Football Can't Overcome Early Deficit
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Football
October 24, 1998
By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) - Ronald Curry threw for 230 yards and Dre' Bly set the ACC career interception record as North Carolina continued its domination of Wake Forest with a 38-31 victory Saturday.
The Tar Heels (3-3, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) won their third straight after starting the season 0-3 and beat the Demon Deacons (3-4, 2-2) for the ninth consecutive time.
However, North Carolina had to hold on after a 21-point, third-quarter rally by Wake Forest, which drove to the North Carolina 20 in the final seconds before turning the ball over on downs.
Bly got his 18th career interception in the first half to break the ACC record of 17 held by five other players.
Curry was North Carolina's offensive leader most of the day, but running back Rufus Brown was the star when things got tight down the stretch. Brown rushed for 143 yards, the first 100-yard game by a North Carolina back this year.
Brown's 46-yard run late in the third quarter helped put the Tar Heels in scoring position after the Demon Deacons had closed to 30-24 on a 9-yard keeper by Brian Kuklick. His long run set up a 1-yard scoring plunge by Deon Dyer.
However, the Demon Deacons weren't finished. Kuklick returned after being injured on a late hit out of bounds to find Ira Williams on a 43-yard pass. Kito Gary's 5-yard run a play later closed the score to 38-31.
Brown's 25-yard run around right end on a third-and-25 also got the Tar Heels out of trouble on their next-to-last series, giving them some much-needed breathing room.
But there were plenty of heroes to go around for North Carolina. Steve Fisher fell on a fumbled punt at the North Carolina 2 with 4:46 left, and Keith Newman intercepted Kuklick a little more than a minute later - Wake Forest's fifth turnover of the game.
Wake Forest fell behind in the opening half, turning the ball over three times and having a punt blocked for a North Carolina touchdown as the Tar Heels built a 23-3 halftime lead.
Curry, a freshman subbing at quarterback for suspended Oscar Davenport, kept the Wake Forest defense off balance most of the day with his scrambling ability.
Curry had trouble with turnovers in his first three games of his career, and he allowed the Demon Deacons back into the game with an interception deep in his own territory on the first play of the second half and a fumble.
Meanwhile, Kuklick threw a pair of first-half interceptions and John Stone fumbled the opening kickoff away to the Tar Heels.
Kuklick's second interception of the first half went to Bly, who picked off his first pass since the season opener Sept. 5.