Around The ACC Mid-Week

By Joe Johnson
Nov 24, 2005 

Virginia Tech can reach ACC title game
The Hokies are back in the ACC title picture and a Dec. 3 showdown with Florida State in Jacksonville, Fla. All Virginia Tech has to do is take care of North Carolina this Saturday night. On Monday, Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said he was excited that his team was in control of its own destiny. It didn't look like it would happen just a couple of weeks ago when Miami came to Lane Stadium and thrashed the Hokies. Now Virginia Tech has a chance to repeat at ACC champions. One good piece of news for the Hokies is the return of running back Mike Imoh, who missed last Saturday's win over Virginia. Last season, Imoh ran for a school-record 243 yards against North Carolina.

Maryland in showdown game with Wolfpack
The Terrapins are in a familiar position going into their season finale with N.C. State. Maryland has to win the game to become bowl eligible. In three of the past four years, Maryland has beaten N.C. State and each one of them has been a spoiler for the Wolfpack. Coach Ralph Friedgen seems to have had the Wolfpack's number in these matchups. One reason has been Maryland's offensive prowess. This Saturday could fit the same pattern. Maryland comes in to Carter-Finley Stadium with a potent offense that averages 396 yards per game. Maryland is coming off a disappointing loss to Boston College in which quarterback Sam Hollenbach committed an uncharacteristic three turnovers. But nothing soothes losing like winning and Maryland has had a habit of doing that against the Wolfpack.

Georgia Tech has up and down week
The Yellow Jackets' win over Miami is only a salve for the latest bad news for the football team. Georgia Tech is facing two years of probation and other NCAA sanctions for using 17 ineligible athletes, including 11 on the football team. Georgia Tech can push all this bad news to the back of its mind if it can follow up its win over the Hurricanes with another against in-state rival Georgia. The Yellow Jackets got back into the AP poll this week and another win would push them higher and into a better bowl position. In the meantime, Georgia Tech said it was considering an appeal of the loss of six scholarships to the NCAA over the next two seasons.

Miami's season takes a tumble in a hurry
The Hurricanes have had a tough second season in the ACC and Georgia Tech really spoiled it. Miami was contained by a blitzing Yellow Jackets defense that kept quarterback Kyle Wright off balance. By losing to Georgia Tech, Miami missed out on a berth in the ACC title game and a rematch with Florida State in Jacksonville, Fla. But the football team also took a blackeye off the field when a recording purported to have the voice of at least one current member of the team rapping about graphic sex. The university condemned the recording and announced that it would sanction any players it can identify that participated in the song, which is two years old.