SOUTH ROUNDUP : Clemson, Thomas Bounce Back to Win

Doug Thomas scored on a 98-yard kickoff return and also set up the winning touchdown with a 37-yard pass reception as Clemson defeated Maryland, 18-17, in an Atlantic Coast Conference game Saturday at Baltimore.

Thomas was seeking redemption. In Clemson’s 20-7 loss to Virginia last week, he dropped a critical third-down pass. The Tigers were forced to punt, and Virginia returned the kick to set up the clinching score.

“The burden was on me because we lost,” Thomas said. “If I didn’t drop it, they would have never had that big return. It was all my fault.

“I sure feel a lot better this week.”

Clemson (2-1 overall, 1-1 in the ACC) has beaten Maryland (2-1, 0-1) four consecutive times.

Maryland took a 17-12 lead with 10:25 remaining on a 39-yard field goal by Dan DeArmas.

On Clemson’s next series, the Tigers faced third and seven from their 35 when Thomas caught a short pass from DeChane Cameron and sprinted to the Maryland 28. Five plays later, Cameron hit Rudy Harris with an 11-yard pass for the winning touchdown.

Dexter Davis’ second interception with 2:23 left assured the Tigers of victory.

No. 3 Florida St. 48, Georgia Southern 6--Shannon Baker and Amp Lee each had two touchdowns and Terrell Buckley scored on a long punt return for the second consecutive week as the Seminoles extended their winning streak to 12 games with the victory at Tallahasse, Fla.

Florida State (2-0) has not been defeated since a 34-23 loss to Clemson on Sept. 9, 1989.

Georgia Southern (1-2) was limited to just 19 yards rushing and 53 yards overall in the first half, their lowest total since the school reinstated football in 1982.

Lee sandwiched two short scoring runs around Brad Johnson’s touchdown pass to Baker in the first half. Baker also caught a nine-yard touchdown pass from reserve quarterback Casey Weldon in the fourth quarter to close the scoring.

Buckley, a sophomore, scored on a 67-yard punt return in the fourth quarter, giving Florida State a 41-6 lead. He scored on a 63-yard return last week against East Carolina.

No. 11 Virginia 56, Navy 14--Virginia quarterback Shawn Moore passed for four touchdowns and ran for a fifth before halftime as the Cavaliers rolled up 664 yards while cruising to a nonconference victory over the Midshipmen at Charlottesville, Va.

Moore, a senior, completed 13 of 22 passes for 250 yards and ran for 35 yards. He became the school’s career total offense leader with 6,081 yards, breaking Scott Gardner’s 15-year-old mark of 6,059.

The Midshipmen (1-1) were down, 21-0, when they got their second first down. Navy had only 49 yards and three first downs by halftime, when it trailed 35-0.

North Carolina 48, Connecticut 21--Cookie Massey scored on an 87-yard interception return to highlight a 24-point first quarter as the Tar Heels won a nonconference game at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Coach Mack Brown, 2-20 in his two previous seasons at North Carolina, is 3-2 this season.

Connecticut, a member of the Division I-AA Yankee Conference, fell to 0-2.

North Carolina State 20, Wake Forest 15--Terry Jordan, who lost two fumbles and threw an interception in the first half, hit Reggie Lawrence on a 33-yard scoring play in the third quarter to help the Wolfpack win an ACC game at Raleigh, N.C.

Jordan, a sophomore, was starting in place of junior Charles Davenport, who was sidelined with a bruised shoulder.

Jordan’s touchdown pass to Lawrence, which gave the Wolfpack a 17-12 lead, came one play after his scoring pass to William Turner was called back because of a holding penalty.

Jordan completed 12 of 21 passes for 181 yards.

Jordan’s problems with ballhandling were part of an epidemic. The Wolfpack (2-1, 1-1) committed four turnovers in the first quarter and finished with five.

The Demon Deacons (1-2, 0-1) picked up two points when Wolfpack punter Preston Poag watched a snap sail over his head and out of the end zone.

Virginia Tech 24, East Carolina 23--Quarterback Will Furrer completed 14 of 19 passes for 237 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Hokies (2-1) in a nonconference game at Greenville, N.C.

East Carolina (1-2) pulled to within 24-23 on a 31-yard touchdown run by David Daniels, but defensive end Jimmy Whitten blocked the extra-point try to keep the Hokies in the lead.

William & Mary 37, Villanova 14--Quarterback Chris Hakel ran for two touchdowns and passed for another as the Tribe won a nonconference game at Williamsburg, Va.

Hakel completed 16 of 26 passes for 222 yards as William & Mary evened its record at 1-1. Villanova (1-1) was held scoreless in the second half.