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Wednesday November 04, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Carter's Call for November 4, 2009


We've flipped the calendar to November. Now's the time good college football programs step up and win critical games.  Both Virginia Tech and Virginia have tough tests on the road this week. The Hokies are out of conference, but need a win at East Carolina Thursday night to avoid their first three-game losing skid since the nightmarish end to the 2003 season. There's also a measure of payback for Tech in that one, the Pirates blocked a Hokies punt and returned it for a TD with less than two minutes left last year to knock off the Hokies in the season opener.

 

Virginia travels to Miami to face the Hurricanes. The Cavaliers have also lost their last two games, both at home to Georgia Tech and Duke. If the Cavs fall at Miami, they'd have the daunting task of having to win their final three just to be bowl eligible. The Cavs finish with Boston College at home, then at Clemson before hosting the Hokies in the regular season finale the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 28th.

The Liberty Flames are halfway through their Big South schedule with a perfect 3-and-0 record. This Saturday, they host VMI and the Keydets triple-option attack. It's the Flames' final home game of the season, Liberty wraps up the year with Big South games at Gardner-Webb and Stony Brook as LU tried to nail down a third-straight conference championship.  The Flames made a huge jump this week in both the Sports Network national rankings (16th) and the Coaches Poll (17th). If the Flames can run the table and win out, including those two big road games to finish the season, the Flames could be making their first trip to the playoffs in school history.

Florida coach Urban Meyer's punishment, or lack thereof, to star linebacker Brandon Spikes is drawing sharp criticism around the country.  Last week in the Gators' win over Georgia, Spikes was caught on tape trying to gouge the eyes of running back Washaun Ealey, a clear cheap shot. Meyer says Spikes told him the action was in retaliation for a Georgia player ripping his helmet off and poking his eye earlier in the game.  That could have happened, we don't know about the poke in the eye. But we do know what the tape shows us. Meyer has suspended Spikes for the first half of this Saturday's game against 2-and-7 Vanderbilt. That's it? The first 30 minutes of a game you're expected to win big. For many, that's pretty lame punishment. Interestingly, though, the Georgia player Spikes poked says he doesn't think there should be a suspension at all. He said his eyes were closed and he wasn't hurt, saying he believes similar incidents happen all the time.


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Wednesday October 28, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Justin Case for October 28, 2009


We'll see what the Hokies are made of Thursday night. After a tough road loss to Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech faces UNC. To win the ACC Coastal Tech will likely have to win out against: UNC, at Maryland, NC State and at Virginia.
Then they'll have to hope Georgia Tech loses against either Wake Forest or at Duke. That's all the ACC games they have left. They also play Vanderbilt and Georgia.

Frank Beamer and the boys have a tall task ahead. Remember though, after Tech's loss to Miami last year, everyone, including me, said, 'There goes their chances of playing in a BCS game.' Then they won the Coastal, the ACC Championship Game and the Orange Bowl.

Take a look at the VT's national rankings in a variety of categories:


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Wednesday October 21, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Carter's Call for October 21, 2009


'Hoos crying now?  Certainly not the UVa football team, who many declared dead in the water after opening the season with three straight losses, including one to in-state rival William & Mary. But now three straight victories later, the Cavaliers are the only ACC team in either division undefeated in league play.  True, Virginia has played just two ACC games and has plenty of very tough tests straight ahead. But give the Cavs a lot of credit, they've battled back and now have a bird's-eye view atop the ACC Coastal Division. 

What's ahead for the Cavs? This Saturday, they host Georgia Tech, who handed Virginia Tech its first conference loss Saturday night. Virginia is home again the following Saturday to take on Duke before travelling to Miami the following Saturday, November 7th.
This could be a strange Saturday for die-hard Hokie fans. Many will actually be rooting FOR UVa when they face Georgia Tech. Right now, the Jackets have the tiebreaker over the Hokies if both were to win out. If Virginia beats the Jackets Saturday and both the Cavs and Hokies finish the season strong, that could make the Tech-UVa matchup the Saturday after Thanksgiving in Charlottesville very interesting!

But that's looking way too far ahead. Too many games are ahead and as we've seen, anything can and does happen in this league.

"Football Friday", Week 9, is this Friday. The big story so far this year, the runaway locomotive named the Amherst County Lancers. The Lancers have steamrolled any and all comers this season, Brookville their last victim.
Don't be surprised if the Lancers go deep into the playoffs and maybe win the state title they felt they left on the table last December.

And baseball, I'll stick with my World Series prediction from before the playoffs began.  I like the Phillies and Yankees to make it. I picked the Phillies to repeat, but the Yankees sure have looked strong.

I welcome your comments.

Dennis

 

 

 

Dennis Carter

ABC 13 Sports Director

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