ACC ROUNDUP : Brooks Returns to Help Florida State to 56-14 Rout

Derrick Brooks fooled them all.

The senior linebacker looked slow and rusty in practice last week, but he returned from a two-game suspension Saturday night to cause a fumble and block a punt, helping third-ranked Florida State roll over Wake Forest, 56-14, at Winston-Salem, N.C.

“They (the coaches) thought I was a little sluggish all week because I wasn’t running around, whooping and raving,” said Brooks, who had five tackles and one sack in his 1994 debut. “I was just going through the motions. But when I got here to the stadium it was a new ballgame.

“I stepped my attention up a little bit and I was fortunate enough to go out there and make a few plays.”

The Seminoles (3-0) won their 19th consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference game since entering the league three seasons ago and moved within two of Maryland’s mark of 21 in a row set in the 1970s. Florida State also has a jump on its third consecutive ACC title with three season-opening conference victories.

Wake Forest (1-2, 0-1) trailed after the first quarter, 21-0, and at halftime, 42-0. The Demon Deacons also played the second half without starting quarterback Rusty LaRue, who suffered a concussion when hit hard on a pass play just before halftime.

Brooks, who didn’t start but was a team captain, returned to action with running back Tiger McMillon and offensive lineman Marcus Long from two-game suspensions imposed for taking part in a shopping spree at a Tallahassee, Fla., sporting goods store last season. Two other Seminoles players are still serving suspensions.

Brooks entered the game on the fourth play, after Devin Bush’s 33-yard interception return for a score was nullified by an offsides penalty. Brooks caused a fumble on the next play and 1:53 later the Seminoles led, 7-0.

No. 16 North Carolina 49, Tulane 0--Jason Stanicek became North Carolina’s all-time passing leader and also ran for two touchdowns at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Stanicek completed seven of 15 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. His career passing yardage reached 3,852, surpassing the mark of 3,840 by Matt Kupec from 1976-79. Stanicek also ran for touchdowns of 11 and seven yards, the first time he has run for two touchdowns in a game.

“I talked to him before the year started and he told me he wanted me to break his records,” Stanicek said. “I feel great about doing it, but now I’m glad it’s behind me and I can look forward to the rest of the season.”

North Carolina (2-0) also got a little more production from its tailbacks after they struggled in the opener against Texas Christian. Curtis Johnson ran for 65 yards and a touchdown, and Leon Johnson added 72 yards and a fourth-quarter score. Last year, the Johnsons each rushed for more than 1,000 yards, but Stanicek led the running attack against TCU.

Tulane (1-2) committed five turnovers, and the defense gave up several key third-down plays.

Maryland 24, West Virginia 13--Allen Williams rushed for 163 yards--almost 100 more than Maryland had managed in its two previous games--and Kevin Foley passed for 287 to lead the Terrapins at Morgantown, W.Va.

Maryland (1-2) entered the game averaging only 33.5 yards rushing.

West Virginia (1-3) lost for the first time in 11 home games. The Mountaineers, 11-1 last season, are averaging only 10.25 points per game after managing only two field goals and a touchdown against Maryland, which ranked 105th in points given up.

Virginia 9, Clemson 6--Freshman Ronde Barber’s interception with 1:49 to play made up for a slew of Cavalier miscues and set up the winning score at Charlottesville, Va.

Barber picked off a pass by Louis Solomon and returned it 35 yards to the Clemson five.

Four plays later, Rafael Garcia kicked a 19-yard field goal with 26 seconds left to give Virginia (2-1, 1-1) only its second victory over the Tigers.

Clemson (1-2) is 0-2 in the ACC for the second time in three years.