Seminoles Withstand a Jolt From Holt, 48-35
North Carolina State punched out the nation’s top-ranked defense for 448 yards and five touchdowns Saturday, but still lost to third-ranked Florida State at Tallahassee, Fla.
The Seminoles’ 48-35 victory sets up an Atlantic Coast Conference showdown next Saturday against No. 5 North Carolina.
“I saw enough things out there so that it ruined my weekend, especially with next weekend coming up,” Florida State Coach Bobby Bowden said. “It was sweet and sour.”
North Carolina State’s 35 points was the most ever scored by an ACC opponent against Florida State.
“You get ahead 27-0 quick and the first thing you know you’re only 13 ahead,” Bowden said. “It’s scary.”
The Seminoles, 8-0 overall, 6-0 in the SEC, couldn’t contain North Carolina State receiver Torry Holt, who caught 12 passes for 168 yards and an ACC-record five touchdowns.
“I was just going deep, finding the openings and catching the ball,” Holt said. “We didn’t want to give up. We wanted to stay in the game.”
But by the time Holt got started, his team was already down, 27-0, and lucky not to have been behind by an even bigger margin.
Riding a career-day by quarterback Thad Busby, Florida State took control in the opening quarter.
Busby completed 26 of 36 passes, throwing three touchdown passes to E.G. Green, who had eight receptions for a career-high 184 yards. Green scored on plays covering six, 80 and 15 yards.
Jamie Barnette passed for 238 yards, but the Wolfpack (3-5, 1-5) lost for the fourth consecutive time.
Clemson 33, Wake Forest 16-- Record-setting Nealon Greene threw touchdown passes of 52 and 41 yards in the third quarter, and the Tigers kept their bowl hopes alive with a victory at Winston-Salem, N.C.
Clemson, on a two-game winning streak, has ended each of the last two seasons 5-1 to earn bowl trips. Greene, who set six Clemson records in the victory, threw for 286 yards and rushed for 51 more as the Tigers (5-3, 3-3) beat the Demon Deacons (4-5, 3-4) for the 19th time in 21 meetings.
Wake Forest was attempting to win three consecutive ACC games for the first time since 1992.
Virginia 45, Maryland 0--Aaron Brooks ran and passed the Cavaliers to their sixth consecutive victory over the Terrapins at College Park, Md.
Brooks threw a season-high three touchdown passes and ran for 77 yards and two scores before leaving midway through the third quarter with the Cavaliers (5-3, 4-2) ahead, 38-0. The Terrapins (2-7, 1-5) have lost four in a row under first-year Coach Ron Vanderlinden.
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