'Pack Backs Run Wild In 2nd Half

On its first drive Saturday, State seemed as predictable and formulaic as always. Rivers completed five of his first six passes for 60 yards, marching his squad 80 yards for the Wolfpack's first touchdown in less than four minutes.

But by halftime North Carolina, with its defense giving arguably its best performance of the year, had stifled the Wolfpack passing game and lead 17-7.

With their usual formula faltering, the Pack turned to a facet of its offense usually relegated to second fiddle -- the ground game.

Abandoning their vaunted passing attack, the Wolfpack -- "like Virginia Tech," State coach Chuck Amato said -- took to the ground, sweeping around the end, veering off tackle and running draws up the middle.

"The line was telling the coaches, we can run on these guys," Wolfpack running back T.A. McLendon said of the halftime conversation. "Then we just went out there and did it."

They did. Of State's 14 third quarter plays, 13 of them were of the rushing variety, for a total of 113 yards. All tolled, the Wolfpack accumulated 258 yards on the ground and four rushing touchdowns.

"It was a beauty to see," Amato said. "You've got a Heisman Trophy candidate out there handing the ball off every play. (The offensive line) stood up and knocked them off of the ball. It's a terrible feeling when there's nothing you can do about, too. They just had to hope we would throw it, but we didn't -- I told them not to throw."

McLendon, a freshman playing with a broken wrist, did the bulk of the damage. The 214-pound back rushed for a total of 164 yards, averaging 7.5 yards a clip, and two touchdowns.

McLendon's running style -- patiently waiting for a hole to open, then exploding through it or cutting back through a different hole -- was simply more than the Tar Heels could handle.

N.C. State ran around the perimeter often, which required UNC defenders to slide into the new gaps opened by State's running horizontally. If those holes were filled, McLendon would often cut back across the field to an open space, leaving the defense in lurch.

In the week leading up to the game, though, McLendon didn't get his usual repetitions, and Amato cited that as a cause for his fatigue in the later portions of the game. The Wolfpack offense didn't miss a beat, though, when number 44 hobbled off of the field, Josh Brown came in and got the same results.

Brown, a sophomore, tallied 88 yards on 18 carries and one touchdown, providing a nice contrast to the bruising style of McLendon.

"They weren't able to adapt to our offense -- we had too many ways to come at them," said Brown, the quicker, more agile of the two running backs.

Regardless of who was taking the handoffs, the Wolfpack offensive line had little trouble providing running room.

Said Amato, "There's not been a more dominating performance by an offensive line since I've been here."

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.