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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, October 23, 2009

Seminoles rally late, tip Tar Heels, 30-27


Associated Press

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Christian Ponder knew Florida State's offense was good enough to get the Seminoles back in the game, even against one of the nation's top defenses.

Now maybe Bobby Bowden's critics will back off for a while.

Ponder threw for a career-high 395 yards and three touchdowns as Florida State rallied from a big second-half deficit to beat North Carolina, 30-27, last night and end a three-game losing streak.

Rod Owens added career-highs of nine catches for 199 yards, including a 98-yard score, for the Seminoles (3-4, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who trailed 24-6 early in the third quarter. Ponder hit Beau Reliford with the go-ahead 18-yard touchdown pass with 6:20 to play.

For one night anyway, it was a lot easier to forget all the chatter from some frustrated Florida State fans that Bowden should step aside from the program he built into a national power.

"The talk that we've had down there, there's only one thing that solves it. Winning," Bowden said. "Play close and fight your guts out? Who cares? You've got to win."

Florida State finished with 438 total yards, the most allowed this season by North Carolina (4-3, 0-3).

PAC-10

OFFICIALS ERRED IN IRISH-TROJAN GAME

The Pacific-10 Conference says its officials erred in not calling a penalty on Notre Dame for a fake field goal in last Saturday's game between the Fighting Irish and USC.

The Trojans won the game, 34-27.

The trick play resulted in a 25-yard gain that set up Notre Dame's first touchdown. Dave Cutaia, the Pac-10's coordinator of officials, says a foul should have been called for using substitutions to deceive. The Fighting Irish should have been pushed back 15 yards and the down repeated.

Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis would not talk specifically about the Pac-10's assertion that a penalty should have been called. He did say that he let officials know before the game that he intended to use the "kitchen sink" as far as plays.

ARKANSAS

COACH REPRIMANDED FOR CRITICIZING REFS

Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino has been reprimanded by the Southeastern Conference after publicly criticizing officials who worked his team's loss to Florida last weekend.

The league announced its action last night, a day after saying the officiating crew from the Razorbacks' 23-20 loss would be suspended. The officials came under scrutiny after a personal foul call on Arkansas' Malcolm Sheppard in the fourth quarter. The league said there was no video evidence to support the call.

Petrino has been critical of the officials, although the league didn't specify which comments earned the reprimand.