ACC Notebook For 09-29-2006 - College Football News And Picks

ACC Notebook For 09-29-2006
By Tom Hansonl
Posted: 7:00 am PDT 2006-09-29

It's true. People are excited about the Wake Forest football team.

Florida gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist, a former Wake Forest QB, started a campaign interview on Tuesday by saying "How about those 4-0 Demon Deacons?"

Forget about Florida State or Miami, Wake Forest is leading the ACC. The Demon Deacons are legit. After a 27-3 victory at Mississippi last week, they are the only team in the country to have beaten four BCS conference opponents.

Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe said his emotions are torn by the new success.

"It's really hard," Grobe said. "I saw coach (Bill) Parcells said one time that he enjoys a win for maybe an hour after the game, but you don't enjoy it for very long because you got to get on to the next opponent. It is fun watching our kids play right now, and it is fun being 4-0."

Wake Forest will most likely go to 5-0 for the first time in 19 years after facing I-AA Liberty on Saturday.

The Demon Deacons' rise to the top is a bit improbable. During this stretch, Wake Forest has endured the loss of three key offensive starters. In Week 1 against Syracuse, starting quarterback Ben Mauk (broken arm and dislocated shoulder) was lost for the season. In Week 3, starting tailback Micah Andrews tore his ACL, and then starting left tackle Arby Jones tore his MCL.

So without three unlikely starters, Wake Forest has become at least the best team in North Carolina.

"Our guys have been really good," Grobe said. "They've handled adversity really well, and even though we haven't won pretty sometimes, we've found ways to get it done. Our expectations are going up a little bit. I think we're getting to know more about our football team. That's not all bad. You just cant be complacent, and I don't think our guys will be."

For now, Wake Forest is a long shot to break into the Top 25. Despite being undefeated, the Deacons received only 12 points in the AP poll last week. But no one in the Wake Forest locker room cares about anything but the great start.

"It's been a great feeling," said defensive tackle Jamil Smith. "It's something we're not used to. We've been used to struggling at the start of the season, but now, we're playing as a team and everything is clicking for us."

SHORT-LIVED FAME: Georgia Tech (3-1) slipped into the Top 25 at No. 23 with a win over Virginia last week. The Yellow Jackets were in and out of the polls in 2005 with their best ranking being 15th after starting 3-0.

But how long will the honor last?

Georgia Tech faces No. 11 Virginia Tech on the road on Sunday. The Yellow Jackets are a WagerWeb.com 10.5-point underdog.

RICE CAKES: The Florida State offense got healthy against Rice last Saturday. The Seminoles rushed for 287 yards and five touchdowns in the lopsided 55-7 victory. It was just what the doctor and offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden ordered. With the effort, Florida State doubled its ground average per game. The Seminoles went from 49.3 yards to 108.8 yards per game.

The glorified ground output was FSU's best rushing effort since facing Miami in 2002.

FSU got some bad news in the win. Freshman linebacker Marcus Bell was lost for the season with a knee injury. Starting cornerback Tony Carter will miss at least two weeks with a sprained left knee.

GETTING HEALTHY: Miami offensive tackles Reggie Youngblood (ankle) and Tyrone Byrd (knee) returned to practice this week. But head coach Larry Coker isn't guaranteeing them a starting spot. True freshman Jason Fox has filled in for both players, and Coker said he doesn't deserve to be demoted.

Miami is a 16.5-point WagerWeb.com favorite this week against Houston but could use the bookends, as the Cougars are undefeated.

REVOLVING QBs: ACC teams have started 18 different quarterbacks through the first four weeks. Virginia has started three different quarterbacks, while Duke, North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest have each started two different signal callers. Nine of the new QBs have made their first collegiate starts. Those nine are 4-5 in their debuts.

College Football Betting Line, Upcoming Game Previews & More

Online College Football Betting Sites