Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!americast-post Newsgroups: americast.twt.sports From: americast-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: americast-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: Clemson bowls over N. Carolina Date: Sun, 8 Nov 92 15:50:37 EST Message-ID: \SE C;SPORTS;COLLEGE FOOTBALL;SOUTH \SS (WS) \HD Clemson bowls over N. Carolina \BY FROM COMBINED DISPATCHES \DT CLEMSON, S.C. CLEMSON, S.C. - Rodney Blunt rushed for 105 yards and three touchdowns as Clemson kept alive its faint hopes of a bowl invitation by upending North Carolina 40-7 yesterday. Blunt scored on runs of 10, three and one yards for Clemson (5-4 overall, 3-4 ACC), which set a school record for time of possession of 42 minutes, 58 seconds in winning its seventh straight over North Carolina (7-3, 4-3). The Tigers ran 92 plays, including drives of 18 and 16 plays, while amassing 491 yards. The Tar Heels managed 42 plays in 17:02. One reason for the Tar Heels' problems was that Natrone Means missed most of the game after bruising his ribs with about five minutes left in the first period. Without Means, the ACC's leading rusher with 1,128 yards, the Tar Heels struggled against a defense that looked primed from the opening play. The Tigers held North Carolina, the ACC's No. 2 offense at 412.7 yards a game, to 146 yards while intercepting three passes and coming up with six sacks. Clemson also forced a safety when Brentson Buckner pressured Mike Thomas into intentional grounding the ball in the end zone six seconds into the second quarter. The Tar Heels' lone TD came on a 76-yard run by freshman Curtis Johnson 38 seconds into the second half to cut the led to 12-7. But Clemson responded with two quick touchdowns by Blunt. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound junior scored on a 10-yard run with 6:44 left to cap a 16-play, 73-yard drive that took 7:38. Darnell Stephens set up Blunt's next TD when he returned the first of two interceptions eight yards to the Tar Heel 25. Five plays later, Blunt sliced up the middle three yards to make it 26-7 with 3:25 left. This article is copyright 1992 The Washington Times. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM