REGIONAL ROUNDUP : N.C. State Surprises Clemson

North Carolina State knocked off No. 22 Clemson, 29-12, Saturday at Clemson, S.C., the worst home loss for the Tigers in 14 years.

NC State wide receiver Eddie Goines, who caught two touchdown passes, including one on a 76-yard play, said the Wolfpack learned a lot in a loss to Clemson last season.

Down 20-0 in the fourth quarter of that game, the Wolfpack scored two touchdowns and had a desperation drive stopped at the goal line.

“Last year, we came out very flat. We didn’t play with any emotion the first three quarters,” he said. “But then, when we put it all together, the emotion and the effort, we were able to play well the last three quarters. That let us know that we could beat Clemson at Death Valley or wherever.”

On Saturday, North Carolina State (2-0, 1-0) piled up 493 yards and held Clemson (1-1, 0-1) to 183 yards and one offensive score--a 13-yard touchdown reception by freshman Kenya Crooks with three minutes left.

Goines set a school record with his 15th and 16th career touchdown receptions. He finished with three catches for 108 yards.

Terry Harvey completed 12 of 17 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns for North Carolina State, which handed Clemson its most lopsided defeat at Death Valley since a 34-17 loss to Duke in 1980.

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Georgia Tech 45, Western Carolina 26--Tommy Luginbill, the son of former San Diego State coach Al Luginbill, threw four second-half touchdown passes--two to Derrick Steagall--and the Yellow Jackets held off the stubborn Division I-AA Catamounts at Atlanta.

Luginbill, a junior college transfer from Palomar, completed 19 of 37 passes for 280 yards. After going seven of 20 for 62 yards in the first half, he connected on 12 of 17 for 218 in the second.

Tech (1-1) overcame five turnovers and missed field goals of 30 and 38 yards by Phil Shirley.

Tech put the game away on David Hendrix’s 65-yard interception with 3:19 left.

Western Carolina of the Southern Conference fell to 1-1.

EAST

Rutgers 17, West Virginia 12--The Mountaineers, 11-0 in the regular season last year, fell to 1-2 by losing to the Scarlet Knights at Piscataway, N.J.

Rutgers (2-0) scored twice within a six-second span in the third quarter, first on a four-yard touchdown pass from Ray Lucas to backup tight end Jason Curry and then on a 24-yard interception return by Alcides Catanho.

West Virginia, hurt by turnovers, had numerous scoring opportunities but managed only two first-half field goals and a late touchdown dive by Jimmy Gary.

Army 49, Holy Cross 3--The Cadets had 382 yards rushing and 442 overall against the overmatched Division I-AA Crusaders at West Point, N.Y., but the game was costly for Army.

Rick Roper, one of Army’s two quarterbacks, is out for the season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on the sixth play from scrimmage.

Army’s Kevin Vaughn turned in the game’s biggest play, a 60-yard touchdown run with 4:38 left in the first half.

Army scored touchdowns on its first two possessions of the second half to pull away.

WESTERN ATHLETIC

Brigham Young 45, Air Force 21--The Cougars’ running game, which had disappeared, returned for this Western Athletic Conference game at Air Force Academy, Colo.

After rushing for just 74 yards in their opener and averaging only 106 yards per game on the ground throughout 1993, the Cougars (2-0, 2-0) generated 280 yards rushing against the Falcons (0-2, 0-2).

Jamal Willis ran for 151 yards and three touchdowns and John Walsh passed for three more scores in BYU’s 12th consecutive victory over Air Force.

“A lot of people were thinking that our running game was lost,” Willis said. “Everyone knows now that we’ve still got it. I feel we can run the ball on any team. If we can mix up the run and pass, we’ll be hard to stop.”

Said Coach LaVell Edwards: “The long-awaited running attack that we keep talking about finally came through. That was a big plus for us.

“We had a couple of really good runs on those first two drives in the second half, and that was a key. Then we were able to throw some quick outs. The fact that we were able to get the running game going really was the (reason for the) victory.”

The Cougars scored the first 21 points of each half in handing Edwards his 199th career coaching victory.

Walsh completed 23 of 35 passes for 315 yards as the Cougars amassed 604 total yards.

“We made some adjustments in the second half,” Walsh said. “They were coming after us and they were playing deep with their corners and safeties. So all we did was take what they would give us.

“Jamal is a great running back. I’ve told him from the beginning of the season he had to get back to the form he had a few years ago. He’s picking it up. This is what we expect of him every week.”

BIG WEST

Nevada 18, Arkansas State 0--Ken Minor ran for 171 yards and scored two touchdowns to led the Wolf Pack over the Indians at Reno in the Big West Conference opener for both teams.

Nevada (2-0, 1-0) capitalized on four fumbles lost by Arkansas State (0-2, 0-1). Two bad snaps from center set up a touchdown and accounted for a safety.

SOUTHLAND

La Verne 42, Menlo 38--Anthony Rice caught nine passes for 211 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Leopards (1-0) over the Oaks (0-2) at La Verne.