South Roundup : McManus Throws Texas Tech for a Loss, 40-16

Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden didn’t care for the first half, and quarterback Danny McManus thought the second half was bad.

But neither had much to complain about as the eighth-ranked Seminoles defeated Texas Tech, 40-16, Saturday night at Tallahassee, Fla.

“I was very disappointed with the start of the game,” Bowden said. “We were not hitting good, not locking up on our tackles, just not playing fundamentals. The first game is always scary because of all the time the opponent has to prepare.”

McManus passed for a touchdown and ran for another as the Seminoles blew open the game in the second quarter.

“Danny McManus did a fantastic job,” Bowden said. “The first-team offense had no turnovers and one penalty. That probably won the ball game.”

McManus, a fifth-year senior, completed 19 of 34 attempts for 275 yards, including touchdown passes of 37 yards to Herb Gainer and 11 yards to Ronnie Lewis.

“The second half, I didn’t think like I should have,” McManus said. “I made a lot of bad decisions in the second half.”

Dayne Williams added a pair of touchdowns on short runs for the Seminoles, who won their 11th consecutive season opener.

Clemson 43, Western Carolina 0--Freshman Terry Allen rushed for 75 yards and scored twice, and David Treadwell kicked three field goals to lead Clemson on a rain-soaked field at Clemson, S.C.

The Tigers, defending Atlantic Coast Conference champions, dominated throughout and held the Catamounts to just 102 yards of offense.

“I can’t find too many things to fuss about,” Clemson Coach Danny Ford said. “We didn’t have to struggle too much. We kind of outmanned them. I thought our tailbacks ran the ball very hard and held onto the ball despite the weather.”

Western Carolina Coach Bob Waters was impressed with the tailbacks and the rest of the Tigers as well. “I was more impressed with them than I was disappointed in our team,” he said.

Clemson got its 92nd season started quickly by scoring on six of its eight first-half possessions to forge a 30-0 halftime lead.

The Tigers set the tone by driving 69 yards in 10 plays on their first possession. Rod Williams completed passes of 20, 13 and 16 yards before Allen scored on a 9-yard run on his fourth carry as a collegian.

Clemson made it 14-0 after Donnell Woolford’s 45-yard punt return to the Western Carolina nine. Two plays later, tailback Wesley McFadden scored on a four-yard run.

Defensive tackle J.C. Harper then recovered a fumble by tight end Jon Reed at the Catamount 30 to set up a 28-yard field goal by Treadwell, and linebacker Jesse Hatcher set up the next touchdown by blocking Anthony Bare’s punt at the Western Carolina 36. The ball rolled out of bounds at the 16 and, six plays later, Allen scored on a four-yard run to make it 24-0.

James Lott’s 37-yard punt return to the Western Carolina 17 set up Treadwell’s second field goal, a 26-yarder with 7:19 left and a fumble of the kickoff at the Western Carolina 12 set up Treadwell’s final field goal of the half, a 32-yarder with 5:27 left.

The Tigers made it 37-0 when McFadden scored on a five-yard sweep at 10:14 of the third period.

Sophomore tailback Joe Henderson scored on an eight-yard run midway through the final period to finish the scoring.

With Henderson rushing for 80 yards, Allen 75 and McFadden 63, the Tigers gained 234 yards on the ground and 407 overall.

Louisville 42, Tulane 40--At Louisville, Ky., Jay Gruden threw a one-yard touchdown pass to George Williams on fourth down with 24 seconds left as Louisville overcame a 23-point second-half deficit to beat Tulane.

Tulane kicker Todd Wiggins was wide left on a 56-yard field-goal attempt as time ran out to preserve Louisville’s victory.

Gruden finished with 25 completions in 42 attempts for 296 yards and 4 touchdowns.

S. Carolina 24, Appalachian St. 3--Sophomore quarterback Todd Ellis threw a school-record 30 passes for 329 yards, and Harold Green tied a school record with three touchdowns for the Gamecocks at Columbia, S.C.

Ellis completed 30 of 44 passes, breaking the school record of 26 completions he set against Nebraska in 1986. Green scored twice on one-yard runs and once from two yards out.

E. Carolina 32, N. Carolina St. 14--At Raleigh, N.C., Jarrod Moody rushed for two touchdowns and Anthony Simpson added a third as East Carolina amassed 363 yards in offense to 247 for the Wolfpack.

Duke 41, Colgate 6--Quarterbacks Steve Slayden and Anthony Dilweg passed for two touchdowns apiece at Durham, N.C., in former Heisman Trophy winner Steve Spurrier’s debut as Duke’s head coach.

The Blue Devils threw 48 times. Slayden, a senior, completed 15 of 30 passes for 239 yards. Dilweg, a junior, connected on 8 of 18 for 134 yards.