SOUTH ROUNDUP : South Carolina Loses Ellis and the Game

South Carolina, a big winner over North Carolina State the last two seasons, lost more than game Saturday when the 20th-ranked Wolfpack defeated the No. 25 Gamecocks, 20-10, at Columbia, S.C.

South Carolina senior quarterback Todd Ellis suffered torn ligaments in his left knee on the Gamecocks’ first possession and will be lost for the season.

Ellis, seventh on the National Collegiate Athletic Assn. list of career passing yardage leaders, had started 43 consecutive games.

N.C. State quarterback Shane Montgomery led the Wolfpack (7-1) of the Atlantic Coast Conference, completing 22 of 31 passes for 294 yards. He teamed with Al Byrd on a 31-yard touchdown pass play in the fourth quarter that broke a 10-10 tie.

Byrd caught Montgomery’s pass at about the South Carolina 25-yard line in the middle of the field, cut to his left and ran down the sideline, breaking at least three tackles.

For South Carolina, Dickie DeMasi, a junior quarterback who had not played this season, took over less than two minutes into the game when Ellis was hurt. DeMasi, sacked five times, completed only four of 12 passes for 65 yards and one interception.

South Carolina, an independent, is 5-2-1.

Clemson 44, Wake Forest 10--The 22nd-ranked Tigers, scoring on their first seven possessions, rolled over the Demon Deacons in an ACC game at Clemson, S.C.

Chris Morocco completed nine of 14 passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns in the first half as the Tigers, 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the ACC, grabbed a 34-3 lead. Morocco did not play in the second half.

Wake Forest, which last beat the Tigers at Death Valley in 1961, fell to 1-6-1 and 1-4 after suffering its 13th consecutive loss to Clemson.

Duke 30, Georgia Tech 19--Fullback Randy Cuthbert rushed for 234 yards and three touchdowns in 32 carries to lead the Blue Devils to an ACC victory at Durham, N.C.

With Guthbert scoring on runs of two and 11 yards, Duke led, 17-3, after a sloppy first half. The Blue Devils had three turnovers, and the Yellow Jackets were assessed 44 yards in penalties while rushing for only 22.

On the Blue Devils’ first possession of the second half, Roger Boone scored on a 39-yard run to make it 24-3.

Georgia Tech came back to pull within 24-10 on a 59-yard touchdown run by Jerry Mays, then cut the margin to 24-17 on Shawn Jones’ 28-yard scoring pass play to Emmett Merchant.

Cuthbert’s third touchdown, coming on a 59-yard run with 6:05 left, gave Duke a more comfortable 30-17 advantage.

Then on the extra-point attempt, holder Steve Prince could not get the ball down, elected to pass and Georgia Tech free safety Ken Swilling intercepted and returned the ball 99 yards to give the Yellow Jackets a two-point safety.

Maryland 38, North Carolina 0--The Terrapins recorded their most decisive victory in five years by shutting out the Tar Heels at College Park, Md.

It was the second shutout of the season for the Terrapins (3-6 and 2-4). The other came six weeks ago when Maryland blanked Western Michigan, 23-0. The 38-point winning margin was its most decisive since a 43-7 victory over Duke in 1984.

The Tar Heels (1-7 and 0-5) committed six second-half turnovers, including an interception by Maryland safety Mike Thomas that was returned 26 yards for a touchdown. Thomas’ interception return gave Maryland a 21-0 lead 3:33 into the third quarter.

Virginia Tech 30, Tulane 13--Inside linebacker Randy Cockrell intercepted two passes to set up scores, and outside linebacker Jock Jones returned an interception 55 yards for a touchdown to lead the Hokies over the Green Wave at Blacksburg, Va.

Virginia Tech held Tulane (2-6) to one yard in net rushing and 182 yards passing.

Freshman tailback Vaughn Hebron had 118 yards rushing and gained another 45 yards on four receptions for Virginia Tech (4-3-1).

Tulane, which had been averaging 380 total yards a game, went into the fourth quarter tied with the Hokies, 13-13.

But Virginia Tech went ahead for good after a blocked punt gave Virginia Tech possession at the Tulane one. Arche Hopkins got the block, and Taron Page recovered it. Quarterback Cam Young dove in from the one for the score.

Virginia Tech Coach Frank Beamer, who is recovering from surgery to widen a constricted coronary artery, went to Lane Stadium shortly after being released from a hospital Saturday and talked briefly to his players. But he went home and watched the game on television, leaving assistant coach Billy Hite to run the team.

Beamer suffered chest pains last Saturday during the Hokies’ 14-10 loss at East Carolina, admitted himself to a local hospital the next day and underwent the surgery Wednesday.

Virginia 16, Louisville 15--Jake McInerney kicked a 37-yard field goal as time expired to give the Cavaliers a victory at Charlottesville, Va.

McInerney’s winning kick, a school-record 12th consecutive field goal, capped an 81-yard, 10-play drive by the Cavaliers in the final 3:26 after Louisville had gone ahead on a 27-yard field goal by Ron Bell.

Virginia, which had lost to the Cardinals on a final-minute field goal last year, improved to 7-2.

Louisville (3-4) lost its third consecutive game.

Southern Mississippi 31, Memphis State 7--Brett Favre passed for a career-high 345 yards and two touchdowns as the Golden Eagles won at Memphis in a battle of independents.

Favre completed 24 of 41 passes, including touchdown passes of 15 and 17 yards to Eugene Rowell.

The Golden Eagles are 4-5; Memphis State is 2-6.

Louisiana Tech 34, Tulsa 31--Derrick Douglas rushed for 203 yards in 36 carries in leading the Bulldogs to a come-from-behind victory over the Hurricane at Ruston, La.

Tulsa (5-4) took a 17-0 first-quarter lead, but a 78-yard interception return helped Tech (4-3-1) battle back.