NC State
#13 Florida State
Noles Nip Wolfpack in Double-Overtime, 50-44
11/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 15, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Tallahassee, Florida--For NC State, the 2003-football season will probably be remembered for two big near misses. The first occurred back in September, when the Wolfpack fell just short in a triple-overtime loss at highly ranked Ohio State. On Saturday at Doak Campbell Stadium, there was similar heartbreak for the Wolfpack against another of college football's traditional powers. Leon Washington's 12-yard touchdown run in the second overtime gave 11th ranked Florida State a 50-44 victory over NC State (7-4, 4-3), a win that also brought the Seminoles (9-2, 7-1) their 9th outright ACC title in the last 12 years.
Washington's game-winner came after NC State had failed to convert on a 4th and one play from the Florida State 16-yard line on its possession of the second extra period. Choosing to go for the first down instead of kicking a field goal, NC State lost its chance to put points on the board in the second overtime when quarterback Philip Rivers' 4th down pass to receiver Jerricho Cotchery was broken up.
NC State coach Chuck Amato's decision to go for the first down may have also been influenced by what had happened earlier in the afternoon when Adam Kiker missed an extra-point and a 37-yard field goal. Following those two misses, Amato switched kickers, sending redshirt freshman John Deraney on the field for a pair of extra-point tries in the 4th quarter and the first overtime.
"I believe we did the right thing on fourth down because I didn't think a field goal was going to win the game," said Chuck Amato. "I just felt that we had the ball in our All-America quarterback's hands and we had it thrown to the best wide receiver in the ACC. It got tipped, otherwise we get a first down."
Of course, the Wolfpack dodged a bullet at the end of regulation when big offensive tackle Derek Morris blocked Xavier Beitia's potential game-winning field goal attempt from 32 yards out with just five seconds to play.
It was yet another gut-wrenching defeat for the Wolfpack, which rolled up 514 total yards against one of the nation's best defenses. Rivers was again spectacular, completing 28-of-38 passes for 422 yards and four touchdowns. His number one target was - as usual - fellow senior Jerricho Cotchery, who finished with 10 catches for 135 yards and two scores.
But in the end, those eye-popping offensive numbers couldn't overcome three costly fumbles and the much-maligned Florida State running attack, which awoke at just the right time. With Washington running for a season-high 127 yards on 17 carries and bruising tailback Greg Jones adding 83 more, the Seminoles pounded out 272 yards on the ground. Seventy-one of those yards came on Lorenzo Booker's scoring scamper in the third quarter that gave Florida State a 27-23 lead at the time. It was the first time Florida State has had three running backs record 70 or more yards in a game.
"We didn't know if we could [run the ball]; we thought we would have to attack through the air," said Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden. "We got so much criticism about not being able to run last week [against Clemson] that I think it motivated our kids to do it."
And that running game took some pressure off of up-and-down quarterback Chris Rix, who finished 15-of-31 for 183 yards and three touchdowns. Rix also had an interception, a miscue in the first quarter that was returned 43 yards for a touchdown by Wolfpack defensive tackle Alan Halloway.
But NC State would more than return the favor with three fumbles, two of which will probably haunt Amato and his staff for the entire off-season. Leading 20-10 with less than a minute to play in the first half, NC State tailback T.A. McLendon coughed the ball up deep in his own territory. Two plays after noseguard Brodrick Bunkley recovered the loose ball at the Wolfpack 3-yard line, Rix found receiver Craphonso Thorpe on a slant in the end zone to bring the Seminoles within three points at the half.
The other key bobble committed by NC State took place late in regulation with the game tied at 37-37. With Rivers as hot as a firecracker, the Wolfpack got the ball at its own 24 following a Florida State punt with 2:25 remaining. On first down, Rivers fired an 18-yard strike to Brian Clark, who then fumbled the ball away while fighting for extra yardage at his own 42.
"We felt great," Amato said when asked about the chance to win the game with a drive at the end of regulation. "We get a first down there, but then we fumble because we're fighting for extra yards. You know, T.A. fumbled because he was fighting for extra yards. You can't fault those kids for that because they're fighting for NC State University to beat Florida State University."
And though Clark's fumble prevented a potential game-winning drive at the end of regulation, it's overall magnitude was diminished somewhat when Beitia's field goal was blocked several plays later.
The sometimes-deafening crowd of 83, 854 was treated to a true shootout, especially in the second half when both teams went up and down the field at will.
Following Bookers' long scoring run with 4:18 left in the third, Rivers finished off a 49-yard drive in six plays by calling his own number from six yards out to give NC State a 30-27 advantage. But a long return and a 15-yard facemask on the ensuing kick off put the Seminoles right back in scoring position at the Pack 40. Four plays later, Rix hit receiver P.K. Sam with a 15-yard scoring pass to put FSU back up, 34-30.
After a 24-yard field goal gave the Seminoles a 37-30 edge with 7:18 left, NC State came right back to tie it on an 80-yard drive that was capped by Rivers' 44-yard touchdown pass to Tramain Hall.
In the first overtime, Florida State touched the ball first and scored a touchdown in five plays with Rix finding Thorpe again, this time on third and goal from the four. Rivers then responded with a 7-yard T.D. pass to Hall.
NC State got the first crack at it on offense in the second overtime, but came away with nothing when its fourth down gamble failed.
"You have to hand it to Chuck," said Bowden, whose team broke a two-game losing streak to NC State. "That really takes some guts to do what he did. He went for the win all the way. When they didn't make it, you know all you have to do is kick it, which was going to be a little suspenseful after that last field goal."
In the end, however, college football's all-time winningest coach wouldn't have to sweat out another field goal try when Washington sped past the NC State defense into the left corner of the end zone for the game-winner.
Notes: ABC has picked up next week's game between Maryland and NC State, meaning the start time will be 3:30 p.m. eastern...Rivers, who racked up 449 yards of total offense on Saturday, moved into second place in NCAA history with 12,801 career yards of total offense. Only BYU's Ty Detmer has more...Rivers also moved into third place in the NCAA's all-time passing yards list with 12,733...He also tied former Syracuse star Donovan McNabb's NCAA record of 49 career starts. Need more? Rivers recorded his sixth 400-yard passing game, breaking the old ACC mark formerly held by Maryland Scott Milanovich....Cotchery extended his string of games with at least one catch to 37 straight, the second longest streak in school history. Bryan Peterson made at least one reception in 39 consecutive games... Morris's blocked field goal was NC State's fourth blocked kick this year and its 31st since Amato's arrival in 2000.
