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Richmond.
There it is. Duke's season in a word. All the hopes, dreams, potential, all gone nowhere, thanks to one game.
It's losing the Masters by four-putting the first hole, losing the Super Bowl by fumbling the opening snap, losing the Derby by stumbling out of the gate.
No matter what Duke did after that opening loss to Richmond, the Blue Devils couldn't catch up. The four-game losing streak to end the season was nothing compared to the one-game losing streak at the start.
Beat Richmond, and Saturday's game against Wake Forest would have been for a bowl bid, for the elusive postseason the Devils have been absent from since 1994. Instead, it was merely for pride.
Appalachian state
The Mountaineers' win against S.C. State was ASU's 100th of the decade (2000-present) ... Montana (117) is the only NCAA Division I FCS team with more victories since the 2000 season.
The Mountaineers and Richmond Spiders (Saturday's noon opponent) have met in each of the past two postseasons. ASU defeated Richmond, 55-35, in the 2007 national semifinals and Richmond won 33-13 in last season's quarterfinals. Observer news services
clemson
Clemson's loss Saturday means nothing to its postseason destination if it defeats No. 7 Georgia Tech in Saturday's ACC championship game in Tampa, Fla. That would earn the Tigers BCS a berth in the Jan. 5 Orange Bowl in Miami.
But if the Tigers lose, the loss to South Carolina could send the Tigers sliding down the ACC tie-in pecking order.
The Chick-fil-A Bowl has the first choice after the BCS, and No. 14 Virginia Tech (9-3, 6-2) strengthened its bid for selection with a win Saturday.
While there was sentiment that the Jan. 1 Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla., might pass up bringing the Tigers for a second straight year, the Gator's other top choice - No. 24 North Carolina - fell from consideration with its upset loss to N.C. State.
That leaves the Tar Heels at 4-4 in the ACC, two below Clemson (6-2), and the ACC tie-ins must choose a team within one win of the best available option. The Gator would pick among Clemson, Miami (5-3) and Boston College (5-3).
The Tigers are not expected to slip below the Dec. 29 Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla.
Michael Palmer's eight catches were the second-most in a game by a Clemson tight end. John McMakin had nine against Florida State in 1970. ... While C.J. Spiller's Heisman Trophy hopes likely endured a fatal blow, his 88-yard kickoff return extended his streak of scoring a touchdown in every game this season. Paul strelow
N.C. State
INSIDE THE GAME: With offensive coordinator Dana Bible in the hospital fighting leukemia, N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien called a strong game, and quarterback Russell Wilson had one of his most efficient performances while facing an outstanding defense in a 28-27 defeat of No. 23 North Carolina.
GAME BALLS: S Clem Johnson: Senior's interception of T.J. Yates with 16 seconds remaining clinched the win.
LOOKING AHEAD: The team's primary concern is the health and recovery of Bible, to whom the ball from Saturday's win will be given.
N.C. State awaits word from Wilson on whether he plans to stay in school or turn pro in baseball and from running back Toney Baker on whether he will return for his sixth year of eligibility. Ken Tysiac
North Carolina
The Music City is lining up a potential hoops-themed matchup between the Tar Heels (8-4) and Kentucky (7-5) for their bowl game on Dec. 27 in Nashville, Tenn.
The two winningest programs in college basketball history meet annually, and play Saturday in Lexington, Ky., but the football teams haven't met since 1990. Regardless of the outcome of Saturday's ACC championship game, it's likely that North Carolina and Kentucky will meet in the 12th Music City Bowl on the Sunday after Christmas. J.P. Giglio
South carolina
South Carolina players hoped a victory against Clemson would send them to a warm-weather bowl destination. They might have to settle for a climate-controlled setting.
The Gamecocks' 34-17 win on Saturday kept the Gamecocks in the hunt for a berth in the Chick-fil-A Bowl, played Dec. 31 against an ACC opponent at the Georgia Dome in downtown Atlanta.
JOSEPH PERSON
Wake forest
Saturday's defeat of Duke featured the first matchup of 9,000-yard passers in ACC history in Riley Skinner and Thaddeus Lewis. While Lewis passed former Florida State quarterback Chris Weinke for second place on the ACC list for career passing yards, Skinner finished second all time in another category. Skinner's final completion percentage of .6693 left him just behind the ACC record of .6697 set by Virginia's Matt Schaub. Observer news services
