South Roundup : Montgomery, Defense Lead North Carolina State, 38-28

North Carolina State quarterback Shane Montgomery completed 25 of 40 passes for 268 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another to lead the Wolfpack over the Yellow Jackets, 38-28, Saturday in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Raleigh, N.C.

The Wolfpack (2-0), despite committing turnovers on their first two possessions, led, 17-7, at halftime as Montgomery scored on a four-yard run and threw a five-yard touchdown pass to Todd Varn.

Montgomery’s third touchdown pass, a four-yarder to Mike Kavulic, followed the last of Georgia Tech’s six turnovers and gave the Wolfpack a 38-28 lead.

Georgia Tech, trying to win its first ACC game in two seasons, has lost 19 of its last 20 games against Division I-A opponents.

The Yellow Jackets trailed, 17-14, in the third quarter when Ken Swilling intercepted a pass and returned it 95 yards for a touchdown.

After North Carolina State reserve tailback Tyrone Jackson scored on a three-yard run, Georgia Tech took advantage of a poor snap and Preston Poag’s punt of minus-three yards and drove 47 yards to close to 24-21 on Shawn Jones’ five-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Mays.

North Carolina State made it 31-21 on Montgomery’s second touchdown pass, a 21-yarder to Chris Williams with 12:26 left.

But T.J. Edwards’ 41-yard kickoff return set up Mays’ 13-yard touchdown run that brought the Yellow Jackets to within 31-28 with 9:46 left.

Barry Anderson recovered a Georgia Tech fumble at the Yellow Jacket 32 to set up Montgomery’s touchdown pass to Kavulic.

“The thing that probably surprised me the most was that we really didn’t play that well defensively,” Georgia Tech Coach Bobby Ross said. “Offensively, we made some mistakes, but I thought we kept fighting and coming back. It wasn’t a real pretty game.”

North Carolina 49, VMI 7--Jonathan Hall completed 13 of 24 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Tar Heels over over the Keydets at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Eric Blout ran for 102 of the Tar Heels’ 318 rushing yards and also scored two touchdowns, one on a 33-yard run.

North Carolina, which led, 28-0, at halftime, is 1-0. VMI 0-2.

Tulane 20, Rice 19--Deron Smith threw to Michael Pierce on an 18-yard pass-play touchdown in the fourth quarter to give the Green Wave a victory over the Owls at New Orleans. Both teams are 1-1.

The winning touchdown was set up by Mitchell Price, who intercepted a pass by Donald Hollas at the Rice 35-yard line and returned it 12 yards.

Two running plays picked up six yards, and then Smith hit Pierce on third down.

South Carolina 17, Virginia Tech 17--Collin Mackie kicked a 33-yard field goal with 52 seconds left to give the Gamecocks a tie with the Hokies at Columbia, S.C.

Appalachian St. 15, Wake Forest 10--Cornerback Keith Collins recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass--both in the end zone in the second half--to preserve a victory for the Mountaineers over the Demon Deacons at Winston-Salem, N.C.