SOUTH ROUNDUP : Georgia Tech Stuns No. 14 Clemson, 30-14

Jerry Mays scored two touchdowns, and Scott Sisson kicked three field goals as Georgia Tech stunned No. 14 Clemson, 30-14, Saturday at Clemson, S.C., possibly spoiling the Tigers’ hopes of an unprecedented fourth consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference title.

It was the second ACC victory in a row for the Yellow Jackets, who last week ended a 16-game conference losing streak by beating Maryland. Georgia Tech, 2-3 overall, is 2-2 in the ACC.

The loss all but eliminated the Tigers (5-2, 2-2) from the title chase. Only twice since the ACC was formed in 1953 has the champion had two league losses--the last time in 1965.

The Yellow Jackets scored on five consecutive first-half possessions after failing to get a first down on their first two. Georgia Tech came up with a fumble and an interception and also blocked a field goal on its way to a 23-6 halftime lead.

The Tigers did not get inside the Yellow Jackets’ 17-yard line in the first 30 minutes and didn’t score a touchdown until less than six minutes remained in the third period.

After the teams traded two field goals each in the first quarter, the Yellow Jackets took their first lead, 14-6, on a three-yard pass from Shawn Jones to Mays.

Jerimiah McClary set up the touchdown when he recovered a fumble by Joe Henderson, who was playing for an injured Terry Allen, at the Clemson 26-yard line.

After Willie Clay blocked a 39-yard field goal try by Chris Gardocki, Georgia Tech took a 20-6 lead when Mays scored on an eight-yard run with 5:21 left.

Sisson, a freshman, kicked his second 43-yard field goal of the first half--the longest of his career--with seven seconds left.

Florida St. 41, Virginia Tech 7--Seminole cornerback LeRoy Butler intercepted Cam Young’s pass on the second play of the game, and a minute later Peter Tom Willis threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to tailback Dexter Carter as the 19th-ranked Seminoles won at Blacksburg, Va.

In the second quarter, the Seminoles (4-2) scored 17 more points, including a touchdown and field goal set up by partially blocked punts.

Willis threw for three touchdowns and ran for another against the nation’s third best defense. He completed 18 of 27 passes for 338 yards in less than three quarters as he picked apart an inexperienced secondary.

Florida State’s defense had nine sacks and held the Hokies (3-2-1) to 174 yards total offense. Tech’s lone touchdown came on a trick play--a 32-yard pass from split end Kevin Bennett to tailback Lamar Smith with 6:04 to play.

The partially blocked punts set up FSU’s second two scores in the second quarter--a 23-yard field goal by Richie Andrews and a one-yard touchdown run by Willis that was set up by a pass interference call.

Virginia 50, North Carolina 17--Shawn Moore threw for two touchdowns and ran for a third at Charlottesville, Va., as the Cavaliers gave George Welsh his 100th coaching victory.

Virginia, which also got 113 rushing yards and a touchdown from tailback Marcus Wilson, turned two interceptions, one fumble recovery and one safety into 30 points.

The Cavaliers improved to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the ACC. North Carolina (1-5 and 0-3) lost for the fifth consecutive game.

Welsh previously spent nine years at Navy, where he was 55-46-1. Now in his eighth season at Virginia, Welsh has guided the Cavaliers to a 45-39-2 record that leaves him 100-85-3 overall. He needs three more victories to overtake Art Guepe and become the winningest coach in Cavalier history.

North Carolina quarterback Jonathan Hall, starting in place of the injured Chuckie Burnette, threw a pair of deflected interceptions that enabled Virginia to break from a 7-7 tie and take a 21-7 lead early in the second quarter.

Maryland 27, Wake Forest 7--Neil O’Donnell riddled the ACC’s top-rated passing defense for 239 first-half yards and two scores as the Terrapins won at Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Terrapins broke a three-game losing streak in improving to 2-5 and 1-3. The Demon Deacons fell to 1-4-1 and 1-2.

O’Donnell completed 16 of 23 first-half passes, including touchdown plays of 21 and nine yards.

Wake Forest wide receiver Ricky Proehl caught five passes for 100 yards in the first half, breaking the school record for career receptions. The senior now has 157, breaking James Brim’s mark of 153.

Southern Mississippi 16, Louisville 10--Bret Favre threw a 79-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass to Darryl Tillman, who caught the tipped pass behind the Cardinals’ secondary, on the last play of the game to rally the Golden Eagles at Louisville.

Southern Mississippi (3-4) had taken over on its own 26-yard line after Vernard Collins blocked Ron Bell’s 43-yard field-goal attempt with 14 seconds remaining. Favre was sacked for a five-yard loss before throwing it up for grabs.