Associated Press
The ACC football notebook …
RALEIGH ó So much for North Carolinaís efforts to add more emphasis to the rivalry game with North Carolina State.
The Tar Heels managed a season-low yardage output in a 13-0 loss to the Wolfpack on Saturday, their fifth straight loss in the series and their first shutout loss to N.C. State in more than five decades. Outplayed from the start and beaten up physically, North Carolinaís players can now look forward to another year of talk about when theyíll manage to beat Tom OíBrienís Wolfpack.
ěThis is a big game in this state,î interim coach Everett Withers said. ěThis is supposed to be a rivalry, and itís supposed to eat at you. Itís supposed to get to you when you lose, and youíre supposed to remember it, get better and come back the next year and try to do something about it.î
The Wolfpack (5-4, 2-3 ACC) ranked in the bottom half of the leagueís defensive statistics, but shut down freshman runner Giovani Bernard and knocked starting quarterback Bryn Renner from the game by the end of the third quarter to give UNC (6-4, 2-4) its first shutout loss since 2006. The Tar Heels finished with just 165 yards, including 3 on the ground.
ěI felt like we tried to play hard,î Withers said. ěI donít think it had anything to do with intensity, emotion. It was about Xís and Oís and not blocking and not tackling and not doing those things.î
DEACS CANíT GET IT DONE
WINSTON-SALEM ó Wake Forest moved the ball deep into Notre Dame territory twice with the game on the line.
The Demon Deacons just couldn’t get it into the end zone.
Tommy Rees threw two touchdown passes, and the Fighting Irish shut out Wake Forest in the second half of a 24-17 victory Saturday night.
Twice in the second half, Wake Forest had the ball at or inside the Notre Dame 10 while down by a touchdown ó and came away with no points.
“That really killed us,” receiver Chris Givens said. “It was devastating for our offense.”
Tanner Price was 17 of 24 for 187 yards with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Pendergrass. Josh Harris added a 2-yard touchdown run for Wake Forest (5-4), which led 17-10 at halftime but has lost three of four.
Notre Dame running back Jonas Gray joked that coach Brian Kelly “wants us to win the ACC.”
Of course, the Fighting Irish aren’t in the Atlantic Coast Conference ó though you couldn’t tell that from their November schedule.
Saturday, they began a stretch of three straight games against teams from the same ACC division. Following that are matchups with fellow Atlantic Division members Maryland and Boston College.
DUKEíS QUICK HOLE
MIAMI ó A month ago, Duke was flying high after playing in Miami, on a three-game winning streak that suggested the Blue Devils were poised to end a 16-year bowl drought.
This time around, the mood was decidedly different.
Duke yielded touchdowns on Miamiís first five possessions, quickly falling into a 21-point hole and eventually losing to the Hurricanes 49-14 on Saturday, the Blue Devilsí fourth straight loss and one that badly damaged those bowl hopes. Duke (3-6, 1-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) has three games left, and needs to win them all for a postseason shot.
Starting with the 1996 season, 100 different schools have won at least one bowl game.
Duke hasnít even played in one during that span. The Blue Devilsí last postseason game was the 1995 Hall of Fame Bowl, where they lost to Wisconsin.
ěItís tough,î wide receiver Donovan Varner said. ěBut we have to move on and win these last three.î