North Carolina Makes Alliance Bowl Bid, 50-14

Mack Brown can only plead, preach and pray for the system to work for No. 8 North Carolina.

“If this team does not go to an Alliance Bowl, then the system is not working,” the Tar Heel coach said after his team’s 50-14 victory over Duke Saturday at Chapel Hill, N.C.

“There’s nothing wrong with the Gator Bowl . . . but by nature the Alliance is where this team should go. I have defended the Alliance through the years. This team deserves to go--period.”

The Tar Heels, 10-1 overall and 7-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, trailed 14-0 in the second quarter before rallying big.

Now they must now wait two weeks to see if they will be invited to their first major bowl since 1950.

There is widespread speculation that the Tar Heels could be left out of the Sugar or Fiesta bowls because of several factors, including TV ratings, regional matchups and attendance concerns.

“We don’t have a system then, we have favorites,” Brown said when asked to respond to such speculation. “We have a system where the two highest rated teams go to one bowl and then everybody else picks who they want. That’s what we have and that’s not a system.

“If that is the way the system is going to work, we need to get us an Alliance Bowl in Charlotte,” Brown added.

Chris Keldorf threw four touchdown passes and Jonathan Linton rushed for 199 yards to reach the 1,000-mark for the Tar Heels. Keldorf, starting his second consecutive game in place of injured Oscar Davenport, connected on touchdown pass plays of 16, 17, 59 and 20 yards.

North Carolina also intercepted five passes for the first time since 1981. Dre’ Bly picked off two, tying the school’s career mark of 16.

North Carolina, a 23-point favorite, scored 50 straight points to win its eighth straight over Duke. The Tar Heels also recorded a 10-win regular season for only the fifth time in 107 years of football.

Duke (2-9, 0-8) matched the record for consecutive ACC losses with 18. Virginia also lost that many league games from 1958-61.

Georgia Tech 37, Maryland 18--Joe Hamilton had another outstanding game, throwing for 265 yards and three touchdowns, to lead the Yellow Jackets to a victory over the Terrapins at Atlanta.

Georgia Tech (6-4, 5-3) clinched a tie for third place in the ACC with Virginia, but may need a victory next Saturday in the regular-season finale against No. 14 Georgia to earn a bowl invitation. Up to six ACC teams may qualify for the postseason.

Maryland (2-9, 1-7) closed out a dismal first season under Coach Ron Vanderlinden.

North Carolina State 37, East Carolina 24--Jamie Barnette scored a touchdown from one yard out with 31 seconds to play to break a tie and help Wolfpack beat the Pirates at Raleigh, N.C.

The Wolfpack (6-5) got the sixth victory it needed to qualify for the postseason, and did it before scouts from the Peach, Motor City and Carquest bowls. East Carolina (5-6) was going for its fourth consecutive winning record in its debut season in Conference USA.