ATLANTIC COAST ROUNDUP : Florida State Has No Trouble on Field

Florida State, plagued by problems during the off-season, had no problems in its opener Saturday against Virginia.

Danny Kanell, following in the footsteps of Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward, passed for 330 yards and four touchdowns as the defending national champions crushed the Cavaliers, 41-17, at Tallahassee, Fla.

The fourth-ranked Seminoles played without seven suspended players, including All-American linebacker Derrick Brooks and three offensive linemen who were penalized for accepting improper gifts from agents. However, the team did just fine without them.

“The offense started a little slow, but the defense came out there pretty pumped up,” Kanell said.

Coach Bobby Bowden said he didn’t think the team’s off-the-field problems, which included the arrest of several players, had any impact on the game.

“They played good today because they wanted to win and because they were defending national champions,” said Bowden, who sat on a sideline stool part of the game to rest his bad back.

Kanell, who passed for five touchdowns against Maryland last season when Ward was injured, was impressive again in leading the Seminoles to their 17th consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference victory.

The junior passed for three touchdowns in the second quarter--16 yards to Warrick Dunn, three to Billy Glenn and four to Kez McCorvey. He hit McCorvey with another scoring pass, a three-yarder, in the fourth period.

“I thought he played well,” said Ward, who watched from a coaching booth in the press box, where he spoke to Kanell on the phone several times during the game.

No. 18 North Carolina 27, Texas Christian 17--Jason Stanicek had 244 yards of offense in the first half to help the Tar Heels overcome four turnovers and a blocked field goal at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Stanicek passed for 179 yards and rushed for 65 as the Tar Heels built a 10-point halftime lead. But the Tar Heels, playing without four injured starters, nearly gave the game away in the second half.

Stanicek, who finished with 230 yards passing and 80 rushing, had two passes intercepted in the second half. And teammate Curtis Johnson lost a fumble.

TCU, which has 19 starters back from a team that was 4-7 last season, also blocked a 34-yard field-goal attempt early in the fourth quarter to stay within 24-17.

But a third-down sack by Oscar Sturgis after the block put TCU out of scoring range, and Stanicek engineered a six-minute scoring drive late in the fourth quarter.

No. 24 Clemson 27, Furman 6--Emory Smith, brother of Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys, scored two touchdowns and freshman Anthony Downs ran for 89 yards to lead the Tigers at Clemson, S.C.

Smith’s second-half touchdowns on runs of three and two yards helped Clemson overcome a sloppy effort against the NCAA Division I-AA Paladins.

Clemson outgained Furman, 377 yards to 99, but gave up 205 yards on kickoff returns and committed nine penalties for 92 yards.

It was the first regular-season victory for Clemson Coach Tommy West, who made his debut in last season’s Peach Bowl.

Duke 49, Maryland 16--Robert Baldwin set a Duke rushing record with 238 yards and tied a record with four touchdowns at Durham, N.C.

Baldwin broke the mark of 234 yards set by Randy Cuthbert in 1989 against Georgia Tech.

Before Saturday, Baldwin’s best day was 81 yards in 21 carries last year against North Carolina State. His four touchdowns--on runs of three, one, 11 and 34 yards--tied Mike Dunn’s record set against North Carolina in 1976.