AFP Podcasts

Inside the Numbers: How did Virginia pull the upset at #10 North Carolina?

You’re not supposed to be able to lose the turnover battle, and have your two turnovers take away possible TDs, and still be able to pull the upset on the road over an undefeated Top 10 team.

Outside of the turnovers, Virginia, a 31-27 winner over #10 North Carolina on Saturday night, did everything right.

The Cavaliers, 120th nationally in rushing coming in, rang up 228 yards on the ground, which keyed a huge edge in time of possession – 37:06 to 22:54.

These are your numbers of the game: 228, and 37:06.

If you want to beat a team that averages 500-plus yards a game on offense, you’re going to want to keep the ball away from them as much as possible.

Check.

Virginia Tech hoops loses Rodney Rice to the portal

Former Top 100 hoops recruit Rodney Rice is leaving the Virginia Tech basketball program and intends to hit the transfer portal.

“Rodney Rice recently shared with me his desire to step away from our program. While his departure is unfortunate, we wish Rodney and his family all the best in the future,” Tech coach Mike Young said in a statement released by the school on Tuesday.

House elects Trump loyalist, election denier Mike Johnson new Speaker

Moderate Republicans had a brief moment in the sun when they made sure Trump loyalist and election denier Jim Jordan wouldn’t be elected House Speaker.

The MAGAs are back to flexing their muscles now with one of their own in the Speaker position.

Louisiana Republican Mike Johnson was elected Speaker on Wednesday, ending more than three weeks of manufactured drama pretty much where it started.

Christopher Bell wins his way into the NASCAR Championship 4

Christopher Bell took the lead for good with 15 laps to go on his way to punching a ticket to the NASCAR Championship 4 with a win at Homestead on Sunday.

Bell joins Kyle Larson, who won last week in Las Vegas, as the two playoff drivers who have clinched spots in the Championship 4 race in Phoenix next week.

Bell outraced Ryan Blaney to the finish line on Sunday by 1.651 seconds.

Blaney’s second-place finish moved him to the four spot in the playoff chase with just one more chance for the playoff eight to win their way to Phoenix.

Rod Mullins joins AFP editor Chris Graham to break down the action from Sunday, and preview the action in Martinsville coming up this weekend.

Can UVA pull the big upset at #10 Virginia?

Virginia is a 23.5-point ‘dog in Saturday’s game against #10 North Carolina, which is what it is. Tony Elliott is reminding his guys what happened when the two teams met last year.

“For us, it’s about opportunity and having confidence that they return a lot of guys, we return a lot of guys, we got some new additions, and last year this was a three-point ballgame, and it was a possession-for-possession ballgame,” said Elliott, describing the 31-28 loss in Charlottesville about as well as he could.

More online: https://augustafreepress.com/news/elliotts-message-ahead-of-game-at-10-unc-this-is-what-you-dream-about/

Chris Graham, Scott German preview ACC Football weekend slate

Vegas has Florida State a double-digit favorite over Duke on Saturday, but don’t sleep on the Blue Devils.

That one, and a sorta, kinda elimination game between Clemson and Miami highlight the ACC Football weekend slate.

I had Scott German, the keeper of our weekly ACC Football Power Rankings, on for a podcast today to preview Saturday’s action.

Quick hits

• FSU-Duke: Duke’s lone loss was a last-minute setback at home to a good Notre Dame team. Don’t be surprised if the Blue Devils pull the upset.
• Clemson-Miami: Two programs with two losses already in conference play. Two coaches (Dabo Swinney, Mario Cristobal) whose trajectories are trending downward. Must-win for both, and the fan base of the one that loses will want a pound of flesh from somebody afterward.
• UVA-UNC: North Carolina is going to want to not only win, but put a nice score out there for the voters and computers.

Also on the show

• Scott comes hard with the observation that the success at Duke under Mike Elko and UNC under Mack Brown is a sign that Virginia can have success with the right coach.
• The guys debate what happens at Virginia with Tony Elliott if the ‘Hoos lose out against the tough second-half schedule to finish 1-11.
• Is there an upset or two in those final six? Chris breaks down the possibilities with the Techs, Louisville.

Tony Khan’s odd comment about death threats was the highlight of a bad week

You know it’s been a bad week for AEW head honcho Tony Khan when you come across a headline about Khan saying in an interview that it’s “great” that he gets death threats, and that one barely gets any notice, considering all of the other stupid things he’s had to say the past few days.

Should UVA Football start using the triple-option offense

My first instinct here: please, god, no!

I remember telling my wife about Tony Bennett when he was hired: “His teams will score in the 40s and 50s, but they’ll win.”

And then her saying back to me: “Are you going to like watching that kind of basketball?”

Me: “As long as they win.”

OK, but I’m not sure I’m willing to go there with a triple-option team.

But I have to concede, there’s something to what Charlie T. is saying here.

Kyle Parson punches his ticket into the NASCAR Championship 4

Kyle Larson led 133 laps, but needed a good late-race pit stop to get the lead back from Christopher Bell, before outracing Bell to the finish line, by a mere 0.082-second margin, to get the win in Las Vegas on Sunday.

The win puts Larson in the Championship 4 in Phoenix on Nov. 5.

Who else will be joining Larson?

Rod Mullins helps us break it all down.

Is Virginia headed toward a 1-11 finish to its 2023 season?

Virginia, 1-5 at the midway point to its 2023 season, has, on its second-half schedule, games with three teams in this week’s AP Top 25, one that was just knocked out of the national rankings, and the two Techs.

Today we turn to our friends at the ESPN Football Power Index, the dreaded (by the ACC Network’s Mark Packer, anyway) FPI, for guidance on how those games might go, and thus what we might be able to expect in terms of a final record for our Cavaliers for the season.

Saddle up.