Nov. 8, 1997
Terps Lose to N.C. State, 45-28
RALEIGH, N.C. - Morocco Brown's 30-yard interception return for a touchdown
capped a 31-point first-half outburst that helped North Carolina
State cruise to a 45-28 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over
Maryland.
Brown, an outside linebacker, picked off Brian Cummings at the
Maryland 30 and took it into the end zone to make it 31-0 with
1:40 left in the first half. He helped NC State (4-5, 2-5 ACC)
halt a four-game losing streak.
Maryland (2-8, 1-6) lost its fifth straight game, despite the
late efforts of Cummings, who completed 11-of-21 passes for 161
yards and three touchdowns with one interception.
NC State's Jamie Barnette was 19-of-30 for 293 yards and two
touchdowns with one interception, hitting Torry Holt six times
for 105 yards and a score. Tremayne Stephens carried 15 times
for 142 yards as the Wolfpack racked up 493 yards of total
offense.
Barnette gave the Wolfpack the lead for good 6:37 into the game
when he threw a 27-yard scoring pass to Carlos King and doubled
the lead 6:20 later with a 30-yard TD strike to Holt.
Barnette made it 21-0 with an 11-yard scoring run 3:18 into the
second quarter and Chris Hensler booted a 22-yard field goal
just over 10 minutes later, extending the advantage to 24
points.
After Brown's interception return, Cummings got a measure of
revenge when he connected with Omar Cheeseeboro for a 46-yard
scoring pass on the final play of the first half.
But Stephens got back the points back 68 seconds into the third
quarter with a 76-yard scoring run. Maryland's Buddy Rodgers
scored on a four-yard run 1:28 later to make it 38-14.
Rahshon Spikes' four-yard scoring run with 8:32 remaining in the
period were NC State's final points.
Cummings threw a 23-yard scoring pass to Rodgers with less than
six minutes left in the quarter and a 31-yarder to Cheeseboro
with two minutes remaining in the game for the final margin.
