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BOX SCORE
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- Clemson backups sure have a knack for
making a name for themselves against North Carolina.
Willie Simmons, a redshirt freshman, replaced the injured
Woodrow Dantzler in the second quarter and matched a school record
with four touchdown passes to rally the Tigers (No. 3 ESPN/USA Today, No. 5 AP) to
38-24 victory Saturday night.
|  | | Linebacker Keith Adams ran back an interception to the 2-yard line, setting up Clemson's last touchdown. |
Last year, it was Dantzler who replaced an injured Brandon
Streeter and led Clemson to a 31-20 win over North Carolina.
But this time, the stakes were much higher. The Tigers (8-0, 6-0
ACC) are one of five unbeaten teams remaining and a loss would all
but knock them out of the national championship race. So when
Dantzler went out a bruised left ankle and his team trailing 17-0,
the Tigers looked to be in deep trouble.
Turns out they didn't need their Heisman Trophy contending
quarterback.
"I've been waiting for this moment all my life," Simmons said.
"Nervous? If you're not nervous, something is wrong with you."
With Simmons in the game, the Tigers' high-scoring offense came
to life against the Tar Heels (3-4, 1-4).
"We knew he was a good player, similar to Dantzler," North
Carolina coach Carl Torbush said. "And he was in top form. He made
plays and we didn't."
Simmons, who had thrown just 28 passes this season, entered the
game with 6:33 to go in the second quarter when Dantzler left after
a 24-yard run. Dantzler, sixth nationally in total offense at 298.5
yards per game, did not return. Coach Tommy Bowden said Dantzler
could have returned, but that he decided to stick with Simmons.
After throwing a "lame duck" pass on his first play -- the ball
appeared to slip out of hands and was not close to any receiver --
the 6-foot, 190-pound Simmons never missed a beat. He threw a
29-yard touchdown pass to Jackie Robinson and then hooked up with
Rod Gardner on scoring passes of 20, 43 and 25 yards. His 43-yard
TD pass put the Tigers ahead for good at 24-17 with 5:25 left in
the third period.
"The first thing everybody wants to do when somebody comes in
is point the finger at me," Simmons said. "I didn't do this by
myself. I had great support from the other players. They had
confidence in me to go out and make plays."
When North Carolina had the ball with 3:39 left after pulling
within seven points at 31-24, linebacker Keith Adams intercepted a
pass by Ronald Curry and returned it to the 2. Two plays later,
Travis Zachery scored from 2 yards out with 2:42 left.
Simmons finished 10 of 18 for 228 yards, while Gardner caught
seven passes for a school-record 182 yards and three TDs, which
matched a school mark. Dantzler carried eight times for 22 yards
and was 4 of 7 for 68 yards before he was injured.
Curry, who sprained his right knee late in the second quarter
but returned midway through the third quarter, was 18 of 34 for 314
yards and two interceptions.
"To set a Clemson record for touchdown passes in a big road
game is a credit to him," Bowden said of Simmons. "To come off
the bench and play the way he did is something special."
Simmons matched the school record for TD passes in a game that
was shared by Nealon Greene (vs. Texas-El Paso in 1997) and Bobby
Gage (vs. Auburn in 1947). Gardner broke the school record for
receiving yards that was held by Jerry Butler (163 yards against
Georgia Tech in 1977).
North Carolina has played 33 games against teams ranked in the
Top 5 and has yet to win -- the Tar Heels are 0-32-1 with a 14-all
tie against a No. 4 Tulane in 1939.
The Tigers, whose first eight opponents have a combined record
of 19-37, have the toughest part of their schedule left in their
bid for a perfect season and shot at the national title. Clemson
plays Georgia Tech next week, followed by Florida State and South
Carolina. The three teams have a combined 19-4 record.
Curry, who missed the final six games of the '99 season with an
injured Achilles' tendon, led the Tar Heels to its surprising lead
that hit 17-0 after he ran 6 yards for a score with 12:18 left in
the second quarter.
After the Tigers cut the lead to 17-14, Curry was injured with
16 seconds left in the half as he threw an incomplete pass. He was
sandwiched between a defender and one of his offensive lineman and
was carried off the field by two strength coaches. Antwan Black
came on and the Tar Heels couldn't get anything going until Curry
returned.
The Tigers tied it at 17 on Aaron Hunt's 22-yard field goal with
10:41 left in the third quarter before taking the lead on Simmons'
43-yard hookup with Gardner.
Clemson extended its lead to 31-17 with 13:12 left in the game
on Simmons' 25-yard TD pass to Gardner, who caught the ball with
three defenders around him. North Carolina pulled to 31-24 on a
1-yard TD run by Anthony Saunders with 9:17 left.
Before Curry went out, he had the crowd of 55,000 at Kenan
Stadium standing and cheering for an upset, just a few hours after
10,000 fans showed up at Dean Dome across the street to watch the
annual Blue and White basketball scrimmage.
While Carolina's defense was able to keep Dantzler from his
patented quick bursts through the line for big gainers, Curry was
unstoppable with his accurate passes and mad scrambles.
The Tar Heels took a 3-0 lead with 5:37 left in the first
quarter on Jeff Reed's 26-yard field. The points were set up when
Curry hit Brandon Russell with a 31-yard pass to the 11.
Curry came right back and burned the Tigers again, this time on
a 57-yard pass to Jamal Jones to set up Russell's 2-yard touchdown
dive that put the Tar Heels ahead 10-0 with 1:23 left in the
quarter.
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ALSO SEE
College Football Scoreboard
Clemson Clubhouse
North Carolina Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Brandon Russell goes airborne for the Tar Heels score.
avi: 729 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Clemson backup QB Willie Simmons finds Jackie Robinson for a 29-yard TD pass.
avi: 1424 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Clemson's Rod Gardner hauls in the pass from freshman QB Willie Simmons.
avi: 949 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
North Carolina QB Ronald Curry beats the Clemson defense for the 6-yard TD run.
avi: 1031 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
Keith Adams picks off Ronald Curry and returns it 27 yards to set up a Tigers TD.
avi: 949 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN | T1
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