Micronpc.com Bowl: NC State 38, Minnesota 30

MIAMI (AP) _ Philip Rivers got all the inspiration he needed after a slow start in the Micronpc.com Bowl by looking to the upper deck at Pro Player Stadium. <br><br>There hangs the statistics of Miami

Friday, December 29th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

MIAMI (AP) _ Philip Rivers got all the inspiration he needed after a slow start in the Micronpc.com Bowl by looking to the upper deck at Pro Player Stadium.

There hangs the statistics of Miami Dolphins quarterback great Dan Marino.

``We were down and it wasn't like I was trying to dwell on that, but as I was looking around I remember seeing those numbers,'' the 19-year-old freshman quarterback of the Wolfpack said following a 38-30 victory over Minnesota on Thursday night. ``I do remember seeing them.''

N.C. State (8-4) fell behind 24-0, but stormed back for its sixth fourth-quarter rally of the season to beat the stunned Golden Gophers (6-6).

``Our performance was indicative of our season,'' Minnesota coach Glen Mason said. ``It was a roller coaster. At points, things couldn't be better. And at other points, things couldn't have been worse.''

Rivers, who threw for just 45 yards in the first quarter and two interceptions, rebounded to throw for 310 yards and two touchdowns and was named the game's most valuable player.

``It's such a great honor when you see all these players on TV getting these awards,'' Rivers said. ``You wonder if that's going to be you one day.''

Mason praised Rivers after the loss, saying the teen-ager was the key.

``The difference between most quarterbacks is not physical attributes,'' Mason said. ``It's what is between the ears. He's talented and he's confident. It's amazing that for someone so young, the team has such confidence in him to make that comeback.''

Koren Robinson, who set a Micron Bowl record with 157 yards receiving, scored on a 19-yard reverse in a 17-point third quarter, then added the go-ahead touchdown on a 23-yard pass from Rivers with 11:01 left.

``Rivers and Robinson made great plays when the game was on the line,'' Mason said.

Minnesota lead 24-8 at the half, but wasted a Micron Bowl-record 246-yard rushing performance from Tellis Redmon as the Golden Gophers fell victim to yet another Wolfpack comeback.

``If we would have won the game it would have meant something,'' Redmon said of his huge performance.

The Wolfpack clinched it with 3:16 left on an 8-yard run by Ray Robinson just five seconds after Minnesota QB Travis Cole fumbled deep in his own territory.

Redmon's 42 carries and his rushing yardage broke the marks of North Carolina's Leon Johnson in 1995 when Johnson carried 29 times for 195 yards against Arkansas.

Rivers threw for an Atlantic Coast Conference freshman record 3,054 yards and 25 TDs, but was off his game early.

In fact, Rivers completed 50 passes of 20 or more yards this year, but managed no pass longer than 14 yards in the first half against a Minnesota defense that finished in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten and was missing secondary starters Willie Middlebrooks (broken ankle) and Delvin Jones (suspension).

He warmed up in the second half, along with Koren Robinson.

N.C. State trailed 24-8 at halftime but got back into the game with a big third quarter. A blocked punt by Brian Williams set up a 19-yard reverse by Koren Robinson and Kent Passingham's 37-yard field goal closed the gap to 24-19.

Then Koren Robinson's key TD catch early in the fourth improved the Wolfpack to 6-0 in the fourth-quarter comebacks in 2000 in Chuck Amato's first bowl game as a head coach.

``They have a big, strong offensive line and they pushed us around in the first half,'' Wolfpack linebacker Levar Fisher said. ``At halftime, coach Amato gave us some words. He slapped us in the face a little bit and we came out in a positive way in the second half.''

``I don't know what their coach said to them at halftime, but they came out ready to play,'' Redmon said.