Wake Forest Suspends Six, Four Starters

We thought the Terps were a lock to knock off the Deacs today, and then things took an ugly turn down in Winston-Salem.

The Deamon Decons have suspended six football players, including four starters and the team's second-leading rusher, for its game Saturday at Maryland over a violation of team rules.

Coach Jim Grobe says cornerback Merrill Noel, safety Daniel Mack, linebacker Mike Olson, guard Frank Souza, running back Deandre Martin and receiver Airyn Willis will be eligible to be reinstated for the team's next game at Virginia on Oct. 20.

Noel, Mack, Olson and Souza are listed as starters on the team's depth chart. Olson is the team's leading tackler and Martin has 279 yards rushing.

Details of the violations were not given in Friday's announcement.

Grobe says: "I'm disappointed that some of our kids made poor decisions. These are good kids who just need to learn from their mistakes."

M.I.A. - Missing In (Not) Action

THE BEST HEALTHY PITCHER TO EVER NOT PLAY IN THE MLB PLAYOFFS (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Let’s review.

The Washington Nationals have the best record in major league baseball and if they make it to the World Series and there is a seventh game, that game will be held in our very own Nationals Stadium.  

For the record, the last time a team in Washington won the Fall Classic was in 1924, when President Calvin Coolidge attended the ballpark to watch the Senators defeat the New York Giants in the twelfth inning of the seventh game.

That teams ace was a Hall of Famer known as Walter Johnson, and, shocking as this may be, he actually pitched in the World Series…He made three starts and lost the first two before winning the decisive seventh game.

WALTER "THE BIG TRAIN" JOHNSON

At that point, The Big Train had been around awhile, but here is what the one-and-only Ty Cobb said about Johnson’s debut in 1907:   

JOHNSON AND HIS HORSE

"On August 2, 1907, I encountered the most threatening sight I ever saw in the ball field. He was a rookie, and we licked our lips as we warmed up for the first game of a doubleheader in Washington. Evidently, manager Pongo Joe Cantillon of the Nats had picked a rube out of the cornfields of the deepest bushes to pitch against us... He was a tall, shambling galoot of about twenty, with arms so long they hung far out of his sleeves, and with a sidearm delivery that looked unimpressive at first glance... One of the Tigers imitated a cow mooing, and we hollered at Cantillon: 'Get the pitchfork ready, Joe-- your hayseed's on his way back to the barn'...The first time I faced him, I watched him take that easy windup. And then something went past me that made me flinch. The thing just hissed with danger. We couldn't touch him...every one of us knew we'd met the most powerful arm ever turned loose in a ball park."

In his second season (1908), Johnson pitched three straight games against the Yankees during a four day span. He shutout the Bronx Bombers in all three games…

Now, if the home squad makes it to an historic seventh game of the 2012 World Series, ace Stephen Strasburg will be watching the game just like the rest of us schlepps…

ARRRRRGGGGGGG!!

It’s just now seeking in, and it’s kind of unbelievable that the Nats start post season play on Sunday against either the Braves or Cardinals without Strasburg.

Yike.

Happy Anniversary: The Beatles

Today marks the 50^th anniversary of the release of the Beatles first single Love Me Do.  The rest is history…

The song was originally released in the United Kingdom where it peaked at #17.  It was released in the U.S. in 1964 where it became a #1 hit.  The song played no role in “Beatlemania” which launched in 1963 with She Loves You and I Want To Hold Your Hand along with several appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show.

Over in a slightly parallel universe, the Rolling Stones had released their first single (a cover of Chuck Berry’s Come On) in July of the same year. According to Keith Richards in his recent book, eventually the Stones Keith and Mick Jagger) and the Beatles (John Lennon) would discuss when to release singles so as not to compete with one another…

To see more Beatles 45 covers, click here. 

Saturday ACC Football

"WE DON'T SUCK." (Chuck Burton/AP Photo)

How messed up is ACC football?  The Tar Heels are favored to beat Virginia Tech and it’s not a basketball game and Duke is favored to beat an ACC team.

BOSTON COLLEGE (-8.5) @ Army, 12:00 PM, TV: CBS Sports Network (XM 190 Sirius 112)

VIRGINIA  TECH @ NORTH CAROLINA (-1.5), 12:30 PM, TV: ACC Network (XM 193 Sirius 136)

VIRGINIA @ DUKE (-1), 3:00 PM, TV: RSN (XM 192 Sirius 134)

WAKE FOREST @ MARYLAND (-4.5), 3:30 PM, TV: ESPNU (XM 190 Sirius 112)

GEORGIA TECH @ CLEMSON (-10), 3:30 PM, TV: ESPN (XM 85 Sirius 85)

MIAMI @ NOTRE DAME  Notre Dame (-11.5), 7:30 PM, TV: NBC (XM 192 Sirius 134)

FLORIDA STATE (-13.5) @ N.C. STATE, 8:00 PM, TV: ESPN2 (XM 190  Sirius 112)

*Point spreads for recreational purposes only. After all, what responsible adult would risk hard-earned dollars on what any given group of 18- to 22-year-olds might due during a four hour period on a Saturday afternoon?  Really?  Dawg? 

Ol’ Roy’s Other Tumor Noncancerous

(Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)

The tumor on North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams' left kidney is noncancerous, the school announced Thursday night.

The results of a Wednesday biopsy showed the tumor is an oncocytoma, which is often indistinguishable from kidney cancer on X-rays. It is the same kind of noncancerous tumor the Hall of Fame coach had removed from his right kidney during a 3½-hour operation Sept. 19. Unlike cancerous tumors, oncocytomas do not spread.

Williams will not require surgery on his left kidney, so Williams should be on the court when the Tar Heels open preseason practice in fewer than 10 days.

"The result of the biopsy of the tumor on the left side is great news for Coach Williams and his family," Dr. Eric Wallen said in the statement released by the school. "He is recovering very well and we will continue to follow his progress. In the meantime, he can return to his normal schedule, including the team's first practice on October 13th."

Williams, 62, is set to begin his 10th season as head coach at UNC.

Duke QB “Game Time” Decision

RENFREE #19 (Chuck Liddy/News & Observer)

Duke Coach David Cutcliffe told reporters in Durham on Thursday morning that Sean Renfree would be a game-time decision for Saturday’s game against Virginia. Renfree hurt his elbow last week against Wake Forest and has been limited in practice this week.

If he can’t play, Anthony Boone takes the helm after playing in the fourth quarter last week against Wake Forest and engineering two touchdown drives. 

To no one’s surprise, Cutcliffe says he has complete confidence in his backup quarterback. 

"We're running the same offense, whether it's Sean or whether it's Anthony or whether it was Brandon Connette," Cutcliffe said. "Again, there are minor things that you play to the strength of a player. But I think the beauty of our team, and I said this going in, I hate that we had to use it, but if something happened to Sean, which it did last week in the ballgame, we have very experienced, capable football players. 

"One of the things I noticed on the sideline when Anthony had to step up and play, the other players didn't bat an eye. I mean, they're used to him playing. It's why we've always played quarterbacks, backup quarterbacks, in situational roles if they're good enough...Disregard who is at quarterback, we're going to be who we are."

Chuck Liddy

ACC Football Links

(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

By Heather Dinich | ESPN.com

The Hokies have their work cut out for them in the Coastal Division.

Georgia Tech's recruits aren't too scared of the Jackets' 2-3 start.

Poor tackling has been at the heart of the problem for Al Groh's defense.

Clemson could say the same.

Duke finally has some room to talk a little trash.

N.C. State is hoping its players-only meeting will make a difference against FSU.

The Canes are preparing for a Heisman-caliber defender in Notre Dame's Manti Te'o.

Virginia quarterback Phillip Sims needed some clues to learn he would be starting against Duke.

Virginia Tech is trying whatever it can to stop the slow starts.

No matter what the view, it looks like Al Groh is struggling.

What is the state of ACC football?

Maryland's X factor could be its fullback.

Duke's facilities upgrade shows a commitment to the program.

Boston College defensive end Mehdi Abdesmad is the son of Tunisian immigrants.

Pictures Of The Day

North Carolina State's Logan Winkles is tackled by Miami's Nantambu-Akil Fentress (57) and Miami's Kacy Rodgers II (22) during the second half at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida, Saturday, September 29, 2012. Miami defeated N.C. State, 44-37. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer)

Ryan Williams #34 of the Arizona Cardinals (by way of Virginia Tech) carries the ball as James Laurinaitis #55 and Janoris Jenkins #21 of the St. Louis Rams defend during the game at Edward Jones Dome on October 4, 2012 in St Louis, Missouri. The Cards lost and Williams left the game in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury.   (Jamie Squire/Getty Images North America)

North Carolina's Romar Morris (21) blocks a punt by Idaho's Bobby Cowan (13) during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Chapel Hill, N.C., Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Porto Brazilian defender Maicon vies with Paris Saint-Germain's Swedish forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the UEFA Champions League group A football match FC Porto vs PSG at Dragao Stadium in Porto. (AFP/Getty Images)

West Virginia's Tyler Anderson (53) tackles Baylor's Terrance Williams (2) before the goal line during their NCAA college football game in Morgantown, W.Va., Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Christopher Jackson)

Baltimore Orioles' Adam Jones blows a bubble as he bats against Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson during the fourth inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2012. (Chris O’Meara/AP Photo)

Jonny Gomes #31 of the Oakland Athletics celebrates after they beat the Texas Rangers to win the American League West Division Title at O.co Coliseum on October 3, 2012 in Oakland, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Nat’s Magic Number: -2

TEDDY WINS!!!! (Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

By virtue of their 5-1 win yesterday, our Washington Nationals (formerly your Montreal Expos)  have the best record in MLB (98-64).  That gives the Nats home field advantage for as long as they are in the playoffs.

Due to an anomaly we don’t pretend to understand, the teams with home field advantage in the upcoming NLDS play the first two games on the road at the home field of the Wild Card team.  We figure that is because a wild card player got a hit during the fourth inning of the All-Star game while a division winner struck out during that same important inning…or something like that…

So the Nats will play the winner of the Wild Card Playoff between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Atlanta Braves.  Those two playoff on Friday at 5 p.m.  The Nats will then play the winner of that game on Sunday and Monday in either Atlanta or St. Louis before hosting their first playoff game since Franklin Delano Roosevelt was President on Wednesday, October 10.

The Nationals finished the season 10-8 against the NL East rival Braves and 4-3 against the Cardinals.

ACC Sticks To Eight Regular Season Football Games

The ACC football schedule will remain at eight games, the conference announced Wednesday after its league meetings in Boston.

The ACC had planned on going to a nine-game football schedule in 2013, with the addition of Syracuse and Pittsburgh, but scrapped that after the new agreement with Notre Dame, which will play five ACC games each season beginning in 2014. The league will stay at an eight-game conference season for football.

In basketball, the league will have an 18-game schedule, beginning this season, and it will remain that way when Syracuse and Pitt join next season and Notre Dame joins, likely before the 2015-16 season.

Miami AD Headed To Nebraska

(Wilfredo Lee Photo)

Shawn Eichorst came to Coconut Grove with a cloud hanging over the U's program and now he’s headed out to Cornhusker land before the heavy rains of NCAA sanctions set in at Miami.

Eichorst has resigned as Miami's athletic director and is expected to replace Tom Osborne as Nebraska's athletic director sources told ESPN.

Last month, Osborne announced he would retire from Nebraska on Jan. 1.

Eichorst was hired at Miami on April 12, 2011. He spent the previous six seasons at Wisconsin, including the last three as deputy athletic director under Wisconsin athletic director Barry Alvarez.

Prior to Wisconsin, Eichorst was a senior associate athletic director at South Carolina.

Eichorst, 45, graduated from Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1990 and earned a law degree from Marquette in 1995.

Speculation on the street is that the Suits In Indianapolis will announce additional sanctions against the Canes in November or December, and if they don’t, Miami will self-impose some additional penalties (no bowl game, for example).

ACC Football Links

By Andrea Adelson | ESPN.com

Comparing Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris and Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson as playcallers.

Duke has delivered with a makeshift lineup. The Blue Devils' emphasis on third down has created scoring opportunities.

Bobby Bowden says it looks like Florida State is back.

Georgia Tech offensive lineman Will Jackson expects to play Saturday after an abnormal heart rate forced him out of the Middle Tennessee game.

Maryland's A.J. Francis is happy Kenneth Tate is back on the field.

Is Miami tackle Seantrel Henderson poised to break into the starting lineup? Dave Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel tells you why the Miami-Notre Dame game matters.

What did we learn about North Carolina in the first month of the season?

NC State emerged from a players' only meeting confident and together.

Virginia has to get another big game from its receiving corps.

Virginia Tech's defensive backs are moving on from the Cincinnati game.

Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe throws himself under the bus.

And They Said This Was Going To Be Fun…

The 4th Annual Surf City Surf Dog Surf in Huntington Beach, CA. was clearly enjoyed more by some than others…

(All photos by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin)

Pictures Of The Day

Once again, neither of these teams will win the World Series. One has been trying for MUCH longer than the other….Here, Carlos Corporan #22 of the Houston Astros is tagged out by Starlin Castro #13 of the Chicago Cubs on a steal attempt in the eighth inning on October 3, 2012 at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois. (David Banks/Getty Images North America)

Matt Vant Leven of Waikato evades the tackle of Jayden Hayward of Taranaki during the round twelve ITM Cup match between Taranaki and Waikato at Yarrow Stadium on October 3, 2012 in New Plymouth, New Zealand. (Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images AsiaPac)

 BC fans do their thing…(Michael Dwyer/AP Photo)

The new Yaz… Miguel Cabrera #24 of the Detroit Tigers tips hat as he leaves the game in the fourth inning at Kauffman Stadium on October 3, 2012 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

Grant Balfour #50 of the Oakland Athletics celebrates after the Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers at O.co Coliseum on October 3, 2012 in Oakland, California. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

NEWS FLASH: Teddy Wins! Teddy Wins!

(Brad Mills/US Presswire)

ESPN.com: For the first time, the Teddy Roosevelt mascot won the Presidents Race in the middle of the fourth inning at Nationals Park -- a pursuit that drew attention even from a White House spokesman and Sen. John McCain.

Teddy -- Mr. Rough Rider, himself -- had lost 534 times since 2006, according to ESPN's research department, when the Washington Nationals began having races among 10-foot-tall foam renderings of Roosevelt, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abe Lincoln at home games.

The crowd cheered wildly Wednesday when Teddy triumphed in the last game of the 2012 regular season, helped when a green mascot wearing a jersey of thePhiladelphia Phillies -- Washington's opponent -- knocked down the other three presidents.

The game's very next batter, Washington third baseman Ryan Zimmerman, hit a homer leading off the bottom of the fourth for the home team's first run of the afternoon. The hitter after that, Michael Morse, doubled and eventually scored, too.

Coincidence?

Teddy's triumph is the latest in a streak of unprecedented success for the Nationals.

They clinched their first NL East division title Monday and are bringing postseason Major League Baseball to the nation's capital for the first time since the Washington Senators lost in the 1933 World Series.

The sport was missing from Washington for more than three decades until MLB moved the Montreal Expos to D.C. before the 2005 season. The next year, the club began holding the Presidents Race, modeled after mascot runs held at baseball games in Milwaukee (where sausages "compete") and Pittsburgh (where it's pierogies).

For some time, there was a growing campaign by some fans -- and folks in high places -- to allow Roosevelt's entry to finally finish first.

Aboard Air Force One during a trip to Florida last month, White House press secretary Jay Carney playfully called Teddy's losing streak "an outrage" and also noted he was "comfortable saying" that President Barack Obama agreed with the sentiment.

McCain, the Republican nominee for President in 2008, even took part in a video shown on the stadium's outfield scoreboard this week.

In the clip, the senator was seen giving Teddy a pep talk. Worked, apparently.

Nat’s Magic Number: -1

(Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Last night, our Washington Nationals (formerly your Montreal Expos) (97-64) took one step closer to having home field advantage by beating the Philadelphia Phillies (81-80) 4-2.  The Nats are tied with the Cincinnati Reds for the best record in MLB, but the locals own the tie-breaker.  

The Nationals conclude their season this afternoon against the Phils at 1:05 at Nats Park.  The Reds play the Cards at 8:15 EST.

ACC Football Links

(Jared Wickerham/Getty Images/SI.com)

By Heather Dinich | ESPN.com

If you think Coastal Division fans are trying to make sense of their teams, imagine how the coaches feel...

There could be some offensive changes coming for Virginia.

Phillip Sims will start if he's healthy.

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson wants his team to "quit pouting.

Virginia Tech's staff is trying to figure out its slow starts.

There have been similar problems in each of Boston College's losses this season.

Miami coach Al Golden is tired of questions about his secondary.

Wake Forest still has issues.

Duke, meanwhile, is on a roll.

Maryland's offensive line got younger over the bye week.

Miami receiver Rashawn Scott has been inspired by the family who took him in as one of its own.

Clemson's defense is not a fan of Georgia Tech's cut blocking

Will NC State quarterback Mike Glennon be able to stay on his feet against the Noles?

Despite Virginia Tech's struggles, UNC still has something to prove on Saturday.

Pictures Of The Day

Alexander Ustinov of Belarus absorbs a punch from EBU (European) heavyweight champion Kubrat Pulev of Bulgaria in Hamburg, Germany. Pulev knocked out Ustinov in the 11th round. (Geno Breloer/AP Photo)

As usual, a picture really is worth a thousand words.  Nice, FSU fans, NICE! (Don Juan Moore/AP Photo)

Thankfully, that chapter is over with, but if any fanbase is allowed to poke fun at the replacement refs, it should be that of the Green Bay Packers, who watched their team lose to Seattle after a controversial late-game call. (Mike Roemer/AP Photo)

 Courtesty of the Horny Horned Frogs at T.C.U. (Dan Wozniak/ZUMAPRESS.com)

Win? Lose? Who cares? Miami coach Al Golden is good-looking and that's what matters. (Doug Murray/Icon SMI)

Thomas To Talk To NCAA

(Jonathon Daniel/Getty Images)

Former Duke Blue Devil and current New Orleans Hornets Lance Thomas said Monday he does not think he violated NCAA rules when he purchased nearly $100,000 in diamond jewelry during his college career.

As you will recall, the Manhattan-based jeweler Rafaello & Co. sued Thomas for defaulting on a $67,800 payment. Thomas had purchased nearly $100,000 worth of jewelry on Dec. 21, 2009, while the Blue Devils were on winter break during his senior year.

This opened a dialog between Duke and the Suits In Indianapolis (Formerly Kansas) to determine if Thomas received any extra benefits, which would retroactively make him ineligible and put Duke's 2010 national championship in jeopardy. Various reports said officials at Duke were “concerned.”

In mid-September, Thomas and Rafaello & Co. settled the lawsuit out of court. The terms are confidential. Prior to the settlement Rafaello & Co. stated they had no interest in speaking to the NCAA and were not compelled to do so.

Now, Thomas says he will speak to the NCAA.

"I'm still working on that, but I'll eventually speak to them," Thomas told the Associated Press Monday.

When asked if he thought he violated any NCAA rules with his purchase, Thomas said he "didn't think so."

Thomas also told the Durham Herald-Sun that he has not spoken with any Duke officials about the lawsuit and expressed regret about the trouble this has caused the university.

"I do feel bad that was something that was just lingering around the university," Thomas said to the Associated Press. "But everything's going to get taken care of the right way and I hope the coaching staff and the whole university knows that those were the best four years of my life."

Obviously, a few questions linger starting with where did a college kid get $30,000 for a down payment on jewelry?

Nat’s Magic Number: 0

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Last night, our Washington Nationals (formerly your Montreal Expos) (96-64) lost to the Philadelphia Phillies (81-79) 2-0 but still clinched the National League East title when the Atlanta Braves lost 2-1 to Pittsburgh.

(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Here, General manager Mike Rizzo is doused with champagne as the Washington Nationals celebrate at Nationals Park on October 1, 2012 in Washington, DC. 

To read more from our old friend Carol Ross Joynt from Washingtonian, click here. 

ACC Players Of The Week

(Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer)

Offensive back: Stephen Morris, QB, Miami. Morris threw for a Miami and ACC record 566 yards to lead the Hurricanes to a 44-37 win over N.C. State. The junior quarterback completed 26 of 49 passes, and recorded five touchdowns, tying five other Miami quarterbacks for the most in a single game and the first since Kyle Wright at Wake Forest in 2005. His fifth touchdown pass of the day was the game-winner, a 62-yard pass to Phillip Dorsett with 19 seconds remaining. It was his second scoring throw of more than 60 yards on the day. Morris registered 271 passing yards in the first quarter, becoming the fourth FBS player to throw for that many in a quarter since 2004. In his last two games, he has thrown for 1,002 yards.

Offensive lineman: Bryan Stork, OL, Florida State. Stork, the most experienced player on the Seminoles’ offensive front, posted his second consecutive outstanding performance of the season in the 30-17 win at South Florida. Stork graded out at 77 percent and had just one missed assignment while triggering all 67 snaps for the Florida State offense. He was not penalized and did not yield a sack in a performance that came on the heels of a career-best 95 percent grade against Clemson. The Seminoles rolled up 424 yards of total offense (242 pass, 182 rush) against the Bulls. 

AMIDON #83 (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Reciever: Alex Amidon, WR, Boston College. Amidon caught eight passes for a career-high 193 yards and two touchdowns in Boston College’s 45-31 loss to Clemson, accounting for 52 percent of the team’s receiving yardage and 39 percent of its points. Additionally, the total marked the most receiving yards in a game for a Boston College player since Gerard Phelan had 226 receiving yards against Miami on Nov. 23, 1984. Saturday’s Boston College-Clemson game featured the top two single-game ACC receiving performances so far this fall; Amidon’s total was just 4 yards behind Clemson’s DeAndre Hopkins’ 197-yard effort. Amidon has eclipsed 100 receiving yards in three games this fall, and ranks fourth among all FBS players in receiving yards per game (139.8). 

Defensive Lineman: Cornellius Carradine, DE, Florida State. Carradine registered a team-high nine tackles, including 1.5 quarterback sacks and a forced fumble, as the Seminoles defeated South Florida. The Seminoles limited USF to 124 total yards after the first quarter en route to moving to 5-0 on the season. Carradine’s late third-quarter sack of USF backup quarterback Matt Floyd resulted in a fumble, which teammate Christian Jones scooped up and raced 12 yards into the end zone for the Seminoles’ final score of the game. Through five games, Carradine leads the Seminoles with 28 tackles and seven sacks, while his eight tackles for loss trails teammate Bjoern Werner by one. It is the second weekly honor of the season for Carradine. 

PAUL #36 (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer)

Linebacker: Gionni Paul, Miami. Paul, making his first start at middle linebacker, tallied a forced fumble and career- and team-high 11 tackles, including eight solo stops, in Miami’s 44-37 win over N.C. State. Paul’s 11 tackles match his total in his first 11 career games. 

Defensive back: Jordon Byas, S, Duke. Byas led Duke to a 34-27 road win over Wake Forest by recording a team-best and career-high 11 tackles. He also added one interception and half a sack -- both firsts of his career. Byas has helped Duke to a 4-1 start to the season, marking the best five-game opening to a season since the 1994 squad started 5-0 while matching the third-best five-game opening to a season since 1966 (5-0 in both 1988 and 1994; 4-1 in 1971, 1974 and 2012). 

#44 JOHNSON (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer)

Specialist: Dustin Hopkins, K, Florida State. Hopkins missed an early field goal from 48 yards but made his final three attempts in a 30-17 win at South Florida. By converting from 26, 43 and 23 yards, Hopkins pushed his career field goal total to 69, which ranks second in Florida State and fourth in ACC history. With 12 points on the day, Hopkins also moved into sole possession of second place on the Florida State and ACC career scoring charts, with 377 points. He trails Florida State record holder Derek Schmidt and ACC record holder Nick Novak of Maryland by 16 points -- they both finished with 393 -- to become the all-time leader. Hopkins is also just eight points shy of moving into 10th place on the NCAA all-time scoring list. 

Rookie: Eddie Johnson, LB, Miami. Johnson had seven tackles (six solo stops), one sack, two forced fumbles and one pass breakup in Miami’s 44-37 win over N.C. State. His six solo stops were second among Miami players and the seven tackles were third on the team.

ACC Football Links

#19 RENFREE (Chuck Liddy/Raleigh News & Observer)

By Andrea Adelson | ESPN.com

Paging Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. The ACC needs you to pick up the white courtesy phone ...

A familiar pattern emerged in Boston College's loss to Clemson

Clemson sophomore cornerback Garry Peters will start this week

Duke quarterback Sean Renfree is day-to-day with an elbow injury. Duke is embarking on a fundraising drive to upgrade Wallace Wade Stadium and other facilities

A by-the-numbers look at Florida State's win over USF

After its debacle against Middle Tennessee, Georgia Tech braces for Clemson

The stakes are high for Miami as it renews its rivalry with Notre Dame

North Carolina has turned its attention to Virginia Tech

N.C. State is searching for answers after its loss to Miami

Phillip Sims could be the favorite at quarterback for Virginia

It's time to adjust expectations for Virginia Tech

Where does Wake Forest turn now that Michael Campanaro is out indefinitely with a hand injury?

Week 6 ACC Football

...AND NOTRE DAME TOO...

GEORGIA TECH (2-3, 1-2 ACC) at No. 15 CLEMSON (4-1, 1-1). This is a revenge game for the Tigers -- last year Clemson was rolling along when they lost to the Jackets.  Although, Georgia Tech has looked awful the last two games expect a shoot out as neither defense has stopped much.

No. 3 FLORIDA STATE (5-0, 1-0) at N.C. STATE (3-2, 0-1). History says the Wolfpack has a chance to upset the Noles, but stats say otherwise.  N.C. State had 10 turnovers and gave up over 560 yards passing against Miami last weekend. 

MIAMI (4-1) vs. No. 9 Notre Dame (4-0). We’ll call this the game of the week.  Never mind Miami’s ugly loss at Kansas State, this is a different and much better football team. This used to be a heated rivalry, but now it’s just a good football game and a preview of ACC future matchups. 

VIRGINIA TECH (3-2, 1-0) at NORTH CAROLINA (3-2, 0-1). Can Virginia Tech right it’s ever listing ship and just how good are the Tar Heels?  This game will tell us much about both...

VIRGINIA (2-3, 0-1) at DUKE (4-1, 1-0).  It’s now possible that Vegas will make the home team Devils a favorite in an ACC football game. That has happened before, but not recently...The Wahoos have lost three in a row and haven’t looked very good all year...Duke’s QB is listed as day-to-day. 

WAKE FOREST (3-2, 1-2) at MARYLAND (2-2, 0-0). The Terps can get their ACC season off on the right foot with a win over the reeling Deacons.   

BOSTON COLLEGE (1-3) at Army (0-4). Boston College should win big as Army lost last week to the Sisters Of The Poor while giving up a zillion yards. 

Things That Make You Go...

Hmmm...

(AP Photo/LM Otero)

Victoria Secret models Jessica Hart, right, and Elsa Hosk pose for photos after the ribbon cutting for the new Victoria?s Secret PINK store opening at Cowboys Stadium, Monday, Oct. 1, 2012, in Arlington, Texas. Cowboys fans can shop the limited edition Victoria?s Secret PINK NFL Collection at the first-ever PINK store in a professional sports stadium or arena. 

Pictures Of The Day

Former Tar Heel Connor Barth hasn’t missed a field goal all season and has the longest consecutive streak (25 in a row) in the NFL.  (Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Andrew Robinson of the Bulls bats during day one of the Sheffield Shield match between the Queensland Bulls and the South Australian Redbacks at The Gabba on October 1, 2012 in Brisbane, Australia. (Chris Hyde/Getty Images AsiaPac)

They’ve come a long way those NATINALS.  In a game against the Marlins on April 17, 2009, the Washington Nationals sent their two best hitters, Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman, onto the field wearing "Natinals" jerseys for three innings. (AP Photo)

Matt Forte #22 of the Chicago Bears runs the ball in the second quarter against Danny McCray #40 of the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboys Stadium on October 1, 2012 in Arlington, Texas. The Bears clobbered The Pokes 34-18.(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)