The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 26, 1981, Image 13
GAM
** "
A IIP
UANIE
By TRACY HELMS
Sport* Editor
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.? When you're the
nation's third best football team, you outscore
your opponents by sizeable margins.
You hold them scoreless for many quarters.
You take advantage of their turnovers. You
play, basically, like North Carolina had
through six games.
A wu uuii c CIIU JUU1 U1IVC9 uy VJUUUllllUIIg
turnovers. You don't let an underdog take
control of the early momentum. And most of
all, you don't take any team? especially one
with much to prove? without at least a little
fright. You don't if you want to stay thirdranked.
North Carolina did those don'ts Saturday.
however, and an efficient yet energized USC
squad made the Tar Heels learn a harsh
lesson.
THE GAMECOCKS, behind an offense
that could do no wrong and a defense that
would allow nothing right, or left, gunned
down third-ranked UNC 31-13 with relative
ease and beauty to record the biggest win as
far as rankings in the school's history.
And though it Mas "just a win" to USC
Head Football Coach Jim Carlen, the victory
was all but heavenly to the sea of
garnet-clad ^Gamecock fans in voiceful
?
tiiiciiuaiicc.
It took just over three minutes for USC to
show the Tar Heels and the 50,500 onlookers
at Chapel Hill's Keenan Stadium that it
meant business. Two Beckham passes to Ira
Hillary, re-enforcement runs by Johnnie
Wrightand Kent Ha good, and a yellow
hanky falling at the right time resulted in a
7-0 Gamecock lead with 11:48 remaining in
the opening period.
AFTER HILLARY pulled down Beckham
throws of I V and 21 yards, UNC's Stanley
ruKii. uiienerea wiui norace smitn s
reception attempt and {JSC advanced, with
the 24-var&'penalty, to the Tar Heel 10-yard
Becfcfian
rw^i: LT
Gordon Beckham manaxes to Ret off pa
Tar Heel pressure. su? rhoto
ecqc:
line. Two plays later, Hagood rolled into the
right side of the hosts' endzone to give the
Gamecocks an early advantage.
But instead of retaliating in the following
nnceocqinnc TTMP HiH itcolf nn faimrc Tn
their second drive, the Tar Heels had
mounted an advance to the USC 39, due
largely to Gamecock pass interference and
personal foul penalties, but quarterback
Rod Elkins hit USC back Chuck Finney in
the numbers on a seven-yard interception to
end any threats.
UNC's defense followed by holding the
Gamecocks motionless to force a punt, and
took over at their own 22 after Chris Norman's
36-yard boot. Three plays later,
however, after scrambling for 15 yards,
Elkins fumbled from James Seawright's hit
and Harry Skipper recovered to give USC
possession at the UNC 45.
Beckham then clicked off four passes?
the longest a 22-yarder to Horace Smith at
the two-yard line? before Todd Berry
plunged in for USC's second TD. Mark
Fleetwood kicked the second of his four
point-afters and Carolina led 14-0 with 2:57
elapsed in the second period.
UNC'S SCOTT Stankavage, who replaced
VlUnr o miat?(arKa/ilr offor (Via otartor
JUllVlliO a t ^U(4A tvi UUVIV Ul VVi VltV OWI VVI
suffered a sprained ankle during his firstquarter
fumble, got the Tar Heel offense in
the groove by spearheading a 16-play, 93yard
drive during the first half's final
minutes. Stankavage completed nine passes
on the march, including a 19-yard scoring
strike to flanker Larry Griffin that cut the
Gamecocks' lead to 14-7 with 57 seconds left
in the half.
South Carolina repeated its earlier
s
opening urive emcieiicy 111 uie second nan,
marching 65 yards in five plays for a third
touchdown. Faced with a third-and-three
situation at the USC 42-yard line, Beckham
connected with Horace Smith on a 53-yard
By JIIV
Awl
CHAPEL HILL, N.C.?
season-opening win over
Chivers had a bum ankle ai
H had a seat on the bench behi
R Saturday's 31-13 upset of
j only saw Beckham and
formances at South Caroli
| rebound from personal set
> one of their most important
f 1 BECKHAM completed 1<
L *dfiB18L2 record 14 straight comp]
toiichdown. Beckham als
passing percentage in a
Beckham aerials (six in the
"It was a really good da;
game. "Everything worke
plain."
North Carolina found it h
for 114 yards first-half perf<
vjJ ~/i'p~i-" I "He showed a lot of he
Wilcher said of Beckham.
a&.M pBaf there? he hung in. He led li
" I JUST wanna thank tti
super job, and I had a lot c
&A : * was just fortunate to have i
felt The offensive line playe
ppggg* c??s, allowing 111111 LU ue
^ B|?|| ample time to find his r
niiillfefeill'^ earlier in the year as ir
M terbacks Beckham and T
linemen with regularity.
Beckham alternated wit
s despite the year and won the starti
?v MCMARDvogii Georgia. The inexperienc
K ^3P?
1 CTHM
I
Johnnie Wright squeezes through UNC defens<
completion down the right sideline to set up
^ i. J - A. 1.1 Tt^T/1 ^ A fl. T"% J
a nrsi aown ai me d. Aiier oerry uuiitru S
for two yards, Beckham threaded a three- \
yard throw to DeWayne Chivers to up, with c
Fleetwood's PAT, the Gamecocks margin to j
21-7 with 8:10 remaining in the third s
quarter. i
The Tar Heels ended USC's next c
possession when Mike Wilcher's sack of r
Beckham resulted in a fumble, and UNC s
recovered at its own 43. But Pat Bowen slid r
in from the side to pull Stankavage's 24-yard 1
pass attempt out of Jon Richardson's grasp 1
to allow USC to regain control at the
Gamecock seven-yard line.
Near-Perl
1COKBETT inconsistent and
on the shoulders
tfter The USC football team's rea"y b
Wake Forest, tight end Wayne A"anta native g
nd quarterback Gordon Beckliam _
? . rn? ...... D- UCiV/IMIrtlTI CJ
ind Terry Bishop. .that in a third
third-ranked North Carolina not ?V.JTwr
Chivers turn in their best perna
but showed their resiliency to ?
tbacks to lead the Gamecock to ^a^lay I
football victories ever. ^ve F * y
5 of 17 passes, including a school- "Thev were d1
letions, for 195 yards and one do wa/ t ^
o set a school-record for best , R#Ucham
game. Chivers caught seven threevfiu*dTDnj
! first half) for 36 yards and a TD. , ?
y for us,"Beckham, said after the and mjssed .
<1 out well for us. I s hard to ex- his back (JS? ,
,ard to explain Beckham's 11 of 11 tlindlfr^Ws'p
art1,""Tar Heel linebacker Mike C?"J^rt^nUJ?Pr
dsteamwell3"0'?'"meSg00d?Ut hard t0 'hrow tl
ie offensive line because they did a [?ac* en?
>f time all day," Beckham said. "I sai" "e was **
ail the time I had." ",T WAS ha
i t _ ? r> a 1 i Uonlrhnm cnirl .
kj a large ruie m oecKnam s sue* omu <
sacked only once and giving him can do the t
eceivers. That was not the case surgery to do ai
ijuries took their toll, .nd quar- do."
erry Bishop had to fke pursuing Beckham's b<
Chivers, who s
h Bishop through the early part of day." Chivers
ng job after the Sept. 26 clash with watch the films
;ed Gamecock offense had been
Ill115 "
;<W, JSF '
P. SUH Photo bv K1CHAXO VOCIL
USC failed to notch a first down on the
eries and Norman's 48-yard punt gave the
iosts possession at their own 27. After a gain
>f three by Allan Burrus and two incomplete
>asses, UNO was faced with a fourth-andieven
punting situation. So it seemed. But
Car Heel punter Jeff Hayes faked the kick,
larted to the left sideline, cut back up the
niddle and rambled for 70 yards and USC's J
econd touchdown. An exhausted Hayes
nissed the following PAT attempt and the
!*ar Heels trailed 21*13 with 35 seconds left in
he third period. Hayes had earlier faked a
See Win page 10
I Beckham feels most or the blame should fall
of both quarterbacks.
een a lot of the quarterback's fault," the
;aid. "It's up to us to read the defense and
cemplified what he's learned by doing just
l-and-three situation on the Gamecock's 42
d quarter. With USC leading 14-7 Beckham J
line of scrimmage and hit senior split end
vho had three catches for 92 yards, on a 53H
ffivA IT.QP o firot an/) (innl
T v wv M &II0V UIIV4 ^vai at I41V7 1 CXI llwl
laying Horace tight all day and all he had to
de and run down field," Beckham said of the
hit tight end Chivers two plays later for a
ass and the eventual game-winning score,
r, the junior quarterback was out of school
ng practice because of two ruptured discs in
Head Coach Jim Carlen said Beckham was
I out of Westminster Prep, but his back injury
erformance until an operation in January
oblem.
:ham is a fine youngster," Carlen said. "It's
he ball when you've got two ruptured discs,
for two years. He just didn't tell us, because
iught in high school to play with pain."
ird this summer to get back in shape,"
r?f hie ri>haKilitafinn '! ? #?? ?? J" 4U-. *
-- ...? v.iuwiiimivivii, i ??iitiu uu mc ucsi i
irne. I'm not trying just because of the back
ny better. I'm just trying to do the best I can
est-to date performace impressed teammate
aid, "That's pretty much a perfect passing
added "He did a terrific job I think. We'll
tommorrow (Sunday) and find out."
See BECKHAM, page ?>