The South : Gamecocks Survive a Scare, 20-13

Backup quarterback Allen Mitchell connected with tight end Danny Smith an a 57-yard pass play for the go-ahead touchdown as No. 18 South Carolina avoided an upset to persistent Appalachian State, 20-13, Saturday night at Columbia, S.C.

Smith’s score put South Carolina (2-0) ahead for good, 14-10, after Division I-AA Appalachian State led most of the first half.

“We’ve been really concerned all week that this was going to be a tough ballgame for us, and that’s what we got,” South Carolina Coach Joe Morrison said. “It wasn’t a pretty win, that’s for sure, but we did get a win. We give Appalachian State credit.”

The Mountaineers’ John Settle rushed for 106 yards in the first half and a total of 193, keeping the ball away from the Gamecocks and giving the Mountaineers a 7-0 lead on a 13-yard scoring run.

The Gamecocks tied the score on Kent Hagood’s 13-yard run, but Appalachian State regained the lead on Bill Welch’s 30-yard field goal before Smith’s score put South Carolina ahead to stay.

North Carolina 21, Navy 19--Brad Lopp ran 27 yards for a touchdown with 4:48 left to give the Tar Heels a victory over the Midshipmen in the first night game at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

Norris Davis intercepted a pass by Navy’s Bill Byrne at the Midshipman 27 to set Lopp’s scoring run that gave South Carolina a 21-13 lead.

With 53 seconds left, Byrne hit Napoleon McCallum with a five-yard scoring pass. Byrne then passed to McCallum for the apparent game-tying two-point conversion, but officials detected an ineligible receiver downfield. Navy’s second attempt failed.

McCallum, who also scored on a 15-yard run, fell 6 yards short of the 83 yards he needed to move ahead of Eddie Meyers as the leading ground gainer in Navy history.

Mississippi 17, Memphis State 17--Don Glosson kicked a 20-yard field goal with 31 seconds left to pull the Tigers even with the Rebels at Memphis, Tenn.

Vanderbilt 7, Tenn. Chattanooga 0--Quarterback Mark Wracher hit running back Everett Crawford with an 11-yard scoring pass with 2:05 left to give the Commodores a victory over the Division I-AA Moccasins at Nashville, Tenn.

Duke 40, Northwestern 17--Quarterback Steve Slayden threw two touchdown passes, and reserve tailback Stanley Monk rushed for two more as the Blue Devils beat the Wildcats at Durham, N.C.

Mississippi State 22, Arkansas State 14--Tailback Rodney Peters ran 13 yards for one touchdown and threw a 14-yard pass for another in a span of 1:21 in the final quarter, and the Bulldogs beat the Division I-AA Indians at Starkville, Miss.

E. Carolina 33, N. Carolina State 14--Ron Jones passed for two touchdowns, and Jeff Heath kicked field goals of 46 and 50 yards as the Pirates surprised the Wolfpack at Raleigh, N.C., before 58,300 fans, the largest crowd ever to watch a football game in North Carolina.

Wake Forest 30, William & Mary 23--Quarterback Foy White threw three touchdown passes, including a six-yarder to fullback Topper Clemons with 58 seconds left, to give the Demon Deacons the victory at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Western Kentucky 22, Tennessee State 17--Jeff Cesarone threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Keith Paskett with 2:24 left at Bowling Green, Ky., and the Hilltoppers ended the Tigers’ winning streak at 13 games.

Richmond 24, Virginia Tech 14--Quarterback Bob Bleier passed for two touchdowns to lead the Spiders past the Hokies at Blacksburg, Va.