Associated Press
The college football notebook …
ATLANTA ó Alabama enjoyed so much success in its 2008 opener at the Georgia Dome that it will return to Atlanta for a repeat visit next season.
Alabama will play Virginia Tech on Sept. 5 in the Georgia Dome in the 2009 opener for each team.
Alabama beat then-No. 9 Clemson 34-10 at the Georgia Dome to open its 2008 season. The Crimson Tide rode the momentum gained from the win to go through the regular season without a loss. Alabama rose to No. 1 before returning to the Georgia Dome to lose to Florida 31-20 in the Southeastern Conference championship game on Dec. 6.
Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said he expects his team to receive a lift from the game, called the Chick-fil-A College Kickoff.
“I really believe it will help our offseason, our spring practice, our summer practice and our preseason practice,” Beamer said.
“I think the kids we’re recruiting, the kids Nick is recruiting, they want to play games like this.”
DEACS IN GAME
WINSTON-SALEM ó Saturday’s EagleBank Bowl in Washington, D.C. won’t be the final time a trio of Wake Forest defenders don their Demon Deacon helmets. Linebacker Aaron Curry, defensive back Alphonso Smith and safety Chip Vaughn have all accepted invitations to play in the 2009 Under Armour Senior Bowl on January 24 in Mobile’s Ladd-Peebles Stadium. The game will kick off at 7 p.m. and will be televised live by the NFL Network.
Both Curry and Smith have been projected as future first round NFL draft picks.
The 2008 Butkus Award winner, Curry was a first team All-ACC selection and a second-team All-American.
Curry leads the Demon Deacons in tackles with 101, including 63 solo stops and 15 tackles for a loss.
Smith was recently tabbed a first team All-American by the Associated Press, Walter Camp and the Football Writers Association of America. A first-team All-ACC selection for the second consecutive year, Smith has six interceptions on the season and is one shy of breaking the ACC career interceptions record of 20. He ranks second in the nation with 19 passes defended.
Vaughn ranks third on the Deacons’ defense in tackles with 79 and pass break-ups with six.
MEINEKE BOWL
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. ó Backup linebacker Archie Sims won’t be playing for West Virginia in next week’s Meineke Bowl.
Sims is the Mountaineers’ only casualty for the Dec. 27 bowl game against North Carolina in Charlotte.
DIVISION III TITLE GAME
RICHMOND, Va. ó They are fast becoming rivals as the powerhouse teams in small college football, the last two teams standing for the fourth straight season.
The Purple Raiders of Mount Union (14-0) and the Warhawks of Wisconsin-Whitewater (13-1) have met five times since 2002, and they will face off again today in the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl with the NCAA Division III national championship trophy awaiting the winner.