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The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
Thursday, November 8, 2018 3B
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
NFL
Coastal chaos
STEVE HELBER I Associated Press
Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) slips the tackle of Virginia linebacker Chris
Peace, background, during a game on Friday, Nov. 2 in Charlottesville.
ACCs Coastal Division as hectic as ever
BY TIM REYNOLDS
Associated Press
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The only
Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Divi
sion teams that have yet to appear in the
league’s championship game are Pitts
burgh and Virginia.
Pitt leads the Coastal right now.
Virginia sits alone in second place.
Go figure. There’s Coastal chaos, again.
While the Atlantic Division has a clear
frontrunner — Clemson, which can lock up
its fourth consecutive berth in the ACC title
game if it wins at Boston College on Satur
day night — the Coastal is what seems to
be its annual mess. Pitt is alone in first at
4-1, and Virginia is a half-game back of the
Panthers at 4-2. If Pitt beats Virginia Tech
on Saturday the Panthers will grab total
division control of the race; if the Hokies
win, there will be a three-way tie atop the
division with two games left.
“I’m not even starting to try to do any
kind of math regarding the Coastal,”
Miami coach Mark Richt said.
Here’s the easy math: If Pitt beats Vir
ginia Tech and then tops either Wake For
est or Miami, the Panthers win the Coastal.
If the Hokies win this weekend, grab
your calculators and tiebreaker rule break
downs because there will be a three-way tie
with two games left — and potentially two
teams just one game back in the loss col
umn behind that logjam. But the Panthers
will not be obsessing about the importance
of this weekend’s game against the Hokies
from a Coastal perspective.
“I’m not going to address it,” Pitt coach
Pat Narduzzi said. “There’s still a bunch
of hungry teams sitting below us. Doesn’t
really matter. I know they read on Twitter,
all that stuff. I guess I don’t have to address
it. I’m going to address what we need to
take care of, is the business at hand. All
that doesn’t matter if we don’t do what we
need to.”
This will be the 12th time in 14 seasons of
ACC divisional play that the Coastal champ
has lost at least one league game. There’s
been a two- or three-league-loss champion
of the Coastal five times in that span.
A three-way Coastal tie at 5-3 this sea
son? It’s possible if Pitt loses this weekend.
Technically, so is a four-way tie at 5-3, but
that would require Duke winning out —
and Clemson is one of the three teams left
on the Blue Devils’ schedule, so that seems
unlikely at best. Reigning Coastal champ
Miami could still get to 5-3, and if they get
into the right tiebreaker the Hurricanes
somehow have ways to win the division.
Virginia is taking the week off from ACC
play. The Cavaliers play host to Liberty this
week in their home finale, and Virginia
coach Bronco Mendenhall insisted he’s not
thinking about Coastal permutations.
He acknowledged that there’s a two-
game “fight to the end” awaiting in the
Coastal after this week, and that was as far
as he went.
“Having said that, I really won’t address
anything other than the Liberty game
going forward,” Mendenhall said. “That’s
what I’ve shared with the team. Now our
focus is to play the best football we can this
week with that being our only focus. ”
Pittsburgh and Virginia are the latest
examples of teams that seemed to come
from nowhere and announce themselves
as serious contenders for a spot in the con
ference title game.
Neither team got a single Coastal first-
place vote out of 148 ballots cast in the
ACC preseason poll, and Virginia could be
the second team in the last six years to be
picked last but end up winning the division.
Duke pulled that off in 2013.
“We haven’t done anything yet,” Nar
duzzi said. “We really haven’t done any
thing. We got a long way to go.... Premature
victories are no good. We’re not looking for
one, either.”
If Pitt or Virginia wins the Coastal, it’ll
mark a sixth different school winning the
division in the last six years. Meanwhile, in
the Atlantic it’s been either Florida State
or Clemson as division champ in every sea
son since 2009 — and the Tigers seem very
poised to have that streak reach 10 years
and counting.
Richt thinks the Coastal is in a cycle
where experience matters, and some years
some teams just don’t have enough of that.
“No one has jumped out in regard to
out-recruiting, out-developing the other
group,” Richt said. “That’s what we want
to become. We want to become that team. ”
SEC
■ Continued from B1
Stoops said. “That gets to
be the challenge as you get
through the grind of the
season. You get late in the
year here, sometimes that
monotony sets in, and we
can’t let that happen.”
ANOTHER TEXAS
A&M NOSEDIVE?
One reason Texas A&M
fired coach Kevin Sumlin
after last season was the
Aggies always seemed to
fall apart in November.
Turns out the new coach
might have the same
problem.
First-year coach Jimbo
Fisher and the
Aggies (5-4,3-3) are
trying to bounce
back from a two-
game losing skid
when they host Ole
Miss on Saturday.
“Learning to
win is a learned
behavior,” Fisher
said. “Learning to
dominate a game
is a learned behavior. And
we have to put ourselves in
those experiences as much
as we possibly can to under
stand how to do that.”
TENNESSEE,
VANDERBILT BOWL
ELGIBLITY
After going winless in
SEC competition last year,
Tennessee (4-5, 1-4) has a
chance to become bowl
eligible in Jeremy Pruitt’s
debut season as coach. The
Vols must win two of their
last three games
— they host Ken
tucky and Missouri
the next two weeks
before visiting
Vanderbilt.
“We worked
really hard this off
season just trying
to make changes
from where we
made mistakes last year,”
Tennessee linebacker Dar
rin Kirkland Jr. said. “It
was definitely disappoint
ing being at home
last year during
the Christmas and
bowl season. We’ve
definitely worked
really hard to
get back on that
stage.”
Vanderbilt (4-5,
1-4) has similar
hopes and travels
to Missouri this
week before hosting Ole
Miss and Tennessee. Don’t
be surprised if a bowl bid
is at stake Nov. 24 when
Vanderbilt hosts Tennessee
to end the regular season.
“It’s November,”
Vanderbilt coach Derek
Mason said. “It’s winning
time.”
ARKANSAS’ LAST
CHANCES
It’s been a rough season
for Arkansas and first-year
coach Chad Mor
ris, which could
finish with a win
less SEC record for
the first time since
2013.
The Razorbacks
(2-7,0-5) have been
competitive in sev
eral league games,
especially against
Texas A&M and Ole Miss.
But their schedule down
the stretch is not easy: They
host No. 9 LSU on Saturday
before travelling to face
No. 18 Mississippi State and
Missouri in the final two
games.
DREW LOCK MOVING
UP CHARTS
Lock has 11,089 career
yards passing to rank
sixth in SEC history. Lock
has no shot at breaking
former Georgia quarter
back Aaron Murray’s SEC
record of 13,166, but the
Missouri senior should get
to second place on the list.
Fisher
NELL REDMOND I Associated Press
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton runs with the football in a game against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 4 in Charlotte, N.C.
Panthers, Steelers aim
to stay hot in primetime
BY WILL GRAVES
Associated Press
PITTSBURGH — Cam
Newton spent a portion of
the summer studying Ben
Roethlisberger and work
ing out alongside Antonio
Brown, something the Caro
lina Panthers quar
terback did out of a
mix of curiosity and
respect.
Newton found
himself enamored
of Roethlisberg-
er’s footwork —
“The play is never
over for Big Ben”
— and Brown’s
relentlessness.
“He’s literally like a noc
turnal beast,” Newton said
of Brown. “I thought I was
bad.... We had late workouts.
I’m talking like 10 p.m-.ish. It
was like our second or third
one of the day. Whenever
he feels the urge to work, he
works and I respect it.”
Newton will get an up-
close look at Roethlisberger,
Brown and the rest of the
Steelers (5-2-1) when the
Panthers (6-2) make a rare
trip to Pittsburgh. Maybe it’s
the workouts with Brown.
Maybe it’s the rapport he’s
developed with offensive
coordinator Norv Turner.
Maybe it’s the emergence
of running back Christian
McCaffrey. Whatever it is,
Newton is in the midst of his
finest season since winning
league MVP in 2015.
Maybe that’s why Roeth
lisberger just laughed when
asked if there’s any wis
dom he might pass along to
Newton.
“I do not need to give him
advice,” Roethlisberger
said. “He’s Superman.”
A Man of Steel who could
be a handful for a resilient
Pittsburgh defense. The
Steelers were a hot mess
during the first month of
the season but have fig
ured out things during their
four-game winning streak.
Pittsburgh is allowing just
275.5 yards per game over
the last month. That’s from
a combination of the rapid
cohesion of a revamped sec
ondary and spending less
time on the field thanks to
an offense starting to hog
the ball behind second-year
running back James Conner.
Still, the Panthers present
their own unique challenge.
Carolina might be the NFL’s
closest approximation to
a throwback. The Pan
thers have run for at least
121 yards in seven of eight
games, with Newton serving
as the catalyst. At 29 he’s on
pace for a career
high in rushing
attempts, a mixture
of Turner’s creative
play calling and
Newton’s pragmatic
approach to when
he tucks the ball and
takes off. While he’s
still happy to deliver
a shot now and then,
he’s more likely to
slide before getting hit.
Pittsburgh, fourth in the
league in sacks, is deter
mined to make sure Newton
doesn’t get loose.
“There’s no way he can
duck 10 bullets,” Steelers
defensive tackle Cam Hey
ward said. “If everybody is
shooting their shot, someone
is bound to hit. That’s got to
be group effort.... It’s a heck
of a test.”
Some things to watch for
as Pittsburgh looks to extend
its hot streak while Carolina
searches for the franchise’s
first win in the Steel City:
LE’VEON WHO?
Wayward Steelers run
ning back Le’Veon Bell
is nearing the end of his
months-long standoff with
the club. He has until Nov.
13 to report and sign his
one-year franchise tender
if he wants to make sure
he accrues the service time
necessary to hit the open
market next spring. After
some initial angst, Bell’s
teammates have moved on.
Conner is thriving in Bell’s
absence. He’s second in the
league in total yards and is
the first player in team his
tory to have 10 total touch
downs through eight games.
“James Conner has been
rolling and bulldozing peo
ple,” Brown said.
GIMME THAT
Carolina is winning the
turnover battle. The Pan
thers have been even or pos
itive in turnovers in seven of
eight games and are 6-1 in
those games. They are 5-0
when winning the turnover
battle outright.
Carolina is fourth in the
league in turnover differ
ential with a plus-8, sixth in
points off turnovers (51),
seventh in total takeaways
(15), and tied for fourth in
interceptions (11) behind
speedy rookie cornerback
Donte Jackson, who has four
picks.
Since 2015, Carolina leads
the NFL with 102 take
aways and is second with 62
interceptions.
FEISTY FEILER
Pittsburgh right tackle
Matt Feiler will likely make
his third straight start in
place of injured Marcus
Gilbert. An undrafted free
agent, Feiler is thriving
while opening up holes for
Conner and helping keep
Roethlisberger clean. Roeth
lisberger has been sacked
twice during Pittsburgh’s
winning streak. Feiler’s suc
cess isn’t exactly unprec
edented. Three members of
Pittsburgh’s current starting
offensive line — Feiler, left
guard Ramon Foster and
left tackle Alejandro Villan
ueva — all went undrafted.
“It’s how we’re built,”
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin
said. “It’s what we expect,
and (Feiler) is just the lat
est example of a guy that is
meeting that expectation
like we talked about. He’s
capable, so it’s understand
able to expect those types of
performances from him.”
STOPPING ADDISON
Future Hall of Famer
Julius Peppers may have
more name power, but
Mario Addison has been the
more productive defensive
end for Carolina. Addison
leads the team with 7 sacks,
including a sack trifecta last
week against Tampa Bay.
Over the past 38 games,
Addison has 28 sacks.
“I’m a pretty strong guy,”
said the 6-foor-3, 260-pound
Addison. “People underesti
mate me because I look kind
of small, but I pack a punch.
By the time they miss and
my hands get on the inside
of them, I’m running them
back and they’re like ‘Dang,
this guy’s stronger than I
thought.’”
FALCONS
■ Continued from 1B
for Irvin.
“It’s pretty rare you get
to play in your home city,”
Quinn said. “He recognized
that might be a special
moment for him and he
really is challenged.”
Quinn said Irvin also is
motivated to show he can
be a successful pass-rushing
end after being waived by
the Raiders.
“He really is ready to
prove it,” Quinn said, add
ing often a player’s “most
memorable competitive
moments are in prove-it
times, so I love it he feels
he’s got some things to prove
and really wants to play
well. That’s what we talked
about.”
The Falcons’ defense
had more good news on
Wednesday. Linebacker
Deion Jones, who has been
on injured reserve since
suffering a foot injury in
the season-opening loss at
Philadelphia, returned to
practice. He is not eligible
to return until next week’s
game against Dallas and
has not been placed on the
active roster.
“It’s going to be awe
some,” said Beasley of
Jones’ return. “We’ve been
waiting on him to come
back. He’s a definite leader
on the defensive side of the
ball and not just the defense,
on this team. There are a lot
of guys who look up to him.”
Quinn said Jones’ snaps
in practice will be watched
closely this week. He said
he has no timetable on Jones
being cleared for a game.
The Falcons (4-4) have
won three straight despite
losing starting safeties
Ricardo Allen and Keanu
Neal to season-ending inju
ries. Starting guards Andy
Levitre and Brando Fusco
and running back Devonta
Freeman also are on IR.
Irvin played with Seattle
when Quinn was the team’s
defensive coordinator.
Irvin had three sacks with
Oakland, but played only
nine snaps in a 34-3 loss to
the San Francisco 49ers on
Thursday night.
Irvin (6-3, 250) played
four seasons with Seattle
before joining the Raiders in
2016. He had eight sacks as a
rookie in 2012 and matched
that career high with Oak
land in 2017.
He set a career high with
six forced fumbles in 2016.
His 11 forced fumbles since
the start of the 2016 season
are the most in the NFL in
that span.
For his career, Irvin
has 40 sacks and 15 forced
fumbles.
Oakland was expected to
enter the season with Irvin
and Khalil Mack leading
the defense as bookend pass
rushers.
Instead, Mack was traded
to Chicago a week before the
season for a package of draft
picks following a lengthy
holdout. The Raiders rank
last in the league with seven
sacks.
