Both Virginia Tech and North Carolina want to move forward Thursday night following difficult losses. One of the two will be disappointed. The No. 14 Hokies (5-2 overall, 3-1 ACC) say they are no longer stewing over their 28-23 loss at Georgia Tech on Oct. 17, despite the lingering chatter about the Yellow Jackets' chop-blocking techniques and how Virginia Tech no longer controls its destiny in the ACC's Coastal Division.
UNC is coming off a tough loss, too. Playing its first Thursday night home game a week ago, the Tar Heels led Florida State 24-6 after halftime and then fell apart, losing 30-27. The Seminoles had 285 of their 395 passing yards in the second half to keep the Tar Heels (4-3, 0-3) winless in the ACC.
"I thought we were over Georgia Tech last week," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said.
"We played hard. They made some great plays. They've got some great players. We didn't quite play as well as we needed to and lost. ... I think our coaches and players put that loss behind us and moved on. We'll see (Thursday night)."
A national television audience and fans at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va., should see a tussle over the running game.
UNC has the second-best rushing defense in the league (102.6 yards per game) and allowed only 48 yards to FSU. Virginia Tech, led by Ryan Williams and Josh Oglesby, is second in rushing offense (203.7 ypg).
The Hokies are also looking for consistency on defense after being scorched for 309 rushing yards by Georgia Tech. The defense has already allowed 12 rushes of 20 yards or longer, nearly matching last year's season total (14).
"They know I am not happy," Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. "That's unacceptable around here. For us to have the type of team we need to down the stretch, we've got to play great defense."
As far as the league's pecking order, Virginia Tech needs help if it's going to make a third consecutive appearance in the ACC championship game. The Hokies must win their four remaining conference games and have No. 11 Georgia Tech lose to either Wake Forest or Duke.
"There's a lot of football to be played," Beamer said.
"You've got your BCS standings. You've got your conference situation, and there's just a lot of football to be played. What we can control is how we prepare and how we play against North Carolina. So that's the key thing for us right now, to put all our efforts toward North Carolina."
UNC, meanwhile, now must scramble just to make the postseason. With games at the Hokies, Boston College and N.C. State, as well as home games against Duke and No. 18 Miami, it looks like a tall order.
HOME SWEET HOME?
Over its last six home games, Florida State is an embarrassing 1-5. The only victory came against Jacksonville State in September when the Seminoles scored twice in the closing minutes to survive.
FSU hopes to change its luck Saturday against struggling North Carolina State.
"We've been a mistake-prone football team," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said.
"We've been making just enough errors to get yourself beat. We play close and then we either win it or lose it in the last three minutes. The game we won was that way. I think everybody would rather play at home. It's just that it hasn't happened. And it needs to happen."
Yes it does, especially if the Seminoles want to remain in contention for the ACC championship.
Say what?
It might be a pipe dream, considering FSU's schizophrenic play, but the Seminoles need to win their remaining league games against N.C. State, Wake Forest, Clemson and Maryland to finish 4-1 in the Atlantic Division (and 4-3 overall in the ACC).
If that somehow happens and Boston College losses to either Virginia, North Carolina or Maryland in November, the Seminoles would land in the ACC title game in Tampa, Fla.
When asked if the Seminoles' dramatic comeback victory at UNC last Thursday could turn around the Seminoles' season, Bowden said, "Well, the answer to that is, yes it can. But the question is, will it?
"Did BYU (victory) turn things around? No. We had a great doggone ballgame and then the next week got beat -- and lost, what, three in a row? Is it going to have that effect? It could, but nothing's a guarantee. So we're just going to see what happens."
HOT STREAK
The Duke Blue Devils (4-3, 2-1) haven't played in a bowl since the 1995 Hall of Fame Bowl. And they haven't even come close to bowl eligibility since that trip to Tampa.
Well, the Blue Devils have won two straight ACC games for the first time since 1994 and will try to go for three in a row Saturday at Virginia.
Duke needs three wins in its remaining five games to earn bowl status since its win over North Carolina Central, which is transitioning to FCS status, doesn't count in the postseason picture.
Duke coach David Cutcliffe, a positive chap, is certainly enjoying the journey.
"It's week nine of college football and it keeps getting more intense, and I think probably more fun for everybody -- players, coaches, fans and media," he said.
"All of these games get bigger and bigger and bigger."
MIND BOGGLING
Boston College Frank Spaziani was surprised when running back Josh Haden and quarterback Justin Tuggle informed him earlier this week of their plans to leave the program and transfer.
Tuggle started the first two games of the season and helped lead the Eagles to easy victories. But he struggled in a 25-7 loss to Clemson, completing just 4 of 20 passes for 23 yards. Tuggle was intercepted three times and sacked three times. He slipped on the depth chart to No. 3 and then No. 3 with Dave Shinskie and Mike Marscovetra ahead of him.
Haden, whose older brother Joe is a starting cornerback for the top-ranked Florida Gators, started 13 career games and gained 479 yards. Haden, however, has been slowed by an ankle injury and saw his playing time diminish with the emergence of Montel Harris, who turned in a 264-yard, five-touchdown effort in a win over North Carolina earlier this month.
"The timing is tough," Spaziani said.
"As to what was on their minds, I don't know. Who can figure out what is in the minds of 19- or 20-year-olds sometimes.''
