ACC: Road warriors get it done again

It’s no coincidence that the two teams with the best road records in the ACC over the last two years won huge road games Saturday. Virginia Tech and Wake Forest gave typically solid performances, each moving into good position in its respective division race.

The Hokies won a Coastal Division clash in the daytime in Chapel Hill, N.C., rallying to beat upstart North Carolina 20-17. The Demon Deacons won an Atlantic Division showdown at night in Tallahassee, Fla., defeating Florida State 12-3.

Even though it’s early, those games will go down as some of the most important contests in the ACC this season. The lesson from them was simple: Slow — and most importantly, steady — win the race.

“It’s just another great team win,” said Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer, whose Hokies rallied past UNC by scoring 17 unanswered points in the final 17 minutes. “I’m proud of how we hung in there and played the whole ballgame. When we got down two scores, it didn’t look good, and things were a little ugly. But we hung in there.”

The Hokies (3-1, 2-0) had no offense for much of the day, and the Demon Deacons (3-0, 1-0) failed to score a single touchdown on six trips inside the red zone. But the most recent ACC champions — Virginia Tech in 2007 and Wake Forest in 2006 — were patient enough to let victory come to them.

North Carolina and Florida State, meanwhile, melted down as the pressure increased. UNC (2-1, 0-1) committed penalties that turned two fourth downs into first downs on Virginia Tech’s third-quarter touchdown drive, and Mike Paulus threw interceptions on the Tar Heels’ final two possessions after he relieved injured starter T.J. Yates. Florida State (2-1, 0-1) was no better, throwing interceptions on its final three possessions.

The Tar Heels lost four turnovers and committed 14 penalties for 121 yards, while the Seminoles turned over the ball seven times and committed 12 penalties for 139 yards. As it turns out, there’s a big difference between wanting to win and being ready to win.

“I think our players pressed a little bit late in the ballgame when the momentum shifted,” UNC coach Butch Davis said. “Is that due to being young and inexperienced? I think there’s some validity to some of that stuff. I think some of it is you have to play one play at a time.”

Florida State coach Bobby Bowden can relate. The Seminoles thought 2008 was their year to reclaim past glory. But they walked out of their home stadium Saturday night having been beaten by Wake Forest for the third consecutive year, with a pair of home losses by a total of 42-3 included in that stretch.

“We self-destructed,” Bowden said. “We wouldn’t give ourselves a chance to win it. We wouldn’t ever give ourselves a chance.”

The Demon Deacons did — just as the Hokies had done earlier in the day. And if Wake Forest and Virginia Tech meet in the ACC championship game, Saturday will be a big reason why.

“We won, and that’s what I told the guys,” Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. “We don’t care whether it’s 3-0 or 49-48.”

Scoreboard

Wake Forest 12, Florida State 3
Virginia Tech 20, North Carolina 17
N.C. State 30, East Carolina 24, OT
Boston College 34, Central Florida 7
Clemson 54, South Carolina State 0
Georgia Tech 38, Mississippi State 7
Maryland 51, Eastern Michigan 24
Miami 41, Texas A&M 23

Team of the week: N.C. State

The Wolfpack hadn’t scored an offensive touchdown against a Football Bowl Subdivision team this season, let alone defeated an FBS team. On Saturday, N.C. State accomplished both feats. Making it even sweeter, the Wolfpack did so against an in-state rival that had BCS bowl dreams.

Senior tailback Andre Brown, a native of Greenville, N.C., led the way against his hometown team. Brown rushed 12 times for 73 yards and the game-winning touchdown in overtime, and he also made four receptions for 35 yards and a touchdown. N.C. State never led until Brown’s 10-yard TD run in overtime, but Tom O’Brien’s team came back to tie the score on three separate occasions after ECU pulled ahead by seven points.

With redshirt freshman quarterback Russell Wilson showing maturity beyond his years, N.C. State snapped its streak of 13 consecutive quarters without an offensive touchdown against FBS competition.

“I think they listen to the trash about how they can’t score and how they’ve been scoreless for so many halves,” O’Brien said. “It bothers our young guys, but our veterans are more used to it and don’t take it to heart. This win got the weight off of their shoulders and showed them how it feels to win a big game.”

Disappointment of the week: Florida State quarterbacks

Call it a jumbo letdown for Jimbo’s boys. Florida State sophomore quarterbacks Christian Ponder and D’Vontrey Richardson entered the week 1-2 in the ACC in passing efficiency, but each was far from efficient against Wake Forest. Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher watched the duo combine for five interceptions and no touchdown passes.

As benched fifth-year senior Drew Weatherford, who led the nation in interception avoidance last season (three INTs in 318 pass attempts), watched from the sidelines, Ponder and Richardson gave similarly poor performances. Ponder, who started and played the first half, was 6 of 18 for 52 yards and three picks. Richardson, who started the second half but gave way to Ponder for FSU’s final drive, was 6 of 18 for 66 yards and two picks.

The Seminoles managed only 220 yards of total offense and just 3.4 yards per play, wasting a gallant effort from their defense.

Player of the week: Graig Cooper, RB, Miami

Cooper rushed for a career-high 128 yards on 16 carries against Texas A&M, playing his best when his team needed him most.

The 6-foot, 200-pound sophomore helped dig Miami out of an early hole, answering a big play with two big plays of his own. After the Aggies took the lead on a 62-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the game, Cooper came back with a 19-yard touchdown run on Miami’s ensuing possession. Cooper broke loose for a 51-yard score the next time Miami had the ball, and the Hurricanes never looked back.

“We came out real hyped and just had fun today,” Cooper said. “We got a lot of confidence today.”

Freshman of the week: Russell Wilson, QB, N.C. State

Wilson endured a rough introduction to college football, getting knocked out with a concussion in N.C. State’s season-opening loss at South Carolina. But he is finding his way now — even with his top wide receiver and top two tight ends out with injuries.

Wilson completed 21 of 31 passes for 210 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in the Wolfpack’s upset victory over East Carolina. He completed 4 of 5 passes for 56 yards on N.C. State’s final drive of regulation, throwing a 5-yard touchdown pass with 1:12 remaining to send the game into overtime.

In what was a big week for ACC freshmen, Boston College tailback Montel Harris (13 carries for 112 yards) and Miami quarterback Robert Marve (16 of 22 for 212 yards, two touchdowns and one interception) also deserve mention.

Yates injury hurts UNC

For one play, North Carolina didn’t miss starting quarterback T.J. Yates a bit against Virginia Tech. Yates departed midway through the third quarter with a sprained left ankle (x-rays were negative), and redshirt freshman Mike Paulus’ first play under center was a handoff to Greg Little that resulted in a 50-yard touchdown run.

After that, the Tar Heels weren’t the same. Virginia Tech answered with a touchdown to cut UNC’s lead to 17-10, and the Tar Heels managed just one significant drive on offense the rest of the way. That 38-yard march, which occurred with UNC trailing 20-17, ended with a Paulus interception on second and 11 from the Virginia Tech 24.

Paulus (3 of 8 for 23 yards and two interceptions) made mistakes, but he wasn’t the only reason the Tar Heels struggled offensively. Excluding the 50-yard touchdown run, Little gained just 21 yards on 17 carries and lost a fumble. Backup tailback Shaun Draughn rushed for just 10 yards on five carries, and he also lost a fumble.

Nesbitt injury doesn’t hurt Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech lost its starting quarterback on its first possession against Mississippi State when Josh Nesbitt strained his right hamstring on a 21-yard run. But freshman Jaybo Shaw proved that he’s capable of running Paul Johnson’s option-based offense.

Shaw completed 3 of 7 passes for 43 yards and a touchdown, and he also added 61 yards and a touchdown on nine rushing attempts. The Yellow Jackets piled up 438 rushing yards altogether, their highest total since 1978 and the fifth highest total in school history.

Georgia Tech has an open date next week before hosting Duke on Oct. 4, so Nesbitt will have some time to heal.

Eugene returns

For once, not all the injury news was bad for N.C. State. The Wolfpack played much of Saturday’s game without its best defensive player, linebacker Nate Irving, but its offense benefited from the return of junior tailback Jamelle Eugene from a sprained ankle. Eugene, N.C. State’s team MVP last season, carried nine times for 25 yards against East Carolina. He also made a team-high seven catches for 50 yards in his first game action of 2008.

“He hadn’t been hit in a month, and it made us worried,” N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien said. “But he did a great job.”

Extra points

Boston College quarterback Chris Crane ran for two touchdowns and threw for another score against Central Florida, but he also completed just 16 of 34 passes and tossed three interceptions. Redshirt freshman Dominique Davis, who had not played in a college game before Saturday, replaced Crane a few times in what could be a developing timeshare.

Clemson’s James Davis finally kicked his season into high gear. The senior tailback, who totaled just 154 yards rushing and one touchdown through Clemson’s first three games, ran for 95 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries against South Carolina State.

Georgia Tech B-back Jonathan Dwyer, who carried nine times for 141 yards and a touchdown against Mississippi State, ripped off a school-record 88-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter. Dwyer’s run surpassed Bob McCoy’s 87-yard scamper against The Citadel in 1948.

Maryland fans can breathe a sigh of relief. Kicker Obi Egekeze, who started the season 0-for-5 on field goals after making 17 of 23 attempts last season, converted all three of his field-goal tries against Eastern Michigan. Egekeze connected from 23, 21 and 33 yards.

Miami handed Texas A&M its most lopsided nonconference home loss since Alabama defeated the Aggies 30-10 in 1988.

Virginia Tech won its 18th consecutive conference opener and improved to 16-1 in ACC road games.

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