Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 31, 1993 TAG: 9310310182
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From staff reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
N.C. State scored the go-ahead touchdown after UVa's Percy Ellsworth was penalized for interference against Goines in the end zone.
The Wolfpack, on third and 14 from their 16, was rewarded a first down at the 2 and scored one play later on a dive by Gary Downs.
"It was basically my fault," Ellsworth said. "I knew [the play] was going inside and I didn't react quickly enough.
"I went with two hands aggressively to the ball. I've been told that's not interference, but I guess I got a little too much arm on him. I didn't think it was called."
\ THE FIELD: Virginia coach George Welsh complained about the condition of the field, drawing a testy response from N.C. State athletic director Todd Turner.
"I don't know why the field was in such bad shape," Welsh said. "Obviously, they don't put a tarp on it. It surprised me.
"That should have been a good field because the rain stopped around 11:30 [before a 1 p.m. kickoff]."
Said Turner, an ex-UVa official who was seen conversing with Welsh before the game, "I don't think we needed a tarp. The field was fine."
\ EXTRA POINTS: N.C. State senior running backs Ledel George had runs of 51 and 46 yards, respectively the longest career gain for each. . . . Freshman Tiki Barber from Roanoke made his first UVa appearance as a return man, bringing back a kickoff 15 yards in the second quarter. . . . Virginia had not lost to N.C. State in Raleigh since 1985 and had won six of the past seven meetings. The Cavaliers were six-point favorites Saturday.
\ GENTRY-FIED: Virginia Tech strength coach Mike Gentry, who spent several years at East Carolina, got a game ball because of his inspirational speech to the Hokies before their 31-12 victory Saturday. "He hasn't been saying a lot this year," guard Damien McMahon said. "He got a lot of people fired up. He was so intense about what he was saying."
\ THE KICKER: When Maurice DeShazo's pitch to Dwayne Thomas sailed over Thomas' head and rolled toward the goal in the second quarter, DeShazo ended the scramble for the ball by kicking it out of bounds. Tech was penalized, ECU got the safety and scored a touchdown on the next series. "I was just making sure it wasn't a touchdown," DeShazo said. "They can call the penalty. I wasn't going to give them six."
\ FREEMAN'S RECORD: Antonio Freeman's 52-yard touchdown catch from DeShazo was his ninth this year, the most for a Tech receiver in a season. Sidney Snell had eight in 1980.
\ SCORING: DeShazo has 19 touchdown passes this year, tied with Will Furrer for most by a Hokies quarterback. Tommy Edwards' 3-yard touchdown run tied Tech's freshman record for most touchdowns in a season. Tech has 42 touchdowns this year, a school record, beating the 40 by the 1956 and '83 teams.
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB