PEACH BOWL : Clemson Beats Kentucky in the Final Seconds, 14-13

Clemson did just enough to make Tommy West a winner in his Tiger coaching debut, scoring on Patrick Sapp’s 21-yard touchdown pass to Terry Smith and Nelson Welch’s extra point with 20 seconds to play for a 14-13 victory over Kentucky on Friday in the Peach Bowl.

“With the circumstances, it was not very fair to them,” West said, referring to Clemson’s preparation under a new staff, one that taped players names on headgears during the bowl practice sessions so they would know who did what.

West became Clemson’s coach on Nov. 29 after Ken Hatfield resigned, claiming a lack of support from the school.

Sapp had a pass intercepted three plays before the game-winner by Marty Moore, who was stripped of the ball on the return by Rodney Blunt, with Brent LeJeune claiming it for Clemson on the Kentucky 21.

“I was going to try to score,” Moore said. “The guy just hit me from the side. I went from hero to chump. I made a great play and then I cost us the game.”

After two incompletions, Sapp scrambled to the right and found Smith alone in the end zone, giving the Tigers (9-3) touchdowns on their first and last possessions of the game.

Clemson’s defense twice had stopped Kentucky at the Tiger one-yard line and the Wildcats (6-6) also squandered good field position twice in the second half before striking for 10 fourth-quarter points. Kentucky took a 13-7 lead on a five-yard pass from Pookie Jones to Mark Chatmon and a 26-yard field goal by Nicky Nickels.

The Tigers drove 98 yards in 18 plays on their first possession, with Smith, brother of Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys, scoring on a two-yard run one play after carrying for 18 yards.

The Wildcats drove 79 yards with the opening kickoff, with Moe Williams running for 18 yards, Damon Hood for 14 and Jones completing a 13-yard pass to Tim Calvert before Jones hit Alfonzo Browning on what appeared to be a two-yard scoring pass.

Television replays showed Browning got a foot in the end zone, but the ball came loose, was ruled a fumble and Tim Jones recovered for the Tigers, setting in motion a 98-yard touchdown drive.

“That didn’t decide the game,” Kentucky Coach Bill Curry said. “You got to play great defense all the time. When you get close, you got to score.”