40 and the 5-7
Speedster raced in untouched to
complete an 80-yard play.
After BrennerTs PAT made it
38-31, ECU recovered the on-side
kick.
The Fighting Illini were down
7-0 before their offense walked on
the field, but scored on four ot
their first five possessions in the
first half to take a 24-10 lead.
The Daily
Reflector
Sunday, September 15, 1991
Sports
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
East CarolinaTs Dion Johnson goes against Memphis StateTs Dominic Calloway during first quarter action
Johnson makes play of the game
By Woody Peele
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Karly in the fourth quarter,
Memphis State kicked a 35-yard
field goal to pull into a tie with
East Carolina at 13-all.
East Carolina had dominated
the first quarter, but the Tigers
had taken the momentum away.
Over the second and third periods,
Memphis State had rushed 36
times for 187 yards and connected
on eight of 14 passes for 82 yards.
At the same time, East Carolina
had rushed just 11 times for 38
yards and hit on four of 10 passes
for 114 yards, including a con-
troversial 58-yarder from Jeff
Blake to Hunter Gallimore at the
end of the first half.
But it came down to the final
12:43, and ECU needed to take
command.
It didnTt start out well, however:
After Dion Johnson had returned
the kickoff to the 37, the Pirates
were hit with a five-yard pro-
cedure penalty, but Johnson got
that back on first down with a run.
Then on second and 10 at the 39,
came the play of the game.
It was X-19,TT Johnson
reported. oI switched places with
Hunter and lined up on the line.?T
Jeff Blake took the snap and
started to his right as if to run the
option. They had been jumping
up on the option and their free
safety had been filling an alley
College Football
hard (on that side). I just got it to
Dion and he got the yards.?
Johnson took the handoff, head-
ed the other way, then got an
outstanding block from tight end
Luke Fisher.
oI donTt know who it was, but I
kind of looped on him and blind-
sided him,?T Fisher said.
He really decked him,TT Coach
Bill Lewis added.
That sprang Johnson loose at the
corner and he picked up blocking
all the way to the Tiger 30, a 33-
yard gainer.
Blake later hit Johnson for 10
more for a first down at the six
and a couple of plays later,
Damon Wilson leaped over left
tackle for the score with 7:29 left.
After that, the Pirates were able
to halt MSU and drive down for a
field goal attempt that missed to
the left with 30 seconds left. Two
plays later an interception by
Chris Hall ended any further
hopes of the Tigers.
GallimoreTs catch just before
the end of the half was controver-
sial. He appeared to pull the ball
in while still in bounds, but juggl-
ed it as he crossed the boundary.
The official called it a good catch,
putting the ball on the six despite
MSU playersT attempts to indicate
what had happened.
oThereTs no question it was a
big play,? Lewis said. I thought
he got a foot down in bounds, but I
didnTt know he juggled the ball.?
® College Football
¢ Major League Baseball
© Outdoors
Bucs follow
ScottTs lead,
whip Tigers
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
The reasons for East CarolinaTs
20-13 college football win over
Memphis State Saturday night are
big and little.
Big as in Tom Scott. Little as in
Dion Johnson.
The Pirates rode Scott, all 6-7
and 338 pounds of him, while per-
sistently banging away at a
vaunted Tiger defense that had
given up just 20 points in two
games. Then they gave the ball to
Johnson, all 5-8 and 164 pounds of
him, when they needed a big play.
The result put a big smile on the
face of head coach Bill Lewis.
oI donTt know if you and our
fans enjoyed it, but I enjoyed it, I
really did,T Lewis said in his
postgame press conference. That
was fun to be out there coaching in
that game because that to me is
what football is all about.?T
What made it fun was being able
to put together two long fourth-
quarter drives " one to snap a
13-all tie and one to virtually run
out the clock.
Scott was a BIG reason for that.
oUp until tonight I didnTt feel I
had been as good a leader as I
thought I could be,T Scott said.
(Offensive) Coach (Steve) Logan
had told me we were going to pro-
ve, Starting tonight, that if we
want to run the ball on short yard-
age that we can run behind me
with confidence and get it. I
wanted to prove something.?
And he didnTt waste any time.
When the Pirates wanted to
establish something early, they
went behind Scott. Four con-
secutive plays on the opening
possession netted 18 yards and a
first down. Two passes followed.
Both were incomplete. ECU
punted.
In the fourth period with the
possession of the ball and time to
kill, they went ScottTs way again.
GAME 2:
Memphis State
at ECU
aa
7 ECU
pee rear Memphis st. E
Yards rushing
(Continued from C-1)
63-yard march.
ner was able to convert again.
end zone.
: ! : 81, Smith 4-10, Rhett 2-6, Wilson
224 Time of possession ECU MSU a
Team :
fat Total first downs 20 22
Yards passing First downsrushing " 11 15 PASSING"Memphis State:
130 First downs passing © 8 «== 5s Benton 9-19-0-90, Cole 3-2-1-40;
irst down p eal -12-(-
Lad Thirddownefficiency 5-13 7-15 East Carolina: Blake 10-18-0-177,
SEB ites Total net yards 371 354 OTConnell 1-0-0-0.
Total plays 65 73
Ave. gain per play 5.7 4.8 RECEIVING"Memphis
: Net yards rushing 194130 State: Bush 5-58, Jones 4-35,
Kickoff return yards First downs Rushes : 46 0 Gebyciz, Bynum 1-27, Porter
63 oe me feaath eal i 177 130 1-3; East Carolina: Fisher 2-40,
c ce by Completed-attempted 10-19 12-23 Johnson 4-40, Gallimore 2-66,
ea te Up eial Yards per pass play 9.3 Sit Driver 2-31.
at 2 HM Sacked-yards lost 3-20 108
= 0 Had intercepted 0 : INTERCEPTIONS"Memphis
Sisal Saat es hp A a tt Total plays Punts-avg. os a State: None; East Carolina:
Total return yards 57 115 Hall 1-0
0 3 Punts-return yds 6 52
0 BF Kickoffs-return yds 51 63
Total return yards wif completed | | yds ve Ac OFFICIALS"Referee: David
ee 1 10 The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis Fumbles-lost 10 3-0 Small; Line Judge, John
hee P ttempted ; Time of possession 28.37 31:23 McGrath; Field Judge, Bill
Et al Seal 53 eee Clayton Driver lunges to grab a Jeff Blake pass for a_ touchdown late in the first half of SaturdayTs game Lange; Back Judge, Paul
F119 Individual Jones; Umpire, Tommy Rose;
i sist Linesman, Jay David; Side
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total @ e » e ® statis sical Judge, Grady Ray.
his Stat 3 7 3 3 ] U a alns ] ers RUSHING"Memphis State:
Memphis State 0 1 : Benton 12-33, Crawford 5-27,
East Carolina | 3 celeron armel meen 9 rll Porter 16-86, Bosby 14-74, Jones TIME"2:50.
Team stats
2.
Carolina: Blake 6-9, Johnson 8-
And again. And again.
They drained all but 30 seconds
of the 6:18 that remained when
they took over. A missed field goal
by Anthony Brenner kept Mem-
phis StateTs faint hopes alive, but
Chris Hall came up with an in-
terception with 16 seconds left to
seal it.
With the way they were struc-
tured defensively, there was soft
spot,TT Lewis said. To be able to
get the benefit of TomTs big body
moving at that soft spot was what
we wanted. He was able to go out
and get movement. We just stayed
behind him.?T
If it ainTt broke, donTt fix it, in
other words.
Johnson, seeing time both in the
backfield and at wide receiver,
rushed for 64 yards on eight car-
ries and caught four passes for 40
yards. His 33-yard run on a
reverse proved the crucial play in
the winning drive.
oThe coaches decided they
wanted to get the ball in my hands
so they just utilized me in the
backfield as well,T Johnson said.
Cedric Van Buren led ECU with
81 yards on 18 carries.
oI thought the key was CedricTs
ability " and Michl Rhett was
in there some " to find a soft spot
in the defense and not just slam up
in there into a bunch of bodies,?
Lewis said. We got some move-
ment at the line of scrimmage.?T
A Ficklen Stadium turnout of
32,382 saw these two teams scoff
at this age of high-tech offense,
turn back the clock and play a lit-
tle grind-it out football.
Memphis State (1-2) ran the ball
50 times for 224 yards. ECU (1-1)
ran it 46 times for 194 yards.
The two teams combined to
throw just 42 passes. ECU
quarterback Jeff Blake alone
threw 42 in the season-opener
against Illinois.
oYouTve got to take the moment
(See PIRATES, C-4)
64, Daniels 6-23, Van Buren 18-
3, Robinson 1-1; East
ATTENDANCE"32,382.
HOW THEY SCORED
ECU " Brenner 29 field goal, 6:14, Ist. Scoring Drive: 1v
plays, 44 yards. Time Elapsed: 4:33. Key Plays: Blake
passes of 11 and 17 to Johnson. Score: ECU 3, MSU 0. _
MSU " Allison 26 field goal, 1:41, 2nd. Scoring Drive: 9
plays, 58 yards. Time Elapsed: 2:08. Key Plays: Benton
26-yard keeper. Score: ECU 3, MSU 3.
ECU " Driver 19 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), :30,
2nd. Scoring Drive " 6 plays, 75 yards. Time Elapsed:
1:11. Key Play: Blake 58 pass to Gallimore. Score: ECU
10, MSU 3.
MSU " Bosby 3 run (Allison kick), 7:57, 3rd. Scoring
Drive: 15 plays, 86 yards. Time Elapsed: 7:03. Key Plays:
Benton passes of 27 to Bynum and 15 to Bush, Porter 4-
yard run on fourth-and-1 from the ECU 49. Score: ECU 10,
MSU 10.
ECU " Brenner 39 field goal, 4:00, 3rd. Scoring Drive "
9 plays, 58 yards. Time Elapsed: 3:57. Key Plays: Blake
passes of 13 yards to Driver and 25 yards to Fisher. Score:
ECU 13, MSU 10.
MSU " Allison 35 field goal, 12:43, 4th. Scoring Drive: 14
plays, 52 yards. Time Elapsed: 6:17. Key Play: Cole pas of
12 to Jones on third-and-9. Score: ECU 13, MSU 13.
ECU " Wilson 1 run (Brenner kick), 7:49, 4th. Scoring
Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards. Time Elapsed: 4:54. Key Play:
Johnson 33-yard run on reverse. Score: ECU 20, Memphis
State 13.
and be able to adjust to it,TT Lewis
said. oI donTt know if you can say
what you prefer, but as an old
defensive coach you like to see a
game like tonight. I love to coach
in that kind of football game.
oThat to me is what football is
all about. It came down to a jaw-
to-jaw confrontation in the second
half.?T
The final two quarters were a
game of keep-away. The Tigers,
mixing the running of Leon Bosby,
Xavier Crawford and Larry
Porter with just enough passes
from quarterback Keith Benton to
keep ECU honest, hogged the ball
for 11 minutes, three seconds in
the third quarter.
The Pirates kept the ball more
than 11 minutes in the final period.
ECU was able to piece together
what proved to be the winning
drive in the fourth period after
Memphis State tied it at 13-all with
12:45 to go. And it had to over-
come two penalties in the process.
JohnsonTs 33-yard dash, made
possible by a jarring block by
Luke Fisher, keyed the 9-play,
Van Buren contributed a 10-yard
run and Blake connected for 10
yards to Johnson and eight yards
to Hunter Gallimore. The 10-yard
toss to Johnson gave ECU a first
down at the six. Three plays later,
Damon Wilson " on his only carry
of the night " hurdled in from the
one.
A fumble on a reverse foiled the
TigersT attempt to strike back.
After they punted, ECU followed
ScottTs lead.
In a first half dominated by
defense and some timely punts by
ECUTs John Jett (back-to-back
55-yarders) and Memphis StateTs
Jeff Buffaloe (two punts inside the
five), ECU broke on top on Bren-
nerTs 33-yard field goal with 6:11
left in the first period. An illegal
procedure penalty wiped out a 29-
yarder the play before, but Bren-
Memphis State tied at 3-all with
just 1:41 left in the half when Joe
Allison capped a 9-play, 58-yard
drive with a 26-yard field goal.
Allison had missed a 23-yarder on
the TigersT previous possession.
ECU drove 75 yards in just six
plays to take a 10-3 lead into
halftime. Blake uncorked a_58-
yard bomb to Gallimore to move
the ball to the six.
Gallimore, sprinting down the
left sideline, adjusted to the ball
coming over his outside shoulder
and made a spectacular grab "
perhaps out of bounds but ruled
good nonetheless.
After being backed up 13 yards
on an 8-yard sack of Blake and a
penalty, ECU struck when Blake
found Clayton Driver on a fade
pattern in the right corner of the
Driver got inside defender Chris
Mitchell and fully extended to
make the grab.
Trailing 10-3, Memphis State
took the second-half kickoff and
put together an impressive 15-
play, 86-yard drive " consuming
7:03 " to tie it at 10-all. Keeping
the Tigers alive were a 4-yard run
by Larry Porter on fourth-and-1
from the ECU 49 and a 27-yard
pass from Benton to Jeff Bynum
on third-and-10 from the 45.
Bosby darted through a gaping
hole and went in untouched from
the three. AllisonTs kick tied it.
But ECU answered with a 58-
yard drive which ended with
BrennerTs 39-yard field goal.
Allison hit a 35-yarder with 12:45
left in the fourth period to tie it.
Blake leads
big ECU win
over Knights
Pirates take advantage of
Central Florida turnovers
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ORLANDO, Fla. " A few gifts
fell in the hands of East CarolinaTs
football team Saturday night.
And the Pirates will take them
all.
ooAbsolutley,?? head coach Bill
Lewis said after a 47-25 win over
Central Florida before a turnout of
20,049 in the Florida Citrus Bowl.
oDuring the course of the season
youTve got to take everything that
comes to you.?T
What came East CarolinaTs way
were seven UCF turnovers. Now
you know how you can give up 497
_total yards and still breathe easy.
oWe were able to sit back and
relax and watch the game,?T said
ECU quarterback Jeff Blake, a
native of nearby Samford who
passed for 265 yards and two
touchdowns before leaving late in
the third period.
The two offenses rolled up 991
total yards. Three ECU quarter-
backs combined to complete 15 of
28 passes for 349 yards. The Divi-
sion I-AA Knights used four
quarterbacks. They completed 22
of 40 passes for 335 yards.
The difference? Turnovers.
UCF (2-2) gave the ball away
seven times " five in the first
half. ECU (2-1) had two turnovers.
oIt was a game of big plays,?T
Lewis said. oThere were a lot of.
big plays on. both sides of the
ball.?
ECUTs big plays came in
droves:
31 yards " a pass from Blake to
tight end .Luke Fisher for a
touchdown.
44 yards " a pass from Michl
Anderson to Hunter Gallimore.
46 yards " a run by David
Daniels for a touchdown.
57 yards " a pass from Blake to
Dion Johnson.
74 yards " a pass from Blake to
Cedric Van Buren for a
touchdown.
93 yards " a fumble return for a
touchdown by Greg Floyd.
FloydTs return of a bobbled pitch
to tailback Willie English made it
34-7 with 5:29 left in the half and
put the Knights to rest.
oIt was my job to make sure
they didnTt get outside,T Floyd
said. When I saw the pitch com-
ing, I tried to get in his face as
soon as possible to make him turn
in.
oT saw the ball in the air ... it
just fell in my hands and I ran as ~
hard.as I-could,?T
FloydTs play was big. But stan-
ding tallest for the ECU defense
was junior free safety Greg Gran-
dison.
Grandison, a native of Pen-.
sacola, Fla., forced three of the
KnightsT five first-half turnovers.
Four of the five turnovers resulted
in Pirate touchdowns.
The Knights started a marathon _
28-point first quarter with a
seven-play, 63-yard drive, Capped ,
by Ron JohnsonTs 22-yard pass to
Bret Cooper. Franco GrillaTs kick
made it 7-0. |
But ECU struck for three
touchdowns before the end of the
quarter and scored on five of
seven first-half possessions to
grab a commanding 34-7 lead.
Fach of the first-quarter drives
covered at least 60 yards and took
less than two minutes.
First, Blake tossed to Van Buren
on a third-and-8 from the ECU 26.
Van Buren cradled the pass
around the 40. Behind him were 11
black shirts, in front of him green
grass. The foot race was no con-
test.
Anthony BrennerTs kick tied it.
Grandison came up with his first
interception at the ECU 38 on
UCFTs third play of the next.
series. Five plays later, Daniels
roared through the middle on a
draw play and rambled untouched
46 yards. BrennerTs kick made it
14-7 with 8:53 still left in the first " :
period.
Another Grandison pickoff,
followed by a 19-yard return,
silenced UCFTs bid to pull even. A
(See PIRATES, C-4)
HOW THEY SCORED
First Quarter
UCF: Cooper 22 pass from Johnson (Grilla kick), 11:32.
" 7 plays, 3 yards. Time Elapsed " 3:28. Key Pla
Scoring Drive
ys " Johnson passes of
23 to Rhodes and 14 to Alexander. Score " UCF 7, ECU 0.
ECU: Van Buren 74 pass from Blake (Brenn
Drive " 3 plays, 76 yards. Time Elapsed " 1:0].
Score " ECU 7, UCFT7.
ECU: Daniels 46 run (Brenner kick), 8:53. Scorin
yards. Time Elapsed " : 47. Key Plays " Blake 1
ECU 14, UCF 7,
ECU: Daniels 5 run (Brenner kick), 4:25. Scorin
Key Playa =p
Gallimore, pass interference penalty on UCF on t
third-and-6, DanielsT run. Score "
yards. Time Elapsed " 1 741.
Score " ECU 21, UCF 7.
er kick), 10:31, Scoring
Key Play " see above.
& Drive " 5 plays, 60
0-yard pass to Fisher on
g Drive " 6 plays, 61
lake 23-yard pass to
hird-and-4 from the 20.
Second Quarter
ECU: Fisher 31 pass from Blake (kick failed). Scorin
81 yards. Time Elapsed " 2:14. Key Plays: Blake
to Fisher, 13 to Gallimore. Score " ECU 27 , UCF 7.
. ra Floyd 93 fumble return (Brenner kick), 5:23. Score " ECU 34,
(g:
g Drive " 6 plays,
passes of 18, 20 and 31
hird Quarter
T
ECU: Brenner 36 field goal, 12:35. Scorin
Time Elapsed " 2:95. Key Play " Blak
" ECU 37, UCF 7.
& Drive " 7 plays, 61 yards. |
?,? 57-yard pass to Johnson. Score
Pirates win big
ECU: Brenner 25 field goal, 7:12. Scoring Drive "
Time Elapsed " 3:03. Key Plays " Blake 19 pass
ECU 40, UCF 7.
UCF " Cooper 41 pass from Johnson (Grilla kick), 4
" 10 plays, 79 yards. Time Elapsed " 3:09. Key Plays
to Dickinson. Score " ECU 40, UCF 14.
Fourth Quarter
UCF: Grilla 40 field goal, 10:58. Scoring Drive " 7
Time Elapsed " 3:18. Key Play " English 15-yard run.
UCF 17.
9 plays, 33 yards.
to Johnson. Score "
:08. Scoring Drive
" Johnson 22 pass
plays, 18 yards.
Score " ECU 47,
7
(Continued from C-1)
23-yard pass from Blake to
Gallimore moved the Bucs to the
26.
After a third-down pass inter-
ference penalty put the ball at the
five, Daniels took an inside han-
doff and found a seam over left |
tackle. BrennerTs kick made it 21-
oThe Bucs pushed the lead to 28-7
| after Grandison stripped the ball
from David Rhodes at the ECU 19.
Six plays later, Blake hit Luke
Fisher on a 31-yard scoring pass.
A bad snap foiled the PAT kick at-
| tempt.
Brena knocked through field
goals of 36 and 25 yards in the
third period to extend the lead to
40-7.
After two halfback passes failed,
Ron Johnson hit Cooper with a
41-yard touchdown pass to get
UCF within 40-14.
Redshirt freshman quarterback
Michl Anderson, whose first col-
legiate pass was intercepted,
came back on the following series
to direct a 7-play, 65-yard drive. A
44-yard strike to Gallimore moved:
the ball to the nine. Damon Wilson
took it in from the one. ©
The Knights capped the scoring
on a 40-yard field goal by Grilla
and a 4-yard pass from Darin Hin-
shaw to Cooper.
UCF: Cooper 4 pass from Hinshaw (Grilla run),
plays, 48 yards. Time Elapsed " 1:43. Key Pla
56. Scoring Drive " 9
yS " Hinshaw 16-yard
passes to Dickinson and Cooper. Score " ECU 47, UCF 25.
Team statistics
Wilson 2-6, Johnson 2-5, Daniels 5.
o7, Van Buren 11-40, Smith 2-29
Team ECU CFU Rhett 2-5
Total first downs 20 29
First downs rushing 5) 14
First downs passing 12 13
First down penalties 3 2
Third down efficiency 7-12 8-15
Total net yards 497
Total plays 87
Ave. gain per play , 5.8
Net yards rushing 162
Rushes 47
Net yards passing 335
Completed-attempted 19-28 40-32
Sacked-yards lost 0-0. 7-35
Had intercepted 2 6
Punts-avg. 3-43 9-39
Total return yards 124 16
Punts-return yds 0-0 1-8
Kickoffs-return yds 1-21 8-178
Interception-ret yds 6-124 8
Penalties-yds 9-41 10-88
Fumbles-lost 0-0 5-3
Time of possession 22:41 37:19
Individual Statistics
. RUSHING" East Carolina:
McConnell 1-2, Anderson 1-8,
PASSING" East Carolina:
Blake 9-17-0-265, McConnell] 4-7-]-
36, Anderson 2-4-1-4.
RECEIVING" East Carolina:
Johnson 2-76, Van Buren 2-79,
Seekford 2-7, Gallimore 3-80,
Zophy 2-28, F Isher 4-79.
INTERCEPTIONS"East
Carolina: Grandison 3-20, Beasley
2-11, Floyd 1-93,
TACKLES: East Carolina: Fred
Walker 8, Chris Hall 6, Robert
Jones 6, Tony Davis 6, Greg Gran-
dison 5, Garrett Beasley 5, Robert
Tate 4, Ernie Lewis 3, . Derrick
Fields 3.
TIME"3:01,
ATTENDANCE"20,049,
The Daily .
Reflector
Sunday, September 29, 1991
East CarolinaTs Fred Walker gets his hands on a pass
Sports
Breaking d
}
/
Blake, Gallimore read
Gamecocks like a book |
By Mike Grizzard
', THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Jeff Blake and Hunter
Gallimore were on the same page
Saturday afternoon and helped
East Carolina write a new chapter
in what has been a_ one-sided
series with South Carolina.
Blake, after
changing the
play at the line
of scrimmage,
hit Gallimore
with two four-
th-quarter
touchdowns
passes to lead
the Pirates toa GALLIMORE
31-20 win " the
first for ECU in the nine-game
Series.
Blake completed 18-of-31 passes
for 347 yards " just six shy.of' the
school record he set against II-
-jinois earlier this season "-and.
matched a school record with four
TD passes. He was particularly
sharp in the second half, connec-
ting on 10-of-14 passes for 225
yards.
oJeff kind of started out a little
shaky early,T ECU head coach
Bill Lewis said. The difference
between this year and Jeff Blake
last year is Jeff has learned that
in a 60-minute football game,
things donTt go your way all the
time, even if youTre the quarter-
back. HeTs been able to handle
that.
oTTve made a statement that
people have kind of raised their
eyebrows about, but thereTs a dif-
ference in just going out and play-
_ing the quarterback position and
being a quarterback. Jeff Blake is
now being a quarterback. HeTs do-
_ing the things a quarterback has
to do in big situations.?
Like recognizing defenses and
knowing how to adjust.
BlakeTs first TD pass to
Gallimore came on a fade route on
a second-and-6 from the South
Carolina 24 and boosted the
PiratesT lead to 24-14 with 8:34 to
go.
A running play had been sent in
from the sidelines, but Blake saw
Gallimore matched one-on-one
against Erik Anderson and chang-
ed the play.
Anderson, running stride-for-
stride with Gallimore, maintained
tight coverage until the goal line
(See BLAKE, C-4)
Re ee en or ee
m u9
¢
i
{
ues ee eee w
The Daily Reflector/Michl Hall
intended for South CarolinaTs Eddie Miller, but he couldnTt hold on for the interception
The Daily Reflector /Michl Hall
East Carolina senior quarterback Jeff Blake (2) eludes South
Carolina linebacker Bobby Brown during SaturdayTs game
age nt =
SOUTH CAROLINA
SAT., SEPT. 28, 1991 " 1:30 PM
GAME TIME SUBJECT TO CHANGE
FICKLEN STADIUM
NO UMBRELLAS NO CONTAINERS
NO READMITTANCE
NORTH
62
© Collége Football "
e Major League Baseball
e High School
own the barriers
31-20 win
ends ECUTs
skid against
Gamecocks
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
The goal. posts came tumbling
down Saturday afternoon at
Ficklen Stadium. The barriers
surrounding the East Carolina
football program may have gone
with them.
Driven by the craving for a win
over a big-name opponent " and
putting an end to an 0-for-8 skid
against Southeastern Conference-
bound South Carolina " the
Pirates made a withdrawal from
its bank of big plays and sent a
sun-drenched turnout of 33,100
away with the sweet taste of a 31-
20 victory.
Fans brought down the goalpost
at the west end of the stadium
shortly after head coach Bill
Lewis got a victory ride on the
shoulders of a few of his players.
And they stayed awhile to cele-
brate.
oTTve been in this game a long
time and I donTt think ITve ever
been as proud of a group of
players and coaches,? said Lewis,
whose team is now 3-1. oI think we
finally got to a point where we
took a stand.?
oThis is an awfully big day for
our university, our fans and cer-
tainly for our, football program. I
think we made history. We did
something no other football team
has done in the history of this
school and thatTs beat South
Carolina.?
The Gamecocks, now 1-2-1, had
used the Pirates as a punching
bag the last two years, rolling up
37-7 and 47-14 wins. The only other
time South Carolina had waltzed
into Ficklen was in 1985. By the
end of that 52-10 shellacking,
garnet and black was about all
that was left in the stadium.
With about three minutes left
Saturday, they were heading for
the exits.
oItTs about time,T said ECU
junior defensive end Jerry Dillon,
who forced one fumble and sent
Gamecock quarterback Bobby
Fuller for a spin on a crucial two-
point conversion with the Pirates
clinging to a 24-20 lead. oWe were
0-and-8 against South Carolina.
Hey, I was part of three of those
losses. ITm glad I was a part of
this one.?
So was senior All-America
linebacker Robert Jones, who
prowled the field like hungry tiger
and finished with a season-high 19
tackles.
oThis game means a lot to me,?T
Jones said. Last week when we
beat Central Florida 47-25, I was
happy we won but it wasnTt the
same feeling after winning this
game.
oWe wanted to go out today,
play Tem hard and not let Tem get
up. We had it in our minds that we
could beat this bunch. Everybody
(See PIRATES, C-4)
Sunday, September 29, 1991
C-4 The Daily Reflector, Greenville, N.C.
ECU vs SOUTH CAROLINA
«Gamecocks
Yards rushing
Yards passing
GAME 4:
South Carolina
atECU
a
| Pirates
Time of possession
+ otal yards
Kickoff return yards
Punt return yards
21
Interception return yards
2
Total return yards
21
Es] 22
Penalty yards
First downs
aay
Fay 19
Turnovers
a
Total plays
Passes completed
30
p18
Passes attempted
47
31
South Carolina
East Cares
The Daily Reflector
run. Score " USC 7, ECU 0.
to Fisher. Score " USC 7, ECU 3.
Fisher. Score " ECU 17, USC 14.
20.
HOW THEY SCORED
First Quarter
USC: Miller 4 run (Simpson kick), 1:33. Scoring Drive " 3 plays, 10
yards after fumble recovery. Elapsed " Time " 1:19. Key Play " MillerTs
Second ee
ECU: Brenner 25 field goal, 12:09. Scoring Drive " 8 plays, 50 yards.
Elapsed Time " 2:40. Key Plays: Van Buren ne-yard run, Blake 19-yard
ECU: Driver 48 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 1:16. Scoring Drive "
2 plays, 80 yards after punt. Elapsed Time " :17. Key Plays " Daniels
32-yard run, BlakeTs pass. Score " ECU 10, USC 7.
Third Quarter
USC: Bennett 1 run (Simpson kick), 11:28. Scoring Drive " 9 plays, 77
yards after kickoff. Elapsed Time " 3:32. Key Plays " Blake 23-yard
pass to Miller, Bennett runs of 11 and 16 yards. Score " USC 14, ECU 10.
ECU: Fisher. 11 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 9:20. Scoring Drive "
6 plays, 67 yards after kickoff. Elapsed Time " 2:08. Key Plays "
Johnson 13-yard run on reverse, Blake passes of 23 to Gallimore and 11 to
Fourth Quarter . :
ECU: Gallimore 24 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 8:34. Scoring
Drive " 7 plays, 70 yards. Elapsed Time " 3:51. Key Plays " Johnson 15
yards on reverse, Williams 9 run on lateral. Score " ECU 24, USC 14.
USC: Brooks 8 pass from Fuller (pass fails); 6:17. Scoring Drive " 9
plays, 62 yards after kickoff. Elapsed Time " 2:17. Key Plays " Fuller
15-yard pass to Brooks, defensive holding penalty. Score " ECU 24, USC
ECU: Gallimore 71 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 4:19. Scoring
Drive " 5 plays, 98 yards. Elapsed Time " 1:58. Key Plays " Blake 11-
yard pass to Williams. Score " ECU 31, South Carolina 20.
Team statistics
Total first downs 28 19
First downs mishing 10 6
First downs passing 14 13
First downs by penalty 4 0
3rd down conversions 8-18 2-12
Total net yards 473 501
Ave. gain per play 5.44 7.95
Net yards rushing 130 154
Rushes 40 32
Net yards passing 343 347
Completed-attempted 30-47 18-31
Sacked-yards lost . 3-19 0-0
Had intercepted Fe 0
Total return yards v5) 22
Intercept. ret. yds. ~- 2
Kickoff ret. yds. 74 81
Penalties-yds. 6-58 12-119
Fumbles-lost 3-1 1-1
Time of possession 35:10 24:50
Individual statistics
RUSHING: USC _ Deboer 8-28,
Willburn 4-26, Bennett 18-76, Fuller 5
(-9), Miller 2-7, 3-4; ECU _ Blake 6-18,
Johnson 4-25, Daniels 5-38, Van Buren
11-53, Smith 4-10, Rhett 1-1, Williams
1-9.
PASSING: USC _ Fuller 30-47-2, 343
yards; ECU _ Blake 18-31-0, 347
yards.
USC ECU
Total plays 87 63.
Punts-avg. 5-37.0 8-40.0.
Punt ret. yds. Ph 20
RECEIVING: USC _ Whitman 1-4
Campbell 3-35, Miller 1-23, Fuller
1-(-6), Haynes 1-9, Brooks 9-136,
Pitchko 5-59, Jeter 7-75, Bennett 1-3,
Deboer 1-5; ECU _ Gallimore 3-117,
Johnson 3-66, Williams 4-31, Daniels
2-14, Fisher 5-71, Driver 1-48.
PUNTING: USC _ Parker 5-185
(37 avg.); ECU _ Jett 8-320 (40.0
avg.).
T
FIELD GOALS: USC _ Simpson
0-2, (32, 21) ECU _ Brenner 1-1,
(25).
TOTAL TACKLES: USC _
Reaves 11, G. Dixon 9, Gibson 9,
Watkins 6, Brown 5, Pettiford 5, Dye
1, Duke 2, Bembery 1, Brown 2,
Turnipseed 1, Rumph 1, Landry 1,
Cates 1, Walker 2, Greene 2, Inman
4, Anderson 3, Adams 3, Pender 3,
Reid 1, Jeter 1; ECU _ Jones 19, Hall
12, Burnettee 11, Grandison 8,
Gardill 7, Wright 6, Walker 6, Dillon
4, Braddy 4, Myers 1, Scott 2, Cooke
3, Carter 1, Washington 1, Lewis 2,
Fields 2, Beasley 1, Floyd 2, Freeman
1, Van Buren 1, Marshmon 1,
Howard 1, Harvey 1.
TIME ELAPSED: 3:00
OFFICIALS: Referee David Small,
line judge Joe Pipken, field judge
Mike Safrit, back judge Paul Jones,
umpire Andy Pressgrove, linesman
Jay Davis, side judge Bill Lange
ATTENDANCE: 33,100
(Continued on C-1) ;
when Gallimore adjusted to the
ball and made the grab.
oWe hadnTt run the fade all
day,T Blake said. (Anderson)
came up kind of close, about six or
seven yards, so I gave Hunter the
signal and he was ready.?T
oJeff checked 0-5, which is just
a fade route,T Gallimore said.
oClayton (Driver) has caught all
his touchdowns off that. I saw they
were man-to-man.
oT looked up and the ball was.
coming. (Anderson) kept running
and I had to kind of stop and go up
for the ball. It was a great throw
by Jeff.?
Later in the period, after the
Gamecocks had edged to within
24-20, the Pirates faced another
second-and-6. But they were back-
ed up to their 19 and trying to pro-
_ tect the lead.
Again a running play was
ordered. But as Blake stepped
behind center Keith Arnold, he
saw Gallimore and Antonio
Walker alone on the left side.
Blake changed the play and the
ECU coaches held their collective
breath.
oWhen he raised those fingers
up in the air we all said Oh no,T
because we were in short yard-
age,T Lewis said. oHe made the
proper check,
He had the confidence to make
the change. He threw the ball out
there and caught them in single
coverage.?
Gallimore ran a 6-yard hitch
pattern that wound up going 71
yards for a touchdown. .
oThey lined up about eight or 10
yards off and Jeff checked to a
pass play, which was a. 6-yard
hitch,T Gallimore said. oIt was
just one-on-one against the defen-
sive back. I happened to get by
him and then it was just a
footrace.?T
After making the catch,
Gallimore was able to dodge
Walker then outrun Anderson.
oT donTt know if ITve ever seen
him run that fast,TT Lewis said.
ooThatTs just great communication
between wide receiver and
quarterback.?
oT got by the first guy and I was
really surprised,TT Gallimore said.
oRight then I thought I could
make it to the goal line. Out of the
corner of my eye I saw the free
safety come over. I could see his
shadow jumping and I was just
hoping I could get by him.
Gallimore was in a similar situ-
ation two years ago in Columbia,
S.C., in a game that the
Gamecocks turned into a rout. He
caught a 63-yarder from Darren
Bynum on an end-around pass, but
was dragged down at the one.
This time he wasnTt going down.
Maybe that was in the back of
my mind,? Gallimore said. oI
didnTt want to get brought down
again. I got ragged on that so
long.?T
Blake also threw touchdown
passes to Driver and Luke Fisher;
giving him 10 touchdowns passes
for the season. He has been in-
tercepted just once.
His 3,202 yards passing rank
second on the schoolTs career
passing list.
The Daily Reflector/Michl Halll
ECUTs Ronnie Williams turns the corner after one of his four catches in SaturdayTs game
(Continued from C-1)
had the look in their eye that they
wanted to go out. there and just
totally destroy South Carolina.?T
It wasnTt exactly total destruc-
tion.
The Gamecock offense piled up "
473 totals yards. Fuller threw for
343 yards and had career highs for
attempts (47) and completions
(30); wide receiver Robert Brooks
- had career highs for receptions (9)
and reception yardage (135); and
true freshman Brandon Bennett
rushed for 85 yards.
Plus, the Pirates repeatedly got
caught for costly " and often
senseless " penalties (12 for 119
yards).
But ECU packed enough big
plays for a season in one day. And
that spelled doom for the
Gamecocks.
oThey: played with a lot of en-
thusiasm,?T said inside linebacker
Joe Reaves, who led South
Carolina with 11 tackles. oThey
are a big-play offense. They just
had more big plays than we should
have let them have.?
Among the biggest was Jeff
BlakeTs 71-yard pass to Hunter
Gallimore with 4:19 to go, capping
~a crucial 97-yard drive that essen-
tially plucked away the
GamecocksT final hopes.
After South Carolina pulled
within 24-20 on FullerTs 8-yard
touchdown pass to Brooks with
6:17 left, Dion Johnson crouched
to catch the ensuing kickoff and
made contact with the ground at
the three.
ECU was in a deep hole. Could
another one slip away?
Not this time.
An 11-yard pass from Blake to
Ronnie Williams picked up one
first down. One play later, Blake
hit Gallimore on a quick 6-yard
hitch. Gallimore side-stepped one
defender, then won a footrace to
the end zone.
TAKE HOME ANY SNAPPER
PRODUCT TODAY AND
DON'T PAY FOR IT UNTIL
APRIL 1992.
10% down payment
required. Subject to credit
approval. If paid in full by
April 1, 1992, your account
will be credited for all
finance and insurance
charges which accrue on
your purchase from date of
purchase thru April 1,
a inance charges will
oThat was crucial,T Lewis said,
owhen we were able to take the
ball off of our goal line and drive
it, then have our defense deny
their offense on the follow-up
possessions.?T
Gallimore, who had three cat-
ches for 117 yards, put ECU up
24-14 earlier in the quarter when
he got inside position on Erik
Anderson and snared a 24-yard
toss from Blake.
The two tosses to Gallimore
were part of a sensational second
half by Blake, who threw for 347
yards and matched a school re-
cord with four touchdown passes.
After hitting 8-of-17 passes for 122
yards the first half, Blake con-
nected on 10-of-14 passes the sec-
ond half for 225 yards..,
His other scoring strikes were to
Clayton Driver (48 yards) and
Luke Fisher (11 yards).
Their quarterback is an
outstanding player,TT South
Pirates down Gamecocks:
Carolina head coach spaiky?
Woods said. They gave us a dif-;
ferent look than we had seen.?T
Two other momentum-shifters.
came on South Carolina field goal
attempts.
The first came with five seconds.
remaining in the first half. Marty,
Simpson had a chance to pull the.
Gamecocks even at 10-all, but his,
32-yard attempt was wide right.
The second came late in the,
third period with ECU, up 17-14;
South Carolina had marched froxas
its 32 to the ECU four, overcoming:
third-and-8 and third- and- 21 situa-n
tions, but Fred Walker darted_in.
and swatted away SimpsonTs ,21-
yard attempt.
oI thought the blocked field goal,
took us out of it,T Woods said.
Both teams had an opportunity to.
win.
oIt was a ballgame determined,
by big plays " the ones that they;
made and the ones we wer en, fn
able to make.?T
Pirate fans on the move
The Daily Reflector/Michl Hall
An excited East Carolina University football fan sits astride an overturned goal-line post
Saturday after Pirate rooters rushed the field following a, 31-20 victory over South
Carolina. It was the PiratesT first victory over the Gamecocks in nine games. The game
story is on C-1.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Big plays
spell end
for USC
By Lisa Coston
| THE DAILY REFLECTOR
The scene under the northeast
end» of the Ficklen Stadium
bleachers late Saturday afternoon
couldnTt have been more different
than that taking place at the west
end of the field.
While East Carolina University
players and fans celebrated a 31-20
victory, head coach Sparky Woods
and his South Carolina Gamecocks
Stood wondering what had gone
wrong.
~The game was determined by
big plays,TT Woods said, his eyes
barely visible under the rim of a
baseball hat as he stared at a
point in the distance. oBig plays
that they made and big plays that
we didnTt make. I thought both
teams, had an opportunity to win
the football game.?
The South Carolina coach noted
the importance of turnovers. The
Gamecocks, who had committed
only three turnovers all season but
none in their last two games, had
two interceptions and one fumble
Saturday.
An ever bigger blow though,
Woods said, came at 4:19 in the
fourth quarter with the Pirates
leading 24-20. The Gamecocks "
having just scored and missed on
the two-point conversion " pinned
ECU at its 3-yard line. Five plays
later, Jeff Blake found Hunter
Gallimore for a 71-yard touchdown
pass.
oWe discussed whether to go for
the onsides kick or to kick it-
deep,? Woods said. oWe felt the
chances of getting an onsides kick
" well, we decided to go deep. We
thought time-wise, we had a
chance to stop them and get in
there again.?T
The 71-yard Blake-to-Gallimore
TD was on the mind of every
Gamecock player.
oIt was all up to us,?T said senior
inside linebacker Joe Reaves, who
led South Carolina with 11
tackles.oIt was a matter of them
executing and us not. ThatTs what
defense is all about " getting
someone with their backs against
- theT wall and seeing whoTs
toughest.
The Daily Reflector,
bby Fuller
ECUTs Jeff Cooke (70) puts pressure on South Carolina quarterback Bo
oYou've got to have that at-
titude, that pride, and we just
didnTt do it.?
ReavesT eyes never left the
ground as he talked about the
meaning of the loss, which left
South Carolina at 1-2-1.
oItTs definitely disappointing,
because it was a game we knew
we had to win to have any chance
to go to a bowl, really,? he said.
oAS a senior, it really, really
hurts. WeTre still making all the
Same mistakes we made in the
first game.
oTm very frustrated because I
just donTt understand why weTre
making so many mental errors.T
Senior quarterback Bobby
Fuller, who passed for 343 yards,
shifted from foot to foot as he ref-
used to lay all the blame on the
Gamecock defense. Last season,
South Carolina ran up a_near-
school record 626 yards in a 37-7
win over the Pirates.
Two missed field goals, one of
which was blocked .by Fred
Walker, were a problem, he ac-
knowledged. But the Gamecocks
finished with 28 first downs to 19
for ECU.
oWe still had a chance, even
after some of the big plays,?T
Fuller said in a low voice. Our
drives were stalling when we got
down close and you just canTt do
that.?
Senior wide receiver Robert
Brooks, who was listed as ques-
tionable for the game earlier in
the week with a strained ham-
string, burned the Pirate defense
for 136 yards on nine catches.
He wasnTt especially happy
about it.
TTd rather have the win and not
catch a single ball,T?T Brooks said.
oI'd throw away 10 passes to get a
win, ?T
Brooks said the key was South
CarolinaTs constant inability to
take advantage of better field
position. The Gamecocks got into
ECU territory and left empty-
handed four times.
I thought we had control of the
ballgame (when we had them on
the two),?T he said. oI just canTt
put my finger on it. I thought we
were on track to win because we
were moving the ball well.
oWe just canTt make the mental.
mistakes, the penalties, the: turn-
overs.?
Brooks said he was frustrated
because the offense performed
fairly well.
All I can tell you is ITm part of
the offense and the offenseTs job is
to score more points than the
other team,TT he said, shaking his
head. oWedidnTt doit.?
Woods said there just wasnTt one
problem toT point to for South
Carolina.
One problem is weTre not play-
ing well enough defensively to de-
velop any consistency offensively.
The offense is seared not to
score,? he said.
He added all he can do is move
on.
oThere are two directions we
can go,TT Woods said. We can try
to get better, or we can feel sorry
for ourselves. Tonight weTre going
to feel sorry for ourselves. butT I
hope next week weTre going to get
better.T?- a
The Daily Reflector, Greenville, N.C.
Sunday, September 29, 1991
A homecoming |
for Art Baker
By Woody Peele
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
It was a homecoming for Art
Baker Saturday afternoon in
Ficklen Stadium and he saw the
fruits of some of his labors for: his
former team come to maturity
against his present team.
Baker, who
was head foot-| "
ball coach at | gi
East Carolina
from 1985 to
1988, is now the
associate
athletic director
for marketing a
and develop- KER
ment and exec-
utive director of the Gamecock
Club for South Carolina. He was
named to that position not long
after his contract with ECU was
not renewed and Bill Lewis was
brought on as his successor.
However, Baker helped recruit a
number of the upperclassmen who
helped bounce the Gamecocks,
31-20. Included in that group is
quarterback. Jeff Blake, who
and Miami. :
Baker left after the season to
join Bobby BowdenTs staff at:
Florida State, then returned a,
year later as head coach when ;
Emory was fired. i
But Baker was never able to!
make the Pirate program turn the :
corner and was released after four :
years when his contract was not ;
renewed. | va
Now, he works mainly with the }
South Carolina Gamecock Club, !
but he still spends Saturdays with :
the football team " usually in the «
coachesT booth in the press box, :
where he was this Saturday.
oT help out with the coverages,?T ;
he said. oThat way I kind of get to
keep with things. Mainly I just try '
to stay out of the way.?T
Baker admits that he still :
misses coaching and, because of }
that, he stays away from the prac- ;
tice field most of the time.
oYou canTt just walk away after
34 years,? he said. oBut itTs just :
too painful to stay out there.?T
Still, Coach Sparky Woods;
comes to him occasionally to;
bounce an idea off him.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Associated Press
Not this time: East CarolinaTs Jeff Blake tries to urday. The Pirates, who had lost all eight previ-
get around South CarolinaTs Bobby Brown Sat-
ous meetings with the Gamecocks, won 31-20.
USC falls hard "
with ECU goal posts |
7 East Carolina 31, South Carolina 20 r ;
By STAN OLSON
Staff Writer
GREENVILLE, N.C. " For East
Carolina, it was a game to be
burned in brash bold letters into
the PiratesT football record book, a
game to be
remembered as
long as_frater-
nity boys hoist
cold ones along
Fifth Street and
College Hill
Drive.
But for South
Carolina, it was
disaster, a
crashing thud of
Blake a loss to a team
that had never
beaten the Gamecocks before.
And at the end of the PiratesT
31-20 whipping of South Carolina
Saturday. afternoon, the fans
swarmed over the goalposts in
Ficklen StadiumTs west end zone
and tore them down.
East Carolina coach Bill Lewis
probably thought that was justi-
fied.
oI donTt think thereTs ever been
as big a win at this football stadium
as this one today,? he said.
He might be right. East Carolina
(3-1) had lost all eight previous
meetings with the Gamecocks, and
the only other time South Carolina
came to Greenville, the Game-
cocks prevailed 52-10. That was in
1985.
But in this season, LewisTs third
as program-builder, East Carolina
has become a good football team.
Senior quarterback Jeff Blake
picked South CarolinaTs wounded
secondary apart all day with his
passes.
AndT in the final minutes, with
the game on the line, it was Blake
who made the big plays to win it.
South Carolina had just scored
to make it 24-20 with six minutes
17 seconds to play. The Game-
cocks appeared to get a break
when kick returner Dion Johnson
touched his knee to the ground
while fielding the kickoff at the
East Carolina 2.
oWe got a break,? said South
Carolina linebacker Joe Reaves.
oItTs a matter then of whoTs tough-
est, who wants it the most. You
gotta have that pride and stop Tem
then, and we just didnTt do it.?
Instead, Blake, a superb scram-
bler who was not sacked all day,
completed two passes to push the
Pirates out to the 29. Then came
The stars: East Carolina quarter-
back Jeff Blake completed 18 of 31
passes for 347 yards, four touch-
downs and no interceptions. ECU
wide receiver Hunter Gallimore had
three receptions for 117 yards and
two TDs. USC wide receiver Robert
Brooks had nine catches for 136
yards, both career highs.
The turning point: Blake's 71-
yard scoring bomb to Gallimore to
make it 31-20 with 4:17 left.
The key stat: USC surrendered
501 yards of total offense, offsetting
its 473-yard outburst.
Quote: Brooks said, oItTs disap-
pointing. We haven't gotten the job
done.?
Worth mentioning: South Caro-
lina was without three starters in the
secondary for most of the game.
Strong safety Cedric Surratt (ankle
sprain) was out, cornerback Jerry
Inman.(broken finger) played spar-
ingly and cornerback Toby Cates
(strained foot) was hurt early.
WhatTs next: South Carolina
hosts East Tennessee State Satur-
day; East Carolina hosts Akron.
" Stan Olson
South Carolina 7 0 7 6"20
East Carolina 0 0 7 #14"31
SC"Miller 4 run (Simpson kick) Drive: 3 plays, 10
yards. Key play: ECUTs Dion Johnson fumbled
SCTs punt, SCTs Frank Adams recovered at the
ECU 10.
EC"FG Brenner 24 Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards. Key
play: On third and 2 at the SC 33, Blake hit Fisher
for 19 yards.
EC"Driver 48 pass from Blake (Brenner kick)
Drive: 2 plays, 80 yards. Key play: On first down
from the ECU 20, Daniels swept right, broke 2
tackles and ripped off 32 yards.
SC"Bennett 1 run (Simpson kick) Drive: 9 plays,
77 yards. Key play: On third and 8 from the SC 25,
Fuller hit Miller over the middle for 23 yards.
EC"Fisher 11 pass from Blake (Brenner kick)
Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards. Key play: On second and
6 from SC 33, Blake hit Gallimore for 22 yards.
EC"Gallimore 25 pass from Blake (Brenner kick)
Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards. Key play: The touchdown.
SC"Brooks 8 pass from Fuller (pass failed) Drive:
9 plays, 62 yards. Key play: On first and 10 from
the ECU 38, Fuller hit Brooks for 15 yards.
EC"Gallimore 71 pass from Blake (Brenner kick)
Drive: 5 plays, 98 yards. Key play: On second and
9 from the ECU 3, Blake hit Williams for 12 yards. .
Att."33, 100 (at East Carolina).
EC
19
32-154
Passing 347
Return yards 22
Comp-Att-int -47- 18-31-0
8-40
1-1
12-119
24:50
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING"South Carolina: Bennett 18-76,
DeBoer 8-28. East Carolina: Van Buren 11-53,
Daniels 5-38.
PASSING"South Carolina: Fuller 30-47-2-343,
East Carolina: Blake, 18-3 1-0-347.
RECEIVING"South Carolina: Brooks 9-136, Jeter
7-75, Pitchko 5-59. East Carolina: Gailimore
3-117, Fisher 5-71, Johnson 3-66, Driver 1-48.
the crusher.
Hunter Gallimore ran an out
pattern toward the left sideline.
South CarolinaTs Antonio Walker,
playing because left cornerback
Toby Cates was injured, bought
GallimoreTs inside fake and com-
mitted. Gallimore spun outside
and went 71 yards for the score.
o| broke up on him too fast, and
my momentum carried me _for-
ward,T said Walker. He gave mea
little twist and went under me.?T
It was a big play " the last big
play " in a game in which a glum
South Carolina coach Sparky
Woods said, oIt was a ball game
determined by big plays; ones they
made and ones we didnTt make.?
The teams started slowly, but
Blake found Clayton Driver for a
48-yard score to lift the Pirates into
a 10-7 lead with 1:16 left in the first
half. Gamecocks quarterback
Bobby Fuller then drove his team
into scoring position, but Marty
Simpson missed a 32-yard field
goal as time expired.
That set the tone for the second
half. The Gamecocks moved
almost at will between the 20s, but
bogged down near the end zone.
South Carolina scored on its first
possession of the second half, but
after the Pirates scored to take a
17-14 lead, the Gamecocks wasted
a 64-yard drive when Simpson had
his field-goal attempt blocked by
Fred Walker.
Woods called that a turning
point.
From then on, whenever Blake
needed a pass completion, he got
it against a Gamecocks secondary
playing without three injured start-
ers. And all the while, Blake was
leaving South CarolinaTs. rushers
clutching air.
The Gamecocks are now 1-2-1,
after starting the season with
hopes of a winning season.
oTI donTt think anyone ever
expected us at this point to be
1-2-1,? said Fuller.
oWe came in with real high
hopes and now we have one win
going into our fifth game.
oThatTs just not the way it should
be.?
By STAN OLSON
Staff Writer
Respect, bowl East Carolina goals
quarterback named Jeff Blake. Saturday, he threw °
for 347 yards and four touchdowns. He wasnTt
He stops in to ask what I think GREENVILLE, S.C. " East Carolina coach Bill intercepted and he wasnTt sacked.
Lewis saw his teamTs 31-20 victory over South oITve been here four years and South Carolina
Carolina Saturday as proof positive that his has kicked our butts every time,? Blake said. This
program has finally arrived. year, we had our heads on straight.?
threw a school record-tying four about this or that,? Baker said. '
touchdown passes for 347 yards, oBut I stay away. ITd be lying if I :
just six yards off the school record gaid I didnTt miss coaching.? ;
he set earlier this year against II-
linois.
oYTm very proud of the way
these guys played today,TT Baker
said after the game. oThey played
a great football game and were
very well coached.
oBut obviously I take some
pride in knowing that we were for-
tunate enough to have recruited
some of these players here. We
promised them the chance to play
and the opportunity to graduate
and I think theyTre doing just
that.?T
Baker said that he knew just
how important the win was for the
Pirate program.
As offensive coordinator in 1983,
Baker was a key man when Ed
EmoryTs Pirates went 8-3 and
finished the season. nationally
ranked " but were overlooked by
the bowls. That year, the Pirates
lost only to Florida, Florida State
South Carolina has been going ;
through a lot of problems recently +
in its athletic program " a steroid ;
scandal, the death of the former
head football coach, the firing of |
their basketball coach " but *
Baker feels things are on the :
upswing.
They just have to give us a lit-
tle time,TT he said. I think people |
are beginning to realize you canTt
do things in just a couple of years
any more. It takes five or six or
seven years.?T
Returning to the dayTs happen-
ings, Baker said he is very happy !
for East Carolina.
oThis will be a boost to their :
program,T he said. oThe new |
(Sports Medicine) building is a big |
plus. They have a more realistic
schedule.
oTm just glad I was able to
make a contribution.TT
naTs.?T
an average score of 36-10.
oWe're breaking through a barrier,TT an elated
Lewis said almost before the echoes of the Ficklen
Stadium cheers had died away. oThis does so
much for us from a recognition standpoint; having
people recognize us as a good program.
oWhen I got here, I thought that we could move
in this direction, and we have. This shows that we go
can be identified with programs like South Caroli-
In the past, the Pirates had been identified only
as the GamecocksT cannon fodder. They had lost
all eight previous games between the schools, by
But this Pirates team is considerably better than
that, in large part because of a strong-armed senior
But Blake believes there is still much to be done.
oOur goal is to get to a bowl game,? he said.
But we could go 9-2 and still not get a bow! bid.
ECU and ECU quarterbacks never get a break. This
won't do anything for our status other than get us
some recognition. We've still got a long ways to
Saturday was a big step. Lewis knows it.
oWe took a stand for what we believe in,?T he
said. oThis is an awfully big day for our university,
our fans and our football team.?
The scoreboard operator apparently under-
stood. Two hours after the game, even though not
a soul remained in Ficklen Stadium, the score-
board still read oPIRATES 31, GAMECOCKS 20.?T
| The he Daily :
Reflector
Sunday, October 6, 1991
¥
Wolfp ack
offense
comes
through
- KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
RALEIGH " Sooner or later,
N.C. State knew it would be forced
to win a football game with its of-
fense.
* But for so much of Saturday
afternoon, it seemed so improba-
ble against Georgia Tech. First
downs had been precious and of-
fensive touchdowns had been
rumors.
Having already produced its
weekly portion of defensive wizar-
dry, the Wolfpack put together a
grinding 74-yard touchdown drive
in the waning minutes of the
fourth quarter to defeat the Yellow
Jackets 28-21 in an ACC football
game in Carter-Finley Stadium.
: Freshman quarterback Geoff
Bender, making the first start of
his college career, slipped around
left end for a 2-yard touchdown
run with two minutes 43 seconds
. ah for the deciding score, capping
a victory that changed the com-
plexion of N.C. StateTs season.
oThis says a lot,T?T said Wolfpack
linebacker Tyler Lawrence.
T-The win pushed the Wolfpack to
5-0-overall and 3-0 in the league.
With next week off followed by a
non-conference game against
Marshall Oct. 19, itTs hard not to
look toward the WolfpackT Ss Oct. 26
date in ClemsonTs Death Valley as
the possible ACC title game.
T That was too far ahead for the
Wolfpack to allow itself to look
this early in October. There was
too much to savor about beating
the defending national champion
and the way N.C. State did it.
- oThis was the most adversity
we've faced all year,? said N.C,
State coach Dick Sheridan. We
still have a long way to go but to
beat this team is a big step for
be]
us.
When N.C. State took possession
at its 26 with 9:11 remaining, there
wasnTt much reason to expect the "
offense to suddenly come to life.
Other than its second drive of the
game when it marched 71 yards |
for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead, the
Wolfpack offense had virtually
disappeared against Georgia
TeehTs swarming defense.
N.C. State had gotten the bulk of |
its-points from " surprise " its
defense. Lawrence had gone 32
yards with an interception return
for a touchdown in the first
quarter for a 13-0 Wolfpack lead.
In the third quarter, Ricky
Turner snatched a Georgia Tech
fumble out of a pile of players and
bolted 26 yards for another touch-
down. It was the third time in two
weeks the Pack had cashed in a
turnover.
oEven though Georgia Tech
seored some points on us, this was
ost (See WOLFPACK, C-2)
ee
Sports _
The Daily Retflector/ Shannon Wolfe
ECUTs Damon Wilson lunges for one of two touchdowns pend ay during the first half
By Woody Peele
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Saturday afternoon, East Caro-"
lina quarterback Jeff Blake found
himself in an unusual position in
the second half of the PiratesT
game against Akron in Ficklen
Stadium.
Blake was benched, told to sit
down, take off the pads, youTre not
going to play anymore today.
But it wasnTt because Blake
hadnTt done the job. He had " and
then some.
Blake guided the Pirates to a.
quick score in the third quarter,
then gave way to the
underclassmen as East Carolina
rolled up zapped the Zips, 56-20.
Blake played only six series on
the day, guiding the Pirates to
touchdowns on the last five of
those. All told, he played just 11
minutes and 56 seconds, but he
completed 10 of 14 pass attempts
for four touchdowns and 136 yards.
It was his second four TD game of
the year, again tying the school
record.
And, along with backup Michl
Anderson, he combined to set a
new team record of six TDs in a
game, snapping a record that had
existed since 1953.
ECUTs initial possession saw the
Pirates forced to punt after one
first down, but it was to be the last
pu, tfora while.
Back on the field just a few
plays later, Blake engineers a
three-play, 44 yard drive in just 46
seconds. Blake to Clayton Driver,
l5yards,7-0.
The next time, it was seven
plays, 60 yards, 2:40. Blake to
Hunter Gallimore, 16 yards, 14-0
Blake gave way to Anderson, a
redshirt freshman, who also took
the Pirates into the end zone.
Back in once more, Blake used
11 plays to drive 61 yards in 4:40,
_the longest he was on the field at
any one time. Blake to Cedric Van
Buren, 19 yards, 28-7.
And after another Anderson-led
TD drive, he was back once more
® College Football
¢ NASCAR
¢ Outdoors
ECU takes
the zip out
of Akron
Sets school record for first
half points in
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Arriving fashionably late has
become a tradition for East Caro-
lina football fans.
Those who were tardy Saturday
afternoon missed most of ° the
show.
With senior quarterback Jeff
Blake continuing to weave his
magic, East Carolina turned in the
most prolific half in school histo-
ry, running up a 42-7 lead by. in-
termission, and coasted past turn-
over-prone Akron 56-20.
The Pirates, now 4-1 and off to
their best start since the 1983 sea-
son, scored on six of nine first-half
possessions en route to surpassing
the 38 points scored in one half
against East Tennessee State in
1981.
Blake, who spent a good part of
the afternoon watching
understudies Michl Anderson
and Orlando Whitaker take their
turns under center, matched a
school record for the second con-
secutive week with four touch-
down passes. The three quarter-
backs combined to throw a
school-record six TD passes.
oI think it was obvious by the
way we played the first half that
we came out of the dressing room
_ ready to play,TT ECU head coach
Bill Lewis said. Our plan was to "
be very aggressive and attack
Blake gets job done quickly for
to close out the first half. Six
plays, 13 yards, 2:37. Handoff to
Damon Wilson, 1 yard, 42-7.
Then, after Akron burned off
more time on a single touchdown
drive than it had held the ball in
the entire first half, Blake stepped
back to let the Zips know he was
still in control. After AkronTs 20-
play drive, Blake made it back to
the end zone in four plays, 69
yards, 1:13. Blake to Driver, 42
yards, 49-14.
After that, it was mop-up time
for Anderson and Orlando
Whitaker.
oIt was just an average day at.
the office for Jeff,TT quarterback
coach Steve Logan said. HeTs en-
joying the fruits of being in the
program for two and a half years
now. HeTs going to the line and
calling our offense. We usually
send in two plays to him and he
96-20 victory
from the very beginning, make
them defend every inch of the
field.
oThey are a very tough, very
aggressive team that likes to
come at you in a short space. We
felt like we had to spread them
out.?T
The ECU defense, which took
the zip out of AkronTs pass-and-
pitch? offense, had a similar ap-
proach.
oWe played well and played
with intensity the, first half,?
defensive line coach Cary Godette
said. oWe made some mistakes
the second half, got burned in
some blitzes and didnTt make the
plays. The first half we made
plays.?
The Zips, now 1-4, were down
21-0 before they picked up a first
down or crossed midfield. They
turned the ball over three times
.the first half, giving them 17 for
the season.
oOne of the problems was we
had a couple of turnovers and you
canTt do that,TT Akron head coach
Gerry Faust said. oYou canTt have
turnovers against a good football
team.?
The Pirates thrived on excellent
field position throughout the day.
They had nine first-half posses-
sions " five starting in Akron ter-
ritory. The Zips started outside
(See ECU, C-4)
Pirat
picks one of them. ThatTs a tribute |
to him and to the system.?T
oIt was nice to watch some of
the other guys play,TT Blake said.
And it was good that they could
get into the game and learn the of-
fense under game conditions.?
But even when theyTre on the
field, Blake keeps a close eye on
his understudies. I help them as
much as possible. I see stuff they
still donTt pick up and when they
come off, I tell them about it.
Then, when they go back out, they
pick up on it. I thought Michl
did a good job and so did Orlan-
do, ;
Blake is on course to set records
this year. In fact, with the season
not quite half over, heTs nearly
reached some season records.
With 68 completions in 122 tries,
(See BLAKE, C-4)
C-4 The Daily Reflector, Greenville, N.C.
Sunday, October 6, 1991
ECU vs AKRON
GAME 5:
Akron
at ECU a
E 1 Pirates
Yards rushing
Yards passing
Time of possession
6
EE] 28
Interception return yards
0
0
Total return yards
=] 28
Penalty yards
32
First downs
19
Be] 25
Turnovers
i3
0
Total plays
Passes completed
16
26
Passes attempted
4th Total
Akron
3 20
East Carolina
34-yard run. Score " ECU 7, Akron 0.
Drive " 7 plays, 60 yards after punt.
" ECU 21, Akron 0.
UA " Nelson 26 run (Alcorn kick)
ECU " Driver 42 pass from Blake
runs. Score " ECU 49, Akron 17.
ECU 56, Akron 17.
UA " Alcorn 25 field goal, 10:12.
Robinson. Score " ECU 56, Akron 20.
Team statistics
Akron ECU
Total first downs 19 O5
First downs rushing 7 )
First downs passing 10 16
' First downs by penalty B O}
| 3rd down conversions 3-14 9-16
Total net yards 336 480]
Total plays 67 80
Ave. gain per play 5.01 6.0]
Net yards rushing 117 190
Rushes 40
Net yards passing 210
Completed-attempted 16-27
Sacked-yards lost 1-4
Had intercepted 1
Punts-avg. 3-40.3
Total return yards 6
Punt ret. yds. 6
Intercept. ret. yds. --
Kickoff ret. yds. 43
Penalties-yds. 4-32 10-70]
Fumbles-lost 4-2 1-0
Time of possession 29:43. 30:17]
Individual statistics
RUSHING: Ak _ Sweitzer 5-6, Habib
1-1, Small 8-6, Nelson 4-44, Alcorn
1-10, Weems 5-14, Thompson 8- 4,
Jacobs 5-11, Dulin 3-12; ECU _ Blake
3-13, Anderson 4-3, Wilson 10-33,
Daniels 4-55, Van Buren 7-28, Smith
6-16, Rhett 3-9, Johnson 1-27, Williams
1-6.
PASSING: Ak _ Sweitzer 10-16-1 92
yards; Weems 6-11-0 127 yards; ECU _
Blake 10-14-0 136 yards, Anderson
13-22-0 148 yards, Whitaker 3-5-0 6
yards.
RECEIVING: Ak _ Robinson 8-160,
Small 1-7, Jacobs 1-12, Jones 2-19,
Thompson 4-21; ECU _ Zophy 6-76,
7 56
HOW THEY SCORED
First quarter
ECU " Driver 15 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 9:24. Scoring Drive
" 3 plays, 44 yards after punt. Elapsed Time " :46. Key Play " Daniels
ECU " Gallimore 16 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 5:31. Scoring
Elapsed Time " 2:40. Key Play "
Johnson 27-yard run on reverse. Score " ECU 14, Akron 0. _
ECU " Fisher 4-yard pass from Anderson (Brenner kick), 3:25. Scor-
ing Drive " 6 plays, 22 yards after fumble recovery by Washington.
Elapsed Time " 2:40. Key Play " Anderson 9-yard pas to Fisher. Score
, 2:04. Scoring Drive " 6 plays, 65
yards after kickoff. Elapsed Time " 1:21. Key Play " offside penalty
negating interception by Jones. Score " ECU 21, Akron 7.
Second quarter
ECU " Van Buren 19 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 12:24. Scoring
Drive " 11 plays, 61 yards after kickoff. Time Elapsed " 4:40. Key Play
" 39-yard kickoff return by Johnson. Score " ECU 28, Akron 7.
ECU " Wilson 2 run (Brenner kick), 7:47. Scoring Drive " 7 plays, 28
yards after muffed punt. Elapsed Time " 3:01. Key Play " Anderson
10-yard pass to Gallimore. Score " ECU 35, Akron 7.
ECU " Wilson 1 run (Brenner kick), 5:04. Scoring Drive " 6 plays, 15
yards after fumble recovery by Beasley. Elapsed Time " 2:47. Key Play
" Blake 7-yard pass to Van Buren. Score " ECU 42, Akron 7.
Third quarter
UA " Robinson 12 pass from Sweitzsr (Alcorn kick), 5:51. Scoring
Drive " 20 plays, 86 yards after kickoff. Elapsed Time " 9:09. Key Plays
" Sweitzer 5-yard run on fourth-and-4 and 14-yard pass to Robinson on
fourth-and-9. Score " ECU 42, Akron 14.
(Brenner kick), 4:38. Scoring Drive
" 4 plays, 69 yards after kickoff. Elapsed Time " 1:13. Key Play "
Daniels 12-yard run. Score " ECU 49, Akron 14.
UA " Alcorn 39 field goal, :46. Scoring Drive " 9 plays, 59 yards after
kickoff. Elapsed Time " 3:52. Key Plays " Weems 16-yard and 19-yard
Fourth quarter
ECU " Zophy 15 pass from Anderson (Brenner kick), 14:20. Scoring
Drive " 8 plays, 66 yards after kickoff. Elapsed Time " 1:26. Key Plays
" Anderson 23-yard pass to Zophy, 18-yard pass to Gallimore. Score "
Scoring Drive " 8 plays, 76 yards
after kickoff. Elapsed Time " 4:08. Key Play " Weems 61-yard pass to
G. Smith 1-11, Van Buren 4-32,
Gallimore 4-53, Driver 3-66, Johnson
1-7, Fisher 3-28, J. Smith 1-(-6),
Williams 2-7, Farrare 1-16.
PUNTING: Ak _ Alcorn 3-40.3 yd.
avg; ECU _ Jett 3-40.0 yd. avg.
FIELD GOALS: Ak _ Alcom 2-2
(39, 25); ECU _ no attempts.
PUNT RETURNS: Ak _ Wade 2-6;
ECU _ Johnson 3-28.
KICKOFF RETURNS: Ak_
Robinson 4-43; ECU _ Johnson
3-106, Van Buren 1-24, J. Smith 1-25.
INTERCEPTION RETURNS: Ak
_ none; ECU _ Wright 1-0.
TOTAL TACKLES: Ak _ Keys 13,
Dunn 13, Owens 7, Green 7, Best 7,
Anderson 6, Robbins 5, Greene 5,
Wade 4, Haskins 3, Donaldson 2,
Draper 2, Ieli 1, Queener 1, Drakes 1,
Sumler 1, Dellovade 1, Cash 1, Junko
1, Alcorn 1; ECU _ Jones 9, Harvey
6, Grandison 6, Lewis 5, Myers 4,
Cooke 4, Carter 4, Dillon 4,
Washington 4, Davis 4, Wright 4,
Hall 4, Cotton 3, Howard 3,
Marshmon 3, Braddy 2, Graham 2,
Gardill 2, Wortham 2, Floyd 2.
TIME ELAPSED: 2:50
OFFICIALS: referee Fritz Graas,
line judge John McGrath, field judge
Tommy Rose, back judge Grady Ray,
umpire Bob Champion, linesman
Dave Carnaghi, side judge Kent
Henry.
ATTENDANCE: 27,500
Future is now for ECU backups
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
For Michl Anderson and
Orlando Whitaker, the future is
now.
ThatTs why East Carolina head
football coach Bill Lewis and
quarterback Steve Logan consider
an opportunity like the one they
had Saturday such a luxury.
Anderson and Whitaker, both
redshirt freshmen quarterbacks,
gained valuable playing time in
East CarolinaTs 56-20 blitzing of
Akron. A season-ending knee inju-
ry to junior Sean McConnell, a
backup to Jeff Blake at the start of
the season, has pushed Anderson
and Whitaker up the depth chart.
This served as a very valuable
tool for Michl Anderson and
Orlando Whitaker.TT Lewis said.
oIt was an opportunity for them to
experience some game situa-
tions.?
Anderson, under center for five
series, completed 13 of 22 passes
for 148 yards. Whitaker, inserted
for two series, hit on 3 of 5 passes
for 11 yards.
Anderson directed three scoring
drives. He threw touchdown
passes of four yards to Luke Fish-
er and in the first quarter and 15
yards to Peter Zophy in the fourth
quarter.
The other two series were cut
short by the end of the first half
and the end of the game.
Michl is proving heTll put his
| Notes
unit in the end zone, which is what
quarterbacking is all about,T
Logan said.
Anderson has several other
qualities Logan likes. The
Decatur, Ga., native has unusual
size (6-4, 226) for a quarterback,
has confidence in his ability and
has excellent field vision.
Michl is an intriguing pro-
spect from many points of view,?T
Logan said. His field vision is
unique for a young man that has
never played any college football.
He made a throw today that
knocked me out of my socks.?
Anderson said he felt pressure
when he was first thrust into the
No. 2 slot, but is now more com-
fortable with his role.
oThere was a lot of pressure,?T
he said, obut Coach Lewis just
told me I had to step up and do the
job.
oT had butterflies before the
first snap today, but the line was
protecting so good I just relaxed.?
Whitaker, who passed for more
than 5,000 yards and set what was
then a state record of 67 career
touchdown passes while at North
Edgecombe High School, said he
was also had butterflies.
Before the first snap I was kind
of nervous but then I calmed
down,? he said. I didnTt want to
rush anything.?
ECU routs Akron
(Continued from C-1)
their 20 only once in eight first-
half possessions and started inside
their 15 three times.
Field position hurt us the first
part of the game,? Faust said.
oTheir speed is also better than
ours and that really hurt us the
first half.
Our kids came back and
played pretty well the second half
... the first half you can forget
about.?T
Indeed. By halftime, this one
was in the books.
In fact, the only left to cheer
about in the second half was a
report that the Atlanta Braves
were on their way to the National
League West title. That an-
nouncement even got a few toma-
hawk chops going on a relaxed
ECU sideline.
BlakeTs first two TD passes
came on a 15-yard fade pattern to
Clayton Driver at the end of a 44-
yard, three-play drive and a 16-
yard corner pattern to Hunter
Gallimore at the end of a 60-yard,
seven-play drive.
He added a 19-yard strike to
Cedric Van Buren later in the half
then found Driver between two de-
fenders from 42 yards out on
ECUTs opening series of the sec-
ond half.
Blake now has 14 touchdown
passes with just one interception
and has 110 consecutive passes
without an interception. Against
the overmatched Zips, he com-
pleted 10 of 14 passes for 136
yards.
oIt was just what is starting to
look like to be an average day at
the office for the young man,?
ECU quarterback coach Steve
Logan said. oJeff is enjoying the
fruits of being in a system for
two-and-a-half years now.?T
Blake, Anderson and Whitaker
combined to complete 26 of 41
passes for 290 yards. They spread
the passes to 10 different re-
ceivers, led by Peter ZophyTs six
catches for for 76 yards.
Zophy, a junior wide receiver,
snared a 15-yard pass from Ander-
son 40 seconds into the fourth
period for his first career TD
catch.
Van Buren and Gallimore had
four catches each. Driver caught
three passes.
The Bucs also had 190 yards on
the ground, led by David Daniels
with 55 yards on four carries.
Blake throws 4 TDs
(Continued from C-1)
heTs passed for 1,278 yards and 14
touchdowns. That leaves him just
234 yards behind the seasonal re-
cord of 1,512 yards, set in 1970 by
John Casazza. And heTs just two
touchdowns shy of the season re-
cord of 16 set in 1953 by Dick
Cherry.
Career-wise, Blake has hit on
225 of 421 attempts fir 3,338 yards
and 29 touchdowns. That leaves
him just 590 yards off the season
record of 3,928 by Travis Hunter,
set two years ago, and just three
off the TD record of 32, also held
CALL ME.
te
6More value
for your money...thatTs why
State Farm insures more
homes than anyone else. 97
Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.
by Hunter.
And heTs got a legitimate shot at
HunterTs career total offense re-
cord of 5,197 yards with a total of
3,762. He needs 1,436 to break that
record, an average of 239.3 per
game. HeTs been averaging 265.2
for the first five games.
oTTm not really thinking about
records,T Blake said. The only
thing ITve got on my mind is
Syracuse and Pitt (ECUTs next
two opponents). Syracuse has
been on my mind all week. I just
wanted to get this game over with
so we could get on with it.?T
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atin
Anderson made his collegiate
debut two weeks ago in Orlando,
Fla., in a rout of Central Florida.
His first career pass was _ in-
tercepted, but he regrouped to
direct one scoring drive.
What caused the interception
was the fact that Michl saw
something " they rolled their
coverage late in his drop and he
came off and did attempt to make
the correct throw,T Logan said. I
got the biggest kick out of it " itTs
the only time ITve been tickled to
see a kid throw an interception.
He threw the interception because
he underthrew it. It was not a
misread.T
The opportunity to get the young
quarterbacks in this season will
pay dividends down the road,
Logan said. He added thatTs how
Top 25 teams are able to continu-
ally reload with quality quarter-
backs. |
oIT donTt mean to compare us
with Oklahoma and those kind of
people but right now our program
is on solid footing,T Logan said.
oCoach (Steve) Shankweiler is
playing 10 solid kids on the offen-
Sive line at one point or another,
we're using five wide receivers
and two or three quarterbacks.
This is how your program become
established.T
BNOT COMPLAINING:
Backup fullback Damon Wilson
gets few opportunities to carry the
football, but he has made the most
of his opportunities.
Wilson came into SaturdayTs
game with seven carries for 10
yards, but had scored two touch-
downs. Against the Zips, he had 10
carries for 33 yards and two more
touchdowns. 1
He scored on runs of 1 and 2
yards. .
oEverybody else is doing the
hard work and ITll punch it in,?
said Wilson, who sat out last Sat-
urdayTs game against South Caro-
lina with a shoulder injury. I
canTt complain. I wish my role
was a little bigger but you have to
accept what your role is.?T
BHAPPY DRIVER: After two
seasons of being hampered by .in-
juries, junior wide receiver
Clayton Driver is finally on the
right track. ne
Driver caught touchdown passes
of 42 and 15 yards Saturday and
now has five TD catches on the
Season.
oThis year I came out with the
idea I was going to be produc-
tive,? Driver said. ITve bé@en
blessed. ITve been catching the
ball when they throw it tome.? '
And heTs made a few in spec-
tacular fashion. ry
Driver made a fully extended
diving catch in the end zone after
battling off a defender earlier this
season against Memphis State.,On
BlakeTs 42-yard pass Saturday, ,he
split two defenders near the back
of the end zone and managed. to
maintain enough control to keep
his feet in bounds.
Before this season, Driver had
17 catches and just one TD.
od
a
| a
IneDaily _
Reflector
oSunday, October 13, 1991
ECU's Terry Tilghman and Derrick L
ad
~ ?
4 7
7
PiratesT victory in the Carrier Dome
You look so good to me he
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
eaphart celebrate the
Siete
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
faim Cunmulaj sacks Syracuse quarterback Marvin Graves for a 15-yard loss on third and goal in the fourth quarter
Blake: victory ©
sends message
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
SYRACUSE, N.Y. " Jeff Blake
has never doubted where the East
Carolina football team is headed.
For those who havenTt shared
the same view, he has a message.
It reads " East Carolina 23,
Syracuse 20.
oPeople try to doubt us,? Blake,
a senior quarterback, said after
turning in another stellar perfor-
mance Saturday afternoon in the
Carrier Dome to guide the Pirates
to an upset of the nationTs 15th-
ranked team. WeTve got people
stabbing us in our back right now,
people standing right beside us
saying we werenTt going to win.
oT donTt even like people like
that around me. I sucker-punch
them.?
Maybe not literally. But with his
strong right arm, Blake jabbed
and jabbed at a_ beleaguered
Syracuse secondary and propelled
East Carolina to 5-1 heading into a
showdown with Pittsburgh in two
weeks.
With his 324 yards passing " his
third 300-plus-yard game of the
season " Blake set an ECU
single-season passing mark with
1,602 yards.
His 23 completions and 43 at-
tempts are single-game records.
He also extended his string of con- .
secutive attempts without an in-
terception to 153, thanks to a drop
of a sure theft by Tony
Montemorra late in the first half.
Blake also moved to within two
of the single-season mark for
touchdown passes. His 5-yard flip
to Clayton Driver gives him 15 for
the season. He has been in-
(See BLAKE, C-5)
© College Football
¢ High School Sports
¢ Outdoors
Pirates
yracuse
ECU gets its first win
over a Top 20 team
By Mike Grizzard
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SYRACUSE, N.Y. " October 12,
- 1991.
Mark it down-as the day the
East Carolina football program fi-
nally had its prayers answered.
With SaturdayTs 23-20 upset of
15th-ranked Syracuse, the Pirates
have their first-ever win over a
Top 20 team. Now they would like
a little respect.
oT think this shows we can play
with anybody in the country,?T said
ECU defensive tackle Greg Gar-
dill, who introduced himself to
Syracuse quarterback Marvin
Graves on several occasions.
oThere may still be some
disbelievers out there but we
believe weTve got a good, quality
football team.?T
ECU head coach Bill Lewis said
the win over South Carolina two
weeks ago proved that. But he ad-
ded a win over a highly regarded
team on the road carries some ex-
tra weight.
oT told our football team that to
be considered a good football
team, you have got to be able to
beat a good team and beat a good
team on the road,TT Lewis said. oI
think we accomplished that.?T
There were some huge obstacles
to overcome. But when a big play
was needed, quarterback Jeff
Blake, wide receiver Dion Johnson
or a_bend-donTt-break defense
responded.
Blake hit on 23 of 43 passes for
324 yards and broke the schoolTs
single-season mark for passing
yardage (he now has 1,602); John-
son caught seven passes for 136
yards; and the defense played
shutout ball for the final two
quarters.
oWe have played in big games
like this before and had a few
mistakes here and a few mistakes
there and lost,TT said Blake, whose
ECU
43-yard scramble early in the
fourth period put ECU in front for
good. oThis year we have the ca-
pability of coming back in the sec-
ond half and picking it up.?
The Pirates, now 5-1 after their
fifth straight win, nearly self-
destructed in the first quarter,
putting the ball on the ground on
the first two plays from scrim-
mage and racking up seven
penalties for 42 yards.
One of the fumbles resulted in
the first turnover for the first-
team offense since the season-
opener at Illinois and set up a
John Biskup field goal. One of the
penalties erased a_ scintillating
101-yard kickoff return by John-
son.
oT think it was concentration as
much as anything else,T Lewis
said.
Qr perhaps a few jitters.
oWe were over-anxious,?T Gar-
dill said.
But they settled down and over-
came a 10-point halftime deficit.
Meanwhile the Orangemen (4-2)
kept blowing their chances.
oThey obviously played a super
game,TT Syracuse head coach Paul
Pasqualoni said. oThey converted
big plays and we did not take ad-
vantage of some opportunities.?T
ECU took away a big part of
SyracuseTs arsenal with high,
short kickoffs and angling punts
near the sidelines. The
Orangemen came in as the best in
the nation in kickoff returns (31.2)
yards, but averaged just 14.3
yards on four returns Saturday.
They returned one punt for two
yards.
oT think that was an intelligent
decision,T Lewis said. We did not
want this stadium to explode be-
cause of a kick return.?
No worry. The disappointing
crowd of 37,767 would have made a
library look rowdy " except when
(See PIRATES, C-5)
(Continued from A-1)
Members of East CarolinaTs football team make their
Fans give ECU a rolling welcome
By Tom Morris
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
The horns got louder as the
cars rolled up the hill. Then
came the screams and the
cheers as the rolling victory
party for East Carolina Univer-
sityTs football team arrived at
College Hill.
A crowd of over 1,000 Pirate
fans greeted the 5-1 ECU foot-
ball team Saturday night on its
trip back from a 23-20 upset vic-
tory over nationally ranked
Syracuse, filling the terminal at
Kinston Airport. The crowd
then piled into a caravan of
over 100 cars that stretched a
mile and a half to escort the
team buses back to Greenville.
oWe had a celebration like
this in 1983,TT said Jimmy Nunn,
president of the Pirate Club,
remembering the last airport
welcoming for an ECU team.
oWe put that one to bed tonight.
This one was better. There
were more people, more en-
thusiasm.?T
They turned Kinston into a
temporary Pirate Club as the
throng of purple and gold-clad
fans parted and allowed the
players to cross through the
terminal. Along the way, the
team exchanged high fives all
around.
While the players walked
through the crowd, a cheer
struck up, Hey Hey Hey Hey,
EC, You look so good to me,
Hey Hey Hey Hey, ECU ...
The ECU chain then slowly
made its way up N.C. 11, follow-
ing the team buses back from
Kinston. Along the way, local
police departments stopped
traffic to allow the chain to
pass through.
As the buses came to a stop
in front of Scott Hall on the
ECU campus, a crowd of 300
people swarmed around the
"$$_
The Daily Reflector/Michl Hall
way through crushed-but-happy Pirate supporters.
somewhat startled-though-
appreciative players. It was a
new experience for the players.
oItTs great to feel this ex-
citement,TT said Chris Hall, a
senior defensive back. oI think
everybody believes in-our ca-
pabilities.?T
Fan Ken Stallings smiled
from ear to ear as he cheered
and watched the festivities.
Decked out in his purple and
gold regalia, he was savoring
the moment.
oItTs probably the biggest win
in ECUTs history,? he said. oI
(See ECU, A-8)
remember in T83 when we beat |
Missouri, we went and it was a
great crowd, bit it was nothing
like this.? _ mig
Stallings said he was on the
edge of his seat all day while
watching the game and got
down to the airport early with
his son, Jeff.
oWe got out a little early and |
we went out to the side fence so
we could see the plane land,?T
he said. When I went back in,
I couldnTt believe the crowd.
There must have been over
1,000 people.?T
Nunn, who was one of the
first to arrive from the airport,
said this win is a payback for
the Pirate fans who suffered
through the lean times of the
last few years.
oThis is the first time we beat
a team in the top 20,? he said.
oReal Pirate fans have been
Pirate fans for a long time. The
people are great fans, itTs just a
matter of putting together a
program that people could sup-
port.?T
ECU vs SYRACUSE
Brenner has good
day under Dome
| Notes
GAME 6:
ECU at
Syracuse
Pirates Es
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Yards rushing
9 SYRACUSE, N.Y. " Before the
1991 season started, Anthony
Brenner was talking about the
thrill of going to the Carrier
Dome.
No wind. Ar-
tifieial. turf,
Perfect condi-
tions for any
kicker.
He was not
24 disappointed.
oKicking in a
do mM e..1 7s
unbelievable,?T
Brenner said BRENNER
Saturday after hitting three of four
field goals in East CarolinaTs 23-20
: upset of 15th-ranked Syracuse.
Passes completed oThe height and distance you can
23 get is unreal.
ES 20
Passes attempted oT felt like in practice, pregame
43 ' warmups and in the game is prob-
5125 ably the best two full days ITve
had kicking.?T .
and 3rd 4th eee tue
East Carolina 10 6 i
Syracuse 14 0 0
normally called on in short-yar-
dage situations, got just one carry
Saturday. It was both valuable
and costly.
WilsonTs number was called on a
third-and-1 from the Syracuse 35
in the third period. He followed the
left side of the line for a 6-yard
gain, but stayed on the turf after
being hit on the right knee by Tim
Sandquist. Wilson was assisted to
the sidelines and did not return.
MMISSILE VS. DION: Every
time SyracuseTs Ismail, tabbed
oThe MissileT and ECUTs Dion
Johnson touched the ball, the Car-
rier Dome crowd was holding its
breath, expecting something excit-
ing to happen.
Usually, something did.
Ismail, leaving tacklers grabb-
ing for air, finished with with six
catches for 101 yards and had one
kickoff return for 22 yards. John-
son had seven catches for 136
yards, three punt returns for 39
yards and two kickoff returns for
48 yards.
One of the most exciting plays of
the day " JohnsonTs 101-yard
kickoff return in the first period "
didnTt count. The Pirates were
guilty of clipping and holding.
MBOWL TALK: At 5-1, ECU is on
track for its first postseason bowl
bid since the 1978 Independence
Bowl. And Saturday was a prime
opportunity to impress the scouts.
Representatives from the Hall of
Fame and Fiesta bowls were in at-
tendance Saturday. Both will be
held on New YearTs Day.
Yards passing
Total yards
Kickoff return yards First downs
Punt return yards Turnovers
a |
oInterception return yards Total plays
oHis
o0
| Total return yards
Brenner, a sophomore, knocked
through field goals of 31, 40 and 51
yards. The 51-yarder was a career
best " a yard longer than the one
he hit at Illinois in the season-
opener. It also came after his only
miss, a 23-yarder from the left
hashmark midway through the
third period.
How they scored
First quarter
o SU: Biskup 19 field goal, 6:35. Scoring Drive " 7 plays, 14 yards.
Elapsed Time " 3:29. Key Play " Graves 9-yard pass to Hill. Score " SU
3, CU 0.
SU: Biskup 48 field goal, :10. Scoring Drive " 9 plays, 35 yards. Elaps-
ed Time " 3:24. Key Play " Graves 24-yard pass to Ismail. Score " SU
6, ECU 0.
oThe field goal I missed, I donTt
think I was concentrating
enough,?T Brenner said. oIt was a
real tough angle, but itTs some-
thing that I should have made. It
was just a flaw in my mechanics,
but we won so ITm not even think-
ing about that right now.?
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis. «
Pirate head coach Bill Lewis gets a victory ride Saturday in
the Carrier Dome after ECUTs 23-20 win over Syracuse .
Second quarter
ECU: Driver 5 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 11:15. Scoring Drive "
10 plays, 80 yards. Elapsed Time " 3:55. Key Plays " Blake 13-yard pass
to Fisher, 35-yard pass to D. Johnson. ; :
SU: Lee 8 run (Biskup kick), 6:01. Scoring Drive " 5 plays, 37 yards.
Elapsed Time " 2:24. Key Play " Graves 11-yard pass to Ismail. Score
" SU 13, ECU 7.
ECU: Brenner 31 field goal, 1:34. Scoring Drive " 13 plays, 63 yards.
Elapsed Time " 4:22. Key Plays " Blake 16-yard run, passes of 18 and 16
yards to D. Johnson. Score " SU 13, ECU 10. i
SU: A. Johnson 40 pass from Graves (Biskup kick), :47. Scoring Drive
" 3 plays, 64 yards. Elapsed Time " :-40. Key Play " Graves passes of 15
oand 40 to A. Johnson. Score " SU 20, ECU 10.
. oI give Coach (Bill) Lewis and all
e
Third quarter the other coaches all the credit in STANDINGS
the world.?T
ECU: Brenner 40 field goal, 12:06. Scoring Drive " 9 plays, 57 yards. ea aE pepe
i " 2:54. Key Play " Blake 18-yard pass to Fisher. Score: f
eS en apace a Brenner also got some credit ab HIP AEE AAU TE
ECU: Brenner 51 field goal, 2:49. Scoring Drive " 9 plays, 33 yards. from Lewis for carrying out a plan
Elapsed Time " 2:13. Key Plays " Blake passes of 19 to D. Johnson and of keeping kickoffs short and high.
ig forivercone --8U 20): Syracuse came in with an average ye foe vs. Top 25 teams and combined record of all 1991 opponents
ii (excluding their games against non-Division I-A teams):
of 31.2 yards per kickoff return " 86
Fourth quarter 1990 Vs. Opp.
tops in the nation. Four returns 27
ECU: Blake 43 run (Brenner kick), 12:45. Scoring Drive " 6 plays, 80 Record Pts. Pvs Top25 Records
Virginia 81
yards. Elapsed Time " 2:05. Key Play " Blake 17-yard pass to Florida State (56) 6-0-0 1,472 Seema w yr i
Saturday netted 57 yards " a 14.3 :
yard average. Qadry Ismail, sec- Wake Forest 13
Gallimore on third-and-2. Score " ECU 23, SU 20. Miami (1) 5-0-0 1,392 2-0-0 14-10-0
Washington (2) 5-0-0 1,384 1-0-0 14-6-1
ond in the nation in kickoff
returns, had one return for 22 BIG EAST
Michigan 4-1-0 1,282 2-4-0. 15-7-0
. Notre Dame 5-1-0 1,236 1-1-0 15-9-1
i We yards. Pittsburgh .... 0
Rut 0
eam statistics oWe felt like if we got the ball in Syracuse 0
. Florida §-1-0 1,179 3-1-0 21-6-0
California 5-0-0 1,021 1-0-0 12-11-0
. ECU SYR between the 18 and 22-yard line W. Virginia ... 0
"Total first downs 24 21 with about a four-second hang
= First downs rushing a) 6} f ee mi os time that (Ismail) wouldnTt get Tennessee 4-1-0 998
First downs passing 18 Se acaba Cope he eal the ball or they would have to fair tesa : 3-1-0 17-7-0
= First downs by penalty _ 5 7 7 ch catch it,T Brenner said. oThey i " a oa en pene s
~ord down conversions -1 : had to fair catch one. I kicked a atid o2- 883 1-1-0 _16-16-0
Foes yards. . Eis oe : aa Sea ECU igs Jett PRSG Syr A couple too deep, but our coverage _N.C. State 5-0-0 856 2-0-0 40-13-0
otal plays : did a heck of a job.?T . Oklahoma 4-1-0 -0- tie
~ Ave. gain per play. 549° 5.82) J illinoi Ls asic 2H at
ie as eh ins 50-66. FIELD GOALS: ECU _ Brenner y Hingis 44-0 M8 2-0-0 13-7-1
mRushes 3437]: 3-4; Syr _ Biskup 24. . Alabama 5-1-0 691 1-1-0 14-16-0
Net yards passing 324 295 : . lowa 4-1-0 664 0-1-0 12-10-0
=oCompleted-attempted_ 23-43. 20-25) yd ake shes ECU _ Johnson 25 PAT kicks. . Baylor 5-1-0 629 1-0-0 12-12-2
secede ieee e COSTLY CARRY: Redshirt . Georgia 5-1-0 571 2-0-0 16-12-1
Had neerccpieT geal: sr ml KICKOFF RETURNS : ECU freshman fullback Damon Wilson, . Ohio State 4-1-0 504 0-1-0 12-11-0
; S-avg. -42. 5 uy om
oTotal ore ~ 72] Johnson 2-48, Van Buren 1-17; Syr _ . Texas A&M 3-1-0 382 0-0-0 7-13-0
~ Punt ret. yds. 4 7 Richardson 2-28, Ismail 1-22, Piccuci . Pittsburgh 5-1-0 316 0-1-0 15-13-0
Wineicencreuyde sO) I! . Clemson 3-1-1 239 1-0-0 16-10-0
. Colorado 3-2-0 229 0-1-0 11-10-2
. East Carolina 5-1-0 170 1-0-0 18-10-2
. Syracuse 4-2-0 138 1-1-0 16-14-0
34 10
88 52 25. Arizona State 4-1-0 122 1-1-0 _ 10-11-0
75 6
. oa
Kickoff ret. yds. 5] C
SS e eall INTERCEPTION RETURNS : rime
24 49 Others receiving votes: Mississippi State 80, Auburn 77, Air Force 47, Fresno
"Penalties-yds. "9-64 8-74)
ECU _ Dillon 1-13.
38 26 State 33, Georgia Tech 29, Texas 27, Indiana 25, Southern Cal 22, UCLA 19,
Fumbles-lost 3-2 1-0
Time of possession.....__.28:28. 31:32}
9 27 North Carolina 10, Mississippi 8, Rutgers 5, Arkansas 3, Virginia 3, Texas Chris-
20 20 tian 2, Rice 1.
BrennerTs 51-yard field got ECU
within 20-16 with 2:49 left in the
third period. Jeff BlakeTs 43-yard
run after being chased out of the
pocket proved to be the game-
winner.
4B THECHARLOTTEOBSERVER Monday, October 14, 1991
All three phases of our team
did a heck of a job,TT Brenner said.
4 The Top 25 h
The Associated Press Top 25, with first-place votes in paren-
ACC theses, record, points based on 25 for a first-place vote
N.C. State .... 3 82 through one for a 25th-place vote, last weekTs ranking, record
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For the season, Brenner has hit
9 of 12 field goals and is perfect on
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187 139
126 56
62 40
38 38
88 90
79 104
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TOTAL TACKLES: ECU _ Jones
12, Grandison 9, Walker 9, Davis 7,
Dillon 7, Lewis 5, Floyd 4, Wright 3,
Hall 3, Gardill 3, Howard 3, Carter Bu
Beasley 1, Myers 1, Braddy 1,
Burnette 1, Wortham 1, Cotton 1; Syr
_ Sardquist 10, Young 10, Lusardi 8,
Todd 7, Joseph 4, Rooks 4, Hawkins
4, Mitchell 3, Walker 2, Montmorra 2
Spencer 2, Brown 2, Wooten 2, Hill 1,
Jackson 1, Sirowide 1, Greco 1,
Wooden 1, O'Rourke 1.
Individual statistics
RUSHING: ECU _ Blake 9-52, Van
Buren 11-23, Johnson 3-11, Smith 3-9,
Wilson 1-6, Daniels 5-(-2); Syr _ Lee
6-26, Walker 11-44, Womack 2-20,
Richardson 7-20, Wooten 8-4, Graves
8-(-48).
If you have informa- Goan.
Minnesota ...
tion on any crime Mines
committed in Pitt Wisconsin
County, call Crime
Stoppers, 758-7777.
You do not have to
identify yourself and
can be paid for the in-
formation you supply.
aot ot t"OO0o
Seoooeoeoeoc]oe
RECEIVING: ECU _ Fisher 7-86,
Johnson 7-136, Gallimore 3-32, Driver
3-42, Williams 3-28; Syr _ Johnson
9-55, Hill 3-40, Ismail 6-101, Gedney
4-60, Lee 1-23, Walker 2-7, Ferrell 1-9,
Wooten 1-0.
TIME ELAPSED: 3:07
ATTENDANCE: 37,767
ECUTs latest victory recalls other past achievements
' How about those Pirates...
knocked off South Carolina, upset
' Syracuse and now 23rd in the As-
' sociated Press poll.
ItTs enough to make any old
- grad proud. And thereTs more.
- East Carolina University Pirate
- football fans donTt have to come
: off the clouds for still another
week. There was an open date on
' the schedule yesterday. No matter
what happened to all those other
* teams in the top 25 ECUTs record
* remains 5-1. Not only that but the
+ Jone loss was to Illinois by asingle
» touchdown.
At last the Pirates have a stellar
: quarterback; at last they have
: plenty of receivers; finally the
' defense can get the job done when
» jt counts and finally the defensive
linemen can pressure the opposing
quarterback.
All that plus the Pirates are now
a strong second-half football team.
ALVIN TAYLOR
In years gone by, the teams
played their hearts out against
stronger opponents for the first
half ... and then just didnTt have it
for the rest of the game.
Was the win over Syracuse the
biggest ever? There may have
been more emotional ones but
some believe the Syracuse win
will be seen as the one which put
ECU firmly into major college
football.
But there has been excitement
- over the years. Perhaps it was ex-
citing in 1932 when the Pirates
under Coach Kenneth Beatty
merely took the field. Unfortu-
nately their record was 0-5 for that
year and also it was 1-5 the next
year.
And there were so-so records
through the T30s under Coaches
G.L. (Doc) Mathis, Bo Farley,
J.D. Alexander and O.A. Hankner.
There must have been some real
cheering in 1940 when the team
was 7-0 under Coach John Chris-
tianbury. The year was even more
astounding because the Pirates
scored double digits in every
game while the opponents had a
total of 20 points.
That was it for the era, though.
World War II came. Coach Chris-
tianbury and all available pro-
spective players went off to war.
Football resumed under Coach
Jim Johnson in 1946 and the ex-
citement came when the Pirates
defeated arch rival Atlantic Chris-
tian College (now Barton). They
did it in 1947. They lost in 1948 ...
but then they lost all the games
that year. EC wound up with a 3-
1-1 record with its neighbor.
There were better times ahead
under Coaches Bill Dole and Jack
Boone as well as a steadily im-
proving schedule. One the Pirates
couldnTt seem to defeat was small
college Lenoir-Rhyne. In 21 meet-
ings EC won only 6 games " so
they hired away Coach Clarence
Stasavich. Big wins? How about
defeating Richmond in 1965 or the
Citadel the same year. That was
big.
Or how about East Carolina 20,
Wake Forest 10 in the 1963 dedica-
tion game for the first phase of
Ficklen Stadium. The 17,000 fans
on hand were all the stadium
would hold at the time.
After Stasavich, Mike McGee
was coach for one year. Then
there were some pretty good years
under Coaches Sonny Randle and
Pat Dye. There was that first
emotional victory over N.C. State
in 1971, the win over North Caroli-
na in 1975 and a win over Duke in
1977. And there was 1983 under Ed
Emory " still seen as East Caro-
linaTs best year until this one. It
was an 8-3 year and the losses to
Florida State, Florida and Miami
were by a total of 13 points.
Art Baker succeeded Emory.
Then Bill Lewis took over in 1989
and now the Pirates are playing
like the big-time team their fans
have always dreamed they could
be.
Of course flying high can lead to
the longest falls. ThereTs Pitt-
sburgh ahead next weekend, as
well as some other formidable op-
ponents on the schedule. *
But no doubt this ECU football
group isnTt planning on losing. And
no doubt there are a lot of former
coaches, players, athletic direc-
tors and others in ECU football
who are quietly pleased that they
made their contribution.
How about those Pirates?
id
Bowl talk. There have been bowl
games. In 1952 there was the Lions
Bowl in Salisbury, N.C.: Clarion
College 13, EC 6. The Elks Bowl at
Greenville (1953) saw Morris-
Harvey defeat East Carolina. The
Eastern Bowl in 1963 saw EC
defeat Northeastern at Allentown,
Pa. In the Tangerine Bowl it was
EC 14, Massachusetts 13 in 1964
and EC 31 and Maine O in 1965.
There was the Independence
Bowl in 1978, EC 35, Lousiana
Tech 13.
And this year? Well, we'll wait
and see.
ECU-S!
ItTs a classic,
but only ona
field of dreams
By A.J. CARR
Staff writer
ItTd be a classic clash. The stadi-
um would rock with an overflow
crowd. Thousands would unleash
wolfish howls and multitudes would
do the Saber Slash.?T
But once again this year, itTs the
Big Game that isnTt. N.C. State, 6-0,
and East Carolina, 5-1, arenTt sched-
uled to meet on the football field,
which leaves people wondering
which team would win if they did
play.
Some speculate that the PiratesT
potent offense would crack StateTs
seemingly impregnable defense.
Some contend the Pack would defuse
ECUTs attack. And others just la-
ment because the two rivals donTt
settle it in old-fashioned, head-
knocking style the way they did a
few years back.
. oTE they were to play, ITd lean
toward State because of the
defense,TT said Lee Corso, a former
college coach and current ESPN
football analyst. In the big ball
games, defense usually controls the
game and N.C. State is obviously
stronger than East Carolina in that
The Pack says the Buc would stop here; the Bucs say it would take more than a huffing Pack
@ Analysis by position, page 2C.
@ What fans think, page 2C.
i Tiger defense puzzled, page 2C.
College football notes, page 2C.
area.
ItTs not the scheme [State uses].
TheyTve got good players who are
enthusiastically trained. They are
extremely well-coached fundamen-
tally. TheyTre a very good football
team.?T
How about the Pirates?
Jeff Blake,TT Corso said, sum-
ming up in two words what he thinks
is a major key to the PiratesT 5-1
start and No. 20 national ranking.
oHeTs a terrific athlete and his
ability to run [as well as throw]
gives him the competitive edge. HeTs
extremely well-coached ... he also
knows how to protect the football.
But ITd go with N.C. State because of
the defense.?T
Blake might not concur with Cor-
soTs pick.
The Pirate senior is confident, bold
and can destroy defenses. HeTs
thrown for more than 1,600 yards and
15 touchdowns with only one inter-
ception. His offense produces 34.7
points and about 460 yards total
offense per game.
Syracuse couldnTt stop the Pirates.
Neither could Illinois or South Caro-
lina or anybody else. ECUTs shrewd-
ly designed attack spreads the de-
fense, makes it cover the entire field,
and then prudently assaults the most
vulnerable spots.
Conversely, State has stopped just
about everybody. It ranks No. 1
nationally in scoring defense, allow-
ing only 7.5 points per game, and 4th
in total defense. And the Pack puts
See ITTS, page 3C
Lindsey
Reeves Soles
A sampling of opinion on Fay-
etteville Street Mall in Raleigh:
RALEIGHT CRUMP, Ra-
leigh: ITd say State because of
their defense, but ECUTs pretty
good. ITd like to see that one.?T
@ CHRIS REID, Raleigh: ITm a
State grad, but | honestly think
State would win because of de-
fense. | would really love for them
to play each other, especially this
season.?
HSAM ANNAB, Raleigh: I
would pick State because of
coaching. HeTs [Dick Sheridan is]
one of the best anywhere. If they
could control the crowd, they
should play.?T
ANGELA MURPHY, Raleigh:
My sister works in the Carolina
football office. SheTd probably
want me to say ECU, but ITd have
to pick State. It would be a great
game. Everybody would want to
see it.?T
MBURL LINDSEY, Raleigh:
oThat one would be just too close
for me to say. ItTd be a great
game, no doubt. But who would
win? ItTd be a toss-up.?T
M BONNIE MEYER, Clayton:
oMy whole familyTs for ECU, and
theyTre going to kill mé, but ITd
have to pick State. TheyTve got the
defense and the coaching.?T
Hi MARY MORGAN REEVES,
Raleigh: ECU would win, of
course. ThatTs why StateTs afraid
to play them.?T
M EARL SOLES, Raleigh: As
an East Carolina grad, | would pick
the Pirates, naturally. Their of-
fense is great. That game should
be brought back.TT
oWHO WOULD HAVE THE EDGE?
ECU
N.C. State
OFFENSE
Line: The pro scouts say ECUTs Tom Scott, a 6-7, 328-pound
junior, is one of the seasonTs hottest players. Scott is the leader of
an essentially young, huge front that majors in pass protection but
is still mobile enough to hunt.
Running backs: Nagging injuries have hampered both teams, but
the Bucs have rushed for 1,008 yards, compared with 992 for
State, and ECU has run the ball 58 fewer times. Neither has
overwhelming punch, but the Pirates are quicker.
Quarterback: ItTs really no contest, and through little fault of
StateTs Geoff Bender, a redshirt freshman. ECU's Jeff Blake, a
mobile senior with a big-league-gun, is among the nationTs best.
Receivers: Another mismatch. The Pirates have three " tight end
Luke Fisher, wide receiver Hunter Gallimore and flanker Dion
Johnson " with NFL potential. Junior Clayton Driver, averaging
18.5 yards per catch, is almost as good. Other than Charles
Davenport, the PackTs most effective catcher has been Ledel
George, whose 113 yards would rank sixth for the Bucs.
Kicking game: The BucsT John Jett, averaging 43 yards per punt, is
an imposing weapon, and placements specialist Anthony Brenner is
9-for-12 in field-goal attempts and 2-for-2 from 50 yards or
farther. Again, not much of a contest.
DEFENSE
Defensive line: The Pirates have improved up front since early in
the season, but they still donTt have a Ricky Logo or Mark Thomas.
ECU is starting a true freshman, Tony Howard, at right tackle,
where StateTs John Akins gets an easy nod.
Linebackers: Basically, itTs one " ECUTs Robert Jones " against
five " StateTs Billy Ray Haynes, Clayton Henry, Tyler Lawrence and
Dave Merritt/Ray Frost.
The secondary: This is one area in which the teams are very close.
The Pirates have a splendid athlete, corner Chris Hall, and a
certified headhunter, junior free safety Greg Grandison, an
All-America candidate for 1992. But State has two strong corners,
DeWayne Washington and Sebastian Savage, and safeties Mike
Reid and Ricky Turner are far above average.
COACHING
ECUTs Bill Lewis and StateTs Dick Sheridan have startlingly similar
traits. Neither tolerates on-the-field taunting or off-the-field
mischief. Both believe in slow, thorough quarterback preparation.
Dollar-for-dollar, Lewis has done a remarkable staff-building job
and, like Sheridan, has worked wonders with many lightly recruited
prospects. Other than experience, thereTs not much to choose
from, but that gives the nod to Sheridan.
INTANGIBLES
This one, too, is difficult. Like the outcome of this hypothetical
game, the value of intangibles would depend on the game site. Play
it in Greenville and the Pirates win, although StateTs players would
have the incentive of trying to avenge the loss in the series finale.
Play it in Raleigh and State probably would win. Play it on a neutral
field and ECUTs persecution compiex might determine it. LetTs call
it even.
ItTs classic,
but itTs also
just a dream
Continued from page 1C
heat on quarterbacks, having
come up with 16 sacks.
Offense vs. Defense. An intrigu-
ing matchup.
ItTs a shame these two teams,
with those two records, are not
playing each other,?T former East
Carolina coach Art Baker said.
oTt would be a natural. It would
probably break all attendance
records, which it always did.?T
Baker, now executive director
of the South Carolina Gamecock
Club, has seen both teams play in
person or on tape.
No way ITd venture to say what
would happen,TT Baker hedged
when asked to pick a winner. On
the surface State appears to have
an outstanding defense and East
Carolina appears to have a slight
edge in offense.
oNobody has really slowed Tem
[ECU]. They are a very tough
offense to defend because they do
so many things well. And the guy
who makes it all go is Jeff Blake.
He has a phenomenal record for
not being sacked [in five games].
ThatTs a great tribute to his
offensive line and his receivers,
but mostly to him for avoiding
that.?T
Baker has watched State play
three times, twice on TV and once -
on tape.
oYou canTt sit in one defense
any longer unless you are just
better. than the other team,?T
Baker said. And State seems to
mix their defenses up, disguise |
coverages and blitzes real well,
and thatTs a real key to their being
successful. But both of these
teams are going to be well-
coached.?T
In his four-year stint at East
Carolina, Baker was 2-1 against
the Pack, winning the last meet-
ing 32-14 in 1987. A postgame fight
among fans erupted and the
teams havenTt played since.
oIt was always a great game,?
Baker said. I enjoyed the rela-
tionship with State and I hope they
crank it up again.?T
This season would have been a
grand time to do just that. Mean-
while, fans can speculate on which
team is the toughest.
Cooper brought Graham back when
Ohio State regained possession with 3:39
left, and Graham quickly guided the
Buckeyes into a 7-7 tie on a two-pass,
64-yard touchdown drive. For the day,
Graham connected on seven of 11 passes
for 130 yards, yet 53 of Ohio StateTs 69 of-
fensive plays were rushes. oI thought we
might throw the ball more,? said Graham.
And what about that, coach? oI
thought we called the right number of
passes,? said Cooper, obut we just didnTt
complete the right number.?
Graham indicated he might request a
meeting with Cooper and offensive coor-
dinator Elliot Uzelac this week. Herb-
streit added that he was oalmost fed up?
with the quarterback controversy.
In the Illinois locker room, coach John
Mackovic was more emotional than any-
body had ever seen him, perhaps because
it was his fourth consecutive win over
Cooper"and never before have the Illini
-won that many games in a row from the
Buckeyes.
Better Than Advertised
~The bowl scouts, who last weekend began
attending games in search of candidates
for the postseason, had better put Green-
ville, N.C., on their itineraries. ThatTs the
home of East Carolina, which just may
have the nationTs most underrated team.
OCTOBER 21991.
VOLUME 52 INOW]
The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., Friday, a3 20;
PiratesT Jones is
Butkus semifinalist
From staff reports ""
GREENVILLE " Robert
Jones, a senior at East Carolina,
is one of 10 semifinalists for the
Butkus Award, given annually to |
the top linebacker in college foot-
ball. ;
Marco Coleman of Georgia
Tech and Ed McDaniel of Clem-
son also are on the list.
Three finalists will be selected
Nov. 21, and the winner will be
announced Dec. 7.
ec nan
| Pacific FB
f UD Football
The Pirates are now 5-1 after their 23-20
upset of Syracuse in the Carrier Dome
and might be unbeaten were it not for a
controversial call in their opening loss to
Illinois on Aug. 31 in Champaign.
Trailing Illinois late in the game
38-31"the final score"East Carolina
recovered an onside kick, only to be pe-
nalized 15 yards for violating the new rule
against excessive celebrating. Instead of
first-and-10 on their own 46, the Pirates
had first-and-25 at the 31. Their bid for
the first down fell five yards short.
Against Syracuse, East CarolinaTs lead-
er, aS usual, was senior quarterback Jeff
Blake, who went into the game ranked
third nationally in passing efficiency and
10th in total offense. Blake riddled the
Orange for 324 passing yards, and he also
showed some nifty footwork he might
have learned from his godfather, Chicago
White Sox speedster Tim Raines.
With 12:45 left in the game and the Pi-
rates trailing 20-16, Blake was forced out
of the pocket by a heavy pass rush, but he
turned the busted play into a 43-yard
touchdown run. oI felt somebody at my
heels"thatTs what made me run,? he said.
The lead held up, but only after John
Biskup, the most accurate placekicker in
Syracuse history, missed two field goal at-
tempts, from 27 and 42 yards, in the
fourth quarter. oWe played our butts off,?
said Pirates defensive tackle Greg Gar-
dill. oThis proved we can play with any-
body in the country.? Did all you bowl
scouts get that?
Squibs
Does anybody understand whatTs going
on in the wacky Southwest Conference?
Just when Baylor seemed to have estab-
lished itself as the leagueTs best team,
doggone if Rice doesnTt go into Waco and
hand the Bears their first loss, 20-17.
oT donTt even know when the last win
like this was,? said the OwlsT coach, Fred
Goldsmith. And guess who is now leading
the league? None other than Arkansas,
which beat woeful Houston, the presea-
son Southwest Conference favorite,
29-17 and now stands 3-0 in its final sea-
son in the conference. The Razorbacks
join the SEC next year.... By beating
Michigan State 45-28 in East Lansing,
Michigan completed its revenge of all
three teams that the Wolverines lost to
last season (the others were Notre Dame
and Iowa). ... Tip of the Hat Dept.: Cin-
cinnati, which was taken to task by some
Sports
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PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSE
Michl Lerch, a junior split end for
Princeton, set Division I-AA records
for all-purpose yards (463) and
receiving yards (370, on nine
catches) and scored four TDs in the
TigersT 59-37 win over Brown.
DEFENSE
Defensive tackle James Patton, a
senior at Texas, had eight tackles,
including two sacks for nine yards,
caused a fumble and deflected a pass
in the LonghornsT 10-7 upset of
Oklahoma (page 42).
SMALL SCHOOLS
Zed Robinson, a junior tailback for
Division II Southern Utah State, ran
for an 80-yard touchdown on his
first carry and finished with 343
yards on 32 rushes in a 37-31 defeat
of Santa Clara.
observers (blush) after its 81-0 loss to
Penn State, now has won two in a row"a
30-7 upset of Louisville two weeks ago
and a 38-19 defeat of Kent State on Sat-
urday. ... And while weTre congratulating
underdogs, how about Kansas State,
which is off to its best start (4-1) since
1969? Unfortunately, the WildcatsT 16-12
win over Kansas last Saturday was tar-
nished when winning coach Bill Snyder
lashed out at reporters for not giving his
team the respect he thinks it deserves.
oWhen they do something decent, give
them credit for it, will you?? he growled.
Lighten up, coach. After all, Colorado,
Nebraska and Oklahoma are coming up
on the next three Saturdays.... When
Missouri visited Colorado for the first
meeting of the teams since last yearTs con-
troversial game in which the Buffaloes
scored the winning TD on a fifth down, a
couple of Missouri fans ran through the
stadium carrying a sign saying CU TAKES
THE FIFTH. But this time the Tigers took
the gas as Colorado won 55-7... . Trail-
ing Wyoming 36-22 in the second half,
Utah ripped off 35 consecutive points on
the way to a 57-42 victory. The Utes,
whose victory was their first at Laramie
since 1972, had been averaging only 19.5
points a game. a
The Daily
Reflector
Sunday, October 27, 1991
A slashing frenzy in Ficklen
East Carolina tight end Luke Fisher is chased by Pittsburgh linebacker Charles Williams (53) and another Panther defender in
Sports
¢ College Football
¢ NFL
¢ Outdoors
The Daily Reflector/Michl Hall
SaturdayTs game.
LoganTs feeling pays off on conversion
By Woody Peele
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
All week long, East Carolina
quarterback coach Steve Logan
had a feeling SaturdayTs game
with Pittsburgh might come downT
to'a-two-point conversion.
: So all week long, the Pirate of-
fense prepared just in case the
situation came up.
Saturday afternoon, with 46 sec-
ends left, all that work paid off as
Jeff Blake executed the option to
perfection, scoring on a two-point
conversion to give No. 20 East
Carolina a 24-23 victory over No.
23 Pittsburgh.
It was the sixth. straight win for
the Pirates, guaranteeing them
their first winning season since
1983. ItTs also the longest winning
streak since the 1976 team also
won six_in a row to open the sea-
son. That was part of a 12-game
win streak that went back through
the final six games of the 1975 sea-
son.
In the course of breaking down
the Pitt defense from video tapes,
Logan found the Panthers in a
two-point conversion situation
against Maryland.
You rarely see that on films,?T
Logan said. When I saw it, I told
our coaches that we needed two
perfectly designed plays to use
again their defenses, so we could
go against which ever we saw.?T
All week long, Jeff Blake and
The Associated Press
Terry Pendleton, Sid Bream and Greg Olson talk to Braves
pitcher Steve Avery during the first inning
a 4
the Pirates worked on those plays,
a pass and the trap-option.
Coach (Steve) Shankweiler (of-
fensive line coach) felt that the
trap-option was the best play
against (the Pitt defense),?T Logan
said. All Jeff had to do was make
a decision based on which defense ~
they came out in.TT. :
The Pitt defense was designed to
rush the passer, so Blake chose to
use the trap-option.
oAnd it worked perfectly,TT
Logan said.
Blake took the ball, sprinted to
Puckett
his right, got a pulling block from
Mike McCalop on the inside line-
backer and another from Luke
Fisher on the man head-up on
him. That left Blake and his pitch
man, Cedric Van Buren, alone
with one defender. The defender
went for Van Buren and that al-
lowed Blake to dive over the line.
oThere was no way they were
going to stop me,? Blake said. If
they had had five men on me, I
was going to get the ball into the
end zone some way. But they
hadnTt stopped the option all day
and I didnTt think they could stop
it then.?
One fateful move the Panthers
made just minutes earlier may
have cost them. Pitt caught itself
with 12 men on the field when they
prepared to kick off after kicking
a field goal for a 23-16 lead with
3:32 left. The Panthers burned
their final time out rather than
kick away and take the penalty.
That left them unable to call a
time out after they saw us come
out for the extra point,TT ECU head
coach Bill Lewis said. When they
called it, I turned to the other
coaches and said there goes their
timeout.T That was big.?T
East Carolina had missed its ini-
tial extra point attempt " the first
time this year Anthony Brenner
has missed in 26 attempts.
oSteve called down (from the
coaching booth) after that and
said we were in a two-point situa-
tion,TT Lewis said. He was so cer-
tain that it was going to come
down to that.?T
Logan never lost his belief that
it was going to come down to a
two-point conversion.
oThe last thing I told Jeff before
we came out of the dressing room
at the half was that it was going to
come down to that,TT Logan said.
And itTs just a tribute to our line
that it was executed so perfectly.?T
Ts shot forces G
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MINNEAPOLIS " Kirby
Puckett was just the difference the
Minnesota Twins needed to make
one of the closest World Series
even closer.
Puckett, already a hero for a
leaping, run-saving catch and two
hits and two RBIs, led off the bot-
tom of the 11th inning with a home
run Saturday night to give the
Twins a 4-3 victory over the Atlan-
ta Braves 4-3 and force a decisive
seventh game.
Puckett sent Charlie LeibrandtTs
2-1 changeup on a line over the
left-center field fence.
oThey've been throwing me a
lot of changeups the whole Se-
ries,T Puckett said. oITm such an
aggressive-type hitter. ... I just go
up there and hack. I just wanted to
make him get the ball up.
He got it up and I got it out.?T
Atlanta manager Bobby Cox
gambled in bringing in Leibrandt,
who started and lost Game 1.
Leibrandt was making his first
relief appearance in two years and
defying baseball odds as a left-
hander facing the righty-hitting
Puckett.
It was the second extra-inning
game of the Series " the first time
thatTs happened since 1975 " and
the fourth out of six to be decided
oTheyTve been throwing me a lot of
changeups the whole Series. ... I just
go up there and hack. I just wanted to
make him get the ball up. He got it up
and I got it out.?T
"Kirby Puckett,
Minnesota Twins
by one run on the winning teamTs
last at-bat.
oI feel like ITve been in a 15-
round fight,T Puckett said. oITm
so drained you canTt believe it.TT
The Twins returned home after
three straight losses in Atlanta
and improved to 7-0 in Series
games at the Metrodome. Jack
Morris, among .baseballTs best
big-game pitchers, will start for
Minnesota on Sunday night
against John Smoltz, who shut out
Pittsburgh in Game 7 of the NL
playoffs.
The Braves hoped to clinch it
behind 21-year-old Steve Avery.
, He had been winless in four starts
this season on three daysT rest,
and the playoff MVP was not able
to close it out, allowing three runs
in Six innings.
Puckett, the MVP of. the AL
playoffs, began this game in a 3-
A he slump. He changed his luck,
and that of the Twins, with a run-
Scoring triple in the first inning
and a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the
fifth. He also kept Minnesota
ahead with a leaping catch at the
fence in the third inning that robb-
ed Ron Gant of extra bases.
Puckett, however, saved his best
for last. Leibrandt, who started
and lost the opener, made his first
relief appearance in two years to
start the 11th and Puckett met him
with a line drive into the crowd.
Rick Aguilera worked around
leadoff singles in the 10th and 11th
innings for the victory. Twins
relievers were shellacked in At-
lanta, but shut out the Braves in
the final five innings.
The World Series has not gone
seven games since 1987. That
year, the Twins beat St. Louis in
the only Series in which the home
team won every game, the same
scenario this one has followed.
BlakeTs TD,
conversion
give Pirates
a 24-23 win
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Ficklen Stadium was filled and
ina frenzy Saturday afternoon.
A record crowd of 36,000 came
armed with foam rubber swords
and dreams of another chapter in
what is becoming a season full of
memories.
And what a memory this one
will be.
Senior quarterback Jeff Blake,
who rediscovered his magic touch
after being shut out for much of
the second half, capped a game-
winning drive with a 2-yard option
keeper and a two-point conversion
run with 46 seconds left to give
East Carolina a thrilling 24-23 vic-
tory over Pittsburgh. |
Alex Van Pelt drove the Pan-
thers, who dropped their third
Straight after a 5-0 start, to the
ECU 30 with seven seconds left,
but head coach Paul Hackett
opted not to try a field goal. Time
expired when Pelt hit Chad Askew
with a 19-yard pass to the 11.
Delirious fans celebrating the
20th-ranked PiratesT sixth straight
win stormed the field and quickly
brought the goal posts to the
ground.
Everyone now believes.
oAt the beginning of the year,
the media and all the sports ana-
lysts said East Carolina needed to
beat South Carolina or Syracuse or
Pittsburgh,T said ECU defensive
end Jerry Dillon, who had six
tackles and blocked a field goal.
oWe beat South Carolina and
some said it might have been a
fluke. After we beat Syracuse
there were still some doubters.
oWe had to come out here and
prove to. ourselves. I donTt know if
itTs going to help any at all, but all
the fans that were here know
whatTs East Carolina is all about.?
Such as the ability to continually
overcome adversity. Saturday, the
Pirates let a 13-3 lead slip away
then found a way to win on its last
possession.
oI feel so good for the people
who have worked so hard,?T said
ECU head coach Bill Lewis, who
donned a T-shirt that read I
BelieveT at his postgame press
conference. oThey have done ev-
-erything we have asked of them
and when they do that you want
them to be successful.T
The Pirates, 6-1, won despite be-
ing virtually dominated in every
statistical category. The Panthers,
directed by the cool Van Pelt, had
523 yards of total offense to 350 for
ECU and had possession of the
ball 13 more minutes.
Van Pelt completed 29 of 43
passes for 369 yards. Blake hit on
(See PIRATES, C-2)
ame 7
Mark Lemke keyed the BravesT
three victories at home, and
sparked AtlantaTs rally in the sev-
enth inning that tied it 3-3.
Lemke led off with a single,
making him 9-for-19 in the Series,
and Mark Guthrie relieved Scott
Erickson. Guthrie struck out pinch
hitter Jeff Blauser, but a walk and
Terry PendletonTs squib single to
the right side of the mound loaded
the bases.
Car! Willis replaced Guthrie and
got Gant to hit the grounder: the
Twins needed. But the ball was hit
too slowly for Minnesota to turn a
double play, and Gant waved safe
as he crossed first a shade ahead
of the relay as Lemke scored.
Puckett again was at the center
of things in the fifth inning, hitting
a sacrifice fly for a 3-2 lead.
Dan Gladden fouled off several
tough 3-2 pitches before drawing a
leadoff walk, and then stole sec-
ond on the first pitch to Chuck
Knoblauch.
Knoblauch, the TwinsT best bat-
control artist, tried to hit the other
way and succeeded with a fly ball
to right that sent Gladden to third.
Puckett put Minnesota ahead with
a fly shy of the warning track in
center.
Pendleton hit one much farther
(See MINNESOTA, C-12)
Gold sabers
Slash away
in victory
By Tom Morris
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Do you believe? .
For the throng of fans that
swarmed the field at Ficklen
Stadium Saturday after East
Carolina defeated Pittsburgh,
24-23, the answer is an em-
-phatic yes.
Thanks to some late-game
heroics by Pirate quarterback
oJeff Blake, ECU sent a record-
crowd of 36,000 home with
smiles on their faces and im-
ages of bowl games dancing in
their heads.
oTt was pandemonium,? said
"Mark Elmore. Cups were fly-
And the believers turned out ...
ing everywhere. When Blake
dove in the end zone, it was
huts.?T
On an unseasonably warm
day, the nationally ranked and
6-1 Pirates continued to make .
this a season to remember for
their long-suffering fans.
On the final drive, the crowd
came alive: a quick pass to
Dion Johnson, a key reception
by Hunter Gallimore. Soon the
sound was deafening. There
were sabers slashing and flags this.
waving.
As the final seconds ticked
away, fans began to hurdle the
}- fence surrounding the field.
+1. One swarm quickly pulled down
I stayed
|. A wrapup on the .
game is on page C-1.
the west goal posts. Shortly
thereafter, the east goal posts
came tumbling down.
With chaos reigning in the
end zone, one fan turned to
another and said, oI told you if
enough weTd win a game like
Donald Murray said he was
thinking about leaving in the
fourth quarter when Pittsburgh
led 23-16, but changed his mind.
oThe next thing I know,
Blake was running and passing
and then he scores,? Murray
said. ITve been at ECU for two
years and ITve lived here all my
life. This is amazing. You just
donTt understand.
at this school long
oT rushed the goal post. I was
standing there on it, looking
around at all the people, at the
players. Then people started
grabbing me and got on top of
me and were stepping on me. I
had to get out of there.?T
The fanatical young fans
were in a delirious state, hugg-
ing and wallowing on their field
of dreams. The older fans slow-
ly filed out of the stadium, call-
ing it the biggest win in ECU hand.
history.
And perhaps it was. ECU
came into the game ranked
20th. Pitt was ranked 23rd. The
pregame hoopla stirred up a lot
of attention.
The Pirates have long felt
: The Daily Reflector/Cli
A record crowd of 36,000 fans jams East CarolinaTs Ficklen Stadium as ECU took on Pittsburgh, and won.
ECU keeps the smiles coming
On Friday, a crowd of close
to 500 people showed up for a
_ pep rally at Tyler Beach on the
ECU campus.
The Daily Reflector/Michl Hall
Jubilant fans cut the air with their gold foam-rubber sabers as the Pirates move on.
shortchanged in their home
state, but this week there were
glowing stories in the New York
Times, USA Today and the
Charlotte Observer. Last week,
ECU was featured in Sports II-
lustrated. Football gurus began
pushing ECU Coach Bill Lewis
for coach of the year. Scouts
from the Independence,
Blockbuster, Peach and John
Hancock bowl games were on
ItTs been the kind of season
(See ECU, A-11)
SECU
(Continued from A-1)
o| ECU fans have been waiting a
o| long time for. Their last winn-
o| ing season came in 1983. The
o| years since have been lean.
«oThatTs what happens when
| you start getting successful,?
| said Jack Foley, an ECU player
") Back in the early 1960s. oPeople
4 start paying attention.
1 » oIt takes a team like this to
get people out. We would fill it
1 like this for State and Carolina,
o| but you know they wonTt play
Pus.
"ECU officials were looking
for a record sell-out crowd and
they got it. They brought in ex-
| tra bleachers for the East end
of the stadium.
oYou never know until it
happens,? said Lee Workman,
assistant director of athletics
o| for tickets sales. oWe knew it
4 was (a record), we just didnTt
1 know how much it was going to
4 be. We closed the ticket win-
4 odows in the first half. It was a
Jot of fun. It was an exciting
9 day for us.?
** School officials also ordered
oextra goal posts on Friday,
4 fearful that they might lose
4 some for the second time this
. @ Gyear.
4 oConsidering the crowd, it
4 wasnTt worse than any other
day,TT said Jim DePuy, director
of ECU Public Safety. oITd be
4 dying to you if I said there were
4 tho problems, but it was fairly
typical. With that kind of
4 crowd, we were fortunate.?
420e0e@e2e20080e0000800800@08e0eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee eee ee @ @ @
1 Florida St-3) 82020
2 Miia (3) SSSFS0R0
BOW. Seis)
SSH280
Other receiving votes: Vir
4, Duke 3, Kansas St. 2, Utah],
AP Top 25°
Record Pis Pys
9.
LO Ce
1 to! :
12.7 5
13. 0 6-1-0
14. Tennessi 4-3-0
{Colorado 5-20
16.-Clemsons AV}
17, Bast Carolina 6-1-0
18: Syracuse 6-20), ABO 1
19, N.?,?. State OV
20. Oklahoma BoD
21. Baylor ee a
22. Georgia 6-2-0 2
23. UCLA 52-0 48
24 Arkansas Het
25, Fresno St, F020:
UWlinois 33, Air Foree 30, Indiana
Mississippi St. 29, Pittsburgh 9,
Brigham Young 6, Tulsa 6. Stanford
1,492
1415
1412
1,312
1,247
1,210
1,058
1,046
1,002
991 10
910 11
822 13
743 14
693 15
657 16
80S SP Che to nee
cee
East Carolina moves
STAFF, WIRE REPORTS
East Carolina keeps inching its
way up the Associated Press Top
25 college football poll.
After its second win of the sea-
son over a Top 25 team, a scin-
tillating 24-23 win over No. 23 Pitt-
sburgh on Saturday, ECU moved
up three notches to No. 17 in the
latest poll, which was released
Sunday.
The ranking is the highest ever
for the Pirates. ECU made its
debut three weeks ago at No. 23
and was ranked 20th last week.
Pittsburgh, now 5-3, slipped out
of the poll.
ECU will take a 6-1 record into
next SaturdayTs final home game
against Tulane. The PiratesT sixth
Straight win, played before a
sellout crowd of 36,000 and repre-
sentatives from four bowls, came
thanks to a 2-yard run and a two-
point conversion by senior quar-
terback Jeff Blake with 46 seconds
left.
Blake on Sunday was named the
ECAC player of the week for the
fourth time this season.
Blake completed 21 of 31 passes
for 247 yards and one touchdown.
He did have his streak of con-
secutive passes snapped at 158
when Steve Isrl picked off a
pass in the second period. Blake
now has 16 TD passes and two in-
terceptions on the season.
His string of consecutive
quarters without a sack was also
stopped at 20.
N.C. State, which took a 6-0 re-
cord to Clemson Saturday and fell
29-19, drooped from No. 12 to No.
19. The win helped the Tigers -
4 bowls
to scout "
Pirates
Peach may be
most interested
By CHARLES CHANDLER
Staff Writer
Four bowls plan to scout East
CarolinaTs football game against
Tulane Saturday. One of them, the
Peach, is sending its executive
director.
oI am rarely a decoy,? said the
Peach's Robert Dale Morgan when
asked if his presence means the
bowl is serious about the Pirates.
With a 6-1 record and No. 17
national ranking following last
weekend's 24-23 win over Pitts-
burgh, East Carolina is becoming a
darling in the eyes of some bowls.
oAs off-the-wall as this may
sound,? said Morgan, *Tyou can
draw parallels between East Caro-
lina and the (Atlanta) Braves.
They're Cinderella stories. TheyTve
had good talent but have always
been a couple of skill players
away. Now, they've got them.
oThey've really captured -the
attention of the whole _ nation.
Everybody keeps waiting for them
to get beat, but they don't.? ~
That's an overwhelming review
for a team that couldnTt get a bowl
bid in 1983 despite an 8-3 record
and has played in only one bowl in
26 years, the 1978 Independence.
Morgan will be joined Saturday
by scouts from the Independence,
Gator and Liberty bowls. The
Peach, Independence, Block-
buster and John Hancock were at
the Pittsburgh game, won with a
touchdown and two-point conver:-.
sion with 46 seconds left.
oPeople are coming who've
maybe never been here before,"
said East Carolina athletic director
Dave Hart Jr.
Even coach Bill Lewis is catch-
ing the fever. Last week, he refused
to talk about bowls and ordered
his staff and players to do likewise.
But at his weekly news conference
Tuesday, Lewis talked about how
important fan support is?,in
impressing scouts and asked. for
another large, enthusiastic crowd
for SaturdayTs game.
East Carolina fans are already at
work behind the scenes, flooding
MorganTs office with calls.°
oThey're telling us everybody in
state of North Carolina would be
down here if East Carolina was
invited,? he said.
Four games remain. A 10-1 rec-
ord is possible, but it wonTt be
easy. Saturday's game against
Tulane (0-8) is the last at home.
The Pirates finish with trips to
Southern Mississippi (4-4), which
has beaten them seven consecur
tive years; Virginia Tech (4-4); and
Cincinnati (3-5).
oOur work is a long ways from
being complete,?T said Lewis.
But the Pirates are getting close.
PITTSBURGH
SAT., OCT. 26, 1991 " 1:30 PM
GAME TIME SUBJECT TO CHANGE
FICKLEN STADIUM
ADMIT ONE
NO UMBRELLAS NO CONTAINERS
NO READMITTANCE
NO REFUND
SOUTH STAND
rj ii
be
climb to No. 16.
Fresno State and UCLA moved
into the Top 25, while third-ranked
Washington crept closer to No. 2
Miami. ;
Fresno (7-0), one of four
unbeaten teams in Division I-A,
rose to No. 25 after beating UNLV
48-22 Saturday. The Bulldogs were
ranked 24th for two weeks last
season, but dropped out for good
following a 73-18 loss to Northern
Illinois.
UCLA (5-2), which has been in
and out of the poll this season,
climbed back to No. 23 after
beating Arizona State 21-16.
There were no changes in the
Top 10. Florida State remained
No. 1, followed by Miami, Wash-
ington, Michigan, Notre Dame,
Florida, Alabama, Penn State,
Nebraska and California.
up to 17th
Florida State (8-0), which
defeated LSU 27-16, received 53 of
60 first-place votes.
Miami (7-0) got three first-place
votes and 1,415 points after down-
ing Arizona 36-9. But the Hurri-
canes lost ground to Washington
(7-0), which received four first-
placg votes and 1,412 points follow- .
ing a 29-7 victory over Oregon.
The three-point gap between
Miami and Washington is the
smallest since the Huskies moved
into the third spot on Sept. 29.
_ Iowa is 11th, followed by Texas
A&M, Ohio State, Tennessee, Col-
orado, Clemson, East Carolina,
Syracuse, North Carolina State
and Oklahoma. Rounding out the
Top 25 are Baylor, Georgia,
UCLA, Arkansas and Fresno .
State.
The Daily
Reflector
Monday, October 28, 1991
-WOODY PEELE
Monday musings:
In the course of 28 seasons of
East Carolina football, ve seen
some good games and some
downright sorry ones, both in
Ficklen Stadium and elsewhere.
But nothing can compare to Sat-
urday afternoonTs game with Pitt-
sburgh.
Perhaps the Pirates didnTt play
their best, but when it was all
over, they walked out of Ficklen
with a 24-23 victory.
In my opinion, it was the
greatest victory ever for an ECU
football team.
There were those, after the
game, who still opted for the win
over Syracuse two weeks ago. But
I think in the long run, this one
carries much more importance.
Against Syracuse, the Pirates
were the underdogs. They were
the Johnny-come-lately, the sud-
den newcomer to the Top 25 that
really wasnTt expected to win
against the Orangemen.
But East Carolina pulled off the
upset. Up to now, itTs the biggest
road victory the Pirates have ever
had.
Saturday, the shoe was on the
other foot. The Pirates were rank-
ed 20th in the nation to Pitt-
sburghTs 23rd: ECU was favored.
Two weeks ago, there was
nothing to lose and everything to
gain.
Saturday, there was a lot of gain
and a lot to lose.
There were many who felt that
East CarolinaTs bowl hopes rode
on this game. There were repre-
sentatives from the Independence
Bowl, the Peach Bowl, the John
Hancock Bowl and the
Blockbuster Bowl among those
who crowded the press box. A loss
could have spelled the end of
ECUTs bowl hopes regardless of
what happens from here on.
Certainly what happens in
ECUTs next four games is impor-
tant. But now, even an upset in
one of those " Virginia Tech or
Southern Mississippi " wonTt hurt
as bad. The Pirates can win three
of those four and still have a good
chance.
The fans deserve a lot of credit
for Saturday, too. They came, and
for a change, many were in their
seats at the kickoff, something dif-
ferent for the usual Pirate fan who
doesnTt head for the gate until
kickoff. There was an electric air
in Ficklen, one which has seldom
been present.
The fans now have the obliga-
: tion to come back again next week
when the Pirates play a lesser op-
ponent. Believe me, the bowl peo-
ple will be watching. Records
count, but fan support counts
more.
Bill Lewis, wearing a shirt that
read: I Believe/TEAM/me,?T
faced the media after the game
and kept a cool head when he
could have reveled. Oh, he was
happy, almost euphoric. But his
feet-were firmly planted on the
ground.
Hé admitted that this was the
biggest win the Pirates " under
himT" had ever had. And he
praised those who had been in his
program since the start three
years ago, saying that they played
a role in bringing the program as
far as it has come.
But this isnTt the apex for East
Carolina football, he said. Not by a
longshot. .
oOur first goal was to become
winners (more wins than losses)
andwe have achieved that,?T
Lewis said. oOur second goal is to
winyear after year. ThatTs some-
thing that we canTt do this year.
We ean only get ready totry and |
win-the next game next Satur-
day~T
And he tossed off suggestions
thatthese Pirates are
ovetachievers.
oT donTt like that word,?T he said.
oThese kids are finding out that
they do have some talent. They
are good players who are playing
good football. TheyTre starting to
recognize those talents and they
are using them day in and day out
on the practice field and on Satur-
days.
oWe had problems Saturday,
but we didnTt let it get us down.
Things are going to go in your
favor and things are going to go
against you. You just have to ac-
cept those and take advantage of
the things that you can. We just
went on about our business.?T
The business of winning.
2C » MONDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1991 : USA TODAY
COVER STORY
Twins: Bottoms up
Continued from 1C
Town with a 3-2 lead before the
weekend started, penned their
own last-to-first story when
they won the National League
pennant, but the Twins made
sure thatTs all they wrote.
The TwinsT fun-loving, grap-
pling first baseman: Kent
Hrbek says the never-say-die
1991 World Series was a
healthy shot of inspiration for
society.
oThis is a good lesson for
life,T Hrbek says. oIt shows
anyone that no matter how
down you are, you always have
a chance to come back.?
And indeed, the Twins were
down.
Last Oct. 28, they were still
smarting from the sting of fin-
ishing 29 games out of first
place.
And it looked like more of
the same as 1991 began.
The Twins started 2-9 on a
travel schedule that sent them
from Florida to Oakland, Min-
nesota, Seattle and California.
They were 9-11 when April
finished, 23-25 when May was
done.
On May 28, the Twins, who
were 714 games out of first
place, beat the Texas Rangers
3-0 to put an end to the Rang-
ersT 14-game winning streak.
Four days later, the Twins
defeated the Kansas City
Royals 4-1 in Kansas City to ig-
nite a winning streak of their
own. It lasted 15 games.
It was the longest in the ma-
jor leagues, but it didnTt get the
Twins a lot of respect, because
they were kicking around the
Baltimore Orioles, New York
Yankees and Cleveland Indi-
ans, the three worst teams in
the American League.
By the time they lost on
June 16 " 6-5 in Baltimore
when the OriolesT Randy Milli-
gan hit a two-run double off
Rick Aguilera in the last of the
ninth inning " the Twins had
taken over first place.
From there, they marched
onward. They were tied for
first at the All-Star break. After
the break, the Twins beat the
Boston Red Sox seven of eight
and went ahead by 544 games
July 21.
But there were some pot-
holes on the home stretch. The
Twins were clinging to a one-
game lead Aug. 11, but they ral-
lied. And by end of the month,
the lead swelled to seven
games.
The race was over.
When they got to the Ameri-
can League Championship Se-
ries, the Twins split the first
two games with the Toronto
Blue Jays at the Metrodome "
the first postseason loss in the
buildingTs history.
Then, the Twins went to To-
ronto and beat the Blue Jays
three times on their own Sky-
Dome turf " a playoffs road
sweep that had never been
done before.
What keyed the rebirth?
When the Twins won the
World Series in T87, they did so
with a minimal amount of
pitching strength and a lineup
laced with home-run power.
In contrast, the T91 Twins
had deep pitching, an air-tight
defense and a lineup of bats
that sprayed pitches from foul
line to foul line.
For the first time in ages, the
Twins had triplets in their start-
ing rotation. Right-handers
Jack Morris, Kevin Tapani and
20-game winner Scott Erickson
combined for 54 wins.
Morris, who grew up in St.
T Paul, signed as a free agent.
Tapani came from the New
York Mets in a trade along
with four other pitchers, in-
cluding save-machine Agui-
lera.
The Twins signed Davis af-
ter other teams shied away be-
cause of his history of back in-
juries. They signed Mike
Pagliarulo and platooned him
with Scott Leius at third base.
They added Steve Bedrosian
to the bullpen. They drafted
outfielder Shane Mack from
the San Diego PadresT minor-
league system, and it turned
out to be a steal.
The Twins also added a
rookie second baseman, Chuck
Knoblauch, who has a Dennis
the Menace cowlick, a dirty
uniform and solid shot at Rook-
ie of the Year honors.
In the postseason, it seemed
that each game brought forth a
new hero.
MorrisT 10-inning, 1-0 shutout
in Game7 sealed the Series
and earned the pitcher Most
Valuable Player honors.
Pagliarulo hit the game-win-
ning home run in Game 3 of
the ALCS.
In the World Series, Greg
Gagne and Hrbek hit home
runs in Game 1. In Game 2, it
was Davis and Leius.
In Game 6, the spotlight
went to outfielder Kirby Puck-
ett, the player who gets the
loudest cheers at the Mefro-
dome.
Puckett hit a triple to score
the TwinsT first run in the first
inning of Game 6.
He jumped with his back to
the plexiglass in deep left-cen-
ter field to rob AtlantaTs Ron
Gant of extra bases, maybe a
home run.
_He hit a sacrifice fly in the
fifth inning to give the Twins a
3-2 lead.
And then in the 11th, he led
off by hitting a line-drive into
the left-field seats against At-
lantaTs Charlie Leibrandt to
send the Metrodome into even
more of a frenzy " and force
the Series to a final night of ten-
sion.
Puckett has that lovable
body. HeTs 5-8 and 216 pounds.
His legs are tree trunks and
they have the power of pistons.
Puckett is an apt symbol for
the comeback Series.
He grew up in the Robert
Taylor Homes, a Chicago hous-
ing project thatTs within walk-
ing distance of the White SoxTs
Comiskey Park.
Most of his childhood friends
are either dead or in jail, he
says.
His teammates say his su-
perstar status never goes to his
head. They love his easy-going,
good nature.
oThis is all T've ever wanted
to do " play baseball,? Puckett
says. oBaseball has given me
everything I need.
6C - FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1991 « USA TODAY
F
East Carolina capturing fansT fancy
6-1 team is entertaining
serious bowl aspirations
By Harry Blauvelt
USA TODAY
In Greenville, N.C., purple-
clad football fans do the osaber
slash,? a local version of the
otomahawk chop.? At Ficklen
Stadium, handmade banners
proclaim, oI believe.?
The object of their affection:
East Carolina, No.20 in the
USA TODAY/CNN Top 25
CoachesT Poll.
Saturday, the surprising Pi-
rates (6-1) took a giant step to-
ward a bowl bid, defeating
then-No. 25 Pittsburgh 24-23
before a record home crowd
(36,000) that tore down the
goalposts after the final gun.
oIt was an exciting atmo-
sphere that reminded me of an
Atlanta Braves game, with the
tomahawk chop,? says Block-
buster Bowl scout Chris Boul-
ton. oEverybody was. dressed
in purple, with gold (foam rub-
ber) sabers flashing up and
down. This is a town and a
team ready for success.?
The catalyst of all this ex-
citement is quarterback Jeff
Blake
Saturday, trailing 23-16, he.
drove ECU 80 yards in 10
plays, scoring on a 2-yard
touchdown run to make it 23-
22. With 46 seconds left, he ran
for the winning two-point con-
version.
oAnytime you can go the
length of the field, then make a
two-point play, youTre a heck-.
uva good team,?T says Pitt
coach Paul Hackett.
Blake, 6-1, 194 pounds, is
No. 2 in the USA in passing effi-
ciency. Saturday, he complet-
ed 21 of 31 passes for 247
yards, with one touchdown and
an interception. For the sea-
son, he has 1,849 passing yards,
16 TDs and two interceptions.
Saturday, PittTs Steve Isrl
ended BlakeTs streak of 158
consecutive passes without an
interception.
oTd match Jeff's production
with anyone else in the coun-
try,? says ECU coach Bill Lew-
is, whose team hosts Tulane (0-
ourselves
in being a blue-collar team.T
8) Saturday. oHeTs a young guy
on a roll. HeTs fun to watch.?
Two weeks ago against then-
No. 18 Syracuse, Blake ran 43
yards for the winning touch-
down in a 23-20 win.
oWeTre a team that wants to
go to a bowl game,? says Blake.
oBut people think weTre a Cin-
derella team. We'll have to go
10-1 to really gain the respect
we deserve.?
Having a quarterback with
star quality will help.
oThe big Florida schools all
wanted Jeff, but not as a quar-
terback,?T says his father,
Emory, head football coach of
Sanford (Fla.) Seminole High.
On defense, the PiratesT top
attraction is linebacker Robert
Jones, 6-3, 234, a senior from
- Blackstone, Va.
With Pitt leading 20-16,
Jones tackled running back
Tim Colicchio for a 2-yard loss
on third-and-one at the ECU 13.
That forced a field goal, keep-
ing the Pirates within striking
distance.
oI went to North Carolina
when Lawrence Taylor was
there, and Jones chases people
down like L.T.,? says Block-
busterTs Boulton.
Jones is a semifinalist (top
10) for the Butkus Award and
among the final 12 for the Lom-
bardi Award.
PiratesT bloodline
varied and talented
Although standouts Robert Jones and Jeff
Blake are out-of-staters, 36 Pirates are from
North Carolina. The rest: Florida (22), Georgia
(16), South Carolina (11) Virginia (8), Pennsyl-
vania. (4), Maryland (3) and New Jersey (2).
Seven others hail from seven different states.
It is an eclectic group, with good bloodlines:
» BlakeTs godfather is outfielder Tim Raines
of the Chicago White Sox.
Backup QB Michl AndersonTs brother,
Willie, is a guard for NBATs San Antonio Spurs.
Fullback Michl RhettTs brother, Errict, is
a running back for No. 6 Florida.
oI took a visit down here and just loved it,?
says tight end Luke Fisher, from Medford, N.J., :
who caught seven passes for 92 yards against
Pitt. oThe people are very friendly.?
The program sends players to the pros: RB Er-
nest Byner (Redskins); OL Terry Long (Steel-
ers); OL Tootie Robbins (Cardinals); LB Vincent
Smith (Cowboys), LB Ernie Logan (Browns); RB
Tony Collins (Patriots, no longer active).
* CATALYST OF EXCITEMENT: East Carolina quarterback
Blake has thrown for 1,849 yards and 16 TDs this season.
Says Lewis: oHeTs the best
linebacker ITve ever been
around.?
East Carolina is a liberal arts
school (enrollment: 16,693) in
Greenville, (pop: 50,000), locat-
ed 60 miles from the Atlantic
Ocean in the northeast part of
the state. It is 85 miles from Ra-
leigh (North Carolina State)
and 110 from Durham-Chapel
Hill (Duke, North Carolina).
Before Lewis arrived in
1989, the Pirates were 14-41
the previous five seasons. He
was 10-11-1 his first two sea-
sons.
This year, he says the big dif-
ference is quality players. An-
other factor is the coaching
staff, which has remained in-
tact, fostering continuity.
oAnd we've instilled a work
ethic,? says Lewis. oWeTre not
IN
very fancy, but we pride our-
selves in being a blue-collar
team.?
A stepped-up conditioning
program has paid fourth-quar-
ter dividends. A year ago, the
Pirates were outscored 90-57 in
the last period. This season:
ECU holds a 64-33 edge.
East CarolinaTs only defeat
was 38-31 to Illinois.
oBill Lewis is an outstanding
coach,?T says Illinois coach
John Mackovic. oHeTs done
what he promised " given
East Carolina an exciting team
that would play competitively
against stronger opponents.?
After Tulane, the Pirates
close the regular season with
three road games: Southern
Mississippi (4-4), Virginia Tech
(4-4), Cincinnati (3-5).
If they keep winning, the Pi-
rates should enjoy a postseason
reward.
Representatives of the
Blockbuster, Peach, Indepen-
dence and John Hancock
bowls watched East Carolina
defeat Pitt.
oEast Carolina is not a
fluke,? says BlockbusterTs Boul-
ton. oThey have an excellent
team, and theyTre very worthy
of going to a bowl.?
THE RIGHT WAY
TO DO BUSINESS
At the Wyndham Hamilton, we
Location
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
WiebergTs prediction
at
ee@G6G@ee202@020080080080080008000000000000000800000000008080808 88 OO
The Daily
Reflector
Sunday, November 3, 1991
A sure
pair of
hands ©
Gallimore snags
3 for touchdowns
X
By Woody Peele
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
oAs you look at any great
passer, you see two things,TT East
Carolina coach Bill Lewis said
Saturday afternoon. They have
an offensive line that does a great
job of protecting him and you have
receivers who go and catch the
ball.
oAnd a= cer-
tain number of
them are tough
catches.?
Senior Hunter
Gallimore is
one who can
make those
tough catches.
Saturday
: afternoon in his
final game in Ficklen Stadium,
Gallimore pulled the ball away
from a defender for two touch-
downs, then added another as
ECU beat Tulane, 38-28.
On the first grab, a 54-yarder
from Jeff Blake, Gallimore
wrestled the ball away from cor-
nerback Willie Smith. Later, on an
18-yard fade pattern, Gallimore
/GALLIMORE
- fought off another defender for his
second score.
The long one was a post pat-
tern,? the 6-0, 175-pound former
walk-on from Wilson said. Jeff
made a great throw, the ball
stayed up forever and I just ran
under it.?T
On the second catch, Gallimore
: and Blake used an old formula.
oThe fade route was the same
weTve run all season,T said
Gallimore, who had six catches
for 133 yards. (The defender)
broke to it quick and Jeff just led
me to the back corner.?T
On GallimoreTs. third touchdown
(See GALLIMORE, C-2)
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
PINEHURST " Craig Stadler
relinquished his advantage on the
scoreboard but may have one in
the weather.
StadlerTs last-hole, three-putt
bogey dropped him back into a tie
with Russ Cochran for the lead
Saturday after three rounds of the
season-ending, $2 million Tour
Championship.
They shared the top spot at 208,
five under par, going into Sun-
dayTs final round of the tourna-
ment that replaced the Nabisco
Championship as the big-money
climax of the official portion of the
PGA Tour.
Cochran, one of the rare left-
handers on the PGA Tour, was
bemoaning the weather forecast,
Sports
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
After his interception return fora TD, Anthony Freeman (21) gets a lift from Jerry Dillon
however, after his round of par 71
on the famed old No. 2 course at
Pinehurst.
It called for an overnight low in
the 30Ts and a high Sunday in the
50Ts " precisely what Cochran did
not want in the chase for a $360,000
first prize.
oT hate cold weather,T he said.
oTdrather play in the rain.
oIT tend to cut everything short
in the cold. My hands get cold and
ITm a handsie player.
oTTve always struggled in cold
weather.?
Stadler said he had no such pro-
blem.
oIt doesnTt matter to me. If itTs
cold, ITll just put my sweater on,?T
he said.
Stadler scored an eagle-3 in his
round of 1-over-par 72 and was
leading alone until the three-putt
lapse on the final hole.
Fred Couples holed out a 108-
yard wedge shot for an eagle-2 in
the best round of the tournament,
a 5-under-par 66 that gave him a
leg up in his battle with Corey
Pavin for all the major season-
long titles.
Couples was third alone at 211
and within reach of the lead.
Pavin had a 72 in the gusty winds
and was seven behind the lead
witha 215 total.
Pavin and Couples are 1-2 in the
money-winning standings. Couples
is first and Pavin second in the
race for the Vardon Trophy that
goes to the player with the best
scoring average. They are tied for
the lead in the point standings for
the PGA Player of the Year. All
three races end in this event.
oThatTs all very good,TT Couples
said, obut thatTs not what weTre
here for. WeTre here to play in the
Tour Championship.
oBut itTs hard not to think about
things like that,TT he admitted,
oparticularly when you havenTt
won any of them.?T
PGA champ John Daly shot 68,
one of the few subpar rounds of
the windy day, and moved back
into contention at 212, one under
par.
He was tied with Nick Price and
Bruce Lietzke. Lietzke had a 72
and Price struggled to a 75.
Stadler, who has won more than
$2 million since scoring his last
American victory in 1984, almost
let this one get away from him.
He had two birdies, three bogeys
KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
COLUMBIA, S.C. " N.C.
StateTs football team, left for
dead by Clemson a week ago,
rose to hammer South Carolina
38-21 Saturday afternoon in Wil-
liams-Brice Stadium.
The Wolfpack, blasted as
overrated by some both before
and after its 29-19 loss to the
Tigers and dropped from 12th
to 19th in the national rankings,
simply rammed the ball
through the Gamecocks all day
long.
When it was done, N.C. State
(7-1) had 304 yards rushing, 132
passing and considerably more
respect.
_ oT think we earned back a lot
of the respect that we lost last
week,?T said N.C. State line-
backer Billy Ray Haynes.
oWe're not trying to impress
anybody, but our national rank-
ing had dropped right off.
oBut today we proved on na-
tional TV that we could play
ball. If we win the rest of our
Wolfpack makes
Gamecocks pay |
games, we can go to Florida
and play football (in a bowl).?T
But SaturdayTs victory over
the 3-3-2 Gamecocks didnTt
come easily. And it didnTt come
without controversy.
The key play came late in the
third quarter, when South Caro-
lina, which had just driven for
its first score and trimmed N.C.
StateTs lead to 21-7, forced the
Wolfpack to punt from its 35.
The officials ruled that the
punt bounced off the heel of the
right foot of South CarolinaTs
Rocky Clay, and that the
WolfpackTs Reggie Lawrence
had recovered at the
GamecocksT 24. Televised
replays appeared to show that
the ball did not touch Clay.
Four plays later, N.C. State
quarterback Geoff Bender hit
Ray Griffis with a 9-yard
touchdown pass, making it 28-7
with four minutes 12 seconds
left in the third period.
The Gamecocks surged back
furiously. Quarterback Bobby
Fuller piloted a 75-yard drive
Norman GreeneTs tackle comes too late to stop N.C.
StateTs Todd Harrison from scoring
on the next series that culmi-
nated in a 20-yard touchdown
toss to Eddie Miller.
South Carolina then stopped
oThe Associated Press
the Wolfpack, and CharlotteTs
Antonio Walker blocked Tim
KilpatrickTs punt after a high
(See WOLFPACK, C-5)
%
° College Football
¢ High School Sports
¢ Outdoors
Not pretty "
but a
win
ECU holds off Green Wave
for seventh straight, 38-28
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Bill Lewis has his standards.
When his football team doesnTt
meet them, he is not a happy man
" even when the result is a win.
Saturday in Ficklen Stadium,
after 17th-ranked East Carolina
held on for a 38-28 win over Tulane
in its final home game this season,
Lewis was not exactly thrilled.
In fact, no one was.
I think our players know what
they did out there today,? Lewis
said. oThere was not a sound in
that dressing room. ThatTs a sign
that your program is going in the
right direction " when you can
win a football game and not have
a celebration afterwards.
oGood teams find a way to win
when theyTre not up to standards.
Those guys down there know that
was not up to our standards.?T
They certainly did.
A win is a win,? said junior
defensive end Jerry Dillon.
oNothing should take away from
the victory, but in the playersT
minds we know we didnTt play up
to our ability. I think we laid down
in the second half.?T
Everybody was happy that we
won but we were also disappointed
with the way we played,TT added
Stephen Braddy, one of the 24 se-
niors playing for the final time in
Ficklen Stadium. oWe know weTre
a lot better team than what we
showed today.
I think we came out the second
half with that big lead (31-7) and
everybody kind of thought we had
it won. I donTt think we played as
hard as we are capable of " we
werenTt the same team.?
Not the team that knocked off
Syracuse on the road and had
Ficklen buzzing during wins over
South Carolina and Pittsburgh.
. Cochran, Stadler share lead after three
and a double bogey " where he
missed a green and then three-
putted " on the front side.
oMy confidence was slipping
pretty bad about then,?T he said.
After driving into the trees on
the 10th, he managed to save par
with a chip to about 8 feet.
oThatas the turning point,T
Stadler said. oItTs hard to say
what would have happened if ITd
missed that putt.TT
He birdied the 14th from about
15 feet, then vaulted back into the
lead with an 18-foot eagle putt on
the 16th.
Cochran had to work hard to
match par, with three birdies and
as many bogeys.
oT feel like I got away with one
out there,T he said.
And even the crowd of 31,126
seemed a little flat. No goal posts
were coming down and no fans
were swarming the field on this
gorgeous Saturday afternoon.
Of course, if they had, they
probably would have been penal-
ized. Nearly everything else was.
Officials, doing a poor impres-
sion of the saber slash, tossed
those irritating little yellow
hankies to the tune of 31 penalties
" five short of the NCAA record.
East Carolina was penalized: a
school-record 18 times for 159
yards. The Green Wave had 13
penalties for 106 yards.
Early in the fourth period, fans
finally pleaded in unison No
more flags, no more flags.?T
oI told the guys one time that
must be the 15,000th flag,? Dillon
said. oI hate to do it, but, man, I
was looking at the clock hoping
the game would hurry up and
end.?T
When it finally did, three hours,
10 minutes after the 1:30 p.m.
kickoff, East Carolina had its sev-
enth straight win and stayed on
track for a postseason bow] berth.
Representatives from the Peach,
Liberty, Gator and Independence
bowls were in attendance Satur-
day.
As dreary as it sounds, what
they saw was not all bad.
They did get to see an imagina-
tive ECU offense and two big
defensive stands in the first half.
They saw senior quarterback Jeff
Blake show off his strong and ac-
curate arm, they saw Hunter
Gallimore make several acrobatic
catches and they saw Dion John-
son run circles around Green
Wave defenders.
Blake completed 18 of 32 passes
for 243 yards and three touch-
downs " all to Gallimore " and
(See PIRATES, C-2)
RUSS COCHRAN
Stanicek gives
Heels big boost
KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
CHAPEL HILL " North Caroli-
na turned the future over to
freshman quarterback Jason
Stanicek on Saturday afternoon in
Kenan Stadium, and the skinny
18-year-old gave the Tar Heels
something to smile about.
Stanicek, a sudden celebrity
after a season of anonymity, drove
the Tar Heels on three scoring
marches of 80 yards or longer in
the first half as North Carolina
overwhelmed Maryland 24-0 in
Kenan Stadium.
In the space of one sunny after-
noon, North CarolinaTs football
fortunes took on a decidedly dif-
ferent perspective. Although
Stanicek made his share of
mistakes, his mobility and savvy
gave North Carolina a new dimen-
sion at a position that has been a
liability much of the past four
years.
oHe (Stanicek) has a lot of nat-
ural instincts about being a quar-
terback,TT North Carolina coach
Mack Brown said. He handled
the offense a lot better than he
should have as a freshman, but he
had a lot of help.?T
A week after the Tar Heels fell
apart in a 35-14 loss at Georgia
Tech, they dominated a Maryland
team (2-6, 2-3) that got ripped
afterward by coach Joe Krivak for
its sloppy play and lack of intensi-
t
y. ;
A crowd that appeared signifi-
cantly smaller than the announced
attendance of 50,000 saw North
Carolina (5-3, 2-3) stick to a con-
servative game plan but grind out
308 rushing yards against the
Terps. Tailback Natrone Means
and bullish fullback William
Henderson ran for 101 yards
apiece, the first time in seven
years North Carolina had two
backs crack the 100-yard barrier
in the same game.
Defensively, North Carolina was
healthier than it had been all sea-
son, and it showed. With lineback-
ers Tommy Thigpen and Dwight
Hollier blitzing much of the time,
the Tar Heels held Maryland to
131 total yards and never allowed
(See TAR HEELS, C-5)
REPORT
by WILLIAM F. REEO
[EditorTs note: While new purple jerseys
played an important role in ClemsonTs
victory over N.C. State (page 28), purple
garb was worn by three other teams we
find ourselves writing about this week"
East Carolina, Holy Cross and North-
western. We did not plan this. Promise. ]
vULLEGE
Blake were, oSon, itTs going to come down
to that two-point conversion.?
Sure enough, with 46 seconds left and
a school-record crowd (estimated at
36,000) having a collective nervous break-
down, Blake finished a gritty 80-yard
drive by diving over left tackle for the TD
that pulled East Carolina to within one
point, 23-22, of the Panthers, who had
rallied to take the lead on the passing of
quarterback Alex Van Pelt. On the Pi-
ratesT two-point conversion try, Blake ran
the option, cutting back over right tackle
for the deuce that provided the winning
margin in a 24"23 victory. oThis team has
it in its heart that it canTt be beat,? said
Blake, who had completed a crucial 22-
yard pass on third-and-17 deep in his own
territory to spark the drive.
The Panthers werenTt done yet, howev-
er. Van Pelt quickly moved them to the
The win, which moved East Carolina to
7-1, was witnessed by scouts from the
Blockbuster, Peach, Independence and
John Hancock bowls. The Pirates will
probably go to one of those rather than to
oR Monday, November 4, 1991 «
a major bowl, even if they wind up 10-1.
The reason, of course, is that East Caroli-
na is a tradition-poor independent, one of
those programs that fall through the bowl
systemTs cracks. No matter how good the
Pirates are"and wins over Pitt and Syra-
cuse suggest they might be Top 10 materi-
al"theyTre destined to be regarded as a
curiosity by the polls and the bowls.
Oh, well. For a program that has been
to only six bowls, none of them major, in
its 55-year history, any postseason game is
important. Besides, East Carolina can
now also claim to be the best team in its
state, which is rather nice considering that
only Duke has agreed to play the Pi-
Nobody Is Finer in Carolina
The week before No. 23 Pittsburgh visited
No. 20 East Carolina for the first game
between nationally ranked teams ever
played in Greenville, N.C., the Pirates
worked extensively on a two-point con-
version play. The reason: Offensive coor-
dinator Steve Logan had a funny feel-
ing"oOne of those déja vu deals,? he was 37 yards.
called it"that it would be needed. Even
at halftime, when East Carolina led 13-6,
LoganTs final words to quarterback Jeff
East Carolina 30 with seven seconds left. rates"next year in Durham. Talks to set
But instead of having kicker Don Silvestri up a series with N.C. State recently broke
try a 47-yard field goal, Van Pelt then off, and Wake Forest and North Carolina
passed to Chad Askew at the Pirate 11, wonTt even discuss the matter.
where he was tackled as time expired.
Should Pitt have gone for the field goal? A Cross to Bear
oI thought we needed five more yards or _Inhis six years at Holy Cross, coach Mark
so,? said coach Paul Hackett, aware that Duffner has built what may be the na-
SilvestriTs longest field goal of the season _tionTs best Division I-AA program. His
record after SaturdayTs thrilling 43-42 Pa-
triot League win over Lehigh is 56-5-1,
Employing a sort of wishbone defense, the Pi- and four of the losses were to Division I-A
rates got two legs up on PittTs Chris Bouyer. teams. WhatTs intriguing is that he has
achieved this success without the most
important motivational tool that any
I-AA coach has"a berth in the divisionTs
national championship playoffs.
The Patriot League doesnTt allow its
champion to participate in the postsea-
son, ostensibly because the extra games"
four for the two finalists"would require
players to spend too much time away
from class. oItTs something thatTs been
around here as long as I have,? says
Duffner philosophically. oSo we donTt
even think about it.?
ThatTs not quite true. Quarterback
Tom Ciaccio, who has guided the Crusad-
ers to 16 consecutive wins, a 7-0 record
this season and the No. 3 ranking in Divi-
sion I-AA (behind Nevada and Eastern
Kentucky), admits to plenty of frustra-
tion. oItTs my senior year, and I donTt want
it to end,? said Ciaccio. oWeTd like to
have a shot at proving weTre not only the
best team in the East, but in the country.?
Ciaccio needed to be at his best against
Lehigh, which came into the game with a
6-0 record and a playbook full of tricks.
SNVW3T13IL Tv
NOVEMBER 4. [00]
VOLUME 75, No 2)
CONTENTS
By CHARLES CHANDLER
Staff Writer
three games.
loss could be too many.
attain.
| The Daily
Reflector
| Sunday, November 10, 7
For East Carolina, where respect has never
come easy, a dream season has come down to
With wins in all, the Pirates (7-1) go bowling
for the first time in 13 years. But even a single
this season.
purple-and-gold tie he has worn to every game interceptions.
¢ THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER Saturday, November 9, 1991
COLLEGE FOOTBALL UPDATE ro ee
Record
day for
STANDINGS 7 The Top 25 rr B ]
WLT Pts OP WLT Pts OP : e : a e
2 : The Associated Press Top 25, with first-place votes in paren-
ACC theses, record, points based on 25 for a first-place vote Ree |
Clemson ...... 5 through one for a 25th-place vote, last weekTs ranking, record By Mike Grizzard
ee Sous f vs. top 25 teams and combined record of all 1991 opponents THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Virginia a 3 (excluding their games against non-Division I-A teams):
N. Carolina .. 2 5 1991 Vs. Opp. : HATTIESBURG, Miss, " Every
Marya : Record Pts. Top.25 Records you think you have seen the
Wake Forest 0 1 . Florida State (53) 9-0-0 1492. 1 3-0-0 35-26-0 vee a ye palpi cs he
ve a pe 1on thatTs just a little
BIG EAST 2 bab 2 (4) 8-0-0 1,413 3 2-0-0 35-19-2 bit better. ;
Miami... Gio 76 - Miami (3) 7-0-0 1,413 2 2-0-0 25-24-1 So, another record-breaking
ei 7 ichi c
eatel : : : : . Michigan 7-1-0 1,314 4 - 214-0 37-20-1 Saturday for the East Carolina
Pittsburgh ... OMe eA . Notre Dame 8-1-0 1,239 5 _ 1-1-0 35-30-1 quarterback with the cannon for a
vee tie : 4 : ._ Florida 7-0: J 219 6 Be920 (6) B784eD right arm shouldnTt come as a big
Va. TaCh eG _ California P10: ARS) S01. to B eg SURDTISe. Jeff Blake ;
Temple ........ Oe Open (6 . Alabama 7-1-0 1,060 Ih 2-1-0 28-23-0 special a Baas
BIG EIGHT . Penn State f-O F004 9B 121-0. Sed Carolina head
Reomeka a 6 .lowa 7-1-0 969 11 2-1-0 31-25-41 coach Bill]
coe : . Nebraska 6-1-1 884 9 1-1-1 28-27-2 Lewis said.
Kansas ........ 2 5 . Texas A&M 6-1-0) BBt 4a 4.0.0), eaibaay oYou come to
ng ant ve ; . Tennessee See OTRO a oth 8 aaa eli false your level
eb 3 . Colorado 5-2-1 656 15) 1-144 95-0009 of Fe ge
Okla. St... 0 _ Clemson 5-1-1 624 16 2-0-0 26-180 : Ash do what he
BIG SKY ! . East Carolina PAD SBT AT DeOeO Bt.Opna , BLAKE oRach wisi
a Mei ; . Syracuse 7-2-0 502 18 2-1-0 39-29-0 i@ has lived up to that expecta-
Wehatec A 18. N.C. State PeTeOCt BOG AGG. Dee oa lads ion. HeTs fun to watch and heTs on
Boise St. ...... 6 3. Ohio State 6-2-0 A03 13 0-2-0 25-32-0 vroll.TT
heed i . Oklahoma 62-0 398 20 0-1-0 25-212 Southern Miss was BlakeTs lat:
NN divona 3 . Baylor 7-2-0 334 4 2450. GON ape est victim. In East CarolinaTs 48-20
Idaho St. ... 2 oUCLA 6-20) 288 BS tog Sas ban romp on a cool and windy Satur-
Montana St. . 2 day afternoon in Hatt; b
. Georgia 6-2-0 . 272 "99... 8.19 9q.5B.4 Blake was on fire agai atuiesburg,
N pA : alin.
Cairn : von a = ao s By halftime he had completed 16
[OWA vans 7 _ Indiana 5-2- 0-2-0 28-29- of 32 passes for 239 yards with
alan ih : Others receiving votes: Tulsa28, Brigham Young 22, Stanford 16, Illinois 14, three touchdowns. When he finish-
oe : periseg 1 Bi ie phustian 9, Air Force 6, Bowling Green 5, Mississippi St. 5, ed, he had school records for com-
Nrthwstrn .... 3 - pletions (27), attempts (47), pass-
Purdue... 3 Ing yards (361) and touchdown
3B
FE. Carolina in need of win at Southern
The recor
determine where they Lhe
Or, more importantly, if they go.
hing else. This
After today, the Pirates play at Virginia Tech
next Saturday, then at Cincinnati the following
The bowls will be watching. The Peach
ee the most interested, but the Indepen-
oSouthern Miss i Holker t ence, Liberty and Copper also have East
every inch of Hehe i en Carolina on their short lists. Gator Bow! Officials
front seven will be the best weTve played. These %?Y they haven't eliminated the Pirates.
are guys who can fly to the ball and get there in
More fittingly, the first of the three is today (2. 2 nasty mood.
p.m.) at Southern Mississippi, a team that has
Said Gator Bowl associate executive director
Charles Callaghan: Peo
East Carolina, but obviously their season is not '
East Carolina counters with.an offense aver- done. The bowls are pulling for a 10-1 East
won seven straight against the Pirates. aging 33 points per game. Quarterback Jeff Carolina.
oI certainly hope the history of the series Blake is the Catalyst, ranking fifth nationally in
serves as a plus for us,? said East Carolina passing and eighth in total offense. He has
coach Bill Lewis, who plans to wear the thrown for 2,092 yards, 19 touchdowns and two
ple are excited about
d, of course, will
liss
Southern Mississippi coach Jeff Bower called
East Carolina, ranked 16th, goes in with a_ Blake othe best quarterback ITve seen this year
seven-game winning streak, its lone loss to in college football. HeTs somet f
Illinois in its season opener. Today, the Pirates guy can do everything.?
are favored by one. Southern Mississippi is 4-5
with losses in three of its past four games.
LewisT top concern is the Golden EaglesT week.
defense, which has allowed more than 17
Bowl scouts, concerned with ratings and points just twice.
revenues, say a 10-1 East Carolina can be sold
to TV viewers as Cinderella. At 9-2 or 8-3, that
glamor might be lost. Fittingly, all three games
are on the road, where wins are always hard to
Pirates settle debt;
run by Eagles, 48-20
ti _ By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
' HATTIESBURG, Miss. " East
Carolina settled another debt Sat-
arday afternoon and may have put
la postseason bowl bid in the bank.
) With a 23-point outburst in the
fourth period, the 16th-ranked
Pirates rocked nemesis Southern
Miss 48-20 to end one streak and
extend another. ECU won its
eighth straight this season to im-
prove to 8-1 and terminated a
string of seven straight losses in
the series with the Golden Eagles.
oThis is one of our paybacks,?T
- Said. senior wide receiver Hunter
Gallimore, a key component in an
ECU offense that piled up a sea-
son-high 551 total yards. WeTve
been counting our paybacks "
South Carolina, Syracuse, Pitt-
Sburgh and now Southern
Mississippi.?
Representatives from the
Peach, Independence and Liberty
4
t
bowls " along with a Roberts
Stadium homecoming crowd of
18,117 " watched as ECU turned a
back-and-forth struggle for three
quarters into a rout. The loss was
the third in a row for the Golden
Eagles, now 4-6 overall.
oEast Carolina has a great foot-
ball team,TT Southern Miss head
coach Jeff Bower said. There is
no question in my mind they are a
Top 15 football team.
oThey have good skill people
and that quarterback is some kind
of player.?T
That quarterback would be Jeff
Blake " the Jeff Blake that com-
pleted 27 of 47 passes for 361 yards
and five touchdowns " all school
records. He also led the Pirates in
rushing with 41 yards on seven
carries.
Dion JohsonTs 50-yard pass
completion off a reverse gave
ECU a school-record 411 yards
through the air.
oNo doubt they are the best of-
fensive football team we have fac-
fourth-quarter touchdowns.
ed all year " they are probably
the best team we have played all
year,T Bower said. oIt was a good
game for three quarters. We just
didnTt play well in the fourth
quarter and could never put
ourself in position to win the
game.? |
The Eagles, who led 14-6 in the
first quarter, trailed only 25-20
after Tony SmithTs 5-yard run and
a failed two-point conversion at-
tempt with 43 seconds left in the
third period. But East Carolina got
a break on the next series and
went on to bury USM with three
The break? After finally stopp-
ing Blake & Company, the Eagles
were tagged with a holding penal-
ty during an ECU punt and had to
bring its defense back on the field.
Two plays later, Johnson pulled
up on an apparent reverse and
fired a strike to Clayton Driver for
a 50-yard gain. Blake and Johnson
(See PIRATES, C-6)
Sports _
* College Football
¢ High School Sports
¢ Outdoors
The Associated Press
Southern MississippiTs Tommy Waters fumbles the ball as he is hit by East Carolina line-
backer Robert Jones Saturday.
Blake
passes (5),
With his team-leading 41 yards
rushing " mostly on scrambles
out of the pocket " Blake also set
a school record for total offense in
a single game with 402 yards.
Just another day at the office?
oYou can call it that if you
want,? said Blake. oWe knew we
would be able to throw the ball
against them. It was just a matter
of going out and executing.?
And taking what Southern Miss
was willing to give up.
oThey gave us a lot of the quick
passes, but we wanted to throw
the ball deep to keep them
honest,?T he said. oOnce we got in
arhythm, everything was fine.?T
BlakeTs favorite target for the
day was senior Hunter Gallimore,
who had 11 catches for 154 yards
~~ both personal highs. Clayton
Drivér, who made two spectacular
grabs despite tight coverage,
finished with five receptions for
115 yard and tight end Carlester
Crumpler addded four for 49
yards.
oThe receivers were fantastic,?T
Blake said. oClayton made some
outstanding catches. Hunter and
Carlester made some catches and
Peter Zophy had some nice ones.
oItTs their job to go out there
and catch the ball " thatTs what
they do all day at practice. My job
Is to get it to them.?
ee enough. Throw it. Catch
i
Only sometimes itTs not quite
that easy.
What has made Blake so dan-
Serous is the ability to recognize
defenses, get the right played
called and then deliver the ball to
the open man.
(See BLAKE, C-6)
?
{ ?,?
( Continued From C-] )
Sometimes i . ;
with finesse. with zip. Sometimes
oJeff knows whe
touch on the bail,
throw it in there,?
thereTs just a li
to put a good
and when to
Gallimore Said.
he can put it in ther
ll we ask him t
ance to mak
nda
For the Season
ed for 2,453 yard
0 do is to give
odKe a play on t}
hine times out : 10 7
Blake has Pass-
S and 24 touch-
C-6 The Daily Reflector, Greenville, N.C.
EE ove
at Southern Miss *
Sunday, November 10, 1991
Ps Pirates E
Yards rushing
= 69
Total yards
First downs
32
E419
Turnovers
2
Be =4 86 5
Interception return yards Total plays
Kickoff return yards
ee 24144
Punt return yards
Passes completed
28
11
Passes attempted
51
E23
1st end 3rd 4th Total
East Carolina 6 19 0 23 48
Southern Miss 14 0 6 : 0 20
Soone
How they scored
First quarter
ECU: Brenner 34 field goal, 13:24. Scoring Drive " 3 plays, minus 2 yards
after fumble recovery by Hall. Elapsed Time " :50. Score " ECU 3, USM 0.
ECU: Brenner 33 field goal, 8:22. Scoring Drive " 10 plays, 55 yards after
punt. Elapsed Time " 3:12. Key Plays " Blake 13-yard scramble on third-and-9,
37-yard pass to Gallimore on third-and-28. Score " ECU 6, USM 0.
USM: Welch 1 run (Nations kick), 2:30. Scoring Drive " 12 plays, 65 yards
after kickoff. Elapsed Time " 5:52. Key Plays " Smith runs of 21 and 13 yards,
Waters 14-yard pass to Pope. Score " USM 7, ECU 6.
USM: Carter 86 punt return (Nations kick), :59. Score " USM 14, ECU 6.
Second quarter
ECU: Driver 5 pass from Blake (pass failed), 3:04. Scoring Drive " 12 plays,
75 yards after kickoff. Elapsed Time " 3:04. Key Plays " Blake passes of 18 to
Williams, 17 to Gallimore and 11 to Crumpler. Score " USM 14, ECU 12.
ECU: Van Buren 3 pass from Blake (pass fails), 1:18. Scoring Drive " 5 plays,
40 yards after fumble recovery by Dillon. Key Play " Blake 26-yard pass to
Fisher, Score " ECU 18, USM 14.
ECU: Gallimore 29 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), :32. Scoring Drive " 1
play, 29 yards after interception by Floyd. Elapsed Time " :10. Score " ECU
25, USM 14.
oe
Third quarter
USM: Smith 9 run (run fails), :43. Scoring Drive " 6 plays, 26 yasrds after in-
terception by Carter. Elapsed Time " 2:24. Key Play " Welch 4-yard run on
third-and-2. Score " ECU 25, USM 20.
Fourth quarter
ECU: Johnson 11 pass from Blake (Johnson pass from Blake), 13:35. Scoring
Drive " 6 plays, 80 yards after kickoff. Elapsed Time " 2:08. Key Plays " hold-
ing penalty on USM during.punt, Johnson 50-yard pass to Driver. Score " ECU
33, USM 20.
ECU: Wilson 1 run (Blake run), 9:59. Scoring Drive " 6 plays, 48 yards after
punt. Elapsed Time " 2:04. Key Plays " Blake 28-yard pass to Driver. Score "
ECU 41, USM 20.
ECU: Gallimore 8 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 6:54. Scoring Drive " 4
plays, 48 yards after fumble recovery by Beasley. Elapsed Time " 1:16. Key
Plays " Blake 18-yard pass to Gallimore, Daniels 14-yard run. Score " ECU 48,
USM 20.
Pirates Roll, 48-20
(Continued From C-1)
then teamed for an 1l-yard TD
and a two-point conversion, giving
ECU a 33-20 lead.
After a short punt by Scott
Bryant, ECU drove 48 yards in six
plays to go up 41-20 with 9:59 to go.
A sensational catch by Driver,
who went high over Perry Carter
near the right sideline, converted
a third-and-17 from the 41. Damon
Wilson got the touchdown on a 1-
yard run and Blake scampered in
for the two-point conversion.
After Garrett BeasleyTs fumble
recovery at the USM 48, Blake
capped the scoring with an 8-yard
pass to Driver with 6:54 left.
Southern Miss managed just 86
total yards the second half and 196
yards for the game. Smith ac-
counted for most of that with 117
yards on 28 carries, 102 of which
came in the first half.
Carter turned in a big play on
special teams, returning a John
Jett punt 86 yards late in the first
period to give USM a 14-6 lead.
oTTm awfully proud of this foot-
ball team for coming in here and
winning against a team that has
been awfully tough for. Pirate
football teams to beat,T East Car-
olina head coach Bill Lewis said.
oT think every phase " with the
exception of the punt return "
played extremely well. Defensive-
ly, we caused some turnovers and
the offense was able to take ad-
vanatage of those turnovers.?T
The Pirates converted five
Golden Eagle turnovers " four
fumbles and one interception "
into 23 points. Chris HallTs fumble
recovery on the second play of the
game set up a 34-yard field goal by
Anthony Brenner. Late in the sec-
ond period, a fumble recovery by
Jerry Dillon and an interception
The Daily _
Reflector
Monday, November 11, 1991
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
by Greg Floyd helped ECU turn a
14-12 deficit into a 25-14 lead in a
span of just 1:18. BeasleyTs recov-
ery set up the last TD.
After ECU got within 14-12 on
BlakeTs 5-yard pass to Driver,
Brenner, who also had 33-yard
field goal in the first period, miss-
ed two chances to put the Pirates
ahead.
He missed a 28-yard attempt
with 10:48 showing and a 39-yard
attempt with 4:14 left. Both were
wide right.
The first opportunity for Bren-
ner was set up by Richard
WrightTs recovery of a muffed fair
catch of an ECU kickoff. A 15-yard
penalty on the play moved the ball
to the 24.
Two plays later, Blake hit tight
end Carlester Crumpler at the 11.
Brenner came on after Arnie Wil-
liams stepped in front of two
Pirate receivers in the end zone to
break up a pass from Blake.
BrennerTs second miss came at
the end of a 10-play drive that
Started at the ECU 20 and ended at
the Eagle 22.
Southern Miss erased a 6-0 defi-
cit with two touchdowns in the
final three minutes of the first
quarter.
Welch dashed in from the one on
a fourth-and-goal gamble, capping
a 12-play, 65-yard march that
featured the running of Smith.
Smith carried eight times for 43
yards on the drive. The only pass
was a 14-yard toss from Tommy
Waters to tight end Marcus Pope.
CarterTs punt return made it 14-
6.
ECU drove 75 yards in 12 plays
to get within 14-12. Then, after
BreenerTs two misses, Jones
blind-sided Waters to force a fum-
ble and Dillon recovered.
The Associated Press
ECUTs Damon Wilson is stopped by Southern MissT James
Singleton
A 26-yard pass from Blake to
Luke Fisher on third down moved
the ball to the six. Two plays later,
Damon Wilson went in for the
Score and an 18-14 lead. A pas for
two points failed.
Floyd gathered in a deflected
pass on the first play of the next
series and returned it to the USM
29. On the next play, Gallimore got
Brian Wood to bite on a fake inside
and cut to the front corner of the
end zone where he was alone.
BlakeTs pass was on target for a
24-14 lead. Brenner tacked on the
PAT.
' o *
oI just ran a flag route and J
gave a little inside move;
Gallimore siad. oThe defensive
back bit on it and ended up f
down. They said I was pretty
open.?
oI was amazed how open,T
was,TT Blake said. ri
CarterTs interception of a Blake
pass set up USMTs third-quarter,
TD. Smith eventually got the score
on a s-yard run " three plays
after a holding penalty wiped outa
25-yard TD pass from Waters.to
Smith. tas
FROM PAGE ONE
Dream
s?,?ason
moves to 14th
Pirates not pinching selves
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Eight wins, one loss. Ranked
No. 14 in the nation. A bow] berth
on the horizon.
Is ita dream or reality?
East Carolina football fans may
be pinching themselves expecting
to wake up from what so far has
been a storybook season. But you
wonTt find Pirate players or
coaches double-checking to see if
this is actually happening.
oItTs real. ItTs definitely real,T
said ECU junior wide receiver
Clayton Driver after East Caroli-
naTs eighth straight win Saturday,
a 48-20 blitzing of Southern Miss.
We work hard in practice and
this is a direct result of how hard
we work.?
Quarterback Jeff Blake, who
threw for 361 yards and five
touchdowns Saturday, agrees.
oItTs for real,TT Blake said.
This is life, reality.?T
East CarolinaTs first bid to a
postseason bowl since 1978 should
also become a reality Sunday
afternoon. The Pirates, who still
have visits to Virginia Tech and
Cincinnati remaining, had repre-
sentatives from three bowls " the
Peach, the Independence and the
Liberty " watching them Satur-
day.
A band of purple-clad Pirate
fans numbering near 300 starting
chanting oGator Bowl, Gator
T BowlT as the final seconds ticked
off. The Gator Bow] was in Green-
ville two weeks ago.
For Blake, where ECU is head-
ed doesnTt matter.
oI just want a bowl,? Blake
said. oITm not picky. ItTs not like
we go every year.?
ECUTs first win over the Golden
Eagles since 1983, which snapped
a seven-game losing streak in the
series, was rewarded Sunday by a
climb of two Spots in the latest As-
sociated Press poll.
The Pirates moved ahead of
Clemson, which remained 15th
despite a 21-6 win at North Caroli-
na. Colorado, which nipped Okla-
| AP Top 25
By The Associated Press
The Top Twenty Five teams in the
Associated Press 1991 college football
poll, with first-place votes in paren-
theses, records through Nov. 9, total
points based on 25 points for a first-
place vote through one point for a
25th- place vote, and previous rank-
ing:
Record Pts Pvs
1. Florida St. (53) " 10-0-0 1,492
2. Miami (3) 1,413
3. Washington (4) 1,412
4. Michigan 1,311
5. Florida 1,259
6. California 1,167
7. Alabama 1,090
8. Penn St. 1,044
9. Iowa ;
10. Tennessee
11. Nebraska
12. Notre Dame
13. Texas A&M
14.E. CAROLINA
15. Clemson
16. Colorado
17. Syracuse
18. Oklahoma
19. Ohio St.
20. Baylor
21. Virginia
22. Stanford 6-3-0. 167. "
23. Brigham Young 7-3-0 140 "
24. N. Carolina St. 7-2-0 96 18
25. Illinois 6-3-0 59 "
Other receiving votes: Tulsa 43,
UCLA 39, Georgia 35, Air Force 24,
Indiana 21, Bowling Green 11, San
Diego St. 10, Fresno St. 9, Mississippi
St. 6, Pittsburgh 6, North Carolina 4,
Arkansas 3.
fos)
1 Sw i mine
Sooroocooococooce
CONDOS NNe
_
So
"
co
=
So
933 13
883 11
878 5
867 12
636 16
631 15
630 14
516 17
463 20
460 19
375 21
349 24
a Np Reis
URUULEL VON LEP ESS LS
Wy pwe sn
ooo Soe =
a
nN
1
homa State on a pass off a fake
field, slipped from 14th to 16th.
Virginia, which manhandled
N.C. State moved up three spots to
No. 21. The Wolfpack tumbled
from 16th to 24th.
Unbeatens Florida State, Miami
and Washington are 1-2-3. The
Seminoles (10-0) and Hurricanes
(8-0) will tangle Saturday in
Tallahassee, Fla.
MONE FOR ONE: Dion John-
son never threw a pass in high
school. He had never thrown one
in almost four years of college.
Now he has.
Saturday against Southern Miss,
Johnson took a handoff from
Blake on an apparent reverse, but
(See EAST CAROLINA, B-8)
East Carolina advances to 14th on AP pol
Team statistics
ECU USM
Total first downs
; wns: rus
wns
downs: by:
wn conversion
-Potaknet3 :
Total pla
Aves:
Net yards
Sacked-yards lost
Punts-ave.
otak:return
Punt ret.
Individual statistics
RUSHING: ECU _ Blake 7-41,
Anderson 1-(-3), Van Buren 4-14, J.
Smith 7-38, Daniels 4-15, D. Johnson
3-(-6), Wilson 11-29, Rhett 1-12; USM
~ T. Smith 28-117, R. Johnson 4-19,
Welsh 5-4, Waters 3-(-26), Reed 1-11,
McGee 1-(-4), Niblett 1-6.
RECEIVING: ECU _ Gallimore
11-154, Crumpler 4-49, R. Williams
1-18, Driver 5-115, D. Johnson 3-31,
Zophy 1-11, Van Buren 1-3, Fisher
1-36, Blake 1-(-7).
PASSING: ECU _ Blake 27-47-2 for
361 yds., Anderson 0-3-0, Johnson
1-1-0 for 50 yards; USM _ Waters
7-13-1 for 49 yards, Niblett 4-10-0
for 20 yards.
PUNTING: ECU _ Jett 2-82; USM _
Bryant 6-210.
FIELD GOALS: ECU _ Brenner
2-4; USM _ none.
PUNT RETURNS: ECU _D.
Johnson 2-11; USM _ Carter 2-86.
KICKOFF RETURNS : ECU ci
Johnson 2-34; USM _ G. Reed 3-73,
T. Smith 2-47, McGee 2-24, White
1-0.
INTERCEPTION RETURNS:
ECU _ Floyd 1-10; USM _ Carter
1-26, Blake 1-0.
TOTAL TACKLES: ECU My
Burnette 13, R. Jones 12, Dillon 11,
Grandison 8, Carter 5, Hall 5, Wright
5, Gardill 4, Marshmon 4, Beasley 3,
Washington 3, Cunmulaj 3, Floyd 3,
Cooke 3, Davis 2, Braddy 2, Freeman
2, Taylor 2, Myers 1, Cotton 1,
Harvey 1, Scott 1; USM _ Wood 9,
McDowell 8, Antoniou 7, Hoskins We
Williams 6, Blake 5, Singleton 5,
Wynn 5, Nix 4, Hamilton 3, Johnson
3, Loescher 3, Adams 2, Roberts wh
Collins 2, Lynch 1, Rankins 1, Waters
1, White 1, Welch 1, Gaham 1, Mize
1, Monroe 1, Carter 1, K. Collins 1.
TIME ELAPSED: 2:47
ATTENDANCE: 18,117
OFFICIALS: Bill Parkinson (r),
Tommy Rose (u), Joe Pipkin (hl),
Gale Porter (1j), Len Harrington (sj),
Sonny Holmes (fj), Danny Landry (bj)
a es
-WOODY PEELE
Monday Musings:
. This could be the most impor-
tant week of the 1991 football sea-
son for East Carolina University.
o ECU goes on the road once
more, visiting Blacksburg, Va., to
take on Virginia Tech. The Hokies,
as most remember, pulled out a
one-point victory over the Pirates
last year when Tech blocked an
extra point by the Pirates late in
the game. Earlier, an ECU touch-
down went by the boards when
David Daniels fumbled the ball go-
ing-into the end zone and Tech re-
covered in the air and carried it
back deep into ECU territory. The
Pirates held on that series, but it
put them into a hole from which
they never recovered and swung
the momentum to the Hokies.
There are a number of national
observers who have been saying
for weeks that the Pirates wonTt
win Saturday afternoon. True,
well they might lose. But it wonTt
be for lack of effort on the Pirate
side.
Certainly, ECU is going to have
to reach into its bag of tricks and
come up with something to
counter TechTs pass defense,
perhaps the best the Pirates have
faced this year. TheyTre also going
to have to counter the Hokies good
offense, sharpened against some
of the countryTs best earlier in the
year.
The game can accomplish much
for the Hokies. It can assure them
of a winning season, and it can
give them a victory over a ranked
team. That, coupled with an upset
of Virginia in their last game
could still make Tech a candidate
for.a bowl game later in the sea-
son.
East Carolina, of course, would
just about sew up a bowl bid with
a victory " if they havenTt al-
ready. Certainly the bowl scouts
who were in attendance Saturday
during the 48-20 thrashing of
Southern Mississippi had to be
even more impressed with the
Pirates.
(Continued From B-1) 7
pulled and firéd downfield. At the
other end " 50 yards away " was
Driver with Golden Eagle corner-
back Perry Carter on his back.
The ball settled into DriverTs
arms at the 11. T' )
oWeTve been working on it every
day in practice and I was wonder-
ing when Coach (Steve) Logan
was going to call it,T Johnson
said. He said he was going to call
it but he never did call it. ITve
been waiting.?
Johnson has been used), on
reverses since coming to ECU last
season. The pass off the play has
been in throughout the sedson,
Pirate head coach Bill Lewis said,
but this was the first opportunity
to use it.
oItTs something we have carried
as part of our reverse package,T
Lewis said. oItTs the first time we
threw it... a pretty good-looking
iral.
eThe defender, I thought, had it
pretty well-covered, but (Johnson)
got it over the top and Clayton
made a nice intel ne
The play proved critical.
On oi et play, Blake hit
Johnson on an out pattern. John-
son side-stepped one defender and
trotted in for the touchdown.
Blake then hit Johnson on_the
two-point conversion, giving ECU
a 33-20 lead.
Driver said he was surprised
when he heard the reverse pass
called in the huddle, since the play
is normally designed to go to
They look for exciting teams,
and ECU is certainly that.
East Carolina has been in-
novative with its offense all year,
pulling plays out of the bag that
keep the opposing defense back on
its heels, wondering what the
Pirates will do next.
Certainly, the reverse option
pass, as pulled off between Dion
Johnson and Clayton Driver Sat-
urday afternoon, is that type of
play. The Pirates, in addition to
the normal compliment of plays,
have used a variety of reverses,
double reverses and the like.
About the only thing we havenTt
seen yet is the flea-flicker " and
thatTs probably down in there
somewhere.
Hunter Gallimore.
oT said Oh well, I can run it
too,T TT said Driver, who had five
catches for 115 yards and scored
two touchdowns. Dion made a
good throw. He put it where it had
to be.?
MLUKETS CATCH: With Luke
Fisher nursing a sore shoulder,
Lewis didnTt want to use his senior
tight end Saturday unless the
perfect situation arose.
In the second period, with ECU
trailing 14-12, Lewis felt he needed
Fisher.
The Pirates faced a third-and-2
at the Southern Miss 32 and had
already failed on two chances to
take the lead " both on missed
field goals.
Fisher came in on what would
Unfortunately, thereTs a
downside to al] of this. When a
football team makes the strides
that have been made by the
Pirates, fame comes quickly and
teams with less Success " and
bigger names " come calling.
- One of the biggest factors in
building this yearTs SUCCesSes Was
the fact that ECU did not lo
sea
single member of the coaching
staff from last year. ButitTs
almost too much to hope for that
all of the staff will return ne
xt fall,
Head coaches are going to be look-
Ing to copy the innovation the
Pirates have shown and will be
ealling on our assistants.
And athletic directors unhappy
with their present coaches are go-
re fe be veo not only on some
assistants
ill Lewis, too, 7 Head coach
A great deal, of course. is 30;
to be determined by what pk :
thinks he can accomplish here "
pe nasi nie might be looked
re favorable
4 conference now. ee
The Pirates lose a lot of good
players, including record-setting
quarterback Jeff Blake and all-
American linebacker Robert
Jones, among others. Certainly
replacements are there, and one
thing Lewis will be Measuring will]
be how quickly they can come up
to the same level] of competition "
to keep the ball rolling.
Whether Lewis will be happy
with his current Situation or
whether he wil]
aps the biggest
be answered in
be his only play of the game and
caught a 26-yard pass for a first
down. Two plays later, Damon
Wilson scored to put ECU in front
for good.
We knew Luke would be able to
do something like that,T Lewis
said. oWe did not want to play
him, but that was a play we knew
we could get him in the open field
and knew he wasnTt going to take
a head-on blow on the shoulder.?T
The catch made Fisher the
schoolTs all-time lead in pass
receptions with 92. He came into
the game tied with Walter Wilson.
Crime Stoppers
If you have information on any crime commit-
ted in Pitt County, call Crime Stoppers, 758-
7777. You do not have to identify yourself and
can be paid for the information you supply.
Wednesday
November 13, 1991 .«
a
TOM
SORENSEN
Pirates paint
"91 season
purple, gold
The football season has been
predictable for most major col-
lege teams in the Carolinas.
Clemson is beating everybody,
N.C. State is beating almost
everybody, Wake Forest, South
Carolina and Duke are not beat-
ing anybody and North Carolina
has had another good recruiting
year.
For excitement, we must look
beyond the ACC, almost to the
coast.
There we find Greenville, N.C.,
from which the East Carolina
Pirates have emerged to cut a
purple and gold slash through an
otherwise beige season. East Car-
olina fans wave gold foam rubber
swords, put Pirates signs in front
of their businesses and follow
their team anywhere it goes.
About 500 of them showed up
at the Kinston Regional Jetport in
last SaturdayTs late-night gloom
and rain to welcome the Pirates
home after a victory against
Southern Mississippi in Hatties-
_ burg, Miss.
More than 6,000 fans will drive
to Blacksburg, Va., Saturday to
watch the Pirates play Virginia
Tech.
If the Pirates win, theyTll go to
the Peach:Bowl and play N.C.
State or Virginia. Despite an 8-1
record and victories against Pitts-
burgh and Syracuse, the Pirates
are underdogs by 5% points.
oWe've been underdogs since
ITve been here,? says East Caro-
lina junior running back Cedric
Van Buren. oWeTve been there
before and we'll see what hap-
pens. ThatTs all ITm gonna say.?
To adopt an Us Against the
World attitude, every team wants
to be an underdog. The Pirates
really are.
Although there are 16,506 stu-
dents on campus and 46,000 resi-
dents in Greenville, the school is
out of the way. It is 90 miles east
of Raleigh and not on any major
freeway or on the way to any
place. The only way to get there
is On purpose.
Most ACC schools don't. Nei-
ther North Carolina nor Wake
Forest will play the Pirates, and
N.C. State will play them only in
Raleigh.
For most sportswriters, Green-
ville is out of sight and out of
mind. I visited for the first time in
1983, when the Pirates went 8-3.
When Ed Emory, then the coach,
saw me on the practice field, he
dropped to his knees and bowed.
Old Ed was not being nice. Old
Ed was being sarcastic. He was ~
good at that. He was a good
coach, too.
His T83 team was the last win-
ning team the Pirates had until
this season. Fans have been wait-
ing and hoping, mostly waiting.
All those pent-up cheers have
been set free.
oIt's wild in Greenville,? says
receiver Dion Johnson. oNota
day goes by when people donTt
come up and say what a great job
we're doing. ItTs just wild.?
East Carolina coach Bill Lewis
says the biggest surprise for him
has been othe way the whole
community of eastern North Car-
olina " and the East Carolina
family as a whole " have
' responded. Perhaps there are
larger followings, but I donTt
think thereTs a more genuine fol-
lowing, a more genuine feeling
between fans and their football
team.?
Pirate Club chapters in Green-
ville, Charlotte, Raleigh and
Rowan County will ride chartered
buses to Blacksburg. In the Char-
lotte chapter are 188 members.
How many are going?
All of them,? says Charlotte
director Mike Auten. oI donTt
know of one whoTs not.?
Auten is a salesman for Farm
Bureau Insurance Service and an
East Carolina graduate, class of
79. Two weeks ago, he drove 414
hours from Charlotte to Green-
ville to watch the Pirates play
Tulane, got tired of his 3-year-old
daughter Erin, also a Pirates fan,
screaming, and left at halftime to
make the 44-hour drive home.
The Pirates were up 31-7 at the
time, but he still hated to leave.
oYou have no idea what this
season means to us,? says Auten.
oTl mean, we still have to win Sat-
urday. Then itTs kind of a dream.?T
The Peach Bowl is played in
Atlanta on New YearTs Day and
televised nationally. East Caro-
lina fans know there is life
beyond the ACC, even way out in
Greenville, and they want others
to know, too.
If the Pirates win Saturday, oth-
ers will.
The Dream Bowl: Pirates vs. Wolfpack?
By CHARLES CHANDLER
Staff Writer
An East Carolina vs. N.C. State Peach
Bowl is close to reality, and a Clemson-Cali-
fornia matchup in the Florida Citrus Bowl is
virtually certain.
Both games are set for New YearTs Day.
East Carolina (8-1), ranked 14th, can
clinch a berth in the Peach in Atlanta with a
win Saturday at Virginia Tech. Even if they
lose, bowl sources say the Pirates may still
get the invitation.
East Carolina would play N.C. State or
Virginia. Which one probably depends on
the results of a meeting today of the Gator
Bowl committee.
Oklahoma appears set in one Gator slot,
The Charlotte Observer
with the other going to Virginia or the
winner of the Nov. 30 game between
Georgia Tech and Georgia. The Gator (Dec.
29, Jacksonville, Fla.) dropped N.C. State
from consideration after the WolfpackTs
42-10 loss to Virginia Saturday.
If the Gator takes Virginia, N.C. State goes
to the Peach to play East Carolina in a
dream meeting for fans of both teams. A
18-game series between the teams ended
after Pirates fans stormed the field at
Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh in 1987.
Attempts to revive the series have failed.
The Peach (11:30 a.m., ESPN) will be the
first of the New YearTs Day bowls.
If the Gator chooses the Georgia-Georgia
Tech winner, the Peach would then have to
choose between N.C. State and Virginia.
If N.C. State gets shut out of the Peach, its
best possibilities appear to be the Copper
(Dec. 31, Tempe, Ariz.), Independence
(Dec. 29, Shreveport, La.) and Aloha (Dec.
25, Honolulu) bowls. The Aloha, however,
is anxious to land Georgia Tech and would
like to pit the Yellow Jackets against Baylor.
The Copper and Independence are also
interested in North Carolina if the Tar Heels
win their last two games to finish 7-4.
Clemson can clinch the ACC regular-sea-
son title and the accompanying Citrus berth
in Orlando, Fla., by beating either Maryland
Saturday or Duke Dec. 1 in Tokyo.
California, ranked sixth, is already set as
becroNDD ,
the TigersT opponent, though official bowl
invitations canTt be extended until Sunday.
Other bowls matchups look like this:
Orange: Miami-Florida State winner vs.
Big Eight champ (Nebraska or Colorado).
Cotton: Southwest Conference champ
(probably Texas A&M) vs. Florida State (if
Seminoles lose to Miami) or Big Eight
runner-up (Nebraska or Colorado).
Blockbuster: Alabama vs. Miami Cif Hurri-
canes lose to Florida State) or Big Eight
runner-up (Nebraska or Colorado).
Rose: Washington vs. Michigan.
Sugar: Florida vs. Notre Dame.
Fiesta: Tennessee vs. Penn State.
Hall of Fame: Ohio State vs. Syracuse.
John Hancock: Illinois vs. UCLA.
Raleigh, N.C.
aa
By CAULTON TUDOR
Staff writer
of this weekendTs games.
The Pirates, 8-1 and ranked 14th
nationally, are a five-point under-
The stateTs college football fans
will get their once-forbidden fruit.
N.C. State University and East
Carolina University informally
agreed Thursday to an encore of
their discontinued football rivalry
Jan. 1 in the Peach Bowl game at
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
Official bowl bids will be ten-
dered Sunday. Sources close to the
Peach Bowl committee said the
agreement with the two schools
does not depend on the outcomes
THE SPORTING NEWS/ NOVEMBER 11, 1991
dog Saturday at Virginia Tech,
which is 5-4. State, 7-2 and ranked
24th, is a seven-point favorite
against Duke, which is 4-3-1. In
the seasonTs final week Nov. 23,
ECU will play at Cincinnati and
the Wolfpack will host Maryland.
State showed some reluctance
before agreeing Thursday to face
the Pirates. Possible reasons in-
cluded fear that the 1987 incident
that ended the ECU series would
overshadow the bowl game; stiff-
er recruiting competition from
ECU in the event of a Pirate
victory; and renewed legislative
efforts to revive the series.
But Wolfpack coach Dick Sheri-
Fuzzy Peach picture coming clear:
Friday, November 15, 1991
the best opponent we could possi-
bly play and give our players and
ble games, page IC.
Hi Pack, ECU have been in some memora-
@ FansT reactions, page 2C.
@ Former coaches Earle Edwards and Art
Baker remember the series, page 2C.
program the chance to measure
ourselves against a good team,?
said NCSU Athletics Director
Todd Turner. We wanted that to
be the highest-ranked team avail-
able.
oThe second objective was the
site. We wanted a fun site where
dan, who is 1-1 against ECU,
reportedly had no reservations
about facing the Pirates.
oThe first objective was to play
the players could enjoy them-
selves and our fans would have an
opportunity to go.?T
Neither Mr. Turner nor ECU
Athletics Director Dave Hart Jr.
would confirm that the game had
been set. An NCAA apreemer
23)
East Carolina is in positio
By CAULTON TUDOR
been recruited in five years.
fense by the big-
timers in his home
state of Florida.
So, why is East
Carolina ranked in the
national polls, winning
where Florida couldnTt
(at Syracuse), posting
formidable offensive
stats and elbowing its
way into bowl society?
Good question. Too
bad there are no easy
answers.
The simplest explanation is
for acceptance.
on their Dion Johnson.
lina.
he athletic budget is barely a fourth
of that at the University of North
Carolina, and the stadium has 10,000
fewer seats than N.C. StateTs. There
is no conference affiliation, nor much hope for
one. A Proposition 48 non-qualifier hasnTt
The teamTs coach once was fired at Wyo-
ming. The quarterback was told to forget of-
that East Caro-
lina for years has been close to breaking into
the football consciousness of the general pop-
ulation. It has been just around the corner "
hoping, praying and generally overachieving
in what it has been told is an impossible quest
But donTt try to sell that old impossible
dream line to Pirates fans this season. They'll
hand you an oI Believe? T-shirt, a foam-
rubber saber, teach you the Pirate Slash,?
swear that their Jeff Blake is the quarter-
backing equal of Casey Weldon and that
Desmond Howard has not a step, foot or hand
They also will say that given decent of-
ficiating at Illinois and the last minute of that
season-opening, 38-31 loss to relive, their Pi-
rates would be even more visible.
oOur fans have been as amazing as the
team,TT Coach Bill Lewis says. oBut ITm not
surprised by that. I was one of those people
who knew about ECUTs love for football.?
Truth is, most other football coaches know
it, too. That is ECUTs biggest athletic prob-
lem. The more affluent neighbors in the At-
lantic Coast Conference religiously dodge the
Pirates. North Carolina and N.C. State gave
them a shot for a while but now devote their
regional non-ACC attention to William &
Mary, Appalachian State and Western Caro-
For the ACC in general and North Carolina
and N.C. State specifically, ECU long has
represented a baffling contrast in athletic pri-
orities: Football is deemed more important
plays.
than basketball.
ditching it.
by 4-5-1, and then 8-2.
identity problems began.
left for Charlottesville, Va.
Technically, Greenville, N.C., is a mere ex-
tension of the famous oTobacco Road?T that
ACC basketball programs have followed to
national success and athletic riches. But foot-
ball has been the first love of East CarolinaTs
student body since 1962, when Clarence
Stasavich arrived as coach and installed a sin-
gle wing at a time when most coaches were
StasavichTs first team went 5-4. The next
three won nine games each season, followed
But it was when Stasavich resigned as
coach to become athletic director that ECUTs
Stasavich hired Mike McGee, a former
Duke All-America, to introduce ECU to the
T-formation era in 1970. McGee stayed one
season, then jumped to his alma mater.
McGee was followed by Sonny Randle, a
former Virginia star. In three seasons, Ran-
dleTs teams went 4-6, 9-2 and 9-2 before he
Frustrated, Stasavich hired a coach from
outside the ACC area. Pat Dye stayed six
SSS SSS nse
| Season on the verge
After lurking Jor years just outside the national consciousness,
n for a postseason appearance
Big men on campus: At East Carolina, Lewis (inset) provides the gameplan and Blake the big
years from 1974-79 and built ECU the best
program in the ACC area, winning no fewer
than seven times in any season. But when
Dye left for Wyoming in 1979 " succeeding
Lewis there " a stepping-stone image was
firmly planted on East Carolina.
team out of the bowls.
Despite posting at least seven victories in
10 seasons since 1970, East Carolina has
been to a bowl only once " the 1978 Inde-
pendence, where DyeTs fifth team routed
Louisiana Tech, 35-13.
team, LewisT third.
By 1983, ECU alum Ed Emory was coach
and the Pirates were a Top 20 team, losing
only at Florida State (47-46), at Florida
(24-17) and at national champion Miami
(12-7). Fans followed the team in respectable
numbers, but the lack of extensive media at-
tention " even in the state of North Carolina
" and a limited TV market kept the T83
But things might be changing with the T91
The Pirates played before scouts from the
Peach, Hall of Fame, Blockbuster and Inde-
pendence bowls last weekend in Ficklen Sta-
dium, where their 38-28 victory over Tulane
gives them a 7-1 record and No. 16 ranking
in THE SPORTING NEWS Top 25. If the team
can win at least nine games and remain in the
Top 20, bowl representatives say a bid is like-
ly, even if it is for a game a step below what
the Pirates think they deserve. ;
oTheyTre better than any team in the ACC
and 90 percent of the SEC,? one bowl! scout
says. oThey have a shot to win 10. ItTd be a
shame if they won nine or 10 and didnTt get
something good.?
The Pirates certainly arenTt guaranteed
nine or 10 victories, however. Their remain-
ing games are on the road " next Saturday
at Southern Mississippi, which upset Auburn
earlier this season and has beaten ECU seven
consecutive times; November 16 at Virginia
Tech, where it never is easy to win, and No-
vember 23 at Cincinnati.
But brighter bowi prospects are just part
of ECUTs surging enthusiasm. Lewis, who
has to be the youngest looking 50-year-old in
the business, is another factor. Already, he is
talking more about staying than job hunting,
although seemingly better offers are certain
to come.
Three months ago, Athletic Director Dave
Hart declined an offer to take the higher-
paying Pittsburgh job. Then, LewisT team "
with Blake passing for 247 yards " beat the
23rd-ranked Panthers, 24-23, before the
first standing-room-only audience in
FicklenTs history.
oItTs a dream that keeps going on and on,?
says Blake, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound senior who
has thrown for 2,092 yards and 19 touch
downs in the first eight games.
A native of Sanford, Fla., Blake picked
ECU because the head coach at the time, Art
Baker, recruited him as a quarterback.
oFlorida, Florida State, Miami ... those
schools all told me ITd have to play defense,?
Blake says. Well, ITm a quarterback, and |
told them so. Now, I think ITm proving it.?
The son of a high school coach, Blake
proved a lot in 1990, passing for 1,510 yards
and 13 touchdowns on a 5-6 team that lost
19-15 at Georgia, 24-23 at Virginia Tech and
30-27 at Temple.
oWe were almost a good team then,?
Blake says. oNow, we are and we can get bet-
ter~
oHopefully, weTre a program on the,
move,? says Lewis, who spent nine seasons
as an assistant at Georgia after a 14-20-1.
record led to his dismissal at Wyoming. oBut:
honestly, I think this has been a pretty solid
situation all along. This programTs either
been there or very close before.?
But Lewis knows not to get too excited too
soon.
oTwo years ago (when the Pirates went 5-
5-1), ITm not sure many people realize, we
lost by two points at Syracuse and by five at
Pitt,? he says. oWe were within a dozen or so
points of winning eight games the last two
years.
oHopefully, a lot of players learned from
those experiences that if we donTt finish
strong, a lot still could be lost this season "
as great as itTs been.?
Caulton Tudor covers college football for
the Raleigh (N.C) News-Observer.
State vs. ECU
with the bowls prohibits formal
bowl announcements until Sunday
at 3 p.m.
The Wolfpack and Pirates last
met in the 1987 season opener,
with the Pirates winning 32-14 at
Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
After the game, a melee began
when ECU students, who had been
seated on the grassy bank beyond
Carter-FinleyTs south end zone,
rushed the field and tried to tear
down the goal posts.
At the height of the fracas,
about 2,000 fans " mostly ECU
see JUST PEACHY, page 14A
Just Peachy:
Wolfpack
vs, cCU
Continued from page 1A
students, according to NCSU po-
lice " were on the field. One
police officer suffered an eye
injury.
Officials of the two schools later
agreed to discontinue the series,
and recent efforts to revive it
have failed.
One snag has been ECUTs desire
to play some games in a renewed
series at Ficklen Stadium in
Greenville. Wolfpack officials
have said the school is not willing
to make the 90-mile trip from
Raleigh to Greenville to face the
Pirates in a regular-season game,
even if it means two games at
NCSU for each one at ECU.
In 18 games from 1970 through
1987, all played in Carter-Finley,
State won 12 times and lost six but
never lost more than two in a row.
The average score favored the
Wolfpack, 27.5 to 18.7. The most
one-sided game was NCSUTs 57-8
romp in 1973.
The Peach Bowl expects a sell-
out for its 24th game, which will
begin at 11:30 a.m. and will be
televised nationally by ESPN. The
game regularly draws crowds in
excess of 50,000.
A spokesman for Ticketron of
Atlanta said Thursday that ticket
sales have been relatively heavy
since Monday, when news of a
possible State-ECU game became
known. A Peach Bowl spokesman
said all of the $40 seats have been
sold. The remaining tickets are
$32 each.
Several hundred tickets are be-
ing sold at Tracks/Record Bar
stores in Raleigh " at Cameron
Village, North Hills Mall and
Crabtree Valley Mall " and at the
Tracks/Record Bar in Green-
villeTs Carolina East Mall.
The seating capacity for Atlan-
ta-Fulton County Stadium for foot-
ball is 59,930. The Peach last hada
sellout in 1988, for a 27-22 Tennes-
see win over Indiana.
The Daily
Reflector
Friday, November 15, 1991
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
East Carolina and N.C. State
have failed to get together for a
game in this state, but it appears
the rivalry may be renewed in the
Peach Bowl in Atlanta.
East Carolina, 8-1 and ranked
14th in the nation, is expected to
receive a Peach Bowl bid regard-
less of a win or a loss Saturday
afternoon at Virginia Tech. N.C.
State, 7-2 and ranked 24th, is on
the list of at least two bowls, in-
cluding the Peach.
The Wolfpack visits Duke in an
Atlantic Coast Conference game
Saturday.
Official invitations cannot be ex-
tended until Sunday at 3 p.m. EST.
Several reports have said that
East Carolina has an informal
agreement to play in the Peach
Bowl.
ECU athletics director Dave
Hart.and Henry VanSant, ECUTs
associate athletics director for
administration, said an informal
agreement had not been made.
Peach Bowl executive director
Robert Dale Morgan was
unavailable for comment and did
not return messages Thursday.
Sports
Pirates, Wolfpack said Peach favorites
oOur posture has really not
changed,? Hart said. Our focus
remains where it has been since
Monday and thatTs on the Virginia
Tech game.?T
oI donTt think that weTre going
to know anything for sure until the
game in Blacksburg on Saturday,?T
VanSant said. There are a lot of
things coming out that are beyond
my comprehension. I think there
are some newspaper people get-
ting to some people on committees
that are saying things but donTt
want to be identified.?T
Todd Turner, athletics director
at N.C. State, said he would not
elaborate on the specific options
for the Wolfpack or a_ possible
meeting with East Carolina. Bowls
in which N.C. State still could land
are the Copper or Independence.
ECU has also been scouted by
the Independence and Liberty
bowls.
oI would really rather not com-
ment on (our options), but I will
tell you about our bowl philoso-
phy,? Turner said. Our intent is
to try to play the best team we can
play. ThatTs our first objective.
oOur second objective is try to
find a bowl site that is a fun site
for our fans to go and enjoy them-
selves. If we meet those criteria,
¢ Scoreboard
e NBA
° Classified
then weTve taken a major Step.??
Reports of unofficial agree-
ments by Virginia with the Gator
Bowl and Illinois with the John
Hancock Bowl left East Carolina
and N.C. State as the top can-
didates to meet in Atlanta on New
YearTs Day. But the two schools
have been at odds since the 18-
year series was terminated in
1987.
The last time the two teams
met, East Carolina won 32-14 at
Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
A postgame incident in which
Pirate fans stormed the field
resulted in several injuries and
damage to the stadium.
-If N.C. State declines a bid to
the Peach, the Pirates will most
likely face either Georgia, Arkan-
sas or West Virginia. Georgia,
where ECU head coach Bill Lewis
spent eight years as an assistant,
is 6-3 but needs a win over Auburn
or Georgia Tech to reach the re-
quired six wins over Division I-AA
schools.
oT think probably whatTs going
to happen is some things that no-
body even thought could happen,?
VanSant said. oThere canTt be any
formal invitations or any con-
tracts signed until Sunday.?
e Friday, November 15, 1991
Pack, ECU in memorable games
Unpredictability has made it intriguing series
total of 56,800 fans jammed into
Carter-Finley and watched
ECUTs 32-14 victory.
NCSU has had a larger home ee
crowd only once since then. In 372 NC. State, 38-1
1989, 57,100 fans watched the oe oe ee
Wolfpack whip North Carolina | [9/3 NC State, 57-8
40-6. 1974 N.C State, 24-2
dance. The fans who packed Carter- NG State 06-3
The teams have played 18 Finley for the East Carolina | ee ee
times, all at Carter-Finley Stadium. And in eight contests have seen some memorable games. ;
seasons the loser finished with a better record The Wolfpack won 12 times, the Pirates six. But
than the winner. East Carolina whipped State in the games were usually battles.
1985, but the Pirates finished with two victories East Carolina showed early that it would be no
and the Wolfpack three. And in T82, when State doormat when it won the second game, 31-15,
won 33-26, the Pack won six games and the _ before 18,000 wet fans in 1971.
Pirates seven. N.C. State thrashed ECU in T73, but that
State crushed ECU 57-8 in 1973, but the Pirates pounding set up the first dramatic game of the
finished 9-2 and the Pack 9-3. series in 1974. The Pirates led 14-7 at the half but
Perhaps the seriesT unpredictability has made committed three turnovers in the third quarter as
it so intriguing. Crowds at the games grew until State surged ahead. The Pirates scored a final
they literally spilled onto the field, prompting its touchdown with 1:31 left in the game, cutting the
termination after 1987. Six of Carter-FinleyTs 10 State lead to 24-20. But the Pack recovered the
largest crowds came in ECU games. onside kick and held on for victory.
The series didnTt begin as a huge success at the In 1977 the Pirates prevailed 28-23 in the final
gate. The first game, in 1970, a 23-6 Wolfpack seconds. State quarterback Johnny Evans threw
victory, drew 28,350. :
But the last game, in 1987, drew twice that. A See PACK, page 2C
Raleigh, N.C.
By DANE HUFFMAN
Staff writer
@ Earle Edwards remembers
that it began over dinner, page
2.
10 N.C. State, 23-6
971 East Carolina, 31
The only records that have
seemed to matter when N.C.
State and East Carolina play
football are the ones for atten-
@MArt Baker thinks itTs a
natural matchup, page 2C.
@ ItTs peachy with folks in
Raleigh, page 2C.
Pack, ECU
Continued from Page IC
fifth Straight in the Series
hs the Pirates began to assert
emselves after that. In T83, in
; hei ns Sa first game as Wolf
1 Onl: og oe a7 Byer | a
SSO ore """ ee for hee dzone roms nasi
eTown rushed ne but it lar apa a
; 7 oOS Sem Vie y
ie it Soene Reed beat BCU.
ey Adams, who was Wolf; ck pgs an
yards from the goal Sheeaar
; ¥ is
3 Coach, Sheridan
ee Sh Hiri ECU
ee """" » and State fell
cee LU : : a
East Carolina, 55-14 = bB B00 _ : ho |
y 5 . . a % = . . : : : ie |
NC Sate, 5810 2 «=«=*~*«~C | Id The t Wolfpack had Erik Kramer, jlew by ECU fora
: | : : 4 irates 38-10 yj :
East Carolina, 32-14 6800? B68 onside ee and rr ecovered the A aan ey row oF 98,650
S -opscmmennams nn nside Kick at the State 49. But th
PackTs Perry Williams aires Me
Greg Stewart's Pass
| and the Pack ran ou
NC State, 29-13
N.C State, 34-2000
NG State 36-14 00
NC State 31-100
NC State, 33-26
Save the Pj.
only once in
d by 1986 the
new coach, Dick
Opener ;
faced
on first down,
t the clock,
That Tg2 victory was the Wolf-
By CHARLES CHANDLER day when Virginia, another prime candidate concerned that the incident could over- N.C. State athletic director Todd Turner
Staff Writer Gi for the Peach, decided to play in the Gator shadow the Peach Bowl game and worry would not comment on N.C. StateTs position
N.C. State officials are contemplating a Bowl against Oklahoma. that a volatile situation could exist because but said he expected the Wolfpack to have
Peach Bowl matchup against East Carolina N.C. StateTs reluctance to play East Caro- of the high emotions of both sets of fans. several options when invitations are made
on New YearTs Day. lina stems from an incident in 1987 that led There is especially a concern that the Sunday.
The Observer learned Wednesday that to the cancellation of an 18-year series postgame scene from 1987 would be con- Those options appear limited, however.
East CarolinaTs invitation to the Peach is not between the two teams. Stantly revisited by the media leading up to. There is only one for sure: The Indepen-
contingent on the 14th-ranked Pirates (8-1) Following a 32-14 victory over the Wolf- the game. dence Bowl at Shreveport, La.
beating Virginia Tech Saturday, as was pack, Pirates fans stormed the field at N.C. State is expected to make a decision It seems an unusual predicament for a
earlier believed. RaleighTs Carter-Finley Stadium, resulting in _ by Friday. team that could finish the regular season
Though official bids may not be extended damage to the stadium and injuries, If N.C. State turns down the Peach, the 9-2, but the WolfpackTs opportunities
Carolina from the Top 25.
Pirates officials are not com-
menting on the agreement
because it doesnTt become official
ECU in Peach Bowl; until Sunday and because they do
: not want to reduce the teamTs
Wolfpack undecided incentive't beat Virginia Tech.
Continued from page 1B
oOur posture with our team and
with our fans has been and contin-
ues to be that a win Saturday could
until Sunday, the Peach has an unofficial
Attempts since then to renew the series have
bowl could turn to North Carolina (5-4),
became limited after last SaturdayTs 42-10
agreement with East Carolina and began failed.
seeking one from N.C. State (7-2) Wednes- Sources said N.C. State officials are
provided the Tar Heels win their last two
games, against South Carolina and Duke.
Please see Bowls/page 5B
"Trustees OK Ficklen expansion plan
By Tom Morris
THE DAILY REFLECTOR.
ECU officials seeking approval
for two more doctoral programs
tive for ECU to plan now for a
Program in Coastal Resource
Management and by 1995 a
program in Marriage and Fam-
East Carolina University of- ily Therapy.?T
Amid the hoopla of East Caroli-
na UniversityTs upcoming Peach
Bowl trip, the schoolTs Board of
Trustees decided Friday to pro-
ceed with expansion plans for
Ficklen Stadium.
The university will offer bids on
a feasibility study of expanding
seating at the stadium, which cur-
rently seats 35,000. The study will Spangler to approve two addi-
be paid for out of stadium reserve tional doctoral programs. in-
funds. cluded in the schoolTs mission
oWith the success of the pro- statement.
gram and not being a conference oWhen we received the
team, we need to show the rest of eee SON te response of the consultants that
the world weTre doing the things | Gi statements of each of the We only received two pro-
we need to make the facility more | j¢ schools in the UNC system 8am, we felt like we had to
enticing,? said Trustee William E. | 314 issue a report ithe ad- have more of the programs ap-
Dansey Jr., onot only for our visors will make recom. Proved,? Eakin said. oI con-
public, but for the other teams mendations to the UNC Board Vened a group of academic ad-
too.?T of Governors next week visors and I asked them to iden-
Dansey said he expects the fea- tify two programs that we
sibility study to cost less than ECU has asked the UNC thought were crucial to the doc-
$25,000, and the school plans to use System to expand its doctoral toral degree program,?
self-liquidating bonds to pay for programs, particularly in aca-
the expansion project. demic affairs.
The athletics department and oIn partial response, I am
the trustees have discussed asking for Mr. Spangler to con- }.; . A
stadium expansion for several sider two proposals not con- eee awry: oi
years. But this is the first time the sidered by the consultants,? and audiolo clad ks oBy
university has taken any action. said ECU Chancellor Richard by.
lf think we'll see it happen in Eakin. bas | believe it is impera-
the next three or four years,?T
Dansey said.
ek een vss pete additional plans to add more The sports medicine building
between $1.6 and $2 million on Climate-controlled boxes on the opened two years ago. It is home
By Tom Morris
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ficials have asked University of
North Carolina President ¢.D. Last month, the UNC System
consultants approved only two
of a number of doctoral pro-
grams desired by ECU of-
ficials. B
The outside advisors did rec-
ommend approving the cre-
ation of doctoral programs in
(See ECU, B-2)
structural repairs to the south side
of the stadium. This project will
begin after the 1992 season.
The initial proposal for expan-
sion will install climate-controlled
boxes for corporate sponsorship on
either side of the press box on top
of the south side stands. There ate
north stands and an upper deck
above them.
The trustees also voted to name
the new sports medicine building
in honor of Bob and Margaret
Ward. Because Ward is a trustee,
a portion of the by-laws had to be
waived in order to approve the
motion.
to the human performance labora-
tory, the sports medicine training
center, locker rooms, academic
counseling and offices for most of
the athletic department.
The Wards recently donated
$500,000 to the ECU Educational
Foundation to be used for academ-
ic development of student athletes.
oWhile this gift is substantial in
dollars, it has even more
significance in that it is earmark-
ed to enable our athletics depart-
ment to make continued strides in
the total development of all of our
student athletes,? said Dave Hart,
cirector of athletics at ECU.
Janice Faulkner, director of the
ECU Regional Development. In-
stitute, also reported on the
development of the InstituteTs
Survey Laboratory during Fri-
dayTs board meeting,
RDI began development of the
center 10 years ago and increased
its scope under the direction of Dr.
Ken Wilson, a professor of sociol-
ogy who specializes in survey
research.
oIt came about piecemeal, bit
by bit,? Ms. Faulkner said. We
had conversations with just about
every office in this university. :It
came about very quietly over a
period of years.?T
This fall, the laboratory began
its first annual survey, looking in-
to attitudes about poverty in east-
ern North Carolina.
The center is now conducting a
Survey on the presence and scope
of minority-owned business in
- eastern North Carolina.
In other action from the meet-
ing, the finance and facilities
committee announced continued
plans to renovate Slay, Umstead
and Scott residence halls. The
group also appropriated $350,000
for renovations to the campus
book store.
. The Health Sciences Committee
announced the formation of a new
center for Alcohol and Drug
Abuse. The centerTs plan will be
sent to the University of North
Carolina Board of Governors for
final approval. |
loss to Virginia.
The Gator and Blockbuster
bowls dropped N.C. State from
consideration and two others that
had the Wolfpack on their lists had
made deals by late Wednesday:
The Copper Bowl plans to pit
Indiana. against Baylor and the
Aloha landed Georgia Tech and
Stanford (contingent on a six-win
season).
Even with a loss Saturday, the
Pirates appear the PeachTs best
UpuOhas.
A defeat might not drop East
be very advantageous to us,? East
Carolina athletic director Dave
Hart said Wednesday.
Hart would not confirm that the
Pirates were a shoo-in for the
Peach.
East Carolina has not been to a
bowl since playing in the Indepen-
dence in 1978.
The Pirates werenTt invited to a
bowl in 1983 despite an 8-3 rec-
ord, which included close losses
to Florida State, Florida and
Miami.
The Daily
Reflector
Saturday, November 16, 1991
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Although it will not be official
until Sunday, East Carolina and
N.C. State will apparently renew
their rivalry after a four-year
hiatus.
The two schools, which last met
in the season-opener in 1987, have
informally agreed to meet in the
Peach Bowl in Atlanta on Jan. 1.
ECU athletics director Dave Hart,
N.C. State athletics director Todd
Turner or Peach Bowl officials
would not confirm that the game
has been set.
Official bids cannot be extended
until Sunday at 3 p.m. An NCAA
agreement with the bowls pro-
|Good weather has
hibits formal bow] announcements
before then.
Representatives from the Peach
Bowl will be in Blacksburg, Va.,
and Durham today. East Carolina,
8-1 and ranked 14th in the nation,
is in Blacksburg to take on Virgin-
ia Tech (5-4). Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
The Wolfpack, 7-2 and ranked
24th, meets Duke in an Atlantic
Coast Conference game.
East Carolina will be seeking its
ninth-straight win this season
against a Hokie team that has won
three straight. Tech, which edged
the Pirates 24-23 last year in
Greenville, has won its last eight
games in Lane Stadium.
A crowd of more than 46,000, in-
_ Sports
Peach Bowl-bound Pirates try to focus on Tech
cluding approximately 8,000
Pirate supporters, is expected.
Pirate head coach Bill Lewis
hopes his team can focus on Tech.
He stresses patience, particularly
on offense, will be critical.
oT think one of the keys is we
are going to have to be patient "
very, very patient " in this foot-
ball game,? Lewis said. I think
weTre going to have to work for
every yard we get.
oTf we are to be successful, itTs
going to take a full 60-minute ef-
fort.?
Virginia Tech comes in as a
414-point favorite. The Hokies,
who close out the season next Sat-
urday at Virginia, need one win in
their final two games to clinch a
third straight winning season.
And they have not given up
totally on the postseason.
oIf we somehow could win two
" which for sure is a major task
for us right now " then I still feel
like thereTs a bowl out there that
could be waiting on us,T Tech
coach Frank Beamer said.
The Liberty Bowl and In-
dependence Bowl are the only
bowls that do not have informal
agreements.
Tech is hampered by minor in-
juries to three key players. In last
weekTs win over Akron, senior
quarterback Will Furrer sustained
a strained right knee, wide re-
ceiver Bo Campbell separated rib
cartilage and tailback Vaughn
e Entertainment
e Comics
Hebron sprained his right ankle.
All are expected to play. Furrer
needs just 90 total yards and 95
yards passing to become the
schoolTs all-time leader in both
categories. Campbell leads the
Hokies in receptions and leads the
nation in punt return average (20.3
yards per return).
Campbell is a particular con-
cern of Lewis.
oWhat that does is take a 40-
yard punt and gives you a net punt
of 20 yards,?T Lewis said. ThatTs
awfully scary. ThatTs two first
downs without the offense ever
coming on the field. ItTs a great
challenge for our special teams.?T
Some other things about Tech
also impress Lewis.
@Preparation: YouTre always
going to see a well-coached, well-
prepared football team,T Lewis
said. oI think day in and day out,
week in and week out Frank and
his staff do as good a job as there
is in the country of preparing their
teams sound fundamentally and
having them ready to play on Sat-
urday.?T
@Playing physical: oTheyTre a
very physical football team,?T
Lewis said. As we compare them
to our nine previous opponents,
with all due respect, this will be
the most physical football team in
all aspects of the game. ItTs a very
hard, very clean, get-in-your-face,
down-in, down-out, aggressive
style of play. We need to show up
ready to respond to that.TT
(See EAST CAROLINA, C-5)
East Carolina faces Virginia Tech
(Continued from C-1)
MAggressive special teams.
oTheyTre very well-coached in
that area,TT Lewis said. oTheir
punt rush is as dangerous as their
punt return.?
@Balance in all aspects. oOf-
fensively we think in terms of
balance between run and pass and
they do a good job of that,TT Lewis
said. oThen as you further look at
it, they do a good job of balancing
the inside run with the outside run,
the play-action pass with the
drop-back pass. At the end of nine
games, you look and say that
there is nothing that you can real-
ly zero in on. If you try to take one
phase of their game away, theyTre
good enough in other phases to
beat you.?T
Defensively, ECU senior quar-
terback Jeff Blake and Company
will attack an eight-man front.
Right tackle Jerome Preston, left
tackle Bryan Campbell, end
Wooster Pack and _ linebackers
P.J. Preston and Rusty Pendleton
key the Hokies up front.
Safety Damien Russell essen-
tially serves as an extra lineback-
er. Cornerback John Granby is
TechTs best in pass coverage.
oItTs a very difficult defense to
run against,TT Lewis said. oItTs a
very difficult defense to throw the
ball inside. That makes for a long,
patient afternoon as far as attack-
ing them.?
Depsite three lopsided wins in
the last three weeks, Beamer said
he doesnTt feel his team is still up
to par. And an ECU offense that
averages 449.7 yards and 35.3
ee per game has him concern-
ed.
oI feel shaky to be honest with
you,T Beamer said. Defensively
I thought we were shaky in our
last ballgame and then our three
top offensive players are hurt.?T
Pirate fans prepare for The Game
(Continued from A-1)
weekly at a local restaurant to discuss and
speculate ECU sports.
All of the Crow members are going to this
weekendTs game, Dixon said, and he and his kids
have already booked passage to the University of
Cincinnati game Nov. 23.
The group has also organized almost two bus
loads of people to go to Atlanta to support the
Pirates in the Peach Bowl, should the team get a
bid.
After years of support in some not-so-good
times, the dedication and enthusiasm is finally
paying off.
Jerry Beckman, the Pitt County Chapter presi-
dent of the ECU Alumni Association, said that
while heTs hoping for a bowl, heTs looking forward
to this weekendTs road trip.
oThis year it feels very good,TT Beckman said.
oIt feels very, very good. It feels like all that time
is paying off " the gratitude that you feel, the sat-
isfaction that you feel and finally experiencing
what itTs like to be an indirect part of a program
thatTs really turned the corner and is starting to
win.?
Beckman said itTs also a thrill to visit other
places and meet people whoTve heard about ECU
and know where the campus is located. It gives
people the opportunity, he said, to not only talk
sports but also talk about academics and what the
university has to offer.
This winning season is something Jimmy Nunn
has been waiting for for quitesome time. |
oIt seems almost like a dream come true,?
Nunn, president of the Pitt County Pirate Club,
said. oWeTve had strong support for many years
and great fans throughout the years of losing, this
is sort of like payback. It really feels great to get
the opportunity to feel like a winner and truly
believe.?T
Such strong community support means the cash
registers are ringing at stores that sell ECU par-
aphernalia.
Don Edwards, co-owner of University Book Ex-
change on Cotanche Street, is having what some
would call a commercial winning season thanks to
the football team.
Sales of ECU sportswear has doubled during the
past year, and the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill graduate said heTs caught purple and
gold fever as a result of the excitement.
oItTs not that Carolina is not a great school, T'm
just so caught up with ECU now I donTt even pay
attention to Carolina,T Edwards said. oItTs ECU
all the way.
Edwards said that people have flocked to his
store since the Pirates started winning this sea-
son. ItTs the best year heTs had since opening the
sportswear department in 1986, he said.
For example, earlier this week, he took: 15
mail-orders, and he doesnTt even have a cata-
logue. A middle-school official in Charlotte recent-
ly ordered 500 sabers for students.
oItTs really just been so much fun,? he said,
itTs almost amazing. ItTs everything right about
college athletics, and itTs incredible what itTs done
for the community.?
helped brighten ECUTs football season
Having a season such as East
CarolinaTs Pirates have had so far
this year involves great athletic
skills, outstanding coaching, good
chemistry between team
members, and sometimes just
good fortune.
Whatever it is, it has come
together. By the time this is
printed readers will know whether
it continued through the Southern
Mississippi game.
Just how much to trust luck in
winning is always open to conjec-
ture.
Some of us track another ele-
ment of East Carolina football
success which is totally based on
luck ... or at least the fickleness of
fate.
That would be the weather. For
some reason during September,
October and November low
pressures build in the nationTs
ALVIN TAYLOR
heartland and it is usually a ques-
tion of whether the clouds will be
hanging over Ficklen Stadium at
game time on Saturday.
The Pirates completed their
home schedule last weekend. The
storms were out there but ECU
football crowds remained
reasonably dry in all five home
games. On the whole the weather
was ideal this year in Greenville.
Sure it. was threatening for the
Akron game and a little precipita-
tion fell ... but not enough to
dampen the spirits of the
Homecoming crowd.
And there was just a sprinkle at
the Pittsburgh game. The capacity
crowd was so intent on the game
that few even noticed.
Long time fans and weather
trackers can recall heavy rain
storms which left Ficklen Stadium
virtually empty by the time df the
final whistle. In some of the more
lackluster seasons the prediction
of rain could cut the crowd con-
siderably.
As for the temperatures this
year some fans wished to see
more football-like weather. Knit
shirts and even shorts were rea-
sonable attire for every Pirate
home game.
Faithful fans recall a Thanks-
giving when East Carolina played
Appalachian. The game was mov-
ed to Thursday night to gain a
television appearance. It was Nov.
25, 1976. Cold? Nebraska couldnTt
come up with more frigid weather
for football. But ECU won 35-7 and
wrapped up its fourth and final
Southern Conference champi-
onship.
Fans can also recall one balmy
Saturday afternoon in Ficklen
when they literally witnessed a
cold front moving in. Winds sud-
denly picked up; leaves, papers
and other debris blew wildly about
and the shirt sleeve crowd was
quickly shivering as the tempera-
ture plummeted.
It tells us to expect anything
from the weather at Ficklen.
etd td
Did good weather play a role
this year? Well, the Pirates drew
crowds of " 32,382, 33,100, 27,500.
36,000 and 31,126. ThatTs total
home attendance of 160,108 and an
average of 32,071 per home game.
Outstanding play on the field cer-
tainly brought them in, but some
miserably cold and wet days
would have affected the atten-
dance.
Remember, too, that rain was
forecast for the morning of the
final home game. Turned out the
skies were blue at game time,
temperatures were higher than
expected. It was another shirt
sleeves and shorts day.
About the good luck. The next
day, Sunday, temperatures drop-
ped into the 50s and there was a
steady rain all afternoon. HowTs
that for timing the final home ap-
pearance? o
OOO
Flying a Pirate flag on the auto
antenna doesnTt exempt one from
a speeding ticket.
One car, apparently headed for
the ECU-Tulane game, was among
many sporting such flags. It was
stopped along U.S. 264 west of the
city, the awesome blue light blink-
ing behind it.
No doubt the trooper was scrib-
bling the traditional speeding tick-
et.
LetTs see. ThereTs the cost of
driving the car here " $35, game
tickets " $16 each, dining out and
incidental expenses " $50. Add to
that $40 or so for a speeding ticket.
No doubt the driver was wonder-
ing why the state trooper couldnTt
have been over at Ficklen
Stadium handling game traffic.
But, hey, the Pirates won that
afternoon. It was a perfect record
on the home field!
The Daily _
Reflector...
Sunday, November 17, 1991
GrandisonTs
score proves
turning point |
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
BLACKSBURG, Va. " Looking
for a turning point in East Caroli-
naTs 24-17 win over Virginia Tech?
Look no further than Greg
Grandison.
Grandison
rescued the
Pirates from a
desperate situa-
tion in the third
quarter of Sat-
urdayTs game
_{ when he picked
& off a Rodd
ye ~, Wooten pass
: GRANDISON and returned it
95° yards for a game-tying touch-
down. Jeff BlakeTs 14-yard pass to
Clayton Driver with 7:12 left put
ECU, now 9-1 and headed to the
Peach Bowl, in front for good.
ooWe needed a big play and I
think that was it,?T said Grandison,
whose return was the. second
longest in ECU history. Reggie
Pinkney had a 98-yard return in a
1976 game against Richmond.
--GrandisonTs third interception of
fhe season came on a_ second-
and-goal from the ECU four with
the Hokies threatening to add to a
14-7 lead. Wooten, who started in
the place of injured quarterback
Will Furrer, rolled to his left and
tried to hit tight end Greg Daniels.
- But Grandison broke on the ball,
juggled it briefly, then found clear
sailing down the right:sideline.
(See GRANDISON, C-2)
Sports
PiratesT comeback puts them at 9-1
The Associated Press
Virginia TechTs Tony Kennedy faces ECUTs Zaim Cunmulaj and Bernard Carter (80)
¢ College Football
e NFL
e Outdoors
| ECU erases 14-0 deficit
to defeat Hokies, 24-17
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
BLACKSBURG, Va. " All you
gotta do is believe.
East Carolina football coach Bill
Lewis started preaching that to his
team back in August and look
where it has led. SaturdayTs im-
probable 24-17 comeback win at
Virginia Tech is the ninth straight
for the 14th-ranked Pirates..
Later today " at 3 p.m. to be
exact " an invitation to the Peach
Bowl and a New YearTs Day
showdown with N.C. State will of-
ficially be theirs.
oWhen you have heart and you
believe, itTs really amazing how
far you can go,?T Lewis said. oThat
was an awfully big win that was
won by a football team that has a
heart as big as ITve ever seen.
oT donTt know if ITve ever been
around a group of guys that
believe in themselves and believe
in each other like they do.?T
Once again, a team that found a
way to lose over the last several
dreary seasons drummed a way to
win. And at 9-1, this team is on the
verge of history. The 1963, 1964
and 1965 teams finished 9-1.
oI want them to enjoy it because
theyTve made this season hap-
pen,?T Lewis said.
Senior defensive end Marc
Washington, who had his first col-
legiate interception late in the
fourth quarter, was enjoying it.
And he brought along a_ video
camera to capture the excitement
of the approximately 8,000 ECU
followers in the Lane Stadium
crowd of 43,718.
What a feeling,T Washington
said. oI think all the years of the
hard knocks gave us the poise and
the grit to find a way to come
back.?
The Pirates benefited from a
couple of breaks on the comfort-
able but windy afternoon. The first
came before the game started
when Tech senior quarterback
Will Furrer reinjured his knee and
sat out the entire game.
Rodd Wooten started in FurrerTs
spot and completed 12 of 24 passes
for 143 yards. He was intercepted
three times.
Still the Hokies, taking advan-
tage of an inspired defense and the
relentless running of Tony Ken-
nedy and Vaughn Hebron, built a
14-0 lead.
Tech stifled ECU much of the
first half and came up with two in-
terceptions and two sacks of ECU
quarterback Jeff Blake.
But the Pirates got a late first-
half TD then rallied for 17 sec-
ond-half points, capped by BlakeTs
14-yard pass to Driver with 7:17 to
go.
oI didnTt think we were playing
with the intensity that we needed
to play with,? Lewis said. Our
whole conversation at halftime
centered around that " that we
needed to play with intensity and
find a way. There was a way out
there for them to win if they kept
searching and scratching.?T
And search and scratch they
did.
oMy congratulations to East
Carolina,T Tech head coach Frank
(See PIRATES, C-2)
(Continued from A-1)
nored the noisy crowd.
wandering through the yard ig-
ECU fans celebrate
ated iast year named Chris
Hall. We used to go to the game
and throw stuff at him,?T
McMonagle said.
Except for the Student Street The students paid attention to
house, the campus and sur- most of the game, most of the
rounding neighborhoods were time. A few ducked inside the
almost silent Saturday after- house to keep updated on the
noon. More than 7,000 Pirate Florida State-Miami game.
fans traveled to Blacksburg for Others took turns passing a
the game, according to the football in the street. But when
radio announcers. the game in Blacksburg got
John Prodan said he wished _ close, the fans got serious.
he had gone. When the score stood at 17-17
oThe people I wouldTve _ in the third quarter, they start-
stayed with couldTve gotten ed talking to the radio.
tickets. ITm just out of money oCome on boys, wake up,
and itTs the end of the Prodan urged, hitting the top of
semester,? he said. the car door with his hand.
Nan Thompson had a rec- Smith complained when ECU
. wc ommendation for the universi- Coach Bill Lewis went for a
The Daily Reflector/Michl Hall ty. field goal in the third quarter,
instead of a touchdown.
Umbrellas not allowed
2 4
VIRGINIA TECH
f
. EAST CAROLINA
Everyone must have a ticke
less of age.
LANE STADIUM
BLACKSBURG, VIRGINIA
SATURDAY
NOV. Vs
1991
1:00 PM
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
NOT FOR
RESALE
East Carolina students celebrate a touchdown in the fourth quarter of SaturdayTs victory over Virginia Tech.
Peaches, peaches, peaches and...
East Carolina fans have AtlantaTs Jan. 1 bowl game on their minds
By Kristin Scheve
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
They were eating oysters and
-talking about peaches, with one
-ear on the radio at all times.
; ECU students and friends at
oa football-birthday party Satur-
day had a New YearTs trip to
Atlanta on their minds.
oCU and (N.C.) State have
this little matter to finish.
-WeTre going to go down there
-and beat them like dogs,? said
David Smith. The Peach Bowl
will be one last shebang,T he
said.
Twenty students gathered
outside a white house on Stu-
dent Street were confident that
ECU will get a bowl bid. They
followed the ECU-Virginia Tech
game closely on a blaring car
radio. When the game got
tense, they opened the driverTs
side door to hear better.
Their cheering drowned out
the radio as the game clock
Game details are on C-1
ticked down to a 24-17 Pirate
win: The students forgot the
oysters and beer momentarily.
oPeaches, peaches,T Smith
yelled, while his friends
whooped and screamed.
Student Glenn Archer didnTt
care that bids for college bowl
games wonTt be made official
until Sunday. He already has
made his plane reservation to
Atlanta for the Peach Bowl.
Archer, sitting quietly on the
front steps of the house, said he
knew ECU would have a winn-
ing football team this season.
The Pirates are 9-1, with only
one game left to play, against
the University of Cincinnati.
oThrough my years of time
here, ITve seen it go from com-
pletely nothing. Slowly our
teamTs wins have been increas-
ing and increasing,T Archer
said.
The number of people at the
house: increased as the game
went on. Friends on bikes stop-
ped by and others walked over,
and no one left early. Two dogs
(See ECU, A-10)
oWe should get half-price
tickets and free transportaion
there,TT she said.
The crowd even had a favor-
ite player " defensive back
Chris Hall. John McMonagle,
who was celebrating his 24th
birthday, explained that the
fans were cheering in honor of
an old friend with the same
name when HallTs name was
mentioned on the radio. -
We had a friend who gradu-
oThis is the 90s. Football in
the T90s " you go for it,? he
said.
When the Pirates won, Coach
Lewis was forgiven. Beer
sloshed out of cups as the
friends howled and slapped
hands. Ms. Thompson remem-
bered McMonagleTs birthday,
and suggested a headline for
sportswriters:
oJohnTs birthday causes
win,?
}
The Daily
Reflector
Monday, November 18, 1991
WOODY PEELE
Monday musings:
When you look back on Saturday
afternoonTs football game between
East Carolina and Virginia Tech,
you almost get a sense of deja vu.
Just a little over a year ago, the
two teams were playing here in
Greenville. We were just into the
second half, and East Carolina
was driving toward a touchdown
that would have increased its lead
to 24-14. Just about everyone
agreed that if the Pirates scored
this touchdown, it would break the
backs of Virginia Tech.
But as David Daniels plowed in-
to the line, a Tech helmet struck
the football and popped it out of
his arms and into the arms of the
HokiesT Anthony Pack. Pack
returned the ball all the way to the
ECU 24 before he was finally
dragged down by Cedric Van
Buren.
And while Tech did not score on
that particular series, momentum
had swung and the Hokies went on
to win, blocking ECUTs last extra
point attempt to preserve a 24-23
victory. |
Saturday afternoon, it looked
like the shoe was on the other foot.
Tech was up 14-7 and driving
toward the end zone. Quarterback
Rodd Wooten went back to pass
from the ECU 4-yard line. Tech,
with the score, would break the
PiratesT back and pull off the ex-
pected upset?T of 14th-ranked
fast Carolina.
But fate, in the form of Greg
Grandison, stepped in. Ona sec-
ond-down pass Grandison stepped
in front of intended receiver Greg
Daniels and intercepted the ball,
then went 95 yards to tie the game
at 14-14.
From there, East Carolina went
on to win, 24-17.
Almost unbelievable.
ItTs as if thereTs a higher power
looking down on the Pirates this
year and willing them to win.
Maybe the sky is just a different
hue of purple!
One thing can be said for sure.
Bill Lewis has proven himself
quite a motivator. And his staff
has proven itself quite good
coaches on the field.
In every game, a team goes in
with a game plan. Seldom does
that game plan work right down
the line. Some adjustments must
be made here and there and, in
some cases, the game plan must
be scrapped and a whole new one
fabricated right on the spot.
Lewis and his staff have shown
that they definitely have the abili-
ty to do just that. Time after time
this year, when things havenTt
gone exactly as they would have
planned, theyTve pulled things
together and found a way to guide
the team to victory.
And that is what coaching is all
about. Many can doit on the prac-
tice field, but there are darn few
who can do it on the sidelines.
The announcement came Sun-
day afternoon that East Carolina
would, indeed, play in the Peach
Bowl. And even before then, the
university was urging its fans to
purchase their tickets from the
ECU athletic ticket office.
There is a reason for this. Each
ticket bought in Greenville shows
fan support for the Pirates. An
ECU fan who buys his tickets in
Atlanta, or some other outlet out-
side Greenville, either goes up as
a fan for the other team, or as just
an uncommitted fan going to the
game.
East Carolina has a quotaT?T of
tickets to sell and, by purchasing
tickets at the ECU office, it will
help the athletic program impress
Peach Bow] officials " and other
bowl officials who might share
their information in the future.
' During the course of the year,
East Carolina receives all sorts of
mail, some quite serious, others
not so.
» This recent item was reported.
- Seems a letter arrived question-
ing a lost item. My son attended
an East Carolina football game at
Ficklen Stadium and lost his
watch,?T the writer said. I wonder
if someone found it and turned it
mn.?
- The letter then noted that the
game the son had attended was a
year or two ago.?T
Probably would have written
sooner, jbut he lost track of time.
e NFL
e Entertainment
¢ Classified
is.
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
East CarolinaTs Clayton Driver (left) and Dion Johnson celebrate JohnsonTs second-quarter touchdown in SaturdayTs 24- 17
win at Virginia Tech
bringing
national
attention
By Kristin Scheve
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
With a Peach Bowl bid in
hand, East Carolina University
officials are ready to reap the
bounty of the national attention
generated by the PiratesT foot-
ball success.
oWe now have a situation
where people understand there
is a Greenville in North Caroli-
-na,TT said ECU. Chancellor
Richard Eakin. Something
such as this simply creates an
opportunity for the university
to take center stage.?
On Sunday, Peach Bowl rep-
resentatives officially extended
an invitation to the Pirates to
play North Carolina State on
New YearTs Day in Atlanta.
Eakin said the attention
earned by the football team
canTt help but draw more notice.
to the rest of the university.
oThe writers begin to ask
more about the university, and
they start to discover we have
some excellent programs here
that otherwise wouldnTt have
come to their attention.T he
said. oEverywhere I go people
are beginning to talk about our
university and take an interest
- init.?
This is the first time an ECU
team has earned a bid to play
in a New YearTs Day Bowl,
considered one of the pinnacles
_ of college football. The PiratesT
last bowl trip came in the 1978
Independence Bowl in
Shreveport, La. whenT ECU
defeated Louisiana Tech, 35-13.
The benefits of the upcoming
(See ECU, A-9)
ECU moves up to No. 13
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. " Now
that the game of the year is over,
the debate of the year has begun.
Who is the best team in college
football, the undefeated Miami
Hurricanes or the undefeated
Washington Huskies?
On Sunday, the overwhelming
majority of sports writers and
broadcasters who vote in The As-
sociated Press poll chose Miami,
which beat then-No. 1 Florida
State 17-16 on Saturday.
The Hurricanes (9-0) jumped
from second to first, outpolling
No. 2 Washington (10-0) by 32
first-place votes and 40 points.
East Carolina, meanwhile, mov-
ed from No. 14 to No. 13 after a
24-17 win over Virginia Tech.
Miami received 46 first-place
votes and 1,486 points, while the
Huskies moved up from third to
second with 14 first-place votes
and 1,446 points. Washington,
which trailed Miami by one point
last week, routed winless Oregon
State 58-6 on Saturda
oThereTs no doubt that weTre
No. 1,T Miami defensive lineman
Rusty Medearis said. Nobody in
the country can beat us.?T
Washington center Ed Cunn-
ingham was just as confident in
his team.
oT really think weTre the best
team in America right now,T he
said. I think our defense is the
best defense in the nation, if not
the best ever to play the game.?T
Miami coach Dennis Erickson
said he wonTt campaign for the na-
tional championship, but he left
little doubt about his opinion.
All I know is that we beat the
No. 1 team on their home field,?T
he said. I donTt like to politic, but
that has to count for something.?
Washington coach Don James,
whose team lost the closest final
vote ever to Brigham Young in
1984, said heTs not worried about
the poll.
oWe've got to take care of our
responsibilities and let the voters
do their job,? he said. If we get
all caught up in the polls and
forget_who weTre playing, weTre
Pirates Peach Bowl bound
Bowl bid |
going to get beat.?T
With such a large lead over
Washington, Miami appears to be
in commanding position to win its
fourth national title since 1983.
The Hurricanes will be clear-cut
favorites in their last three games
against Boston College (4-6), San
Diego State (8-2-1) and either No.
11 Nebraska (8-1-1) or No. 15 Col-
orado (7-2-1) in the Orange Bowl,
where Miami has won 43 straight.
Washington closes the regular
season against Washington State
(4-6) before going to the Rose
Bowl to meet No. 4 Michigan (9-1),
which beat Illinois 20-0 Saturday.
Florida State (10-1), which had
been No. 1 since the start of the
season, dropped to No. 3 after Sat-
urdayTs loss. The Seminoles, who
have games remaining against
No. 5 Florida (9-1) in Gainesville
and probably No. 12 Texas A&M
(8-1) in the Cotton Bowl, still have
an outside shot at the national title
if Miami and Washington both
lose.
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
Peach Bowl representatives Jack Williams, left, and Rod Hovater officially invite ECU
head coach Bill Lewis to play in Atlanta.
Believers pinching themselves
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
At 3:05 p.m. Sunday afternoon,
East CarolinaTs bowl! destination
became official.
The Pirates, 9-1 and ranked
13th in the nation, will face N.C.
State (8-2 and ranked 22nd) in
the 24th annual Peach Bowl in
Atlanta on New YearTs Day. The
appearance will be East Caroli-
naTs first ina bow] since 1978.
Bowl representatives Rod
Hovater and Jack Williams, don-
ning purple I BelieveTT stickers
on the lapels of their blue
blazers, extended the invitation
to East Carolina head coach Bill
Lewis in an auditorium packed
with team members, assistant
coaches and their families and
representatives from the media.
oWe're just elated to have
East Carolina in our bowl,?
Hovater said. WeTve been fol-
lowing this team for a month,
game after game. It remains an
exciting team.?T
Lewis graciously accepted.
T really feel like I represent
sO many people in accepting an
opportunity to play in this great
classic,T he said. I represent
our chancellor (Dr. Richard
Eakin) and our university ad-
ministration, who have been so
supportive; (athletics director)
Dave Hart and his staff in
Peach Bowl
ECU vs. NC State
\___ Atlanta, Georgia
January 1,1992
athletics; our students and facul-
ty, who throughout the year got
behind us; a group of fans that
has come from far and wide to
support this football team; our
support groups " student man-
agers, trainers, sports medicine
people and secretaries; but most
important of all, our football
family " the players, the
coaches and their families.?T
Hart, who turned down an offer
to become athletics director at
the University of Pittsburgh less
(See COACHES, A-9)
Pirates
head to
Atlanta
Cinderella story
will continue
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Cinderella spent much of the
summer in Atlanta. She is going
back for a little party on New
YearTs Day.
East Carolina, this yearTs Cin-
derella story in college football, on
Sunday accepted an invitation to
face N.C, State in the 24th annual
Peach Bowl on New YearTs Day.
Bowl bids could be officially ex-
tended at 3 p.m.
oT donTt know where Cinderella
lives, but I think she might have a
condo in Greenville and one in At-
lanta,?T said Jack Williams, who
joined Rod Hovater as Peach Bowl
representatives in Greenville on
Sunday.
The Cinderella that already
Spent time in Atlanta was in the
form of the Atlanta Braves, who
went from worst to first in the Na-
tional League West then lost to the
worst-to-first Minnesota Twins in
the seventh game of the World Se-
ries.
Hovater said the enthusiasm
Surrounding East Carolina this
season " saber slash and all "
could compare to that of the
Braves and their toma-
hawk-chopping fans.
And, remember, the Peach Bowl
will be played in the Chop Shop.
We went through a bit of ex-
citement in Atlanta this last year
with the Braves and what they
did,? Hovater said. I compare
the fansT enthusiasm that ITve seen
here with the same kind of feeling.
ItTs spontaneous, theyTre there and
theyTre alive. ItTs just a great ex-
perience to go through.?T
The bowl appearance for East
Carolina will be its first since the
1978 Independence Bowl and its
first-ever trip to the Peach. The
Wolfpack is making its sixth. trip
to the Peach Bowl " the third
since coach Dick Sheridan arrived
in 1986.
oIt is a great honor for us to
return to the Peach Bowl,?T
Sheridan told the Associated Press
Sunday. I think the bowl has got-
ten stronger and bigger each year
and to be able to play on New
YearTs Day is certainly a great
honor. It adds some prestige to the
bowl.
oWe feel like we have an oppor-
tunity to play one of the better
teams in the country and a team
that deserves to be ranked in the
top 10.?T
(See ECU, B-4)
omer ee
(Continued from A-1)
than a month before football sea-
4 .
son opened, extended his con-
igratulations to Lewis and the
iteam.
; oITm first happy for Bill and
the team,?T he said. ITve had an
opportunity on a day-to-day basis
'to be cognizant of just how hard
'theyTve worked for this. ITm hap-
py to see them rewarded. ItTs a
great day for East Carolina Uni-
versity.?
: East Carolina and N.C. State
will be meeting for the first time
since the termination of the 18-
year series in 1987. Virginia and
Illinois were also given close
consideration before opting for
: other bowls.
: Virginia is headed to the Gator
Bowl to face either Nebraska or
Oklahoma. Illinois will play
UCLA in the John Hancock Bowl.
i Williams said four ingredients
imade East Carolina an appeal-
i ing team for the Peach Bowl.
: The first attraction was a
;growing Cinderella story that
has thrust East Carolina into the
national spotlight. Other factors
tare the teamTs overall record,
the efforts and integrity of the
athletic administration and fan
' support, he said.
~~ Peach Bowl officials witnessed
eee a BE
(Continued from B-1)
East Carolina is currently rank-
ed 13th. The Wolfpack is ranked
22nd.
Both teams have regular-season
games remaining and are bidding
for the best finishes in the history
of their respective schools.
Neither program has ever had a
10-game winner. ECU takes a 9-1
record to Cincinnati next Satur-
day i NO. State,.0-2, hosts
Maryland.
oWe are elated to have two
teams with the possibility of 10
wins and-nine wins coming in,?
Williams said. The fact that they
happen to both be in a close prox-
imity to Atlanta and both happen
to be in the same state is fine.?T
Hovater added N.C. State has
always been a good draw in Atlan-
ta. He expects ticket sales for this
yearTs game to be brisk.
o(N.C. State) has been there
several times,TT Hovater said.
They always have a good fan fol-
lowing and are a compliment to
the state in the way that they
behave during the week they are
there. ItTs always a win-win situa-
a sellout crowd of 36,000 in
Ficklen Stadium for the Pitt
game and saw large followings to
road games at Southern Miss and
Virginia Tech.
About 8,000 Pirate fans were in
Blacksburg, Va., for ECUTs 24-17
win Saturday.
oThe excitement of their fans
... If you think that doesnTt affect
someone watching the game who
is supposed to be neutral, you're
incorrect,T Williams said. It
does have an influence.T
Hart said East Carolina would
be allotted a minimum of 20,000
tion for both of us.?T
N.C. State and ECU have not
met since the 18-year series was
terminated 1987. After that game,
a 32-14 East Carolina win in
Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh,
Pirate fans stormed the field and
caused some damage to the
stadium and injured a public safe-
ty officer.
The Woltpack leads the series,
12-6.
ECU head coach Bill Lewis said
he would not comment on N.C.
State or the bowl game until after
the regular season. Players were
not made available to the media
Sunday.
oT will hold any comments about
the football (bowl) game _ until
next Sunday,TT Lewis said. WeTve
got an awfully important game
with the University of Cincinnati.
ThatTs where all of my attention
and all of my efforts and energies
will be directed this week.
oT told our football team I think
itTs extremely important that we
get our heads back down and get
focused on the objective of the
week and that is to get prepared
for Cincinnati.
Coaches elated over invitation
tickets. He stressed that fans
should purchase tickets from the
university in order to create a
track record for future bowl op-
portunities.
oT hope that our fans will
understand that itTs important
that they purchase tickets from
us for a lot of reasons,T Lewis
said. We want our fans together
and dressed in purple in gold.
T want to throw a challenge
out to every ECU fan on this
planet to find a way to be in At-
lanta, Georgia on January Ist of
1992.?
The Daily _
Reflector
Wednesday, November 20, 1991
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Each week during this storybook
season, East CarolinaTs football
team has found some source of
motivation.
Payback was the incentive
against a few teams " South Car-
olina, Pittsburgh, Syracuse,
Southern Miss and Virginia Tech
for instance. Then, as momentum
started to mount, hopes for a
postseason bow] bid became some-
- thing for which to play..
This SaturdayTs game at Cincin-
. nati fits neither category.
The PiratesT bowl plans are
made. On New YearTs Day in At-
Janta, they get their long-awaited
showdown with N.C. State in the .
' Peach Bowl. ind wel snr
~ Revenge against the Bearcats?
Not hardly. East Carolina has won
all five games in the series.
But the regular-season finale for
both teams, which kicks off at 1
p.m. in remodeled Nippert
. Stadium, is not without meaning.
Sports
One win makes this ECU team something special
The best of the Bucs
Year Record
Coach
1991 9-1
Clarence Stasavich
Bill Lewis
Tangerine
Sonny Randle
Cincinnati would like nothing
more than to knock off a bowl-
bound ranked opponent and create
some enthusiasm for next season.
All a win does for ECU is make it
the first football team in school
history to win 10 games.
ThatTs something special.
The Pirates have two chances.
Of course, head coach Bill Lewis
The Daily Reflector/Stuart Savage
would rather not have to wait until
Jan. 1 to get it.
oThis football game, to me, is
the biggest football game this
team has played or will play "
has played or will play " this en-
tire season,TT Lewis said Tuesday
during his weekly press: con-
ference. There is no football
team in the history of this univer-
sity that has had an opportunity of
winning 10 football games. This
team has.?T
The 13th-ranked Pirates, who
have reeled off nine straight wins
since a season-opening loss at Illi-
nois, bring in a 9-1 record. Cincin-
nati stands 4-6, but has won four of
its last six games.
oA lot of people probably think
we have nothing to play for,? East
Carolina senior inside linebacker,
Robert Jones said, obut we would
like to get that 10th win and know
we are the best team in ECU his-
tory.
oCoach Lewis has used that to
motivate us. He has found a dif-
ferent way to motivate us each
week.?
Added senior defensive end
Stephen Braddy: Each week we
have had something to fight for.
We would love to get a win Satur-
day and make history.?T
Seven teams in the history of
East Carolina football have finish-
ed with nine victories.
e Clarence Stasavich led three
teams to 9-1 records from 1963-65.
e College Football
e NBA
e Classified
e Sonny Randle had 9-2 teams in
1972 and 1973.
e Pat Dye directed a 9-2 squad in
1976 and had a 9-3 finish in 1978.
DyeTs 1976 team was the last
East Carolina team that had less
than three losses. In his third sea-
son at ECU, Lewis has posted only
the third winning record at the
school since 1980.
Running back David Daniels, a
senior from Greenville, is glad
heTs been a part of it.
oT watched this program since
ITve been growing up in Green-
ville,? Daniels said. We were al-
ways close but could never get
over the hump.
oWe knew we had some good
players this year ... it just built
game after game. To win 10
games would be a great feeling.?T
So, the Pirates have tried to
focus on Cincinnati " not par-
ticularly easy when everyone else
is talking Peach Bowl.
oThere have been some distrac-
tions but I think they have all been
very positive distractions,TT Lewis
said. oI think those are easy
distractions to deal with ... I
think our players have responded
well.?
As well as any team in the histo-
ry of the school.
When people look back at this
season, they will look back and
will say this team was in a bowl
game,? Lewis said. oBut there
will be a lot football teams this
season in bowl games. There will
be a lot of football players who
have an opportunity during their
careers to play in bowl games.
How many football players will
be able to walk around on Sunday
of this coming week and say In
the history of my university, I
played on the best football team
ever?T?T ThatTs what is at stake
and I think that makes this the
biggest football game for this
team. That is something they'll
carry long with them after the
memory of the season fades, long
after the memory of the bowl
game fades. They'll be able to go
into (sports information director
Charles BloomTs) media guide
next year and say there it is.?T
48 THECHARLOTTEOBSERVER Monday, November 18,1991 °
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
ECUTs Robert Jones is one of three finalists for the Butkus Award, which honors the nationTs top linebacker
FROM STAFF, WIRE REPORTS
East CarolinaTs Robert Jones has
been named one of three finalists for
the 1991 Butkus Award, presented an-
nually to the nationTs most outstanding
linebacker.
Jones, a senior
inside linebacker,
is joined by Erick
Anderson of
Michigan and Mar-
co Coleman of
Georgia Tech. The
list was made from
a secret ballot by
the 13-member
Butkus Award
Selection Commit-
tee, collected and
tallied by the
Orlando, Fla., accounting firm of
Deloitte & Touche.
The winner will be chosen by
balloting on Dec. 4. and announced by
Dick Butkus at a black-tie banquet on
Dec. 7 at the MarriottTs Orlando World
Center. The three finalists are sched-
uled to attend the ceremonies.
oThis is great recognition for my
school,T Jones said. ItTs motivation
for me to play better defense in the last
JONES
couple of games that ITve got. This is a
team award and I owe a lot to them and
my coaches.?T
Jones, a 6-3, 234-pound senior inside
linebacker from Blackstone, Va., has
games remaining at Cincinnati on Sat-
urday and against N.C. State in the
Peach Bowl on New YearTs Day.
Jones has also been selected first-
team All-America by Football News
and is one of five finalists for its na-
tional defensive player of the year
award. Other finalists are Terrell
Buckley of Florida State, Santana Dot-
son of Baylor, Steve Emtman of Wash-
ington and Darrin Smith of Miami, Fla.
The winners will be honored on Feb.
4 at a black-tie dinner at The Palace in
Auburn Hills, Mich. The dinner will
also honor the offensive player and
coach of the year.
The Football News All America
Team consists of:
¢ Offense " quarterback Casey
Weldon (Florida State), running back
Vaughn Dunbar (Indiana), running
back Trevor Cobb (Rice), wide re-
ceiver Desmond Howard (Michigan),
wide receiver Carl Pickens (Ten-
nessee), tight end Kelly Blackwell
(Texas Christian), tackles Bob Whit-
field (Stanford) and Greg Skrepenak
Jones on Butkus final list
(Michigan), guards Mirko Jurkovic
(Notre Dame) and Jeb Flesch (Clem-
son), center Jay Leeuwenberg (Col-
orado) and place-kicker Carlos Huerta
(Miami, Fla.).
e Defense " Emtman, Jones, Dotson,
Buckley, Smith, lineman Brad Culpep-
per (Florida), linebacker Joe Bowden
(Oklahoma), linebacker Demetrius
DuBose (Notre Dame), defensive bk
Kevin Smith (Texas A&M), defensive
back Dale Carter (Tennessee), defen-
sive back Troy Vincent (Wisconsin)
and punter Mark Bounds (Texas Tech).
In helping the Pirates to a 9-1 record,
Jones has accumulated a team-high 136
tackles, including 93 solo stops. He has
463 career tackles " just 30 shy of
becoming the schoolTs all-time leader.
In eight games this season, Jones has
had at least 11 tackles. Overall, he has
11 tackles for a loss, three quarterback
sacks, four forced fumbles, one pass
deflection and nine quarterback
pressures.
Anderson, in 10 games, has 97 tackles
-(73 solos), five tackles for a loss, one
fumble recovery, one forced fumble,
three pass deflections andtwo intercep-
tions.
Coleman has 60 tackles (36 solos),
seven tackles for a loss and 11 sacks.
Turning
it around
Hard work paying off
for Lewis and Murphy
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
To appreciate what Bill Lewis and Tim Murphy
have done with their football programs, you have
to know where they started.
In each case, many considered the job a no-win
situation.
Lewis came to an East Carolina program that
was taking on the best the country had to offer and
was falling flat on its face. In his first season,
Lewis finished with the schoolTs first non-losing re-
cord (5-5-1) in six years.
After a 5-6 season in 1990, he has his team at 9-1
and headed to a postseason bowl.
ECU vs. CINCINNATI
MurphyTs task has been even more difficult.
He took over a Cincinnati program handcuffed
by probation, scholarship reductions and crumbl-
ing facilities and has had to scratch and claw to fi-
nally see a light at the end of the tunnel. He won
just one game in each of his first two years, but
has his team at 4-6 this season.
Hard work, a positive attitude, motivation and
persistence have paid off for both coaches. Lewis
appreciates what Murphy has done " and vice
versa.
TTm not so sure the best coaching job in Ameri-
ca is not being done right now by Tim Murphy and
his staff,T Lewis said. oThey were able to get it
turned around. I think it takes something special
on the part of the coaches and something special
on the part of those young athletes.?
Said Murphy: Bill Lewis gets my vote for coach
of the year. HeTs done an outstanding job.?T
Lewis and Murphy will be on opposite sidelines
Saturday at renovated Nippert Stadium when
13th-ranked East Carolina and Cincinnati meet in
the regular-season finale for both teams.
The Pirates have won all five games in the series
and need just one more win to become the first
team in school history to win 10 games.
But the Bearcats have given ECU a fight the last
two years. In 1989, the Pirates needed to rally for a
21-14 win. Last season, ECU led 28-25 at the half
before pulling away for a 56-32 win.
Cincinnati, which had an open date after a 30-10
win over Middle Tennessee State, is seeking its
third straight win at home. The Bearcats have won
four of their last six, but easily could have been
better.
In a 20-17 loss to Kentucky, Cincinnati saw a 14-0
lead disappear then lost when Doug Pelfrey booted
a 53-yard field goal with one second to go.
For the season " despite lopsided losses to Penn
State (81-0) and North Carolina (51-16) " the
Bearcats have more first downs, average more
yards both rushing and passing per game and have
more time of possession than their opponents.
oThese are the statistics of a team that is 8-3 or
9-2,T Lewis said. If you look at the football team
at Cincinnati they remind me of a team that all of
us are very familiar with " they remind me of the
1990 East Carolina Pirates.
oIf you remember how we struggled early in the
(See PIRATES, C-6)
Pirates take on TCats _
(Continued from C-1)
season and how we got our season
turned around, I have to believe
this will be a team that will be
ready to play. They were off last
week. They should be well-rested,
they should be well-prepared and I
think they will be excited to play
us.?T
Murphy rated East Carolina
second only to Penn State on UCTs
schedule. The Pirates, led by se-
nior quarterback Jeff Blake, are
sixth in the nation in passing of-
fense (309.6 yards per game), 15th
in total offense (448.1 yards per
game) and 13th in scoring offense
(34.2 points per game).
oThey have the best coach, best
. quarterback and best linebacker
(Robert Jones) we have seen this
year,? Murphy said. This is by
far the best passing attack weTve
seen. Their defense has not been
highlighted because of their of-
fense but theyTve made so many
big plays on the films weTve
seen,?
CincinnatiTs best weapon against
ECUTs offense is to grind it out
with redshirt freshman tailback
David Small and sophomore
fullback Mike Britford. Small,
avergaing 127.6 yards over the last
five games, carried 34 times for
219 yards against Middle Ten-
nessee.
oWhat they want to do is estab-
lish a very solid running game and
possess the ball,T Lewis. said.
~TheyTve been able to shorten the
game because theyTve been able to
hold on to the football.?T
By all accounts, the Bearcats
are not the same team that got
whipped in the first two weeks.
And with just five seniors and five
juniors among the 22 starters, UC
has high hopes for the future.
T think they were mismatched
totally with their scheduling situa-
tion,?? Lewis said. I think they
got in a situation where their team
wasnTt mature enough early. But
they stayed with fundamentals
and theyTve got tough kids.?T
BINJURY REPORT: Several
ECU players have been limited in
practice this week, but only Greg
Floyd is expected not to play Sat-
urday.
Floyd, a sophomore cornerback,
sustained a separated shoulder in
the Virginia Tech game. Senior
Richard Wright will step in for his
first start of the season.
Wright will be backed up by An-
thony Freeman and Travis
Render.
Limited in practice have been
wide receiver Clayton Driver
(shoulder sprain), tight end Luke
Fisher (shoulder sprain), safety
Garrett Beasley (ankle sprain),
free safety Fred Walker
(quadricep contusion), strong
safety Greg Grandison (upper
respiratory infection) and defen-
sive end Jerry Dillon (calf bruise,
quadricep strain, abdominal
strain and bruised shoulder).
Dillon is listed as questionable.
If he cannot play, senior Stephen
Braddy will start.
The Daily _
Reflector
Sunday, November 24, 1991
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
ECUTs Chris Hall (40) puts a big hit on Cincinnati quarterback Lance Harp as Bernard Carter (80) closes in
e College Football
e College Basketball
¢ Outdoors
10-1
ECU shakes off
pesky Bearcats
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
CINCINNATI " Put it in the
books.
The 1991 East Carolina football
team is the best in school history.
Ten wins, one loss. And still one to
go.
Win No. 10 for the 13th-ranked
and Peach Bowl-bound Pirates
came in the form of a 30-19 victory
over a much-improved Cincinnati
team Saturday before a chilled
turnout of only 8,574 at renovated
Nippert Stadium.
To bypass seven other ECU
teams that finished with nine wins,
these Pirates had to dodge a
number of bullets. But they
escaped with their fifth road win
of the season and extended their
win streak to 10.
oTt is not easy to win 10 games
in a season,T?T ECU head coach Bill
Lewis said. oThat is something
that is very difficult to do and ITm
proud that they found a way.
oT donTt think this was our best
game as far as execution, but we
found a way to hang tough.?T
The defense should get a big pat
on the back for that.
Despite spending much of a raw
and rainy day being sucker-pun-
ched by redshirt freshman runn-
ing back David Small (25 carries,
131 yards) and sophomore wide
receiver Marlon Pearce (seven
catches, 183 yards, two touch-
downs), the Pirates managed to
stand their ground and protect a
shaky fourth-quarter lead.
Four second-half interceptions
" two by Fred Walker and one
each by Jerry Dillon and Greg
Grandison " denied the Bearcats
their fifth win of the season. Cin-
cinnati, which had more total
yards than its opponent (446-327
Saturday) for the ninth time this
season, finished 4-7.
oDonTt let CincinnatiTs record
fool you because thatTs a good
team,? Dillon said. oThey came
out there and hit us right in the
mouth, but we pride ourself in
playing hard-nosed defense. It
showed up in the second half.?T
For example:
@ With the score 21-17 late in the
third period and UC at the ECU 21,
Walker intercepted a pass at the
six and returned it 50 yards.
mSame score, second play of the
fourth quarter. Grandison, who
had a 95-yard interception return
for a touchdown last week at Vir-
ginia Tech, picks off a pass that
sailed over the head of Pearce at
the ECU 24 and returned it nine
yards.
@Score still 21-17 with UC facing
a third-and-goal at the ECU 6.
Walker steps in front of Pearce at
the one for his second intercep-
tion.
(See PIRATES, C-2)
Tar Heels get some satisfaction, but no bowl bid
KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
CHAPEL HILL " The North
Carolina Tar Heels didnTt get a
bowl bid Saturday, but they got
another 1,000-yard rusher and
plenty of satisfaction.
The Tar Heels thundered past
Duke 47-14 in Kenan Stadium and,
in the afterglow, many of the Tar
Heels couldnTt resist gathering
under an end-zone scoreboard as
the Blue Devils (4-5-1, 1-5) made
their way into a somber postgame
locker room.
Two years ago, in the same spot,
the Blue Devils had posed for pho-
tographs after a 41-0 thrashing of
the Tar Heels.
oT think ITm going to enjoy this
one the most,TT North Carolina
linebacker Tommy Thigpen said
after the Tar Heels posted their
first seven-win season (7-4) since
1986.
As good as it was for the Tar
Heels, it wasnTt enough to earn
them a bowl bid. Indiana dodged a
last-minute Purdue field goal to
| slip into the Copper Bowl and Ar-
kansas won its way into the In-
dependence Bowl, leaving the Tar
Heels without a 12th game.
North Carolina was left to cele-
brate a convincing victory that
was given a special sparkle by
tailback Natrone Means, who be-
came the 20th tailback in school
history to rush for 1,000 yards in a
season.
Means, adding his personal
touch to the dayTs theatrics, shat-
tered the barrier with a 68-yard
touchdown run early in the fourth
quarter, earning a standing ova-
tion from the crowd of 50,500.
Means finished the game with 181
yards, giving him 1,030 for. the
season.
oTm kinda choked up,? said
Means, who pushed North Caroli-
na past Southern California in the
race for most career 1,000-yard
rushers.
As the game progressed and
North Carolina asserted its
dominance on both sides of ball,
the countdown toward 1,000 be-
came the focal point. Means, who
played at Central Cabarrus High,
needed 32 yards when the Tar
Heels took the field early in the
fourth quarter and he immediately
lost 6 yards on his first carry. The
next play, however, Means turned
a draw play into dynamite and
rocketed 68 yards into his broth-
erTs arms in the corner of the end
zone.
North Carolina piled up 351
rushing yards and 529 total yards
against the Blue Devils, but it was
the Tar HeelsT defense that ruled
the sunny afternoon. Having sur-
rendered 816 passing yards to
Duke quarterback Dave Brown
the past two seasons, North Caro-
lina smothered Brown Saturday.
Brown completed just 14 of 42
passes for 168 yards and was
sacked five times.
oEvery time I looked up, they
seemed to have three defenders
around my receiver,TT said Brown.
Earlier in the week, Brown
commented that his 479-yard per-
formance in Kenan Stadium two
years ago had been an off day,?T
and it stung some North Carolina
ears.
oHe had an off day when they
beat us 41-0. I think we had an off
day on defense today letting him
get 14 points,? Thigpen said. oWe
remember a lot.?T
The Tar Heels dominated the
game in every aspect, setting the
tone when Eric Blount went 70
yards with the opening kickoff.
Blount and Randy Jordan had
first-half touchdowns as North
Carolina built a 20-0 halftime lead.
Welcome home, Pirates!
1 football season. The football players,
given a police escort to the dorm Satur-
Mayor Nancy Jenkins and other city officials,
Details of SaturdayTs game are on C-1.
The Daily Reflector/Shannon Wolfe
East Carolina University students whoop it up outside Jones Dorm Saturday night dur-
ing a campus-city celebration of the PiratesT 10-
winners in Cincinnati Saturday afternoon, were
day night, where they were greeted by
along with hundreds of well-wishers.
The Associated Press
UNCTs Eric Blount takes the opening kickoff 70 yards for a
touchdown as Randall Parsons watches DukeTs Gavin Gray
irates
up to
0. 12
STAFF, WIRE REPORTS |
East Carolina and North Caroli-
na State, scheduled to meet in the
Peach Bowl on New YearTs Day,
both moved up a notch in this
weekTs Associated Press college
football poll.
The Pirates moved from No. 18
to No. 12 following a 30-19 win at
Cincinnati Saturday.
The Wolfpack went from No. 22
to No. 21 after defeating
aryland, 20-17.
Pi aawnile, second-ranked
Washington gained ground on No.
1 Miami, setting the stage for a
possible photo finish for the na-
tional championship.
Washington, which trailed Mi-
ami by 32 first-place votes and 40
points last week, closed the gap to
15 first-place votes and 20 points
after the Huskies walloped Wash-
ington State 56-21 and the Hurri-
canes squeeked by Boston College
19-14 Saturday.
AP top 25
By The Associated Press _
The Top Twenty Five teams in the
Associated Press 1991 college football
poll, with first-place votes in paren-
theses, records through Nov. 23; total
points based on 25 points for a first-
place vote through one point for a
25th: place vote, and previous rank-
os Record Pts Pad:
Miami (3712) 10-0-0 1,476%
Wash. (2212) ea 1,45642 2
rida St. 10-1-0 1,378 3
8 Auchan 10-1-0 1,318 4
5. Florida 9-1-0 1,262 5
6. Penn St. 9-2-0 1,159 if
7. lowa 10-1-0 1,095 9
8. Alabama 9-1-0 1,086 8
9. Tennessee 8-2-0: 98 10
10. Texas A&M 9-1-0. 9802 242
11. Nebraska Sets 2987
12. East Carolina 10-1-0 768 13
13. Clemson 8-1-1 756 14
14, California 922205 (380i
15. Colorado $-2-1. 609. 15
16. Syracuse 9-2-0 554 16
17. Stanford 93-0 % 538% 21
18. Notre Dame 823-0 52007 Ae
19. Oklahoma 82920 i dO alo
ey ete 20
20. Virginia 8-2-1 429
21. N. Carolina St. a 198 22
2. Tulsa -2- 172i Gaza
55, UCLA 8-3-0 155-2420
24. Ohio St. 8-3-0 143 «18
25. Georgia 7-3-0 109 24
Other receiving votes: | Brigham
Young 93, Baylor 63, Mississipp! St.
12, Bowling Green 9, Fresno St. 9, San
Diego St. 8, Georgia Tech 7, Air
Force 3, Kansas St. 2.
Miami (10-0) received 37%
first-place votes and 1,476%
points, while Washington (11-0)
(See POLL, B-5)
"
The Daily
Reflector
Monday, November 25, 1991
WOODY PEELE
Monday musings:
LetTs go back about 12 weeks ©
ago to the waning days of August,
when East CarolinaTs football
team was preparing to open the
season against Illinois.
The Fighting Illini were heavily
favored in that game, and streak-
ed out to a big lead. But suddenly,
in the second half, East Carolina,
under the direction of quarterback
Jeff Blake, began to move the ball.
Late in the contest, the Pirates
closed to within seven points of the
Illini, 38-31. Coach Bill Lewis call-
ed for the on-side kick and the
Pirates recovered, putting them in
prime position to have one more
shot at scoring and winning or los-
ing with a two-pointer.
Let it be known, too, that Lewis
and Co. would have gone for two.
ThereTs no sister kissing on this
team.
But a flag was thrown for oex-
cessive celebrating,? a new rule
this year in NCAA football. Later,
the officials said that a PirateTs
words were what brought on the
flag, and finally, it was acknowl-
edged by the head of Big Ten of-
ficials that the call was totally er-
roneous and ECU should not have
been penalized.
At any rate, it set the Pirates
back into a first-and-25 situation,
one they were not able to recover
from.
This past Friday night, as I wat-
ched Washington play Eden in the
3-A state playoffs, a fan said he
thought Blake lost his cool at that
point, that at this point of the sea-
son he would have overcome that
obstacle.
Well, maybe he did; I donTt
know. But I do have to agree with
him that the Pirates probably
would find a way to overcome that
hurdle if the game were the 11th
instead of the first.
And that could mean that the
Pirates would have finished 11-0.
Still, perhaps that obstacle was
the force that propelled ECU toa
10-1 record, the best ever in Pirate
history. Perhaps they realized at
that point, in the arms of defeat,
~ that they could move the ball
against the best. They could score
and they could win. It could be
that losing to Illinois was the
catalyst for this season.
Back then, in that week, who
would have guessed that the
Pirates would be ranked, let alone
climb into the top 15 teams in the
country? The odds-makers in Las
Vegas probably would have paid a
million to one. Makes me wish I
had a dollar to spare that week.
But it isnTt over yet. ThereTs still
the New YearTs Day meeting with
old rival N.C. State. And while itTs
the Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Ga.,
itTs really the battle for North
Carolina. The winner will be the
best team in the state, no question.
The winner will have some bragg-
ing rights that, in this day, wonTt
be settled anytime soon. The win-
ner will be a step up in the
recruiting race.
That is, if Bill Lewis elects to
remain in Greenville. That ap-
pears to be perhaps the biggest
question looming in the weeks
ahead. There are already rumors
that he will quickly vacate the
area to move on toa larger school.
Certainly, in that upcoming
game, the Pirates must raise
themselves to another level of
football. This game will be unlike
any theyTve ever played, because
of the rivalry between the two
schools. In each of the last two
games, after the Peach Bowl was
secured, there was a definitely
drop in the overall performance of
the Pirates, who still found a way
to win " the mark of a good, no,
make that great, team.
Nevertheless, itTs been a banner
year, one which Pirate fans hope
will be repeated in the years to
come. Regardless of LewisT fate,
the program appears headed in
the right direction, and if he does
leave, hopefully a replacement
who can pick up right where he
left off can be quickly found.
And ponder this. An East Caro-
lina victory in the Peach Bowl
would almost certainly propel the
Pirates into the Top 10.
Was it Yogi who said, oWho
woulda thunk it??T
And as someone else said the
other day, On Dec. 31, the last
person out of North Carolina,
please turn out the lights.?T
F
Thursday
November 28, 1991
RON
| GREEN
I am thankful
for many things
This being Thanksgiving, today
ITm thankful for:
@ That song, oOne Moment In
Time,? which may not be about
sports but is what sports is all
about.
@ Mike Krzyzewski vs. Dean
Smith, maybe the best coaching
rivalry ever in college basketball.
® Granddaughters, unquestion-
ably the greatest invention since
daughters, especially when they
want a hug from certain people.
® Arnold Palmer.
@ Mike Ditka, with snow blow-
ing in his face and the game on
the line, the perfect image of pro
football.
@ Long touchdown runs.
@ Larry Johnson, who has
brought passion, and a smile, to.
the Hornets, He'll be our first all-
star.
& The sound of wind in pine
trees, the sound of rain on leaves,
the whisper of snow blowing
against a window, the sound of
birds chatting about the coming
of spring.
® Duke over Nevada-Las
Vegas. Wins like those come in
limited editions.
@-Chris Berman doing high-
lights.
@ The Ryder Cup matches at .
Kiawah Island, three days of
drama and emotion, top five all-
time on my list of memorable
sports events,
@ Beth, my favorite wife, gentle
of heart, sweet of smile, generous
of soul, and not a bad looker,
either.
® Ron. They say heTs lot like
me. ITm honored. David and
Diana. When they come home for
the holidays, they bring a house-
ful of happiness with them that
we miss for too much of the year.
Edie and Johnny. If | had chosen
a daughter, it would have been
Edie, and if | had chosen a son-in-
law, it would have been Johnny.
Tamera, whoTs like one of the
family. And my mom, in her 80Ts
now but, between you and me,
still a little flirtatious.
@ Pinehurst. As 1 said some-
place else, itTs where golfers go
when they die if they haven't
played too slowly or lied too
much about their handicaps.
® Northern Exposure.? DonTt
ask me to explain, but that show
touches me. .
@ The Atlanta Braves. They "
kept us up late and we loved it.
Their last-to-first saga and the
way it all unfolded was one of the
best sports stories in our lifetime.
® Country music,
@ The Masters at Augusta,
when golf throws back the cur-
tain and springtime walks in,
looking fresh and beautiful.
® The regulars Ci call Tem
thieves) in the daily golf game at
Cedarwood. You know theyTll
always be there and the game will
always be on, which is howitTs
supposed to be.
@ Michl.
- @ Hanging around the kitchen
on Thanksgiving day, making
sure everything tastes right
before itTs served. They ought to
make perfume that smells like
that.
@ Eau de Thanksgiving
Kitchen. Guys would buy it.
@ Christmas. I still love it likea
kid.
®@ George Foreman.
@ High school football on Fri-
day nights, as American as Amer-
ica gets.
@ The roar of the crowd that
only I can hear when my dreaded
sky-hook hits nothing but cord,
® East CarolinaTs bowl-bound
Pirates. Now thereTs a warm
story. And a good football team.
@ Cameron Indoor Stadium
and Reynolds Coliseum, golden
oldies.
@ Dale Earnhardt, who drives a
race car the way Jim Brown ran,
the way Arnold Palmer plays golf
the way Pete Rose played base- "
ball, .
@ Margs and Mex, one of my
favorite couples.
@ Charlie (Choo Choo) Justice,
foreverTs hero.
@ The Head Shop, where, for
the price of a haircut, I find out
what the public is really thinking
about sports.
@ oMurphy Brown.?
® The songs OlT Blue Eyes used
_ to sing. As he said in something I
read, they donTt write em like
that anymore.
@ The good feeling of being at
a Hornets game. Hornets crowds
have fun, which is what itTs all
about.
@ Dear friends and good bud-
dies. | thought of listing a bunch
of people for whom I have a spe-
cial feeling and for whom ITm
thankful but they know who they
are. Happy Thanksgiving, tur- "
keys. ;
The Charlotte Observer
MONEY MAN
Top quarterback: East CarolinaTs Jeff Blake, The broke virtual
Observer's All-Carolinas most valuable offensive player,
LSS a ans esc ORS Ts
PRED RE ORCI
ALL-CAROLINAS TEAM
By STAN OLSON
And CHARLES CHANDLER
Staff Writers
East Carolina and Clemson dominate
the first Charlotte Observer All-Caroli-
nas college football team.
_ The East Carolina Pirates, 10-1 and
headed to the Peach Bowl to play N.C.
State, sweep all three individual honors.
ClemsonTs Tigers, 8-1-1 heading into
SaturdayTs regular-season finale against
Duke in Tokyo, have the most players on
the 25-man team " eight.
The team, selected by The Observer
sports Staff, consists of the best player at
each position in the Carolinas, Players
from all divisions and _ classifications
were considered. There is no second
team. There is no honorable mention.
Just the best, with no runners-up.
The very best of the best are quarter-
back Jeff Blake and linebacker Robert
Jones of East Carolina, chosen offensive
and defensive most valuable players;
their coach, Bill Lewis, is the coach of
-the year.
Huskies gaining
on Hurricanes
Pirates maintain No. 12 ranking
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Top-ranked Miami keeps winn-
ing on the field and losing votes in
the ballot box.
For the second straight week,
the HurricanesT lead over No. 2
Washington shrank even though
they won. Despite a 39-12 victory
over San Diego State, Miami saw
its margin dwindle from 20 to 14
points in SundayTs Associated
Press college football poll.
East Carolina remained at No.
12 in this weekTs poll.
Miami (11-0) received 1,475
points, while idle Washington (11-
0) got 1,461 from a nationwide
panel of sports writers and broad-
casters.
The Huskies also crept closer in
first-place votes in the final regu-
lar-season poll. Washington, which
trailed by 15 first-place votes last
week, is now 14 behind Miami
(37-23).
We won the game convincingly
and I canTt ask the players to do
any more than theyTve done,?T Mi-
ami coach Dennis Erickson said. .
Then itTs in the hands of the peo-
ple who vote, and I have no control
over that.?T
The national championship will
come down to the Jan. 1 bowl
games, when Miami plays No. 11
Nebraska in the Orange and Wash-
ington meets No. 4 Michigan in the
Rose. ;
If both teams win, history will
be on MiamiTs side. No top-ranked
team in the AP poll has ever won
a bowl game and failed to win the
national title.
However, Washington will have
other factors on its side. Because
Michigan is higher ranked than
Nebraska and because Miami will
be playing on its home field,
Washington can impress voters
more with a bowl victory than Mi-
ami can.
Michigan and No. 3 Florida are
the only other teams with a shot at
the national title. They would bat-
tle for the No. 1 spot if Michigan
beats Washington, Miami loses to
Nebraska and Florida defeats No.
18 Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl.
Florida (10-1) rose two places in
the poll following a 14-9 victory
over Florida State (10-2), which
dropped two spots to fifth.
BlakeTs play has been so superb that
he has become a contender for Heis-
man Trophy votes. He finished tied for
second behind Brigham Young quarter-
Associated Press
y every school passing record this season,
throwing for 3,073 yards and 28 touchdowns.
ECU, Clemson lead the way
back Ty Detmer inT voting for the
Football WritersT All-America team.
Blake broke virtually every school
passing record this season, throwing for
3,073 yards and 28 touchdowns, and
running for three moré scores. Jones is
one of three finalists for the Butkus
Award, which annually goes to college
footballTs best linebacker. He is rated
the nationTs third best senior pro pros-
pect by NFL draft
TeTThomas, trailing only running back
Vaughn Dunbar of Indiana and quarter-
analyst Dave
Please see Team/next page
RECTION
ates
tune out
Hornets .
Charlotte loses game,
plus Reid to bad back
By RICK BONNELL
Staff Writer :
SALT LAKE CITY " Utah guard Jeff Malone hit
three straight jump shots in the last 242 minutes to give
the Jazz a 113-107 victory over the Charlotte HornetsT
in the Delta Center Wednesday night.
The Jazz (8-6) got 26 points from Jeff Malone.
Before the game, the Hornets (4-11, 0-8 on the
road) placed J.R. Reid on the injured list with a stress
fracture in his back. Reid must miss at least five
games, but may be out much longer. :
Rex Chapman had pushed the Hornets up 10 in the
third quarter, scoring 20 of his 27 points in the first
half. But the Hornets scored three points in the last
444 minutes.
Karl Malone had 31 for the Jazz. Dell Curry had 26.
for Charlotte, which next plays Friday night in
Phoenix. :
The Hornets pulled ahead 102-97 with six minutes
18 seconds left on Kenny GattisonTs inside basket, but
the Jazz came back with six straight points to pull
ahead on Jeff MaloneTs free throws.
The Jazz tied the game at 86-86 entering the fourth
quarter, making up a 10-point deficit over the last 6:16
of the period. Chapman had given the Hornets a 78-68
edge on two free throws, and had three shots at
pushing the lead to 12 or 13.
Tyrone Corbin dunk a miss by Jeff Malone with
three seconds left in the third period for the tie.
The Hornets led 65-61 at halftime, shooting 58% toT
the Jazz's 49%. Chapman, coming off the bench, was
rolpreaa Se the difference. He scored 20 in the first
alf.
Charlotte hit 11 of its first 17 shots for a 24-19 lead
with four minutes left in the first quarter.
But Karl Malone tied the game at the quarter with
two free throws off a foul by Eric Leckner and an
inside basket, that Mike Gminski goal-tended.
Leckner, who did not play against the Nuggets,
entered six minutes into the game, his most signifigant
action of the season.
Hornets coach Allan Bristow had said before the
game that Leckner would play more, in reaction to
Charlotte losing Reid.
® Reid injures back/page 4B
Tar Heels, Davis
slip past Houston
Associated Press ;
HOUSTON " Hubert Davis scored 14 of his 29
points in the final 10 minutes 17 seconds Wednesday
night as No. 6 North Carolina rallied from a 15-point
halftime deficit and beat Houston 68-65.
The Tar Heels (2-0) did not score in the first 6:15
and had just one basket in the final 3:38 of the first
half as the Cougars (1-1) took a 42-27 halftime lead
behind Sam MackTs 21 first-half points.
North Carolina outscored Houston 11-2 to start the
second half and DavisT three-pointer with 6:16 left
gave North Carolina its first lead of the game at 59-58,
Mack, who scored 32 points, got two free throws
and a basket for a 62-60 Houston lead, but four
consecutive free throws by Davis gave North Carolina
the lead for good,
Houston took a 15-2 lead before the Tar Heels
started a first-half rally. North Carolina closed to
17-14 before Mack started his string of 13 consecutive
points. j
North Carolina missed its first seven shots of thé
game and had eight turnovers in the slow start.
The Tar Heels host Towson State on Saturday.
@ Summary/page 6B
_ AP top 25
By The Associated Press
The Lop Twenty Five teams in the
Associated Press 1991 final regular
season college football poll, with
first-place votes: in =parentheses, :re-2
cords through Nov. 30, total points ~
based on 25 points for a first-place
vote through one point for a 25th--
Staff. Writer
West Charlotte chases
another football title |
By LANGSTON WERTZ Jr.
Charlotte. Players donTt talk too
much about a particular game "
place vote, and previous ranking:
Record Pts Pys.
1, Miami (37) 11-0-0 1,475
2, Washington (23) "11-0-0 1,461
3, Florida 21021-05358: :
4, Michigan -10-1-0 1,333
5; Florida St: 10-20: 1,180
- 6, Penn St. 10-2-0 1,177
7. Towa ~ 10-1-0 1,100
8: Alabama 10-1-0 1,087
9. Texas A&M TO-1-0° 1,018: 3
10. Tennessee 9-2-0 1,000
1. Nebraska 9-1-1 955-1
West Charlotte, which plays at
Greensboro Grimsley Friday, is in
the third round of the N.C. 4A
football playoffs, just two wins
away from a third state champion-
faithful excited?
oThings are kind of normal
around here,? says West Charlotte
assistant coach Jon Strong. oThe
e so oe kids are excited that we've gone
© California 712 14 || this far, but they donTt get out of
. Colorado 602 15 || hand. TheyTre used to football and
. Syracuse 991 16 |) basketball winning. ItTs been that
17: Stanford 57547
18: Notre Dame
19. Virginia
20. Oklahoma
=21.N. Carolina St.
92 UCLA
OOO MOS Wis Oe
1; 1 ¥
4 4
4
1
4
460 20 || here.?
oe | This is the attitude at West
195 23
1
£
ship in five years. So are the LionsT
Biv ig || Way since all of them have been
they talk about winning. The Lions
are on a mission. West Charlotte
has never won a state football
championship under the N.C. High
School Athletic Association. But
Strong says the Lions donTt talk
about that either.
West Charlotte just talks about
winning.
We do things in a very peculiar
way,? says West Charlotte princi-
pal Barbara Ledford. Our
coaches, whether itTs in basketball
or football, they are very low-key
Please see Preps/page 7B
23. Tulsa 472224 |
24. Georgia 161 25 Boston 101, Orlando 92
t
t
DOO COS OO GO: SOE ROD OO BD SES
GOSS OS IN COIN CS COONS DO et
SS et
t
College basketball
25, Ohio St. 8-3-0 129 24
Minnesota 101; Denver 92
N. Carolina 68, Houston 65
Other receiving votes: Brigham | |
Dallas 113, Indiana 106
LSU 96, Middle Tenn. St. 65
Young 91, Baylor 77, Mississippi St. ~
New Jersey at San Antonio, late
20; Fresno St. 9, Bowling Green 5, San
83acramento at Phoenix, late
Oklahoma St. 74, Pittsburgh 63.
Georgia Tech 120, Texas 107
Diego St. 4, Air Force 1, Kansas St. 1.
Michigan (10-1) remained Standings/page 4B
fourth, while No. 6 Penn State Side lines/page 4B
(10-2), No. 7 Iowa (10-1) and No. 8 §ymmaries/pane 4B
Alabama (10-1) also retained their? oe
previous rankings.
Texas A&M (10-1) moved up one
notch to No. 9 after topping Texas.
Minnesota 69, Arizona St. 37
Alabama 105, Tennessee Tech 85
Roundup/page 6B
4
Se
A supplement to The D ector, Enterprise,
VrheDaily _
Reflector
_ Friday, December 6, 1991
STAFF, WIRE REPORTS
- East Carolina senior linebacker
Robert Jones was named to his
fifth All-America team Thursday,
earning first team honors on the
1991 Associated Press All-America
Squad.
Pirates senior Dion Johnson was
named to the APTs second team as
an all-purpose back.
Jones has made a 151 tackles for
ECU, which won its last 10 games
to gain a berth in the Peach Bowl.
He was credited with 12. tackles
for losses, three sacks and 10
quarterback hurries.
Johnson has 1,673 all-purpose
yards on the season, an average of
152.1 per game. His yardage in-
cludes 255 regular rushing yards,
743 receiving yards, 513 yards on
kickoff returns and 162 yards on
| punt returns.
ROBERT JONES
Heisman Trophy favorite Des-
mond Howard of Michigan,
freshman phenom Marshall Faulk
of San Diego State and all-time
Sports
DION JOHNSON |
passing leader Ty Detmer of
Brigham Young led the AP list.
The All-America team "
selected by AP sports editor Dar-
rell Christian, college football
writer Rick Warner and regional
AP sports writers " will be
featured on the Bob Hope
Christmas show, Dec. 18 from 9-10
p.m. EST on NBC.
Howard, who is nicknamed
Magic, lived up to his billing with
a spectacular season. The triple-
threat wide receiver averaged 159
yards per game and was the na-
tionTs second-leading scorer with
23 touchdowns, many coming on
his trademark diving catch. Two
of his TDs came on a 93-yard
kickoff return and a 93-yard punt
return.
Faulk led the country in rushing
and scoring, the first freshman to
finish on top in either category. He
is only the third freshman to make
the AP first team since they be-
came eligible for varsity competi-
tion in 1972. The others were
Hands on the prize
Lewis
coach of
year for
Region I
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Bill Lewis, head coach of the
East Carolina football Pirates,
earned another honor Wednesday
when he was named Coach of the
Year in Region I, Division I-A.
The selection
was made by
the American |;
Footbatl
Coaches Asso-
ciation. The
award, spon-
sored by Kodak,
is voted on by
active members
of the AFCA in
the region. By winning, Lewis is
one of five candidates for national
honors.
LEWIS
Other regional winners include
Jerry DiNardo of Vanderbilt in
Region 2, Gary Blackney of Bowl-
ing Green, Region 3; Dave Rader
of Tulsa, Region 4; and Bruce
Snyder of California, Region 5.
The national Kodak Coach of the
Year for each of the NCAATs divi-
sions will be selected during the ~
upcoming AFCA convention in
Dallas, Texas. Members will vote
for the coach of the year in Divi-
sion I-A, I-AA, II and Division ITI.
The four winners will be an-
nounced on Jan. 9, 1992. -
Lewis earlier was named as the
Southern Independent Coach of the
Year.
East Carolina football coach Bill Lewis (left) and N.C.
State football coach Dick Sheridan pose Thursday in At-
lanta with the Peach Bowl trophy their teams will soon
ECAC honors
ECUTs Blake ©
East Carolina senior quarter-
back Jeff Blake has been named
as the Eastern College Athletic
Conference (ECAC) player of the
year.
Voting was done by the Divi-
sionTs 10 coaches and sports in-
formation directors.
Four members of the Pirate
football team also were named to
the ECAC Division I-A all-star
team. They include Blake at quar-
terback, Dion Johnson at wide re-
ceiver and return specialist, Keith
Arnold in the offensive line and
Robert Jones at linebacker.
The complete team: QB Jeff
Blake (ECU), RB Adrian Murrell
(W. Virginia), RB David Walker
(Syracuse), WR Dion Johnson
(ECU), WR Qadry Ismail
(Syracuse), TE Mark Chmura
(Boston Col.), OL Keith Arnold
(ECU), OL Travis Broadbent
(Rutgers), OL Scott Miller (Pitt),
OL John Ray (W. Virginia), OL
Terrence Wisdom (Syracuse), DL
Sean Gilbert (Pitt), DL Jim Gray
(W. Virginia), DL Bob Kuberski
(Navy), DL George Rooks
(Syracuse), DL Larry Webster
(Maryland), LB Robert Jones
(ECU), LB Tom McManus
(Boston Col.), LB Ricardo
McDonald (Pitt), LB Elnardo
Webster (Rutgers), DB Ron Allen
(Rutgers), DB Steve Isrl (Pitt),
DB Mike McElrath (Army), DB
Marshall Roberts (Rutgers), DB
Doug Whaley (Pitt), RS Dion
Johnson (ECU), PK Dan Dearmas
(Maryland), P Trent Thompson
(Temple).
The Associated Press
try to win. The Pirates face the Wolfpack January 1 at
11:30 a.m. in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium.
° College Sports
e NBA
e Classified
GeorgiaTs Herschel Walker in 1980
and PittsburghTs Tony Dorsett in
1973. i
Despite missing three games
with an injury, Faulk rushed for
1,429 yards and scored 140 points.
He gained 386 yards against Pacif-
ic, setting an NCAA single-game
mark that was later broken by
KansasT Tony Sands.
Detmer, last yearTs Heisman
Trophy winner, is the only repeat-
er from the 1990 team. He is the
first quarterback to make the first
unit in consecutive years since
Notre DameTs Johnny Lujack in
1946-47.
Detmer was the nationTs No. 2
passer this season, completing 249
of 403 throws for 4,031 yards and 35
touchdowns. He finished his ca-
reer with more passing yards
(15,031) and TD passes (121) than
anyone in NCAA history, two of
Jones, Johnson on AP All-America list
his 68 passing and total offense re-
cords.
Joining Detmer and Faulk in the
backfield is IndianaTs Vaughn
Dunbar, the nationTs No. 2 rusher
with a 154-yard average. Although
he only played two years for the
Hoosiers, Dunbar finished his ca-
reer as the schoolTs third-leading
rusher and TD scorer.
Ryan Benjamin of Pacific, who
led the NCAA in all-purpose yard-
age with 2,996, is the squadTs all-
purpose back. His total yardage
for rushing, receiving and kick
returning was the second highest
ever behind Barry SandersT 3,250
in 1988. Benjamin is the first Pa-
cific player to make the APTs first
team.
Mario Bailey of Washington is
the other wide receiver and Kelly
(See ALL-AMERICA, C-2)
All-America
(Continued from C-1)
Blackwell of Texas Christian is
the tight end.
Rounding out the offense are
center Jay Leeuwenburg of Col-
orado; guards Jerry Ostroski of
Tulsa and Jeb Flesch of Clemson;
tackles Greg Skrepenak of
Michigan and Bob Whitfield. of
Stanford; and placekicker Carlos
- Huerta of Miami.
The defense is led by a pair of
Outland Trophy finalists, linemen
Steve Emtman of Washington and
Santana Dotson of Baylor.
They are joined by linemen
Brad Culpepper of Florida and
Leroy Smith of Iowa; Robert
Jones of ECU and fellow lineback-
ers Marvin Jones of Florida State
and Joe Bowden of Oklahoma;
and backs Kevin Smith of Texas
A&M, Terrell Buckley of Florida
State, Darryl Williams of Miami
and Dale Carter of Tennessee.
The punter is Mark Bounds of
Texas Tech.
The team includes eight
underclassmen " Faulk, sopho-
more Marvin Jones and six
juniors. The juniors are Howard,
Whitfield, Benjamin, Emtman,
Buckley and Williams.
Top-ranked Miami and No. 2
Washington, the only undefeated
teams in Division I-A, each have
two players on the first team. No.
4 Michigan and No. 5 Florida State
also placed two players on the
squad.
Blackwell caught 64 passes for
762 yards this season, and set an
NCAA career mark for receptions
by a tight end (181).
Bailey set school records for
catches (62) and touchdown recep-
tions (17) in a season, and became
the career leader at Washington in
receiving yards and TD catches.
Leeuwenburg played with a va-
riety of injuries, including a
broken bone in his right hand, but
the three-year starter for Colorado
allowed just one sack and was pe-
nalized only once all season.
Skrepenak, an Outland finalist,
anchored a line that helped
Michigan average 439 yards and 37
points per game. Whitfield, an
All-Pac-10 selection for the second
straight year, was a major factor
in StanfordTs high powered of-
fense.
Flesch helped Clemson average
405 yards per game, second best in
school history. Ostroski was the
top lineman for a Tulsa team that
went 9-2 and earned a trip to the
Freedom Bowl.
JOT PROPERTY
Details adding up to success
for Lewis and East Carolina
By RON GREEN Jr.
Raleigh Bureau
GREENVILLE, N.C. " The suit-
ors have already come calling on
Bill Lewis. TheyTve nosed around,
trying to find out if East Caroli-
naTs 50-year-old whiz kid coach
is ready to bolt for brighter lights
and bigger bucks.
To this point, three years and
counting, Lewis has remained
faithful to the school that gave
him a second chance. Just
recently, he told Maryland no
thanks. Others are sure to call.
They always do when a coach
leads a team like East Carolina to
"Associated Press a 10-1 season and a Peach Bowl
Giving the orders: East Carolina football Did:
coach Bill Lewis has organized all the details
in the PiratesT 10-1 dream season.
More Peach Bowl oe
m@ N.C. State coach Dick Sheri-
dan says the ACC should
expand to 12 and add East
Carolina./6C
@ Quarterback Terry Jordan,
back from a broken wrist,
will start for the Wolfpack in
WednesdayTs game./6C
In the never-say-never world of
college football coaching, Lewis
hasnTt promised a lifetime of
service to East Carolina. But for
the time being, heTs having great
fun knocking some purple and
gold sense into the doubters who
didnTt believe it could be done
down East.
His 12th-ranked Pirates have
Please see Lewis/page 6C
Little things helping Lewis lead Pirates to big success
Lewis
Continued from page 1C
beaten Syracuse, Pittsburgh, South
Carolina, Virginia Tech and others.
TheyTd dearly love to have a bun-
gled first half of the Illinois game
to play over.
The 38-31 season-opening loss
there was East CarolinaTs only
defeat and that was nearly averted
by a late comeback short-circuited
by an infamous rally-killing penalty
for celebrating too much after
apparently recovering an onside
kick.
To the heart
Thereafter, almost everything
fell into place, just the way the
detail-obsessed Lewis would have
planned it. If there has been a flaw
this season, it has come from
within Lewis, who has seen
beyond the XTs and OTs to the heart
of his team.
_ oThe biggest mistake ITve made
is ITve gotten too close to this
football team, too emotionally
attached,?T Lewis said recently.
oThis has been a fun year. The
players have tried to do what weTve
i
asked of them and weTve proved
that you can be successful here.
oAt times, ITve lost my control.
To see where we started and
where they have come to, itTs hard
not to be emotional. Sometimes
you donTt need to be that emo-
tional.?
But sometimes you've got to go
with your gut. ThatTs what East
Carolina athletic director Dave
Hart did when he hired Lewis in
1988.
Unique credentials
It wasnTt LewisTs 14-20-1 record
in three years (1977-79) as the
head coach at Wyoming that got
him the East Carolina job.
Lewis followed his days on the
frontier with nine years as Vince
DooleyTs assistant at Georgia,
where he was given the unenviable
assignment of succeeding defen-
sive mastermind and resident leg-
end Erk Russell.
When Dooley made it clear he
was on the way out at Georgia, it
became equally apparent that
Lewis wasnTt on the way in. He
pursued the East Carolina position
and Hart liked what he saw.
l was puzzled why more people
hadnTt tried to hire him,?T Hart said.
oSometimes people overreact to
records. | think that was the case
4
with Bill at Wyoming.
oThat was never a negative to
me. It was a positive. He has been
at every level of the spectrum.
He had been in programs that
struggled and programs that were
highly successful, programs with
big budgets and programs with
meager budgets. ... He had been
in mediocre environments, good
environments and bad environ-
ments. Once you've done that, you
- can really appreciate the environ-
ment you're in.?
Architect of turnaround
Lewis talks openly about his
admiration for the people around
him, both in the administration, on
his staff and his players. But the
focus always comes back to Lewis.
He is the person who took a
program that had turned itself into
everybody's favorite homecoming
guest and made it a program to be
feared.
East Carolina is a program with
many drawbacks. It doesnTt have a
conference affiliation in football,
has had to fight an image as a weak
academic institution and could
easily be overlooked because of its
location, some 120 miles to the
East of the ACC.
But Lewis attacked the prob-
lems, spreading his message of I
Believe?T like a football evangelist.
oHe's a great motivator,? wide
receiver Hunter Gallimore said.
oYou know you can trust him and
believe in him.?
The last detail
Lewis doesnTt paint in broad
strokes. His is a hands-on style in
which no detail is too small.
When the Pirates go on the road,
Lewis provides a down-to-the-min-
ute itinerary for everyone.
He fills out a seating chart for
the airplane, assigning a specific
seat for each player and coach,
being sure to leave an open seat
beside the biggest players.
His coaches already know when
theyTre taking vacation next year
and what time preseason practice
will begin.
When Lewis schedules a team
meeting at 3 p.m., he means 3 p.m.
Arrive at 3:01 p.m., you'll find the
doors locked.
The attention to detail reaches
right down to LewisT shoes, which
he keeps polished, doing the dirty
work himself.
The little things have added up.
to a 10-1 season that culminated
with the impending showdown in
Atlanta with N.C. State. East Caro-
lina sold its allotment of 20,000
tickets almost immediately and
could have sold another 15,000.
The Pirates fans will be easy to
spot in Atlanta. They'll be the ones
with purple foam sabers, doing the
oSabre Slash,? a down-East ver-
sion of the tomahawk chop.
Final chapter
The Peach Bowl will be the final
chapter in a delightfully refreshing
season for East Carolina, a season
many have found hard to believe.
But Lewis whose oI BelieveTT slo-
gan has been plastered on bulletin :
boards and locker rooms for
weeks, never doubted it could
happen.
Am | surprised? No, absolutely
not,?T Lewis said.
I donTt want to sound like the
prophet but before the season, |
felt we had the opportunity to win
every time if we played as well as
we could every time.
I felt we had moved to the level
of performance in the spring and
the preseason that this team could
go undefeated.
oThere were 30 minutes at Illi-
nois when we didnTt do it. That was
as bad looking a football team as
there could be. But we got it
turned around.?
And the football world couldn't
help noticing.
The Daily
Reflector
Wednesday, December 11, 1991
Lewis chosen
coach of year
FROM STAFF, WIRE REPORTS
Kast Carolina placed 11 players
and has the coach of the year on
the 1991 Associated Press All-
South Independent football team.
Six players from the Pirates,
who carry a 10-1 record to Atlanta
and face N.C. State in the Peach
Bowl, were named on the first
team. ECUTs Bill Lewis was
Selected coach of the year.
Florida State, which carries a
10-2 record into the Cotton Bowl
against Texas A&M, had eight
players named to the team.
The All-South Independent
squad consists of players from
East Carolina, Florida State,
Southern Mississippi, Louisiana
Tech, Memphis State, Louisville,
Tulane, Southwestern Louisiana
and South Carolina.
A trio of All-Americans repre-
senting the dominant teams, line-
backers Robert Jones of East Car-
olina and Marvin Jones of Florida
State and defensive back Terrell
Buckley of FSU, lead the first
team.
All three of the first team All-
Americans were repeaters from
last yearTs All-South Independent
team, along with tight end Luke
Fisher of East Carolina and
another pair of FSU players, of-
fensive linemam Mike Morris and
running back Amp Lee.
Also named from ECU were se-
nior wide receiver Hunter
Gallimore, junior offensive line-
man Tom Scott, sophomore place
kicker Anthony Brenner and se-
nior defensive back Chris Hall.
Sports
Pirates dominate All-South team
The team also included a sec-
ond-team All-American in quar-
terback Casey Weldon, who was
FSUTs offensive leader. Weldon
completed 189 of 313 passes for
2,527 yards and 22 touchdowns. He
was intercepted eight times.
FSU linebacker Kirk Car-
ruthers, an All-South choice in
1989, moved back up to the first
team after being a second-team
selection last year.
The Seminoles also placed of-
fensive lineman Kevin Mancini
and defensive end Carl Simpson
on the team.
Completing the offense were
running back Jason Davis of Loui-
siana Tech, wide receiver Robert
Brooks of South Carolina, all-
purpose runner Tony Smith of
Southern Mississippi, lineman
Willie Roaf of Louisiana Tech and
center Jay Killen of South Caroli-
na.
The defensive unit also included
end Marty Dye of South Carolina,
tackle Chris Hobbs of Memphis
State, linebacker Danton Barto of
Memphis State, backs Ray
Buchanan of Louisville and
Demise Loyd of Louisiana Tech
and punter Jeff Buffaloe of Mem-
phis State. :
Davis was the leading rusher on
the team, gaining 1,351 yards in 10
games. He ended the season with
seven consecutive 100-yard efforts.
Lee ran for 977 yards and 11
touchdowns for the Seminoles.
SouthernTs Smith had 998 yards
rushing, 271 yards on_ kickoff
returns, 115 on punt returns and 97
on pass receptions. He scored
eight touchdowns.
Brooks led the receivers with 55
catches for 684 yards and five
scores and Gallimore led in yard-
age, catching 49 for 881 yards and
eight touchdowns. Fisher had 48
Jones named to three All- America teams
STAFF, WIRE REPORTS
The postseason awards for East
Carolina inside linebacker Robert
Jones are starting to pile up.
Jones, a se-
nior fromf{.
Blackstone, |
Va., on Sunday
was selected to
the Kodak Divi-
sion oJ-Aw All:
America team
and on Monday
was named ?
} All-America by § JONES
both the Football Writers Associa-
tion of America and Football
News.
Jones, one of three finalists for
the Butkus Award, leads the 10-1
and Peach Bowl-bound Pirates
with 151 tackles this season, in-
cluding 104 solo stops. He has 12
tackles for a loss totaling 58 yards,
three sacks totaling a loss of 19
yards, one pass breakup, 10 quar-
terback hurries and four forced
fumbles.
More than 100 Division I-A
coaches participated in the selec-
tion of the Kodak team, which has
been selected annually since 1960.
«Other players selected are:
Offense " quarterback Ty
Detmer (Brigham Young); runn-
ing backs Trevor Cobb (Rice) and
Vaughn Dunbar (Indiana); wide
receivers Desmond Howard
(Michigan) and Carl Pickens
(Tennessee); tight end Kelly
Blackwell (Texas Christian) ;
linemen Troy Auzenne (Califor-
nia), Greg Skrepenak (Michigan),
Ray Roberts (Virginia), Tim
Simpson (Illinois) and Jay
Leeuwenburg (Colorado); and
place-kicker Carlos Huerta (Mi-
ami, Fla.).
Defense " linebacker Steve
Tovar (Ohio State); defensive
backs Terrell Buckley (Florida
State), Kevin Smith (Texas A&M),
Darryl Williams (Miami, Fla.)
and Matt Darby (UCLA): linemen
Steve Emtman (Washington),
Brad Culpepper (Florida), San-
tana Dotson (Baylor), Levon
Kirkland (Clemson) and Leroy
Smith (Iowa); and punter Mark
Bounds (Texas Tech).
Detmer, the 1990 Heisman
Trophy winner, is the only repeat-
er from last year on the football
writers team.
Emtman is one of three Wash-
ington players on the team, which
includes seven juniors, joining
wide receiver Mario Bailey and
linebacker David Hoffman.
Joining Detmer on the offensive
unit are Howard, running backs
Dunbar and Russell White of
California; tight end Mark
Chmura of Boston College;
Leeuwenburg of Colorado at
center; linemen Eugene Chung of
Virginia Tech, Jerry Ostroski of
Tulsa, Skrepenak from Michigan
and Leon Searcy. of Miami; and
place-kicker Jason Hanson of
Washington State. _
The defense lists linemen Rob
Bodine of Clemson and Dotson;
linebackers Marco Coleman of
Georgia Tech and Jones of East
Carolina; and defensive backs
Buckley of Florida State, Dale
Carter of Tennessee, Darren
Perry of Penn State and Troy Vin-
cent of Wisconsin.
Qadry Ismail of Syracuse is the
Kickoff returner and Bounds of
Texas Tech is the punter.
Florida State linebacker Marvin
Jones and Miami punt returner
Kevin Williams were the only
sophomores chosen.
@ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT:
ECUTs East Carolina Keith Arnold
and Ken Burnette have been nam-
ed to the GTE-CoSIDA Academic
All-District III teams for the sec-
ond consecutive year.
Arnold, a senior from Marietta,
Ga., has started every game at
center this season for the Pirates.
Burnette, a senior from Spruce
Pine, N.C., has started 10 games
this season at inside linebacker.
He is third on the team in tackles
with 77 (49 solos), including one
tackle for a loss. He also has two
quarterback pressures.
Other player making the Squad
are quarterback D.J. Campbell
(Appalachian State), wide re-
ceiver James Thurman (Florida
A&M), tight end Paul Siffri (Fur-
man), runing back Anthony Casrr-
ington (North Carolina A&T), of-
fensive lineman Robert Holley
(N.C. A&T), offensive lineman
Greg Kalinyak (William & Mary),
offensive lineman Alec Millen
(Georgia), offesnive lineman Eric
Walter (Furman), linebacker Joe
Reaves (South Carolina), defen-
Sive lineman Steve Bussoletti§
(Georgia Southern), defensive
lineman Brad Culpepper
(Florida), defesnive lineman
Chris Keever (VMI) and punter,
Ed Garno (Virginia).
¢ High School Sports |
° College Sports
e Comics
catches for 686 yards and four
touchdowns.
Brenner led East Carolina in
scoring with 82 points, making 14
of 22 field goals, including two of
three from 50 yards or more. Buf-
faloe had a 42-3 punting average.
MECAC-ECU: The Eastern Col-
lege Athletic Conference has
selected East Carolina as its team
of the year for 1991.
The selcetion was made by a
committee of ECAC athletic direc-
tors.
The pirates, ranked 12th by the
Associated Press and 14th by USA
Today/CNN, captured the award
for the first time since its incep-
tion in 1975. The award will be.
presented at the Eastern College
Football Awards banquet in Feb-
ruary at the Meadowlands in East
Rutherford, N.J.
Penn State won the award the
last two years. West Virginia
claimed the award in 1988.
ECUTs Jones named to his
fourth All-America Squad
~ BILL LEWIS
Other teams in the ECAC are
Syracuse, Pittsburgh, Rutgers,
Army, Boston College, Maryland,
Temple and Navy. The ECAC I-A
football awards committee con- |
sists of three athleitcs directors "
Chair Jack Lengyel of Navy, Chet
Gladchuck of Boston College and
Ed Pasterlong of West Virginia.
STAFF, WIRE REPORTS
East Carolina senior inside line-
backer Robert Jones tacked on
another All-America honor Wed-
nesday.
Jones, named to three All-
America teams earlier this week,
made it four with his selection to
the Walter Camp Football All-
America team, Jones, one of three
finalists for the Butkus Award, has
also been named to the Kodak/
Football Coaches, Football
Writers Association of America
and Football News All-America
squads.
Jones will join other selections
at the organizationTs Silver Anni-
versary Banquet, which is sched-
uled for Feb. 15, 1992 at the Yale
University Commons in New
Haven, Conn.
Other Walter Camp selections
are:
Offense " wide receiver Des-
mond Howard and offensive tackle
Greg Skrepenak of Michigan, tight
end Derek Brown and offensive
guard Mirko Jurkovic of Notre
Dame, offensive tackle Bob Whit-
field of Stanford, offensive guard
Jeb Flesch of Clemson, center Jay
Leeuwenburg of Colorado, quar-
terback Casey Weldon and runn-
ing back Amp Lee of Florida
State, running back Vaughn Dun-
bar of Indiana, running back
Russell White of California and
place-kicker Carlos Huerta of Mi-
ami, Fla.
Defense " defensive lineman
Steve Emtman of Washington,
defensive lineman Santana Dotson
of Baylor, defensive lineman Joel
Steed of Colorado, defensive line-
man Shane Dronett of texas, line-
backer Levon Kirkland of Clem-
son, linebacker Marvin Jones and
defensive back Terrell Buckley of
Florida State, defensive back Dale
Carter of Tennessee, defensive
back Kevin Smith of Texas A7M,
defensive back Darryl Williams of
Sports
Photo courtesy ECU Sports Information
; 44), a
AST CAROLINA LINEBACKER: Robert Jones (4 ;
aie All-American, traces his success on the field to
an unusually strong motivation to excel.
Basketball, Football, Classified Ads
Sports Editor
t everyone rated East CarolinaTs Rob-
be d a the best linebacker in college
football in 1991.
Almost everyone, that
is, except. the committee
that determines the win-
ner of the only award pre-
sented to the top line-
backer in the country.
Because Jones is a con-
sensus All-American and
because heTs the acknowl-
edged leader of the de-
fense that contributed to
ECUTs first 10-win season
and highest national rank-
ing ever, he is the New
the year.
Of The Year
no ordinary Jones
By LARRY KEECH
& Jones
RecordTs choice as North CarolinaTs athlete of
large part of JonesT success on the field
an be bated to an unusually strong motiva-
tion to excel. oITd like to be remembered as a
person who gave his all and was the best at
= More about JONES, C5
Award
why he
what he did,? he said recently.
ThatTs why the Dick Butkus
meant so much to him and
was unable to conceal his
disappointment after it was present-
ed to Erick Anderson of Michigan.
oT had almost as many solo tackles
(104) as his solos plus assists (120),?
Jones said of Anderson.
admitted I should have won it. They
canTt say we didnTt win enough
games. If I had played for a Florida
State, Tennessee, Florida or Miami,
I wouldTve won by a long shot.?
Jeff Blake,
Wednesday, December 25, 1991
ee
ECU linebacker ts JONES _fromc1
Miami, Fla., and punter Mark
Bounds of Texas Tech.
Each of ESPNTs correspondents
on the showTs Two-Minute Blitz?
will name an MVP for their
respective regions.
spondent Mike Gottfried will]
select Blake.
Blake, who was named the
ECAC player of the year on Tues-
day, finished the 1991 regular sea-
son with 3,073 passing yards. He
completed 203 of 368 passes (55.9
percent) with 28 touchdowns and
eight interceptions.
Blake set 32 school records ir
helping the 12th-ranked Pirates td
a school-best 10-1 record and a
berth in the Peach Bowl agains}
N.C. State on New yearTs Day.
ation.
oHe even
ECUTs quarterback
and offensive leader, expressed sim-
ilar disappointment that he didnTt
receive more All-America recogni-
tion and Heisman Trophy consider-
It is true that East CarolinaTs pro-
part of major college
footballTs establishment in terms of
tradition, status and political lever-
age. But the underdog Pirates prob-
ably benefited competitively from
the chip-on-the-shoulder attitude
that Jones and Blake expressed.
Jones became one of those unusu-
al preseason All-Americans who
gram is not
more than lived up to his advance
notices. Statistically, that translat-
ed into 151 tackles, including 12 for
losses, plus three sacks and four
forced fumbles.
In assessing his individual im-
provement over what had been an
outstanding junior season, Jones
said, oI played with more maturity
on the field, but leadership was the
area in which I made the most im-
provement. I think I said the right
things at the right time to help them
play through their mistakesT and
bring out their best efforts.?
New YearTs
draft.
The 6-foot-3, 234-pound inside
linebacker from Blackstone, Va.,
will have two more opportunities to
prove his point about the Butkus
Award when ECU faces former ri-
val N.C. State in the Peach Bowl on
Day and when he plays
in the East-West Shrine Game the
following week.
Already, though, JonesT size,
strength, 4.66-second 40-yard speed
and athleticism have earmarked him
as a likely first-round choice in the
National Football LeagueTs April
Pitching for the Peach Bowl
Campers get
Jump on sales
By Lane Dunn
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
East Carolina University
waited years for the atmosphere
that goes with a winning football
team. !
The team has done its part
with a 10-1 record and a New
ECU students pitch tents Sunday afternoon in front of
Minges Coliseum to wait for Peach Bowl tickets to go on
YearTs Day bowi. Now the stu-
dents are playing their role sim-
ply by being fanatics for the
Peach Bowl-bound Pirates.
oTt feels like youTre in a big-
time school now,? Jody Wimber-
ly, a sophomore from Raleigh,
said.
Wimberly and about 1,000 oth-
ers pitched tents Sunday after-
noon in front of Minges Coliseum
to wait for the ticket window to
open Monday morning.
As the sun set, they fired up
The Daily Reflector/Michl Hall
sale. ECUTs Athletic Department has allotted 4,000 of its
20,000 bowl tickets to students.
grills for dinner " mostly hot
dogs and hamburgers with
healthy dose of beer.
With one student identification
card and $32, they get one pass to
cheer for the Pirates in Atlanta.
ECU will renew its rivalry with
N.C, State at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 1 in
the Peach Bowl in Atlanta-Fulton
County Stadium.
The East Carolina University
athletic department has allotted
4,000 of its 20,000 tickets to stu-
dents.
Students play the waiting game
Students were worried last
week that tickets would elude
them as Pirate Club members
with big checkbooks snapped up
thousands.
oWe're still not real confi-
dent,? Wimberly said as he and
a group people kept up with NFL
scores on a portable television.
His friends Lori Jessup of Pilot
Mountain and April Kearney of
(See TICKETS, A-9)
Raleigh Bureau
Tickets
(Continued from A-1)
Goldsboro were even more skep-
tical.
oTTll be confident when I have
the ticket in my hand in the mor-
ning,?T Ms. Jessup said.
oI wonTt be sure until ITm j
Atlanta New YearTs Day,? Ms.
Kearney added.
But the students all seemed t
0
enjoy the chance to back a win-
ner,
East CarolinaTs last winning
S?,?ason was 8-3 in 1983.
Since then they strung togeth
e
three 2-9 Seasons, a 3-8 id :
couple of 5-6 seasons. The onl
year they avoided losing was
1989 when they went 5-5-1,
66
Since ITve been here itTs been
two and nineT seasons,TT said
Misha Zonn, who has bee
n in
Greenville for five 4
years. So
anything to get excited about ITll
be here.?T
Jimmy Schafer, a sophomore
from_ Raleigh,
compared the
crowd to the fans up the road in
Durham.
_ oIt sort of looks like Duke dur-
ing basketball season,?T he ny !
school.?
East Carolina wants
respect off field, too
By JOHN DRESCHER
King and East Carolina fans across the
state canTt wait Ttil WednesdayTs game.
With all 60,000 tickets sold long ago,
scalpers are asking $100 a ticket " at
least. Twelfth-ranked ECU had its best
season ever, winning 10 of 11 games.
And ECU is still angry at No. 21 N.C.
State (9-2) for ending their annual
football game series after Pirate fans
sat StateTs field to celebrate a win
in
But WednesdayTs game between the
two schools, each with deep roots in
GREENVILLE, N.C. " Bill King, East
Carolina University class of T89, is seeth-
ing.
While shopping for ECU sportswear in
a book-and-supply store near campus,
he sees a poster-size reprint of a recent
editorial from N.C. State UniversityTs
student newspaper, the Technician.
The editorial, highlighted in yellow
and displayed for all of Greenville to see,
urges N.C. State students to be on their
best behavior for WednesdayTs Peach
Bowl game in Atlanta between ECU and
o SON
NS
i LAK AN
Sy :
x : SS . SY
The Daily Reflector/Paul Glankler
Fans scramble
to find tickets
and travel info
N.C. State.
In other words,
donTt act like ECU st
think of ECU, do y
quality academic institution or do you
think of it as a party school?? asks the
editorial, which also calls ECU oaschool
of fools.?
King, who attended N.C. State for two
years before transferrin
through clenched teet
down on the East Caroli
They feel their college is just a better
Eastern North Carolina, is more than a
the editorial says,
udents. oWhen you
ou think of it as a
g to ECU, says
oThey look
na students.
By Lane Dunn
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Phones screamed in the background Monday as
Quixote Travels sales manager Rich Rados describ-
ed the interest in a New YearTs Day trip from
Greenville to Atlanta.
oItTs phenomenal,?T Rados said. I havenTt had a
chance to check the numbers, but the phones have
been ringing off the hook. We have six lines ring-
ing.?
Callers werenTt'looking for just any package trip to
Atlanta. They wanted Pirate football.
It was the same in travel offices all over town.
The official announcement came Sunday at about 3
p.m.: East Carolina University will play N.C. State
in the Peach Bowl Jan. 1 at AtlantaTs Fulton County
Stadium.
But the grapevine beat Peach Bowl representa-
- tives in announcing the renewal of the football series
that was called off following the 1987 game when
fans stormed the Carter-Finley Stadium field after
an ECU win.
(See PIRATE, A-5)
Pirate fans scramble for seats
(Continued from A-1)
oWe were here taking calls Sunday,?T Rados said.
oWe already had a backlog of people from last week.
It was one of the worst kept secrets.?
Jackie Harbeson, assistant manager at ITG Travel
Center in Greenville, said people got up early this
morning to try to beat the rush. ITG is the official
Peach Bowl travel agency for both ECU and N.C.
State.
oWeTve got six lines and theyTve been lit up since
we walked in the door at 8:30 this morning,? said
Jackie Harbeson. I had a lady this morning said
she had been calling since 6 oTclock.?T
Travel Express said it even opened for four hours
Sunday night to help fans plan their trip to Atlanta,
and those hours were busy.
A survey of prices turned up trips costing from
$120 to $229 to $509, depending on mode of travel and
length of stay. One-day as well as overnight bus trips
and plane trip packages are available.
But if fans prefer to make their own arrange-
ments, travel officials in Atlanta say the city has
plenty of spaces.
Julie Northcutt, public relations manager for the
Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the
downtown area, where the stadium is located, has
10,130 hotel rooms. The Midtown-Buckhead area, 1-6
miles from downtown has 5,884 and the airport area
has 10,495.
An ACVB survey shows hotel rooms averaging
about $63 per night, she said, but some publications
have put the number at $92.
The rooms are hot commodities these days.
Greg Wright, manager at Days Inn in downtown
Atlanta, said all 262 rooms were booked by Monday
morning.
oThe pick-up at this point is better than it has been
in the last couple of years,TT Wright said, comparing
this yearTs interest to past Peach Bowls.
He said he started getting calls for reservations on
Friday and they kept coming throughout the
weekend.
The flocks of people heading south will have to eat.
And according to Corporate Travel magazine, foodTs
not cheap in Atlanta.
The magazine has ranked Atlanta as the 26th most
expensive city in terms of food costs " $52.56 per
day for one person.
The Peach Bow! helps pick up the slack during a
time that isnTt popular among tourists or
conventions, Ms. Northcutt said.
oIn terms of sporting events, this would be one of
the top events,? she said. And this is a slow conven-
tion time so the Peach Bowl always helps.?T
The success of the 9-1 Pirates seems to be helping
many people these days.
Dennis Young, -executive director of the Pirate
Club, said normally at this time of the year, the
group would pick up a few new members each week.
But on Monday stock in Pirate athletics went up.
oIT would be safe in saying that weTve probably
picked up thirty-plus memberships today alone,TT he
said.
He said the Pirate Club has 3,700 members but
needs 7,500-8,000 to fund ECU athletics like it wants.
Peach Bowl tickets can be ordered by sending
your name, address, daytime phone number and the
quantity of tickets requested along with payment in
form of of check or MasterCard of Visa to the ECU
Athletic Ticket Office, Minges Coliseum, Greenville,
N.C. 27858-4353.
Tickets are $32 each plus a $3 handling service per
order.
Ticket order forms are also available at Wachovia
banks throughout eastern North Carolina.
football game.
For East Carolina fans, itTs another
round in a long battle to gain respect "
in academics as well as athletics " from
ECUTs older and bigger siblings at
UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State.
oWe're the Rodney Dangerfield of
North Carolina institutions,? said Jack
Edwards, co-owner of University Book
Exchange, the store that displayed the
Please see Peach/page 4A
Associated Press
School Spirit: Don Edwards, co-owner of Univer-
sity Book Exchange in Greenville, N.C.., displays
sweatshirts for the 1992 Peach Bowl.
Peach
More than football
is at stake for ECU
Continued from page 1A
editorial. oThey call us a second-
class institution. It just burns me
up.
Said his son and co-owner, Don,
who was wearing a purple ECU
jacket: ThereTs an expression, ItTs
not easy being a Pirate,T and itTs
true.?T
East Carolina has nearly 17,000
students, third-highest among
North CarolinaTs 16 state-funded
schools. Yet ECU has long strug-
gled to bring its academic reputa-
tion to the level of its studentsT
highly regarded parties.
At sporting events, ECUTs rivals
still break into chants of ooECTC,
ECTC?T " for East Carolina Teach-
ers College, as the school was
known until 1951. The school
didnTt become a university until
1967, and it didnTt award its first
doctoral degree until 1983.
ECU now has a medical school
and has improved many of its
other programs. But thereTs still a
feeling we have to fight for respect
academically and _ athletically,?T
said Mike Aldridge of Greenville, a
1972 ECU graduate, as he shopped
at the EdwardsT store for a sweat-
shirt for his ECU-bound son.
Barrett Kays of Raleigh, an N.C.
State graduate visiting Greenville,
was looking for some sweatpants.
oYou always have sort of a
pecking order of things,? Kays
said. One school likes to view
itself above the other.?
Do N.C. State people view their
school as superior to East Caro-
lina? oOf course,?T Kays said with a
smile, quickly adding that he did
not.
At first glance, ECU and N.C.
tate might not appear to have
much in common. ECU is a liberal
arts school that takes pride in its
programs in education, art, music
and drama. N.C. State, 85 miles
west in Raleigh, has a more techni-
cal curriculum with well-regarded
programs in engineering and com-
puter science.
N.C. State also has an agricul-
ture college with extension offices,
to assist farmers, in every county.
That has given the university a,
strong link to the stateTs rural east,
which is dotted with tobacco
barns and dominated by agricul-
ture.
Of course, the schoolsT alumni
also are united in their dislike for
what they consider hoity-toity
UNC-Chapel Hill graduates.
When N.C. State canceled the
annual football game with ECU,
which had drawn record crowds
during the 18-year series, oIt was
almost like losing a family mem-
ber,T said George Threewits, assis-
tant director of ECUTs News
Bureau.
Wednesday's game, which will
be televised nationally at 11:30
a.m. on ESPN, brings the family
together again. For its part, N.C.
State officially says it doesnTt look
down its nose at ECU.
We have a great cooperative
relationship between the _ institu-
tions,? said Lucy Coulbourn, a
1961 East Carolina graduate who is
director of information services for
N.C. State.
Her ECU counterpart, Bill
Shires, confirms the great working
relationship. But he also speaks for
many ECU supporters when he
said East Carolina hasnTt received
the recognition over the years that
he says it deserved.
Now, its nationally ranked foot-
ball team is bringing ECU attention
the school has long craved.
oMaybe weTre like Avis,? Shires
said. We're trying harder.?
TheDally
Reflector
~~ Tuesday, December 17, 1991
?
Sports.
¢ NBA
e Major League Baseball
¢ Scoreboard
Lewis nixes Terps; will stay on
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Now that Bill Lewis has said no
to Maryland, East Carolina foot-
ball fans can rest a little easier.
Lewis, the third-year Pirate
football coach, on Monday told of-
ficials at the University of
| Maryland to withdraw his name as
a. possible successor to Joe
Krivak, who resigned Dec. 6.
- Lewis, who led the Pirates to a
school-record 10-1 record this sea-
son, has reportedly been a can-
didate for vacancies at both
Maryland and Arizona State. He
was given permission by East
Carolina athletics director Dave
Hart to speak with Maryland of-
ficials and announced at a pre-
Peach Bowl press conference
Monday that he would not be
changing addresses.
oT just did not feel the timing
was right,?T said Lewis, who has a
20-12-1 record at East Carolina.
oAt this particular time there is
nothing out there. The slate is
completely clean.?T
Lewis said he hopes the an-
nouncement will put to rest the
rumors about his future and help
his team focus on its New YearTs
Day date with N.C. State in the
Peach Bowl. It should also show
some stability in the program, hg
added.
oI want to now be able to focu&
on two things,?T Lewis said, one is
the bow] game and North Carolina
State ... I did not want any
distractions for our football team
and I did not want any distractions
for our coaching staff except for
the distractions that had come
about the last couple of days.
Also, I feel itTs extremely im-
portant to our recruiting efforts.
The young people that weTre
recruiting throughout the country,
particular on the East Coast, know
that our intentions are to stay with
this program and to continue to
oT just did not feel the
timing was right. At this
particular time there is
nothing out there. The
slate is completely
clean.?T
"Bill Lewis
move forward.?T
But Lewis did not rule out listen-
ing to other opportunities that may
arise next season.
oT donTt think there is a coach in
America that would say that,?
Lewis said. ITm not going to tell
anyone there will not be a time or
opportunity, but this is not the
right time or set of circumstan-
ces,?T
A clause in his contract could
make any eventual move for
Lewis an expensive proposition "
unless ECU would decide to waive
the clause or if any school that
hired Lewis picked up the tab.
Lewis has a four-year contract
that renews itself each year with
an annual base salary of $95,000.
If he leaves, he owes ECU his
base salary for the remaining
time on his contract " a penalty
of $380,000.
As for his reasons for wanting to
stay, Lewis said: First of all it
starts with people, people like
(chancellor) Dr. (Richard) Eakin |
and Dave Hart. Those are two
people I have worked closely with
... Pve worked closely with a lot
of other people.
oWe've got total support from
top to bottom and have people that -
believe in what we believe in "
thatTs excellence in academics and
excellence in athletics. They can
peacefully coexist on a university
campus.?
Lewis also said keeping a close-
ly knit coaching staff intact was
also a factor.
oI think I have as fine a
coaching staff as there is in col-
lege football,? he said. ITve never
seen 16 men get along better than
these 16 men have -the last two
years. We're friends on and off the
field.?T
With the loss of several key
players, including record-setting
quarterback Jeff Blake and All-
America linebacker Robert Jones,
Lewis faces a huge challenge next
year. This yearTs winning record
was the first since 1983.
Lewis was 5-5-1 his first season
and 5-6 last year.
oWe'll have a simple goal for
next season and that will be to
come back and have another winn- °
ing season,TT Lewis said. oWeTve
proved we can be successful here
and we feel like we can do it
again.
oAS we look to the future of this
program, what we will turn our at-
tention to after New YearTs Day is
consistency. I think we have
broken down a lot of barriers this
year with this football team and
we have proven we can do certain
things. Now what you do at the
next level is to do it consistently.?
ECUTs unheralded receivers getting the job done
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
At one end of a good passing at-
tack, you can look for a strong and
accurate arm. East Carolina has
that covered with Jeff Blake.
At the other.end, you can look
for some dependable hands. East
Carolina has that covered, too.
This may be an unheralded
corps of receivers, but itTs one that
is getting the job done. And wide
receiver coach Dale Steele
couldnTt be more pleased.
oThe kids know where Jeff is go-
ing to put the ball and they get
ECU vs. SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI
there,? Steele said. WeTve played
inmost games four to five guys
and all of them have performed
well.
oBut there are a lot of guys on
this football team that catch the
football. I think that makes it
tough to go out and defend one
Ne dma ie
Make that impossible.
Through eight games in a sea-
son that has ECU climbing the na-
tional rankings and on target for a
postseason bowl berth, Pirate
quarterbacks have spread the ball
around to 14 receivers. Six wide
receivers have 101 of the teamTs
155 receptions.
Only seven teams in the nation
average more than ECUTs 293.5
yards per game.
The production is the result of
chemistry, confidence and several
players coming of age.
Steele hoped it would work out
this way. Coming out of spring
practice and then through fall
camp, he saw he had a number of
capable individuals.
There was the speedy Dion
Receivers getting the job done
(Continued From C-1)
Johnson, who came to East Caro-
lina as a wide receiver but has
also seen time in the backfield.
There were Clayton Driver, Hunt-
er Gallimore and Peter Zophy, a
dependable threesome with ade-
quate but not blazing speed. And
there was newcomer Ronnie Wil-
liams,.who possessed all the tools
but had to learn the system.
The trick was getting them to
mesh into one productive unit.
oThe one thing that we talked
about as a group in spring prac-
tice was that we felt like we had to
build unity and that everybody
had to be in it together,T Steele
said. They like one another, they
get along with one another.
oT didnTt know if they were go-
ing to blend the way that they
have. That really pleases me to
see them complement one another
and to be able to play their role
and understand their role and to
take their responsibility and carry
it out once they get to the field.?T
And each has come up with at
least one big play.
Johnson, a senior, has caught 29
balls for 589 yards, an average of
20.3 yards per catch. He had an
80-yard touchdown. reception
against Illinois, but his biggest
catch may have come in an upset
of Syracuse when he and Blake
teamed to convert a third-and-20
to keep alive what proved to be the
game-winning drive. Ja
Driver, a junior who didnTt visit
the end zone last year, has six cat-
ches for TDs and is averaging 17.0
yards per catch. He caught a
crucial 19-yard TD pass against
Memphis State and had a 48-
yarder against South Carolina.
Gallimore, a senior and the
team leader in touchdowns cat-
ches with seven, is coming off the
(See RECEIVERS, C-4)
best day of his career " a day in
which he caught three Blake
passes for TDs in a win over
Tulane. Gallimore also had a 71-
yard TD catch South Carolina. He
is averaging 19.9 yards per catch.
Williams, a junior who has 12
receptions for 100 yards, came up
with a big third-down reception in
the South Carolina game " one
play before GallimoreTs TD.
Gallimore and Johnson, along
with tight end Luke Fisher (the
teamTs leader in receptions with
37), have been particularly effec-
tive after the catch. GallimoreTs
touchdown against the Gamecocks
came on a 6-yard hitch pattern.
Johnson turned a 15-yard crossing
pattern into his long TD against II-
linois.
oWhen we came here as an of-
fensive staff " and coach (Bill)
Lewis stresses this a great deal "
we said when you catch the foot-
ball itTs important that we get up
the field, explode up the field.T ?
Steele said. oWe donTt want to run
laterally with the football.
oWe talk to them about it all the
time. WeTve reached a point now
where they feel things when they
catch the football and try to get up
the field right away.? .
And theyTre not just making the
routine catch. These receivers
have gone in a crowd to take balls
away and made difficult grabs
when the sideline became just
another defender.
Few on-target throws have been
dropped.
oWe've had a few (dropped
passes) but any time you throw
the ballas much as we do you're
going to have a few,?T Steele said.
when they had.to, theyTve caught
the ball in crucial situations.?T
One of the big weapons has been
the fade or otimingTT pattern
where Blake lofts the ball high and
allows the receiver to run under it.
Gallimore and Driver have been
his primary targets.
oWeTve practiced it a lot in the
three years weTve been here,?
Steele said. oItTs a route that I
think Jeff understands and I think
the receivers understand and that
makes it tough to defend. Plus,
we've got some guys that have got
great body control and they keep
that area on the outside for the
quarterback to lay the ball in
there.?
The Daily
Reflector
Another added dimension has
been the ability to throw the ball
deep " taking full advantage of
BlakeTs shotgun. The Pirates have
seven TD passes covering 40 yards
or more.
oT think the design of the offense
lends itself to that,TT Steele said. I
think the kids have run good deep
routes and they understand them.
oAny time youTve got a guy that
runs like Dion youTve got a poten-
tial deep-ball threat. Ronnie Wil-
liams is certainly that type of run-
ner. I think the guy that has sur-
prised us a little bit have been the
two split ends. TheyTve both
caught a couple of deep balls and
run away from people.?T
Thursday, December 19, 1991
By Mike Grizzard
_THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Officially, East Carolina vs. N.C. State
on New YearTs Day will be for the 24th
annual Peach Bowl trophy.
But the game is for more, much more.
ItTs neighbor against neighbor. On the line
PEACH
BOW L.
game will be decided and weTll know if
East Carolina is the best in North Caroli-
oThe kids have really concen-
trated and theyTve made plays.
We talk about making plays, mak-
ing the tough catch and they've |
done that. TheyTve caught the ball?
are the last word in a once-heated rivalry
that has been on hold for four years and
an edge in the annual recruiting wars.
~And for one year, the winner can truly
call itself the best team in North Carolina.
oIts the two best teams in the state |
meeting,T East Carolina senior inside
linebacker Ken Burnette said. oIt. will
definitely be for bragging rights for the
best team in the state.?T
Added All-America Robert Jones, a se-
nior who lines up beside Burnette at the
other inside linebacker: oItTs going to be
fun to see a group of guys getting after
each other to prove to the state who is the
best team. After the fourth quarter the
na or if North Carolina State is the best in
the state in North Carolina.?T
East Carolina, a two-point favorite, br-
ings in a 10-1 record and is ranked 12th in
the nation. The bowl appearance is the
first for the Pirates since 1978.
N.C. State is 9-2 and ranked 22nd. The
Wolfpack is making its fourth trip to a
bowl in five years.
The two teams have not met since 1987.
ECU won the last meeting, but N.C. State
holds a 12-6 lead in the series.
Enthusiasm for the rematch resulted in
the quickest sellout in Peach Bowl histo-
ry.
oThis football game has got a lot of
people excited,? ECU third-year head
Sports
More than trophy at stake in
coach Bill Lewis said. Traditional
nee are what make these games so
Dig
Lewis " along with most coaches and
players on both sides " has not experi-
enced the ECU-N.C. State rivalry first
hand. But they all know the history.
And fans on each side have kept the
feud alive.
This is more of a fansT rivalry now,?T
said Pirate junior offensive lineman Tom
Scott, who was recruited by both ECU
and N.C. State. oThe guys that played
back in T87 know what itTs about.?
Burnette didnTt play in the 1987 game,
but as a redshirt freshman, got an insight
to just what the annual game, usually
played early in September and always in
Raleigh, meant.
oThe side I know is the practice side of
it,?T Burnette said. oI know the level of in-
tensity in practice was much higher get-
ting ready to play them than on your
average week. That was a big game for
us " that was pretty much our season be-
cause they are an hour-and-a-half up the
road. ThatTs the people you live with, you
know, youTve been to high school with.
oNobody on either team has actually
played against each other on the college:
level. ItTs lived on with the fans and it has
somewhat with us, but we have to go on
and take care of business with other
teams we play.?
Both teams returned to the practice
field this week and take a break for
Christmas after working out on Saturday.
Each team is scheduled to arrive in At-
lanta on Dec. 26.
oThis is pretty much a one-game sea-
son,? Burnette said. oI believe for us itTs
a must-win. If we lose this, then the whole
season will pretty much be for naught.
These are the people we are going to be
living with and working with the rest of
our lives.?T
ECU players also believe they have
something else at stake " respect. Even
after the best season in school history and
media attention nationwide, they still feel
° College Sports
* High School Sports
° Classified
Peach Bowl
respect is something they have yet to
gain.
Nobody really gives us any respect,?
Scott said. oPeople have called us the
Louisville of last year and you saw what
happened to Louisville. They had a down
year, So people just think itTs just a fluke
year. They say if we win this, so what.
Next year weTre going back down again.T
We still have to prove ourself next year.
oYou guys in the media still havenTt
given us much respect. No school gives us
any respect at all, whether they are in
North Carolina or outside North Carolina,
whether we beat them or lost to them.?T
Including N.C. State, Burnette Says.
oTo be honest with you I donTt think
they respect us,TT Burnette said. oThey
look down on us because theyTre in the
ACC and weTre not and they think theyTve
got all the football going on up there.
Now, they do have a good program, ITll
give Tem that, but weTve had a good year
and weTll be ready to play and weTll just
see what happens in Atlanta.?T
December, 1991
w hi |
7 PEACH
4 BOWL
Pirates To Meet NCSU In New YearTs
The most successful year in East
Carolina football history has earned the
Pirates their first trip to a post-season
bowl game since 1978.
On: Nov.-12- ECU accepted an invita-
tion to play North Carolina State in the
Peach Bowl on New YearTs Day in Atlanta.
The game will be the first meeting with
the Wolfpack since 1987 when ECU
defeated NCSU 32-14 in Carter-Finley
Stadium. The Wolfpack leads the series,
however, 12-6.
The seventh bowl appearance for the
Pirates, the Peach Bowl tops off a great
1991 season. ECU has completed its best
season with a 10-1 record.
The 1991 season is also the biggest im-
provement ever for ECU. After last yearTs
5-6 record, ECU has shown a 5-1/2 game
improvement. The previous best was
from the 1971 to 1972 seasons when the
Pirates improved from 4-6 to 9-2.
The improvement has paid off for
ECU with its New Year's Day bowl ap-
pearance. The Pirates are 4-2 in bowl
games, having won the last four.
The 1978 win over Louisiana Tech in
the Independence Bowl was the last for
ECU. Other ECU bowl victories came in
1963 (Eastern Bowl, ECU-27, North-
eastern-6), 1964 (Tangerine Bowl, ECU-14,
Massachusetts-13), and 1965 (Tangerine
Bowl, ECU-31, Maine-0Q).
During the 1991 season, the Pirates
have taken one challenge at a time and
continued to prevail.
Here's a look back at ECUTs record-
breaking 10-1 season.
Illinois 38, East Carolina 31
Aug. 31, 1991 at Champaign, Ill. (46,313)
East Carolina got down 38-10 early in the
third quarter and a valiant comeback fell a
little short. The Pirates rallied for three
second half touchdowns to pull within
seven, 38-31, with 1:46 remaining in the
contest. Anthony BrennerTs onside kick
attempt was covered by Clayton Driver and
gave ECU a chance to tie or win the contest,
However, after a personal foul penalty
against the Pirates, ECU's last gasp attempt
fell a little short.
Jeff Blake had an outstanding game,
setting a school mark with 353 passing
yards. Blake also tied a school mark for
completions (21) in a game. Dion Johnson,
who caught an 80-yard TD pass late in the
game, had five receptions for 157 yards and
two touchdowns.
East Carolina 20, Memphis State 13
Sept. 14, 1991 at Ficklen Stadium (32,382)
East Carolina and Memphis State were
involved in a defensive struggle for most of
the contest. Damon WilsonTs one-yard run
with 7:49 left in the contest finally put the
Pirates ahead to stay, 20-13.
The Pirates defense allowed just one
field goal, a 26-yarder by Joe Allison, and
23 passing yards in the first half. With just
30 seconds left in the first half, Jeff Blake
hit Clayton Driver with a 19-yard TD strike
| TIME OUTS LEFT
DOWN
The Ficklen Stadium scoreboard said it all on Oct. 26, as East Carolina earned one of
the biggest victories in the programTs history, a 24-23 win over Pittsburgh.
ECU broke into college football's top-25
for the first time since 1983 and has con-
tinued to climb higher in the top-20 each
week.
Along the way to its top-20 ranking,
the Pirates earned wins over nationally-
ranked Syracuse in the Carrier Dome,
Pittsburgh in Ficklen Stadium, as well as
Akron, Tulane, Southern Mississippi,
Virginia Tech and Cincinnati.
Along their way to ECUTs most suc-
cessful season ever, the Pirates broke 100
school records.
to give the Pirates a 10-3 halftime lead.
In the fourth quarter, with ECU holding
onto the ball, the Pirates ran behind
offensive tackle Tom Scott nine straight
times. ECU averaged 4.7 yards per play and
were able to keep the ball away from the
Tigers.
The 10th largest crowd in Ficklen
Stadium history (32,382) watched ECU win
its fifth straight home opening contest.
East Carolina 47, Central Florida 25
Sept. 21, 1991 at Orlando, Fla. (20,049)
When: Jan. 1, 1992, 11:30 a.m.
Atlanta, Ga. (59,813)
Home of the Atlanta Braves
and Atlanta Falcons
TV: ESPN
About the 24th Annual Peach Bow]
Where: Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium
Peach Bowl History: The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce entered into a manage-
ment agreement with the Peach Bowl in July 1986. Founded in 1968, the Peach
Bowl was under the jurisdiction of the LionTs Club of Georgia for the first 18 years.
AmericaTs Most Competitive Bowl Game: In the last seven years, the Peach Bowl
winner has been decided by a combined total of 21 points.
7 PEACH
4 BOWL
After Central Florida scored on its
opening drive, the Pirate offense woke up
and scored on four of its next five pos-
sessions and defeated Central Florida,
47-25, at the Florida Citrus Bowl.
East Carolina had six successive scores
to take a 40-7 lead early in the third quarter.
Jeff Blake had thrown two touchdowns in
the first half and finished the contest,
completing nine of 17 passes for 265 yards.
Defensively, Greg Grandison had two
interceptions and an intercepted fumble
while Greg Floyd returned an intercepted
fumble 93 yards for a touchdown.
East Carolina 31, South Carolina 20
Sept. 28, 1991 at Ficklen Stadium (33, 100)
East Carolina broke open a close game
in the fourth quarter and defeated South
Carolina, 31-20, in Ficklen Stadium. It was
the first time in series history (9 games).
The Gamecocks got on the-scoreboard
first when Eddie Miller ran in from the four
yard line. After Anthony Brenner put ECU
on the board with a 25-yard field goal, Jeff
Blake hit Clayton Driver with a 48-yard TD
pass with 1:16 left in the first half, putting
the Pirates ahead, 10-7.
The two teams traded touchdowns
before Blake hit Hunter Gallimore with
a 25-yard touchdown strike to put ECU
ahead, 24-14. USC's Bobby Fuller connected
with Robert Brooks for an eight yard TD
strike before Blake and Gallimore put the
game out of reach when they connected on
a 71-yard touchdown pass play.
The win was the third straight for the
Pirates, marking the first time since 1989
that ECU had accomplished that feat. It also
marked the first of two times this season
that the goal posts in Ficklen Stadium
would come down.
East Carolina 56, Akron 20
Oct. 5, 1991 in Ficklen Stadium (27,500)
East Carolina scored often and early in
routing visiting Akron, 56-20, in the annual
Homecoming game. The Pirates scored 42
points in the first half. It was the most ever
scored by a Pirate team in one half.
Jeff Blake had another outstanding per-
formance, completing 10 of 14 passes for 136
yards with four touchdowns. Ten different
Pirates caught passes and nine different
players carried the pigskin. Three ECU
quarterbacks completed six touchdown
passes, which is a school record.
ECU went ahead 21-0 on touchdown
passes to Clayton Driver (15 yards from
Blake), Hunter Gallimore (16 yards from
Blake) and Luke Fisher (4 yards from
Michl Anderson).
East Carolina 23, Syracuse 20
Oct. 12, 1991 at Syracuse, N.Y. (37,767)
Jeff Blake scampered 43 yards with the
game winning touchdown in the fourth
nc lpn tO ace oe Ape eee Sa ee xs
' Have Breakfast With
The Peach Bowl Teams
Meet East Carolina and
N.C. State Players and Coaches
Great Christmas Gift!!!
p Breakfast Sponsored By Fellowship
} Of Christian Athletes Of Georgia
Friday, December 27 " 7:30 a.m.
Marriott Marquis Downtown
Tickets $15.00
¢ Testimonies by Players & Coaches
¢ Former Atlanta Falcon
Quarterback Steve Bartkowski
Q eee
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4) ° Braves Chaplain Walt Wiley
,
] For Tickets & Info Call (404) 874-0696
= Pm oh ten
¢ Recording Artist Babbie Mason
"S
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Fe + »
: f fi a
quarter as ECU defeated Syracuse, 23-20.
The victory was East Carolina's first-ever
against a nationally-ranked opponent.
It looked early as if ECU would not get
untracked on offense. On their first pos-
session, the Pirates fumbled at their own
21 yard line. The ECU defense held, al-
lowing a field goal. On its next possession,
the Pirates gained just 20 yards. SU began
their next possession on its 34 yard line.
Again, the Pirate defense held, allowing
just a field goal.
The Pirates, trailed 20-10, at halftime and
did not give up a point in the second half.
ECU struggled offensively in the first
quarter, gaining just 23 yards in the first
stanza. However, the defense answered
and held the Orange to just two field goals
in the quarter.
(Continued on Page 4)
ECU quarterback Jeff Blake's jersey was on
display at the College Football
Kings Island, Ohio, as a part o
*Thie Weel in Calla
This Week in Colleg
single game records f
completions (23),
Blake also sco:
down with a 43-yard run in the fourth
UZe
Volume XIII, No. 10
91
a
Poe
lass Postage
er
emo
Dec
Ge «site pa
"Jack"
ul a
Louk her:
(Continued from Page 1)
Blake, who earned National Offensive
Player of the Week honors from The Sporting
News, completed 23 of 43 passes for 324
yards with one touchdown. He also had 52
yards rushing on nine attempts.
ir A IQQ7T at Fick
YL. ZU, LIT I 4d
ith the Pirates trailing, 23-16, with 3:3
left in the game, Jeff Blake drove the Pirates
80 yards on 10 plays and went in from the
two-yard line to close the gap to 23-22.
Blake then ran in for the two-point con-
version, giving the Pirates a 24-23 win in
front of a Ficklen Stadium-record 36,000
fans.
The Pirates had led throughout the
first three periods. Jeff Blake hit Hunter
Gallimore with a five-yard touchdown pass
to put ECU ahead 6-0. After a 23-yard Don
Silvestri field goal, Cedric Van Buren put
ECU ahead 13-3 with a seven-yard TD run.
Pitt came back to tie the score in the
third quarter on a two-yard run by Jermaine
Williams. Williams scored again on the first
play of the fourth quarter to put the
Panthers ahead, 20-16. Pitt had a chance to
put the game out of reach late in the game,
but on a third-and-one at the ECU 15,
Robert Jones stuffed Tim Colicchio for a
one-yard loss and the Panthers had to settle
for a 35-yard field goal.
Nov. 2, al en Stadium (31,126)
East Carolina got out to a 317 halftime
lead and coasted to a 38-28 victory in the
last game at Ficklen Stadium of the 1991
season.
After TulaneTs Chance Miller scored on
a four-yard run to tie the score, 77, the
Pirates countered with 24 unanswered
points. The icing on the cake was Anthony
Freeman's 24 yard interception return with
just 28 seconds left in the first half.
Tulane made a gallant comeback. The
Green Wave struck quickly in the second
half on a 28-yard pass from Jerome Woods
to Wilbert Ursin. Jeff Blake came back with
a 24-yard TD strike to Hunter Gallimore
and the game was out of reach, 38-14.
- Tulane scored two fourth quarter touch-
downs to make the final margin, 38-28.
8, Southern Miss 20
at Hattiesburg, Miss. (18,117)
Jeff Blake set school records for com-
pletions (27), attempts (47), passing yards
(361), total offensive yards (402) and touch-
down passes (5), to lead East Carolina to a
48-20 victory over Southern Miss, breaking
a seven-game losing streak to the Golden
Eagles.
The Pirates were a little slow early on
offense, not able to capitalize on USM
turnovers. Two early drives were converted
into 35 and 33 yard field goals by Anthony
Brenner to put ECU ahead, 6-0. Southern
Miss retaliated quickly. Michl Welch
scored from one-yard out and Perry Carter
returned a punt 86 yards for a touchdown
and the Pirates were behind, 14-6.
ECU then scored 19 unanswered points
on three touchdown passes by Blake to go
ahead 25-14 at halftime. And after USMTs
Tony Smith scored from five-yards out late
in the third quarter, the Pirates retaliated
with three touchdowns to put the game out
of reach, 48-20.
ea i ain
rast aro
lina 94 Viroinia Tock 7,
na 24, Virginia Tech 17
Nov. 16, 1991 at Blacksburg, Va. (48,317)
Jeff Blake hit Clayton Driver with a 14
yard touchdown pass with 7:12 left in the
game to lead East Carolina to a 24-17 victory
over Virginia Tech. The Pirates had trailed
14-0 in the second quarter before making
their comeback. ItTs the largest deficit ECU
has overcome to win this season.
Trailing 14-0, Blake hit Dion Johnson
with a 15 yard touchdown pass to pull ECU
to 147 before halftime.
One of the big turnarounds in the game
was with 11:40 left in the third quarter.
Virginia Tech was driving deep in ECU
territory when Greg Grandison intercepted
a Rodd Wooten pass and returned it 95 yards
for a touchdown, tying the score. The re-
turn was the second largest in ECU history.
The two teams traded field goals before
Blake hit Driver for the game winner.
The Pirates had a strong presence in
Blacksburg with an estimated 10,000 fans in
attendance.
East Carolina 30, Cincinnati 19
Nov. 23, 1991 at Cincinnati, Ohio (8,574)
It had to happen sometime and it did
against Cincinnati. The Pirate offense
struggled and the defense picked up the
slack, allowing ECU to hold off the
Bearcats, 30-19.
The Pirates held a 14-10 lead at halftime,
making the margin very uncomfortable. UC
went ahead 1714 on a 33 yard TD pass from
Lance Harp to Marlon Pearce. Two minutes
later, Dion Johnson ran in from the third-
yard line to give the Pirates a 21-17 lead "
one they would never relinquish. The score
was set up on a 42 yard pass from Jeff Blake
to Hunter Gallimore on a second down and
oe:
In the fourth quarter, the Bearcats cut
the lead to 21-19 when Blake was sacked
in the end zone. However, Jerry Dillon re-
turned an intercepted pass 20-yards for a
score with 1:50 left and 50 seconds later,
Eric Myers tackled David Small in the
backfield for a safety.
From the
Booth
Jeff Charles
CEE AVveice
Pirate Football Explodes
Many of us have had a feeling
that when the football program
finally turned the corner the en-
thusiasm would explode through-
out eastern North Carolina. It has
and it did.
That belief kept all of us going
through the tough times and losing
seasons. Good things happen to
good people. It takes a lot of hard
work, enthusiasm and maybe above
all patience, something that is not
very prevalent in our society today.
This program has been built in
the right way and itTs certainly grati-
fying to see people enjoy the fruits
of their labor.
What's even more gratifying is to
see the respect ECU is receiving on
a national basis.
The doubting ThomasT and
negative Nellies who said ECU
could never have a nationally
ranked program and that the Pirates
were trying to be something they
were not capable of becoming are
the ones asking, ohow are they
doing it??
LetTs give the credit to the young
men in the Purple and Gold and Bill
Lewis and his staff.
Bill operates this program in a
first class manner from top to
bottom. Those of us who knew him
prior to becoming ECUTs Head
Coach were thoroughly convinced
he was the right man for the job and
said so from day one. He brought to
ECU exactly what it needed.
My thanks to David Horn of
WCZI Classy 98.3 for a super job of
putting together the oPirate Mix.?
The song produced by Kenny
Rogers, oPut Your Heart In It? was
aired in 1988 for our Olympic Team.
David took that song and edited in
play-by-play segments of the ECU-
Pitt radio broadcast. ItTs really
caught on. We are planning to pro-
duce both a video cassette tape of
the 91 season and an audio tape as
well. We'll have details later.
Finally, congratulations to all of
you reading this column. You are
the people who truly care and you
should feel a big part of what is hap-
pening this year. None of us would
be successful without your support.
THANK YOU!
The Daily
Reflector
Friday, December 27, 1991
Sports
¢ High School Sports
¢ NFL
® Classified
Pirates
ink JUCO
receiver
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
COFFEYVILLE, Kans. "
Morris Letcher, a wide re-
ceiver/kick returner from Cof-
feyville (Kans.) Community
College, has signed a grant-in-
aid to play football at East Car-
olina University.
Letcher, is expected to follow
in the footsteps of another Cof-
feyville product at East Caroli-
na, Dion Johnson. Letcher will -
enter ECU at the start of the
January 1992 spring semester,
according to a report in the Cof-
feyville Journal, and take part
in spring drills with the Pirates.
A 5-9, 165-pound sophomore
out of Wyandotte High School in
Kansas City, Kans., Letcher
caught 26 passes for 533 yards,
a 20.5 average, scoring six
touchdowns. He carried the ball
once for five yards.
He also brought back 12 punts
for 208 yards, a 17.3 average.
He returned one for a touch-
down. On kickoffs, he returned
20 for 452, a 22.6 average. All
stats are for 10 games.
He was second in the Kansas
Jayhawk Community College
Conference in receiving, first in
kickoff returns and fifth in punt
returns.
J.C. Gridwire, a _ scouting
publication out of California,
listed him honorable mention
all-America this year.
Letcher did not start his
freshman year, but was used in
a back-up role. He caught 38
passes for 875 yards, a 23.0
average and had eight touch-
downs. In rushing he had three
carries for minus six yards. On
punts, he had 13 for 223, a 17.2
average and on kickoffs, 22 for
474, a 21.5 average.
river
(Continued from C-1)
with his first two seasons " a
broken leg his freshman year and
a broken arm his sophomore year.
oThe number one achilles heel
for me has been not staying
healthy,? Driver said. oIt hasnTt
been those nagging little injuries
you can play with, itTs been
breaks. I couldnTt do anything
about that.?T
But now, after a relatively inju-
ry free season, Driver is finally
realizing his full potential. He had
at least one catch in all but one
game, had a touchdown catch in
all but three games and finished
with 28 catches for 464 yards, an
average of 16.6 yards per catch.
- The Daily
Reflector
oSaturday, December 28, 1991
Driver was most dangerous in
the red zone (inside the 30), find-
ing a way to shake a defender or
using his leaping ability to come
up with acrobatic catches in cov-
erage. His confidence steadily
grew and, in the last three games,
had 14 recepetions for 226 yards
and four TDs.
oOnce I realized I could play
with these guys " Pitt, Syracuse,
South Carolina " I just went out
and played,? Driver said. Be-
cause I want to try to get to the
next level (the NFL), I knew I had
to have these two years.
oT came into this year and said
Look, ITm going to work hard, try
to shed a couple fo pounds to try to
improve my _ speed and stay
healthy.?T
Driver and his compadres will
face a Wolfpack secondary that
was surrounded by numerous
question marks coming into the
season but quickly came of age.
N.C. State allowed only three
teams to pass for more than 200
yards and came up with 18 in-
terceptions, including five in the
season-opener against Virginia
Tech.
ECU averages 307.2 yards per
game through the air. Blake threw
for at least 200 yards in nine
games and had five games in
which he passed for more than 300
yards.
oItTs going to be a challenge for
them to stop us,TT Driver said. No
team has stopped us yet.
oPitt had one of the best defen-
sive backfields weTve seen, but
they didnTt stop us. Once we got
clicking in the second half, they
couldnTt really stop us.?
The Associated Press
East Carolina quarterback Jeff Blake warms his hands Thursday during the PiratesT
first practice in Atlanta for WednesdayTs Peach Bowl.
Of course, the Wolfpack
coaching staff has had a month to
dissect ECU game films. But
Driver still has high expectations.
oWe'll try to cover up some of
our tendencies, but weTre going to
do the things that got us this far,?T
Driver said. oThey do some things
we are going to be able to take ad-
vantage of. We are going to have
some big plays.?
ECU Peach practice in Atlanta
Driver not regretting his
choice of football at all
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " As a kid growing
up just outside Atlanta, Clayton
Driver got a few chances to go to
Fulton County Stadium.
He watched as the Falcons suf-
fered through a string of dismal
seasons but never really imagined
himself playing on the same field.
Basketball was DriverTs game.
He would would get together with
friends such as Jerry Houston
(now at Texas), Terry Davis (now
at DePaul) and Kevin Chambers
(now at North Carolina A&T after
a transfer from Maryland) and
emulate his roundball heroes.
While his friends pursued their
basketball talents, Driver saw
football as his best bet.
There were times when he
perhaps regretted the decision,
but not now " certainly not now.
On New YearTs Day, Driver will
jog into Fulton County Stadium
along with his East Carolina
teammates for a long-awaited bat-
tle with N.C. State in the 24th an-
nual Peach Bowl, which moves to
the Georgia Dome next season.
Driver will have plenty of fami-
ly and friends on hand from near-
by College Park " just a five-
minute ride on MARTA (AtlantaTs
public transportation system), a
10-minute drive or a couple of
heaves from ECU quarterback .
Jeff Blake.
oITm raring to go, get this week
of practice over with, have some
fun, but stay focused,? Driver
said. oWe have to remember what
weTre here for, to win " thatTs the
bottom line.?T
Both 12th-ranked East Carolina
CLAYTON DRIVER
(10-1) and 22nd-ranked N.C. State
(9-2) arrived in Atlanta and went
through workouts Thursday. The
teams have daily practices sched-
uled through Tuesday on the
Georgia Tech campus.
Neither team has played in
more than month, but Driver says
he believes East Carolina has not
lost any. momentum.
oI really donTt have any con-
cerns about us being into the flow
or losing focus,? Driver said.
oWeTve come too far to do some-
thing dumb like that.
oThe weeks off have helped us
tremendously. The last couple of
games we were getting banged up
here and there. The time has
helped us heal.?
Driver, whose 10 touchdown
receptions this season matched
the single-season school record,
was at his best down the stretch
despite a few bumps and bruises,
But those little nicks paled in
comparison to what he had to deal
(See DRIVER, C-2)
Crime Stoppers
If you have information on
any crime committed in Pitt
County, call Crime Stop-
pers, 758-7777. You do not
have to identify yourself
and can be paid for the in-
formation you supply.
The Associated Press
rs
tries to
Pirates new to
bowl experience
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " This whole bowl
experience is something new for
East Carolina. For N.C. State, itTs
pretty much routine.
Will that little piece of history
mean anything as the two teams
prepare for WednesdayTs 24th an-
nual Peach Bowl? East Carolina
head coach Bill Lewis thinks so.
oIt will be a factor and I ad-
dressed that with our football
team, Lewis said at a press con-
ference before Friday afternoonTs
workout on the Georgia Tech
campus. oFor some of (N.C.
StateTs) fifth-year seniors, this is
their fifth (actually fourth) expe-
rience and as you go down the line
theyTve got guys, with the excep-
tion of their true freshmen, that
have all been through this one
time or more.
oWe canTt create that for our
guys. What weTve got to do is
understand that there has to be a
focus on the reason weTre here and
thatTs to win a football game.?T
None of the 123 East Carolina
players that made the trip to At-
lanta have been through this be-
fore. Not sophomores, not juniors,
not seniors. Not even fifth-year
seniors.
The only thing theyTre ac-
customed to this time of year is
spending time with family and
watching other teams from around
the nation play in the long lineup
of holiday bowls.
In fact, not since 1978 has an
East Carolina team had an oppor-
tunity to go to a bowl. But Lewis is
pleased with the way his team has
handled everything thus far.
oI was pleased with the way we
got in, got settled and about get-
ting onto the practice field and
taking care of our business as far
as our waork preparations,?
Stay focused
Peach Bowls
Lewis said. ot
The Wolfpack, which will dress
out 130 playersjis making its four-
th-straight bowl appearance and
fifth in the last six years.
The trip to the Peach is N.C.
StateTs fifth overall and third since
Dick Sheridan became head coach
in 1986. But Sheridan says each
visit is more special, particularly
with the move to New YearTs Day.
oA bowl game is a unique expe-
rience,T Sheridan said. oWeTre
here to work. ItTs a game you can
tell is very important to our
players.?T
But this week wonTt be all busi-
ness. Each team has daily prac-
tices scheduled along with several
social functions set up by the bowl
committee. And both coaches are
giving their players freedom, in-
cluding no curfews.
oWe want our players to enjoy
themselves and have a good time
because this is a reward for the
outstanding job theyTve done dur-
ing the season,TT Lewis said. ITve
impressed upon them that there
will be a time each day where we
will focus on the football game and
we will get our work done.
oI think you can enjoy the good
times that a bowl affords and at
the same time get your work
done.?T
That puts a lot of responsibility
on players ranging from about 18
to 22 years-old, but the coaches
donTt seem overly concerned.
oWe're going to rely on the
maturity of our football team,?T
Lewis said. TheyTve handled oth-
er distractions well and weTve got
confidence theyTll be able to han-
dle this situation.?T
Said Sheridan: I have complete
faith in that our players can
balance that out. It has to be done
ina mature way.?T
(See PIRATES, C-5)
Pirates
(Continued from C-1)
Upperclassmen from both teams
arenTt tempting fate, though, and
have taken steps to make sure
things donTt get out of hand.
Before we came on the trip the
seniors got together and talked to
the younger guys to make sure we
keep things under control,T East
Carolina senior tight end Luke
Fisher said. We'll go out and
have a good time, but weTll get our
work done. Our first objective is to
win the game.?T
Said N.C. State senior tight end
Todd Harrison: We know when
we can go out and have a good
time and we know when we need
to have a_ business-like attitude.
We are very honored that Coach
. Sheridan has left it upon us to take
care of ourselves. WeTre here to
play a football game, so we know
we can do and what we canTt do.?
Since neither team has played in
more than a month, this week of
practice is extremely crucial.
East Carolina freshmen (left to right) David Crumbie, FridayTs practice at the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta
Dwaine Johnson, Dwight Linville and Carlos Blake watch
The Daily
Reflector
- Sunday, December 29, 1991
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " The marquee
matchup that all eyes will be wat-
ching in the 24th annual Peach
Bowl will be East CarolinaTs ex-
plosive offense against a rugged.
N.C. State defense.
The Pirates score in bunches,
33.8 points per game to be exact.
The Wolfpack, nationally ranked
in the top 30 in five defensive
categories, hasnTt given up much,
at least when itTs been at full
Strength as it will be on New
~ YearTs Day.
But thereTs a flip side to all this.
yy
East CarolinaTs defense vs. N.C.
StateTs offense. a
The Pirates give up a lot (408.8
yards per game). The Wolfpack,
riddled by injuries at quarterback,
lacks punch. But both groups are
perhaps a little underrated.
Should be an interesting mat-
chup " and just as critical to the
outcome as the more high-profile
~ {2
SB _
duel.
ThereTs a defense on this team,
too,? East Carolina junior defen-
sive end Jerry Dillon said. We
stop somebody every once in a
while.?T
Inside the 20 is when the
PiratesT bend-donTt-break defense
has been its toughest. On 14 occa-
sions this season, opponents
Weather
works
in ECUTs favor
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " The Peach Bowl
practice schedule worked in East
CarolinaTs favor Saturday.
A miserable, rainy morning in
Atlanta forced N.C. State to scrap
its practice session at the Rose
Bowl (grass) complex on the
Georgia Tech campus, but ECU
was able to conduct its practice on
the artificial turf at Grant Field.
The two teams, who meet at 11:30
a.m. on New YearTs Day, have
been alternating practice sites
since arriving Thursday.
oWe had the luck of the draw
when it came to practice facili-
ties,?? ECU head coach Bill Lewis
said. oThe weather did cooperate
with us, as surprising as that
might sound. As we got out onto
the field, the rain ceased for most
of the workout and we were able to
have a productive day.?
The conditions did limit what
the Pirates were able to do and
concentration was focused
primarily on the areas where tim-
ing is critical " the passing game,
the option game and special
teams.
The Wolfpack, meanwhile, held
walk-through drills in a spacious
room in the Hyatt Regency. While
the offense took the floor, defen-
Sive players attended meetings
with their position coaches and
watched game films. The two
units then switched.
oWe were able to get a lot of
mental work done,? N.C. State
head coach Dick Sheridan said.
oEven though physically it wasnTt
necessarily a day where we made
a lot of progress " although at
this point of the season you donTt
really need to " we did get some-
thing out of it. We do need to get
out there (Sunday) and Monday.?T
The Wolfpack is scheduled to
practice today from 8-11 a.m. at
Grant Field. ECU will work out
from 1-4 p.m. at the grass complex
if conditions permit. If not, Lewis
said practice would be shifted to
the turf.
MWOLFPACK QB: Terry Jor-
Notes
dan appears to be fully recovered
from a broken left wrist and is ex-
pected to get the start at quarter-
back for N.C. State.
Jordan, a junior, is one of three
Wolfpack quarterbacks to play
this season. Jordan started the
first four games, but was injured
in the first half against North Car-
olina.
Redshirt freshman Geoff Bender
Stepped in and played until sus-
taining a shoulder injury against
Virginia (Nov. 9). True freshman
Terry Harvey started the final two
games.
All three are now healthy.
oThe biggest question was to see
if Terry Jordan could return to
where he was before he got hurt
and, if that was the case, he would
be our starter,T Sheridan said.
oHe was a little rusty the first
part of our practices last week,
but heTs had two good practices
here. He looks like heTs back to
form.?
@ DIFFERENT VIEW: Not ev-
eryone is ecstatic about ECU and
N.C. State playing for the first
time since 1987.
oT know this is going to be in all
the papers, but honestly we didnTt
want to play N.C. State,? East
Carolina junior defensive end
Jerry Dillon said: oThe coaches
might have wanted to play them
but a lot of the players, me in par-
ticular, could care less to play
N.C. State.
ooWeTre here and weTve got to
play them, but I would rather play
Illinois. I wanted one more shot at
* those guys.?T
The Illini, who handed ECU its
only loss (38-31 in the season-
opener), will play UCLA in the
John Hancock Bowl.
Dillon said since an agreement
couldnTt be reached to play during
the regular season, a postseason
battle will not accomplish much,
The 18-game seires was termi-
nated after a brawl following the
1987 game in Raleigh.
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
JERRY DILLON
oI wasnTt here in T87 when the
whole thing happened with N.C.
State and East Carolina,T Dillon
said. oITve been wanting to play
them the last three years and they
wouldnTt play us, so why make
them play us now??
MTHE UNDERDOG: Rarely
has N.C. State been an underdog
in the series with East Carolina,
but the Pack finds itself in that
situation this year.
ECU, ranked 12th, is a 2 1/2-
point favorite. N.C. State leads the
Series 12-6, but the teams have
split the last six meetings.
oI think it takes a little pressure
off us,?T N.C. State senior tight end
Todd Harrison said of the under-
dog role. oAnybody thatTs an
underdog can go into a game and
play its hardest. YouTre not ex-
pected to win and if you do, great.
oI donTt want to say we like be-
ing an underdog, but itTs not a sit-
uation that weTre not accustomed
to being in, not a situation where
we feel awkward. Hopefully that
will work in our favor.?
MACC EXPANSION: Sheridan
would like to see the Atlantic
Coast Conference follow the lead
of the Southeastern Conference
and expand to a two-division, 12-
team league with a championship
game at the ed of the season.
And one team he suggests ad-
ding " East Carolina.
oI frankly would like to see East
Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Con-
ference,T?T Sheridan said. There
has been so much change in col-
lege football the last two or three
years with realignment and con-
ferences, I think you need to be
aggressive.?T
The big strike against East Car-
olina is its basketball program and
a 6,000-seat arena " neither of
which make the Pirates a hot
property.
ATLANTA " The job as head
ThereTs absolutely nothing to this
story.?
Lewis, 50, is 20-12-1 in his three
seasons at East Carolina. He
withdrew his name from con-
season, 104 unassisted and 12 for a
loss. He will be a key in trying to
put the clamps on a N.C. State of-
fense that most likely will try to
set the tempo with a ball-control
ground atack.
oI donTt think there is much
finesse to them,? Jones. said.
oThey are a basic running team.
They are going to line up and run
Tight at us and say Can you stop
us? Here we come.T?T
The Wolfpack is led by tailback
Anthony Barbour, who rushed for
football coach at Georgia Tech
| may soon be open. As has been the
case with other high-profile
vacancies in college football, East
CarolinaTs Bill Lewis is being
mentioned as a possible candidate.
Ross, who led the Yellow
Jackets to an 11-0-1 record and the
national championship (UPI) in
1990 and an 8-5 record and an
Aloha Bowl win this year, is
reportedly leaving for the San
Diego Chargers. Ross talked with
Chargers general manager Bobby
Beathard earlier this week and is
expected to be named before
Wednesday.
Lewis, a former assistant at
both Georgia Tech (1972) and
Georgia (1980-88) is in Atlanta
preparing his team for Wednes-
dayTs 24th annual Peach Bowl.
Danny Sheridan on Saturday
reported on CNN that Lewis and
Georgia Tech was oa done deal?T
and that the third-year ECU head
coach could be named as early as
Thursday, but Lewis said the
report has no foundation.
oBobby Ross is still the head
football coach at Georgia Tech,?
Lewis said. I have had no contact
with the people at Georgia Tech.
sideration at Maryland earlier this
month, saying the timing was not
right. He was also mentioned as a
candidate for the vacancy at Ari-
zona State.
With the success of this yearTs
team " a 10-1 record and No. 12
ranking in the nation " more
teams may be seeking his
services.
oThere hasnTt been a junior high
job come open from California to
here that his name hasnTt popped
up,TT ECU co-offensive coordinator
Steve Logan said. oThis is just
Sports
ECU defense vs. Pack offense big key
Peach Bowl
penetrated the ECU 20 and came
away with no points.
oThey find a way to keep people
out of the end zone,T ECU head
coach Bill Lewis said of his team.
oFrom a statistical standpoint, we
donTt have the national stats, but
theyTve done a good job of playing
team defense.?T
The Pirates have been proficient
at forcing turnovers and are tied
for fourth in the nation " with
N.C. State " in turnover ratio.
And thereTs a long list of heroes
that have come up with big plays.
¢ Greg Floyd, a 93-yard return
of a fumble at Central Florida.
e Greg Grandison, a 95-yard
return of an interception at South-
(Continued from C-1)
oThe thing that makes him
Stand out is that when he makes a
tackle, he makes a tackle,TT Adell
Said. oWhen he puts his arms
around a running back or a quar-
terback, he locks up and stays
locked on them.?T
Jones has made 151 tackles this
769 yards this season with an
average of 6.2 yards per carry.
The Wolfpack is the only ranked
team in the nation to start three
different quarterbacks and have
each one win at least one game.
The trio of Terry Jordan, Geoff
Bender and Terry Harvey each
passed for more than 500 yards.
Jordan is expected to start.
oYou donTt win nine games
without an offense doing some
things well,? Lewis. said. oThey
have great balance.
oThey are a very hard-nosed of-
fensive football team. I hope we
will be physical enough to match
oThe burden of proof is on us,?T
Adell said, referring to the entire
¢ College Football
e NFL
® Outdoors
ern Miss.
¢ Chris Hall, a breakup of a pass
on the opponentTs final offensive
, Series at Syracuse and Southern
Miss.
¢ Dillon, a 20-yard interception
return for a touchdown at Cincin-
nati.
And many, many more " all
contributing to a 10-1 season.
ooTheyTve all fit into the role of a
winning football team,TT Lewis
said. oAs they get into a game,
they realize what itTs going to take
to win a particular football
- game.?
ECUTs defense, small up front
by Division I-A standards, is hard-
ly imposing. But N.C. State senior
offensive tackle Scott Adell said
there are some traits that make
the Pirates dangerous.
oI think the thing they thrive on
is quickness,TT Adell said.
oTheyTre not as big as some of the
teams weTve faced, but I think
theyTre probably equally talented
because of their overall hustle and
pursuit to the football.
oItTs not necessarily how tal-
ented you are, but how much heart
you have and I think they have a-
lot of heart.?T
Adell is particularly impressed
with ECU consesus All-America
linebacker Robert Jones.
(See PIRATE, C-3)
Pirate defense to play big role
mage in order for us to be success-
ful.?T
Added oECU linebacker Ken
Burnette: oFor us to be successful!
against them weTve got to stop the»
run, which is pretty much true
against anybody you play thatTs..
going to try to run it. We've got to.
force them: into passing situations. *:
oTheyTve got good people thatT
can catch.it and throw it " donTt"
get me wrong " but I think their:
t
bread and butter is the run.?T
up against them.? The Daily Reflector ie
So, like most games, it comes +4 i if
down to a battle in the trenches. Classifieds
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Lewis: nothing to Tech rumors
Peach Bowls
Although Lewis is a hot com-
modity and has said he will be
willing to listen to future offers,
Logan said people shouldnTt jump
to the conclusion that the coaching
Staff is ready to jump ship.
There seems to be a mentality
out there that maybe East Caroli-
na is the place to get out of,?
Logan said. oIt might surprise you
as to the number of people that
might want to stay there.?T
Steve Shankweiler, also-a co-
offensive coordinator, echoed
LoganTs remarks.
oOne of the real phenomenal
things about a school like East
Carolina is that everybody auto-
matically assumes that when you
win, youTre supposed to leave,?
neighbors that are asking When
are you going to move?T
Why? WeTre 10-1. I would think
maybe some people might want to
come to East Carolina. ThatTs:
kind of a misnomer weTve had toy
overcome as a staff.?T
Shankweiler, the only holdover:
from the Art Baker era, is the se:T
nior member on the staff. AfterT
the first winning season he has?
experienced in his five years at
ECU, he now sees a bright future.
oThere arenTt many football:
teams in the country ranked
higher than us and weTve had twé!
excellent recruiting years,?"?
Shankweiler said. oItTs a comfortT
able situation. I think you go toT
places to coach in New YearTs Day:
The Daily
Reflector
Monday, December 30, 1991
WOODY PEELE
Monday musings:
This is the week that East Caro-
lina fans have been waiting for
Since 1987: the chance to play the
hated Wolfpack once more.
For 18 years, from 1970 until
1987, the two teams met on the
football field " N.C. StateTs foot-
ball field. The meeting of the two
in AtlantaTs Peach Bowl Wednes-
day at 11:30.a.m. will mark the
first time The Game has been
played outside Carter-Finley
Stadium.
Except among the ECU faithful,
there was little notice paid when
the series started. It was a chance
to beat up on one of those ACC
teams that look down their noses
at little EZTC.
State won the opener, only to see
ECU come back and win Game
Two, 31-15, before 18,000, the
smallest crowd of the series.
The worst beating the Pirates
took was in Game Four, when the
Wolfpack slammed the Pirates,
57-8. ECU, under Sonny Randle,
was coming off a 9-2 year and
there were those who actually be-
lieved that ECU might just be on
its way toa bowl game.
But when that opening night
crowd wandered out of Carter-
Finley, the Wolfpack had
plastered the Pirates and it looked
like the start of a long season. The
bad thing about it was that it had
come in front of the first real
crowd the two teams had at-
tracted, 45,000.
The good thing was that it woke
the Pirates up to reality. The next
week, they upset Southern
Mississippi, 13-0, and went on to
record another 9-2 season. The on-
ly other loss was to North Caroli-
na, 28-27. Unfortunately, there was
no bow] to celebrate that year and
Randle beat the trail to Virginia
just days after the final gun.
After two more losing seasons
against the Wolfpack, Pat DyeTs
1976 team finally broke the State
string, taking a 23-14 win before
49,000, a new game record. ECU
also won the following year, 28-23,
with 49,200 watching.
For the next five years, howev-
er, State won, all but one of those
games attracting in excess of
50,000.
Ed EmoryTs great 1983 team fi-
nally broke the string again witha
22-16 win and after that, the two
alternated wins until the 1987
Pirate victory, 32-14. Again, each
game attracted huge crowds, but
after the final two ECU wins, fans
mobbed the field and State would
play no more.
Efforts to revive the series have
met with failure. N.C. State is un-
willing to accept anything that
calls for a visit to Greenville. It
wants all of the games played at
Carter-Finley. ECU is willing to
play two out of three there just to
get the Wolfpack on its own turf,
but to no avail.
So when it was announced that
the two would meet in the Peach
Bowl, it came as no surprise that
the game was quickly sold out.
The largest Peach Bowl crowd in
history is expected for the game.
How those fans respond to the
game may have an eventual bear-
ing on whether the series is ever
picked up again.
Unless...
What was that I heard last
week? What was that Dick
Sheridan said? ECU in the ACC?
Surely you jest!
But no, the Wolfpack head coach
has expressed the desire to see the
ACC expand from its current nine
members to 12, giving the league
the opportunity to split into two
divisions, setting up, at seasonTs
end, a championship game " an
s . F f \
(Continued from B-1)
bowl games and weTre coaching in
one.?T
~ Of course, this seasonTs success
has also boosted the stock of
Logan and Shankweiler, as well as
several other members of the
staff. They are likley to get a few
inquiries as to their future plans in
less than two weeks at the Na-
tional Coaches Convention in Dal-
las, Tex.
When youTre on a 10-1 football
team as an assistant coach, I think
you can probably walk in down
there and find another job if
youTre on a mission to do that,?T
Logan said.
But, Logan added, he likes the
potential he sees in Greenville.
another story.?T
And he uses the growth of now na-
tional power Miami, Fla. as an
example.
oIT can remember when I was
just coming out of college, the mid
70s or early T70s, nobody in this
room had ever heard of the Uni-
versity of Miami,TT Logan said to a
group of about 20 members of the
media. oIn fact, they were getting
ready to drop football. There was
not a goofier football program in
the United States than the Univer-
sity of Miami.
oSomeone came in and _ took
their program by the horns and
here we are today thinking Miami
invented football. That can happen
anywhere in the country.
oTm not Saying thatTs going to
Shankweiler said.
Lewis to Jackets " just another storyT
happen at East Carolina but East
Carolina has a tremendous
amount of potential. What hap-
pened this year was not a fluke.
We've got quality football players
" we've got quality young football
players that are going to take the
field next year. We are going to
have a good football program at
East Carolina.?T
The career path Lewis takes will
most likely determine the path of
his assistants since coaching staffs
normally stick together. Loyalty is
a big factor and a trait Logan saw
in Lewis when he decided to apply
at East Carolina three years ago.
Logan has worked at six major
Division I schools and says itTs the
head coach, not the university a
is the drawing force.
ACC bowl game all its own.
And Sheridan says ECU is one of
the teams heTd like to see brought
into the ACC.
ECU could, if the present pro-
gram continues, compete in foot-
ball, not to mention several other
sports, such as baseball. But it
would take big improvements to
compete on a daily basis in bas-
ketball in the ACC.
But big bucks would come in
and that would help improve the
program, including the replace-
ment of Minges Coliseum.
So, Dick, win or lose Wednes-
day, I salute you. May your wish
come true (but may you be on the
short end of the scoreboard this
week).
oTve got (See LEWIS, B-2) ;
:
$
oIn this profession, you work for
the head football coach,?T Logan
Said. When a guy like Bill Lewis
takes a job at East Carolina,
thereTs a lot of attractiveness to go
to East Carolina. ThatTs my point
of view.
oHe does things the right way
and there are not a lot of people
that have the guts to do that. This
is a tough enough profession
without working for a guy thatTs
creating a crisis every 10
minutes.?T
If Lewis leaves, Logan would be
considered a logical candidate to
move up, but asked if he would
join Lewis, Logan said: oITd
bounce down there on my tongue
to follow him.?T
Monday
December 30, 1991
as the official headquarters for the
East Carolina University team,
staff and fans.
North Carolina State Universi-
tyTs party was staying across the
street in the Hyatt Regency.
The bowl trip is the first for
ECU since 1978 when the Pirates
beat Louisiana Tech 35-13 in the
Independence Bowl. The Peach
Bowl is ECUTs first trip to a New
YearTs Day bowl, and Pirate fans
were set to savor the experience of
being in Atlanta.
Since we couldnTt go to the oth-
er one, we decided to go to the
next one wherever it is,T Walden
said.
We didnTt get a reservation in
early enough for the alumni asso-
ciationTs New YearTs Eve party,
but weTre going to be taking in ev-
erything we can. WeTre going to be
By Tom Morris
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " And on Sunday,
the Wolfpack and Pirate faithful
rested as festivities for the Peach
Bowl were set to begin in earnest
on Monday.
Fans began arriving for Wed-
nesdayTs game Sunday afternoon
following the long drive from
North Carolina and other parts far
removed.
oWe might crash early tonight,?T
said Archie Walden, who had just ~
arrived from Garner with his wife,
Catherine. oIt might be the only
es night we get any rest.?T
The Daily Reflector/Shannon Wolfe Walden was one of a few Pirate
Vernon Howard and Sharon Tarleton of Sanford arrive early fans milling around the lobby of
in Atlanta for the Peach Bowl. Sunday, the two were looking the Marriott Marquis, a 47-story
for HowardTs son, ECU football player Charles Howard. hotel in downtown Atlanta serving
The red and white blues
nT Vhe Daltyiteflector/ Michl tiali
A red-and-white lettered sign in the window of DarrylTs is Hillsborough Street's only sign of Peach Bowl pride
Wolfpack spirit
just a whimper
in Capital City
oT would not say itTs as big a
- deal in Raleigh as it is in Green-
ville,? said Skip Dyer, assistant
general manager of DarrylTs 1906
By J. Ward Best
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
RALEIGH " The flesh of N.C.
festivities begin
tourists " Hawaiian shirts and to arrive, the teams arrivedT
Bermuda shorts, the whole nine Thursday. The players have spent:
yards.? their time practicing and taking
Most of the fans are staying in part in such grueling exercises as
hotels located near the Marriott a carnival, a dance contest and a
and the Hyatt. That affords the cheer-off.
fans the chance to sample the oTomorrow, I expect it will be
benefits of the city. ThereTs enter- hectic when a lot of the Pirate
tainment ranging from country Club people get here,T Walden
music to jazz in Underground At- _ said. .
lanta through most of the Hotel officials said most of the.
downtown area. bowl game reservations were to:
Atop the Peachtree Plaza Hotel begin Monday, and the MarriottT
_ thereTs a rotating restaurant that was expected to be at 100 percentT
offers a view of downtown Atlanta, occupancy.
including Fulton County Stadium Walter Wells and his wife Scott:
where the Peach Bowl will be got in just before 3 p.m. after leav-:
played. ing Greenville at 6 a.m.
On Sunday night, there were oT thought the place would beT
oMeet The Player Nights? at two more alive,? said Ms. Wells afterT
locations of Hooters, nearby sports checking in and taking a_ lookT
bars.
Though the fans are just starting (See BOWL, A-7)
Bowl
(Continued from A-1)
around the lobby. I guess weTre
going to pioneer around.?T
Ms. Wells, who works for the
ECU Alumni Association, will be
busy planning a breakfast and
dinner for ECU fans as well as the
New YearTs Eve party.
Vernon Howard was the first of
a large contingent of Sanford resi-
dents coming to Atlanta for the
game.
oProbably half of the town is
coming down here, both State and
ECU fans,?T Howard said.
He spent Sunday trying to track ©
down his son, Charles, who is the
long snapper for ECU.
oBelieve it or not, I was a State -
fan until my son went to ECU, and
that sort of changed things,?T
Howard said.
PiratesT reaction
+ StateTs football team had better
| bestrong, because the hometown
Spirit appears weak.
The streets bordering the
campus of N.C. State showed few
signs of support this week for the
Wolfpack in the New YearTs Day
matchup with East Carolina
University in the Peach Bowl.
The enthusiasm so readily ap-
parent in Greenville is all but
absent in Raleigh.
Greenville has embraced its
| football team, painting the town
purple and gold. Restaurants and
businesses throughout the city
have posted signs of support,
drivers are flying Pirate flags
from their windows and all con-
versation now turns around foot-
ball.
Nothing of the sort in Raleigh.
restaurant on Hillsborough
Street.
Dyer said the staff at DarrylTs
put up the hand-lettered signs
Go Pack?T and Peach Bowl:
Watch It HereT in the front win-
dow of the restaurant a week
_ ago. But aside from the State
students working at DarrylTs,
Dyer said heTs noticed a lack of
enthusiasm for the New YearTs
Day game. .
Along Hillsborough Street, the
main thoroughfare for student
life, only DarrylTs has put up a
sign showing its support for the
Wolfpack. On Western Boule-
vard, which parallels
Hillsborough Street south of the
campus, a tailgate special of-
fered by BojangleTs Chicken is
the closest thing to support for |
The Daily Reflector/Michl Hall
Timothy F. Harrison, an ECU grad, works at BrotherTs
pizza in Raleigh. He wonTt be pulling for State this time.
the team. At the off-campus
bookstore on Western Boulevard,
AddamTs, a lone rack displays
Peach Bowl T-shirts and sweat-
shirts.
oTm surprised that they
havenTt painted the streets red or
anything,TT Dyer said. Maybe
theyTre waiting until after the
game. Maybe they didnTt want
anything in permanent ink.?T
Unlike other shop owners along
Hillsborough Street, Dyer freely
offered his opinion of the gameTs
outcome. A UNC-Chapel Hill
graduate, heTs jess likely to have
any love for N.C. State.
oT think ECU is probably going
to do the job on them,? Dyer said
over boos and hisses from the
State-loyal bartender.
N.C.'State is the lifeblood of
the southwestern part of Raleigh.
But the pulse weakens during the
holidays, with or without a post-
season bowl game. Apparently
(See WOLFPACK, A-8)
Wolfpack spirit is hard to find in Raleigh
(Continued from A-1)
even the prospects of reviving a
heated intra-state rivalry that
ended in 1987 after a post-game
melee, cannot stir the spirit in
Raleigh.
T can remember games when
there was more excitement,?T
osaid Chris Candes, owner of Two
Guys Italian restaurant on
Hillsborough Street. Ra
There was a lot of excitement
when they announced it,TT Candes
said. But I think itTs just the lag
time.?
Candes is confident that the
Wolfpack will prevail. Despite
the PirateTs 12th ranking com-
pared to the 21st ranking of N.C.
State and the better record for
ECU, Candes holds to his convic-
tions.
He also holds to the stereotype
of ECU and its students.
oThey drink a lot down there
donTt they?? he asked. oItTs a
party school.TT
GreenvilleTs excitement over
the bowl game will not help the
team, Candes predicted.
oT think theyTll be pumped up,
itTs their first bowl game in 13
years,T he said. I donTt know if
itTl] help them any.?T
MitchTs Tavern, a favorite stu-
dent hangout above Hillsborough
Street, shows not outward signs
of exuberance. No signs or ban-
ners. And two pairs of basketball
shorts hanging above the-bar: -:
give the only nod to N.C. State.
oUp until I hung those shorts
up there, you wouldnTt know
what school is across the street,?T
said Mitch Hazouri, the owner of
the tavern.
He estimated that students
make up about one-third of his
business. But with the students
gone during the holiday break,
Hazouri said heTs heard little
about the Peach Bow] so far.
oI think people will come out
of the woodwork on New YearTs
Day and want to go somewhere
to show their spirit,TT he said.
The second-floor bar will be
open Jan. 1 in time for the game,
and Hazouri expects a crowd of
Wolfpack faithful.
He tossed out a number of ex-
cuses for the apparent lack of
spirit in Raleigh.
oMaybe weTre too dignified,?
he offered half sincerely. Yeah,
yeah. ThatTs it. WeTre just too
dignified.?
Wearing a Notre Dame hat and
tossing up sandwiches for the
Friday lunch crowd, Hazouri
would not hazard a guess at the
outcome of the game.
ooWeTd love to beat them and
say they played a great game
and get the series going again,?T
he diplomatically stated. On the
other side of the coin, we hope
we donTt get beat too bad.?T
Pressed for an answer, he
predicted State would prevail.
-» But only for publication.
Hazouri said maybe he could
have hung a banner outside his
bar.
At least he knew about the up-
coming bowl game.
oT donTt even know whoTs play-
ing,TT said Maurice Clapman,
owner of DJTs College Books and
News on Hillsborough Street.
A confessed non-sports fan,
Clapman said he didnTt even
know if the two teams were play-
ing basketball or football.
Tim Ellis, manager of DJTs, at
least knew the two teams. But he
said heTs not felt much excite-
ment about the game.
oItTs really odd because itTs an
old-time rivalry between ECU
and State,? Ellis said, obut I
donTt hear people talking about
it, really.?
The Wolfpack faithful cannot
even find a haven in Brothers
Pizza Palace, a restaurant deck-
ed in the glories of past N.C.
State teams.
The manager, Timothy F.
Harrison, graduated from East
Carolina University. His purple
shirt stands out in a sea of red
and white.
oTTm a Wolfpack fan,T?T Har-
rison said, but in this game my
allegiance is going tohave tobe -
somewhere else.?T
Harrison said he believes the
post season play means more to
Greenville because it happens
less frequently. The Pirates last
played in a bowl game in 1978,
and have struggled for respect-
ability ever since.
Harrison said he senses com-
placency in Raleigh. Many peo-
ple are confident that N.C. State i
will win the matchup.
ECU, with a 10-1 season, is not
to be taken lightly, Harrison
warned.
The real die-hard fans are
worried about the game,? Har-
rison said. oI think a lot of peo-
ple are legitimately concerned
that the Wolfpack wonTt win it.?
Greenville Antiques Mall
31 Shops Under One Roof.
1 block E. of N. Greene St. cn
Highway 33. 752-8111.
Mon.-Sat. 10-5 * Sun. 1-5
Even though youTre disabled, y
has startling effect
By CAULTON TUDOR
Staff writer
ATLANTA " If East CarolinaTs football
program and its fans donTt accomplish
anything else for years, they have rekin-
dled the spirit of the season for the Peach
Bowl selection committee.
oItTs like having a 5-year-old around the
house for Christmas,? said Rodney Bow-
ers, a member of the bowlTs organizing
committee.
oEverything about ECU is what bowl
games are supposed to be all about,? he
said. TheyTre enjoying everything assocl-
ated with the week. ItTs like a breath of
fresh air.?T
But ECU, which last played a postseason
event in the 1978 Independence Bowl, was
not considered prime material for any T91
games until it cracked the national top 15 in
mid-November. Many bowl scouts thought
the Pirates, even at 10-1, might have been
skipped had the Peach not arranged an
encore of the BucsT rivalry with N.C. State.
A regional school without a conference
and with little television exposure, ECU
and schools like it usually are gambles for
bowls.
No bow! games, not even the Rose and
Orange, can take sellouts for granted. And
the Peach, for years, has been in a delicate
financial situation. Its tendency has been to
invite only traditional powers, primarily
from the Southeastern and Big Ten confer-
ences. 7
oWhen we picked ECU, I guess we were
second-guessed to some extent by other
bowls across the board,TT Peach executive
director Robert: Dale Morgan said. oAnd
truthfully, I guess we didnTt know exactly
what to expect in the way of response from
their fans.?
ECUTs reaction startled even the most
optimistic committee members. Pirate
fans bolted in huge numbers to their
telephones, creating unprecedented ticket
demand for a mid-echelon bowl and the
quickest sellout among the 18 postseason
games for NCAA Division I-A teams. ~
oWhatTs happened with us this year could
change a lot of thinking about who you
invite and who you donTt,?T Morgan said.
oECU not only has enhanced its standing
in the bowl] community, but theyTve done a
lot for schools in similar situations.?
Pirate fans long have yearned for the
kind of exposure many schools, N.C. State
among them, can take for granted. The
Peach gave ECU that opportunity.
Pirate alumni
arise in Georgia
Peach Bowl officials say they have ~
been stunned by the sudden emer-
gence of East Carolina alumni in the
Atlanta area.
oWe never realized there were so
many of them in north and middle
Georgia until the past few weeks,T
said Rodney Bowers, a member of
the bowlTs organizing committee.
~ One alumnus is the supervisor of a
shopping mall that connects two
hotels, the Marriott (ECU headquar-
ters) and Hyatt (NCSU headquar-
ters). :
oThe ECU Grad Who. Manages
This Mall Welcomes Pirate Fans!?
reads a huge banner in the shopping
entrance.
Beside that sign is another: oThe
Mall Marketing Director From N.C.
State Welcomes Wolfpack Fans!?T
Behind them is a third banner:
oThe Assistant Mall Manager From
UNC Is Sulking!?T
One ECU supporter said the ban-
ners made her day. :
oFor the first time in our lives,
weTve got something Carolina
doesnTt have,? she said. ITm send-
ing copies of this picture to every on
of my Carolina friends.? " __ :
o1m convinced ECUTs enthusiasm would
have been just about this great whether the
_ opponent was State or not,TT Morgan said.
Another Peach committee member lik-
ened ECUTs response to an oil field. oIt was
there all along, probably,? he said. oBut no
one tapped it. Some bowl probably missed a
heck of an opportunity in 1983, but no one
had enough courage to try it.?T
The °83 Pirates went 8-3 and finished in
the national top 20. That teamTs only losses
were to eventual national champion Miam1
and top-10 opponents Florida and Florida
State, all by narrow margins on the road.
Ironically, it was in 1983 that the Peach
Bowl game between North Carolina and
Florida State drew so few fans and
generated such little interest that the game
went on NCAA probation and nearly lost its
accreditation.
Tuesday
December 31, 1991 .
SORENSEN
Peach Bowl
fans plowing
into Atlanta
ATLANTA " Most of the year,
East Carolina and N.C. State are
85 miles apart. This week, they
are separated only by AtlantaTs
Peachtree Center Avenue. The
East Carolina fans and football
team are staying in the Marriott
Marquis, the N.C. State fans and
football team across the street at
the Hyatt Regency.
It would be great to report
downtown Atlanta is being over-
run by tractors and Caterpillars,
but alas, it would not be true. It
would be great to report because
although Atlanta is the liveliest
city in the South, it knows it. And
it insists you know it. A lot of
Dear John letters are spawned at
these fancy downtown restau-
rants and bars. So what about a
few John Deeres?
Fans from both schools have
come to the Peach Bowl, which
will be played Wednesday at
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium,
mainly by car. But Wolfpack fans
are mainly a rumor. This is East
CarolinaTs show.
Fans wearing Pirates purple fill
the sidewalks and streets. It has
been 13 years since theyTve been
able to accompany their team to
a bowl. If they're rusty, it doesnTt
show.
Although some of the Pirates
players think their 10-1 record
should have been parlayed into
an invitation to a more presti-
gious bowl, others seem as happy
as their fans.
Receiver Hunter Gallimore
couldn't get ascholarship after
graduating in 1987 from WilsonTs
Hunt High. Now, here he is. As a
senior this season, he set a
school record with 49 recep-
tions. And he caught 27.of them
in the last four games.
oTTm thrilled about the Peach
Bowl,? said Gallimore.
é Wolfpack is not. Under
coach Dick Sheridan, the Wolf-
pack plays in bowls almost every
year, and the bowls have always
been little ones. They played in
the All American last season, the
Copper in 1989, and the Peach in
86 and T88.
After winning their first six
games this season, the Wolfpack
envisioned an ACC champion-
ship and a big bowl. Then they
lost to Clemson and were
slammed by Virginia. Now, here
they are.
But for East Carolina, the sea-
son has been tremendous. The
Pirates beat Pittsburgh at home,
Syracuse and Virginia Tech on
the road and South Carolina for
the first time anywhere. They lost
only once, 38-31 to Illinois. And
they might have won that one if
they had not been penalized for
celebrating before starting their
final drive.
There will be celebrations
tonight in Baptist retirement
homes that are more fiery. But
the Pirates were punished. They
have not lost since.
The season has been great,
really great,? said Gallimore. So
many things have happened.
Coming back in the second half
against Illinois and getting into
the Top 20 and beating South
Carolina. We proved we could
win big games, and we had never
done that.?
The teamTs motto is oI
believe.?T Gallimore believes. He
caught 60 passes as a high school
senior, and although Elon and
Lenoir-Rhyne talked to him, nei-
ther offered a scholarship. East
Carolina and N.C. State told him
he could walk on, and he chose
the Pirates because then-coach
Art Baker had a reputation for
being kind to walk-ons.
His teammates werenTt. When
Gallimore reported for his first
practice, he was 5-11, weighed
150 pounds and ran a 4.9 40-yard
dash. He had great hands, but
they werenTt as apparent as his
size and speed.
oYou get banged around,? said
Gallimore. oYou have to earn
respect, and convince the other
players you can play at their
level.? }
Gallimore remembers running
across the middle and getting
slammed by senior defensive
back Ellis Dillahunt. Gallimore
hung on to the pass.
oBut on the way back to the
huddle, I fell five times,?T Galli-
more said.
He recovered: 32 walk-ons
began the season and two, he
and punter John Jett, are on the
team when it ends. Since then,
Gallimore has added a scholar-
ship and 15 pounds and has
dropped .3 from his time in the
40. His hands are still great. And
Poundcake
Classic is the heav
of the bakins
O
The Daily
fair ports
-Change-up =*
ACC loses one coach
and gains another
Reflector
Wednesday, January 1, 1992
Game Day!
Fans turn from revelry
to rekindle an old rivalry
By Tom Morris
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " TheyTve shop-
ped Ttil theyTve dropped and
cheered until theyTre blue in the
face. Finally, game day is here.
After four years of waiting,
the fansT prayers have been an-
swered as East Carolina and
North Carolina State meet in
todayTs Peach Bow! at 11:30
a.m.
TodayTs meeting is a renewal
of one of the most popular col-
lege football rivalries in North
Carolina, and fans from both
schools have spent a memora-
ble week preparing for the
game.
Anestimated 45,000 people
have come from out of state to
see the game (if theyTre lucky
enough to have tickets tu the
sold-out contest) or just take
part in the festivities.
oWe're just a real spirited
group of people,?T said Pirate
fan Bob Lee of Greenville as he
watched the Peach Bowl
parade Tuesday.
oWe havenTt been to a bowl
since 1978 and havenTt hada
winning season since 1983. It
really shows the country that a
small, indpendent school can
really take a big crowd toa
bowl game.?T
ItTs been a week-long party
for Pirate fans, who seem to be
everywhere in downtown Atlan-
ta. Bowl games may be old hat
to N.C. State, but ECU backers
are clearly trying to do it all.
The State fans have been
almost.blase compared to the
exuberant Pirate faithful,
whoTve adorned themselves
with purple and gold clothing,
jewelry, hats, buttons and
stickers. State fans can be
forgiven, though. This is the
schoolTs third trip to the Peach
Bowl in five years.
The fans have shopped the
nearby downtown mall, toured
CNN and taken advantage of
the abundant nightlife in a city
Peach Bowl
e State fan sur-
rounded by purple and
gold
" Page B-1
e A Peach-Bowl
rescue
" Page C-1.
e Let the game be-
gin
" Page C-1
that hasnTt slept much the last
few days.
oWe went to the Hyatt last
night to watch all the State fans
playing bridge,TT said Sherwood
Odom of Raleigh.
Long before the parade
began, the fans began to line
Peachtree Street and started
chanting, PURPLE, GOLD;
PURPLE, GOLD.? The event
turned into a minor pep rally,
climaxed by the arrival of the
ECU band.
oThis is a good showing
here,TT Odom said. Look at all
the purple. I guess itTs lack of
bowl experience.
oTtTs a heck of lot bigger East
Carolina turnout than I ex-
pected. ItTs fun. ITm glad the
game is finally here. Im a little
nervous about the game. ITm a
big fan.?T
A pep rally Tuesday night
drew over 4,000 people to the
- Atlanta Apparel Mart.
The bands and cheerleaders
from both schools gathered in
front of the Marriott Marquis
and led separate entourages on
a three-block march to the ap-
parel mart.
At the pep rally, the bands
traded fight songs and the
cheerleaders stirred the crowd
into a frenzy.
Today, though, the focus fi-
(See FANS, A-9)
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
Boy, left, shows his colors to State cheerleaders
Wednesday, January 11,1992 A-9
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
ECUTs Bill Lewis (1) and NCUSTs Dick Sheridan talk to the media at their final pre-game press conference.
Finally" itTs time to play
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " Fans are anx-
ious. Players are anxious.
Coaches are anxious.
All this waiting has been
nerve-racking but finally, itTs
time to play the game.
After a little more than five
weeks since the end of the regu-
lar season and a long week in
Atlanta, East Carolina and N.C.
State can get down to the busi-
ness of playing the 24th annual
Peach Bowl.
Both teams on Tuesday got
their first visit to Atlan-
ta-Fulton County Stadium and
held brief "_ walk-throughs.
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
oThis is a good
chance for these two
teams to find out just
how good they are.?T
"ECUTs Bill Lewis
Peach Bowl*
ATLANTA " Before the At-
lanta Chamber of Commerce
decided to get involved, the
Peach Bowl was a loser in a ci-
ty of losers.
Attendance was slipping,
revenues were not being gener-
ated, CBS terminated its asso-
ciation with the bowl and mai-
taining certification from the
NCAA was a question.
But now, Atlanta is enjoying
a recent run of good fortune "
a National League West cham-
Kickoff is set for today at 11:37
a.m.
oWhen you go to the stadium,
you should get excited,T ECU
head coach Bill Lewis said.
oWeTve been to the site where
this is all going to happen and
itTs really time to play.
oWith all of the fun things
that have happened, the reason
we are here is to play a game.?T
The meeting is the first be-
tween the in-state rivals since
pionship and World Series ap-
pearance by the Braves; the
Falcons in the second round of
the NFL playoffs; the 1994
Super Bowl; the 1996 Summer
Olympics; Ted Turner being
named TimeTs Man of the Year
" and the Peach Bowl is fol-
lowing suit.
The quickest sellout in its his-
tory this year has Peach Bowl
officials confident their plan is
on course for becoming one of
the nationTs elite bowls.
We knew we had to walk be-
fore we could run,TT Peach Bowl
executive director Robert Dale
1987. The Pirates, making their
first bowl appearance since
1978, come in at 10-1 and are the
nationTs 12th-ranked team. The
Wolfpack, in their fourth
straight bowl, is 9-2 and ranked
22nd.
oThis is a good chance for
these two teams to find out just
how good they are,T Lewis
said. It will be an honor for
East Carolina to be on the same
game program with North Car-
Morgan siad. oWe had a five-
year plan and weTve executed
most of that.?T
The only thing that has not
followed the intended path is
having this yearTs game "
matching East Carolina against
N.C. State " in the yet-to-be
completed Georgia Dome.
The 70,000 seat facility was
originally scheduled to be com-
pleted in 1991, but the state
legislature did not appropriate
the funds in adequate time.
Still, even that delay is turn-
ing up gold, er, silver for the
Peach Bowl, which will cele-
olina State... itTs an honor for
us to have our program lined up
alongside that of Coach (Dick)
SheridanTs program.TT |
The first Peach Bowl to
match two nationally ranked
teams will be the last football
game in Atlanta-Fulton County
Stadium. The Peach Bowl and
the Atlanta Falcons move to the
Georgia Dome later this year.
Near ideal conditions " a
rarity in the recent history of
the bowl " are expected for to-
dayTs game, which has been
sold out for several weeks. Rain
spread through the area over
the weekend, but clear skies
and comfortable temperatures
are forecast for today.
(See FINALLY, C-2)
Chamber made Peach Bowl a winner
brate its silver anniversary in
the first year in the dome.
The ECU-N.C. State matchup
is unique in that two teams
from the same state are com-
peting. It also marks the first
time two ranked teams have
squared off in the Peach.
oT think a lot of people
thought it took a lot of guts to
do it,T Morgan said of sending
ECU against State. To us, it
provided little risk and it ac-
complished the objectives we
set forth when we began our
(See PEACH, C-2)
?
a
.
Fans
(Continued from A-1)
nally turns to football and
scalpers are having a field day
as many have come to Atlanta
without any tickets.
The hotels beefed up security
for last nightTs New YearTs Eve
festivities and Atlanta police
were expecting to do the same
for todayTs game.
oThey told us to expect some
problems,? said officer D.J.
McGinnis of the Atlanta Police
Department. oWeTve been
given some special orders on
how to handle it. ITll tell you
this, theyTre not going to fool
around. TheyTre going to put
some people in jail.T
T
;
Ma
r]
a
c
$
sd
%
|}
pa
/-
oSPE EE ELE EP EF
are
because of ECU-NCSU rivalry
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA " Security has
been increased for the Peach
Bowl because of past problems
at football games between
rivals East Carolina and North
Carolina State, officials said
Tuesday.
Peach Bowl and security of-
ficials at Atlanta-Fulton County
Stadium, the site for Wednes-
dayTs sellout game, said they
- are aware of the history of the
two schools. They said . they
have prepared for any trouble
during or after the game.
oTt (security) was a con-
~ siderationT when choosing the
two teams, said A. Neill
Cameron, chairman of the
board of the Peach Bowl. Se-
curity whenever you get a
" crowd in a competitive situa-
_ tion is a concern.
oAfter discussions with the
athletic departments and the
administrations of the two
schools they felt it wasnTt an
exaggerated problem so we'll
treat it that way. But we donTt
anticipate anything other than
a good, competitive game.?T
A record crowd of more than
59,000 1s expected for the 11:37
a.m. kickoff.
East Carolina faced the
Wolfpack in Raleigh, .N.C., for
18 years before the heated ri-
Peach Bowl beefs up security
Peach Bowl is no longer a loser
After discussions
with the athletic de-
partments and the ad-
ministrations of the two
schools they felt it
wasnTt an exaggerated
problem so we'll treat it
that way. But we donTt
anticipate anything oth-
er than a good, com-
petitive game.TT
"A. Neill Cameron
Peach Bowl
valry ended in 1987 after a
postgame riot. Fans stormed
down the grass bank onto the
Carter-Finley Stadium field,
knocking down a fence, pulling
down the goal posts and inju-
ring a security guard.
There were also numerous
fights between fans.
After that game, the series
-eame to a halt with East Caro-
lina winning three of the last
five games. Fans bought every
available ticket in the fastest
sellout in the Peach BowlTs 24-
year history.
Cameron and: security of-
ficials at the stadium refused to
say how many police and secu-
rity personnel will be at the
New YearTs Day game.
oTt will be a little more than
for a Falcons game and a little
less than for an Olympics,?
Cameron said.
In addition, the game will be
the last football game played at
the stadium, and fans will be
coming to the contest after
celebrating a festive New
YearTs Eve.
oT think that plays a part in
it,T said Terri Brennan, direc-
tor of stadium operations and
security at the stadium. oHope-
fully, they: will be tired and not
too wound up. Hopefully, it
wonTt be a huge factor.?
Ms. Brennan said mounted
polTse wonTt be used as in
World Series games at the
stadium in October. She said
-mounted police were used to
keep fans off the field so future
games could be played, but that
wonTt be a problem during
WednesdayTs football finale.
Security for football is much
tougher than baseball, she said.
During the World Series it
was a totally different crowd
than football,TT she said. oThere
is less field accessibility. For
football you can come out of the
stands anywhere.?T
Emotions will also play a big
part, she said.
oIf N.C. State wins, nothing
will happen, but if East Caroli-
na wins they will take the
field,T Ms. Brennan said.
(Continued From C-1)
team selection process.TT
Morgan said ideally the bowl
would liked two ranked teams
with an intersectional game
with a Southern host. But
State-ECU presented an attrac-
tive package.
oWe were not going to jeop-
ardize quality,T Morgan said.
oTf the next best came from the
South, so be it.?T
The Peach Bowl reached its
lowest point in 1985 when an
announced 29,857 attended Ar-
myTs win over Illinois.
In July 1986, the Atlanta
Chamber of Commerce formed
a task force to investigate if the
bowl was worth saving. There
three main concerns were eco-
nomic impact, visibility for the
city and the impact on quality
of life.
The 1992 bowl has attracted
an unprecedented 45,000 fans
from outside the city and will
generate in excess of $35 mil-
lion as compared to $25 million
produced by the World Series.
A multi-year contract with
ESPN and a mass of print and
electronic media guarantee the
city excellent exposure.
oWhen the Chamber got in-
volved in T86, they began to run
it like a business,T Morgan
said. We began to put more ef-
fort into it, both at a staff level
and volunteers and leadership.
The volunteers and leadership
was enhanced not only in
numbers, but in quality.?
Volunteers, who serve on 16
committees, have grown to
around 450. Bringing Morgan,
A. Neill Cameron Jr. (execu-
tive vice president and manag-
ing director of Oglivy and
MatherTs Atlanat Office who
was named Peach Bowl chair-
man in January, 1991) and
Gerald L. Bartels (President of
the Peach Bow] and the Atlanta
Chamber of Commerce) on
board have been a driving force
in the bowlTs resurrection.
Morgan, who was hired as
assistant executive director in
1986, has implemented a
strategic marketing plan that
has enabled the bow! to move to
New YearTs Day, increase by
66.3 percent the payout to par-
ticipating teams and increase
by 74 percent corporate spon-
sorship.
The last eight Peach Bowl
teams received at least
$800,000.
oTf I can ynake two institu-
tions and the city of Atlanta
happy, weTve met every objec-
tive we started out for,?
Morgan said.
Today is the first time the
Peach Bowl has been held on
New YearTs Day. The 1993
game will be the only bow] held
on Jan. 2.
oWe wanted to be a New
YearTs Day game or certainly
have the importance of a New
YearTs Day game,T Morgan
said.
Washington 34
Michigan =e (4
Florida State {0
Texas A&M 2
Syracuse 24
Ohio State 7
YEART
COMPLETE BOWL COVERAGE a. \ td
Sports
SECTION E
THE ATLANTA CONSTITUTION
wk
THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 1992
East Carolina believers
revel in latest miracle
n the space below, there will be no
discussion of Georgia TechTs search for a
coach. To focus on that would be to deny Bill
Lewis and his gallant players their moment
of moments. No program in the land came
further in 1991 than East Carolina, and on
the first day of 1992 the Pirates made their
giddy journey complete. They won the
Peach Bowl over a snooty neighbor after
trailing by 17 points with eight minutes left.
oPoetic justice,T Lewis called the game.
oThis just went with all weTve done all year.?
East Carolina finished 11-1, the Peach
Bowl miracle being the latest and greatest in
a series. In eight of their victories the
Pirates trailed; in five their winning points
came in the fourth quarter. So often had
East Carolina done the improbable that,
even at the darkest moments in Atlanta-
Fulton County Stadium, even as the red-clad
North Carolina State fans were sure theyTd
squashed the upstarts ... even then, the
unbowed horde of Pirate backers could be
heard chanting: oWe believe! We believe!?
And doggone if this dogged little team didnTt
make believers of everybody watching.
Good slogan, but players did it
For East Carolina, belief had its genesis
in the last week of September. The Pirates
were about to play South Carolina, a school
ECU had never beaten. Said Lewis: oWe felt
we werenTt all on the same page as far as
believing we could beat South Carolina. So
on Tuesday I told the players, We as
coaches believe in you. I believe in you.T And
we printed up a sign " it wasnTt fancy, just
an 8-by-11 sheet of paper we ran off in the
office " that said, I believe.T And on game
day we tacked that to the top of every
playerTs locker.?
Someone noted that a coach at Kentucky,
the long-forgotten John Ray, made oWe
believe? his teamTs credo. Alas, the Wildcats
won but 10 games in four seasons and the
believer Ray got fired. Hearing, Lewis
laughed.
oTf weTd have lost to South Carolina,? he
said, those signs probably wouldTve been
thrown in the trash can. ... [But] thereTs
nothing in signs or slogans if you donTt have
the players.?
East Carolina did. Quarterback Jeff
Blake closed a stunning season in heroic
style, throwing 51 times for 378 yards,
completing 15 of 21 passes in the final 8:41.
oT think everybody was scared or worried,?
Blake said of the 17-point deficit, obut thatTs
part of life.? With 7:26 to play, Blake ran for
a touchdown to pull the Pirates within 10.
Three minutes later he hit Dion Johnson to
cut the lead to four. Inside the final two
minutes Blake hit Luke Fisher on a hitch
over the middle, and the splendid tight end
turned and lugged the last of his dozen
catches into the end zone.
Rocking the stadium at 10:25 a.m.
Ninety-two seconds remained. The
Pirate defense huddled on the sideline. Said
the All-America linebacker Robert Jones:
oWe just said, Hold Tem one more time and
our dream can come true.T ? East Carolina
did, just. With the ball on the ECU 31 and six
seconds left, State coach Dick Sheridan
chose to play for the tie, but Damion
HartmanTs kick sailed wide right. The
Pirates had won. For those in purple, joy
Hurricanes, Huskies claim,
FROM STAFF REPORTS
iami made its point, but
so did Washington. The
Hurricanes capped a
perfect 12-0 season in the Or-
ange Bowl, and the Huskies
did the same Wednesday by
dominating the Rose Bowl.
WhoTs No. 1?
oWho knows how the vot-
ers will vote?? said Miami
coach Dennis Erickson after a
22-0 victory over Nebraska
gave the Hurricanes a chance
at their fourth national title in
nine years.
Miami finished the regular
season ranked No. 1 (by 14
points) in The Associated
Press writersT poll, tied for
first with Washington in the
USA Today-CNN coachesT poll
and No. 2 behind the Huskies
in the United Press Interna-
tional poll.
Washington made a case
for its first national title by
shutting down Heisman Tro-
phy winner Desmond Howard
in a 34-14 Rose Bowl rout of
& Georgia Tech wants a new
coach within a week E3
® Pat Sullivan to be named
head coach at TCU today E7
No. 4 Michigan.
Afterward, Washington
coach Don James said, oIf Mi-
ami wins and we both donTt get
at least some part of the na-
tional championship, itTs going
to be a disaster.?
All three final polis will be
released today.
Another question: WhoTs
No. 3?
Third-ranked Florida was
stunned 39-28 by No. 18 Notre
Dame in the Sugar Bowl as
Irish fullback Jerome Bettis
scored three touchdowns in a
span of 2:44 in the final five
minutes.
No. 5 Florida State, with
the help of eight turnovers by
Texas A&M, won 10-2 in a
rain-soaked Cotton Bowl and
could move up in the polls. But
the Seminoles (11-2), ranked
No. 1 until losing their final
eTre the 1!
two regular-season games to
Miami and Florida, finished
third in their home state.
No. 6 Penn State also bid to
move up, surging past No. 10
_ Tennessee 42-17 in the Fiesta
Bowl.
The dayTs smorgasbord of
eight bowl games left Peach
Bowl winner East Carolina
with a chance at an unprece-
dented top-10 finish. The No.
12 Pirates could pass Tennes-
see, No. 9 Texas A&M and No.
11 Nebraska.
Tight end Luke Fisher catches a touchdown pass to put East Carolina ahead 37-34 with 1:32 remaining.
E. Carolina
rally stuns
N.C. State
By Darryl Maxie
STAFF WRITER
Until the middle of the
fourth quarter Wednesday,
12th-ranked East Carolina and
its rallying cry " oI believe?
" were taking a North Caroli-
na State beating in the Peach
Bowl.
Then,
began.
the unbelievable
East Carolina quarterbackT
Jeff Blake ran for one touch-
down and threw for two more,
Complete coverage E5
making tight end Luke Fisher
look as unstoppable as Luke
Skywalker.
Blake and Fisher connect-
ed on a 22-yard touchdown
with 1:32 left, giving the Pi-
rates a 37-34 victory before a
Peach Bowl-record crowd of
is ahs ROT Sinha Re
LOUIE FAVORITE/Staff
Front 3
heed call
of HogsT
Falcon defensive line
at a size disadvantage
By Len Pasquarelli
STAFF WRITER
The heaviest weight the At-
lanta FalconsT defensive line
figures to carry into Satur-
dayTs NFC semifinal against
the Washington Redskins is
the giant-sized chip the unit is
toting around on its collective
shoulder these days.
Always undersized but
rarely overmatched in intensi-
ty, the FalconsT front three
nonetheless came under fire
during SaturdayTs 27-20 first-
round playoff victory in New
Orleans. The ABC crew broad-
casting the game frequently
criticized the unit and pointed
out its physical limitations.
Despite the fact theyTll give
away nearly 30 pounds per
man to WashingtonTs famed
oHogs? offensive line Satur-
day, the FalconsT defensive
linemen vow to hold their own.
oHey, we donTt get knocked
off the ball like people have
been claiming we do; thatTs
just bull,? said Tim Green, the
NFLTs lightest starting defen-
sive lineman, at 245 pounds.
oIf we took people on toe-to-
toe and tried to just play
smash-mouthT football with
them all the time, yeah, weTd
have a tough time.
oBut thatTs not our style
and youTd think the [broad-
casters} doing the game last
week would have understood
that. I, mean,/theyTre down to
the final eight teams playing,
weTre one of them, and these
guys are on us like crazy.
Look, nobodyTs abusing us.?
The NFLTs lightest front
three " the average weight of
starters Green, Moe Gardner
and Rick Bryan is 256 pounds,
exactly 20 pounds under the
leagueTs average unit " the
Falcons compensate with an
Please see FALCONS, ES
Heavy-duty lightweights
The FalconsT starting defen-
sive line is, on a per-player ba-
sis, the lightest in the NFL.
Here are the five lightest and
five heaviest lines:
LIGHTEST
Avg. weight
256.0
259.5
264.8
268.0
268.5
was unconfined.
At 10:25 a.m., more than an hour before
kickoff, the East Carolina folks were raising
such a din inside the stadium that the roar
could be heard two parking lots away, surely
the loudest ruckus ever raised before noon
on New YearTs Day. Said Lewis: oIt was
something. We were still in the locker room,
but you could hear it. You could feel it.?
It was as if the citizenry of Greenville,
.N.C. " roughly 36,000 folks " had
transplanted themselves into one drafty old
.ballpark. They came wearing their teamTs
gaudy colors and brandishing foam-rubber
swords, which they used to perform
something called the Saber Slash, which is a
takeoff on the you-know-what. They came
and they slashed and they chanted, and
when it was done maybe 5,000 of them
rushed the field in ecstasy. For even the
truest Pirate believer, the day had been
sweet beyond belief.
» HAPPY
59,322 in Atlanta-Fulton Coun-
ty Stadium.
The 21st-ranked Wolfpack
led 34-17 with 8:41 left and
backpedaled into a position in
which it would have been hap-
py to salvage a tie. ThatTs what
. Damon Hartman tried to get
on the gameTs final play, but
his 49-yard attempt sailed
wide right as time expired.
With that, the field was en-
gulfed in a purple sea of East
Carolina fans, many digging
up the grass as souvenirs of a
crowning achievement. It was
the 11th consecutive victory
for the Pirates (11-1). | :
oWe just concluded a fan- ~ alu sy a
tastic season,? East Carolina Psat igo
East CarolinaTs Dion Johnson leaps over the goal line for a touchdown in the
Please see PEACH, E5 fourth quarter as North Carolina StateTs Ricky Turner watches.
£
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EVENT COD!
lee
3 her
UM
Team
Atlanta
Tampa Bay
Minnesota
Dallas
N.Y. Jets
a
teats
All Taxes Incl. If Applicable
~ a
= «(
ADM$
11:30 A.M.
sal
HEAVIEST
Avg. weight
290.0
286.5
286.3
285.0
282.2
Team
San Diego
Cleveland
Chicago
Philadelphia
Phoenix
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ROW
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24TH ANNUAL PEACH BOWL
JANUARY 1, 1992 -
ATLANTA-FULTON COUNTY STADI
wo om
,
N.C. State
'E. Carolina 7 10 O0 20"37
* East Carolina: Cedric Van Buren 5 pass from Jeff Blake
_ 2:28. N.C. State 7, East Carolina7.
-. Second quarter
. North Carolina State: Todd Harrison 4 pass from Terry
T 2:36. N.C. State 14, East Carolina 7.
.. North Carolina State: Robert Hinton 14 pass from Jor-
T North Carolina State: Greg Manior 1 run (kick
. blocked), 2:34. Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 3:50. N.C. State
~~ Fourth quarter
The Atlanta Journal / The Atlanta Constitution
SPORTS
aaa Thursday, January 2, 1992 ES
~ COLLEGE FOOTBALL: EAST CAROLINA 37, NORTH CAROLINA STATE 34
Lewis: ITm not looking to move but will listen if Tech calls
By Earnest Reese
STAFF WRITER
An hour or so after his teamTs thrilling victory,
over rival North Carolina State in the Peach Bowl,
East Carolina coach Bill Lewis said he isnTt actively
pursuing the Georgia Tech job but added, oI'd have
to talk to them? if the Yellow Jackets called.
Lewis, a Tech assistant 20 years ago and a mem-
ber of Vince DooleyTs Georgia staff for nine years,
has been mentioned repeatedly as a possible re-
placement for former Georgia Tech coach Bobby
Ross. Lewis insisted Wednesday, however, that he
was going back to Greenville, N.C., with his team
and that he is not necessarily eager to leave East
Carolina.
oITve got a job I love right now,T Lewis said. oI
work for sume of the finest people in college today,
and ITm very comfortable with that.?
If Lewis was actively pursuing the job, his New
YearTs Day audition did nothing to hurt his chan-
ces. His teamTs comeback from a 17-point deficit
for a 37-34 victory was not only exciting, but left:
East Carolina with an 11-1 record and Lewis as one
of the hottest commodities in the business.
Only last month he took his name out of the run-
ning for the top job at Maryland. No sooner had he
done that than his name was connected with Geor-
woe Z - - big 3 oa ois HE
gia Tech, which would have to deal with a $380,000
buyout clause that East Carolina included in his
contract.
While it appears to some that there are not
many more worlds to conquer at East Carolina,
Lewis, a finalist for coach of the year with MiamiTs
Dennis Erickson, WashingtonTs Don James and
FloridaTs Steve Spurrier, begs to differ.
oWhen we came to East Carolina, we talked
about Florida State and how they turned the cor-
ner,? Lewis said. ooThey had to start somewhere. I
think weTre building something at East Carolina
that is very exciting.
oOnce we realized we had the capabilities, good
things started to happen to us.?
Returning players at East Carolina almost to a
man say that losing Lewis and his staff would cer-
tainly hurt the program, but not necessarily devas-
tate it.
oIf he leaves, it would be very disappointing,
and it would affect the program [adversely] a lit-
tle,? junior cornerback Tim Marchmon said. oBut
we know how to fight through adversity. HeTs
taught us that, and how to believe in ourselves. I
think weTd be able to carry on because of the senior
leadership. We had it this year, and I think weTll
have it next year.?
¢
BY THE NUMBERS "
7 713 7"34
First quarter
North Carolina State: Gary Downs 2 run (Damon Hart-
man kick), 7:50. Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, 6:09. N.C.
State 7, East Carolina 0.
(Anthony Brenner kick), 5:22. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards,
Jordan (Hartman kick), 14:10. Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards,
East Carolina: Brenner 27 FG, 6:41. Drive: 10 plays, 61
yards, 3:43. N.C. State 14, East Carolina 10.
East Carolina: Hunter Gallimore 55 pass from Blake
(Brenner kick), 1:39. Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, 1:36. East
Carolina 17, N.C. State 14.
Third quarter
dan (Hartman kick), 9:35. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 5:25.
N.C. State 21, East Carolina 17.
27, East Carolina 17.
North Carolina State: Charles Davenport 52 pass from
Ledel George (Hartman kick), 13:01. Drive: 2 plays, 51
yards, 0:49. N.C. State 34, East Carolina 17.
East Carolina: Blake 2 run (Brenner kick), 7:26. Drive: 7
plays, 32 yards, 1:58. N.C. State 34, East Carolina 24.
East Carolina: Dion Johnson 17 pass from Blake (pass
failed), 4:18. Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards, 2:06. N.C. State
34, East Carolina 30.
East Carolina: Luke Fisher 22 pass from Blake (Brenner.
kick), 1:32. Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards, 1:05. East Carolina
East Carolina players celebrate after the 37-34 victory over North Carolina State in the Peach Bowl.
MARLENE KARAS/Staff
Fancy
passing
by Blake
Four TDs despite
a cramped thumb
By Karen Rosen
STAFF WRITER
Thumbs up to East Carolina
quarterback Jeff Blake, who was -
so effective Wednesday in the
Peach Bowl that he threw his fi-
nal two touchdown passes with-
out the use of the thumb on his
passing hand.
BlakeTs numbers added up to
four fingers, four touchdown
passes " a Peach Bowl record.
The senior from Sanford, Fla.,
also rushed for a fourth-quarter
score as East Carolina surged
37, N.C. State 34.
TEAM STATS
N.C. St.
E.Car.
First downs
20
24
Rushing
12
6
Passing
7
17
Penalty
1
1
Rushing yards
42
Rushing attempts
56
24
Yards gained
239
85
Yards lost
53
43
Passing yards
378
Attempted
24
51
Completed
16
31
Had intercepted
1
3
Total yards
383
420
Offensive plays
80
7
Yards per play
4.8
5.6
Return yards
38
53
Fumbles-lost
1-1
4-1
Penalties-yards
5-34
8-45
Interceptions-yards
3-14
1-20
Punts-yards
8-286
4-166
Average
35.8
41.5
Punt returns-yards
3-24
5-33
Kickoff returns-yards 6-142
3-104
Possession time
36:07
23:53
Third-down conversions 9-18
5-11
Sacks by-yards
lost
3-17
3-33
INDIVIDUAL STATS
N.C. State
RUSHING
Att
Yds Avg
&
| Barbour
23
41
_
Manior
15
3.7
Downs
10
6.3
Williams
1
0.0
Jordan
6
0.0
Davenport
1
0.0
Totals
56
239 4.3
OjpOloj oo] o; olan
"_
NM] SO} oO] 0] =| +/o] 0
PASSING
Att
Com Yds lg
Jordan
23
15 145 23
George
1
Wet ea
Totals
24
16. 197 52
w}]"|rojg
RECEIVING
Att
Yds Avg
Davenport
118 = 19.7
George
ee
Harrison
4.0
Shaw
3.0
Williams
30. 75
Hinton
6
1
1
2
4
2
37. 185
Totals
16
197- 12.3
we} -/ofo/=jo}/-ig
PUNTING
Att Yds Avg
Kilpatrick
Bee 86) 30.8
Totals
8 286 = 35.8
East Carolina
RUSHING
Att
Yds Avg
Blake
10
13 1.3
Van Buren
11
68 6.2
. Daniels
2
4 2.0
Johnson
1
0 0.0
Totals
24
85 3.5
PASSING
Att
Com Yds lg
Blake
51
31 378 =55
Totals
51
31. 378 | 55
RECEIVING
Att
Yds Avg
Fisher
12
144 = 12.0
22
Johnson
9.3,
17
Gallimore
22.6
55
Van Buren
6.0
8
Daniels
-2.0
-2.0
Driver
CTA au is)
21
Totals
10.5
55
PUNTING
Att Yds Avg
Lg
Jetty
4 16641
Gi
48
4 166 41
5
48
* Totals
Players, coaches agree: Rivalry should resume
By Earnest Reese
and Karen Rosen
STAFF WRITERS
If it were left up to the coach-
es and the players at East Caroli- |
na and North Carolina State, the
series between the rivals that
was discontinued four years ago
would be resumed as soon as
possible.
oAll I can do is take the same.
position ITve taken all along,?
Wolfpack coach Dick Sheridan
said after his team had been
beaten 37-34 by the Pirates. oITd
like to see the game resume. ItTs
a great rivalry.?
Said ECU coach Bill Lewis,
who was facing the Wolfpack for
the first time in his three years in
Greenville, oI think it would be
something very positive for the
state of North Carolina. ITd like to
see the game played on a regular
basis. I donTt know about every
year, but something could be
worked out.?
Officials at both schools
agreed to terminate the series af-
ter a brawl ensued following the
PiratesT 32-14 victory over N.C.
State in 1987.
oLook at what happened out,
there today. There was no prob-
lem " just two teams trying to
prove they were the best in the
state,? said Pirates center Keith
Arnold, a senior from Kennesaw.
oTt would be great if the schools
start playing games. How else
can we prove which team is the
best in the state??
Wolfpack linebacker Billy
Ray Haynes, who said the Peach
Bowl loss to ECU leaves him
osick to my stomach,? would like
nothing more than a resumption
of the series.
oTf it can be done, obviously
yes,T said Haynes, a junior who
led the team in tackles. oIt was a
great ballgame, and I donTt know
of any trouble that happened. ItTs
an incredible rivalry, and itTs a
shame not to play it.?
LOUIE FAVORITE/Staff
A fumble by N.C. StateTs Greg Manior is recovered by Derek Taylor in the second quarter.
Stadium security stays out of fansT way
By Karen Rosen
STAFF WRITER
When East Carolina began its
relentless comeback, and Pirate
fans made ready to storm the
field in the fourth quarter of
WednesdayTs Peach Bowl game, '
the director of stadium opera-
tions and security made a de-
cision. .
oWe'll just let them take it,?
said Terri Brennan.
Peach Bowl officials said
there were no arrests and fans
were generally well-behaved.
Security officers were en-
trenched in both end zones, pri-
marily to guard the goal posts.
The posts were safe, but fans tore
up the turf with abandon, obliter-
ating the S in Pirates.? One fan
filled a duffel bag with turf.
NOTEBOOK
Nothing was sacred, not even
the players.
oItTs almost as bad as the
game, guys hitting you in the
head and stuff,? said tight end
Luke Fisher.
The helmet of Pirates offen-
sive tackle Tom Scott was sto-
len. With Scott 6-feet-7 and 338
pounds, the helmet must have
been taken while he wasnTt
looking.
RECORD DAY: The last Peach
Bowl in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadi-
um set eight records:
Attendance: 59,322, (old rec-
ord 58,737 set in 1987 at the Tennes-
see-Indiana Peach Bowl).
Most points by a losing team:
34 by N.C. State, (old record 29 by Il-
linois in 1985).
» Most passes had intercepted:
three by East Carolina (ties North
Carolina in 1976 and.Clemson, 1979).
Most TDs passing: Four by
ECU (old record, three by six
teams).
Fewest times penalized: Five
by N.C. State (ties Arizona State in
1970); Georgia, 1973; and Vanderbilt
1974).
Most passes completed: 47 "
ECU 31, NCSU 16 (old record 43, Illi-
nois 38, Army five in 1985).
Most TD passes thrown: Four
by Jeff Blake, ECU (old record.
three, held by five players).
Most passes caught: 12, Luke
Fisher of ECU (old record nine, by
Cap Boso, Illinois in 1985; and Vic-
tor Hall, Auburn, 1990).
past N.C. State 37-34.
BlakeTs right hand started
cramping late in the third quar-
ter. Trainers massaged his fin-
gers, but the thumb was useless.
oT was throwing with four fin-
gers,? said Blake, oOn that last
touchdown, my hand was cramp-
ing all over the place.?
But his aim was true.
oHe can put the ball where it
needs to be at any time,? said
tight end Luke Fisher, who
caught 12 passes " also a Peach
Bowl record " for 144 yards and
the winning TD. oWeTre always
confident when JeffTs back
there.?
Only East Carolina wanted
Blake as a quarterback out of
high school. This year he fin-
ished seventh in the Heisman
balloting after passing for 3,073
yamds, In the Peach Bowl, he
completed 31 of 51 passes for 378
yards with three interceptions.
oHeTs got a rifle, thatTs for
sure,? said N.C. State linebacker
Billy Ray Haines. oIf thereTs any,
room between you and the re-
ceiver, heTll stick it in there.?
However, Haines feels.
BlakeTs size " 6-1, 194 pounds "
could eventually be a disad- |
vantage.
- Yet with BlakeTs strong show-
ing on national television,
BlakeTs godfather, baseball play-
er Tim Raines said, oIf he doesnTt
deserve to play professional " as
a quarterback, then somethingTs
wrong.?
oHe carries that team,? said
N.C. State quarterback Terry
Jordan, who was 15-of-23 for 145
yards.
- For. a while, however, it ap-
-peared that Jordan, a senior who
had broken his non-throwing
arm in the fourth game of the
season and had not played since,
would carry his team to victory.
While both quarterbacks
were sacked three times, the key
sack was JordanTs. On first-and-
10 from the ECU 36, noseguard
Zalm Cunmulai and defensive
tackle Daryl Taylor caught him
for an 18-yard loss with 26 sec-
onds left.
» Continued from El
we were behind, you couldnTt
ple chanting We believeT or I
believe.T ?
N.C. State coach Dick Sheri-
dan, whose 9-3 team failed to
earn an unprecedented 10th
win, couldnTt believe it. oI
wouldTve thought 34 points
wouldTve been enough.?
The Pirates knew better,
-
coach Bill Lewis said. When -
help but hear the people in pur- ©
having come from behind in the
fourth quarter to win three oth-
er games this season. Even with
Blake passing for four touch-
downs and 378 yards " includ-
ing 12 passes to Fisher for 144
yards " they were uneasy.
oEverybody was a little
scared or worried, but never
gave up,? Blake said. As long
as you never give up, youTve got
a chance.?
Even N.C. State split end
Charles Davenport, who caught
a 52-yard touchdown pass from
a fullback, wasnTt comfortable
with the 17-point lead the TD
brought with 13:01 left..
oT told the kids we needed
just one touchdown, no matter
how long it takes,? Pirates of-
fensive coordinator Steve Lo-
gan said. oOnce they got that
touchdown, they looked at the
scoreboard and said, Hey,
guess what? WeTre close enough
Peach: East Carolina rallies from 17-point deficit to defeat rival North
to do it now.T ?T
And the Pirates did it, even
though N.C. State moved from
its 29 to East CarolinaTs 31 in
the final 1:27. The Pirates were
expecting a Hail Mary pass for
the final play instead of Hart-
manTs field-goal try.
oT wanted to do something
like that,? Wolfpack quarter-
back Terry Jordan said.
Said Logan, oI was shocked.
My heart wouldTve been in my
Carolina State -
throat had they thrown into the
end zone. Then I was relieved
because I knew at the very
worst we werenTt going to lose.?
Having already caught one
improbable touchdown, howev-
er, Davenport said he didnTt
think a second was realistic. _
oA touchdown was kind of
farfetched,? he said. oI think
Coach Sheridan made a good
decision. I have no regrets.?
OF Ge Naar \to
te, wer AGrnd 2.
SH FG USh 8 1.8 7)
1 yn neane? v3
oe 1
=-29 Want an AIDS test? Get in line
Local/1C
a ItTs been a long holiday this year
Local/1C
~" Che Charlotte Observer
Metro Final (4)
Thursday, January 2, 1992
A 50 Cents
An ECU celebration
BOB LEVERONE/Staff
As East Carolina fans storm the field at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, a cheerleader hugs ECU player Greg Grandison.
.C. fans put their brand on Atlanta
J New YearTs Day bowl scores r
Citrus : California 37, Clemson 13
Cotton: Florida State 10, Texas A&M 2
Staff Writer
Fiesta: Penn State 42, Tennessee 17
belonged to North C
Hall of Fame: Syracuse 24, Ohio State 17 ©
Fans of the East
Orange: Miami 22, Nebraska 0
pack, whose college
Peach: E. Carolina 37, N.C. State 34
Bowl.
Rose: Washington 34, Michigan 14
Sugar: Notre Dame 39, Florida 28
over the streets a
parking lots.
Complete coverage in Sports/Section B
By CHARLES CHANDLER
ATLANTA " On New YearTs Day
1992, much of the SouthTs largest city
Pirates and N.C. State University Wolf-
been dormant for four years, came South
en masse for the 24th annual Peach
They took over the hotels. They took
over the restaurants and bars. They took
Peach Bowl invasionTs rewards are many
record 59,322 seats to watch a heart-
stopper of a game.
East Carolina, playing in its first bowl
in 13 seasons, won 37-34 by staging a
dramatic fourth-quarterback comeback
from a 34-17 deficit and then surviving
N.C. StateTs last-second field-goal try,
which would have tied the game.
It's awesome. ItTs terrific. ItTs all those
big, long, terrific, wonderful words |
canTt think of right now,? said Keith
Shaffer, an East Carolina fan.
oTTve never wanted to win a game
more than this one,?T said Tammy Can-
arolina.
Carolina University
football rivalry had
nd sidewalks and
But, most of all, they took over
Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, filling a
Please see Bowl/page 4A
War-weary
salvadorans
praise accord
By MARJORIE MILLER
Los Angeles Times
SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador "
Tired of war and unfulfilled prom-
dses of peace, Salvadorans
Wednesday greeted the announce-
ment of a U.N.-brokered cease-fire
to end 12 years of civil war with
cautious expressions of hope and
customary skepticism.
In the streets and on radio talk
shows, Salvadorans said they were
confused about the accord for a
Feb. 1 cease-fire that was ham-
mered out before midnight on
New YearTs Eve by U.N. Secretary-
General Javier Perez de Cuellar
during his final minutes in the
international post.
Neither the U.S.-backed govern-
ment nor leftist rebels offered the
public details of their agreement,
which is to be signed in Mexico on
Jan. 16.
oThey say thereTs going to be
peace,? said Maria Agueda, 48,
who was uprooted from her rural
home by combat and forced to
move to the city. oWhat they say
sounds good, but we have to see
what they do.?
oFor so many years they have
been saying peace, peace,? added
Isrl Guzman, 24, a baker. No
one is going to believe it until we
see it:
The settlement, said to be 80
pages, was the culmination of 20
months of U.N.-sponsored negoti-
ations and Perez de CuellarTs final
triumph before leaving after a
decade as secretary general.
Both sides said they reached
agreement on most major issues
that had been outstanding since
President Alfredo Cristiani and
commanders of the Farabundo
Marti National Liberation Front
signed a general accord for the
rebelsT integration into civilian life
last September.
The two sides had to negotiate
four major issues: reducing the
590,000-member armed forces;
Please see Peace/page 15A
Pact marks
victory for
Cristiani
By LEE HOCKSTADER
Washington Post
NEW YORK " When Alfredo
Cristiani, the American-educated
scion of a wealthy land-owning
family, was running for president
of El Salvador three years ago, his
opponents derided him as a pup-
pet for right-wing extremists.
But with
the landmark
pre rare e
accord to
end a 12-year-old civil war, signed
virtually at the stroke of the new
year at the United Nations, Cristi-
ani has confounded his critics.
Rather than a tool of the some-
times murderous right, Cristiani
has shown himself in 20 months of
talks as an unflappable moderate
who has led the country toward
peace despite extremistsT barbs.
More than just a peace settle-
ment, the various accords signed
by the Cristiani government and
the guerrillas during the course of
the talks amount to a broad com-
mitment for a reformed society,
marked by stronger respect for
human rights, strengthened civil-
ian institutions and a_ stripped-
down role for the armed forces.
Diplomats and guerrilla leaders
involved in the talks leading to the
peace accord said that it was
CristianiTs decision to come to the
United Nations, first for a broad
political agreement in September
and again this week for the final
stages of hard bargaining, that set
the stage for the breakthrough.
On both occasions, his decision
Please see Settlement/page 14A
A Atlanta
Continued from page 1A
non, a 1988 N.C. State graduate.
The game was a dream matchup
of two teams that have met 18
times before, but not since East
Carolina fans stormed the field,
causing damage and injuries after
ECU won the 1987 game at N.C,
StateTs Carter-Finley Stadium. The
series was subsequently canceled
and attempts to renew it had
failed.
But when the Peach Bowl put
the rivalry back together, even for
just a day, the game was an instant
-sellout.
oItTs the biggest game ever
because we may not see this again
until ITm 65 years old and walking
on crutches, or at least with a
cane,? said Cole King, a 1983 East
Carolina graduate who was wear-
ing a Beat State? button.
The crowd was the largest in the
bowlTs history and the largest ever
to witness two N.C. teams play one
another.
The stadium was a sea of Pirates
purple and gold, of Wolfpack red
and white. From the field or from
up high, there were no clear divid-
ing lines. Friends, neighbors, fam-
ily members, even spouses, were
seated together, cheering against
one another.
As much as it was a sporting
event, it was a time to socialize, to
see old friends and classmates.
Many of the fans made the trip
from North Carolina to Atlanta via
I-85 on Tuesday. Most of their cars
had a red or a purple flag waving in
the wind. When they stopped at
rest areas, they spoke to one
another and predicted victory.
Once they arrived in Atlanta,
they unloaded their wallets and
eo a
pocketbooks. Peach Bowl officials
projected an economic impact on
Atlanta of $35 million, which they
said was more than was made in
the three days that the Atlanta
Braves hosted the Minnesota
Twins in the World Series three
months ago.
oThis has been a terrific week
for Atlanta, and for both these
schools,T said Neill Cameron,
Peach Bowl chairman.
The pregame buildup was
immense in recent weeks and
continued Wednesday as the final
minutes before kickoff ticked
away.
The teams exchanged the lead
several times before 21st-ranked
N.C. State took control, leading
34-17 with less than eight minutes
remaining.
Despite the deficit, East Carolina
fans. remained faithful, hopeful of
capitalizing on their big chance.
For years, they have lived in the
shadow of the ACC and have been
unable in recent seasons to get
such old rivals as the Wolfpack
and University of North Carolina
Tar Heels to schedule them.
Trailing by 17, they began to
chant the teamTs theme this sea-
son: oWe Believe.? Pirates coach
Bill Lewis said the team heard
them.
And the players responded, as
quarterback Jeff Blake led a three-
touchdown comeback that gave
them the win, an 11-1 record anda
probable Top 10 ranking today
when the final Associated Press
Top 25 is released.
They were ranked 12th before
Wednesday.
The celebration was enormous.
Fans hugged one another, pumped
their fists into the air and waved
their yellow ECU foam sabers.
oIt was the best football game
I've ever seen,? said Kathy Jones,
an East Carolina booster.
N.C. State fan David Smith saw it
captured by forces from North (Carolina)
It's awesome. ItTs terrific,TT said Keith Shaffer, an ECU fan.
BOB LEVERONE/Staff
Jubilant fans: East Carolina University fans at Atlanta-Fulton N.C. State Wolfpack on Wednesday. East Carolina won 37-34.
County Stadium celebrate their teamTs Peach Bowl win over the
differently.
We had the game won,? he
said. Golly smokes, we were up
34-17. ItTs pitiful, a crying shame.?
Nearby, 10-year-old David
Creech was crying as he sat in the
stands away from other fans. He
was wearing an N.C. State jacket
and cap.
Todd Burdick, an East Carolina
fan, rushed. past him and joined a
crowd of thousands on the field.
He reached down, snatched a
piece of the turf and stuffed it into
his pockets.
oT'll keep it forever,? he said.
» anact of Congress to get East
s © Carolinaand N.C, State together
ona football field. It shouldn't
oeven take an act of legislature.
~ played his last game for the
Thursday
January 2, 1992 «
a
TOM
SORENSEN
Pirates show
they believe
in Blake
ATLANTA " It shouldn't take
This year, the Peach Bowl was
required. Next year, athletic
directors at the two schools
should be able to schedule the
game all by themselves.
Unfortunately, East Carolina
quarterback Jeff Blake will be
gone. And fans across the state,
no matter what their school of
choice, won't get a chance to
watch him play.
Blake is a senior from Sanford,
Fla., who was recruited by the big
Florida schools as a defensive
back. You can do this. You could
also have made a young Muham-
mad Alia wrestler. Blake has a
hellacious arm, quick feet, guts,
intelligence and reflexes. He
Pirates Wednesday, leading them
to a 37-34 victory Peach Bowl
victory against N.C. State, and it
will be along, long time before
we see a quarterback like him
again.
His team trailed the Wolfpack
34-17 with only 13 minutes one
second left. The Pirates had not
scored in the second half. The
Wolfpack defense had made
them look ordinary.
Everybody was either scared
or worried,? said Blake. oBut
thatTs part of life. | never gave up.
That's the point.?
Blake promptly hit three of six
passes for 30 yards and scored
on a 2-yard run.
On the next drive, he hit eight
of 10 passes for 70 yards and one
touchdown.
The PiratesTs final drive began
with 2:37 remaining. Blake hit
four of five passes for 29 yards
and the winning touchdown, a
10-yard pass to tight end Luke
Fisher, which Blake didnTt see
since he was on the ground.
Blake, who is listed at 6-1, 194
pounds, but seems smaller, got
the ball to the right receiver at the
right time. This is no small thing,
not ina nationally televised bowl
game, not in front of 59,322 fans,
not in the biggest game he and
his teammates have ever played
and his coach has every coached.
His instincts were true, his
authority unquestioned.
oWe donTt talk much,? Blake
said. Everybody knows basically
what theyTve got to do. I call the
play, and we just run it.?
He lifted his team, which most
years loses more games than it
wins and is easily ignored, into
national consciousness and onto
national TV. East CarolinaTs Fick-
len Stadium seats only 35,000
fans, but the football team is now
big-time.
This season, it was better than
North Carolina, Duke and Wake
Forest, none of which wants to
play the Pirates. On Wednesday,
the Pirates won a black trophy
with a wooden football on top
and the right to call themselves
the best team in their state. And
East Carolina coach Bill Lewis
got to talk about his quarterback
one more time.
oI know I've said this before,?
said Lewis. oBut now anybody
who watched Jeff Blake in the
fourth quarter knows how true it
is. ThereTs not a football player in
America " none, you can name
them all " thatTs done more fora
football team than Jeff Blake has
done for us.? |
What Blake did was throw 51
passes and complete 31. Three
were intercepted. One, a desper-
ation bomb, came on the last
play of the first half. Blake threw
it 80 yards. He certainly has as
good an arm as any defensive
back in Florida.
He passed on the run, under
pressure and off his back foot. He
passed for 378 yards and four
touchdowns.
You sense, perhaps, that some
of us were impressed with Blake
and the Pirates. Well, we were.
They are exciting and their fans
are exuberant and perhaps the
Pirates have become a team
other state schools will want to
play. Once, ACC schools had _
nothing to gain by playing them.
ACC schools were supposed to
beat them. Even without Blake,
this might no longer be true.
N.C. State coach Dick Sheridan
said he would like to play the
Pirates.
Perhaps we could convince the
Tar Heels to drop William & Mary
from their schedule and play the
Pirates, too.
o1 think,? said Lewis, othat we
rg I
A perfect problem: WhoTs No. 1? |
Observer News Services
MIAMI " Miami made its point, and
because Nebraska didnTt make any, the Orange Bowl
top-ranked Hurricanes came out of the No.1 Miami ook oes
Orange Bowl proclaiming themselves the No. 11 Nebraska........... 0
national champion.
MiamiTs dominating defense handed
No. 11 Nebraska its first shutout since 1973,
and the HurricanesT quick-strike offense did
enough for a 22-0 victory Wednesday night
that completed their perfect season.
oWe came in and did what we had to do.
Now, itTs up to the voters,? Miami coach
Miami states its case with rout
Dennis Erickson said.
Whether it was enough for the Hurricanes
to win their fourth national title in nine
years, however, was uncertain. Earlier in the
Please see Orange/page 5B
Washin
Observer News Services
PASADENA, Calif. " Washington com-
pleted a perfect season with a practically
perfect performance Wednesday.
Now the Huskies must wait to find out
whether it was enough to win their first
national championship.
WashingtonTs dominating defenders shut
down Heisman Trophy winner Desmond
Howard and the rest of MichiganTs high-
powered attack, and Billy Joe Hobert
sparked the HuskiesT offense by throwing
for two touchdowns and running for
ston whacks Wolverines _ |
Rose Bowl
No. 2 Washington ....... 34
No. 4 Michigan ............ 14
another in a 34-14 Rose Bowl rout. as
The Huskies, ranked second behind
Miami in The Associated Press writers poll
and tied for first with the Hurricanes in the .
Please see Rose/page 5B
Believe it! ECU rallies again
BOB LEVERONE/Staff
On the run: East Carolina quarterback Jeff Blake (2), pack defenders off balance most of the day as the of 51 passes for 378 yards and four touchdowns and
who eludes N.C StateTs Billy Ray Haynes, kept Wolf- Pirates defeated N.C. State 37-34. Blake completed 31 led East Carolina from a 17-point deficit.
Blake, Pirates come back on Wolfpack
By RON GREEN Jr.
Raleigh Bureau
ATLANTA " The button, pinned over the Peach Bowl
heart of East Carolina wide receiver Hunter East Carolina .............. 37
Gallimore, offered the postscript New Year's N.C. State... sau 34
Day to the PiratesT 37-34 Peach Bowl victory
over N.C. State. He
The round button read simply, oState
Believes Now.?
And who doesn't?
East Carolina, which played its charmed
season on the razorTs edge, rallied from a
17-point deficit in the final eight minutes
Wednesday, stealing a cherished victory
from the Wolfpack when Luke Fisher scored
a touchdown with one minute 32 seconds
remaining.
For all of the PiratesT heroics, they still
alifornia
More coverage/4B
had to wait for Damon HartmanTs 49-yard
tying field-goal attempt to sail 2 feet wide as
time expired before celebrating the perfect
end to a nearly perfect season in a game that
sparkled like New YearTs Eve.
'oT think we added a new meaning to I
BelieveT today. I think we captured the spirit
and meaning of it,T East Carolina coach Bill
Lewis said of his teamTs adopted slogan.
Lewis, whose name has been linked with
the vacant coaching job at Georgia Tech,
said afterward that he had not talked to
anyone from the school about replacing
Bobby Ross. Lewis flew home to Greenville,
N.C., with the Pirates Wednesday night with
the satisfaction of having led 11-1 East
Carolina to its most successful season.
N.C. State, meanwhile, went home to face
a winter knowing how agonizingly close it
had been to having its first 10-win season.
oThereTs a deep disappointment we all
share,? N.C. State coach Dick Sheridan said.
oItTs going to take a good while for that to
lessen.?
It had all seemed so right for the Wolf-
pack as the game entered its final 10
WednesdayTs other bowl results
By LEONARD LAYE
minutes. N.C. State had stormed to a 34-17
lead early in the fourth quarter, apparently
finishing off the Pirates when Charles Dav-
enport broke free for a 52-yard touchdown
pass from fullback Ledel George.
But thatTs when the gospel of oI Believe?
and the brilliance of quarterback Jeff Blake
took over. East Carolina had rallied from
fourth-quarter deficits to win four games this
season, but few in the record crowd of
59,322 were prepared for what the Pirates
did to the Wolfpack.
In less than six minutes, East CarolinaT
transformed its season one more time.
oEverybody was scared or worried. That's
part of life. But I never gave up,? said Blake,
Please see Peach/page 4B
leaves Clemson defenseless
could squeeze them in.?
gait 8 Citrus Bowl 9 ,s# 40m?
ORLANDO, Fla. " For five Re | eifhe A)
Rs years, ClemsonTs Tigers had lived California ........ 37 iy ee
Cotton Bowl Sugar Bowl off the postseason, turning bowl Clemson......... 13 SY
No. 5 Florida State 10 No. 18 Notre Dame 39 carta into their own private foot- More coverage/6B Si,
SN NS . 18 Notre Dame ............ ail epics
No. 9 Texas A&M... ue NO. B:FIOPGA sccscdteecrtencinann 28 Ry eciiesany -atleranoil {tee
Story/page 5B Story/page 5B ! found out how the other half lives. me , i
CaliforniaTs Bears, executing a oh hort gg Tigers at a near-
versatile offense with near-flawless i rer ee ass aie
Fiesta Bowl Hall of Fame Bow! precision, stung the Tigers early er ple aad ait tus 4
6 Penn State ...... eee 42 No. 16 SyraCuSe ...... eee 24 and often in a 37-13 mismatch in Saas
1S AIR coh ah S oay the Florida Citrus Bowl. was a shock. Nobody had done
o. 10 Tennessee ............6 tL No. 25 Ohio State ........ ee gabs The def agile five-bow! _ that to us before.
Story/ 5B Story/page 6B Se a ee The Pac-10 runner-up Bears
ory/page y/pag streak of domination by Clemson . P
and made a wreck of the teamTs
proud defense in the process. Please see Citrus/page 6B
INSIDE | ACC gets serious: Basketball retakes center stage starting tonight, with five of the PUIG | NIB icc cccccciigacniun chet apcec RR oh MPIC es sib can Poin ee 7B
NBA wecsecscottessecsscteeeeee@° OB
ACC schools in action, including No. 1 Duke at Virginia./page 2B
College football ........ .4-6B
a
o4B THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER Thursday, January 2,1992 ©
PEACH BOWL
I have a
job I love,T
_ Lewis says
By RON GREEN Jr.
and STAN OLSON
~ Staff Writers
ATLANTA " It wasn't long
after East CarolinaTs 37-34 Peach
Bowl victory Wednesday when
Pirates coach Bill Lewis was con-
fronted again about reports
linking him to the vacant coach-
ing position at Georgia Tech,
Lewis wouldnTt elaborate on
the subject except to say he liked
the way his football team han-
died the continuing reports.
oOur football team did a good
job with it,T Lewis said. Because
of the circumstances, I donTt feel
it is appropriate for me to make a
comment.
-- oThave had no comment from
the Georgia Tech people. I have a
job I love right now.?
Lewis flew home with the East
Carolina football team Wednes-
day night:
Wedded to the shotgun
The shotgun formation East
Carolina used in its comeback
Wednesday didnTt just surprise
the Wolfpack, it surprised Lewis.
East Carolina hadn't used the
formation during the regular sea-
son, but when Lewis missed the
first day of his teamTs Peach Bowl
workouts in early December to
attend a contract signing party in
Atlanta, his assistants put quarter-
back Jeff Blake into the forma-
tion, which lines up the quarter-
back several yards behind the
center.
| had missed some offensive
planning meetings when the
decision was made to look at the
shotgun,?T Lewis said. No one
said anything to me before we
went to practice the second day.
They wanted to see my reaction.
| said to (quarterback coach)
Steve (Logan): What are we
doing?T He said, It looked great
yesterday.T ?T
It worked well against the
Wolfpack. Blake completed 12 of
18 passes in East CarolinaTs final
three drives, doing most of his
work from the shotgun.
Moving up
Is East Carolina a Top 10 team?
ooOur team deserves to be a
Top 10 team,? Lewis said after
completing an 11-1 season,
oWhen you win 11 games ina
season and have the opportunity
to be close to 12-0, that kind of
team deserves to be ranked in the
Top 10, But this football team
won't be upset with wherever it
finishes? in the rankings.
Talking trash
Despite the intensity of play,
there were no unsportsmanlike
conduct fouls in the game. But
some feelings ran hot.
o| have no respect for guys
who talk out there,?T said N.C.
State defensive tackle Mark
Thomas after mentioning that
several Pirates kept up a fairly
steady stream of otrash?T talk.
oThat kind of thing takes away so
much from the game.
oMost of them were a bunch of
real nice guys, and I guess some
were just so happy to be here and
got carried away. But a few of
them just did too much talking.?
Trying for the tie
Some observers were surprised
that N.C. State coach Dick Sheri-
dan did not try for the touch-
down and a victory instead of
going for the field goal and a tie
on the gameTs last play, but Sheri-
dan said he was simply playing
the odds.
oIf we had had a legitimate
chance, we would have done
that,TT he said. oBut that was
tough. You throw it down there
and itTs just a Hail Mary kind of
deal.?
Sheridan said he would have
gone for the touchdown, but a
sack two plays earlier had pushed
the Wolfpack back to the N.C.
State 46 before a completion left
N.C. State at the PiratesT 31 with
six seconds left.
Records fall
A number of Peach Bowl
records were set. East Carolina
quarterback Jeff Blake threw for
four touchdowns, breaking the
old mark of three, and Pirates
tight end Luke Fisher caught 12
passes, three more than the old
mark. The game also offered new
standards for most points by a
losing team (34), fewest times
penalized (five; N.C. State), most
passes completed (47, 31 by East
Carolina) and most touchdown
passes (four, East Carolina).
@ Though the game was a sell-
out, tickets were available out-
side the stadium. Prices dropped
dramatically leading up to kick-
off. The night before the game,
$32 tickets were being offered for
- $75. By kickoff, tickets were
readily available for $5.
ooo
Staff writer Charles Chandler
contributed to this article.
Defeat is tough one for N.C. State
takes flight after scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown _ stop the play.
By STAN OLSON
Staff Writer
ATLANTA " East CarolinaTs
improbably magical fourth-quarter
comeback was complete, and the
Pirates had just taken a 37-34 lead
over N.C. State with one minute 32
seconds to play in WednesdayTs
Peach Bowl in Atlanta-Fulton
County Stadium.
_ But the storybook ending to East
Carolina's fairy-tale season wasnTt
in print yet. The Pirates defense,
battered most of the day by the
Wolfpack, would have to stop the
guys in red and white once more.
We gathered on the sideline
saying we had to hold them one
more time and our dream could
come true,T said Robert Jones,
East CarolinaTs All-American line-
backer.
But the Pirates werenTt holding.
N.C. State drove from its 29 to a
first down at the East Carolina 36,
calling time with 26 seconds left.
While the Wolfpack discussed
strategy across the field, Pirates
coach Bill Lewis called his defense
together.
oCoach Lewis said, oSomebody
has to make a play,T TT Jones said.
Somebody made one. East Car-
olina nose guard Zaim Cunmulaj
and tackle Derek Taylor ripped
through the Wolfpack line and
sacked quarterback Terry Jordan
for an 18-yard loss.
Jordan would complete a pass
on the next play, but N.C. State "
with just six seconds left " had to
settle for a 49-yard field-goal
attempt by Damon Hartman.
The kick was long enough, and
seemingly on target. Jones could
barely watch.
oI was just praying he missed it,?T
he said.
He missed it, wide " barely
wide " right.
And the Pirates, who had ele-
vated oI believe? to a team mantra
of sorts, had that 11-1 season they
had believed in come true.
Peacit
Believe it! ECU rally
the pits for Wolfpack
Continued from page 1B -
who completed 31 of 51 passes for
378 yards and four touchdowns.
With Blake working out of the
shotgun, a new wrinkle imple-
mented by the Pirates for the
Peach Bowl, he drove East Caro-
lina to three touchdowns, working
his receivers, particularly tight end
Fisher, brilliantly. With each com-
pletion and each touchdown Blake
engineered, there was a growing
sense of inevitability to the PiratesT
comeback.
Even with a 17-point lead, Sheri-
dan felt it.
oWe knew we needed to score
one more time to put the game
away,T he said.
But that never happened. The
Wolfpack made a series of small
mistakes for which it paid an
enormous penalty. Tim Kilpatrick
shanked a 10-yard punt that
helped start East Carolina's come-
back. Twice N.C. State receivers
dropped third-down passes that
would have prolonged drives. The
Wolfpack couldnTt make the clock '
disappear fast enough.
Once on the scent, Blake
wouldnTt be stopped. His 2-yard
touchdown run started the come-
back, then he hit Dion Johnson for
a 17-yard score to close the gap to
34-30 with 4:18 left.
Moments later, Blake stood in
the pocket until he found what he
wanted " Fisher. He zinged a pass
into Fisher (who caught six in the
BOB LEVERONE/Staff
Jolly Pirate: East CarolinaTs Zaim Cunmulaj celebrates his team's
victory Wednesday. The Pirates won when N.C. State's Damon
Hartman (background) missed a possible game-tying field goal.
fourth quarter) and the tight end
bulled into the end zone for the
winning touchdown.
The Wolfpack had 1:26 to save
itself, but the magic belonged to
the Pirates.
It had taken East Carolina 5:54
tr ernre three touchdowns. hut the
f
memories would last a lifetime.
oIt tops off the season because
the dream has come true for the
whole team,? Fisher said. oI canTt
explain in words how | feel. ItTs
unreal.?
Actually, it was very real " and
worth believing in.
Players take blame
for blowing lead
By STAN OLSON
Staff Writer
ATLANTA " N.C. State quarterback Terry Jordan
was the last of his team to leave the field Wednesday
afternoon, slowly heading toward the locker room as
East CarolinaTs players and fans bounced and danced
Berns the Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium turf behind
im.
And it was almost as if he thought somehow that if
he didnTt leave, the game couldn't quite be over. That
N.C. State was not yet a 37-34 Peach Bowl loser to
East Carolina and that maybe he could play the game
just a little longer.
But it was over. There had been just enough time for
the Wolfpack to blow a 17-point lead in that last,
painful quarter, and just enough time to barely miss a
49-yard field goal that would have tied it in those final
anxious seconds. And now, it really was over.
And, as the Pirate hordes shrieked and waved their
gold Styrofoam sabers, Jordan understood.
| just knew we had lost,? he said of his long, slow
postgame walk. oIt was a tough way to end the season
..- real tough.?
In the locker room, there were some tears but no
tantrums. N.C. State coach Dick Sheridan addressed
his team evenly and quietly, and then his players
scrambled through the showers, dressing quickly and
piling onto their buses. Hurrying to make the flight
home.
But on the way, some, like Jordan, stopped to talk.
oThey earned the right to celebrate, to run their
mouths, to do whatever they want to do,? he said of
the Pirates. We just have to live with that a while.?
But the Wolfpack players still werenTt exactly sure
what had gone wrong, how the lead had vanished so
rapidly under those three East Carolina touchdowns
in less than six minutes. To a man, they credited
quarterback Jeff Blake, and to a man, they blamed
themselves.
Defensive tackle Mark Thomas said, oThe defense
had a little letdown. We wanted to shut em out in the
second half and we did in the third quarter. But after
that, | guess the biggest thing was field position "
ours wasn't very good. But we had plenty of
opportunities to stop em, and we didnTt.?
The three East Carolina drives began at the
Wolfpack 32, the PiratesT 20 and the N.C. State 41.
| donTt like being up like that in the fourth
quarter,T?T said wide receiver Charles Davenport, who
had six catches. oIt seems like everybody wants to
come back on us. ItTs like thereTs a ghost out there or
BOB LEVERONE/Staff
Touchdown: East Carolina receiver Dion Johnson (87) Wednesday. N.C. State's Ricky Turner (15) is too late to
something.?
But it was hardest on the defense, guys like senior
linebacker Billy Ray Haynes.
oItTs sick " you're just so sick on your stomach,?
he said. You're sick of yourself. It was our game to
win, and we blew it.
oI was going to stay in Atlanta tonight, but there's
no way now. This is the worst I think I could possibly
feel playing college football.?
Pirates live up to their slogan: I believeT
Afterward, Lewis talked about
that dream for as long as anyone
wanted to discuss it.
oWe had a dream; we had a
goal,? he said. ooWe thought we
could take the program to the next
level. We never talked in terms of
wins; we set a goal of being a
winning program.
. oOnce we started to believe that
we had those capabilities, we
knew good things would happen
to us.? -
It was almost as if Lewis tried to
get his team to believe by burying it
under the word. He would tell
them he believed, and all his
assistant coaches would follow
sult.
During the season, every play-
er's locker had a sheet of paper
saying oI believe? taped to it. And
Lewis gave every player a T-shirt
sporting the slogan as well.
And finally, the Pirates really did
believe.
As the games went on, momen-
tum carried (the slogan) into a big
thing,? said tight end Luke Fisher,
who had 12 receptions Wednes-
day. oThe players, coaches and
fans all believed.
, That's the whole story.?
ooo
Staff writer Ron Green Jr. con-
tributed to this article.
The stars: East Carolina quarter-
back Jeff Blake with his remarkable
finish and 378 yards passing. But
there were others, like Pirates tight
end Luke Fisher, who caught 12
passes for 144 yards and a touch-
down, and flanker Dion Johnson,
who had six catches and 137 yards
in kick returns. N.C, State was led
by quarterback Terry Jordan, who
completed 15 of 23 passes for 145
yards and a touchdown, and tail-
back Anthony Barbour, who had 90
rushing yards in 23 tries.
The turning point: N.C. State led
34-17 with less than 10 minutes left
but a shanked Tim Kilpatrick punt
traveled just 10 yards, giving ECU
the ball at the Wolfpack 32. The
quick score that followed got the
Pirates back in the game.
The key stat: All season, the
Pirates have been a quick-strike
offense. Wednesday, they had no
touchdown drive longer than two
minutes 28 seconds, and their
three-score burst that won the game
featured drives of 1:15, 2:06 and
1:05.
Quote: N.C. State coach Dick
Sheridan, on ECU's rally: We knew
what they were capable of doing.
We missed some catches on third
down and weren't able to complete
them, to keep the bail for six more
plays. We were playing a normal
defense " not a soft prevent. It was
just good execution by Jeff Blake.?
Worth mentioning: Several ECU
defensive players taped their ankies
with yellow " or maybe Pirate gold
-" tape, just for luck. But the tape
was virtually the same shade as the
OfficialsT penalty flags, often causing
some in the stands to think a flag ©
had been dropped when 4 yellow-
taped player flashed through the
crowd.
~~ Stan Olson
N.C. State 7 713 7"34
East Carolina 7 100 0 20"37
NCS~"-Downs 2 run (Hartman kick) Drive: 12
plays, 68 yards. Key play: On third and 1 at the
i East Carolina 37, N.C. State 34 r
ECU 46, Barbour swept left for 15 yards.
ECU"Van Buren 5 pass from Blake (Brenner
kick) Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards. Key play: On third
and 1 at the NCS 48, Blake flipped a screen pass
to Fisher for 19 yards.
NCS"Harrison 4 pass from Jordan (Hartman
kick) Drive: 7 plays, 54 yards. Key play: On third
and 2 at the ECU 46, Downs broke a quick trap up
the middle for 19 yards.
ECU"FG Brenner 27 Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards.
Key play: Van Buren carried five of the first six
plays, gaining 49 yards.
ECU"Gallimore 55 pass from Blake (Brenner
kick) Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards. Key play: The
touchdown, as Gallimore beat Reid down the right
sideline and dodged Turner at the 2 to make the
catch.
NCS"Hinton 14 pass from Jordan (Hartman
kick) Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards. Key play: The
touchdown, as Jordan hit Hinton in the right flat
and he spun inside two ECU defenders.
NCS"Manior 1 run (kick failed) Drive: 8 plays,
71 yards. Key piay: On third and 6 from the ECU
48, Jordan hit Davenport for 21 yards.
NCS"Davenport 52 pass from George (Hartman
kick) Drive: 2 plays, 5 1:yards. Key play: The
touchdown, a halfback option pass on which Dave
enport came back to make the catch cn the 9,
Splitting 2 ECU defenders.
ECU"Blake 2 run (Brenner kick) Drive: 7 plays,
32 yards. Key play: On first and 10 from the 15,
Blake hit Fisher for 13 yards.
ECU"Johnson 17 pass from Blake (pass failed)
Drive: 11 plays, 80 yards. Key play: The key was
Blake's consistency. He completed seven of nine
passes on the drive for 77 yards.
ECU"Fisher 22 pass from Biake (Brenner kick)
Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards. Key play: JohnsonTs punt
return, a 27-yard burst that allowed ECU to start
from the N.C. State 41.
Att."59,322 (at Atlanta).
wcs ECU
First downs 20 24
Rushes-Yards ......cssosceseecarsssere 56-186 24-42
Passing . 197 378
Return yards 38 53
COMP-Att-Int ........ccesececseeseeeess 16-24-1 31-51-3
Punts 3-24 §-33
Fumbles-Lost .........cccccsscecesssecsorese 1-1 4-1
Penalties-Yards ... « 5-34 8-45
Time of possession ...........s.0008 36:07 23:53
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING"N.C. State: Barbour 23-90, Downs
10-63, Manior 15-54, Williams 1-(minus 3), Daven-
port 1-(minus 9), Jordan 6-minus 9). East Caro-
lina: Van Buren 11-65, Daniels 2-3, Johnson 1-(mi-
nus 13), Blake 10-(minus 13).
PASSING"N.C. State: Jordan 15-23-1-145,
George 1-1-0-52. East Carolina: Blake
31-51-3-378.
RECEIVING"N.C. State: Davenport 6-118, Wil-
liams 4-30, Hinton 2-37, Shaw 2-6, Harrison 1-4,
George 1-2. East Carolina: Fisher 12-144, Johnson
6-56, Gallimore 5-113, Van Buren 5-30, Driver
2-37, Daniels 1-(minus 2).
With the Pirate flag waving behind them, ECU quarterback Jeff Blake (2) and teammates celebrate their come-from-behind Peach Bowl victory )
Classic ma
ECU squad keeps faith,
erases 17-point deficit |
By CAULTON TUDOR
Staff writer
ATLANTA " North CarolinaTs
greatest college-football rivalry
may have breathed its last
Wednesday in Fulton County
Stadium. But what a way to go.
The 24th Peach Bowl was a
delicacy " a stirring 37-34 East
Carolina triumph over N.C.
State " that bowl officials in-
stantly proclaimed their best
ever.
oNothing will ever beat this
for us,T said Pirates wide re-
ceiver Hunter Gallimore of Wil-
son. This is one weTll remem-
ber all of our lives.?
Game MVP Jeff BlakeTs 2-
yard touchdown run, plus scor-
ing passes of 17 and 22 yards to
Dion Johnson and Luke Fisher,
gave the 12th-ranked Pirates a
o20-point fourth-quarter explo-
sion.
State, 9-2 and ranked 21st, saw
a 34-17 fourth-quarter lead evap-
orate.
oBut we never give up,?T Blake
@:id. oItTs just not our nature.
We knew we had a chance, even
when it was 34-17. You have to
believe.?T
The PiratesT oI BelieveT mot-
- to worked one more time. Fish-
erTs 22-yard TD reception with
1:32 left created the final score.
NCSU drove into Pirate terri-
tory and tried a 49-yard field
goal on the final play of the
game that would have created a
tie. But Damon HartmonTs kick
hen T:
Thursday, January 2, 1992
tcl
m East CarolinaTs stunning
come-back in the fourth
quarter makes a believer
out of NCSU, page 1C.
missed its mark.
The win was ECUTs second
straight over State. The two
former arch-rivals had. not
played in football since the open-
ing game of the 1987: season.
NCSU athletics director Wil-
oToddTT Turner. said
Wednesday that he does not
anticipate future meetings.
oStaff photo
Shifting fortunes on field -
give fans roller-coaster ride.
By ROBERTSON BARRETT
Staff writer
ATLANTA " For the fans, it
was a squeaker chock-full of
cliffhangers, Pirate purple and
Wolfpack. red trouncing. each
other every time the refTs cheeks
puffed into a whistle.
For the Atlanta Chamber of
Commerce, it was a dream " an
all-Carolina infight that turned
the normally dull bow] into the
hottest stop on the cable-TV dial
Wednesday.
oTTll bet nobodyTs turning to
the Cotton Bowl,TT crowed. East
Carolina UniversityT alum Jim
Kelley, just as the Pirates pulled
out the miracle touchdown that
gave them bragging rights in
every corner. of the Tar. Heel
state. ee
At the end, Pirates fans, young
and old, rushed. the fieldT " .
careful not to repeat their. infa-
mous. 1987 goalpost assault. Then
they flooded down. the ramps,
yellow .rubber sabersT chopping
up and down in sync with the full
repertoireT of ECU chants,
cheers oand home-tailored jin-
gles. j
oEeeee. Ceeeeeeee!
Ceeeeeeeee?!?T ;
Pack fans, many. dejected de-
spite their. teamTs. remarkable
Eeeee
play, didnTt hang around for the
hoopla. Daniel Proctor, heading
out with other red-clad NSCU
students, was consumed by the
Seé PEACH, page SA
The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, Jan. 2, 1992.
ECU fans, in a frenzy for a Peach Bowl souvenir, rip
Peach Bowl
fans take
wild ride
Continued from page 1A
missed last-second field goal that
he insisted sailed through the
posts.
oTt was a damn good goal,? he
said, low and mean enough to
make Clint Eastwood flinch.
*Make no mistake,T said his
friend, Steve Bollinger, even
meaner. We WILL be back.?
When the field finally cleared of
fans, scads of souvenir patches of
sod had been mysteriously dug up
" including much of the painted
ET from the PiratesT end zone.
It started out friendly enough;
with 59,000 fans filling Atlanta-
Fulton County Stadium, many
with just. a few hours sleep after
all-night New YearTs revelry in
the cityTs beer-soaked Under-
ground district.
Even more than friendly in one
case.
With 10:18 to go in the second
quarter, a blond head from the
crowd suddenly materialized on
the billboard TV, and next to it:
oGINA PRICE, AISLE 303, ROW
2, SEAT 105. WILL YOU:MARRY
ME? TOMMIE DOUGLAS.?
Up in Pirateland a few minutesT
later, Price still had her eyes
fixed on the field, " gcy
oI hardly saw#it. | -Was*waving
at myself,? she said absent-mind-
edly. I said yes, of course.?T
So whatTs more important: Pi-
rates or marriage?
oThis is!TT she shouted, waving
her foam-rubber saber.
Douglas cleared his throat and
tried some damage control.
oIf the Pirates lose, THIS is
more important,? he confided,
talking about his now-official be-
trothal. But if the Pirates win
His team wasnTt winning,
though. With halftime closing in,
the Wolfpack was up 14-10 with
two strong drives. Then, a magi-
cal 55-yard ECU pass sailed into
PirateT receiver Hunter Galli-
moreTs hands inside the end zone.
Scores of hand-held signs went
up in theT ECU stands: Pirate
Power!
oYEAH, YEAH, YEAH, ECU,
From Page One
Staff photo by Chris Seward
A dejected Mike Reid of NCSU
leaves the-field.after what
oappeared to beTa Peach Bowl
victory turned into a defeat
Staff photo by Scott Sharpe
up pieces of end-zone turf
out to the shoulder pad and
yanked him down.?
Then it was on to goalpost
boasts.
They were coming down after
the State win, ECU-style, the
Pack fans vowed. Cheesehead,
alias John Merritt, who came
complete with a big foam-rubber
slice of Swiss attached to his head,
said heTd handle the goalposts
himself if he had to.
oTl get it,TT he promised:
But soon, State was coming
back, again and again, reaching a
whopping 34-17 lead that had
Wolfpack-white hankies coming
down like a snowstorm.
One worried ECU follower up in
the stands gathered her family for
a small prayer-turned-pep-talk.
oRemember our buttons? We
believe!T TT she told them.
Nearby, Jimmy Haggans of
Greenville was slouching in the
aisle, his saber already stuffed
disconsolately into his leather
jacket, ,wondering whether his
Pirates could come back.
oI donTt think so,T he said.
oThey WERE doing it. They
SHOULD have done it. But they
made too many mental errors.
But thereTs always that possibili-
tyne
Just then, ECUTs Dion Johnson
picked the ball out of midair and
cut through two lines of Wolfpack
defense. " then caught another
pass. Behind the end zone, where
rivals were all mixed up together,
the-State De-fenseT?T and Pirate
*oDi-onT?T. cries had a harmonic
convergence.
~~ Thenhalf-thestadium went
upper reaches.
oThey picked the right place to
play this game,TT ECU junior Lee
Howerin said. Seems like all
year long, they get a little behind,
but all they need is a wake-up call.
Once the fans get behind Tem,
thatTs all we need.?
Outside in the beer lines; the
NCSU faces were somber.
oStateTs getting robbed!TT said
Joel Terrell,? one rattled NSCU
student. oI mean, face-mask?
WhereTd the ref go to learn anato-
my at? ECU? If I were defending
that guy, I- would have reached
i
Remember our
buttons? We believe!TT
" ECU fan,
addressing her family
o@lectric? Luke Fisher grabbed a
' pass for'aT22-yard ECU touchdown
and. a three-point, out-from-the-
cellar edge for ECU with the clock
ticking down to the final minutes.
It was so close that a few Pirate
and Wolfpack fans found them-
selves cheering with each other.
ItTs too. much fun, with. too
much old football rivalry to con-
sider it over,TT said Steve Chris-
tian, despite his ties to alma
mater ECU. When you have an
ECU fan and a State fan high-fiv-
ing each other, thatTs a great
game. I think that has got.to be
one of the best bowl games ITve
ever seen,T
His girlfriend, Robin Berkowitz,
was just trying to keep up " even
wishing she were from North
Carolina.
oITve never seen anything like
it,?T she said. oItTs a war between
the state.?T
Section
oo
Thursday, January 2, 1992
The News & Observer
Cool-hands Luke hauls in the winne
Blake writes obit,
1 24.9 y)
but itTs the PackTs
TLANTA " I believe. I really do.
Let me explain.
With 8:41 remaining in the Peach
Bowl, N.C. State is leading East Carolina
84-17,
Computer terminals are cranking up,
spewing out the obituary for these darling
Pirates who had stolen the fancy of the col-
lege football world.
. But wait,
Jeff Blake stirs. |
He runs 2 yards for a touchdown. ECU
trails 34-24.
. He throws a 17-yard pass to Dion Johnson
to cap an 80-yard drive. Now itTs 34-30, with
4:18 remaining. The ECU rooting section
roars to life, slashing their sabers, implor-
ing the Pirates for one last hurrah. The
Wolfpackers answer, pleading with their he-
roes to hold the line.
And Blake breaks their hearts.
He throws a 22-yard pass to Luke Fisher
for one last touchdown. ECU leads, 37-34. A
minute and 32 seconds remain.
State bullies its way up the field. The clock
ticks. The Pack huffs and puffs. Too late.
Now I believe. I really do.
. So does a record crowd of 59,322, though
half of them reluctantly. Those in purple
scream to the heavens. Those in red cringe
as the clock clicks.
- Pirate players celebrate, hugging and
cheering, then offer a hand to the van-
quished. There are no incidents, nothing ug-
ly, just spent warriors deserting the battle-
1) Ss
. The game is a showcase for Blake. He can
do anything. He deals in miracles. The Pi-
rates were behind eight times this year;
they won seven of the games.
, Cinderella lives; Superman flies; mira-
cles happen. Yes, I believe. I really do.
« Blake was unstoppable in the fourth quar-
ter: With one eye on the clock, the other on
the Pack, he was a cold-blooded hit man.
- You can cheer the winner. But donTt forget
the team with 34 points. State played hard.
It had a good. game plan and was swinging
-with all its might until a last-play field goal
fell just to the right of glory.
* oT would have thought 34 points would
have been enough,?T said Dick Sheridan, the
Wolfpack coach.
: Usually it would have been. But East
Carolina believed. Jeff Blake makes faith
easy. :
. And folks, you wonTt see a better game. It
was 60 minutes of violence, hard hits, spec-
tacular plays, reversals of fortune and
amgre.
- These two rivals, spattered with blood and
tears in the shank of a cold, gray afternoon,
should play every year. Politics be damned.
-This rivalry now is ripe to be one of the na-
tionTs most celebrated.
The.Peach Bowl! took a gamble, pitting
neighbor against neighbor, on national TV,
on New YearTs Day. And guts brought them
glory.
_. Now letTs see some guts from the athletics
sadministrators back home.
Jeff Blake fires a pass while leading the Pi
fourth-quarter comeback
Washington makes No. 1 bid
The Associated Press
Bist;
The Associated Press
ratesT
Staff photo by Chris Seward
r the Pirates
MVP: ECUT quar-
terback Jeff Blake,
who passed for 378
yards: ,and: ° four
touchdowns, two
coming in the final
7:26. He also. ran
for another.
Unsung: Luke
Fisher, the ECU
tight end who had
Blake rallies Pirates sens
game-winning TD.
Key stat: On
Blake completed 15
from 17-point deficit {ci
By A.J. CARR
Staff writer
ATLANTA. " N.C, State be-
lieves.
So do all those other cynics who
doubted East CarolinaTs football
prowess before watching artful
Jeff.Blake lead the Pirates to a
pulsating 37-34 comeback victory
in the Peach Bowl on Wedriesday.
After the Wolfpack took a 34-17
lead early in the fourth period,
Blake got hot and piloted three
stunning touchdown drives while
operating from a newly installed
shotgun offense.
Many in the record crowd of
99,322 at Atlanta-Fulton County
Stadium never thought ECU
would pull this one out, but the
Bucs carried their season-long I
Believe?T theme to the tumultuous
end.
The telltale tally came with 1:32
left when Blake, throwing for a
bowl-record 378 yards and four
scores, hit Luke Fisher on a
22-yard touchdown pass.
oI was laying there in the end
zone thinking this is the greatest
feeling in the world,? said Fisher,
who probably summed up the
sentiments of his entire school.
But State, which had enjoyed
leads of 7-0, 14-7, 21-17 and 34-17,
still had a chance and made
things hairy. The Pack pushed to
the Pirates 30, and faced a third-
and-six with six seconds left.
Then Damon Hartman attempt-
ed a tying field goal from 49
yards. The ball sailed wide right
by about 36 inches.
It was over. ECU had capped an
unparalleled 11-1 season with a
victory over an old rival in a game
that matched its magnificent
buildup. Fans exploded onto the
field and emotions ranged from
purple and gold ecstasy to red and
white depression.
oItTs big disappointment to all
of us, we worked so hard and
invested so much,?T? Pack coach
Dick Sheridan lamented. oIt will
take a while for this to lessen.?T
And how about the attempt to
tie on the final play?
oThat was tough,T Sheridan
said. Had we been in a position to
use a normal pattern, we would
have [thrown it]. But the odds
weren't -good. Now, sinee we
missed the field goal, I wish we
had thrown it.?T
When the ball sailed awry,
ECUTs seventh " and biggest "
comeback win of the season was
sealed.
ITve never been in a game that
meant more to me than this one, a
game that was as important as
this one,TT beaming Pirates coach
Bill Lewis said. And I think we
added a special meaning to the I
BelieveT message?T?. 262 .¢:- ;
But even Lewis, who: had
watched .his resilient team rally
past football bullies like Syracuse
and Pittsburgh, must have had
some doubts Wednesday as State
mounted a 34-17 advantage with
13:01 left in the game.
The Pack offense, led by Antho-
See PIRATES, page 6C
2-1-"-passes - for
148 yards. Fisher
Peach / Inside
Mi The loss, after State built
a 1/-point Jead in the fourth
quarter, was tough for the
Wolfpack players to accept.
Page 6C.
Ten plays that decided
the game. Page 6C.
Charles DavenportTs
NCSU diary. Page 6C.
Hunter GallimoreTs. ECU
diary. Page. 7C.
The Pirates had a surprise
for their coach last month: He
went hunting with~ it ~ and
bagged a Pack on Wednesday.
Page 7C,
ECUTs Bill Lewis says
there has been no discussion
with Georgia Tech officials
about the Yellow JacketsT
coaching vacancy, Page 7C.
Even though fans, coach-
es and players want to see the
N.C..State-East Carolina regu-
lar-season series renewed,
Wolfpack athletics director
Todd Turner says it isnTt likely.
Page 7C.
MH The Peach Bowl box
score. Page 7C.
The Peach Bowl posses-
sion chart. Page 7C.
WednesdayTs bowls
PASADENA, Calif. " Washington
completed a perfect season with a
practically perfect performance
Wednesday. Now the Huskies must
wait to find out whether it was
perfect enough to win their first
national championship.
WashingtonTs dominating defend-
ers shut down Heisman Trophy win-
ner Desmond Howard and the rest of
MichiganTs high-powered attack, and
Billy Joe Hobert sparked the Hus-
KiesT offense by throwing for two
touchdowns and running for another
in a 34-14 Rose Bowl rout.
The Huskies, ranked second behind
Miami in The Associated Press writ-
ers poll and tied for first with the
Hurricanes in the USA Today-CNN
coaches poll, made a strong case for
the national title by posting their first
unblemished record (12-0) in 76 years
and mauling a fourth-ranked Michi-
gan team that had won eight straight
games.
But they may not get an answer
until today. A Miami victory over
Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, which
had not ended at press time, also
woul@ give the Hurricanes a 12-0
record and leave poll voters with a
difficult decision " how to choose
between two unbeaten teams who
didnTt meet on the field.
All-America defensive tackle Steve
Emtman, who shared player of the
game honors with Hobert, said the
Huskies deserve to be No. 1.
oWe proved we can play with
anyone in the country,? said Emtm-
an, who overcame the flu and helped
the Huskies hold Michigan to 205 total
yards, just 94 in the first three
quarters. oWeTre 12-0, and I think we
deserve a ring.?
4
a)
f PEACH / East Carolina 37, N.C. State 34
@ HALL OF FAME / Syracuse 24, Ohio State 17
i FLORIDA CITRUS / California 37, Clemson 13
& COTTON / Florida State 10, Texas A&M 2
FIESTA / Penn State 42, Tennessee 17
i ROSE / Washington 34, Michigan 14
fi ORANGE / Miami vs. Nebraska, late
SUGAR / Notre Dame vs. Florida, late
The bowl report is on pages 2B and 3B.
Pirates
overhaul
Wolfpack
Continued from page 1C
ny BarbourTs 90 rushing yards and
two TD passes by Terry Jordan,
was pushing the Pirates around, a
team in-control.
Then * something ohappened.
ECUTs defense became defiant,
held and triggered a short punt*by
Tim Kilpatrick that died on the
State 32-yard line.
Sensing an opportunity to scoreT
quickly, Blake went toT the shot-
gun, fired a few passes and then,
ran for a 2-yard touchdown.
After. another defensive. stop,
the Pirates sailed 80 yards. with
Blake. completing 8 of 10. passes,
the last to Dion Johnson for a
17-yard score.
Suddenly, shockingly, StateTs
lead had shrunk to: 34-30 with 4:18
remaining. The Pack. needed _ to
control. the ball, ,consume_ the
clock; but ECU's. Jerry Dillon
threw Charles Davenport for,a
9-yard loss.
State, trying desperately - to
keep the ball out of Blake's hands,
had to kick.again.
This time, Johnson, atoning for:
an earlier costly fumble: that: led:
to a State touchdown, returned the
punt 27 yards. And then Blake, at,
his best in his last collegiate
game, picked the Pack apart with
four more completions in. his
31-for-51 day.
On oneT play, Fisher caught a
pass and fumbled. But alert Ced-
ric:Van Buren saved the day. by
pouncing on it for the Pirates.
Then from: the State 22, Blake
again went to his trusty:tight endT
Fisher; who had 12: grabsT for 144
yards. Running anT option: route,
FisherT made threeT cuts before
getting open, got the ball, then
slipped away from a State tackler,
and dived into the end zone ".and,
into sheer ecstasy:
oEverybody knew what to do,?
Blake. said of the PiratesT calcu-
lated rally. And I think State was
unprepared for the shotgun. I
didnTt get as much pressure, and
oit gave me piety of time. to
throw.?
, Earlier,in the: game,. which
unfolded. as one .of breaks and
mistakes... Blake had. completed -
seering tosses of 5 yards to Van
Buren and 55 to Hunter. Gallimore
as ECU took a 17-14halftime lead.
But State had its moments and
looked as if it had the game when
it scored three straight times to go
-ahead 34-17. A Jordan-to-Robert
Hinton pass, a short run by Greg
Manior, and a trick toss from
Ledel George to Davenport put
the Pirates in a seemingly. ines-.
capable hole.
oI misjudged their offense real
bad,TT said Pirate linebacker Rob-
ert Jones. oBut then we got
ourselves together, knew we had ~
. to make big plays, had to get it.
done, and we did.?T
Ordinarily, 34 -points by the
Pack would be enough. But is any
number enough when Jeff Blake is
quarterbacking the other team?
oHe made great throws; he
made great decisions,TT: Sheridan
said. ooHe made it look easy and .
he made us look bad.?T
And he made true believers out
of the Pack.
" Staff diet Sy chris eeiard
Hunter Sanne beats shops Turner and Je in a.TD pass just before halftime
Ten plays that decided it
fi Second quarter, 1:39 left: Hunter GallimoreTs
55-yard scoring pass from Jeff Blake. The play came on
second-and-15, as Blake dodged the Wolfpack pass rush
and gunned the long ball to Gallimore down the left
sideline. Gallimore slipped behind safety Ricky Turner
for the TD to give ECU a 17-14 halftime lead.
@ Fourth quarter,. 13:01: left: .Ledel GeorgeTs
52-yard pass to Charles Davenport for a State
touchdown. The State fullback took a short swing pass
behind the line from Terry Jordan and lofted a high
throw to Davenport, who cut in front of an ECU
defensive back at the 9-yard line, caught the ball: and
danced in. It gave the Pack a 34-17 lead.
@ Fourth quarter, 9:00 left: Tim KilpatrickTs 10-yard
punt for State. It gave the Pirates the ball at the NCSU
32. The Bucs punched it in for a TD in barely a minute.
@ Fourth quarter, 7:26 left: BlakeTs 2-yard scoring
run. On third-and-goal, Blake kept the ball on the option
and appeared to crawl into the end zone after being
tackled. While the Wolfpack defenders howled and its
fans booed, Blake was credited with a TD and ECU
trimmed the State lead to 34-24.
@ Fourth quarter, 4:18 left: Dion JohnsonTs 17-yard
scoring pass from Blake. It ended another rapid-fire ECU
drive and made it a 34-30 game with 4:18 to play after
the Pirates failed on a two-point try.
@ Fourth quarter, 4:00 left: Jerry DillonTs tackle of
Davenport for a 9-yard loss on an end-around. The Pack
badly needed a first down after the Pirates pulled within
four points and believed it could shake Davenport free
on a reverse on the first play after the ECU kickoff: But
Dillon, a junior defensive end, burst through to make the
tackle and push the Pack back to the 20.
Fourth quarter, 2:37 left: Dion JohnsonTs 27-yard
punt .return for East Carolina. JohnsonTs fumble near
midfield early in the quarter had set up StateTs final TD,
and he was looking to make amends. His high-stepping
return gave the Pirates the ball at the NCSU 41.
@ Fourth quarter, 2:00 left: Cedric Van BurenTs
recovery of a Luke Fisher fumble. Fisher was hit after
catching a short pass over the middle, but Van Buren
beat a host of Wolfpack defenders to the ball and
recovered at the NCSU 29. Fisher then scored the
go-ahead touchdown three plays later.
@ Fourth quarter, 0:15 left: A sack of Jordan by
ECU's Zaim Cunmulaj and Derek Taylor. The Pack had a
first down.at the ECU°36 and enough time for a-couple of
plays, but Cunmulaj and Taylor chased Jordan out of the
pocket and then flattened him for an 18-yard loss.
@ Fourth quarter, 0:06 left: Damon HartmanTs try
for a. 49-yard field goal and a tie. The Wolfpack senior
had the distance, but the ball never hooked, sailing three
or four feet to the right of the upright.as time ran.out.
By CHIP ALEXANDER
Staff writer
ATLANTA " One look at Billy
Ray Haynes, and you knew it
hurt. .
Losing is always like that. But
when itTs your last college game,
-when itTs the PeachT Bowl, when.
ois a 37-34 defeat to East Carolina
after leading by 17 points,T itTs:
devastating. . eee
oPm sick,? the Wolfpack line-
backer said. I mean, ITm sick on
my stomach.
oThis is the worst ITve ever felt.
I thought losing to Maryland last
year was bad and the blowout
against Virginia this year was
bad, but this is the worst feeling
you can possibly have playing
: football.
Nothing else compares.?T
With less than nine minutes to
..play:- Wednesday, the Pack led the.
Pirates 34-17. And.Hayneshad
seemed to.be in on nearly every
otackle for the Wolfpack, a side-
line-to-sideline crasher and bash-
er who led State with 14 hits.
So what happened?
We shanked a punt, which was
a big turning point, and then they
went to the shotgun,T said
Haynes, a senior from Forest
City, N.C. We were prepared for
it, but they were running those
o five-receiver routes, and Jeff
_ Blake picked us apart with that
ack to accept
| never like to lose, but Lith all the extra stuff
going on, on and off the field, it made it hard to
lose to that team.T
" Mark Thomas
Wolfpack tackle ©
rifle arrh*
oThey were runnin ga lot uf sf bick
plays, even off the - referees.
ThatTs illegal, but nobody calls it.
We just couldnTt keep up with
them.
We knew they could come back
in the fourth quarter because they
had done it all year. It was our
game to win and thereTs nobody to
blame but ourselves.?T
For most of the cool, windy,
overcast day, the Pack operated
its game plan to perfection, pleas-
ing the Wolfpack faithful among
the record bow! crowd of 59,322 at
Atlanta2?Fulton County Stadium.
With junior Terry Jordan back at
quarterback, State efficiently
blended option running with time-
ly throws and opened up. the
offense more in the second half to
get the ball in the hands of senior
star Charles Davenport.
The Wolfpack defense, mean-
while, kept Blake in check for the
most part, picking off three pass-
es.
oWe were getting back to the
defense we had at the beginning of
Shigt ess Wolfpack fans Ceeuras in fhe third quarter, when State ownee the field, ebb the bottom fell out:
the year,TT senior tackle Mark
Thomas said. We didnTt give up
any points in the third quarter,
and we were standing on the
sideline saying we wanted to shut
them out for the second half.
oThereTs' just no excuse for
giving up 20 points in the fourth
quarter. I never said to myself,
The gameTs over,T but in the back
of my mind I thought thereTs no
way weTre going to lose a 17-point
lead in the fourth quarter.
There was a bad punt and then
a punt return by them that gave
them great field position. But
thereTs no excuse for not stopping
them.?T
Thomas, fighting back tears,
called it.a bitter loss. He made
that point emphatically.
oI never like to lose, but with all
the extra stuff going on, on and off
the field, it made it hard to lose to
that team,? he said.
Most of their guys are great
guys, and I can respect someone
who knocks you on your back and
says Good job.T But to just tell
a
gute ie photo oy Scott Sharpe
*
you what theyTre gonna do " I
have no respect for some of them.
Talk is cheap.?
Despite seeing ECU push into
the lead with 1:32 left, the Pack
nearly staged another fourth-
quarter comeback of its own.
State bolted to the ECU 36, only to
see Jordan sacked for a critical
18-yard loss with 15 seconds re- |
maining.
oT tried to run around rather |
than running up into the pocket,?T
Jordan said. ThatTs a cardinal
sin for a quarterback.?T
After a completion, just six
seconds were left and the Pack
was at the ECU 31. It was decision
time " one last pass to the end
zone or a field goal attempt by
Damon Hartman.
oI wanted to go for a victory
pass,?T Jordan said. Maybe go
trips [three receivers] on one
side, throw it up and let Charles
come down with it.
oBut a tie would have been
better than a loss. I was just
hoping Damon would make it.?T
HartmanTs 49-yard attempt was
long enough but just wide to the
right. The game was over and the
Wolfpack beaten, ending the sea-. @
son 9-3.
It wasnTt a matter of one team
wanting it more than the other,?
Haynes said. Nobody wanted it
more than we did, which makes it
so hard to accept.
ITm just sick.?T
Charles 7
Davenport ,
NCSU Diary
Big effort helps:
console Pack ©. :
donTt feel that bad,even .*,
| though we lost. ie
The reason I can say that i Is,
that I think the guys gave a 100--**-
percent effort, a helluva effort: ('d-
really have felt bad if I thought we
didnTt play hard.
The outcome wasnTt what we
wanted, of course. But youTve got.
to credit ECU. ECU made the big
plays when they had to and wey
simply didnTt.
At the end, it would have beenT: -
nice to go for a touchdown. But:we
were a little too far out, out about.
the 30- or 35-yard line, so I thinkT °
we made the right decision in let." J
ting [Damon] Hartman go for the
field goal.
You win some and you lose
some. ThatTs just the game of life.
The only thing Ireally regret» *
about the game is that I think onT -?
one or two plays, I could have**:
gone a little harder and tried to
make something happen a little:
better than I did. ITm not happy
with that.
At 34-17, I wasnTt completely?
comfortable. I knew they could |T
score, but I didnTt count on them? -~
scoring that quickly. Jeff Blaké
did a great job with his people... ~
When he needed to find them, he.?
found them and they made good.
catches.
They did what they had to do- a.
respect their offense. I said allT :
along BlakeTs a great quarter- ~
back, and I hope to see him goon ~
to the next level and do well.
We were prepared for ECU, of-
fensively. We were just one or: two: :
plays away from getting it done " :
a catch here, arun there. ThatT S
frustrating.
But again, in games like this, r
canTt complain, even though we =
came up short. The effort was |,
there. The guys didnTt quit, didnT t.
give up.
If we had tied the game up on °
that field goal, I wouldnTt feel a8o
bad now. But we played hard and ©,
things donTt always work out like?
you want them to.
ItTs been a great season for us.T
It would have been great to finish ~
it with a victory in Atlanta on New -
Year's Day, but thatTs life. YouTve-
got to accept itand move on. o+?
se
a
Charles Davenport is a senior rs
wide receiver for N.C. State from
Fayetteville.
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The Peach Bowl / East Carolina 37, N.C. State 34
A. cause worth
rallying for
' TLANTA " Un-oI Be-
: lieveTT-able.
! To steal a word or two
from a phrase East Carolina foot-
ball fans turned into a religion,
that was the feeling the Pirates
and N.C. State left in the Peach
Bowl.
And in near-freezing tempera-
tures and with the Pirates down
34-17 in the fourth quarter, thou-
sands of ECU fans stood by their
conviction " the simple sentence,
oI Believe.?
oThose fans helped us win this
game. They really did,?T Pirates
quarterback Jeff Blake said after
the 37-34 victory that his touch-
down passes made possible.
We heard them up there all
along. We knew they wouldnTt
give up on us, and we knew we
wouldnTt give up, either. ThatTs
the spirit ECU lives by.?T
Never was that creed more fully
tested than Wednesday afternoon
under gray skies in Atlanta-Ful-
ton County Stadium. State erased
a 17-14 halftime deficit and nearly
blew the Pirates out of the nation-
al top 20 with a third-quarter ex-
plosion and an early fourth-quar-
ter razzle-dazzle touchdown play
that hit most of ECUTs fans right
in the face.
But almost the moment after
Damon HartmanTs extra-point
kick cleared the north end-zone
crossbar, hundreds of ECU fans
behind it started an oI Believe?T
chant.
Those cheers and what ensued
forever will be remembered by
Pirate fans as The Rally.
Ironically those same fans were
in the direct line of flight for a
last-second field goal attempt by
Hartman that missed to the right
from 49 yards.
The north end-zone area erupt-
ed in a celebration that made
some ECU officials hold their
breath one last time. When the
celebration did not deteriorate,
ECUTs perfect day was complete.
. -Thousands of Pirate fans spilled
onto the playing field. The E?T in
the P-I-R-A-T-E lettering on the
H
They never did sit
down.T
Officer in stadium
about ECU fans
osouth end zone was dug up by a
-dozen or so fans. But stadium se-
-Curity officials reported no fights,
ono confrontations.
~. oNo problem,? said an armed
oofficer stationed beneath one set
oof goal posts. Those people up
there in purple are just what I
would call great fans. Not a one
made a move at the goals that I
saw. They look like to me the kind
of fans every team would want.
oThey never did sit down.?T
Indeed not. In fact, most of the
record crowd of 59,322 stood
throughout the game. Only at half-
time, when many of those fans en-
dured long lines to pay two bucks
for a small cup of coffee and high-
ser prices for other refreshments,
owere many of the seats used.
. oEverything out there went like
va charm, just like we had hoped
oandexpected, ?? said Peach execu-
tive director Robert Dale Morgan.
oTere werenTt any incidents at
all that I know about.TT
The chants and jeering went
back and forth across the arena
obut in the spirit of good-natured ri-
valry. Each Hey, Hey, EC, You
Look So Good to Me?T was count-
ered by a oHey, Hey, EC, You
Look Like Hell to Me.?T
' StateTs fans furiously met
ECUTs yellow foam-rubber sabers
with their own white towels. There:
was:a loud, steady buzz until the
end, when many dejected State
fans vowed that contrary to Ath-
letics Director Todd TurnerTs feel-
ings, there would be future foot-
ball:games between State and
ECU.
T .Three minutes after the game
: Was over, a fan unveiled a new
version of a sweatshirt popular
with Pirates throughout the week
+; oBeat StateTT on the front and
Again? on the back. The updated
wording had Beat State?T on the
front and Again and Again? on
the reverse.
_ Asked whether he thought this
would be ECUTs last meeting with
State, Blake said he hoped not.
. oBut if it is, we gave Tem one to
-yemember,?T he said. I saw those
fans on both sides " ours and
theirs. I know they were all excit-
e : 99
' Delighted Peach officials were
more emphatic.
. oLetTs see another bowl top
that!TT said A. Neill Cameron,
chairman of the Peach Bowl
board of directors. I donTt think
it'll happen for a long, long time.TT
Believers all. That is what
ECUTs 11-1 dream season " one
bad officiating call at Illinois
short of perhaps 11-0-1 or even 12-0
«- made of everyone.
N.C. State tailback Anthony Barbour is stopped by Tony Davis (53) and Bernard Carter (80) as other
Staff photo by Scott hiavne
Pirates close in
Pirates had a surprise for their coach
ATLANTA " One day in De-
cember, East Carolina coach Bill
Lewis missed a Pirate practice to
attend an important Peach Bowl
meeting.
When he returned the next day,
he was surprised to see his team
firing away from a shotgun of-
fense.
oThey were throwing the ball
all over the field,TT Lewis recalled.
oI asked Steve Logan [ECUTs
co-offensive coordinator], What
are they doing out there?T
He said: It looked great yes-
terday; just be patient, Coach.T I
had also missed a few offensive
meetings when it was being con-
sidered. They wanted to see my
reaction.?T
Wisely, the Pirates kept the
formation in their diversified ar-
senal.
And in the Peach Bowl, with
quarterback Jeff Blake as the
trigger man, ECU let N.C. State
have it with both barrels.
oWe felt with Jeff in the shotgun
it would give him a better look and
a little more time,? said Lewis,
who watched his 11-1 Pirates rally
from a 34-17 fourth-period deficit
to win a 37-34 thriller Wednesday.
East Carolina operated from
the shotgun briefly in the first
half, but used it almost exclusive-
ly on its three scoring drives in the
final eight minutes, 41 seconds.
oI was waiting the whole game
for Jeff to get in a: rhythm,?
Staff photo by Chris Seward
Bill Lewis speaks to Pirates fans on the field after the victory
Lewis says thereTs been
no discussion with Tech
ATLANTA " Bill LewisT job
status did not become an issue
New YearTs Day.
The only item on East Caro-
linaTs agenda was beating N.C,
State in the 24th Peach Bowl.
The Pirates did that, and in
remarkable fashion, with a 37-34
comeback victory in what Peach
officials called their best game
ever.
But soon after ECU quarter-
back Jeff Blake received the most
valuable player award, he pre-
dicted Lewis, the PiratesT third-
year coach, would be back in
Greenville for the 1992 season and
not at Georgia Tech.
oI know heTs not leaving,?
Blake said. I know that for
sure.?T
Asked how he could be so
certain, Blake smiled and said, I
just know, thatTs all.?
Blake and other Pirates players
were more concerned with cele-
brating their 11th win of the
season and the cherished triumph
over a former annual rival than
dabbling in speculation. But Blake
said Lewis had not announced his
plans to the team.
oHe just told us that he hadnTt
talked to Georgia Tech or anyone
else,TT Blake said.
Lewis, reported to be the No. 1
target to replace Bobby Ross,
would not discuss the subject. He
repeated that there had been no
discussions with the Atlantic
Coast Conference school.
oIt would not be appropriate to
comment on that because I have
not talked with anybody from
Georgia Tech,?T he said.
ECU assistant athletics director
Charlie Carr also said he had not
been contacted by Tech.
A Georgia Tech official said
that if the school requested per-
mission to interview Lewis, it
would not talk with him until next
week.
Lewis, Tech assistant coach
George OTLeary and head coaches
Frank Beamer of Virginia Tech
and Jim Donnan of Marshall are
believed to be the leading candi-
dates for the Tech job.
But Beamer said Wednesday
that he had no plans to take the
position.
oAt this point in time, it is my
intention to remain at Virginia
Tech and continue to develop the
football program here,TT Beamer
said in a statement.
oT have not ... been contacted
by officials at Georgia Tech re-
garding the head coaching job
there.?T
OTLeary and Ralph: Friedgen,
TechTs offensive coordinator, both
said Wednesday they would be
candidates to replace Ross as the
Yellow JacketsT coach.
~ CAULTON TUDOR
4 :
Logan said. So with eight min-
utes left we put in the gun. He
called the plays on the first drive.
oThen I checked with him on
the phones and he said he wanted
me to call Tem. He said he was
tired and didnTt want to foul up
anything. So I flashed signals to
him on the last two drives.?T
On the final three scoring
marches, Blake ran for one touch-
down and passed for two. He was
at his brilliant best, hitting eight
of 10 throws an an 80-yard journey
that pulled ECU within 34-30.
oOur whole season has been this
way, but this is as good a come-
back as any ITve been around,?
Logan said.
oOnce Jeff gets in a rhythm,
Renewal of
Pack-Pirates
series unlikely
ATLANTA " Even though fans,
coaches and players want to see
the N.C. State-East Carolina regu-
lar-season series renewed, Wolf-
pack athletics director Todd Turn-
er said Wednesday that it wasnTt
likely.
oPlaying them is just fine; it
just doesnTt meet the scheduling
criteria at each school,T Turner
said. Turner said that State need-
ed to play six home games each
season and couldnTt do that if it
met ECUTs demand that some of
the series games be played in
Greenville.
That would mean every other
year we would have only five
home games,T Turner said. oI
just canTt see us getting through
this impasse. Also, we are pretty
much solidly scheduled through
2000.?T
East Carolina athletics director
Dave Hart Jr. said he didnTt think
the impact of WednesdayTs Peach
Bowl, with its sellout crowd and
record payoff, would alter the
impasse.?
BOXSCORE
First downs
Rushes-yards
Passing yards
Return yards
Comp-att-int
Sacked by-yards
Punts-average
Fumbles-lost
Penalties-yards
Time of possession
N.C. State 7713 7"34
East Carolina 710 0 20"37
Scoring summary
First: NCSU"Downs 2 (Hartman kick), 7:50;
Drive: 12 plays, 68 yards, key play"Barhbaur 15 gain
on 3rd-and-1 at State 46. ECU"Van Buren 5 pass from
Blake (Brenner kick), 5:22; Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards,
key play"Blake 19 pass to Fisher on 3rd-and-] at ECU
48.
Second: NCSU"Harrison 4 pass from Jordan
(Hartman kick), 14:10; Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, key
play"Downs 19 run on 3rd-and-2 from State 46.
ECU-"FG Brenner 27, 6:41; Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards,
key play"Van Buren runs totaling 62 yards. ECU"
Gallimore 55 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 1:39;
Drive: 6 plays, 77 yards, key play"the touchdown
pass.
Third: NCSU"Hinton 14 pass from Jordan (Hart-
man kick), 9:35; Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, key
play-"-Mainor 4 run on 4th-ond-! at ECU 36-yard line.
NCSU"Manior } run (kick foiled), 2:34; Drive: 9
plays, 71 yards, key ploy-"Jordan 17 pass to Deven-
port on 3rd-and-9 from State 30.
' Fourth: NCSU"Davenport 52 pass from George
(Hartman kick), 13:01; Drive; 2 plays, 5) yards, key
play"ECUTs Dion Johnson fumbled punt near mid-
field and StateTs Santee recovered. ECU"Blake2run .
(Brenner kick), 7:26; Drive: 7 plays, 32 yards, key
play"KilpatrickTs short punt gave ECU possession at
State 32. ECU"Johnson 17 pass from Blake (pass
failed), 4:18; Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, key play"
Blake 21 pass fo Driver on 2nd-and-10 at ECU 34.
ECU"Fisher 22 pass from Blake (Brenner kick),
1:32; Drive: 5 plays, 41 yards, key play"JohnsonTs
27-yard punt return.
Individual statistics
Rushing: N.C, State " Barbour 23-90, Downs 10-63,
Manior 15-54, Williams 1-(-3), Davenport 1-(-9), Jor-
dan 6-(-9); East Carolina "- Van Buren 11-65, Daniels
2-3, Johnson 1-(-13), Blake 10-(-13).
Passing: N.C. State " Jordan 15-23-1"145, George
1-1-0"52; East Carolina " Blake 31-5)-3"378,
Receiving: N.C. State " Davenport 6-118, Wil-
liams 4-30, Hinton 2-37, Shaw 2-6, Harrison 1-4, George
1-2; East Carolina " Fisher 12-144, Johnson 6-56,
Gallimore 5-113, Van Buren 5-30, Driver 2-37, Daniels
1-(-2).
Tackies: N.C. State " Haynes 14, Reid 10, Savage
5, Merritt 5, Lawrence 5, Akins 5; East Carolina "
Jones 16, Grandison 11, Carter 9, Walker 9, Davis 8,
Dillon 7, Washington 7, Gardill.
A"-59,322.
nothing stops him. Also, Jeff and |
all five receivers were on the
same page.?T
Fisher caught 12 passes for 144
yards and the game-winning TD.
oI never gave up,? Blake said.
Neither did Gallimore, Fisher
nor the fans, who were waving a
We Believe? banner and doing
the saber slash even when ECU
trailed by 17.
oWhen JeffTs on, we just donTt
believe anybody can stop us,?T
Fisher said.
And with 1:32 left, it was a
22-yard toss from Blake to Fisher
that provided the decisive points.
It was the last, deadly blast
from the PiratesT shotgun.
ye2-yard TD:irun
Hunter
Gailimore
ECU Diary
A brief pause
to savor victory
TLANTA " This morning,
A I could hardly eat.
I did eat just one bow! of
cereal. It was a nervous time.
When we got to the field, the
welcome from the fans was out-
standing. That helped us.
I couldnTt have painted a more
perfect finish. We never stopped
believing.
I never dreamed I could be one
of the leading receivers in the
Peach Bowl and score a TD. This
is the best game of my career.
When we got behind, we went to
the shotgun. We knew we could
throw the football. Jeff Blake did
a great job.
Then, it was a tremendous feel-
ing to see all the fans come out on
the field. That meant a lot to us.
In the dressing room, it was
really emotional. WeTre really go-
ing to miss this, but weTll stay in
touch with everybody.
ITm going to rest some now. ITm
going to take a vacation.
Hunter Gallimore is a senior
wide receiver for East Carolina
from Wilson.
TURNAROUND: Sometimes there
isnTt a quarterTs difference between a
goat and a hero.
Early in the fourth period of the Peach
Bowl, East CarolinaTs Dion Johnson
fumbled a punt near midfield. N.C. State
recovered and promptly marched in for a
touchdown and a 34-17 lead.
o| patted Dion on the shoulder and
told him he would have some more
chances to contribute,TT Pirates coach
Bill Lewis said. oHeTs a competitor.?
Johnson, a 5-foot-8, 164-pounder,
quickly made up for his miscue.
He caught a 17-yard touchdown pass
from Jeff Blake with 4:18 left to help the
Pirates cut StateTs lead to 34-30.
Then he returned a punt 27 yards to
the State 42-yard line, giving East
Carolina superb field position with 2:37
remaining. A few snaps later the Pirates
scored the winning touchdown.
~ A.J. CARR
Geemm- N.C. State
East Carolina
, punt
lays,
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End at quarter ~teoncenmecincecom
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hissed 49- -Yard FG
"
i} 8 plays, 40 yards, n
| 10 20 30 40 50 40 30 20 11
Bowl frenzy @
Complete college football bow! results "
See Sports, Section D
Thursday
January 2, 1992
-Toothy to
Consumers love
their dental gadgets
ols
creet
team
By Kristin Scheve
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
KINSTON " The best par-
ty during this holiday took
place at Kinston Regional
Jetport, and dress was strict-
ly purple and gold.
About 500 fans packed the
airport to welcome the East
Carolina University football
team home after its Peach
Bowl victory. Pirate support-
ers crowded on top of vending
machines and climbed walls
to get a glimpse of the team
that defeated N.C. State Uni-
versity 37-34, and bought
ECU its first bowl ba
since 1978.
Brooks Shackelford, age 18
months, practiced his best
Pirate imitation with a
drawn-on mustache, earring
and a purple bandana. His fa-
ther Bruce played tackle for
ECU in 1981.
oAfter three heart attacks
today, ITm feeling great,?T
Bruce Shackelford said.
The first and possibly
loudest cheer went for Coach
Bill Lewis, who held the
game trophy in his arms as
he stepped off the plane.
Fans stopped Lewis and his
players as soon as they walk-
ed through the airport doors,
begging them for autographs.
Supporters of all shapes
and sizes waved Styrofoam
sabers and flags emblazoned
with skulls and crossbones.
Homemade signs told the 11-1
Pirates, We Believed.?T
ECU alumnus Hilda Mar-
shburn waited for the team to
arrive.
We thought this is some-
thing we could do in the place
of not going to the Peach
Bowl,T Ms. Marshburn said.
She watched the game with
her sister, who is also an
ECU graduate, and their
families.
oWe were just jumping up
and down,?T she said. If the
(See WELCOME, A-7)
~
ie
A
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
Victorious Pirates raise their cheat trophy high in the air for fans, celebrating
their Peach Bowl victory over the Wolfpack of North Carolina State University and their
11-1 season " a school record for East Carolina.
victory
By Tom Morris
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " The believers
in East Carolina football
have the ultimate New
YearTs Day gift " a win over
North Carolina State in the
Peach Bowl.
With the constant
background cheer of I
Believe? ECU gave its long-
suffering fans something to
go completely bonkers over
with a 37-34 win.
The game featured the typ-
ical roller-coaster script.
Another last-second win,
another stirring comeback,
another completely nutty
post-game celebration "
these are things that make up
the most improbable. football
season in ECUTs history.
The game, played ona cool
and cloudy day, drew 59,322
fans, a Peach Bowl record for
attendance. It was also the
largest crowd ever to see a
game involving two college
teams from North Carolina.
oTo be here and to be a
Pirate fan after a rebuilding
period is one of the most ex-
citing things in my young
adult life,T said Porter Shaw
amid the crush of fans that
swarmed the field following
ECUTs 37-34 win that wrapped
up an 11-1 Season.
Shaw and several thou-
sands other fans ran on to the
field after a last-second field
goal by State fell short as
time expired.
The fans danced, hugged,
ran in circles, jumped up and
down and reveled in a foot-
ball game heavy in drama
and excitement.
Mike Stecklow, an ECU
student, carved out the E
Peach Bowl»
e Play-by-play cov-
erage of the game
e How the shotgun
helped the Pirates
e Cedric Van Buren,
ECUTs ground force
"Page D-1
from ECU end zone and held
it aloft as he ran around the
field.
oTm going to put it in my
house and plant it,?T he said.
I mean, ECU goes to a bowl
game about once every thou-
sand i 3
Well, once about every 13
years a he a little more ex-
act. But this was clearly a
special moment for the thou-
sands of ECU fans who came
to Atlanta to see the Pirates
in their first-ever New YearTs
Day Bowl. And they clearly
wanted to savor the moment.
Many people left the field
with turf samples and just
about every other fan re-
corded the moment on video
or in pictures.
Malcolm Wade of Charlotte
had his girlfriend, Denise
Romero, take his picture in
front of the goal post. He then
turned, ran into the end zone
and grabbed a handful of
purple grass.
oT told her ITd give up sex
for the year if we could win
this game,?T he said.
oT was there when Pat Dye
was coaching and I didnTt
think ITd ever see anything
like this again.?T
(See PIRATES, A-7)
Vance: Both sides agreed .
to talk peace in Yugoslavia
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ZAGREB, Yugoslavia " Special
U.N. envoy Cyrus Vance an-
nounced Wednesday that both
sides in the civil war in Croatia
accepted a United Nations plan to
send peacekeepers to the seces-
sionist republic.
Vance, previously skeptical
about chances for peace in
Yugoslavia, told reporters that
Serb and Croat leaders had taken
steps that I had not seen before.?T
Vance, a former U.S. secretary
By Terence Hunt
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CANBERRA, Australia "
Despite protests by angry Austral-
ian farmers, President Bush said
Thursday the United States will
continue to subsidize its agricul-
tural exports in order to compete
¥,
of state, told reporters after a
meeting with Croatian President
Franjo Tudjman that all parties
appeared serious about imposing a
firm truce, which he insists is a
prerequisite for U.N. troops to be
deployed.
He did not offer precise details
of the plan. But previous versions
called for U.N. peacekeepers to go
to combat areas rather than to
seal off large chunks of territory
to separate Croats and Serbs.
(See BOTH, A-7)
Bush stands firm
with European nations.
oWhile I donTt like having to use
these remedies,T Bush said in an
address to the Australian Parlia-
ment, oI will safeguard the inter-
ests of American farmers.?
BushTs speech " the first ever
by a U.S. president to a joint ses-
sion of Parliament " came just
hours after more than 3,000 Aus-
El Salvador heralds New Year
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ~
UNITED NATIONS " Govern-
-ment and rebel leaders heralded
the New Year. with the announce-
ment of an ambitious accord to br-
ing peace to El] Salvador, where
the 12-year-old civil war has
claimed more than 75,000 lives.
The agreement will, in its
words, oput a definitive end to the
Salvadoran armed conflictT? " a
war rooted in disparity of wealth
that absorbed more than $1 billion
on subsidies for a
tralian farmers marched on the
Parliament House to,protest U.S.
agricultural subsidies that they
claim cost them $1 billion a year
in lost exports.
The president expressed sympa-
thy with the farmers, but said the
subsidies were necessary because
the European Community simi-
larly underwrites more than 10
times the amount of farm exports
as the United States.
The dispute over agriculture
was the main irritant on BushTs
three-day stop here, the first leg of
a 12-day trade-oriented tour of
Asia and Australia.
Bush also assured Pacific allies
that the United States will not
abandon the region, even though it
Ye
in U.S. military aid.
The accord calls for a_nine-
month cease-fire beginning Feb. 1
and provisions to integrate the lef-
tist rebels in the civilian, politi-
cal and institutional life of the
country.?
Reached after two weeks of in-
tense negotiations, it was a final
dramatic victory for U.N. Secre-
tary-General Javier Perez de
Cuellar, who ended his decade-
long tenure as the talks ended as
the New Year began.
with an announcement of peace
oTo the Salvadoran people, itTs
the best New YearTs present they
could have,T said Bernard Aron-
son, U.S. assistant secretary of
state for Inter-American Affairs.
President Alfredo Cristiani of E]
Salvador, who joined the talks in
its final days, said called the ac-
cord an overall agreement?T and
said it would be signed in Mexico
City on Jan. 16. Talks on a timeta-
ble to implement the accord are to
(See PEACE, A-7)
ricultural exports
is withdrawing from the Philip-
pines and cutting back forces
worldwide.
oT can assure you that the Unit-
ed States intends to maintain the
appropriate military presence to
protect its allies and to. counter
threats to peace,?T the president
said.
Pointing to the collapse of the
Soviet Union; Bush said, oItTs a
new era. but like Australia, the
United States has fought three
wars in Asia over the past 50 years
and we know that our security is
inexorably linked to stability
across the Pacific. And we will not
(See BUSH, A-7)
:
o
Pirates
(Continued from A-1)
It was a bumpy ride getting
there, though. ECU has made
a habit of fourth-quarter
comebacks this year, but the
Pirates took that to a new ex-
treme this time.
With just over eight
minutes left, State led 34-17.
Most of the Pirate sabers that
-had been slashing through
_ the first three quarters were
now stashed underneath the
seats. .
The State fans were the
ones celebrating and clearly
felt like the game was over.
NOT.
ECU somehow was able to
come back and win. It was
pure theater.
oThe last time State
scored, I thought it would be
the last touchdown of the
game,? Wade said. I was
Staying, though. I wasnTt go-
ing to go.?
The game was a renewal of
one of the most popular col-
lege football rivalries in
North Carolina. The two
teams used to meet each
year, but the series was
cancelled four years ago
after a post-game melee.
Win or lose, though, this
was a fun game to watch,
with lots of scoring and
numerous plot turns.
oItTs a big rivalry,? said
Dr. Ron Terry, a N.C. State
fan from Asheville. oThere is
no love lost.
oI would say ITm mildly
disappointed, but it was a
good game. Win or lose, itTs
good to go to a bowl game.?
For the last three days, At-
lantaTs downtown area has
been taken over by fans from
the two schools. An estimated
45,000 visitors came in from
out of state and they gener-
ated in excess of $35 million
dollars for the locai economy.
Just a few weeks ago, a
ticket to the Peach Bowl was
the hottest thing around. By
game time, though, there
seemed to be more supply
than demand. A few thousand
seats were empty during the
game, but they were paid for.
An hour before kickoff,
there were hands holding up
tickets for sale all around the
stadium.
oT thought it would be easy
to sell them,T said Jay
Roberson of Greenville as he
tried to get rid of four tickets.
oItTs a scam. Some people
decided not to go and ITd al-
ready paid for the tickets. I
started out at $100. Now ITm
just trying to get my money
back and go inside. ITm about
ready to throw them on the
ground. Eventually, theyTre
worthless.?T
Many of the ticket sellers
ended up taking losses, with
some $32 tickets going for
around $18.
ECU plans clearly couldnTt .
get enough of the victory.
Many went to a local sports
bar late that afternoon and
watched a replay of the last
quarter of the game, closing
out with a chant of, ooECU!,
ECU!?
Welcome
(Continued from A-1)
foundation of my floor was
not sturdy, we wouldTve fall-
en completely through.?T
Some welcomers decided to
stop short of the airport. Cars
flying ECU flags dotted the
30-mile stretch of N.C. 11
coming from the airport.
Passengers waited outside
their vehicles to ensure the
team was cheered all the way
to Greenville. Hours after the:
teamTs arrival, drivers in
Greenville continued to honk
their horns in victory greet-
ing.
The welcoming group
4
,
FROM PAGE ONE
The Daily Reflector, Greenville, N.C.
The Daily Reflector/Michl Hall
Fans gather at Kinston to welcome the returning Pirates after their victory in the Peach Bowl.
January 2, 1992
P.O. Box 10629 " Goldsboro, N. C. 27532
20 Pages"2 Sections |
Ste sceen eres ee {tome ronnet: TTS : aan seers tertemrentt
Associated Press
Marc Washington (99), other East Carolina players celebrate after win over N.C. State. Story on 1B
Throng of believersT greets happy Pirates
KINSTON (AP) " Hundreds: of believersTT
were waiting at the Kinston airport when the East
Carolina football team arrived home after its ex-
citing Peach Bowl victory over North Carolina
State.
About 500 people greeted coach Bill Lewis and
his team when they arrived Wednesday night
after defeating the Wolfpack 37-34 in Atlanta,
many carrying signs depicting the PiratesT slogan
for the season, I believe.?T
The first and possibly loudest cheer went for
Lewis, who cradled the game trophy in his arms
as he stepped off the plane. Fans stopped Lewis
and his players as soon as they walked through
the airport doors, begging them for autographs.
The whole day, the whole experience of being
able to go into the stadium, see the fans there, see
their reaction after the game and then to come
back to this ... itTs what this program " this foot-
ball teamTs all about,TT Lewis told Raleigh televi-
sion station WRAL.
ECU alumnus Hilda Marshburn had watched
the game at home with family members.
We thought this is something we could do in
the place of not going to the Peach Bowl,T Ms.
Marshburn told The Daily Reflector of Greenville.
Bowl results at a glance
BOWL
oWe were just jumping up and down. If the
foundation of my floor was not sturdy, we would
have fallen completely through.?
Some welcomers decided to stop short of the
airport. Cars flying ECU flags dotted the 30-mile
stretch of highway coming from the airport. Pas-
sengers waited outside their vehicles to ensure the
team was cheered all the way to Greenville.
Hours after the teamTs arrival, motorists in
Greenville continued to honk their horns in victo-
ry.
The N.C. State football team arrived home in
Raleigh about 7 p.m.
- (USPS 221 42
Thursday, January 2,1992 A.7
Idaho
capitol
is hit
by fire
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BOISE, Idaho " Fire heavily
damaged several offices in IdahoTs
State Capitol on Wednesday before
firefighters contained it. Flames
shot out a broken window and up
the side of the 80-year-old granite
building.
The fire engulfed several small
rooms in the attorney generalTs of-
fices on the four-story buildingTs
second floor, then quickly spread
to legislative committee rooms on
the third floor. The rotunda ap-
parently wasnTt affected.
A Capitol security guard, who
discovered the fire, and a reporter
were the only people in the build-
ing. on the New YearTs holiday.
They fled uninjured.
Firefighters faced thick smoke
and rapidly advancing flames, but
controlled the blaze within 45
minutes, Fire Chief Dan Fraijo
said.
The cause wasnTt immediately
known, Fraijo said.
The damage ois going to be con-
siderably serious, probably be-
cause of a lot of valuable informa-
tion that was lost,TT Fraijo said.
Computer equipment was
located in the offices on both
floors. The attorney generalTs of-
fices also held many law books
and documents.
oIt looks like what ITve seen so
far, we took the major damage,?T
Attorney General Larry
EchoHawk said. Of course weTve
got some valuable records.?
PAYOUT/
RESULT TEAM
ATT. MVP(s)
created enough noise to make
up for the 20,000 ECU fans
who saw the game in Atlanta.
And the fans that greeted the
team home were just as
loyal.
The whole time they were
down by 17,? said Greta Tur-
Raisin Bowling Green 28, Fresno State 21 $250,000 34,825 Lk ALS ona B. Green; QB Mark Barsotti,
. resno St.
Heritage Alabama State 36, North Carolina A&T 13 $150,000 7,724 QB Ricky Jones, Alabama State
+ 650,000 34,433 RB Tommy Vardell, Stanford; QB Shawn Jones,
Aloha Georgia Tech 18, Stanford $ tibi,
Blockbuster Alabama 30, Colorado 25 $3 million 52,644 WR David Palmer, Alabama
ia 24, Arkansas 15 ° $650,000 46,932 FLK Andre Hastings, ILB Torre
i ississippi 1,497 QB Rob Perez, Air Force
nage of Deep Run, we were Air Force 38, Mississippi State 15 $900,000 61,49
irgini illion 62,003 QB Cale Gundy, Okla.; DB Tyrone Lewis, Va.
down on our knees praying.? Gator Oklahoma 48, Virginia 14 $1.2 mi
i 1.3 million 60,646 QB Ty Detmer, BYU; DB Josh Arnold, BYU; DB
cre een : Carlos James, lowa
7a 1 milli Arnold Ale, UCLA _.
; | John Hancock UCLA 6, Illinois 3 $1 million 42,821 ILB 7
singlet he cape nes 2h er STO ee aro c sees ere
° . H e a . T T 4
If you have nese tee Meth Peach East Carolina 37, N.C. State 34 $900,000 Caroina; LB silly Ray Haynes, N.C. State; QB
any crime committed in Pi | 1 _ Terry Jordan, N.C. State
County, call Crime Stop- : | ill 57,789 QB Marvin Graves, Syracuse
58." Hall of Fame Syracuse 24, Ohio State 17 $1 million , Syracuse
yer, eg Ne do Citrus Caifornia 37, Clemson 13 $1.35 million 64,192 _QB Mike Pawlawski, California
ag iss ate y sath Cotton Florida State 10, Texas A&M 2 $3.1 million 73,728 RB Sean Jackson, FSU; S Chris Crooms, A&M
be can be pai 4 e in- Fiesta Penn State 42, Tennessee 17 $2 million _71,133_WR O.J. McDuffie, OLB Reggie Givens, PSU
vo bt a : ~ Washington 34, Michigan 14 $6.5 million 103,566 DL Steve Emtman, QB Billy Joe Hobert, Wash.
| Orange - Miami (Fla.) 22, Nebraska 0 $4.2 million 77,747 RB Larry Jones, Miami
Sugar Notre Dame 39, Florida 28 $3.6 million 76,447 FB Jerome Bettis, Notre Dame
The Daily
Reflector
Thursday,January 2, 1992
Carolina quarterback Jeff Blake, the Peach Bowl
ooWeTve been called a
Cinderella story all
year. Cinderella went to
a ball tonight and got
married. SheTs queen
now. The feelingTs
unbelievable... now I
guess we know whoTs
the best in North Caroli-
na.?T
"Keith Arnold
ECU center
Most Valuable Offensive
Sports
Pirate comeback just peachy
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
Pirate tight end Luke Fisher broke the Peach Bowl record
with 12 catches for 144 yards and caught the game-winner.
Van Buren timely
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " East CarolinaTs
Cedric Van Buren may never have
been in a better place at a better
time.
And thanks to his recovery of a
Luke Fisher fumble, ECU was
able to complete an unbelievable
37-34 comeback win. over N.C.
State in WednesdayTs Peach Bowl.
oT saw one of the North Carolina
State defenders pull the ball
loose,T said Van Buren, a 5-10,
185-pound junior running back. oIt
just popped my way and I dropped
on it. I knew we had to have the
ball.?T
ECU, which trailed as much as
34-17 in the fourth quarter, was on
what proved to be the winning
drive when Van Buren came up
with the loose ball at the Wolfpack
30.
After getting his hands on one of
Jeff BlakeTs 51 passes, Fisher was
sandwiched by two defenders and
was stripped of the ball. Van
Buren, trailing the play, dove to
the turf to beat a host of converg-
ing white shirts.
After Van BurenTs recovery, the
Pirates needed just three plays to
punch it in. The score, with only
1:32 to go, came on a 22-yard pass
from Blake to Fisher.
The WolfpackTs Damon Hart-
man missed a 49-yard field goal
attempt on the gameTs final play,
giving ECU its 11th straight win .
for ECU
oThatTs probably the greatest
feeling ITve ever had,TT Van Buren
said. oThe fans were great.
oItTs just totally incredible look-
ing at where East Carolina was
and where East Carolina is now.?
Van Buren did his part to help
put the finishing touches on an 11-1
dream season. He caught an 8-
yard pass in a 32-yard drive that
made it 34-24, then had three cat-
ches for 16 yards in an 80-yard
drive that made it 34-30.
Van BurenTs only other catch
was for a first-quarter touchdown.
On first-and-goal from. the five,
Van Buren lined up a couple of
steps behind Blake and drifted to
the front corner of the end zone
where he found himself all alone.
oTt was 142 Cajun and what
happens is I hide behind the quar-
terback and run a flat route,TT Van
Buren said. The cornerback
See VAN BUREN, D-5)
© College Football
¢ College Basketball
® Scoreboard
The Daily Reflector/Shannon Wolfe
Player, scrambles away from N.C, StateTs Mark Thomas.
ECUTs big gun
omes through
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " The time between
the end of the regular season and
a bowl game gives teams a chance
to put in a few new wrinkles.
East Carolina added _ the
shotgun, loaded it up in the fourth
quarter and had both barrels
smoking in a 37-34 comeback win
over N.C. State in the 24th annual
Peach Bowl.
Quarterback Jeff Blake, named
ECUTs offensive player of the
game, directed three touchdown
drives in a seven-minute span as
the Pirates rallied from a 34-17
deficit.
oWe had been practicing (the
shotgun) for a month,? Blake
said. oI think N.C. State was un-
prepared for it.
The Pirates used the shotgun
once in the first half, but went to it
almost exclusively after falling
behind by 17 with 8:41 to go. The
Pirates saturated the field with
five receivers and found the
cracks in a soft Wolfpack defense
that was sending, just four in the
pass rush.
On the final three drives, Blake
hit 15 of 21 passes for 148 yards.
He finished 31 of 51 with a bowl-
record four touchdown passes.
oWe had joked about it early in
the season and the coaches seem-
ed a little hesitant,T siad center
Keith Arnold, who delivered Blake
the snaps in the shotgun forma-
tion. We had three weeks to prac-
tice it. I was tickled to death. It
was a change, we had a good time
with it and it seemed to pay off.?T
Blake called his own plays in a
seven-play drive that got ECU
within 34-24. He scored the TD on
a 2-yard run.
(See SHOTGUN, D-5)
Bowl win
over Pac
caps 11-1
season
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " The perfect script
now has the perfect ending.
And a team that always believed
it could did something truly
unbelievable.
It was done with thrills and
chills, suspense to the very end:
But what did you expect?
Down 34-17 with 8:41 to go and
its never-say-die fans chanting
We believeT? East Carolina
mustered an incredible rally Wed-
nesday to overcome N.C. State
37-34 in the 24th annual Peach
Bowl. The fitting end to aT story-
book season leaves the Pirates
11-1.
When we were behind 17 points
you couldnTt help but hear the
people dressed in purple chanting
that they believe,? ECU head
coach Bill Lewis said. I think
we've added a special meaning to
I believeT or We believeT or
however you want to say it be-
cause I think that we truly cap-
tured the spirit of that.?
The frenzied bowl-record crowd
of 59,322 and the final Peach Bowl
to be played in Atlanta-Fulton
County Stadium (the bowl moves
to the Georgia Dome next year)
nearly settled for a tie, but Damon
HartmanTs 49-yard field goal at-
tempt as time expired was short
and wide right.
College footballTs Cinderella had
beat the clock again.
oWeTve been called a Cinderella
story all year,TT ECU senior center
Keith Arnold said. Cinderella
went to a ball tonight and got
married. SheTs queen now.
oThe feelingTs unbelievable . . .
now I guess we know whoTs the
best in North Carolina.?T
East Carolina, with its second-
straight win in a series that was
discontinued in 1987, can make
that claim. But for three-plus
quarters, the Wolfpack was better.
Muscle and speed in the running
game enabled the Pack to do what
it wanted coming in " keep the
ball out of the hands of Pirate
quarterback Jeff Blake and put a
lot of points on the board.
Anthony Barbour was a danger
on the corners and finished with 90
yards on 23 carries. Greg Manior
and Gary Downs banged inside
and combined for 117 more yards.
The Pack ran the ball 56 times for
186 yards.
But when time was an ally and
first downs were critical, ECUTs
defense got tough and State wilted.
oT thought we were the better
team there for a while,? N.C.
State head coach Dick Sheridan
said. oBut we didnTt get the job
done either offensively, defensive-
ly or the kicking game.?T
StateTs collapse down the stretch
included a shanked punt that gave
the Pirates a shot in the arm.
The Wolfpack also could find no
solution to a red-hot Blake, who
completed 31 of 51 passes for 378
yards, threw four touchdowns and
was intercepted three times.
(See PIRATES, D-6)
The Daily Reflector/Shannon Wolfe
, Cedric Van Buren contributed .65 rushing yards, a touchdown and a key fumble recovery.
j
se t a=
+ MA ee ee ee ee ee ee
a OE EE ee
oSp
GAME 12: i
N.C. State i i If
= Ag
SS
vs. East Carolina age
=] Pirates
Yards rushing
Yards passing
ME «SWolfpack
Time of possession
ome
Total yards
Kickoff return yards
Interception return yards
14
E20
Total return yards
8
First downs
map
Edo
Turnovers
i
Total plays
Passes completed
RS
Passes attempted
N.C. State
East Carolin
N.C. State 14, ECU 7.
State 14. (
Team statistics
ECU NCS
Total first downs ; 2
= Rushes
Net yards passing
ff ret. yds.
alties-yds. BAS 534
1-1
07]
Individual statistics
ECU _ Blake 10-(-13), Yan Buren
11-65, Daniels 2-3, Johnson 1-(-13).
RECEIVING: NCSU _ Davenport
- 2-6, Williams 4-30, Hinton 2-37;
ECU ._ Fisher 12-144, Johnson 6-56,
Gallimore 5-113, Van Buren 5-30,
Daniels 1-(-2), Driver 2-37.
RUSHING: NCSU _ Barbour 23-90,
Manior 15-54, Downs 10-63, Williams
1-(-3), Jordan 6-(-9), Davenport 1-(-9);
6-118, George 1-2, Harrison 1-4, Shaw
How they scored
First quarter
NCS: Downs 2 run (Hartman kick), 7:50. Scoring Drive " 12 plays,
68 yards after punt. Elapsed Time " 6:09. Key Plays " Barbour
runs of 9 and 15 yards. Score " N.C. State 7, ECU 0.
ECU: Van Buren 5 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 5:22. Scoring
Drive " 6 plays, 57 yards after kickoff. Elapsed Time " 2:28. Key:
Plays " Johnson 35-yard kickoff return, Blake passes of 13 and 19
yards. Score " N.C. State 7, ECU 7.
NCS: Harrison 4 pass from Jordan (Hartman kick), 14:10. Scoring
Drive " 7 plays, 54 yards after interception by Savage. Elapsed
Time " 2:36. Key Plays " Downs runs of 14 and 19 yards. Score "
ECU: Brenner 27 field goal, 6:41. Scoring Drive " 10 plays, 61
yards after punt. Elapsed Time " 3:43. Key Plays " Van Buren runs
of 12, 14 and 16 yards. Score " N.C. State 14, ECU 10.
ECU: Gallimore 55 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 1:39. Scoring
Drive " 6 plays, 77 yards after punt. Elapsed Time " 1:36. Key
Plays " Blake 16-yard pass to Gallimore. Score " ECU 17, N.C.
Third quarter
NCS: Hinton 14 pass from Jordan (Hartman kick), 9:35. Scoring
Drive " 10 plays, 58 yards. Elapsed Time " 9:35. Key Plays " Bar-
bour runs of 7 and 9 yards. Score " N.C. State 21, ECU 17.
NCS " Manior 1 run (kick blocked), 2:34. Scoring Drive " 8 plays,
71 yards. Elapsed Time " 3:57. Key Plays " Jordan passes of 18 and
21 yards to Davenport. Score " N.C. State 27, ECU 17.
Fourth quarter
_ NCS: Davenport 52 pass from George (Hartman kick), 13:01. Scor-
ing Drive " 2 plays, 51 yards. Elapsed Time " :49. Key Play "
GeorgeTs pass. Score " N.C. State 34, ECU 17.
-ECU: Blake 2 run (Brenner kick), 7:26. Scoring Drive " 7 plays, 32
yards after punt. Elapsed Time " 1:15. Key Plays " Blake 13-yard
pass to Fisher. Score " N.C. State 34, ECU 24.
ECU: Johnson 17 pass from Blake (run failed), 4:18. Scoring Drive
" 11 plays, 80 yards after punt. Elapsed Time " 2:06. Key Play "
Blake 21-yard pass to Driver. Score " N.C. State 34, ECU 30.
ECU: Fisher 22 pass from Blake (Brenner kick), 1:32. Scoring
Drive " 5 plays, 41 yards. Elapsed Time " 1:05. Key Plays " Blake
passes of 8 yards to Johnson and Fisher. Score " ECU 37, N.C. State
35.
PASSING: NCSU _ Jordan
15-23-1 for 145 yds, George 1-1-0
for 52 yds; ECU _ Blake 15-31-3
for 378 yds.
PUNTING: NCSU _ Kilpatrick
8-286 yds; ECU _ Jett 4-166 yds.
FIELD GOALS: NCSU _
Hartman 0-1; ECU _ Brenner 1-3
22).
PUNT RETURNS: NCSU _
George 3-24; ECU _ Johnson 4-33,
Crumpler 1-0.
KICKOFF RETURNS: NCSU _
George 4-107, Battle 2-35; ECU _
Johnson 3-104.
INTERCEPTION RETURNS :
NCSU _ Savage 1-14, Washington
1-0, Reid 1-0; ECU _ Jones 1-20. .
TOTAL TACKLES: NCSU _
Haynes 14, Reid 10, Savage 5,
Merritt 5, Lawrence 5, Akins 5,
Washington 4, Giannamore 4,
Henry 3, Thomas 3, Turner 3,
Johnson 2, Strong 2, Logo 2,
Gallon 1, Santee 1, Jordan 1, Burton
1, Moore 1, Battle 1, Beard 1;
ECU _ Jones 16, Grandison 11,
Walker 9, Carter 9, Davis 8, Gardill
7, Dillon 7, Washington 7, Taylor 5,
Cunmulaj 4, Burnette 4, Harvey 3,
Floyd 3, Hall 3, Cotton 3, Tate 2,
Marshmon 2, Wilson 2, Myers 2,
Howard 2, Seekford 1, Blake 1,
Daniels 1, Wright 1.
ATTENDANCE: 59,322.
The Daily Reflector, Greenville, N.C.
Thursday, January 2,1992 9.5.
PEACH BOWL
Van Buren
Continued from D-1)
looked at me but he just left me in
the open.?T
Van Buren also accounted for
the bulk of what ECU managed on
the ground. In fact, the Pirates
finished with fewer net yards
rushing (42) than Van BurenTs
total (65 on 11 carries).
Van Buren got most of those
yards in one second-quarter series
that produced a fieid goai, carry-
¥
ing five times for 39 yards.
oWe knew in order for the pass-
ing game to really open up we had
to have a pretty good running
game,? Van Buren said. We
practiced on a scheme all week
and the scheme worked.
oTn the second half, they started
to stop the scheme because they
shifted their middle linebacker
over a little bit.?T
Van Buren was limited to two
yards on three carries in the sec-
ond half.
PackTs unpopular tie bid fails
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " Boos rang out
from most of the 59,322 fans in At-
lanta-Fulton County Stadium when
N.C. State kicker Damon Hartman
~ trotted onto the field.
Only six seconds remained in
the 24th annual Peach Bowl and
N.C. State trailed East Carolina
37-34. The Wolfpack, ahead 34-17 a
little less than nine minutes be-
fore, now was willing to settle for
a tie rather than take a one-shot
gamble at the win.
HartmanTs try from 49 yards
was short and wide right.
oThe odds werenTt good either
way,? N.C. State head coach Dick
Sheridan said. A tie would have
been a disappointment, but we
oThe odds werenTt good either way. A tie would
have been a disappointment, but we sure wouldnTt
be feeling quite as bad as we are now.?T
"Dick Sheridan
N -C, State coach
sure wouldnTt be feeling quite as
bad as we are now.?
East Carolina linebacker Robert
Jones, who blocked a Hartman
PAT attempt and finished with 16
tackles, said he could only watch
and hope.
oI was just praying he didnTt
make it,? Jones said.
East CarolinaTs stirring rally
was capped on a 22-yard pass
from Jeff Blake to Luke Fisher
with 1:32 to go. The Wolfpack,
Johnson makes
a few big plays
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
ATLANTA " A couple of costly
mistakes in WednesdayTs Peach
Bowl had Dion Johnson feeling a
little down.
He was playing in his final col-
lege football game and the memo-
ries in the making were not ones
he was going to want to replay
over in his mind.
But East Carolina head coach
Bill Lewis felt his versatile little
wide receiver and return spe-
cialist still had a few big plays in
him.
And he told him so as Johnson
reached the sideline after a
fumbled punt set up a touchdown
that put N.C. State 34-17 early in
the fourth quarter. |
oT walked up to him after that "
I felt like I had to at that point in
time because I know how com-
petitive he is " and I told him that
he was going to have an opportuni-
ty to make big plays and to put
that thing behind him,? Lewis
said.
Johnson did.
In the final nine minutes, John-
son caught three passes for 34
Loss tough
one for
Wolfpack
By Stan Olson
KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
ATLANTA " North Carolina
State quarterback Terry Jordan
was the last of his team to leave
the field Wednesday afternoon,
slowly heading toward the locker
room as East CarolinaTs players
and fans bounced and danced
across the Atlanta-Fulton County
Stadium turf behind him.
And it was almost as if he
thought somehow that if he didnTt
leave, the game couldnTt quite be
over yet. That N.C. State was not
yet a 37-34 Peach Bowl loser to
East Carolina and that maybe he
could play the game just a little
longer.
But it was over. There had been
just enough time for the Wolfpack
to blow a 17-point lead in that last,
painful quarter, and just enough
time to barely miss a 49-yard field
goal that would have tied it in
those final anxious seconds. And
now, it really was over.
And, as the Pirate hordes
shrieked and waved their gold
styrofoam sabers, Jordan
understood. -
oJ just knew we had lost,? he
said of his long, slow postgame
walk. It was a tough way to end
the season ... real tough.?T
In the locker room, there were
some tears but no tantrums. N.C.
State coach Dick Sheridan ad-
dressed his team evenly and quiet-
ly, and then his players scrambled
through the showers, dressing
quickly and piling onto their
buses. Hurrying to make the flight
home.
But on the way, some, like Jor-
dan, stopped to talk.
oThey earned the right to cele-
brate, to run their mouths, to do
whatever they want to do,? he
said of the Pirates. oWe just have
to live with that a while.?
But the Wolfpack players still
werenTt exactly sure what had
gone wrong, how the lead had
vanished so rapidly under those
yards, including a 17-yarder for a
touchdown, and set up another
score with a 27-yard punt return
as the Pirates rallied for a 37-34
win.
JohnsonTs TD catch on a cross-
ing pattern got ECU within 34-30
with 4:18 to go. Then, after a
three-and-out Wolfpack _ series,
Johnson took Tim KilpatrickTs 40-
yard punt and darted through a
small seam up the middle for a
27-yard return to the State 41.
Five plays later, Blake threw a
22-yard TD pass to Luke Fisher.
Johnson finished with six recep-
tions for 56 yards, returned four
punts for 33 yards and three
kickoffs for 104 yards. He had
kickoff returns and 35 and 47
yards.
He mishandled one pitch for a
loss of 13 yards. The fumbled punt
came when the Wolfpack was
backed up in its end zone, but
owned a 27-17 lead.
Two plays after the fumbled
punt, Ledel George threw a 52-
yard TD pass to Charles Daven-
port.
Johnson was especially happy to
atone for the fumbled punt.
oT felt good about that,? John-
son said.
oT just knew we had
lost. It was a tough way
to end the season... real '
tough.?T
"Terry Jordan
three Pirates touchdowns in less
than six minutes. To a man, they
credited East Carolina quarter-
back Jeff Blake, and to a man,
they blamed themselves.
Defensive tackle Mark Thomas
said, oThe defense had a little let-
down. We wanted to shut Tem out
in the second half and we did in
the third quarter. But after that, I
guess the biggest thing was field
position " ours wasnTt very good.
But we had plenty of opportunities
to stop Tem, and we didnTt.?
The three East Carolina drives
began at the Wolfpack 32, the
PiratesT 20 and the N.C. State 41.
oT donTt like being up like that in
the fourth quarter,TT said wide re-
ceiver Charles Davenport, who
had six catches. It seems like
everybody wants to come back on
us. ItTs like thereTs a ghost out
there or something.?T
But it was hardest on the
defense, guys like senior lineback-
.er Billy Ray Haynes.
oItTs sick " youTre just so sick
on your stomach,? he said.
oYoure sick of yourself. It was
our game to win, and we blew it.
oT was going to stay in Atlanta
tonight, but thereTs no way now.
This is the worst I think I could
possibly feel playing college foot-
ball.?T
y
after a return to the 29 by Reggie
Lawrence, then try to mount a
final drive.
Quarterback Terry Jordan hit
Chris Williams with passes of 3, 6
and 14 yards to move the ball to
the ECU 48. After an incomple-
tion, Jordan zipped a pass to
Charles Davenport, who was trip-
ped up by, Greg Floyd after a gain
of 12 yards.
After a timeout, Jordan dropped
back to pass and was swarmed
under by Zaim Cunmulaj for an
18-yard loss. The Pack was now at
its 46 with 15 seconds to go.
After a 25-yard pass to Robert
Hinton, the Wolfpack called time
then sent in the field goal unit.
oUntil we got the sack, thereTs
was no question what we were do-
ing,?T Sheridan said. oHad we been
in a situation where there. had
been a legitimate chance to throw
a normal type of pass pattern,
then thatTs what we would have
done.?T
Jordan, playing his first game
since Sept. 28 and the WolfpackTs
offensive player of the game, said
he made an error in judgment
when sacked by Cunmulaj.
oT felt pressure to the right and
instead of stepping up in the
pocket, I tried to run around,?
Jordan said. oThatTs a cardinal
sin for a quarterback.?T
The Daily Reflector/Cliff Hollis
Dion Johnson caught three key passes in the final nine
minutes of the Peach Bowl Wednesday.
No comment from
Lewis on
Jackets |
FROM WIRE REPORTS
ATLANTA " It wasnTt long
after East CarolinaTs 37-34 Peach
Bowl victory Wednesday when
Pirates coach Bill Lewis was con-
fronted again about reports link-
ing him to the vacant coaching
position at Georgia Tech.
Lewis wouldnTt elaborate on the
subject except to say he liked the
way his football team handled the
continuing reports.
oOur football team did a good
job with it,TT Lewis said. oBecause
of the circumstances, I donTt feel
it is appropriate for me to make a
comment.
oT have had no comment from
the Georgia Tech people. I have a
job I love right now.?
Lewis flew home with the East
Carolina football team Wednesday
night. He said he had not been
contacted about the job.
TOP TEN?: Is East Carolina
a Top 10 team?
Notes
oOur team deserves to be a Top
10 team,TT Lewis said after com-
pleting an 11-1 season. When you
win 11 games in a season and have
the opportunity to be close to 12-0,
that kind of team deserves to be
ranked in the Top 10. But this
football team wonTt be upset with
wherever it finishes?T
HDEFENSE: Despite the high-
scoring 37-34 game, there were
defensive stars.
East Carolina All-American
linebacker Robert Jones made 16
tackles and was named the defen-
Sive player of the game for the
Pirates by media members.
For the Wolfpack, middle line-
backer Billy Ray Haynes had 14
tackles and defensive back Mike
Reid had 10 tackles and one in-
terception. Haynes was named
N.C. StateTs top defensive player.
(Continued from D-1)
Co-offensive coordinator Steve
Logan called the plays on the final
two scoring drives.
oT just kept waiting the whole
game for Jeff to get into a
rhythm,?T Logan said. oWhen we
were down 34-17 he called his own
plays and put us in the end zone.
oWhen he came back after that
touchdown. I got him on the
headsets and asked him if he
wanted to continue to call it or if
he wanted me to. He said he
wanted me to call them because
he was tired and winded and
wanted to make sure he didnTt
screw anything up.?
No matter who was calling the
plays, it was like clockwork. |
Blake completed 8 of 10 passes
in an 80-yard drive to get the
Pirates within 34-30 with 4:18 to
go. The two-point conversion fail-
ed.
Blake then got a chance to win
and capped a 41-yard drive with a
22-yard pass to Luke Fisher.
oLuke was in an option route,?
Logan said. I was watching Jeff
with one eye and Luke with the
other.
oLuke took about two different
cuts on that thing and they did a
great job of covering it. Finally,
Luke made a third move " and
our offensive line protected Jeff
maybe six or seven seconds on
that play " and when Luke came
out of the third cut Jeff took him.
Great throw, great catch by two
great players.?
N.C. State head coach Dick
Sheridan said his defense was not
in a prevent mode or playing soft,
but that Blake simply caught fire.
oYou almost take for granted
how accurately those throws were
" and under pressure,TT Sheridan
said. oHe made some great
throws and some great decisions.
oHe made it look easy. He made
us look bad.?T
Added Logan: When he gets in
that rhythm you can call anything
you want and itTs going to be com-
pleted. ThatTs what heTs done all
year long.?T
The shotgun was just another
weapon.
Pirat
rpalilaneiidi Credit trap
win over Campbell ?"? How to escape
See Sports, C-1 . = On D-1
306
Greenville
ECU ends
year 9th
in nation
By Greg Rideout
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Number Nine.
No. 9. Ninth. From the Greek
enneaT, which back in Greece
means the Pirates painted the
AP pigskin poll purple.
Single digits, thatTs where
East Carolina UniversityTs
football team sits today. The
Pirates propelled themselves
into the Associated Press top 10
for the first time ever, landing
at No. 9 in the final poll after a
37-34 come-from-behind victory
over N.C. State in WednesdayTs
Peach Bowl.
In Greenville, now thereTs
respect.
oA lot of people around the
Pigeon finds
Peach lunch
no big deal
By Priscilla Brown
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
About that pigeon. ITd give
anything to talk to him for just
afew minutes. .
ITve spent close to 40 years
trying to figure out how to stay
perfectly calm when everyone
else wasina frenzy. And here
he was, probably not even 30,
peaceful as can be, violence on
all sides.
HowTd he do that?
Study on that bird for a sec-
ond. There he sat on the 20-yard
line at Atlanta-Fulton County
Stadium during the Peach
Bowl, New YearTs Day. Na-
tional television, 59,000 scream-
ing fans and 44 feet attached to
22 bodies, all weighing in ex-
cess of 200 pounds.
What did he do?
Nothing.
I havenTt talked to any of the
football players. DonTt know
whether they were worried
about the bird or not. But I was.
My anxiety over the game
stopped dead when I started
fretting about that bird.
Blake pitches it back to
Johnson. . .and he drops it!
Fumble! WhoTs got it, whoTs got
it? ItTs Blake! Wham! ItTs
State! Slam! No, itTs ECU!?
Peck. Peck. Peck.
oBlake drops back to pass.
HeTs being chased! The
Wolfpack defense is every-
where, but ECUTs offense is
holding! ItTs a long pass! Blake
is hit!?
Peck. Peck. Peck.
ThereTs bound to be a lesson
in there somewhere.
Another thing. Who in the
world put birdseed on the 20-
yard line? ItTs not like thatTs
something that would fall out of
someoneTs pocket on their way
across the football field.
It sure didnTt come from
footballTs bag of dirty tricks.
et yo
Home turf, from Atlanta.
country know us now,T said
Christine Presley, a 22-year-old
ECU senior.
Ms. Presley and_ friends
viewed the victory on a giant-
screen TV rented just for the
game. She believes the game
and the ranking could help alter
a decades-old school image.
oSo, weTre now known for
something other than a party
school,TT Ms. Presley said.
Marcia Smith had never "
never ever " watched a foot-
ball game on television. But the
ECU alumna and _ non-fan
~ caught the thrilling last 10
minutes of the Peach bash.
oIt was exciting,TT Ms. Smith
found herself saying. But the
No. 9 ranking? oIt means
nothing to me. But I think it
gives students a good feeling to
be ranked that high.?T
The ranking and athletic suc-
cess could help ECUTs academ-
ic reputation, according to
medical school employee Mel
Swanson.
oECU has always been striv-
ing to have a viable football
reputation and a viable school
reputation,? Swanson _ said.
oThis gets people thinking
about ECU.?T
Swanson sees good students
coming to school in Greenville
because of the notoriety of hav-
ing the nationTs ninth best
team.
ECU freshman Jonathan
Register agrees. HeTs_ been
working, so the Peach is
preserved on videotape until he
can savor it.
oT think it will help the col-
lege admissions,T Register
said. oIt will help bring people
(See ECU, A-7)
Referee and friend.
ItTs highly unlikely that Billy
Ray Haynes and company call-
ed that special play to stop the
Pirates: OK, defense. Blitz
and birdseed.?T
DonTt think so.
Maybe they should have.
Suffice it to say that those of
you who sat in the stands of At-
lanta-Fulton County Stadium
missed a whole dimension of
the Peach Bowl. For those of us
watching television, hearts
stopped not over whether
another Blake to Fisher bomb
would connect, but over how a
pigeon could survive the cleats
of Zaim Cunmulaj.
Would it look up from its
repast of golden seed to finda
face full of Robert Jones? Could
it flutter fast enough to avoid
Cedric Van Buren?
Pulses raced faster than
Hunter Gallimore that New
YearTs Day. But one bystander
was absolutely, perfectly
serene.
One who stood but 20 yards
from the end zone.
Peck, peck, peck.
Kind of puts things in
perspective, doesnTt it?
N.C. State graduate Priscilla
Brown is layout/design editor
of The Daily Reflector.
from other places here.?T
Procter and Gamble e
(recruiting) a lot.
(Continued from A-1)
But for Dwayne Hi
Peach Bowl win Hi yn a
ing Mpens recruiting prospects
The No. 1 thing it will help j
the recruiting,? the 27-year-old
octer mploye
Said. oI think it hurt State's
oA lot of people didnTt k
who ECU was or what ECU
was, Hill said. oWe kind of
made a name for ourselves,?T
pis
Peach:
party
By CHIP ALEXANDER
Staff writer
ATLANTA " More than 24
hours after the fact, the eupho-
ria " Pirate Mania " hadn't
died.
As East Carolina fans pre-
pared to leave town Thursday
after outlasting N.C. State in
the Peach Bowl, it still looked
like game day. Many were
wearing their purple sweaters
and shirts and caps as they
loaded up Cadillacs, Hondas
and Chevy Blazers. Many at-
tached Pirate flags to the tops
of their car doors or slapped on
new bumper stickers as joyous
party continued up 1-85 and
back to Eastern North Caro-
lina.
oT want everybody to know
what school ITm from and who
won the Peach: Bowl,? one
proud fan said before depart-
ing.
In what many agreed was the
best of the New YearTs Day
bowl games, the gutsy Pirates:
outdueled the Pack, 37-34. What
followed was a big party in a
big-party kind of town, and the:
good vibes were still evident .
Thursday morning when: the
word quickly spread that ECU
had been ranked ninth in the.
final Associated Press poll.
Could there have been a
more perfect ending to a sea-
son so special? Eleven wins, a
top-10 finish and an bow! victo-
ry as incredibleT as it was:
indelible? mui
oWe just concluded a fantas-
tic season,T ECU coach Bill.
Lewis said. ooEven when we
...were-behind in the fourth quars.
..ter,.we could hear those people Ee
ine purpleT chanting, oWe be
lieve,? ?T a
oIt was the biggest game any _
of-us has ever had the opportu- =.
nity to be in, player or coaches.
ItTs the most fun ITve ever =
» had.? ni "
For ECU tight. end Luke o
Fisher, nothing could have
been finer than the final min+ ~
utes. / i
oEvery night when I go to
bed, I dream of doing some:
thing spectacular to make us a
winner,? the big.senior-said., .
All Fisher did was pull in a |
See PEACH PARTY, page 3C © .
-
AC - FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 1992 : USA TODAY
Peach party
Continued from page 1C
22-
scoring pass with 1:32 to play that ited
ECU into the lead. It wiped out the last of
what had been a 34-17 deficit, and caused
widespread pandemonium among the
30,000 or so Pirate Supporters who
HR fill Atlanta-Fulton County Sta-
pra Resin ko g Saber slashing a shared
oNow the dream has come true, n
just for me i
hot but for the whole team,
Could a quarterback h i
game than ECUTs Jeff Blake? ee
All the little senior did was pass for 378
yards and four touchdowns. And he was
at his best with the game on the line
hitting 15 of his last 21 passes out of a
newly installed shotgun formation as the
amazing Bucs scored three times in
about 4 $lx-minute span.
Jeff was very calm out there,? ECU
offensive tackle Tom Scott said. oTt was
rs like he was God.?T
akeTs right hand began to
late in the third atte and speed
trainers were frantic when his thumb
went numb. But Blake refused to come
out, throwing the ball with four fingers.
On that last touchdown, my hand was
cramping up all over the place,? he said.
The PiratesT closing rush left the
Wolfpack in a collective stupor, wonder-
ing how so much could have gone so
wrong so swiftly.
oWe really werenTt playing that con-
servatively on defense,TT State lineback-
er Billy Ray Haynes said. oBut with the
shotgun, you canTt get a good pass rush
and with the five-receiver routes they
were running, you canTt play zone.
But BlakeTs a quality quarterback.
He was right on the money and complet-
ed everything. If there was any room at
all, he zipped right in there.
It was just a game where momentum
went our way, then their way. But Blake
saw to it that the momentum changed
too much in their direction. There was
nothing we could do.?T
After the first 51 minutes of the game,
the Wolfpack appeared to be the better
team. StateTs offensive line over-
whelmed ECUTs smaller defensive front
and the tailbacks Anthony Barbour and
haat Downs slashed off consistently big
oWe didnTt play too terribly bad on
offense,? said quarterback Terry Jor-
dan, who returned as the starter after
suffering a broken arm early in the
season. oWe did a lot of good things in
the first half and then opened it up a
little more in the second half to get [wide
receiver] Charles Davenport more op-
portunities for big plays.?T
State would finish with 34 points and
383 yards in total offense. The Pack had
more plays and more possession time
il i Bay But it wasnTt enough
ainst an East l
heed Carolina team that kept
oItTs frustrating, especially for the
seniors,? said Jordan, who was named
the PackTs offensive MVP. oIt was a
tough game and especially a tough one
to lose. But it was a fun game.?
EEE LE NTE ERS AT
COACHEST POLL
FINAL 1991 RANKINGS
Be WASHINGTON (12-0-0) p poll points: 1,44972 (332 No. 1
votes). ' Bowl result: Defeated then-No. 3 Michigan 34-14 in the
Rose Bowl. QB Billy Joe Hobert threw for 2 TDs and ran for another. Pre-
season rank: 4.
25 MIAMI (FLA.) (12-0-0) Points: 1.44072 (2572). » Bowl re-
sult: Defeated then-No. 10 Nebraska 22-0 in the Federal Express
Orange Bowl. QB Gino Torretta completed 19 of 41 passes for 257 yards.
Preseason: 2.
Reve PENN STATE (11-2-0) p Points: 1,321. » Bow! result: De-
feated then-No. 11 Tennessee 42-17 in the Fiesta Bowl. QB Tony
Sacca threw 4 TD passes and team scored 28 points in 4 minutes of second
half. Preseason: 8.
4 | FLORIDA STATE (11-2-0) » Points: 1,292. » Bow! result:
Defeated then-No. 9 Texas A&M 10-2 in the Mobil Cotton Bowl. QB
Casey Weldon scored his first TD since 1988 and the Seminoles recovered a
game-record 6 fumbles by the Aggies. » Preseason: 1.
ALABAMA (11-1-0) Points: 1,191. » Bow! result: Defeated
then-No. 13 Colorado 30-25 in Blockbuster Bowl. » Preseason: 23.
6. MICHIGAN (10-2-0) p Points: 1,071. Bow! result: Lost to
then-No. 1 Washington 34-14 in the Rose Bowl. Heisman Trophy
winner Desmond Howard caught only 1 pass for 35 yards, ran once for 15
yards pil had 60 yards in kickoff and punt returns, but did not score. Pre-
season: 3.
CALIFORNIA (10-2-0) Points: 1,027. » Bow! result: De-
feated then-No. 12 Clemson 37-13 in the Florida Citrus Bowl. Brian
Treggs returned 5 punts for 124 yards, including a 72-yard TD run. » Presea-
son: Unranked.
8 | FLORIDA (10-2-0) Points: 1,020. » Bowl result: Lost to
then-No. 18 Notre Dame 39-28 in the USF&G Sugar Bowl. Arden
Czyzewski set a Sugar Bow! record with 5 field goals. Preseason: 7.
h | EAST CAROLINA (11-1-0) » Points: 1,003. » Bow! result:
Defeated then-No. 21 North Carolina State 37-34 in the Peach Bowl.
QB Jeff Blake had 378 yards, 4 TD passes and another rushing. » Presea-
son: Unranked.
| 10) IOWA (10-1-1) Points: 944. » Bowl result: Tied then-No. 24
Brigham Young 13-13 in the Thrifty Car Rental Holiday Bowl. Pre-
season: 18.
11 SYRACUSE (10-2-0) p Points: 891. » Bow! result: Defeated
then-No. 23 Ohio State 24-17 in Hall of Fame Bowl. Qadry Ismail
caught a 57-yard pass to set up a field goal, and QB Marvin Graves threw for.
2 TDs. » Preseason: Unranked.
Beet NOTRE DAME (10-3-0) p points: 815. Bow! result: Defeat-
ed then-No. 4 Florida 39-28 in the USF&G Sugar Bowl. Jerome Bet-
tis scored 3 TDs in the final 5 minutes to break FloridaTs 8-game winning
streak. » Preseason: 5.
113 | TEXAS A&M (10-2-0) p Points: 799. » Bow! result: Lost to
then-No. 7 Florida State 10-2 in the Mobil Cotton Bowl. Rain pro-
duced 13 turnovers, including 6 Aggie fumbles. » Preseason: 20.
114 | OKLAHOMA (9-3-0) Points: 694. » Bowl result: Defeated
then-No. 19 Virginia 48-14 in the Gator Bowl. QB Cale Gundy com-
pleted 25 of 31 passes for 329 yards and 2 TDs as the Sooners compiled a
season-high 618 yards. Preseason: 11. :
tSh TENNESSEE (9-3-0) Points: 617. » Bow! result: Lost to
then-No. 6 Penn State 42-17 in the Fiesta Bowl. » Preseason: 13.
| 16 | NEBRASKA (9-2-1) » Points: 608. » Bow! result: Lost to
then-No. 1 Miami 22-0 in the Federal Express Orange Bowl. The
Cornhuskers, who led the nation in rushing with an average of 353 yards. a
game, had only 8 yards rushing late in the third quarter and 82 for the game.
» Preseason: 15.
CLEMSON (9-2-1) Points: 450. » Bowl result: Lost to then-
No. 15 California 37-13 in the Florida Citrus Bowl. » Preseason: 9.
UCLA (9-3-0) Points: 443. Bowl result: Defeated Illinois 6-3
in the John Hancock Bowl. » Preseason: 24.
GEORGIA (9-3-0) » Points: 407. » Bowl result: Defeated Ar-
kansas 24-15 in Independence Bowl. » Preseason: Unranked.
COLORADO (8-3-1 ) Points: 366. » Bowl result: Lost to then-
No. 8 Alabama 30-25 in Blockbuster Bowl. » Preseason: 10.
TULSA (10-2-0) Points: 233. Bowl result: Defeated San
Diego State 28-17 in the Freedom Bowl. » Preseason: Unranked.
STANFORD (8-4-0) Points: 216. » Bowl result: Lost to then-
unranked Georgia Tech 18-17 in the Jeep Eagle Aloha Bowl. Pre-
; Unranked.
BRIGHAM YOUNG (8-3-2) Points: 149. Bowl result:
Tied then-No. 5 lowa 13-13 in the Thrifty Car Rental Holiday Bowl.
Preseason: 19.
| 24 | AIR FORCE (1 0-3) Points: 165. Bowl result: Defeated
Mississippi State 38-15 in the Liberty Bowl. Preseason: Un-
ranked.
25 | NORTH CAROLINA STATE (9-3-0) p Points: 142. Bowl
result: Lost to then-No. 14 East Carolina 37-34 in the Peach Bowl.
Preseason: Unranked. ,
» DROPPED OUT FROM FINAL REGULAR-SEASON POLL: No. 19 Virginia,
No. 23 Ohio State.
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Indiana 83, Virginia 76, Ohio State 61, Geor-
gia Tech 47, Bowling Green 45, Illinois 17, Fresno State 15, Mississippi State 8,
Baylor 5, New Mexico 2, San Diego State 2, Arkansas 1, Louisiana Tech 1.
» The USA TODAY/CNN Board of
Coaches is made up of 59 head
coaches at NCAA Div. I-A institu-
tions. They are from each of five geo-
graphical regions: Atlantic, South, 5
Midwest, Southwest and West. The poll is conducted with the cooperation of
the American Football Coaches Association and in conjunction with the Ameri-
can Football Coaches Retirement Trust.
TOP 25 FANTS PICKS
Each week, a fan gets a chance to match
picks with the 59 college coaches who vote for
the Top 25. The selections are not included in
the overall tally.
Robert Budreau lives in Meriana, Fla., but still
agrees with the coaches that Washington is the
No. 1 team in the nation.
o| though about splitting my vote, but | decid-
ed to put myself on the line and make Washing-,
ton No.1," said Budreau, who attended lowa
and is retired from Bell Telephone. TheyTve
got the No. 1 defense and itTs true, the best de-
fense wins the championship.?
ROBERT BUDREAUTS PICKS
1. Washington 10. Texas A&M 19. UCLA
2. Miami (Fla.) 11. California 20. Tennessee
3. East Carolina 12. Syracuse 21. N.C. State
4. Alabama 13. Tulsa 22. Air Force
5. lowa 14. Nebraska 23. Colorado
6
7
8
9
. Florida State 15. Clemson 24. Brigham Young
. Michigan 16. Notre Dame 25. Ohio State
. Penn State 17. Oklahoma
. Florida 18. Georgia
The Daily
Reflector
Friday, Janidary 3,.1992
WOODY PEELE
Peachy-keen finish
Cinderella not only got invited to
the ball this time around, she
found the glass slipper fit and the
clock never struck midnight.
Wednesday afternoon, East
CarolinaTs Pirates did what they
have done so often during this
magical year in football. Trailing,
34-17, early in the fourth period,
East Carolina rallied behind
Prince Charming (Jeff Blake) and °
scored 20 points in less than 10
minutes, beating N.C. State, 37-34.
The clock began to toll in those
final seconds, but a sack by: Zaim
Cunmulaj slowed it, and the
Wolfpack missed a possible tie on
the final play to keep the chime
from ever ringing.
As joyous fans mobbing their
heroes, East Carolina had ended
the greatest year in the schoolTs
football history. After an opening
loss to Illinois, there were 11
straight wins.
When Pat Dye scooted out of
Greenville, there were those who
said that program was doomed.
Never again, they said, would
East Carolina bask in the glory
that Dye had brought them. In
1978, he led the Pirates to the In-
dependence Bow], where they beat
Louisiana Tech. Until Wednesday,
it was ECUTs last bowl.
The Pirates wore the Cinderella
* College Basketball
e NBA
ECU closes at No. 9
LOCAL & WIRE REPORTS
While the rest of the nation
debates on whether Washington or
Miami is No. 1, East Carolina
University fans celebrated the ar-
rival of their Peach Bowl champi-
on Pirates in the top 10.
Thursday, the Pirates were
voted to the No. 9 spot on the As-
sociated PressT list and also ended
up ninth on the CNN-USA Today
poll. It is the highest ranking ever
for the Pirates who were 12th go-
ing into the bowls.
ECUTs previous best at seasonTs
close was a 19th place ranking in
1983 when the Pirates went 8-3 but
were denied a bow] bid.
East Carolina rallied from 17
points down in the fourth period to
defeat N.C. State, 37-34, Wednes-
day in. the Peach Bowl to win its
11th straight game and finish an
11-1 season, its best ever.
As to the question of whether the
No. 1 spot belonged to Miami or
oI donTt mind sharing it. Miami has a great team
and weTve got a great team. Everybody could
argue forever whoTs the best. It doesnTt matter. ITm
just proud of what our guys have done.?T
Washington coach Don James
Washington, the question the fans
asked was answered " both.
By the slimmest of margins,
Miami finished first in The Asso-
ciated Press media poll and Wash-
ington won the USA Today-CNN
coaches title. The split decision
wonTt please fanatic followers of
either 12-0 team, but it seemed
fair to the two head coaches.
oITm. delighted,TT said Washing-
tonTs Don James, who cried as he
recounted the moment he and his
wife, Carol, learned that the
Huskies were No. 1 in the coaches
poll.
oT donTt mind sharing it. Miami
has a great team and weTve got a
great team. Everybody could
argue forever whoTs the best. It
doesnTt matter. ITm just proud of
what our guys have done.?T
MiamiTs Dennis Erickson also
was Satisfied with the split. The
AP title was the HurricanesT
fourth in the last nine seasons, a
stretch of dominance matched on-
ly by Notre DameTs four champi-
onships from 1943-49.
oBelieve me, ITm not complain-
ing,T Erickson said. oWe donTt
want to take anything away from
Washington. We both had great
seasons.T
Miami, which blanked Nebraska
22-0 in the Orange Bowl, edged
Washington by four points in the
AP poll of sports writers and
broadcasters, the closest finish in
its 56-year history. Washington,
which manhandled Michigan 34-14
in the Rose Bowl, topped Miami
by nine points in the coaches poll.
In first-place votes, Miami had a
32-28 edge in AP and Washington
led 3344-2514 in USA Today-CNN.
It is the second straight year in
which the two major polls have
crowned different champions.
Last year, Colorado won the AP ti-
tle and Georgia Tech was voted
No. 1 by the coaches.
Miami, which also won the AP
championship in 1983, 1987 and
1989, finished first in The New
York Times computer rankings.
UPI, which distributes the College
Football Foundation poll, and The
Sporting News, which surveys 10
(See POLLS, C-3)
¢ College Football
we By The Acsucialed !
The a Awenly Wive te:
final Lie Boll wih Fis i
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LAW, IOWA ZZ
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Lewis 1S
still high
on the list
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
label again in 1983, coming within
a hair of beating Florida State,
Florida and eventual national
champion Miami. The three
losses, by a total of 13 points, all
came on the road and in each,
ECU had the chance to win at the
end.
Still, despite a lot of national
publicity, ECU " Cinderella " got
no invitation to a ball. Others with
less impressive records went to
bowl games; ECU sat at home.
For the next five years, the
Pirate football program did hit the
depths. From being one of the na-
tionTs winningest programs in the
70s, ECU went to being one of the
doormats of the country in the
80s.
But on the eve of the T90s, a man
came on the scene that many
wondered about. He didnTt act like
a football coach. He didnTt look
like-a football coach. And he
wasnTt even the choice of the
selection committee. They wanted
another mar.
But Dave Hart was adamant in
his choice of Bill Lewis.
LewisT first two years produced
a break-even season and another
losing year. But the spark seemed
there, at last. The fans could see it
twinkling in the dark night theyTd
gone through over the years.
Lewis was teaching a lesson, a
short two word lesson. At the end ©
of the 1990 season, you could see
that the lesson was taking root.
The Pirates began to learn that
whoever controlled the last half
usually won. They learned to
snatch victory from the jaws -"
and sometimes even the stomach
" of defeat. They learned to
dominate the fourth period.
Bill Lewis remains on Georgia
TechTs short list of candidates for
a new head football coach, but
has yet to be contacted and is go-
ing about business as usual.
Lewis returned to Greenville
from Atlanta Wednesday night
after the PiratesT 37-34 comeback
win over N.C. State in the Peach
Bowl.
oMy plans were to take one
day to get things back in order
and then leave in the morning to
do. some in-state recruiting,TT
Lewis said Thursday night. oThe
weekend is a dead periodT and
then Monday ITll fly to Dallas for
the American Coaches Conven-
tion.?T
A nine-member search com-
mittee to replace Ross, who re-
signed Tuesday to become the
head coach of the San Diego
Chargers, met for the first time
Wednesday and mentioned
Lewis, Yellow JacketsT defensive
coordinator George OTLeary and
Tech offensive coordinator Ralph
Friedgen as the top candidates.
Virginia Tech coach Frank
Beamer, who was on the JacketsT
original list, said in a statement
oAt this point in time, itTs my in-
tention to remain at Virginia
Tech.?
Georgia Tech athletics director
Homer Rice is acting as spokes-
man for the committee and told
the Atlanta-Journal Constitution
there is an urgency to thisTT be-
cause of the impact on
recruiting. He added he would
like to have a new coach in place
by the middle of next week.
Lewis did not say if he would
be willing to talk with Tech if
contacted.
oT donTt think itTs. appropriate
Bill Lewis walks the sidelines during WednesdayTs Peach Bowl victory over N.C. State.
Lewis: Dreams can come
true for those who believe
During the week leading up to
the 24th annual Peach Bowl and
following East CarolinaTs 37-34
win over N.C. State, Pirate head
football coach Bill Lewis talked
with the media about how a team
that had not had a winning sea-
son since 1983 had become an 11-1
team and what the impact might
be for the program down the
road. Following are a selection of
questions with responses from
Lewis compiled by Daily Reflec-
tor Sports-News Editor Mike
Q&A
with ECU's
Bill Lewis
a trip to a New YearTs Day Bowl
game and having players such as
Robert Jones and Jeff Blake.
recognized nationally?
A I think what we have
® done is proven a couple of
This year, including Wednes-
dayTs 20-point fourth quarter show,
the Pirates more than doubled
their opponents output in the
to comment on that,?
(See NO CONTACT, C-5)
Lewis said.
oTTve had no contact with the
Grizzard.
@ What benefits should
° East CarolinaTs program
reap from a season with 11 wins,
things that are so important to
the success of any program. ITve
had an opportunity since the first
of December to visit with pro-
The Daily Reflector/Shannon Wolfe
spects and ITve tried to point out
two things. One is that I believe
all people that are involved in
competitive athletics dream
dreams about what they want to
do as individuals. In the case of
football players, they dream
about winning 10 football games,
they dream about playing on na-
tional television, they dream
about playing in bowl games,
they dream about being All-
Americans and having those kind
of recognition things. We have
proven to the young people out
there all of those things, individ-
ually, can now happen at East |
(See BILL LEWIS, C-5)
HurleyTs
late points
lead Duke
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. "
Bobby Hurley scored seven of his
11 points in the final 27 seconds to
help top-ranked Duke hold off
pesky Virginia for a 68-62 victory
Thursday night.
Duke (7-0) had won its previous
six games by an average margin
of 27. The Blue Devils had trouble
getting quality shots against the
changing defenses of Virginia (4-
an
The Cavaliers, losers of four of
the last five games, kept it close
the whole way in the Atlantic
Coast Conference opener for both
teams.
Bryant Stith, who led Virginia
with 17 points, hit a 3-pointer that
gave the Cavaliers their only lead
at 44-43 with 15:55 to play.
Thomas Hill put the Blue Devils
ahead to stay 15 seconds later on a
baseline jumper, and Duke gradu-
ally pushed its edge to 57-50 with
nine minutes left.
But the Blue Devils missed 10 of
their next 12 field-goal attempts,
allowing the Cavaliers to cut it to
61-59 on a layin by Ted Jeffries
with 1:14 left.
Hurley answered with a_ 3-
pointer with 27 seconds left to
make it 64-59, then hit a pair of
free throws for a seven-point lead.
After Cory Alexander hit a 3-
pointer for Virginia with five sec-
onds remaining, Hurley made two
more foul shots for the final
margin.
DUKE 67, VIRGINIA 62
DUKE (7-0)
G. Hill 6-9 4-4 16, Parks 0-1 3-4 3, Ltt-
ner 7-12 2-3 17, Hurley 2-12 6-6 11, Davis 1-5
0-0 2, Lang 2-3 1-3 5, T. Hill 5-12 0-0 12,
Clark 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 24-55 16-20 68.
VIRGINIA (4-5)
Burrough 4-10 3-7 11, Stith 7-15 1-1 17,
Jeffries 2-6 0-0 4, Oliver 3-8 0-0 6,
Co.Alexander 5-12 0-0 13, Smith 1-1 2-2 4,
Parker 2-3 0-0 5, Wilson 0-2 0-0 0, Barnes
1-1 0-0 2. Totals 25-58 6-10 62.
Halftime"Duke 41 Virginia 37. 3-Point
goals"Duke 4-15 (T.Hill 2-5, Lttner 1-2,
Hurley 1-8), Virginia 6-12 (Co.Alexander
3-5, Stith 2-3, Parker 1-2, Oliver 0-2).
Fouled out"None. Rebounds"Duke 31
(Lttner 9), Virginia 37 (Burrough 11).
Assists"Duke 15 (Hurley 8), Virginia 16
(Co.Alexander 7). Total fouls"Duke 17,
Virginia 18. A"8,864.
period.
After watching ECU lose game
after game in that quarter over
the past decade, it was a blessed
change for the faithful.
Now, the Pirates lose a host of
talented seniors, like Jeff Blake,
Robert Jones, Hunter Gallimore,
Dion Johnson, Luke Fisher and
many others.
But there are a host of talented
people waiting to take their
places, looking for the opportunity
to show that they know the Lewis
lesson.
That lesson, perhaps, should be
carved in the stone at the gates to
Ficklen Stadium, to the practice
field and the locker rooms so they
may see it and renew it each time
they pass.
The simple lesson.
oT believe!T -
Finally, two points. We hope
that Bill Lewis will remain at East
Carolina next fall. Certainly, he is
going to be sought after by others.
And if he does leave, hopefully,
the seed he has planted can con-
tinue to be nourished.
And, lastly, I believe the Geople
of North Carolina want a game be-
tween State and ECU on an annual
basis. ECUTs request of a home
and home series is not out of line.
The ballTs totally in StateTs court.
Bill Lewis Q&A
(Continued From C-1)
Carolina. And perhaps there
were some people, that doubted
that.
Most important of all, I think
weTve proven as a football team
that if we win at East Carolina,
then we can enjoy the same
things that any team in college
football enjoys. I think there
might have been doubt if East
Carolina wins are they going to
be recognized nationally. I think
we proved that is going to hap-
pen.
Our young players, they now
know what it takes. To. the
players that weTre trying to bring
into our program, we.can point to
this football team and say Ev-
erything that you want as an in-
dividual, everything that you
want out of your college football
experience, can happen at East
Carolina.T
re As an assistant at
© Georgia, you were involved
with a number of teams that
went to a bowl game and one that
won a national championship, but
do the accomplishments of this
ECU team carry more
significance for you?
A This football team is the
* most special because of the
position that ITm in in relation to
the position I was in with the oth-
er teams. ITve been very fortu-
nate to be associated with some
other good football teams, but
none of them " and itTs a big dif-
ference " none of them come
close to the personal enjoyment,
the personal satisfaction that ITve
gotten out of this football season
and this football team.
@ Before the season, did
°® you feel you had a team
that could have a winning season
and possibly go to a bowl game?
A First of all, we never
* talked in terms of wins and
losses. We just wanted to go out
each game and be the best foot-
ball team we could be. We have
just concluded a fantastic season
and that happened because you
have outstanding football players
and an excellent coaching staff.
ITm so proud of every single
player on our team _ because
every one of them accepted their
role. We asked them to accept
their roles as they started to
become defined. We asked them
to be coachable and they were
coachable then they took their
very special talents and they
found a way to use them to the
maximum.
@ In the past, ECU teams
© havecome up short in the
fourth quarter. WednesdayTs
comeback against N.C. State was
just another example of how well
this yearTs team played in the
fourth quarter. What was the dif-
ference?
& Jeff Connors, our
* strength and conditioning
coach, took this football team to
a new level when it comes to
strength and conditioning, took
them to a new level physically by
just discipline and driving them
and then. I think more important-
ly, took them to a new level men-*
tally as far as believing in them-
selves and believing how impor-
tant it was that you could go and
win the battle of the fourth
quarter. ThatTs something this
football team did so very well.
They learned a couple of lessons
late last year, they carried it
over, found a way to fight and
scratch, whateverTs necessary to
win in the fourth quarter.
Q Do think if next yearTs
¢ team goes 4-7 or 5-6, what
was accomplished for the entire
program this season would be
lost?
ThatTs the challenge of
the 1992 team. ThatTs how
A.
The Daily Reflector
ECUTs David Daniels (1) and Jeff Blake are prayerful as they watch N.C. StateTs last second
field goal go wide right. Lamont Edwards and Ronnie Williams (87) canTt bear to look.
you become consistently
recognized in this business or any
business. YouTve got to do it next
year, then youTve got to do it the
year after that. One of our goals
for next yearTs football team will
be to come back and have
another winning season. ThatTs
the way you establish success
and thatTs the way you maintain
success and recognition. YouTve
got to go out and string together
successful years. ThatTs the next
level for this program.
(Continued From C-1)
Tech people. I have not heard
anything from those people in
any way, form or fashion.
oTTve got a job that I love right
now.?
ECU athletics director Dave
Hart said he had not expected
Tech to attempt to contact Lewis
during preparations for the
Peach Bowl, but wouldnTt be sur-
prised if a call came soon.
Lewis was contacted by
Maryland officials in December,
but withdrew his name from con-
sideration.
ca OH Ot anticipate they
would try to contact Bill in Atlan-
ta,? Hart said. oI know Homer
Rice and that is not his style and
itTs not my style.
' oNow that theyTre in the
throngs of their search, it would
not come as a shock if we heard
something.?T
is third season
at ECU. After a 10-11-1 record his
first two years, he led the Pir
to school-record 11 wins a
ranking of No. 9 in the co
this year.
Lewis, 50, is in
Lewis has already been nan
the United Press Internatic
coach of the year and is a finali
for the Associated Press coach of
the year, the American Foo tball
Coaches Association coach of the
year, and the Football Writers of
America Coach of the. year
MONO
Oo contact
Section K
The News & Observer
Sunday, January 5, 1992
osectio
e victory dance
Staff photo by Jim Bounds
East CarolinaTs Larry Farrare leaps for joy as the Pirates take the field after Damon HartmanTs field goal attempt failed on the final play of the 1992 Peach Bowl
A fairy-tale football season unfolded for ECU
By A.J. CARR
Staff writer
n the beginning, there were plenty of skeptics.
They did not believe East Carolina would make
a noticeable ripple in the college football world.
Some figured the Pirates might win six games, with
a break or two. Again the Bucs were over-scheduled
and undermanned, the same old refrain heard during
seven straight losing seasons.
Then ECU kicked off its 1991 campaign at Illinois,
fell far behind, rallied, suffered from a call Big Ten
officials later admitted was wrong and came home a
38-31 loser.
But if there was a turning point, that might have
been it, Coach Bill Lewis reflected.
oTl never forget the feeling I had after that game,?
said Lewis. oThere was a certain air, I canTt describe
it, when our players came into the dressing room. Not
a head was down the way it is after some losses. I
sensed that we could have a good football team, that
we could go on from that point.?
All of a sudden this team with the I Believe attitude
began to do unbelievable things " things almost as
unexpected as the Atlanta BravesT rise and the Soviet
UnionTs demise.
Opponents that had been unbeatable in the past
were beaten. South Carolina fell. So did Syracuse and
Pittsburgh. Lewis rode off the field on his playersT
shoulders. Goal posts came down. Fans filled Ficklen
Stadium and scrambled for a place on the PiratesT
bandwagon.
A fairy-tale football season was unfolding. There
would be 11 straight wins, eight in comeback fashion,
a No. 9 national ranking and a classic 37-34 conquest
of rival N.C. State in the Peach Bowl before it all came
to a glorious end.
These Pirates had a special charisma and ¢captivat-
ed fans whose colors werenTt even purple and gold.
They listened to Kenny RogersT lyrics, oWhen you put
your heart in it, itTll take you anywhere,? played out
that tune on the field and buoyed the spirits of all who
watched with miracle rallies.
They taught us unforgettable lessons about how to
deal with adversity, about never giving up.
In the process this team became known as some-
thing other than Pirates and Bucs. Names like
Winners and Champions were more appropriate.
They had Robert Jones, an All-America linebacker
leading the defense, and resourceful Jeff Blake, a
Heisman-type quarterback, directing the offense.
Two like those might not pass this way again. Nor
might fans see a Pirate team like this again.
ItTs the most enjoyable football season ITve ever had,
said Lewis, the UPI National Coach of the Year.
And the ending unfolded as if Hans Christian
re &
Andersen had written the script. The Pirates went to
Atlanta, enjoyed themselves off the field, then produced
a Peach Bowl victory that was symbolic of their season.
With 8:41 remaining, they trailed State 34-17.
Blake still had faith and was brilliant in the clutch
again. He completed 15 of 21 passes on three quick
touchdown drives. The clincher came on a 22-yard toss
to determined tight end Luke Fisher with 1:32 left.
And donTt overlook Cedric Van Buren, who might
have made the most important fumble recovery in
ECU football history when he pounced on a bobble at
the State 29 to keep one TD drive alive. And how
about the defense, which gave up 34 points, yet
stopped the Pack three times in the fourth quarter?
oOur approach was that this was the most impor-
tant game we would ever play,? Lewis said.
So the Pirates produced one more miracle " and
the multitudes believed.
sy
MA
e News a Observer
Dennis
Rogers
Purple passion
understandable
Eastern North Carolina, the fer-
tile lands from Interstate 95 to the
Atlantic, is awash in purple and
gold. David fought Goliath and the
big guy went down.
Wolfpackers took the rock to the
head, but the Peach Bowl was
more than one of the best football
games ever played. The game
was the fireworks that caught ev-
eryoneTs attention, but that eerie
oWe Believe!? chant when the Pi-
rates were 17 points down and
sure losers came from 400-plus
years of being treated like poor
relatives.
What was billed as a football
game was a fight for recognition
of a school and a region long
scoffed at as being, as one editor
warned me years ago, othat great
chicken yard that is Eastern
North Carolina.?
I admit my prejudice. I was
reared in Eastern North Carolina
and I love it. Ihave spent most of
the past 15 professional years
traveling more than 300,000 miles
through the region. I was treated
by colleagues here at the paper as
almost a foreign correspondent
sent out there, alone and un-
armed, to explain the mysterious
East to city readers.
You could see it coming. When I
first hit the road in 1977, I never
made a reservation. Pull in at
dark and there was room at the
inn. But that changed, and it
-changed first in Greenville. One
'early-week night in 1983, I pulled
| into my favorite motel, and it was
full. 1 knew something was going
on.
ECU was the catalyst for that
growth, and the people of Eastern
North Carolina turned to Green-
ville. Thirty years ago, Raleigh
was the mecca of the east. People
came to Raleigh to shop, to be en-.
tertained, to touch the outside
world.
Then came the ECU medical -
school. East Carolina grew to
more than 16,000 students, far out-
pacing its brother schools in the
UNC system. Once there was
Carolina and State and everybody
else. Then there were three as
ECU outgrew even CharlotteTs
homegrown university. In the
1980s, Greenville grew 25.8 per-
cent. East Carolina made its
mark with its nationally famous
cultural offerings in music, dra-
ma and art.
Most college teams count on
alumni for support, but not ECU.
If ever a team was adopted by
people who never went to college,
it was the Pirates, beloved from
Wilmington to Wilson, from Eliza-
beth City to Elizabethtown.
East Carolina, and Eastern
Carolina, pride has been a long
time coming and a long time over-
due. Those who think of the region
as tobacco barns, barbecue joints
and satellite dishes have squinted
too much as they headed for the
beaches of Eastern North Caro-
lina.
They havenTt slowed down
through beautiful Wilson and Ke-
nansville and Trenton. They raced
for the ferry and missed the 40 ex-
quisite miles between Beaufort
and Cedar Island. They didnTt see
the waterfronts in Washington,
Beaufort and Wilmington. They
went the other way and didnTt see
the Canada geese, swans and
ducks at Lake Mattamuskeet in
January.
Now perhaps they will. East
Carolina University has reared up
on its hind legs and demanded to
be noticed. It is, whether anyone
likes it or knows it, a major uni-
versity and a tough football schoo]
that would have beaten anyone in
the state.
ITm a Carolina fan, but I can
sympathize with my Wolfpack
friends. ITm glad we donTt have to
play East Carolina. Once it was
because they offered nothing to
gain and everything to lose. Now
theyTre too good.
But the Eastern North Carolina
native in me heartily applauds the
Pirates. With the hopes and aspi-
rations of a neglected and laughed
at part of the state riding with
them, they kept the faith and kept
the chant.
TheyTve always believed. Now
everyone else does, too.
The News & Observer
Caulton
Tudor
Time for Tem
to play Pirates
TLANTA " Peach peels:
A @ ItTs high time that this
stateTs taxpayers instruct
three of their best-paid employees
" athletics directors John Swof-
ford of North Carolina, Todd
Turner of N.C. State and Dave
Hart of East Carolina " to start
an annual series that involves all
three football programs in home-
and-away rotating schedules.
Why? For the good of North
CarolinaTs economy, thatTs why.
Forget the caliber of the games,
which are as good as they come.
ThatTs just part of the pie.
Forget what it would do for foot-
ball in the state. ThatTs just anoth-¢
er slice.
Just stick with the bottom line.
ECU and NCSU fans in the past
week generated what Peach Bowl
officials said would be $40 million
for the Atlanta area.
If UNC vs. ECU and NCSU vs.
ECU produces just $2 million a
year per game, think of what they
could mean to small businesses
and tax revenue.
None of the many successful
businessmen associated with the
Peach Bow! could believe that
North CarolinaTs three largest
state universities were so stupid
as to disregard such an obvious
public treasure.
. oSomebody somewhere isnTt do-
ing much thinking,?T a top bowl of-
ficial said. In Georgia, the state
would see to it that those three
teams played every season.?
North CarolinaTs taxpayers pick
up the base salary tab for top ath-
letics officials at all three schools.
Taxes maintain the sports com-
plexes. ItTs time the real bosses "
those taxpayers " have some say
in the scheduling.
@ A few State fans were quick
to criticize Wolfpack coach Dick
Sheridan for what they perceived
to be conversative play-calling in
the fourth quarter Wednesday.
But in the 12 minutes that.re-
mained after the Pack took a 34-17
lead, State threw eight of its 24 to-
tal passes and attempted an end-
around play.
Two incompletions on third
down actually contributed more to
ECUTs ability to regain possession
than the play selection. And the
play that may have decided the
outcome " an 18-yard loss ona
quarterback sack by the PiratesT
Zaim Cunmulaj and Derek Taylor
" came when StateTs Terry Jor-
dan was trying to pass.
On StateTs first possession after
it took the 34-17 lead, the offense
started on its 5-yard line after
Mike Reid intercepteda Jeff... ..
Blake pass. Certainly, you donTt
pass from there with a17-point _
leadand12minutesleft.
The truth is that State, a very
good team, lost to a great ECU
team in much the same way good
teams did. There was no stopping
the PiratesT offense when the
- game was being decided.
m Was ECU the best team in the
nation? The guess here is that it
probably was, although my final
Associated Press No. 1 vote went
to Miami, with Washington sec-
ond, Penn State third and the Pi-
rates fourth.
But based on wire-to-wire.per-
formance, no other team had an
offense to match ECUTs. BlakeTs
overwhelming ability, coupledT
with the sophisticated pass game
and the variety of receivers, _
would have made the Pirates at
least an even-money bet to score
big against any defense, even Mi- j
amiTs.
As for the moot issue of the
Heisman Trophy, there simply
can be no debate. Blake deserved
it, hands down. MichiganTs Des-
mond Howard, the recipient, cer-
tainly had a great season, and na-
tional exposure willremainthe |
key to a successful Heisman cam-
paign. But thereTs no way Howard
had a season to match BlakeTs.
Neither did Florida StateTs Casey
Weldon, nor MiamiTs Gino Toret-
ta, nor any of the other top con-
tenders.
When you think it over careful-
ly, Blake and the Pirates did what
nearly 100 percent of the college
football world said was impossi-
ple. And they did it from the first
game of the season, at Illinois, to
the last seconds of the final game.
Inside
@ Racing 3C
Johnson make their
alliance official.
ms Scoreboard/Radio-TV 4C
# Cityline: 549-5100
Bill Elliott and Junior ~
The Daily
Reflector
Saturday, January 4, 1992
MIKE GRIZZARD
Bring back series
Ah, to think what weTve been
missing.
Four years without East Caroli-
na vs. N.C. State. The stateTs two
best teams and no game between
them.
It took the Peach Bowl to get
these two old rivals together. Left
eastern North Carolina a virtual
ghost town and pumped about $35
million into the pockets of Atlanta
businesses.
Think they were glad to see
about 45,000 giddy North Caroli-
nians in town for the holidays?
The game came off without a
hitch. A frenzied Fulton County
Stadium, with purple-clad-saber-
slashing Pirates and red-clad-
towel-waving Wolfpack fans, was
rocking. Started two hours before
kickoff and didnTt stop until well
after East CarolinaTs improbable
37-34 comeback win.
This was just good, clean fun. I
guess you can have a game
without exchanging a few punches
or tearing down goalposts. Doing a
little postgame landscaping, well
Peach Bowl officials were all
smiles. They had a record crowd
of 59,322 and easily the most dra-
matic finish in the New YearTs
Day bonanza.
School officials were also
delighted.
oWhat occurred during the
game was outstanding,? ECU
athletics director Dave Hart said.
oT have also said the State-KCU
rivalry is one of the best in the na-
tion and some people used to
snicker, but the crowd support
(Wednesday) cannot be denied.?
Now, if we can only get toa
point where these schools can sit
down, iron out some kind of
agreement and give the fans what
they want. Make that what they
deserve.
A rivalry like this is what the
state needs. Look around. ThereTs
Clemson-South Carolina,
Georgia-Georgia Tech and Virgin-
ia-Virginia Tech.
They donTt exchange Christmas
gifts, but they do manage to keep
a place on the schedule open for a
little yearly get-together.
ItTs not likely ECU and State
will play any time soon unless
someone is willing to compromise.
Hart and State AD Todd Turner
spoke only socially in Atlanta.
Discussions of the series never
came up. WerenTt intended to.
But all was not lost. What hap-
pened on the field makes a bold
statement.
oT think what this does is it
knocks down some potential bar-
riers of excuses, excuses from ei-
ther side,TT Hart said.
Ideally, ECU would like a
home-and-home arrangement. A
2-for-1 deal would be considered.
Money should not be an issue.
Hart said his proposal allows N.C.
State to keep its gate for its home
game and for ECU to do the same
for its home game.
With Florida State entering the
ACC, scheduling is an obstacle for
the Wolfpack. Both sides have to
givea little and take a little to set-
tle the issue.
Until then, guess who loses?
oThe biggest loser is the student
bodies and the fans of the two in-
stitutions involved,?T Hart said.
If it were left in the hands of the
head coaches, the series would be
resumed as soon as possible.
Said East CarolinaTs Bill Lewis:
_ oT think itTs something that would
be very positive for the game of
football in the state of North Caro-
lina. I think that both football pro-
grams and all the people that fill-
ed that stadium from both schools
proved the series can be done in a
class manner and it can be played
in the spirit of sportsmanship at
the highest level.
oThe level of competition, I
donTt think it gets any better than
that. We came out on the good end
of it, but that was great football
game for those two schools and for
the two programs and all the peo-
ple associated with it. ITd like to
see us have an opportunity to do it
ona regular basis. Whether itTs
every year would not be impor-
tant, but on some regular basis.?T
And N.C. StateTs Dick Sheridan:
oMy stance is what it has always
been and that is I would like to see
the series renewed. I thought the
game was well-played, well-sup-
ported and everything surroun-
ding the game was fine.?
T
rag thhg Al,
acreage me ere oe
ren 2 nde g tes
et sceemmeemenc tent
. - Ane eee sree eth
Daft ~ hme Po fee mc
A season ECU will remember
By A.J. CARR
Staff writer
GREENVILLE " Bring Jeff
Blake back onto the field and let
him spiral one more pass.
Robert Jones and ask him to
deliver another jarring tackle.
Play it again Pirates, and again
and again.
East CarolinaTs season was
something to savor. As long as
ECU football is discussed, there
will be talk of the T91 team, of its
comebacks and conquests un-
matched by any previous Pirate
eleven.
Besides providing a zillion
thrills, these Pirates proved three
pertinent points, Coach Bill Lewis
said.
@East Carolina can have a
winning team.
@ It can go to a New YearTs Day
bowl.
@ Its players can gain national
recognition.
This ECU can-do team took
Pirate football to that higher level
Athletics Director Dave Hart Jr.
envisioned when he hired Lewis
three years ago.
But already, even amid the
euphoria of an 11-1 season and
dramatic 37-34 Peach Bowl victo-
ry over N.C. State, two questions
arise: Can the Pirates sustain
success, and can they keep their
coach?
oT think we broke down some
barriers with this team,? Lewis, a
strong candidate for the Georgia
Pirates made record climb to 11-1
Opponent
at Illinois
Memphis State
at Central Florida
South Carolina
at Syracuse
Pittsburgh
at Virginia Tech
at Cincinnati
Tech coaching vacancy, said dur-
ing a pre-bowl interview. The
next level is to do it consistently.
We have a simple goal, to have
another winning season. The nu-
cleus for a good, solid team is
there.TT.
But will Lewis be here to keep it
going " or will he be at Georgia
Tech? And what will the Pirate
offense look like without Blake,
who finished seventh in the Heis-
man voting, and what will the
defense do without Robert Jones,
who made seven first-team All-
America squads?
oIt will be different, but I think
we'll be pretty good,? co-offensive
Dennis
Rogers
For Pirate fans,
glow continues
Letters and leftovers:
Not all East Carolina University
fans live Down East. ITve seen
them coming out of the woods
here in the Triangle now that East
Carolina has won football brag-
ging rights for this year, at least.
Barbara Jones Smith, a language
arts teacher at RaleighTs Carroll
Middle School is a proud Pirate,
even more so now that the Purple
and Gold triumphed in the Peach
| Bowl. She writes:
o1Tm writing to thank you for
capturing so eloquently what I
feel about East Carolina winning
the Peach Bowl.
Yes! ITm an Easterner. Wash-
ington, the original, of course, is
my hometown. I have also lived in
Greenville and Goldsboro. I have
one year of college from East
Carolina University and three
from UNC-Chapel Hill, where I
graduated.
But once youTve been dipped in
the Pamlico, it is hard to stay
away too long. Also, the implica-
tion that the East was the stateTs
ugly stepsister was always real,
just as you said.
oTherefore, and for all the rea-
sons you gave, the game wasnTt
just a game. It really was our part
of our state receiving some long
overdue recognition. I thank you
for saying it so wonderfully.T
Before I make somebody else
mad, and to bask just a bit longer,
letTs hear from Keats Sparrow,
dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences at ECU: oYouTre cer-
tainly right that recognition is a
long time coming to East Carolina
University and to Eastern North
Carolina (of which I am a native
son, from Kinston). ECUTs top-
ranked Pirates, highly acclaimed
medical school and nationally fa-
mous cultural offerings in music,
drama and art have helped con-
siderably, as you say.
But it should also be noted that
for more than 80 years East Caro-
linaTs excellent academic pro-
grams and faculty have contribut-
ed more than any other force to
the advancement of what is still,
as you correctly describe it, a ne-
glected and laughed at part of the
state.T
oThousands of young people
from the small towns and country
roads of the East have had oppor-
tunities for a better life only be-
cause of the proximity of these
programs and ECUTs scholars,
writers, musicians, artists and
coaches. Over the decades the
UniversityTs uplifting influence on
coordinator Steve Shankweiler
said. oAll we needed to do was get
over the hump. I canTt say we will
go 11-1, but we will have a winning
pee came program from here on
out.?T
The Pirates lose seven starters
off their potent offense " standout
receivers Hunter Gallimore, Luke
Fisher and Dion Johnson, fullback
David Daniels, and linemen Keith
Arnold and Mike McCalop in
addition to Blake.
Finding a quarterback to re-
place Blake is like trying to find
an artist to replace Picasso. Blake
threw for more than 3,000 yards
and performed mini-miracles.
Michl Anderson, a 6-4, 226-
pound redshirt freshman, is wait-
ing in the wings. Sean McConnell
also will get a strong look.
oWe feel very good about our
quarterback situation,T Shank-
weiler said. Both are very intelli-
gent. Michl has an excellent
arm, and his size presents a
different picture. He can stand in
against the rush and see things
over the middle of the field.
oHe doesnTt have the open-field
speed Jeff had, but he will be
difficult to tackle. He has a very,
very bright future. In a lot of ways
heTs ahead of Blake at the same
stage. Sean is very bright, and he
does not make many mistakes.?
The Pirates are solid at tailback
with Cedric Van Buren, Junior
Smith and Charles Miles return-
ing. And Shankweiler said ECU
expected to sign a couple of wide
receivers who could make an
immediate impact.
Clayton Driver, who has a flair
for the spectacular, and Ronnie
Williams, another key receiver,
also are back. Carlester Crumpler
is an able tight end.
oCarlester is different from
Luke, but the kid has a world of
talent,TT Shankweiler said. oWith
the opportunity to start, I expect
him to be really effective for us.?T
Up front, the Pirates are uncer:
tain who will fill the void left by
Arnold, a three-year starter and
academic All-America honoree.
Defensively, five regulars de-
part. Jones and cornerback Chris
Hall leave crater-size voids.
oYou will not replace Robert,
and you will not replace Chris,?T
Shankweiler continued. But
most of the kids are back. Our
defense will be really good.?
Other key losses include veter-
an inside linebacker Ken Bur:
nette, tackle Greg Gardill and
cornerback Richard Wright.
Among the returnees are ends
Jerry Dillon and Bernard Carter,
free safety Greg Grandison,
strong safety Fred Walker, nose
guard Zaim Cunmulaj and tackle
Derek Taylor.
Several other players also must
emerge to prevent a decline after
the amazing rise in T91. But itTs
seven months until they kick off
the T92 season. Let the Pirates
revel in the glory of their miracle
year for a few more days.
Staff photo by Chris Seward
| Bill Lewis in August, when it was all just a dream
game for the ages
One of the television announcers
covering yesterdayTs Peach Bowl,
after reeling off the vital statistics
of N.C. State and East Carolina,
noted that some viewers might be
saying of ECU, Who are they?TT
Now they. know. Now everyone
knows. TheyTT were the victorious
half of a partnership that construct-
ed a masterpiece in AtlantaTs Ful-
ton County Stadium before 59,000
in-person fans, millions more
around the country and, in these
parts, just about everyone with
electricity and a television set. It
will be some time before those
dents on the backs of thousands of
pairs of thighs fade away " tangi-
ble proof that this was one where
seat backs didnTt get much wear
and tear.
_ The final tally was 37-34, and yes,
it was as exciting as it sounds. Both
sides proved their mettle, both
deserved to win, both earned doffs
of the purple and gold (or red and
white) caps their fans wore. And
those fans, their teams estranged
since a nasty melee at Carter-Fin-
ley stadium put an end to NCSU-
ECU regular season meetings, ap-
peared to get along fine.
Sure, theyTll be singing oWhoTs
Afraid of the Big, Bad Wolf?? in
poet hid ang there will be the
periunctory bragging rights, but
thatTs part of Toast dpi part,
many of the players embraced
after the game, smiling, congratu-
the region has benefited hundreds
of thousands in one way or anoth-
er.
oHasterners have come to real-
ize that ECU represents the areaTs
intellectual, cultural, medical,
economic and ecological promise
for the future. They have begun to
rally behind the University as the
hope of the East. Their We Be-
lieveT slogan is not just about
ECUTs football team. It is also
about what ECU can do for East-
ern North Carolina and, hence, for
North Carolina and the nation.
oYour column plays no small
part in letting Tar Heels every-
where in on one of our stateTs best
kept secrets " that East Carolina
University is indeed another ma-
jor North Carolina university and
the one that is steadily leading
this beautiful and wonderful,
albe-
it neglected, part of the world into
better times. I doff my hat to you,
sir, for a most insightful and fair-
minded column and for your part
in advancing our cause.?T
RERSONALLN, 1/M
GETTING SICK AND
TIRED OF CoscRoves
ZEST FOR LIFE!
off.
lating one another " doubtless.
relieved the pressure was finally
But speaking of pressure... It now
falls
to athletics officials from
these schools to continue to work on
putting together a renewal of this
rivalry for regular football seasons
to come. The fans want it, and the
quick sellout of Peach Bowl tickets
" along with the peaceful cohabita-
tion of the stadium " is ample
evidence that this is a success
waiting to happen.
It is time for the separation to
end, for the marriage to be patched
up. If the Peach Bow] is an example
" and itTs a dandy one " these
folks have proved they can make
beautiful music together.
The News & Observer
| Mickey
2 McCarthy
LewisT address
in °92. uncertain
Mave those tears, East Caro-
S lina, if the football coach de-
o parts.
YouTve had three great seasons.
Bill Lewis is a man who thrives
on challenges. ThatTs why he took
the Pirate post on a December
day in 1988.
Now his handiwork is there for
all to see.
He started slowly, building
block by block. There was a 5-5-1
season, followed by a 5-6 mark.
Then he hit the jackpot.
He took a tiny independent,
pinched by money woes, branded
with a difficult schedule, to the top
of the college football world.
ECU, a nobody, became a some-
| body, capping a spectacular 10-1
regular season with an electrify-
ing victory in the Peach Bowl. The
pollsters accorded the Pirates
their due, voting them the ninth-
best team in the land.
With success, comes attention:
And with attention, comes a pant-
ing list of suitors.
Bill Lewis, as they say, is hot.
Now, reasoned his colleagues,
would there ever be a better time
to make a career move.
Maryland bid first. Lewis said
no. |
The next beau was Georgia
Tech.
This one is serious. The Jackets
likely have made their pitch. They
have a lot to offer.
Lewis, 50, may be facing the "
most difficult decision of his
coaching life.
He is not an impulsive man. ItTs
not his style to job hop for a few
more dollars a week.
There are only a handful of job
offers he would consider. And this
may he one of them. Lewis would
have to feel comfortable with the
surroundings and feel he has the
tools to succeed.
But EGU need not despair yet.
Theré are a lot ef pluses in
Greenville. Breaking up with the
Pirates would be a hard thing to
do. Lewis was deeply affected
when his boss, AD Dave Hart,
turned down a more lucrative of-
fer to go to Pittsburgh.
His family likes living in Green-
ville. Lewis is a family man first,
then a football coach. His staff en-
joys the laid-back lifestyle.
And, letTs face it. Lewis loves
this 1991 football team.
Most times, heTs not a man giv-
en to emotion. But that resolve be-
trayed him this year. As the splen-
dor of the season increased, Lewis
admitted that he had become very "
attached, very emotional about
these Pirates.
It came as no surprise last week
when the highly successful Bobby
Ross bolted Georgia Tech for the
NFL. Tech people thought Ross
had tired of the college grind, of
baby-sitting 100 or so athletes.
And it is no surprise that the
Jackets are eyeing Lewis. He once
was an assistant there, and he al-
so coached at rival Georgia for
nine seasons. His coaching cre-
dentials are irrefutable.
When Lewis accepted the ECU
post, one of his strongest recom-
mendations came from Homer
Rice, the same Homer Rice who is
TechTs athletics director.
Should Lewis be the man, he
would be inheriting a high profile
program that captured a national
championship a year ago. Tech is
in a big time conference, rests in
the bosom of booming Atlanta and
boasts solid academics.
The canny Rice has overhauled
the facilities and given the Jack-
ets a splendid chance to succeed
in all sports.
One problem for Lewis would be
getting the upper hand on state ri-
val Georgia. The Bulldogs annual-
ly harvest one of the countryTs
best recruiting classes. Keeping
top jocks away from the attrac-
tive state school always has been
a problem.
But this man Lewis can coach.
We know that.
What we donTt know is his ad-
dress in 1992.
The purple and gold is fervently
hoping that the coach stays home.
HeTs good folksT as they say. .
ECU vs. Tech. The battle is on.
The Daily
Reflector
Monday, January 6, 1992
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
East Carolina head football coach Bill
Lewis has talked informally with Georgia
Tech officials and was expected to meet
with a nine-member selection committee
Sunday night or today.
Lewis is among three candidates being
considered to succeed Bobby Ross, who re-
signed Tuesday to become the head coach of
the San Diego Chargers.
Tech athletics director Homer Rice said
late last week that he would like a head
coach in place by Tuesday. Two members of
RossTs staff " offensive coordinator Ralph
Friedgen and defensive coordinator George -
O'Leary " have also expressed interest in
the job.
ECUTs Lewis to in
Jacket players. /
Rice, the spokesman for the selction
committee formed by school president Pat
Crecine, could not be reached for comment
Sunday night. Crecine, Lewis and ECU
athletics director Dave Hart also could not
be reached.
Hart is in Anaheim, Calif., for the annual
NCAA convention, which begins Tuesday.
Lewis and his assistants are scheduled to at-
tend the American Football Coaches Asso-
ciation national convention, which runs to-
day through Thursday in Dallas, Texas.
Lewis, 50, has a four-year contract with
East Carolina that renews itself each year.
Any school that hires him will have to pay
$380,000 to buy out the contract " four years
at a base salary of $95,000. :
Ross had a base salary of $150,000.
In December, Lewis was mentioned as a
possible candidate for an opening at
Maryland, but said the timing wasnTt right
and withdrew his name from consideration.
He did say, however, that he would not
have a closed ear to other offers.
Georgia Tech could be attractive to Lewis
given its membership in the Atlantic Coast
Conference, a recent national championship
and some personal ties to Georgia and the
Atlanta area.
_Lewis spent two years (1971-72) as defen-
sive backfield coach Georgia Tech. The
Yellow Jackets earned a bowl bid each
year.
After his only other job as head coach, a
three-year stint at Wyoming, Lewis joined
the staff at the University of Georgia where
he was an assistant for nine years.
During his years in Athens, the Bulldogs
e Comics
¢ Entertainment
_ © Classified
age
appeared in nine bowls and won a national
championship.
Lewis was hired by East Carolina on Dec.
3, 1988 and posted 5-5-1 and 5-6 records his
first two seasons. His third team won its last
11 games, including a 37-34 victory over
N.C. State in the Peach Bowl last Wednes-
day, to finish 11-1 and ranked ninth in the
nation.
at Lewis leaves for Tech, Pirate co-offen-
Sive coordinator and quarterback coach
Steve Logan is among the top candidates as
a successor. Logan, in his third year as an
assistant, helped groom Jeff Blake into one
of the nationTs best quarterbacks this sea-
son.
_LoganTs offense helped East Carolina
finish as one of only three teams in the na-
tion this season to score more than 20 points
in each of its games.
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Tuesday
January 7, 1992
Curlers are back
A soft roll replaces the spiked look
See D-1
terview with Tech
OTLeary reportedly is the choice of Yellow,
BILL LEWIS
»nville
Bill Lewis leaves ECU to become head coach at Georgia Tech
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
On New YearTs Day in Atlanta,
Bill Lewis spent perhaps his hap-
piest day as a head football coach.
Monday, he was back in the city
to take the biggest step in his ca-
reer.
Five days after leading his East
Carolina Pirates to a 37-34 win
over N.C. State in the Peach Bowl,
Lewis returned to Atlanta to re-
sign his position at ECU and an-
nounce he will become the head
football coach at Georgia Tech.
Lewis succeeds Bobby Ross,
Lewis leaves ECU
(Continued from A-1) "
tion and there will probably be
some people upset, but when you
make a career decision there is a
certain amount of selfishness in-
volved.
oT had.to be concerned about
what was best for me and what
was best for my family ... The
people that know me known how
much I love East Carolina and
those players and the people in-
volved with that program.T
Lewis was chosen from a list of
four finalists that also included
Tech defensive coordinator
George OTLeary, Tech offensive
coordinator Ralph Friedgen and
Florida oA&M. head coach Ken
Riley.
Lewis spoke at length with Tech
Athletics Director Homer Rice on
Friday, then met with a_nine-
member selection committee Sun-
day evening. The offer was made
Monday morning, Lewis accepted
and his appointment was confirm-
ed» by vote of trustees of the
Georgia Tech Athletic Association
ata 5 p.m. meeting.
Bill has an outstanding football
- background,TT Rice said. oHis re-
e ECU players say
theyTre not surprised
" Page C-1
who stepped down at Tech last
week to become the head coach of
the NF'LTs San Diego Chargers.
Lewis was officially introduced
at a 6 p.m. press conference in At-
lanta.
oThis is one of the happiest days
of my life,T Lewis said. This op-
portunity is one of the remaining
goals of my career, to coach at an
cord speaks for itself, but what
really sold me on him is his ability
to communicate.?T
Lewis, 50, compiled a 21-12-1 re-
cord in three years at East Caroli-
na. His only other experience as a
head coach was at Wyoming
(1977-79) where he had a 14-20-1
record.
Lewis has been an assistant at
his alma mater, East Stroudsburg
State (1963-65), Pittsburgh (1966-
68), Wake Forest (1970), Georgia
Tech (1971-72), Arkansas (1975)
and Georgia (1980-88).
Rice said LewisT reputation for
hard work, discipline, organiza-
tion and a devotion to family made
him an attractive choice.
Although I have known Bill for
many years and have admired his
work on and off the field, I did
more research on his 29-year ca-
reer than anyone ITve ever been
associated with,T Rice said. ooHe
has an impeccable background of
integrity. He is a family man and
a man of high principle. He re-
ceived only the highest *marks
from his peers.?
Lewis received a five-year
rollover contract " a contract
that renews itself each year. The
non chptiie tibet arty 0:
job to head Georgia Te
institution that believes in the
concept of the student-athlete.
oGeorgia Tech has been a na-
tional leader in that area for a
long time and I believe that col-
legiate athletics in the 90s are
headed in that direction.?
Lewis, who by his own admis-
sion got emotionally attached to
this yearTs ECU team, said his
decision to leave was not easy and
added he hoped the move to Tech
would be his last.
oTt was a career decision,?
Lewis said. oIt was not an easy
decision. There was a lot of emo-
(See LEWIS, A-5)
BILL LEWIS
On the ECU sidelines
base salary was not disclosed.
Ross had a base salary of
$150,000, but radio, television and
other interests put his earnings in
excess of $350,000.
At ECU Lewis had three years
remaining on a four-year rollover
contract with a base salary of
$95,000. Either Tech or Lewis
would have to settle a buyout
clause for the remainder of the
contract for Lewis to be released.
Lewis said he assumed a loan to
buy out the contract. He did not
disclose the amount, but Henry
VanSant, an associate athletics
director for administration at
ECU, said I can guarantee the
buyout clause of the contract was
enforced 100 percent.?T
The three years remaining
would stick Lewis with a bill of
$285,000.
oT would not expect (Tech) to do
that,T Lewis said. oItTs my total
responsibility. ItTs going to be a
burden, but itTs a decision my wife
and I talked about and were will-
ing todo.?
During the Lewis era, ECU
posted its first winning season
since 1983 and made its first bowl
appearance since 1978. The 1991
team, which finished 11-1, set a
school record for wins and finish-
ed ranked ninth in the country.
We appreciate all the contribu-
tions Coach Lewis has made to the
football program and we wish him
the best in years ahead,? ECU
Director of Athletics Dave Hart
said. The players in our football
program have reached the next
level and they remain my number
one priority. We can look forward
to continued success under new
leadership.?
The search for a new coach at
ECU will begin immediately, Hart
said. A selection committee will
be announced Friday.
Without mentioning any names,
Lewis recommended a member of
his staff be his successor. He plans
to keep two members of the Tech
staff " running back coach Danny
Smith has already been hired "
then see which ECU assistants
want to join him.
Despite who the next head coach
is, Lewis believes the ECU pro-
gram is on firm ground.
oThereTs so much ahead for that
program,? Lewis said. oWe took
one of the first big steps, and there
is so much left as far as continuity
Pirate fans say they understand
__ By Tom Morris
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
The news that Bill Lewis was
leaving East Carolina Universi-
ty hit Pirate fans hard Monday,
but many supporters seemed to
understand why he took the job
as Georgia TechTs head football
coach.
oBasically, | canTt blame him
a bit, said Pirate fan David
Scott. ItTs an offer he canTt
refuse. HeTs 11-1 and extremely
marketable. Next year, he
could be 2-9 and not go any-
where. ItTs a major loss for
ECU.?
Lewis guided the Pirates to
the most successful season in
school history in 1991, including
an 11-1 record and a 37-34 win
(See PIRATE, A-5)
and consistency.
oYoure not to win 11 games
every year " very few teams do
" but the foundation and the base
is there to be successful.?
Lewis met with his new team
Monday night. He plans to spend
Tuesday in Atlanta, then return to
chTs football program
Greenville on Wednesday to clean
out his office.
He is scheduled to attend the
final day of the American Football
Coaches Association convention on
Thursday, then return to Atlanta
on Friday to meet with Tech
recruits.
(Continued from A-1)
over North Carolina State in the
Peach Bowl on New YearTs
Day.
The season was an unex-
pected delight for ECU fans,
who hadnTt had a winning sea-
son since 1983 and hadnTt been
to a bowl game since 1978. The
Peach Bowl drew close to 30,000
Pirate fans to Atlanta for one of
the biggest wins in school histo-
ry and one of the most exciting
games in college football.
Less than a week later, the
ECU fans who were riding high
in Atlanta are in the doldrums
over LewisT departure.
oTf you fall in love with your
university, you will build a pro-
gram,? said Chris Fuller, a
Washington resident who is the
president of the Pirate Club. oIf
you fall in love with a coach, it
can break your heart.
oT feel like the foundation is
there to continue the success
weTve encountered if the fans
can continue their support, and
I know they will.?
The move to Atlanta is a
homecoming of sorts for the
51-year old Lewis. He was an
assistant at Georgia Tech from
1971 through 1972 and later
spent 1980 through 1988 at the
nearby University of Georgia in
Athens. It was after his stint at
Georgia that Lewis came to
ECU.
Lewis helped rebuild the ECU
program in three years. At
Tech, he takes over an estab-
lished program that is coming
off a 18-17 win over Stanford in
the Aloha Bowl.
oIt'll be a whole lot better for
him,? said Charles Davis, an
ECU fan from Greenville. ItTs
/
Pirate fans sad
making more money.
oHe put a whole lot of spirit
in the football team here. HeTs
really done something in my
opinion.?T
Georgia Tech was not the
first school to come after Lewis
during his time at ECU. In
December, the University of
Maryland contacted Lewis
about its football coaching
vacancy, but Lewis asked that
his name be removed from con-
sideration. That move
prompted some to believe the
coach would stay at ECU a lit-
tle longer.
Fuller said he was also sur-
prised.
oITm surprised that anyone
would ever want to leave East
Carolina,? he said. oFirst of
all, ITd like to wish coach Lewis
the best of luck in the future.
ITd like to challenge the 30-
40,000 Pirate fans in Atlanta to
rally behind the university be-
cause itTs the support of the
fans more than anything else
that takes us to the next level.
Fuller said LewisT successor
was not a matter of concern for
the Pirate Club, though.
oThe focus of the Pirate Club
is to raise funds, to provide
scholarships for student
athletes,?T he said. oThe Pirate
Club is not in the business of
hiring and firing coaches,
athletic directors or
chancellors.TT
Scott said he thought most
ECU fans would take the news
well and understand why Lewis
was leaving.
oJust in the last four hours, I
havenTt heard one negative
thing,? he said. oI think itTs
great. People should respect
that.?T
ete
ECU football program to start new era
Search for a new coach
will begin immediately
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
East Carolina athletics director
Dave Hart wants to move quickly
to find a successor for head coach
Bill Lewis.
The success of this season
should only help the search.
oThis position is certain to at-
tract high-quality candidates,?T
said Hart, who is Anaheim, Calif.,
for the annual NCAA convention.
- oWe will begin a search for a head
football coach immediately.
oDue to the timing of the transi-
tion, we will move as quickly as
possible to name a head coach.?
Lewis, 50, announced Monday
that he is resigning to become
head coach at Georgia Tech. He
replaces Bobby Ross, who stepped
down at Tech to become head
coach of the San Diego Chargers.
East Carolina finished 11-1 this
season, including a 37-34 win over
N.C. State in the Peach Bowl.
Among the candidates to replace
Lewis are ECU co-offensive coor-
dinator Steve Logan, former Ari-
zona State coach Larry Marmie,
former ECU offensive coordinator
and Florida State quarterback
coach Mark Richt, Marshall head
coach Jim Donnan, William &
Mary head coach Jimmye
Laycock and Miami Dolphins
quarterback coach Gary Stevens.
Lewis said he would like to see a
member of his former staff to get
the job.
oWhat I would like to do is see
that opportunity given to someone
on our staff,T Lewis said. But
that will be Dave HartTs responsi-
bility.
oT donTt know which members
are interested or which ones will
apply.?
(See SEARCH, C-6)
oEverybody unders-
tands this is a business
and he made a business
decision. He did what
he could do at East
Carolina and now itTs
time that he moves
on.?T
"Clayton Driver
ig
Decision doesnTt shock Pirate players
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
The official word that head foot-
ball coach Bill Lewis is leaving for
Georgia Tech doesnTt come as a
shock to East Carolina players.
But it is news they really didnTt
want to hear.
oT feel sad ... I feel really
sad,TT said sophomore cornerback
Greg Floyd from his home in
Anderson, S.C. oAfter having a
season like we had and to have
Coach Lewis leave kind of puts a
damper on things ... HeTs going
to do well there and I wish him all
the luck.?T
Lewis, a candidate for national
coach of the year, was named on
Monday as the successor to Bobby
Ross, who resigned last week to
become the head coach of the San
Diego Chargers. Speculation that
Lewis was high on TechTs list
began last week while East Caro-
lina was in Atlanta for the Peach
Bowl.
ECU FOOTBALL
The Pirates defeated N.C. State
37-34 to finish the season with an
~ 11-1 record. The record, along with
a No. 9 national ranking, are the
best in school history.
Clayton Driver, reached at his
home in College Park just outside
Atlanta, said he realized a chance
to coach in the Atlantic Coast Con-
ference may have been attractive
for Lewis. The Yellow Jackets
won the UPI national champi-
onship in 1990.
oT understand the opportunity at
Georgia Tech might be a little bet-
ter than that in Greenville,?
Driver said. He will be in a con-
ference and have all the privileges
that go along with a conference.
oEverybody understands this is
a business and he made a business
decision. He did what he could do
at East Carolina and now itTs time
that he moves on. I just hope that
he does as good a job at Tech as
he did here.?T
Added redshirt junior wide re-
ceiver Peter Zophy: oEveryone on
the team wasnTt really sure what
he was going to do. Since we had
such a good record, we kind of ex-
pected some schools would talk to
him.
oI just hope that we can keep
our same staff, the same coor-
dinators. WeTve had the same
coaches for three years and itTs
taken three years to learn the of-
fense. If we got new coaches, we
would have to go through a whole
new offense. ThatTs the main thing
ITm worried about.?T
Henry VanSant, associate
athletics director for administra-
tion, said a timetable to name a
new coach had not been set. A top
candidate for a successor is East
Carolina co-offensive coordinator
and quarterback coach Steve
Logan. But Logan said last week
that if Lewis left, he would
bounce on his tongue to follow
him.?
comment Monday.
oT would love to see Coach |
(See PLAYERS, C-6)
Players
(Continued from C-1) .
Logan get it, not just because heTs
my coach, but he and Coach
(Steve) Shankweiler were 95 per-
cent responsible for what we did
on offense,? redshirt junior quar-
terback Sean McConnell said from
his home in Downey, Calif. This
is not the easiest offense to learn.
If they stay, the offense can only
get better.?
The entire coaching staff return-
ing intact was critical to this sea-
sonTs success. Having to start over
with an entirely knew staff would
bea major setback, Zophy said.
ooAs long as they donTt clear out
the whole coaching staff then we
can continue what we were doing
this year offensively and defen-
sively,T Zophy said. oWeTve been
together three years and everyone
seemed comfortable with their
role on the team.?T
Floyd said he felt the program
was at.a level where it could sur-
vive the loss of its head coach and
still compete at a national level.
oWith the type of players that
we have we'll be able to pick up
and keep right on going,T Floyd
said. Coach Lewis would want us
to continue and keep winning.
oHe put us on the map so to
speak. We just have to carry on.?
Recruiting will be the biggest
area affected by the departure of
Lewis. Several recruits are sched-
ule to visit this weekend.
oTtTs the the middle of recruiting
season,TT Driver said. oI was just
sitting here thinking, weTre sup-
posed to have 16 recruits this
weekend and who are they going
to talk to??T
Floyd and junior running back
Cedric Van Buren said the things
Lewis established, such as the
slogan oI believe,TT will live on.
oCoach Lewis was a motivator,?T
Floyd said. oNot only was he a
motivator, he was aggressive and
because he had that aggressive in-
stinct and was able to motivaie
people, he made everyone around
him aggressive.
He wanted the whole kit and
kaboodle. When we beat South
Carolina, when we beat Syracuse,
he didnTt sit back and say OK
thatTs it.T He wanted the whole
thing and 11-1 is what we did.?T
The Associated Press
Former East Carolina head coach Bill Lewis is the new head coach at Georgia Tech
Monday, but said last wee
Search
(Continued from C-1)
Logan has been mentioned as
the top candidate and has been
endorsed by several players. He
could not be reached for comment
ohe
would bounce on his tongue to
follow (Lewis)?T if Lewis left.
oI think Steve would (be a good
choice) and other members of the
staff,TT Lewis said. ;
oSteve Logan certainly will be
considered,TT said Henry VanSant,
ECUTs associate athletics director
for administration.
Lewis is expected to have sev-
eral openings on the Yellow
JacketsT staff. He said he had
hired running back coach Danny
Smith on Monday and would like
to retain one more assistant, ©
Lewis added he would like to
complete his staff with members
from his ECU staff.
Hart said a selection committee
will be announced Friday. Sixteen
recruits are scheduléd to visit the
ECU campus this weekend.
SESE SSS SES SARS SSS SS
The News & Observer
Logan could not be reached for
Hayden waits for telephone call
(Continued from B-1)
never heard of that can throw the
ball a million miles.T
And look, Jeff Blake went out
and did just that. Dick Sheridan
called me just before the Peach
Bowl. I told him, DonTt play soft
on their receivers. Blake will eat
you up.T Look what happened. ef
Speculation about FoxTs interest
in the job was sparked by a report
by ESPNTs Lee Corso.
oThereTs no way in this world
Hayden Fox will even be tempted
to come to East Carolina,T Corso
said. Check my track record.
Lava T ever been wrong before? If
thereTs one place where I know my
stuff, itTs with Eastern Carolina.
My sources there say Hayden Fox
has already turned them down.?
That was denied by FoxTs
daughter, Kelly, who said her dad
hasnTt officially been contacted by
ECU officials.
My dad is still very much in-
terested in that job, despite what
you read or hear,T she said.
oFrom what I understand, Luther
rented a plane and is planning to
fly Daddy down there within the
week so that he can show ECU
how very interested he really is.?T
Fox is a natural for the ECU
job. HeTs a high-profile coach who
is a strong communicator and a
good problem solver.
Heck, it seems like each week
a new problem comes up and I
usually take care of it within 20
minutes, not counting commer-
cials,TT Fox said. ITm not perfect.
Most of America knows that. But
ITm pretty darn close.
oPlus, I love barbecue.?T
Morris writes about East Caro-
lina University for The Daily
Reflector. He recently covered the
Peach Bow! from Atlanta.
Staff writer Tom Morris had an
imaginary conversation with TV
character Hayden Fox of the se-
ries oCoach? this week about the
vacant head football coaching spot
at East Carolina University.
Hayden Fox has never been
known for beating around the
bush, so take him at his word
when he says wants to be the next
head football coach at East Caro-
lina University.
The well-known coach at -Min-
nesota State, Fox said heTs waiting
by the phone, hoping ECU officials
will call soon.
oHeck, Id jump at the chance to
go down there,? Fox said from his
office at ABC. oITve talked to
Luther and Dobber and they both
think it would be a good move. Let
me stress, ITve had no contact
Searching for
Phil Fulmer _
Tennessee offensive coordinator
Larry Marmie
Former Arizona State coach
Arcee
irginia linebacker coach
Former Clemson coach
Fforida State quarterback coach
TOM MORRIS
with anybody from ECU. But I
know theyTre looking for a coach
and hey, ITm available.
oITve done all I can do up here
at Minnesota State, plus itTs cold
as hell here and ITm tired of
snow.?
There has been a great deal of
Speculation about candidates for
the position since Bill Lewis, the
national coach of the year, re-
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Tennessee offensive coordinator
Phillip Fulmer, former Arizona
State head coach Larry Marmie
and Virginia linebacker coach
Mike Archer have not been con-
tacted about possibly succeeding
Bill Lewis as East CarolinaTs head
coach, but theyTre definitely inter-
ested.
oNo question at all that I would
have an interest,T Marmie said
from the AmericanT Football
Coaches Convention in Dallas. oI
would pursue the job. I would be
less than honest if I didnTt say
that.?
Fulmer also said he would like
to talk about the job with ECU. oI
certainly would,?T Fulmer said.
Archer, a former head coach at
LSU, has also expressed interest.
He had checked out of the Loews
Anatole hotel in Dallas Wednesday
afternoon and could not be reach-
ed for comment.
Fulmer, Marmie and Archer are
e 6
Hayden believes! ;
CoachT wants spot on FicklenTs
signed to take the Georgia Tech
job Jan. 6. But Fox said he
wouldnTt put much stock in those
reports.
oThatTs just bull, a bunch of
sportswriters sitting. around trying
to outguess themselves,? he said.
oTTm the real thing. I want the job
and I know theyTll want me. My
record speaks for itself, except for
the negative stuff.
oWhen I think of East Carolina,
I think of all the things that are
good in college football " a pack-
ed stadium, a bunch of pretty
cheerleaders, guys mashing the
stuffing out of each other and a
rollover contract " gosh darnit,
thatTs football.
oTd be proud to coach at an in-
stitution that believes in the con-
cept of the student-athlete. I might
as well go ahead and say it now, I
Believe!?T
Fox should be familiar to col-
lege football fans. Like Notre
Dame, he seems to show up on
television every week. He bears a
Striking resemblance to actor
Craig T. Nelson and is known as a
playerTs coach.
He took over a football program
that appeared almost non-existent
Just a few years ago and turned it
into a winner ... well, at least in
the Neilsen ratings.
_It was his first coaching posi-
tion. That inexperience was no
problem for Fox, who quickly won
the hearts of the administration,
the alumni and the network brass.
Well Hayden, gosh, heTs just
the greatest coach that ever liv-
ed,? said Luther, his faithful as-
sistant coach and best friend. oITd
Fulmer, Marmie, Archer
are definitely interested
only three of the candidates being
mentioned as successors to Lewis,
who resigned Monday to become
the head coach at Georgia Tech.
Among the other names surfacing
during early speculation are Steve
Logan, co-offensive coordinator at
East Carolina; Les Herrin, defen-
sive line coach at Clemson; Mark
Richt, quarterback coach at
Florida State; and Danny Ford,
former Clemson head coach.
East Carolina athletics director
Dave Hart will announce a selec-
tion committee on Friday. Hart
has been in Dallas the past two
days, but Fulmer and Marmie
said they had not been approached
concerning the ECU vacancy.
oT havenTt been in contact with
anybody at East Carolina,T.
Fulmer said.
Logan has the support of East
Carolina fans and players. Just
walk by the back of the Sports
Medicine Building and you'll see a
sign that reads We believe in
Steve.?T
He also has the support of Bill
Lewis. Lewis has added six ECU
assistants to his staff at Tech, but
has endorsed Logan for the ECU
job.
Logan is not talking about his in-
tentions. But Lewis said Wednes-
day if Logan is offered the job, he
would accept it.
Of course, Hart will have the
final word.
oT have had some conservations
with Dave,T Lewis said. My ini-
tial opinion was that the job should
go to someone on the staff, but
when I saw that Steve Logan was
the only candidate, I gave him my
full support.
crawl across my belly on glass to
be with him down there at ECU.
I'd bounce from Minnesota to
North Carolina on my tongue to
stay with him.?T
Fox said heTd be willing to come
to Greenville any time for an in-
terview, with the exception of
Tuesday nights from 9:30 p.m. un-
til 10 p.m. due to a previous com-
mitment.
oBelieve me, any other time I
can, come,? . FoxT: saidT? oTTve
followed them all year. What a
_ team, the wide-open passing, the
come-from-behind wins, MAN I
want to be a part of that.
oT remember telling people two
years ago at the coachTs conven-
tion: Watch ECU in T91. TheyTve
got a quarterback who youTve
(See HAYDEN, B-2)
I think he would be outstand-
ing. If I had a vote, ITd vote for
Steve Logan.?T
If Logan, who played a key role
in the design of the PiratesT high-
powered offense this season, is not
offered the job, he will join Lewis
at Tech.
oTI told Steve he has as much
time as he wanted,TT Lewis said.
oIf Dave does not select Steve
Logan, I hope he will select some-
one that has a mind toward a
wide-open offense.?T
Fulmer, 41, fits the mold of an
offensive-minded coach. He has
been at Tennessee since 1980, the
last twop of which he has spent as
the VolsT offensive coordinator.
Fulmer said the position of head
coach at East Carolina has
become attractive because of the
success of this past season. Under
Lewis, the Pirates finished 11-1
and ranked ninth in the nation.
oT think it would interest a lot of
people,?T Fulmer said. I think it
would be an out$tanding job for
whoever follows PAll Lewis.
Sideline
CRAIG T. NELSON
Plays role of coach
Logan endorsed by Lewis, ECU players
Hast Carolina has a lot of great
things going for it. ItTs a team that
is certainly on the move and there
is great support in the area.?T
Marmie has coached college
football since 1968. He was defen-
sive coordinator at Arizona State
from 1985-87 before taking over as
head coach. Marmie was fired at
the end of this season, finishing
with a 22-21-1 overall record.
He also likes the opportunity
ECU presents.
oThe first thing you look at is
the recent success that theyTve
had,T Marmie said. YouTre talk-
ing about a football team that just
finished in the top 10 in the coun-
try.
oCertainly there has been a
tremendous amount of growth and
building that has been done in that
program. As I look at it, it looks to
me like itTs a program that is in a
position now where you're going to
strive for a situation where you
can win on a very Consistent
basis.?T
, McCarthy
Next ECU coach
to face the heat
P ity the next East Carolina
football coach.
My advice: Rent, donTt
buy. Get an unlisted telephone
number. Watch for moving vans.
Grow a thick skin. Keep an updat- |
ed resume.
But then again, maybe the new
guy will win 11 games and knock
off N.C. State in the DominoTs Piz-
za Copper Bowl.
If he does that, the cry might be,
*Bill Who??T
As you know by now, Bill Lewis,
GreenvilleTs 1991 Man of the Year,
is a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket.
He was sworn in Monday evening
in Atlanta.
The Pirates are in the market
for a coach, not any coach, mind
- you, but one who can do as Lewis
did.
~The school soon will form a
search committee, a so-called
democratic process to conduct a
coaching hunt. DonTt be fooled by
that fancy title. Dave Hart Jr., the
athletics director, will make the
call.
And no matter whom Hart
chooses, Knute Rockne IV or
Steve Logan, the man will face an
uphill scramble.
ECU fans are in a terrific mood,
still delirious over the conquest of
N.C. State in the Peach Bowl.
And theyTll continue to hoot and
holler until the Pirates lose a few
next year. You see, football fans
are a fickle lot.
Bill Godfrey, an SEC fullback
from years ago, Said it best:
AinTt fans the nicest to you when
you win.? His words are true to-
day.
The next ECU coach will feel
plenty of heat.
LetTs face it, ECU fans have
been spoiled.
No longer will a 6-5 or 5-5-1 sea-
son be good enough. The Pirates
have tasted a slice of the big time,
and they loved it.
The result is called expecta-
tions, and many a coach has
walked the gangplank for not
meeting them.
Lewis is a fine coach, but I
doubt he would win 11 games next
season. In fact, think he would
be fortunate to win five or six.
DonTt forget who else is leaving
town. Jeff Blake, Robert Jones
and Luke Fisher, among others.
What Lewis leaves isa legacy of
hard work, positive thinking, a
feeling of goodwill.
And there should be no rancor
at his departure. Instead, ECU
should build on what he accom-
plished.
Thanks to Lewis, the college
football world knows a little some-
thing about the Bucs. Better ath-
letes are finding their way to
Greenville, the once-fragile pro-
gram is a mite stronger.
And Georgia Tech was a natural
for Lewis. He coached there once
before, as an assistant in 1971-72.
He. was an assistant at Georgia for
nine years. He knows the state,
loves Atlanta.
Football people at Georgia
arenTt among those applauding.
He will give the Dawgs fits. Geor-
gia may have the better players,
but Tech will have the upper hand
on the sidelines.
There is enough talent on hand
for Tech to make some noise in
the ACC. Florida State and Clem-
son will be the front-runners, but
Shawn Jones and several key per-
formers return.
And Lewis will be encountering
a little bit of this expectation
game, too. Bobby Ross, the de-
parting coach, won a national
championship in 1990. He was the
first coach to remind anyone of
the great Bobby Dodd, who posted
Hall of Fame numbers for a quar-
ter of a century.
Those who followed Dodd " Bud
Carson, Bill Fulcher and Pepper
Rodgers " never gained the true
affection of Tech fans. Ross came
close.
Lewis may not be the next
Dodd, but he is a good one.
Tech was lucky. It got a coach
and a gentleman, a tough combi-
nation to beat.
I believe, if I may borrow a
phase, the Jackets got the right
man. "
Now letTs hope the expectations
donTt get him. And his successor
at ECU. LetTs give Tem a chance.
Tobacco and turmoil
Growers feeling heat
of anti-smoking forces
sunday epiragee Shaye $1.00
January 12, 1992 605 FARMHURST DR. #9 Greenville
CHARLOTTE: NC #8247 es a
ItTs time
ORR
ECU c
a
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
After a week of uncertainty and
speculation, East CarolinaTs foot-
ball program once again has
something to smile about.
Steve Logan, the sentimental
favorite to succeed Bill Lewis, was
named Saturday as head football
coach at ECU.
Logan, appearing with his wife
Laura and sons Vincent and
Nathanl, received a_ standing
ovation of nearly a minute from a
large gathering of administrators,
media and fans at a press con-
ference called by Athletic Director
Dave Hart to announce his ap-
pointment.
The Lawton, Okla., native takes
the position left vacant when
Lewis resigned on Monday to
become the head coach at Georgia
Tech. Logan was the co-offensive
coordinator and quarterback
coach on this yearTs ECU team,
which beat N.C. State in the Peach
Bowl, finished 11-1 and was ranked
ninth in the nation. ©
oThe last 11 days have been a
roller coaster for everybody from
the football game (Peach Bowl),
from the football season, to the re-
cent things that have happened,?T
Logan said. oI would like to invite
everybody now to come together
and heal and get back on top, feel
good, feel good about where weTre
headed and get back to enjoying
what was so wonderful and to see
if we can go on to that next chal-
lenge " which is a greater chal-
lenge " which is to stay on top.
Getting there is one thing, but
eLogan: Offense will
not suffer
"Page C-1
staying on top is really the biggest
challenge of all.?
Hart, who announced a 10-
member advisory committee in a
Friday press conference, said he
had planned to interview three
more candidates, but came to the
conclusion Saturday morning that
Logan fit all the criteria to take
over the program.
oThis decision that was made
today, which I feel so very good
about, really began about 3 oTclock
in the morning,? Hart said. I
phoned the chancellor (Dr.
Richard B. Eakin) this morning a
little before 7 and told him that I
felt like I was ready to give him a
recommendation on the head
coach at East Carolina.
oT told him I felt very strongly
that we had the best man for the
job right here in Greenville in
Steve Logan.?
Eakin and Logan met Saturday
morning and the deal was com-
pleted around noon.
oTI said to someone, I donTt
know when ITve been as pleased
with an appointment as I am with
this one,TT?T Eakin said. I donTt
believe we will miss a beat.?T
Logan received the same con-
tract as Lewis " a four-year deal
with a base salary of $95,000. The
contract, which renews itself at
the end of each year, also includes
a buyout clause.
(See ECU, A-9)
ECU names Logan head coach
(Continued from A-1)
Lewis had to pay in excess of
$260,000 to be released from his
contract. 5
Logan will now turn his focus to
recruiting as well as_ putting
together a staff of assistant
coaches. He would not comment
on the possibility of the return of
any of the six assistants that
- followed Lewis to Tech.
Only assistants Bob Slowik and
Jeff Jagodzinski remain from
LewisT staff.
oT think it would be best to let
the next three or four days beg
played out,TT Logan said. TheyTll
be good men. TheyTll be men that
will be investing here for the long
term. ITm interested in people that
want to be at East Carolina.?T
Logan was a key figure in or-
chestrating an ECU offense that
mixed the option and the pass for
an average of 34 points a game
this season. Although his respon-
sibilities will broaden, Logan said
he expects to remain involved
with the offense.
One of his selling points to Hart,
Logan said, is what he has accom-
plished in his role at ECU.
A man will do with much what
he does with little,T Logan said.
oWhat (Hart) saw me do with a
little responsibility as an offensive
coordinator and dealing with the
academic people. I think he can
count on me doing that with a lot
of responsibility.?
Logan emerged from a handful
of candidates that counted a cou-
ple of profile names, including
former LSU coach and current
Virginia linebacker coach Mike
Archer. Also considered can-
didates were Tennessee offensive
coordinator Phillip Fulmer and
Louisiana Tech head coach Joe
Raymond Peace. |
Tam not a pedigree guy in this
profession,T Logan said. ITm a
boot-strap guy in this profession
and ITve pulled myself up through
this thing for this moment and this
opportunity. My intention is to do
the very best job I can do " here,
now " for as long as I can do it.?T
Logan, 38, has coached on the
college level for 18 years, the last
three at ECU. He also has been an
assistant at Oklahoma State
(1980), Tulsa (1983-84), Colorado
(1985-86) and Mississippi State
(1987-88).
LoganTs only other experience
as a head coach came at Hutchin-
son Junior College in 1981-82. He
said that brief experience opened
his eyes to exactly what the job of
a head coach entails.
- oT have a true understanding of
the enormity of this job,T Logan
said. oI know there will be a
tremendous demand on me and
my time and my family, but ITm
ready for that.
oTTve been working for this mo-
ment 18, 20 years. This opportuni-
ty doesnTt come along very often
and ITm ready. ITm very ready.?T
After a formal interview on
Thursday with Logan, Hart came
to the same conclusion.
oT had a chance to get to know
Steve Logan in the last 24 to 48
hours,TT Hart said. WeTve spent
an awful lot of time together and
Steve Logan convinced me
through our conversations that he
was ready, that he had all the at-
tributes that we were looking for
and that he could truly take this
program where we want it to go.?
Now that the decision has been
made, Logan said he can go back
to what he really enjoys.
oThe thing that I do best is
recruit young men and coach
young men,T Logan said. oI
havenTt been able to do that for the
last 11 days.?
EGR ba
The News & Observer, Raleigh, N.C., Monday, Jan. 27, ees
hooses offense expert Steve Logan as head football Cc ach
ctor/Michl Hall
ECU coach Steve Logan will head Pirate football program.
2
Sey WAST ERE Ne Btn OLAS
Pirate players
happy with Logan
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
East Carolina football players
are relieved to have a head coach
in place. The fact that itTs Steve
Logan is just another reason to
breathe a little easier.
Logan on Saturday was named
as the successor to Bill Lewis, who
resigned to become the head
coach at Georgia Tech. Logan has
been at East Carolina three years,
| the last two of which he has handl-
ed the duties of quarterback coach
and co-offensive coordinator.
oHe was pretty much the
playersT choice,? freshman defen-
sive tackle Tony Howard said.
oCoach Logan knows the program
and we know what his expecta-
tions are going to be of us. WeTre
accepting him with open arms.?T
Added junior wide receiver
| Ronnie Williams: ITm happy it
worked out this way. The players
on the team know what kind of guy
Coach Logan is.
oHe expects a lot because he
gives.a lot. ItTs unfortunate that
we have to lose Coach Lewis but
he had to do what he had to do.?T
Williams, along with other
returning players on the offensive
side-of the ball, had more than just
a casual interest in who the new
coach would be. After learning a
complicated and explosive of-
fense, they were not thrilled about
the possibility of a change.
Logan said he plans to continue
to have a big influence on the of-
fense.
oTTm ecstatic about having the
same offense,? Williams said.
oHeTs a mastermind, a Bill Walsh,
Jr. ItTs his offense and weTre not
going to miss a beat.?
Also pleased with the decision
are incumbent quarterbacks
Michl Anderson and Sean Mc-
Connell. Under LoganTs tutelage,
Jeff Blake developed into one of
the nationTs best passers.
Blake passed for 3,395 yards
during his senior season and set 32
school records.
(See PLAYERS, B-2)
vi nd enjoin those who direct the paper in the temo dvocate u
a ali | would wish it always to be othe tocsinTT and to devote
d justice to the underprivileged. If the paper should at any
for personal profit or preferment.
itself to the policies of equality an
time be the voice of self-interest or become the spokesman of
rrows never to advocate any cause
privilege or selfishness it would
be untrue to its history. " JOSEPHUS DANIELS, Editor and Publisher 1894-1948
No legislatedT ECU series
The General Assembly has
enough trouble dealing with those
aspects of state government for
which its members are directly
responsible without getting into an
area that is none of its business..So
it is with the possible rebirth of the
football rivalry between East Caro-
lina University and N.C. State
University. |
Th the wake of a sold-out Peach
Bowl. game between the. schools,
there is a stirring, particularly
among ECU alums, to renew: a
football series that ended after a
1987 contest prompted a post-game
melee. Some lawmakers are talk-
ing about taking the football sched-
ules of the schools into their own
hands.
Rep. David Diamont of Pilot
Mountain, a high school football
coach himself, hints that the law-
makers might force the schools to
play. Diamont notes that the Peach
Bowl drew millions of Tar Heel
dollars to Atlanta, dollars that
could have been spent in Raleigh or
Greenville.
The logic of having. the game
may. be sound, but the idea that the
legislature should stick its nose In
the scheduling business is prepos-
terous. That is a matter for athlet-
ics officials at individual univers!-
ties to address " and a matter for
them only.
Certainly the momentum is build-
ing for a renewal of the series. And
the financial benefits are no small
matter. The games would be sell-
outs no matter where they were
held, and if the Peach Bowl is any .
indication " and it is " such a
game would grab the entire state's
fancy.
Though school officials have been
talking, NCSU has in the past
hesitated over agreeing to play
some games in Greenville, where
the stadium is much smaller than
Carter-Finley. ECU, predictably,
feels the schools ought to take turns .
hosting.
ECU has logic on its side. And its
alumni canTt be blamed if they feel
N.C. State is hesitating to renew the
series because the ECU Pirates are
a threat, by no means a guaranteed
win.. While. Wolfpack coach Dick
Sheridan supports the idea of a
game, there are some NCSU sup-
porters out there who donTt relish
the risk of getting beaten by a |
school they once called SACTCH
But given the size of the crowds
at past games, and the Peach Bowl,
the momentum to restart this se-
ries isnTt likely to slacken anytime |
soon. Officials and supporters of
the schools ought to push for a |
rebirth of a rivalry that once was
the talk of the state. And for that
matter, it would be fitting if ECU
regularly played the University. ol
North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
which has the only. other. Division
L-A football program. in the UNC |
system.
Nothing beats an in-state rivalry
for intensity " and convenience.
Surely athletics officials can see
this, and push this ball over the
goal.
While the legislature stays on the
sidelines.
Fr om Page One
Players
(Continued from B-1)
oThis is the best thin
g that co
have happened,? said epee
if Lapa this is recovering from
r Clive knee " sur
Everybody knows sane
wh
est all about.?T ear.
aid Anderson: oItTs gr
the offense, and great ieee
quarterback. He deserved the job
et than anyone in the country.?T
é Teshman running back Junior
Se Is also glad he will not have
0. ao a A ibe offensive scheme
ce ITm a freshman, [Tvye ;
coe the system,?T Smith
: nd I think itTs great to have the
ame coach andthe Sa
System.?T ay
(Sports Editor Wood Peele cop-
to play ECU
ow that the weather has
cooled off, at least for a
while, what better time
to talk college football.
After all there are only 76 days
until the North Carolina Tar
Heels kick off against Southern
Cal in the
Pigskin
Classic. For
all of you en-
amored of
lists, hereTs
a bonus: 191
days left to
shop for
Christmas.
OK,
McCartHY " enough for
lists and St.
Nick. LetsTs
talk.
ItTs time for the ADs at N.C.
State and East Carolina to give
the people what they want, an
annual football game between
the two schools.
They used to play each other
in a dandy series. Then, at the
end of the 1987 game, a celebra-
tionturnedugly. "
ECU was held accountable,
and the series was put on hold.
Six years later, itTs still on hold.
These kind of incidents are in-
excusable. Perhaps a moratori-
um was in order. But, perhaps,
righteous officials conveniently
forgot State and Carolina have
also had their raucous break- "
downs on Hillsborough and
Franklin streets.
LetTs grant everyone a par-
don. LetTs re-start the stateTs
No. 1 football game.
We donTt need the politicians
to do it. The men to do it are
Todd Turner of N.C. State and
Dave Hart of East Carolina, the
two athletics directors.
I hear the two are pretty good
friends and golfers. I suggest
they hold a summit in Wilson,
get their golf in, eat lunch and
then get down to business.
I am tired of excuses, and so
too, I think, are the football fans
of the state. ;
At the risk of losing my honor-
ary membership in the Wolf-
pack Club, I am going to side
with ECU. I believe itTs State
that wonTt put the show on the
road again. Hart and ECU are
ready.
' The biggest hang-up is the
Wolfpack wonTt play alternate
games in Greenville.
Bill Lewis, when he was
coaching ECU, said heTd play
anywhere. But times change
_and now ECU has earned
enough clout to play home and
home.
The excuses from State are
many: eight conference games,
guarantees, not enough home
games, contracts, money, im-
passes, etc.
Purdue, Texas Tech and Mar-
shall are the 1993 non-ACC
games. Now, please be honest,
would you rather see the Wolf-
pack play the Pirates instead of
one of the aforementioned
three? Of course, you would.
_ North Carolina has even less
of a defense. The HeelsT Big
Three out of the conference are
Ohio, UTEP and Tulane.
- But State-ECU is the game,
the only one to engender any
passion. The State-Carolina foot-
ball game is a just a pleasant
warm-up to basketball season.
It took a bowl game, out of
state, with a lot of money, to get
the Pack and Pirates together
on the field. The Peach Bow! of
1991 performed the miracle.
And, yes, it was quite a game,
ECU winning with a remarkable
rally, 37-34. But talk of reviving
the series last year feel through.
_ ECU has won four of the last
six meetings so maybe State
wants to even things up. Turner
and Hart are young, smart, wise
in the ways of marketing and
business. ADs are forever whin-
ing about runaway expenses.
Seems to me if you could ar-
range a football game every
year that sold out, with minimal
travel expenses, you would have
a winner.
No excuses " letTs play " in
Greenville one year, in Raleigh
the next. 4
The Daily
Reflector
Sunday, January 19, 1992
MIKE GRIZZARD
East Carolina made
even Corso a believer
Lee Corso isnTt one to shy away
from predictions. -
Some are right. Some are
wrong.
Example: East Carolina will not
beat Virginia Tech. Wrong.
Example: East Carolina will
never play in a New YearTs Day
bowl. Wrong.
Example: Bill Lewis will be the
next head coach at Georgia Tech.
Bingo.
Right or wrong, Corso, a college |
football analyst for ESPN, caught
the attention of ECU football fans
this season. Saturday, before he
spoke at the annual Pirate Foot-
ball Appreciation Gala, he offered
a few more opinions on ECU foot-
ball:
On the Virginia Tech game: |
was shocked that they beat Virgin-
ia Tech in Blacksburg. I never
thought they could beat Will
Furrer. Virginia Tech is a good
football team and Furrer is a
tremendous quarterback. He
didnTt play. . . that really helped
East Carolina. That was the
toughest game they had to win all
year. ;
On a New YearTs Day bowl: I
was amazed they got a New
YearTs Day bowl bid. I didnTt think
any television network would take
a chance at them because of the
name, East Carolina. ITve heard of
North Carolina and ITve heard of
South Carolina, but ITve never
heard of a state called East Caro-
lina. Greenville, I always thought,
was in South Carolina. With all
those things going (against) them,
I didnTt think they could do it. I
was wrong. . . | was really wrong.
On the Peach Bowl: I believed
they were going to win the ball-
game because of Blake and what
they had done in the past. When
youTve had success in the fourth
quarter, coming from behind like
they did, there was no question in
my mind they were going to win
the ballgame.
On Lewis going to Georgia
Tech: I think it was a good move.
HeTs 50 years oid, itTs his last
chance to go into what you calla
obig-time program.? Everybody
wins. You get Steve Logan, whoTs
a good young football coach.
Lewis gets his opportunity.
On Jeff Blake: The guyTs a great
quarterback, the most valuable
player in the nation in my opinion.
HeTs as good if not better than
(Florida StateTs) Casey Weldon.
ITm not so sure he can throw the
ball as well as (FloridaTs) Shane
Matthews, but ITdrather have him {
than Shane Matthews or (MiamiTs
Craig) Erickson. ITd rather have
him than any of the quarterbacks
in the state of Florida. ITm not
saying that because he only lives
five minutes from where I live in
Florida.
On BlakeTs future: I would think
he would be drafted by a team
with an established quarterback,
somebody thatTs maybe 28 to 30
years old so Jeff could go in and
learn the system. I would take him
ina heartbeat as a backup quar-
terback. No matter what he does,
heTs a winner.
On Robert Jones: I donTt know if
heTll go in the first round, but heTs
a good-looking physical specimen.
ThereTs no question heTs going to
be a top prospect.
On ECUTs future: Success
breeds success. I think East Caro-
linaTs got that now. They know
what it takes to be a Top 10 team.
East Carolina, I think, is in the
same situation Florida State was
about eight years ago.
On conference affiliation: Why?
TheyTve got nowhere to go but
downhill if they join a conference.
They should stay right where they
are right now, let things settle
down then sooner or later someone
will come and ask you. Then
youTre ina bargaining position.
On feedback from ECU fans: I
got a lot of phone calls and letters.
One of the trustees sent mea
black crow and said How about
munching on that mother.T I
couldnTt eat that plywood but I
brought it with me.
On television exposure: If they
donTt take a look at them now
after what they did against North
Carolina State, then theyTre crazy.
ITd move a game to Thursday
night and play it here, so that I
could get on national television by
myself. Nobody else televises
games on Thursday night except
for (ESPN).
\
Don Harvey and his daughter, Abby, 3, enjoy the parade.
riralgs
. The Daily Ref
PiratesT believers say Thank youT
East Carolina quarterback Jeff Blake, clutching the
PiratesTs trophy as Peach Bowl champions, grins at
some of the thousands of people who turned out for a
Shannon Wolfe
othank you? celebration for the football team Saturday.
ECU finished the season 11-1 with the bowl victory over
N.C. State. Details of the celebration are on B-1.
Fans come out to honor squad
Thousands crowd parade route to cheer ECUTs football team
By Lane Dunn
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Pirate football fans havenTt
calmed down yet.
Nearly three weeks have passed
since East Carolina capped off its
best season ever with a. come-
from-behind win in the Peach
Bowl, and much has changed for
the program.
But thousands of purple-clad,
saber waving people turned out for
the victory parade Saturday to
wallow in the success just a little
more.
oI thought I would see it some-
day and I was just hoping I would
live to see this,T said Ken Tippette
of Greenville who has been a
Pirate fan for a dozen years.
ThatTs only a few winning seasons.
oThis is fantastic enthusiasm,?T
he added. oThis is great for the
program. It goes to show, other
parts of the country that there is
support for the Pirates.?
The Daily Reflector/Shannon Wolfe East Carolina finished the sea-
JOHNSON
GALLIMORE
FISHER
son 11-1 with the New YearTs Day
oThis is great for the program. It goes to show
other parts of the country that there is support for
the Pirates. TT
bowl win in Atlanta over nearby
rival N.C. State University. The
next day the Associated Press poll
said Greenville could boast the
ninth best football team in the na-
tion.
The parade to honor the team
started on Elm Street and snaked
up Fifth Street to downtown before
ending at Mendenhall Student
Center on the ECU campus.
Cars parked on side streets
along the route flew purple flags
" many a little tattered from the
thousand-mile trip to and from At-
lanta.
Banners and signs along the way
told the football team that the
now-familiar We BelieveTT
message is still alive and well.
" Ken Tippette,
Greenville Pirate fan
Coach Bill Lewis, who or-
chestrated the season and _ in-
troduced I BelieveT to his team,
left Greenville for Georgia Tech
just a few days after the Peach
Bowl.
Pirate fans were stunned, and
while they couldnTt blame Lewis
for the career move, many were a
bit upset.
ECU has since hired LewisT of-
fensive coordinator Steve Logan
for the top job with the Pirates.
Lewis did not return to Green-
ville to be with the team he coach-
ed for three seasons.
But all of that faded into the
background Saturday.
The horns of the ECU Marching
Pirate band blared and firetruck
Corso eats crow as Pirates
feast and honor their best
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Memories of East CarolinaTs dream football
season that climaxed in a Peach Bowl victory
were relived Saturday night during the annual
Pirate Football Appreciation Gala.
A turnout of more than 600 gathered in Minges
Coliseum for the elegant affair, which featured
ESPN analyst Lee Corso as the featured speaker.
Corso, who predicted the Pirates would not beat
Virginia Tech and would never play in a New
YearTs Bowl game, was (appropriately) delivered
a crow from senior quarterback Jeff Blake before
the eveningTs dinner.
But at the conclusion of his address, Corso
removed his jacket, tie and shirt to reveal a pur-
ple East Carolina T-shirt and proclaimed oTI
believe.?
The oI believeT motto originated early in the
season and carried through ECUTs 37-34 win over
N.C. State in the Peach Bowl. The Pirates finished
11-1 and ranked ninth in the nation.
Corso challenge next yearTs team to build on
what was accomplished this season.
ooYouTve got to do it again,?T he said. Success is
fleeting. Excellence is doing it over and over
again.?
During the awards ceremony, Blake was named
the most valuable defensive player and Robert
Jones was named the most valuable defensive
player.
Blake, a senior quarterback from Sanford, Fla.,
set 32 school records this season and finished sev-
enth in the voting for the Heisman Trophy. Blake
passed for 3,017 yards and 28 touchdowns during
the regular season and capped the season with 378
yards and four touchdowns in the Peach Bowl.
Blake participated in the Japan Bow] last week.
Jones, a senior inside linebacker from
Blackstone, Va., was a unanimous choice on every
FER SSIES IST PS CITRATE STEYR MS CCAS SOU RIN MRTG TON OL SRR Oe aC Wa U Ce MGT
major All-America team and was a finalist tor the
Butkus Award. For the regular season, he had a
team-high 151 tackles and added 16 tackles in the
Peach Bowl.
Jones and senior tight end Luke Fisher will play
in todayTs East-West Shrine Game in Palo Alto,
Calif. (4p.m., ESPN).
Other award winners as selected by the 1991
coaching staff:
MOutstanding Special Teams Player: Dion
Johnson (senior wide receiver/kick returner,
Newport News, Va.) on offense; Charles Howard
(senior, Sanford), on defense.
MJanet Overton Outstanding Senior: Fisher
(senior tight end, Medford, N.J.).
@ Swindell Memorial Award (BIG TEAM, Little
Me): Cedric Van Buren (junior running back,
Charleston, S.C.) on offense; Chris Hall (senior
cornerback, Fort Dix, N.J.) on defense.
@ Most Valuable Offensive Blocker: Tom Scott
(junior offensive tackle, Rose Hill).
ME.E. Rawl Memorial Award (Character,
Scholarship and Athletic Achievement): Keith Ar-
nold (senior center, Kennesaw, Ga.)
MJerry T. Brooks Academic Achievement
Award: Deke Owens (freshman place-kicker,
Jacksonville).
BJames E. Jones Scholarship Award (Business
School): Ken Burnette (senior linebacker, Spruce
Pine).
@Rick Bankston Memorial Award (Outstanding
Scout Team Player): Derek Hall (freshman quar-
terback, Tallahassee, Fla.) on offense; David
Crumbie (freshman cornerback, Tallahassee,
Fla.) on defense; Carlos Blake (freshman running
back, Macon, Ga.) on special teams.
Most Improved Player: Hunter Gallimore
(senior wide receiver, Wilson) on offense; Greg
Gardill (senior defensive tackle, Johnstown, Pa.)
on defense.
MOutstanding Newcomer: Greg Grandison
(junior safety, Pensacola, Fla.)
and police car sirens screamed to
introduce the 1991 ECU football
team.
oThis puts the icing on the
cake,T senior defensive end and
special teams standout Stephen
Braddy said in the midst of a
small autograph session. oItTs a
great feeling to get out here and
see this kind of support. WeTve had
it since the beginning of the sea-
son.?T
After the parade the Pirate se-T
niors planted a victory tree " a
each, of. course " .near
Mendenhall Student Center. The
tree was donated by Releaf, a
Greenville group that promotes
the planting of trees around town.
ECU fans know it will be hard to
top the past season so they enjoy it
while they can.
But some say the team will have
its share of support again next
year no matter what kind of per-
formance it turns in.
oTye never given up on them
yet,? Tippette said. And weTve
had some lousy seasons.?T
8 The Daily Reflector, Greenville, N.C. Seth Monday, January 6, 1992
CAROLINA EAST MALL PRESENT
Headlines Worth Rep
U erases 1
de defeat Hokies,
GrandisonTs
score proves
turning point
aponneconcenes
ECU ends
year 9th
in nation
Congratulations to the nation's most
exciting college football team on New
Year's Day 1992; and to the players
and coach who made ECU's record
breaking season possible.
To join in the excitement of "
Pirate Football next season
CALL THE PIRATE CLUB 757-9540
In the meantime the headlines above
should keep you warm all winter long.
Thanks for the excitement.
Cu Utty
Harvey Lindsay, General Manager Jill Ditty, Marketing Director
CAROLINA EAST MALL
264A Bypass on Highway 11, Greenville
FOR THE STYLE OF YOUR LIFE
ee
Es
ATHLETE OF THE YEAR AWARDS
Blake, Byner, Neill tabbed Carolinas best
By LIZ CLARKE
Staff Writer
East Carolina football drew the acco-
lades Monday as two .
Pirates athletes "
quarterback Jeff |
Blake and former |
fullback Earnest |}
Byner " received |
Carolinas Athlete of |
the Year Awards in
the college and pro
categories respec-
tively.
CharlotteTs Ste-
phanie Neill, former Blake
Charlotte Country
Day golfer, won the award for out- -
standing high school athlete, given for
achievements in 1991. Neill is a fresh-
man at Wake Forest.
Neill, who finished first or second in
the first four collegiate tournaments this
season, had been nominated with Spar-
tanburg quarterback Steve Davis, con-
sidered one of nationTs most outstand-
ing football players, and former Garner
basketball player Donald Williams, a
freshman at North Carolina.
Blake edged out DukeTs Christian
Lttner and Wofford quarterback
Shawn Graves for the college award.
oWe started low-man on the totem ©
pole,?T Blake said, and now, I think I'm
Byner, a running back for the Wash-
ington Redskins, won the pro award
over golfer Davis Love III, a Charlotte
native, and Bryan Harvey, a relief
pitcher for the California Angels, who
graduated from Bandys High and played
one season at UNCC.
The awards, celebrating their 20th
anniversary, are presented by the Tower
Club and the Char-
lotte Athletic Club in [
honor of outstanding
athletes with ties to
North and South Car-
olina.
About 500
attended the cere-
mony at CharlotteTs
Omni Hotel, includ-
ing past recipients
Gaylord Perry and
David Thompson. Byner
the 1992 nomi- :
nees, Neill, Blake and Graves were on
hand.
Atlanta Falcons coach Jerry Glan-
ville, who provided the keynote
speech, opened by voicing his support
for CharlotteTs NFL bid, which drew a
hearty round of applause.
oDon't tell the league I said that
because anything I want to do they
usually go the other way,? Glanville
LAURA MUELLER/Staff
High-school winner: Stephanie Neill won Carolinas
Athlete of the Year honors for her accomplish-
standing at the top.?
said.
ments as a Charlotte Country Day golfer.
After the most successful year in the
history of East Carolina football, the season
has come to an end. Many things have been
written about the 1991 season which included
the PiratesT first ever top-ten national ranking,
a 37-34 win over North Carolina State in the
New Year's Day Peach Bowl, a school record
11-1 season, 11 straight wins and over 100 new
ECU records. As 1992 begins and ECU looks
toward August and the beginning of another
football season, we thought readers would
enjoy Jeff CharlesT popular oFrom the Booth?
and his look at the 1991 season.
Where do you start? This column canTt
begin to recap the incredible story of the
1991 Pirates. Rather than try to review the
season, hereTs one reporterTs memories
that will remain for a lifetime.
e Luke FisherTs winning touchdown
catch in the Peach Bowl...
Steve Logan, who has directed East
CarolinaTs high-powered offense the last
two seasons, has been named as the
PiratesT 17th head football coach.
oWhen this position came open, I told
Steve that I was looking for the best per-
son for the job,? said Dave Hart, ECU
Director of Athletics. oIt became apparent
that Steve was that person. Steve is a per-
son of high intelligence, a thinking manTs
coach. He has the ability to hire good
people and heTll keep our offensive
scheme intact.?
Logan, 38, succeeds Bill Lewis, who
resigned Jan. 6 to become the head foot-
ball coach at Georgia Tech.
oI have been working for this moment
a.
¢ Jeff BlakeTs unbelievable poise...
¢ Dion Johnson's explosiveness...
e StateTs decision to go for a tie, and the
missed field goal...
e The terrific Pirate fans in Atlanta...
e Robert Jones, the heart of the
defense...
e Atlanta Fulton County StadiumTs final
football game...
¢ The caravans of Pirate supporters on
I-20 and 1-85...
¢ Lee Corso of ESPN a real believer...
e The poor call at Illinois...
e 36,000 fans at Ficklen for Pittsburgh...
for 18 years to have this opportunity. It
does not come along very often. I am very
ready for this,T said Logan. oI am very ex-
cited but yet ITm very calm because I do
have both feet on the ground. I know itTs
not a joy ride. ItTs not just getting to call
the plays and getting to design the of-
fense. When things go wrong, my phone
is going to ring. When they go right, |
hope to be man enough to deflect those
things to the people who deserve it.?
Logan served as ECU's co-offensive
coordinator and quarterback coach
during the past two seasons. He has been
an assistant coach on the ECU staff for
three seasons. His first season, Logan
STEVE LOGAN'S
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Education: Tulsa, Physical Education,
1975
At ECU: Served as running backs coach
during 1989 season; co-offensive
coordinator and quarterbacks coach
during 1990 and 1991 seasons
In Coaching: Has been in coaching 17
seasons, 12 in the collegiate ranks
Birthdate: Feb. 3, 1953 in Lawton, Okla.
Coaching Experience: 1975-79 Union
High School, Tulsa, Okla. (Assis-
tant); 1980 Oklahoma State Univer-
sity (Tight Ends); 1981-82 Hutchin-
son Junior College (Head Coach);
1983-84 Tulsa (Offensive Coordina-
tor); 1985-86 Colorado (Running
backs); 1987-88 Mississippi State
(Quarterbacks); 1989 East Carolina
(Running backs); 1990-91 East
Carolina (Offensive Coordinator/
Quarterbacks); 1992-East Carolina
(Head Football Coach).
¢ Jeff BlakeTs two point conversion to
beat Pitt...
¢ Hunter GallimoreTs 21-yard touchdown
against South Carolina...
¢ Greg GrandisonTs 95-yard touchdown
interception return vs. Virginia Tech...
e Clayton DriverTs fade pattern
touchdown receptions...
¢ Cedric Van BurenTs work ethic...
¢ Tom ScottTs blocking vs. Memphis
DEAE...
¢ The Pirates finally beat Southern
Miss...
¢ David HornTs production of the Pirate
served as running backs coach.
For the last two seasons, Logan has
been the personal mentor of quarterback
Jeff Blake.
Blake, a senior, who played in the
Japan Bowl, broke 32 school records, in-
cluding most passing yards in a game,
season and career. Blake was also named
the 1991 ECAC Player of the Year.
In 1991, the Pirates finished 11-1 and
ranked in the top ten in most major polls.
ECU defeated North Carolina State, 37-34,
in the Peach Bowl on Jan. 1.
The Broken Arrow, Okla. native, came
to East Carolina after serving as quarter-
back coach at Mississippi State for two
seasons.
As a major college assistant coach,
Logan has seen his teams participate in
three post-season bowls. While at
Colorado, the Buffaloes participated in
the 1985 Freedom Bowl and the 1986
Bluebonnet Bowl. While at Hutchinson
Junior College, he was the Jayhawk Con-
ference Coach of the Year in 1982.
Logan's coaching career started in 1975
as an assistant coach at Union High
School in Tulsa. He began in the col-
legiate coaching ranks in 1980 as a tight
end coach at Oklahoma State and moved
to Hutchinson Junior College the fol-
lowing year. In 1983, he became offensive
coordinator at Tulsa under John Cooper,
who is currently the head coach at Ohio
State. While at Tulsa, Logan coached
Steve Gage, who played three years with
the Washington Redskins.
Logan left Tulsa for Colorado in 1985
and coached the Buffalo running backs
for two years before going to Mississippi
State.
Logan and his wife, Laura, are the
parents of two sons, Vincent (9) and
Nathanl (7).
Mix songs on WCZI...
¢ Kevin OTBrienTs photography on
WNCT Channel 9...
e The Saber Slash...
¢ U.B.E. in downtown Greenville, an
exciting place SaturdayTs on WDLX...
¢ The perfect Pirate, Brian Bailey's
creation...Bill Lewis...
¢ Gov. Jim MartinTs remarks on WCZI
that State should play in Greenville...
¢ Looking forward to the top 25 poll
each week...
e¢ John Moore on the Ficklen Stadium
PA...First Down, PIRATES?...
¢ The unbelievable ticket response for
the Peach Bowl...
¢ Leaving the Marriott Marquis at 7:00
a.m. for the game...
e Car flags still on vehicles in mid
January...
e The pride ECU people feel...
¢ The hard work that finally paid off...
¢ The welcome home committees at the
Kinston Regional Jetport...
¢ The police escorts back to campus...
e ECU gaining national exposure...
¢ Number nine in the nation...
e We believe when it was State 34, ECU
EZ.
¢ Feeling fortunate and grateful for
being a small part of it...
e Thanks for the memories...
College Football
eScoreboard
eOutdoors
The Daily
Reflector
Refiecior Orts
Pirates feast on Gamecocks
Win 56-42 shootout
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
COLUMBIA, S.C. " East Carolina kept scoring
and scoring Saturday. South Carolina couldnTt quite
keep up.
Oh, the Gamecocks tried. But the Pirates had the
final say in this game of can you top this, winning
56-42 before a stunned Williams-Brice Stadium
homecoming crowd of 70,075. A 54-yard run by Jun-
ior Smith on a fake reverse with 1:37 left finally put
it out of reach.
oI knew that we could score some points but I
didnTt know we were going to score that many,?
Smith said after East CarolinaTs third win over the
Gamecocks in four years. oIt was a long ball game.
oe
id
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South CarolinaTs Terry Cousin, right, grabs the face mask of East Carolina running back Junior Smith (35) during the PiratesT win Saturday.
Tar Heels keep
Jackets reeling
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHAPEL HILL " Jason Stanicek wasnTt going to
let this one slip away, and Leon Johnson made sure
it didnTt.
Johnson ran for two
touchdowns, including 4 ,
the tie-breaking score We've got to
with 2:27 left, as 14th- the best 1-4
ranked North Carolina be .
fought off Georgia Tech football team in
Saturday " the country. . .?
Jee, felling the Tommy Luginbill
Tech QB
players You're not
tired!? Stanicek said
before he guided the
team on its clinching
drive. I was asking them if they were tired and they
said No, we ainTt tired!T I knew we were going to
score just because of the attitude we had.?
Leon Johnson was nursing some sore hips, but
some halftime treatments and the urgency of the
situation helped him forget the pain.
oJason is a leader. When he got into the huddle, he
was motivating us that we had to play and we had to
do it right now,? Johnson said. With that, with
everybody ready to play and all the support from the
sidelines, we played real aggressively and drove the
ball down.?T
Both the Johnsons ran well for the Tar Heels (4-1,
1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference). Leon Johnson ran 22
times for 110 yards, and Curtis Johnson added 111
Attention on Earnhardt at Mello Yello 500 |
The Associated Press
UNC running back Leon Johnson (12) looks for
running room against Georgia TechTs defense.
yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. They were
nearly upstaged, however, by Georgia Tech quar-
terback Tommy Luginbill.
Luginbill completed 24-of-39 for 313 yards, all sea-
son highs. He hit Jeff Papushak on a 1-yard scoring
pass with 12:49 left to play to tie the score at 24, and
(See HEELS, C-10)
We had to keep scoring.
oOur goal was to have a killer instinct and go out
there and score again, score again until the game
(See PIRATES, C-8)
98 points: You're kidding me
COLUMBIA, S.C. " Unbelievable.
ThereTs really no other way to sum up what hap-
pened here Saturday at Williams-Brice Stadium.
A 17-13 game
would have
been something
we could buy.
Even 24-20.
But East
Carolina 56,
South Carolina
42? :
No way. We
had no warning.
TheseT two
teams. have
been living on
defense all
year. East
MIKE GRIZZARD
Carolina gives up 14.5 points a game. South Carolina
a measly 11.2.
Their offenses have been less than explosive. The
The Associated Press Pirates average 22.5 points, the Gamecocks 21:4
(See GRIZZARD, C-8)
Miami continues mastery of FSU
No. 13 TCanes keep title hopes alive with 34-20 victory
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MIAMI " Hold those Miami
obituaries. As Florida State
learned Saturday night, the Hur-
ricanes are very much alive,
especially at the Orange Bowl.
James Stewart ran for two
touchdowns, backup quarterback
Ryan Collins threw a 1-yard TD
pass on his only play and Carlos
Jones scored on a 16-yard inter-
ception return as the 13th-ranked
Hurricanes continued their mas-
tery of No. 3 Florida State with a
34-20 victory.
There were widespread reports
of MiamiTs demise after the Hur-
ricanes had their record 58-game
home winning streak snapped by
Washington two weeks ago. But
their eighth victory over Florida
State (4-1) in 10 years showed they
are still a top team and kept alive
their hopes of a fifth national
championship.
Three interceptions off Florida
State quarterback Danny Kanell
were a key for the Hurricanes
(4-1).
The first, by Malcolm Pearson
in the Miami end zone, halted an
early scoring threat by the Semi-
noles. The second, a momentum
38th starting spot will test NASCAR points leaderTs ability to work traffic
By Tom Higgins
KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
CONCORD " The natural
Be Tos ; ; Top 10 dri
inclination for racing fans is to es
second.
"Started 27th in the Southern
900 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
Finished second.
"Started 37th in the Splitfire
Points | 200 at Dover (Del.) Downs. Fin-
watch the front of the field and the einer
battle for the lead.
Many spectators at the Mello
Yello 500 Sunday at Charlotte
Motor Speedway undoubtedly will
direct their attention further back
in the pack, at least initially dur-
ing the race (televised on TBS, 1
p.m. ET).
Way back is. where six-time
NASCAR Winston Cup Series
. Mark Martin
Ricky Rudd
. Jeff Gordon
. Bill Elliott
SHOONAOAWND "
a
. Dale Earnhardt 4,121
. Rusty Wallace 3,913 | seasonTs 31 races, Earnhardt
ished second. is
Going into the 28th of the
3,698 | leads Rusty Wallace by 208 points
. Ken Schrader 3,575 | in what has evolved into a two-
3,537 | driver duel for the $1.25 million
. Morgan Shepherd 3,407 | Winston Cup championship.
3,328 If Earnhardt escapes starting
3,286 | so far back and finishes well, itTs
. Terry Labonte 3,243 | unlikely Wallace can deny his
. Darrell Waltrip 3,217 | rival a seventh title that would tie
champion Dale Earnhardt will
start his Chevrolet, taking the
green flag from 38th position in a
42-car field.
Earnhardt is rated a master at
working traffic " perhaps the
sportTs best ever " and his effort
to get to the front should spice the
show, just as it has in several
AP
previous races this season.
A sampling:
"Startéd 24th in the Food City
900 at Bristol (Tenn.) Raceway.
Won.
"Started 24th in the Miller
Genuine Draft 400 at Michigan
International Speedway. Finished
retiree Richard PettyTs record,
once considered unapproachable.
Wallace, the season leader in
victories with eight, starts 15th.
oRusty qualified a lot better
than we did, but it seems like
weTve been finishing pretty close
to each other lately, so itTll prob-
ably end up that way again,?T
eet e,
Earnhardt said Saturday. The
car was pretty good in practice
this morning.
oI donTt know how the weather
will get for Sunday, but it would be
better for us if itTs really sunny. I
think that might work in our
favor.?
ThatTs because he also is con-
sidered a master on a slick track.
Asked to name the favorite in
the 334-lap race, Wallace was
characteristically optimistic.
oI hope ITm the only son of a gun
out there,?T he said. I hope ITm 50
yards ahead of Tem all day long,
and thereTs a good chance we
could do that.TT
Rookie Ward Burton has the
pole in a Chevy after qualifying
Wednesday night at a track record
185.759 mph.
Sixteen other drivers also bet-
tered the previous mark " Joe
NemechekTs 181.519, set in May
(See EARNHARDT, C-10)
Saaeeiniee ee emma eeeatiee
Louisville hands
Wolfpack first defeat
C-2
shifter by C.J. Richardson, came
two plays after a botched Miami
punt and set up StewartTs first TD
run. The third, returned all the
way by Jones, broke the game
open, giving Miami a 31-17 lead
late in the third quarter.
Florida State coach Bobby
Bowden yanked Kanell after that
play and sent in Jon Stark, but he
couldnTt rally the Seminoles. Scott
BentleyTs 34-yard field goal with
12:14 left made it 31-20 and Florida
State quickly got the ball back on
an interception by Derrick
Brooks, but Stark fumbled two
plays later and Miami recovered
to put the game away.
Florida State beat Miami last
year 28-10 in Tallahassee and went
on to win its first national title.
But the SeminolesT hopes of
repeating were dealt a serious
blow by the Hurricanes, who have
handed Florida State seven of its
13 losses since midway through
the 1986 season.
Miami quarterback Frank Cos-
ta, who was benched after last
yearTs loss to Florida State, was
18-of-32 for 177 yards with two
interceptions. Kanell, who had
been 5-0 as a starter, was 13-of-28
for 153 yards.
Stewart carried 16 times for 95
yards, including TD runs of 2 and
5 yards. Dane Prewitt kicked two
field goals for the Hurricanes,
giving him seven straight this
season. :
Zack Crockett had two TD runs
for Florida State, and Bentle
added two field goals. T
Stewart fumbled on MiamiTs
second play from scrimmage and
Florida State recovered at its 47.
The Seminoles drove to the Miami
12, but Pearson halted the drive by
intercepting KanellTs pass in the
end zone.
Miami then drove 80 yards in
nine plays, scoring on StewartTs 2-
yard run around left end.
A bad snap by Tremain Mack on
an attempted Miami punt helped
Florida State score a touchdown
later in the period. Mack, who
twice sent the ball over the head of
MiamiTs punter earlier in the sea-
son, snapped it high again to Mike
Prissy, who tried to run but was
tackled on the Hurricanes 14.
Mello Yellow 500
TRACK LENGTH: 1.5 miles
RACE LENGTH: 334 laps, 500 miles
DEFENDING CHAMP: Ernie Irvan
RACE RECORD: Ernie Irvan,
154.537 mph, 1993
QUALIFYING RECORD: Alan Kulwicki,
179.027 mph, 1992
Charlotte Motor
Speedway
Charlotte,
FOOTBALL
CONTINUED FROM PAGE TA
would have ECU playin S
each year beginning in 1998 Popo
and the Tar Heels playing the
Pirates Sporadically. Each team
would make one trip to Greenville
during the 10-year stretch.
_ oN.C. State has always been
interested in trying to play East
Carolina,? Turner said Tuesday.
He said he and Hamrick ohope to
visit again soon. We hope to find
common ground and
m
ahead.?T wig
Athletics officials at UNC
. State have been posed in
m 6restarting the ECU rivalry on a
home-and-home basis, citing bud-
get concerns and their football
programsT need for more national]
exposure. Swofford and Turner
both would like to schedule Six
home games each Season, and
both prefer that their non-confer-
ence schedules include intersec-
tional games that might attract
television interest and more mon-
ey.
ECU officials, meanwhile
wanted to start the series nc
but only if some games would be
played in Greenville. ECU has
plans to expand Dowdy-Ficklen
_ Getting the teams back
field has required ednsiderahie
political pressure. Two weeks
ago, Senate President Pro Tem
oo ea a Manteo Demo-
, Called Swoff
to his office. ie yi Wasi
oItTs not right and proper tt
We pass a bill telling ott taitveser
ties they must do this or do that, fr
or that they play some certain
team in athletics,? Basnight said.
But I must admit I donTt under.
Stand why they canTt do this.?
In the Senate, the proposal to N.
put ECU on the State and Carolina
Schedules was pushed by Conder..
the Majority leader, and by Dem-
ocratic Sen. Ed Warren of Green-
ville. Both are ECU alumni.
oan Bigeye hinted that the
?,? of officials. at.
c Icials at UNC and
deal would ha ir insti
rie rm their institu-
oThere are aspects of this th
at
g0 beyond the athletic program,?T
UNCTs Sworxford Said Tuesday.
would have on our athletic depart-
ments, and the representatives
_ Sot a better understanding of the
football issues, such as schedul-
_ Ing,? Turner said. oOn their part
: wea se hs es the universities
atTs ,
" Carats s: iy i ihe
ichols, a Republican legi
om New Bern, said pia 08
got Involved because the universi-
ties ignored fans, taxpayers and
alumni who asked repeatedly that
the schools play each other.
v. State felt pressure because
the university wants the legisla-
plete the funding of its
$22 million for the
ent and Sports Arena,
pledge of
Entertainm
to be built near
Stadium in Raleigh...
. : In the past, bot}
to seriously discuss such a_ State pl as ee moe UNC and N.C
the State-East Carolina rivalry
eveloping into the fiercest in
North Carolina.
attracted 58,650, the largest crowd
PRUNE race ayg re a an
Carter-Finley
regularly, with
The 1986 game
Business: Canadian Mounties will let Disney do the licensing / 9C
THE News & OBSERVER
THURSDAY, JUNE 29, 1995
Slower parade: Hale Irwin, describing the dif-
ference between the PGATs regular tour and
senior tour: On the regular tour, you miss a
shot and 50 guys go by you. Miss two and a
hundred go by. Here [the seniors ], at least,
you can count the ones who go by you.T
A hard day's night: Mary PierceTs first
Wimbledon appearance didnTt last long
" She lost to countrywoman Nathalie
Tauziat, left. Chanda RubinTs match,
however, lasted a record 58 games.
Tennis " Page 5?,?
formats soon, when WYLT (850-AM)
In search of ratings: One of the TriangleTs
quirkiest radio stations will change _
2:10
4:00
7:30
abandons its current easy-listening
format.in favor of news-sports-talk.
Radio " Page 7C
HIGHLIGHTS
9 a.m. Tennis: Wimbledon (HBO)
Baseball: St. Louis-at Chicago (WGN)
Golf: U.S. Senior Open (ESPN)
Extreme Games. (ESPN)
Complete listings on Page 4C
By RICK DORSEY
STAFF WRITER
It took lobbying, legislation,
leverage and plenty of long-
distance phone calls.
Now, itTs a matter of logistics.
North Carolina and N.C. State
grudgingly announced plans
Wednesday to schedule East
Carolina for a two-game, home-
and-home football series. No
The Daily
Reflector
Sunday, January 1, 1995
pais
dates are set, but the games will
be played no sooner than 2000.
ECU athletics director Mike
Hamrick spent Wednesday night
in Chapel Hill and will meet with
UNC athletics director John Swof-
ford today, calendars in hand, as
the two hope to agree on the dates.
N.C. StateTs Todd Turner, at-
tending an NCAA meeting in
Maine, said in a written release
that a possible third game in its
series against ECU could be
played at a neutral site " Char-.,
lotteTs new football stadium.
oIf this is true, and these
rivalries are renewed, then it is a
reason for anyone who cares
about ECU athletics to feel good
about the program,? said former
East Carolina AD Dave Hart, who
now holds the same job at Florida
Said ECU football coach Steve
Logan: The winners are the fans
who get to see all programs in the
state play against each other. As,
far as an immediate impact for
us, sure, it will help our recruiting
in the state, and our season-ticket
Sales should increase.?
ECUTs last regular-season
game with the Wolfpack was in
Sports
A nightmare in Memphi
in Carter-Finley Stadium hist
ory.
But in 1987, jubilant ECU fans
rushed onto the field after a 32-14
Pirates win over the Wolfpack,
Causing thousands of d i
damage and s eis dear
oWhile we want to do th
a! e b
thing for the athletic ON a
weTre only part of the university.
The been ad best interest is
- important, and the stateT
best interest is more important.?
Turner, the NCSU athleti i
apt asl cs di- nou : a ee
rector, said the meeting in Pas. the oman hos dliscontinuing
nightTs office was cordial.
John [Swofford] and I ex-
plained the impact the game
Stadium to 50,000 seats b
of the decade. omens
THE News & OBSERVER
FriDAY, JUNE 30, 1995
Staff writer Joe De i
W CO :
ed tdhiS storys eS sibs
FROM PAGE ONE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1C
series was reached before a pro-
posed bill requiring it was acted
upon by the state legislature. The
bill was being pushed by Senate
Majority Leader Richard Conder,
D-Rockingham, and Sen. Ed War-
ren, D-Greenville, both ECU
I advise and enjoin those who direct the paper
in the tomorrows never to advocate any cause for personal
profit or preferment. I would wish it always to be "the tocsin"
and to devote itself to the policies of equality and justice to the
underprivileged. If the paper should at any time be the voice
of self-interest or become the spokesman of privilege or selfishness
alumni.
oObviously, thereTs been more
legislative interest in this, much
more so than anything ITve seen in
my 16 years as athletics direc-
tor,T Swofford said. I would
prefer if the scheduling of athlet-
it would be untrue to its history.
" from the will of Josephus Daniels, Editor and Publisher 1894-1948
Offside, interference
Legislators who brokered a deal for East Carolina to get a place on
the football schedules of N.C. State and UNC-Chapel Hill should
have stayed out of the game. This is an embarrassment.
or those who always won-
dered where the line was
between a matchmaker and
a busybody, look no further
than the General Assembly. And
then look behind those legislators
who apparently forced the schedul-
ing of football games between East
Carolina and the Wolfpack of N.C.
State and the Tar Heels of UNC-
Chapel Hill.
We say look behind the legisla-
tors, because they unfortunately
have crossed the line. It appears
the deal is done, the ink drying.
Thanks to some _ well-connected
ECU alums on Jones. Street, the
Pirates apparently will get home-
and-home series with N.C. State
and Carolina, and fairly soon. ItTs
considered a coup for ECU that the
Wolfpack and the Tar Heels would
travel to Greenville for a game.
If this kind of stuff were being
done, say, in Alabama, weTd all be
laughing: Look at that. Legislators
trying to schedule football games.
Instead, this time, North Carolina
is the laughee?T thanks to some
legislators who apparently have so
little interest in the serious con-
cerns before them that they prefer
the frivolous.
Legislators simply shouldnTt be
messing with football schedules.
That should be the purview of the
departments of athletics at individ-
ual campuses.
To be fair, while the ECU-NCSU
series in the past has had some
troubles (notably a riot in 1987), itTs
worthwhile to promote in-state ri-
valries, even if it means that N.C.
State and Carolina lose the opportu-
nity to play a big-name national
power and pull in more money and
prestige. The Triangle schools
should have worked harder at this,
and they most certainly should
have understood that if they didnTt,
the legislature might interfere.
But lawmakers were wrong to
follow through and use their lever-
age. And this has been a back-room
deal if ever there was one, with
legislative leaders like Senate
President Pro Tem Marc Basnight
huddling with the schoolsT athletics
directors. ThatTs out of line. If
Basnight or other legislators want
to take this issue up, they should
talk first, and last, to C.D. Spangler
Jr., president of the UNC system.
Instead, they showed little respect
for the authority of his office or the
chain of command.
This type of freelancing on the
part of legislators sets a terrible
precedent; it looks ridiculous; and
it shows utter contempt for the
integrity of the structure of the
university system.
RALEIGH, N.C.
ics remained on campus, but I
fully respect their position.?
Conder could not be reached for
comment.
oI spent a lot of hours trying to
make an equitable arrangement
to continue the ECU-N.C. State
football series,TT Hart said, and I
told the Board of Trustees before I
left that it was clear in my mind
that it just couldnTt happen absent
the presence of the legislature.
oThroughout the country, rival-
ries are either started or renewed
through political pressure. There
are going to be some people who
say thatTs not right. ITm not one of
them.?
A major sticking point has been
StateTs and UNCTs reluctance to
play at ECUTs Dowdy-Ficklen
Stadium, which seats 35,000. Nei-
ther ACC school has played a
football game in Greenville, and
the last ACC team to play there
was Wake Forest in 1963. East
Carolina plans to expand seating
at its stadium to 50,000 by the end
of the decade. :
ECU already has signed four-
game, home-and-home contracts
with both Duke and Wake Forest.
The Blue Devils will play in
Greenville in 1999 and 2002, with
the Pirates scheduled to go to
Duke in 2000 and 2003. Wake
Forest will travel to ECU in 2001
and host the Pirates in 2003. The
other two dates have yet to be
determined.
There is an outside chance East
Carolina will line against all four
of North CarolinaTs Division I-A
teams in the same season.
oItTs possible, but probably not
likely,T Hamrick said. oI donTt
have any preference, really. We
want to play these schools at the
best time for us.?
1987, when a_ postgame fight
among fans led to the seriesT
cancellation. ECU and UNC last
played in 1981.
In explaining their opposition to
renewing the in-state rivalries,
N.C. State and UNC also had cited
budget concerns and their football
programsT need for more national
exposure.
Athletic administrators, partic
ularly Hart, had discussed, off
and on, the idea of rekindling the
rivalries, but it took legislative
pressure and worries about
funding for the new NCSU multi-
sports arena and continued mone-
tary support of the Smith Center
to ignite the recent talks.
The agreement to renew the two
SEE ECU, PAGE 5C
@ College Basketball
@ College Football
@ Outdoors
rant Sanderlin/The Daily Reflector
East Carolina tight end Sean Richardson (88) is gang tackled by IllinoisT Dana Howard (40), Scott Turner (21), Tyrone Washington (4) and an unidentified teammate.
4
Tale of two quarterbacks
ECUTs Crandell struggles while IfliniTs Johnson shines
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
Brant Sanderlin/The Daily Reflector
East Carolina sophomore quarterback Marcus Crandell gets
ready to release a pass during SaturdayTs Liberty Bowl.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. " This was
supposed to be Marcus CrandellTs
show.
He was the man with the golden
arm, the one who had all the cre-
dentials as a big-time passer.
His comeback from an excruci-
ating leg injury had been amaz-
ing. For all intents and purposes,
he paved East CarolinaTs road to
the Liberty Bowl.
His counterpart, Illinois quar-
terback Johnny Johnson, came in
as a virtual unknown. He was the
unheralded segment of an offense
that had good numbers but car-
ried the label of run first and
throw only when necessary.
They provided quite a contrast,
Crandell the quiet kid from rural
eastern North Carolina (Rober-
sonville) and Johnson, the out-
spoken product of the big city
(Chicago).
Their initiative, however, was
one in the same Saturday in
Packers stifle
Sanders, Lions
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
GREEN BAY, Wis. " It was the worst perfor-
mance of Barry SandersT six-year NFL career,
and even the Green Bay Packers couldnTt believe
it.
Sanders, the NFLTs leading rusher this season,
carried 13 times for minus-1 yard Saturday as the
Detroit Lions were beaten by the Packers 16-12 in
an opening-round NFC playoff game.
oItTs inconceivable to hold him to negative
yards,? Green Bay defensive end Reggie White
said. He does things that no other back does.?T
oT donTt know if you can play Barry Sanders any
better than our defense played him today,? Green
Bay coach Mike Holmgren said.
Sanders gave credit to the PackersT pursuing
defense for his negative performance.
oThey did a good job of pursuing,? he said.
When we tried to go outside, they were there.
They did a good job of fighting off the blocks and
closing up the holes.
oWeTve had a couple of games like that. WeTre
fortunate theyTre few and far between.?
While Sterling SharpeTs absence impaired the
(See PACKERS, C-10)
a
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28, 1995
The Associated Press
Dan Marino passed for 257 yards in leading Miami
to a 27-17 playoff win over Kansas City.
sy STATE EDITION - 50 CENTS
UNC, NCSU set to resume football rivalries with ECU
Legislative pressure leads to
negotiations that could have
the Pirates back on the Tar
Heel and Wolfpack schedules
within three years.
BY CHIP ALEXANDER
AND STEVE POLITI
STAFF WRITERS
State legislators, with scores of
issues hanging over them in the
waning days of the session, are
spending some time on what had
looked like an intractable prob-
lem: getting North Carolina and
N.C. State to play East Carolina in
football.
And it may be time to start
selling tickets.
After behind-the-scenes meet-
ings among key legislators, ath-
letics directors and university
administrators, the Pirates could
be playing the Wolfpack or the
Tar Heels " or both " as soon as
the 1998 season, sources said
Tuesday.
oItTs close. ItTs imminent,?T said
State Sen. Richard Conder of
Rockingham, a Democrat who is
one of the co-sponsors of a bill that
would require UNC and N.C. State
to play ECU by the 1999 season.
None of the athletics directors
" UNCTs John Swofford, NCSUTs
Todd Turner nor ECUTs Mike
Hamrick " would confirm that a
deal has been struck.
The universities have discussed
resumption of the football rival-
ries for years. But it apparently
was pressure from legislators "
and questions about funding for
the new NCSU basketball arena
and other projects " that con-
vinced administrators to get
something done.
oThis is what itTs all about,TT
said Rep. John Nichols, an ECU
alumnus, pulling a wad of cash
from his pocket. ItTs about mon-
ey. ItTs about who pays the bills.
TheyTve thumbed their noses at
the taxpayers, at people who say,
oWe want to see this happen.T ?T
The Pirates have not played the
Wolfpack since 1987, when a post-
game melee in Raleigh led to the
seriesT cancellation. The UNC-
ECU series ended in 1981 after
eight games.
oI have had discussions with
Todd Turner and John Swofford
about the possibility of scheduling
football games,TT ECUTs Hamrick
said. oI would like to see it
happen, but I canTt speak for N.C.
State, I canTt speak for North
Carolina.?
But others say an agreement is
in the works and could span 10
seasons.
It is uncertain how many games
would be played. One scenario
SEE FOOTBALL, PAGE 7A
ee
he offensive .
line did a great job
today. | barely even
got dirty.?
" Johnny Johnson
Illinois quarterback
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium.
It turned into JohnsonTs stage as
he performed brilliantly in di-
recting a 30-0 Illinois victory.
Crandell, quite frankly, would
like to forget this one. He was in-
tercepted four times, the most in
one game in his short career, and
played much of the second half
with a dislocated finger on his
throwing hand.
oI had time to throw all day and
the wide receivers really did a
good job,? said Johnson, named
the gameTs most valuable player
after completing 18 of 30 passes
for 250 yards and a career-high
four touchdowns.
oThe offensive line did a great
job today,? Johnson said. oI barely
even,.got dirty. I want to thank
them first *ef-all.and the wide re-
ceivers made some great catches
and some great runs. They really
showed that they wanted it.?
This was one Johnson wanted
also. He lost his starting job after
struggling in the IlliniTs season-
opener then spouted off at the of-
fense after a loss to Wisconsin in
the final regular season game.
All the attention coming in also
focused on the matchup of Cran-
dell against the Illinois defense.
oI think I needed that type of
controversy coming in,? Johnson
said oto understand how much a
competitor I am.
oI wanted to come out and show
that today. Thanks to my team-
mates, I had a chance to do that.?
Johnson had touchdowns pass-
es of 17 yards to Ken Dilger, 73
yards to Jasper Strong, 5 yards to
Jason Dulick and 9 yards to Ty
(See CRANDELL, C-8)
ECU makes
no excuses
after bitter
bowl loss
By Mike Grizzard
THE DAILY REFLECTOR
MEMPHIS, Tenn. oNO ex-
cuses? has been a theme of East
CarolinaTs football team since the
hot days of August. So when a
thorough 30-0 whipping was
dished out Saturday by Illinois in
the 36th annual Liberty Bowl, the
Pirates werenTt looking for a
scapegoat.
oThe thing ITd like to say first of
all,? ECU head coach Steve Logan
said, ois that football team in
there played great. TheyTre a re-
ally good football team and they
played like a senior-dominated
team.?
Dominated is an appropriate
term.
The Illini, fifth in the Big 10 but
first on this overcast and drizzly
day, had the upper hand where
muscle and grit count most, along
the line of scrimmage. And it
turned what stacked up to be a test
of the PiratesT firepower against a
vaunted Illinois defense into a
one-horse race.
oThey pressed the line of
scrimmage hard,? ECU offensive
guard Ken Carroll said. oI have to
give them credit. I didnTt think
they could handle our pass like
they did, and they handled our run
just as good.?
The Pirates were limited to 271
total yards " just two yards more
than their lowest output of the
year (269 against Tulsa). Only 107
came .on .the..ground. . Junior
Smith, averaging 109 yards per
game, had just 46 yards on 15
carries and was never a factor.
oWe never really got a chance to
get the running game uncorked,?
Logan said. oUsually when our
running game unfolds is after
weTve gotten some points on the
board, and that never happened.?
The shutout, in fact, was only
the second since Logan arrived in
Greenville in 1989. The other was
a 35-0 loss at Washington in 1993.
oIt hadnTt happened in a long
time,? Logan said. oBut if you
hang around long enough every-
thing will happen. We got shut out
by a good defense.?
But even Illinois coach Lou
Tepper didnTt expect to see a
goose egg from an offense that
averaged 27.5 points and 407.5
yards per game.
oITm glad we had six weeks to
prepare for them,? Tepper said.
oSteveTs got one of the real fine
offenses in the nation. HeTs got
some wonderful skill people. I just
think our pass rush certainly
helped us a great deal.?
The Pirates did have chances,
but five turnovers proved to be a
(See LIBERTY, C-8)
SOC RNRTTON Re at ar ra Rec a wm nee
Miami eliminates Kansas City
Marino wins quarterback duel in DolphinsT 27-17 win
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
MIAMI " To outplay Joe Mon-
tana, Dan Marino needed a nearly
perfect passing performance.
In a shootout between two of the
gameTs. greatest quarterbacks,
Marino threw for two touchdowns
and the Miami Dolphins capital-
ized on a pair of late turnovers to
beat Kansas City 27-17 in the
opening round of the NFL
playoffs.
AFC East champion Miami (11-
6) will play at AFC West champion
San Diego (11-5) next Sunday.
Kansas City, the lowest seed in the
AFC playoffs, finished 9-8.
The. first Montana-Marino
matchup since the 1985 Super
Bowl lived up to its considerable
hype.
Marino completed 22 of 29
passes for 257 yards with no in-
terceptions, and he had four
passes dropped.
That quarterback is
¢Preview of todayTs
playoff games
C-10
extraordinary,T?T Chiefs coach
Marty Schottenheimer said. He
hasnTt accomplished what heTs
accomplished with mirrors.?T
MarinoTs 1-yard touchdown
throw to Ronnie Williams tied the
game at 17-all, and his 7-yard
scoring lob to Irving Fryar made
it 24-17.
oYou feel like you have to score
every time you have the ball,?
Marino said of the passing duel.
oYou try not to make mistakes
that hurt the team.? p
The 38-year-old Montana, play-
ing in perhaps his final game, was
nearly as good. He hit 26 of 37
passes for 314 yards and two
touchdowns, but Miami shut out
the Chiefs in the second half.
Joe is an_ incredible
quarterback,T Marino said, and
heTs had a great career.?
Montana said he hasnTt decided
whether to retire.
oAsking me that question now
is like asking that of a boxer after
heTs lost a championship fight,?T
he said.
Pete StoyanovichTs second 40-
yard field goal gave Miami a 27-17
lead going into the final period,
and Montana tried to mount one of
the great comebacks that have
been such a big part of his career.
But two turnovers doomed Kansas
CityTs chances.
Montana drove the Chiefs to the
Miami 5, but his pass to Eric
Martin was intercepted by cor-
nerback J.B. Brown and returned
to the Miami 24.
oAfter I got back to the
sidelines,TT Brown said,
o(teammate) Troy Vincent told
me, You should get that ball
framed, because you just got an
(See DOLPHINS, C-10)
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