NCAA Football Recap (Virginia-North Carolina)
Posted: Sat September 27, 1997 at 6:14 p.m. EDT
Cornerback Dre' Bly scored on a 15-yard interception return and
Chris Keldorf passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as
North Carolina ran off 45 unanswered points and
rolled to a 48-20 victory over Virginia in an Atlantic Coast
Conference contest.
Virginia (1-2, 0-1 ACC) built a 20-3 lead in the second quarter
before North Carolina erupted. Keldorf hit tailback Jonathan
Linton with a five-yard scoring play with 1:25 left in the first
half to start the run of unanswered points for North Carolina
(4-0, 2-0). The Tar Heels then outscored Virginia, 38-0, in the
second half.
"The great thing about this team is that we don't get rattled
too easily," said Linton. "We don't like to be down, but we
deal with it. At the half, coach Brown (North Carolina coach
Mack Brown) challenged us to come back. We weren't going to
lose in front of our home crowd."
Josh McGee kicked a 35-yard field goal 4:15 into the third
quarter and Bly scored his touchdown 17 seconds later to tie the
game at 20-20. Oscar Davenport then hit tight end Alge Crumpler
with a 10-yard touchdown midway through the quarter to give
North Carolina the lead for good.
"That was the one play that brought us back in the game," said
Bly. "I got a good jump on the ball, and I just caught it and
took it in for the touchdown."
The assault continued in the fourth quarter. Keldorf scored on
a one-yard run and hit Octavus Barnes with a 50-yard touchdown
to open a 41-20 lead. Deon Dyer's 31-yard scoring run with 2:47
left capped the rout.
Davenport completed 22-of-32 passes for 181 yards and Keldorf
was 5-of-8 for 98 yards. L.C. Stevens had eight catches for 72
yards.
"Oscar took a lot of pressure off me," said Keldorf. "He was
going up and down the field like it was nothing, and that made
it easier to get into my rhythm."
Atlantic Coast Conference football official Jim Knight collapsed
in the second quarter and was rushed to North Carolina Memorial
Hospital. Knight suffered an apparent heart attack, according to
ACC officials. He is listed in stable condition.
Virginia's Dwayne Stukes returned a blocked punt 33 yards for a
touchdown 6:23 into the game to open the scoring.
McGee kicked a 36-yard field goal with 2:22 left in the quarter
for North Carolina.
Quarterback Aaron Brooks scored on a one-yard run and John Allen
Roberts kicked field goals of 46 and 27 yards in the second
quarter to help the Cavaliers open a 20-3 lead. Brooks completed
7-of-15 passes for 44 yards with an interception.
"There were some positive things in the first half, but not in
the second half," said Virginia coach George Welsh. "If we play
like we did in the first half, we will win some football games
this year. If we play like we did in the second half we won't
win another game."
Virginia star receiver Germane Crowell was held to one catch for
nine yards by Carolina corners Bly and Robert Williams.
Bly's interception return for a touchdown 4:32 into the third
quarter tied the game at 20-20. It was the 13th career
interception for Bly, who led the country as a freshman last
year with 11 in 11 regular season games.
"I feel like the interception ranks higher up than the others
I've had," said Bly.
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