Just ask N.C. State, which trailed the Tar Heels at halftime last week until several Wolfpack linemen came to coach Chuck Amato and told him they could run the ball against Carolina.

"The linemen were coming up to the coaches and saying, 'We can run the ball,'" said State tailback T.A. McLendon. "They told me they were going to get off the ball and I knew they were. I could see it in their eyes."

Down 10-7, Amato was willing to listen.

"I told our offensive assistant coaches, 'We're running the football in the second half and if you throw that dadgum football, I'm coming up into that press box after you."

With the national passing leader, Philip Rivers, at quarterback, State threw the ball only five times the entire second half. Instead, Rivers watched the Wolfpack line blow holes in the Tar Heel defense. State rushed for 165 yards in the second half in a 34-17 win.

Quotes of week

Do you think that North Carolina tight end Bobby Blizzard might have caught a few Cavaliers' attention when he was quoted on ACC.com as saying: "There are about five or six guys from my high school and a couple of other guys from the area that I played against who I can't wait to get my hands on this week. It will be an emotional game for me."

Blizzard and Ronald Curry both committed to Virginia their senior season but both eventually wound up at UNC. Curry is gone but Blizzard is making his first trip to Scott Stadium this weekend.

Discrimination?

A Florida reporter asked a few ACC coaches about the discrepancy between the number of white head coaches to black head coaches in Division I-A football on Wednesday and several ACC coaches said they felt the climate is changing in that area.

But Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said he had fought his own campaign against a different kind of discrimination.

"When I got this job [former Georgetown coach] John Thompson told me it was a major breakthrough for fat coaches," said Friedgen, who didn't get a head coaching job until he was in his 50s.

Bowden 101

Well what do we have here? N.C. State is undefeated and so is Georgia. Who are their coaches? None other than Florida State's former assistant head coach Chuck Amato and former FSU offensive coordinator Mark Richt. Coincidence?

And how about the Seminoles, struggling on both sides of the ball this year? Do you think they might miss Amato and Richt?

"Any time you lose a coach, especially if you've had them for 18 years, like Chuck, or 12 years like Mark, it has an impact," said FSU coach Bobby Bowden on Wednesday. "They understand so fully what you want. When you lose them and bring in someone to take their place and they have to learn all that all over again, so it is a factor. When you lose a guy like Mark or Chuck, you lose a step."

Bowden pointed to rival Florida.

"They lost Spurrier and the whole staff. There's a new coach, a new philosophy. When I started coaching I felt it was a must to get a five-year contract because you figure you're not going to recruit well your first year. The second year you can recruit but you have to give them four years to see what kind of coach you are with your own players. Sometimes the chemistry doesn't work because the players on hand don't fit the new system.

Lundy the magnificent. Carolina coach John Bunting, who coaches for various teams in the NFL before coming home to Chapel Hill, raves about Virginia running back Wali Lundy, who was also an all-state wide receiver his junior season of New Jersey high school football.

"[Lundy] is as good a tailback as I've seen and that we recruited very hard," said Bunting of Lundy, who leads the ACC in pass receptions. "He can do it all. He's a Marshall Faulk of the ACC."

Bunting said that Lundy has "tremendous hands" and "is a tremendous runner after the catch because he has those tremendous running skills."

Tremendous.

Secret return. Bunting said that Saturday won't be his first return to Scott Stadium since he played at Carolina (he was 3-0 vs. the Hoos as a Tar Heel player).

Bunting said Wednesday that he spent the night in Charlottesville during a recruiting trip last year and actually went out and drove by Scott Stadium to get a glimpse of the changes. He was impressed with what he saw.

The UNC coach said he was stunned to learn of the Heels' 10-game losing streak in Charlottesville, dating back to 1981.

"I found that out right after [last Saturday's loss to N.C. State]," said Bunting. "Somebody hit me with that moments after we lost. That struck some more fear into my heart. It really is a shocking statistic but I'm not going to dwell on it."

Happy feet. UNC offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill believes Tar Heels quarterback Darian Durant takes off too quickly out of the pocket and runs the ball instead of looking for receivers.

"[Durant] is about as good as I've ever seen running to throw," said Carolina head coach John Bunting. "It gets habit forming. If we do it too much, there are some bad things that are going to happen."

That's exactly what happened against N.C. State last week when Durant left the pocket, tried to throw the ball away, but lost control of the ball and fumbled. State recovered, scored the go-ahead TD on the very next play and turned the game around.

"We had Darian running around a little too much and that's not something we want to see all the time," said Bunting. "We don't want that to be our M.O. We've got to be able to sit back in the pocket."

Carolina also had breakdowns in its pass protection, which may have prompted the UNC quarterback to run for his life.

Thursday Night Fever. Georgia Tech will play in its 14th Thursday Night game this evening at Maryland, making the Jackets the national leader in Thursday night appearances (Tech is 7-6 in those games).

Several ACC coaches said Wednesday that the Thursday Night game has become the college version of Monday Night Football. There's a national audience with all eyes on just one game, which provides exposure for those programs.

Think it doesn't have any bearing on recruiting? Think again.

Junior Tech cornerback Jonathan Cox of Chicago, said the Yellow Jackets' appearances on Thursday night ESPN games were instrumental in him attending the Atlanta school.

"I always wanted to play in one, now I'm playing in my third," said Cox.

Recruiting corner. Hoops prospect Terrence Roberts, a 6-8 forward from St. Anthony's High in New Jersey, is expected to choose between Syracuse and Virginia possibly by this morning. ... Speedy wide receiver prospect James Townsend, a pal of UVa's Wali Lundy, is giving the Cavs a look, having already set up visits to Minnesota and Iowa, while considering Virginia, Tennessee, Syracuse and South Carolina for his other three official visits.

Short yardage ... Newest joke in Miami concerns last week's missed field goal by Florida State, the fourth time the Seminoles have lost by missing a late field goal against the Canes. It goes: How does a Florida State Seminole get home from Miami? Three rights and then a left. ... Duke has lost 20 ACC games in a row, one short of matching the school record. ...Wake held Georgia Tech to a season-low 78 yards rushing last week. ... Sour Grapes Dept: Clemson rover Altroy Bodrick on the Tigers' loss at Virginia last week, "Everybody's a little surprised ... I'm surprised ... we have better players, but we still lost because we just didn't come to play." ... Uh, Altroy, that makes two years in a row. ...

I know it's like banging your head against the wall because nobody listens, but if you're a fan at Saturday's UVa-UNC game, take a moment and notice what a better atmosphere a big marching band can create (Ohio University's 110 band will be performing). ...

Virginia has won six of its last eight ACC home games. ... Asked if he saw any similarities between N.C. State's 8-0 start in 1967 and the Wolfpack's current 7-0 start, coach Chuck Amato's answer was simple. "Me," Amato replied. He was a star linebacker on that '67 team and is now leading the Pack to their best season in years. ...

Asked if they thought that the best college football team had any chance of beating the worst NFL team, both Chan Gailey and Ralph Friedgen replied with a resounding "No." Gailey coached the Dallas Cowboys and Friedgen was a former assistant for the San Diego Chargers. ...

Clemson reported that its offense came out of the Virginia game with a lot of bangs and bruises. ... Wake leads the nation in fewest turnovers and part of that credit should go to quarterback James MacPherson, who has not thrown an interception this season, that's in 133 attempts (half the attempts of Florida's Rex Grossman, who has been picked 14 times). In fact, MacPherson has gone 27 quarters (since last season) without throwing an interception, 149 straight passes.

The picks. Last week: 3-1. To date: 29-16. This week: Maryland 29, Georgia Tech 23; Wake Forest 31, Clemson 19; N.C. State 42, Duke 10; Virginia 30, North Carolina 27.

The event will begin at 10:30 a.m. at University Hall and will be open to the public. The game will precede the UNC-UVa football game at noon at Scott Stadium and thus parking at University Hall will be limited. The unusual time slot, however, was the only one available given UVa volleyball matches scheduled at U-Hall on both Friday and Saturday evenings.

The Orange-Blue game in its history had featured celebrity coaches such as Bruce Hornsby and Woody Harrelson. Any such format for Saturday's game has not been announced.

Defensive changes? As Virginia dropped 10 of its final 13 games last season, the team's defense became one of the obvious reasons for that meltdown.

The Cavaliers allowed eight of their final 10 opponents to shoot better than 50 percent from the field and finished seventh in the ACC in field-goal percentage against (47.7 percent).

In July, UVa coach Pete Gillen added former Boise State coach Rod Jensen to his staff to replace Tommy Herrion, who left in April to become the head coach at the College of Charleston.

During his eight-season tenure at Boise State, Jensen's teams were defined by a strong defense that implemented both man-to-man and match-up zone principles.

While Jensen's addition may help the Cavaliers shore-up their defensive deficiencies, Gillen is not willing to abandon his overall style of play.

"We will have more emphasis on the defense but we still want to push the ball. We want to be a fast-breaking team. The last three seasons, we've won 19, 20 and 17 games. That isn't too bad but we want to improve," Gillen said. "We have a lot of room to improve but if the formula is not completely messed up, don't change everything. … We don't want to throw everything out of the window and play a halfcourt game."

Gillen did stress that defensive changes will be made in what he described as a "tinkering" process.

"We are going to make some adjustments. We are going to play more zone and better halfcourt D. We won't press as much. We'll still press, but not quite as much because we are a little bigger and stronger," Gillen said. "The big thing is for the players to be committed to it. We were capable of playing better defense last year but we didn't do it. … I think Rod will help us a lot but there is no panacea. It has to be a team effort."

An uneasy rest. Rutgers transfer Todd Billet spent last season on the bench in accordance with NCAA rules. It was not such an enjoyable experience for the 6-foot guard from Middletown, N.J., who has spent his life around the game.

"It was not easy. It was kind of weird for me, my parents and my brother for me not to be able to participate in the games," said Billet, whose brother, Geoff, also played at Rutgers.

Billet was a third-team All-Big East selection during his sophomore season at Rutgers as he averaged 16.6 points a contest. A solid 3-point shooter, Billet made 40.6 percent (82 of 202) of his attempts from behind the arc. That shooting touch and his keen courtsense would have been valuable additions for a Virginia team that struggled in those areas last season.

"Sometimes it was tough to just watch but it comes to a point where you just have to practice, concentrate on academics and other things to just get through it," Billet said.

Billet played point guard at Rutgers and led the team in assists both seasons. Billet likely will be in the mix at the point along with Keith Jenifer and Majestic Mapp but also can play the other guard position. At this point, he claims to have no particular preference between the two.

"I've played both and it doesn't really matter to me," Billet said.

In a game that will have certain interest for the Billet family, Virginia travels to face Rutgers on Dec. 21. Despite what likely will not necessarily be a warm reception, Billet is looking forward to the game.

"I'm excited about it actually. All my friends and family will be able to come to the game," Billet said. "If people boo me, they boo me. That will not bother me."

Free throws. Virginia will entertain two recruits this weekend. J.R. Reynolds, a 6-3 guard from Roanoke who will play at Oak Hill Academy this season, and Mike Pilgrim, a 6-7 power forward from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, will take their official visits to UVa. Reynolds committed to the Cavaliers last November while Pilgrim's suitors include UVa, Boston College, Seton Hall, Cincinnati, Memphis and Louisville. … Former Cav Keith Friel recently signed a contract with Team Nike and will tour several schools in the Midwest for November exhibition games. … Another former UVa player, Greg Lyons, is part of Dave Odom's staff at South Carolina. Lyons is the administrative assistant for academics.

J.R. Reynolds, the 6-foot-3 guard from Roanoke who verbally committed to the Cavaliers last November, will take his official visit to Charlottesville this weekend. Reynolds, who will play this season at Oak Hill Academy, will be joined on his visit by Mike Pilgrim.

Pilgrim, a 6-foot-7 power forward from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, is considering UVa along with Boston College, Seton Hall, Cincinnati and Memphis.

Previously, Reynolds has taken unofficial visits to Charlottesville while he was a student at Roanoke Catholic but this time he will be "officially" examining the school he intends to play for.

"I think that he is really excited to see the school and see where he will play for the next four years. Plus, I think he'll enjoy a weekend away from here for a change," said Oak Hill coach Steve Smith, who noted that Reynolds is still "100 percent committed" to Virginia.

Reynolds left Roanoke Catholic after his junior season to transfer to Oak Hill. Reynolds will start in Oak Hill's backcourt with point guard Marcus Williams, who committed to UConn earlier this fall.

"We just started practice recently and he has been shooting the ball real well. As a coach, I know that I'm expecting him to put the ball in the basket," Smith joked. "Maybe it's because they're both from Roanoke, but he reminds me a lot of Curtis Staples. They're both great shooters. The difference is that J.R. might be a little better off the dribble with a shot-fake. He can hit the deep shot but also pull-up for the mid-range jumper. That's something that Curtis didn't really do."

Pilgrim, who is originally from Cincinnati and is spending a postgraduate year at Brewster Academy after spending his senior season at Cincinnati's Purcell Marian High School, is a combo forward that has a tremendous upside, according to his coach Jason Smith.

"He has athleticism through the roof. Mike's a hard worker who attacks the glass and just players really hard," Smith said. "He's a left-handed player who is really working on his perimeter game and is trying to become a consistent shooter from out there."

Pilgrim does have a connection to Virginia. He works out with and plays once a week with former Virginia guard and Durham, N.H., native Keith Friel. Smith coached Keith Friel and his two brothers, Greg, a senior at Dartmouth, and Jeremy "Boomer" Friel, a walk-on at the University of New Hampshire, on a New Hampshire-based AAU team.

According to Pilgrim, Friel has described Pilgrim's talents and athleticism to that of former Friel teammate, Adam Hall.

"He has an incredible upside. He's a fabulous athlete who has a tremendous feel for the game. He's a very explosive player," Smith said.

Pilgrim has scored a 24 on the ACT and carries a B+ average, according to Smith.

Pilgrim, who is a first cousin of Seton Hall coach Louis Orr, likely will make his decision during the early signing period in November.

"As a senior in Cincinnati, he was attracting attention from MAC-level schools. Now, he's being recruited by the Big East and ACC. I think he's flattered by the attention but wants to make a decision before the spring," Smith said.

Virginia has gained commitments for its 2003 class from Reynolds and 6-5 Gary Forbes of Brooklyn and can fill two more spots. Pilgrim, 6-7 Luol Deng of Blair Academy in New Jersey, 6-8 power forward Sheray Thomas of Upper Marlboro, Md., 6-8 Ross Neltner of Ft. Thomas, Ky., 6-7 power forward Linas Kleiza of Montrose Christian in Rockville, Md., and 6-8 Josh Boone of West Nottingham Academy in Sikesville, Md., are among the players who are being recruited to complete the class.

One Virginia target, 6-7 Terrence Roberts of St. Anthony's in Jersey City, N.J., committed to Syracuse on Thursday.

The Tigers converted three third downs against Virginia's defense. They chewed nearly seven minutes off the clock. They drove 93 yards. But they couldn't punch the ball into the end zone. After an incompletion, they settled for a field goal on the 19th play.

"I could see in their faces they were frustrated," UVa linebacker Darryl Blackstock said. "I think that took a lot out of them. They felt like they should have gotten a touchdown. Nuh-uh. We easily could have let them score, but we kept focused and eventually we stopped them."

That wasn't anything new for the Cavaliers, who have been generous in giving up yards all season but stingy in allowing opponents inside their most precious territory - the end zone.

On 34 trips inside Virginia's 20-yard line, the area known as the "red zone," opponents have scored 19 touchdowns - a 55.9-percent success rate.

By contrast, UVa's offense has scored 23 touchdowns on 32 red-zone possessions, or 71.9 percent.

That statistic may best explain why the Cavaliers, despite being outgained by an average of 81 yards per game, are 5-2 going into Saturday's showdown with North Carolina at Scott Stadium.

"We pride ourselves at being good in the red zone," linebacker Rich Bedesem said. "That's where games are won and lost. If you make teams kick field goals instead of score touchdowns, you're going to win most of the time."

Virginia coach Al Groh said luck plays a role in red-zone success, but the Cavaliers certainly emphasize that aspect of the game.

"We spend a lot of time practicing it - a lot," he said. "Starting with the first day of the spring, we spend a lot of time on it."

Groh would like to have a dominant defense that can stuff an offense anywhere on the field. But with young players and average talent at some positions, he can't be too aggressive. The Cavaliers have been weak against the run and, using primarily zone schemes, they have given up lots of short to midrange passes.

As a result, opponents have been able to pile up yards and first downs - but few big plays. If they are patient and precise, they can work their way downfield. But as Groh said with a smile, "that's the challenge."

"Their style of defensive play - that soft, soft zone - is deceiving," Clemson coach Tommy Bowden said. "They let you go down the field and wait for you to make a mistake."

Which is just what the Tigers did all day. They totaled 412 yards but scored just one touchdown in the final minutes of a 22-17 loss.

"Bend but don't break, that's our motto," linebacker Merrill Robertson said.

Virginia is allowing 435 yards per game, which ranks 98th out of 117 Division I-A teams. But its scoring defense (28.3 points per game) is 25 spots higher, largely because the Cavaliers frequently give up three points (or none) instead of seven at the end of long drives.

"I think people underestimate us because of the yardage we've given up," defensive end Chris Canty said. "They say, wow, we're going to be able to come in and do whatever we want to their defense. It's not that way. We play hard; we play physically tough. If they come here and think they can run all over us, they better have a physically tough team. Because we're going to bring it."

South Carolina marched inside Virginia's 20 on five occasions in their Sept. 7 matchup. On those trips, the Gamecocks scored two touchdowns and committed three turnovers, with those lost opportunities making the difference in a 34-21 defeat.

Since then, the Cavaliers have won four more games in a row despite being outgained each time. Red-zone defense played a major role in the past three outings as Wake Forest, Duke and Clemson had to settle for six field goals of 30 yards or less. Virginia won those games by a total of 14 points.

Freshman defensive end Brennan Schmidt probably sums up UVa's red-zone mentality best.

"Just because you screwed up all the way downfield," he said, "you can still be tough guys on the goal line."