Seminoles one win from 11th straight ACC title

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Posted 7:47AM on Sunday, November 17, 2002

TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA - Adrian McPherson threw four touchdown passes as No. 15 Florida State clinched at least a share of the ACC title Saturday with a 40-14 victory over North Carolina. Anquan Boldin caught three touchdown passes. McPherson connected with Boldin for a pair of second quarter scores as Florida State took a 17-0 halftime lead. The Seminoles (8-3, 7-0 ACC) can outright win their 10th league title in 11 seasons with a win next Saturday at North Carolina State or if Maryland loses any of its final three league games. McPherson, who was making his first start at home, completed 5 of 9 for 112 yards passes in the second quarter, teaming with Boldin on touchdown plays covering 43 and 19 yards. Xavier Beitia began the scoring with a 47-yard field goal in the second quarter and added a 31-yard kick midway through the third quarter that gave Florida State a 20-0 lead. North Carolina (2-9, 0-7) cut the deficit to 20-7 in the third quarter when C.J. Stephens threw a 14-yard scoring pass to tight end Bobby Blizzard. But the Seminoles countered immediately with two touchdowns. McPherson lobbed a 4-yard scoring throw to Boldin for a 26-7 lead, and on the next drive connected with Talman Gardner for a 20-yard scoring pass. McPherson completed 15 of 30 passes for 237 yards while Boldin caught five passes for 104 yards. Chris Rix, who lost the starting job after a loss to Notre Dame last month, came into the game in the fourth quarter and threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Craphanso Thorpe on his first play, giving the Seminoles a 40-7 lead. North Carolina added a late score on a 14-yard pass from Matt Baker to Danny Rumley with just 40 seconds left in the game. North Carolina will try to avoid its first winless season in the league since 1989 next Saturday at Duke, which has lost 24 straight ACC games. Florida State began the first of three games against teams they lost to last season by atoning for a humiliating 41-9 defeat at North Carolina. Florida State now 83-4 since joining the ACC in 1992 failed to win the league last year despite handing champion Maryland its lone conference loss. Florida State played without tailback Nick Maddox, who sprained his ankle in last week's 21-13 victory at Georgia Tech.