Hula Bowl: South 27, North 24

Sunday, February 2nd 2003, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) _ Minnesota's Dan Nystrom made a 44-yard field goal with 4 seconds left to cap a 24-point fourth quarter in the South's 27-24 victory in the Hula Bowl on Saturday night.

Lousiana-Lafayette's Ivan Taylor set up the winning field goal, recovering an onside kick after California's Joe Igber tied it with a 1-yard dive with 55 seconds remaining.

The South overcame a 24-3 deficit in the fourth quarter. Charles Pauley of San Jose State began the comeback with an 8-yard pass from Arizona's Jason Johnson.

After recovering an onside kick, the South scored again on a 9-yard pass from Iowa's Brad Banks to Utah's Paris Jackson.

For the North, David Kircus caught six passes for 113 yards and two touchdowns.

The receiver from NCAA Division II national champion Grand Valley State outperformed many of the other all-stars from the nation's top football programs.

The game at Maui's War Memorial Stadium, played in breezy conditions and a high school atmosphere, closed the college football season.

Both of his Kircus' touchdowns came in the first half where the North scored on three straight possessions to take a 21-0 lead.

The first two scores were set up by a pair of South turnovers by Banks, the AP Player of the Year and Heisman Trophy runner-up.

An errant pass by Banks was picked off by Hawaii linebacker Chris Brown and gave the South the ball at the North's 42. That led to a 7-yard touchdown pass to Kircus from Texas Tech's Kliff Kingsbury.