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Wolfpack mauls Pirates
By KEITH PARSONS
AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE Jay Davis
threw three touchdown passes and North Carolina State allowed only 140
yards in a dominating 52-14 victory over East Carolina on Saturday,
spoiling the final game for Pirates coach John Thompson.
Thompson resigned last
week effective at the end of the season after athletic director
Terry Holland told him he was going to be fired. In two years, Thompson
was 3-20.
The Wolfpack (5-6) blocked
a punt for a score, returned an onside kick for another and had an
interception return for a TD nullified by an inadvertent whistle. Davis
also scored the first rushing touchdown of his career.
But it was N.C. State's
top-ranked defense that stole the show. East Carolina (2-9) played most
of the game without starting quarterback James Pinkney, who left in the
first quarter with a sprained knee. Backup Desmond Robinson, a senior
playing for the fourth time in 2004, clearly wasn't comfortable running
the offense.
He was pressured into two
interceptions a few more bounced off the hands of defenders and even
when he had time, he missed open receivers. Robinson finished 7-for-23
for 62 yards, including a completion to himself on a batted pass.
Still, the Pirates stayed
close for most of the first half, tying the score at 7 when linebacker
Chris Moore sacked Davis, forced a fumble, then recovered it in the end
zone. The Wolfpack led only 10-7 late in the first half when Miguel
Scott broke through and blocked Ryan Dougherty's punt, and fell on the
ball for a touchdown to make it 17-7.
The third quarter was
miserable to East Carolina, which went three-and-out on all four of its
series. Meanwhile, Davis found his rhythm, connecting with John Ritcher
and Tramain Hall for TDs and diving in from the 3 on fourth down to put
N.C. State ahead 38-7.
Davis was 18-of-35 for 227
yards, but also threw his 15th interception. The Wolfpack totaled 392
yards of offense in their most impressive performance of the season, but
they won't be going to a bowl for the first time in coach Chuck Amato's
five seasons.
About the only drama in
the second half came from the Pirates' offensive ineptitude. Early in
the fourth quarter, they had only three first downs for the game, which
would have been a school record.
They tied that mark on a
pass interference penalty, then got three more on a late drive that
setup Marvin Townes' 2-yard touchdown run.
02/23/2007 10:53 AM
Copyright 2004 The
Associated Press. Bonesville.net contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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