Statesville Record and Landmark from Statesville, North Carolina • B1

SPORTS Tuesday, OcTOber 6, 2020 statesville.com secTION MICHAEL PHILLIPS Richmond Times-Dispatch LANDOVER, Thurs- day, Washington coach Ron Ri- vera left midway through the practice when he began to feel weak. He later confided that he prob- ably have been there in the first place. Rivera is coaching his team while simultaneously undergo- ing chemotherapy for squamous cell cancer, a workload doctors cautioned him could be all but impossible. But Rivera, who is in his first season in Washington, is insistent on trying. just gets here, rallying everybody together, then you get hit in the head with something like punter Tress Way said.

just feel for him on those days where, you know, you just feel good. in the fight of a lifetime, and something com- pletely out of your The treatments have taken a visible toll on Rivera, who at times during game had to sit on the bench for a few minutes to take a breather. He had two IV bags of fluid injected into him before the game as a preventative measure. means a lot, man, just to see him said corner- back Kendall Fuller (Virginia Tech). even just (on game days), but on Wednesdays, and Thursdays and Fridays, seeing him fight.

It motivates all of us to get out there and keep on fighting and never When Rivera at practice, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, himself a former NFL coach, takes over. Del Rio has assured Rivera that his extremely de- tailed orders will be followed to a while gone. But Rivera also wants to be there with his team, to encour- age them and make sure they are developing the habits and culture he wants to see in Washington. On Sunday, he received a sur- prise as more than 400 friends and family members were turned into cardboard cutouts and placed in the end zone at FedEx Field. Players marvel at toughness RALPH D.

RUSSO Associated Press With attention on falling Big 12 powers and dominant SEC heavyweights, the Atlantic Coast Conference reached a milestone in The Associated Press college football poll. The ACC had four teams ranked in the top 10 of the Top 25 for the first time in the nearly 70-year history. As with everything in 2020, unusual circumstances brought on by the pandemic have con- spired to create an unprece- dented result. Clemson is No. 1, as has been the case since the preseason.

Nothing weird about that. Ar- dently independent Notre Dame sits at No. 5 as the ACC reaps the benefits of the Fighting year in residence. Miami moved up to No. 7 in its second straight week in the top 10 and North Carolina jumped in at No.

8. Having four FBS conferences, including the Big Ten and Pac-12 not playing yet certainly hurt the cause, either. Still, after last season, when the ACC had only one team Clemson, of course in the final Top 25, the conference looks to be much improved, even if this last too long. Unbeaten Miami goes to Clem- son on Saturday. Have to think if the Hurricanes spring the upset or come reasonably close they could slip outside the top 10 as soon as next Sunday.

With eight ranked teams los- ing on Saturday, including six to unranked teams, the Top 25 got a thorough shake up. Reality check evaluates the newcomers and the holdovers. No. 1 clemson (3-0) Next: vs. No.

7 Miami, Oct. 10. Reality check: RB Travis Eti- enne set a career best with 114 yards receiving on five catches ACC milestone with 4 top- 10 teams LEE ENTERPRISES Virginia Tech center Brock Hoffman, a Statesville native, is pictured in the weight room. MIKE BARBER Richmond Times-Dispatch Brock Hoffman appeared to have an open-and-shut NCAA eligibility case last year. The two-year starter on the offen- sive line at Coastal Carolina had transferred to Virginia Tech to be closer to his Statesville home, where his mother was recovering from brain surgeries.

Hoffman, his family and coaches were stunned when the NCAA denied his initial request. But that first sting was minor compared to what his family de- scribed as a nightmare of work- ing with the governing body of college sports during the appeal process. was said father, Brian. communication was so incon- sistent, it was Brock appeal was denied and he sat out the 2019 season. It now is likely future athletes in position have to make an argument to get the chance to transfer and play immediately.

In fact, they need any reason at all. The NCAA is expected to pass a one-time transfer waiver for athletes in football, and basketball, baseball and ice hockey, the only sports that already have that pol- icy, for the 2021-22 school year. In fact, the change likely would have been in place for the 2020 school year had the spread of COVID-19 not relegated it to a distant backburner. The legislation would allow any athlete to transfer and com- pete immediately instead of sit- ting out a season, as is the case under the current system. just the latest shift that moves more power from coaches and schools to the athletes them- selves.

was frustrating seeing cases across the country get passed and seeing mine Brock Hoffman said. hun- dred percent in support of the rule change. And I think my case kind of laid the groundwork for But the change a proposal will be voted on at the January 2021 convention just a byproduct of athletes speaking out. It could end up becoming a driving force be- hind more change, another tool in the rapidly expanding set at disposal. Allowing athletes to trans- fer one time at their discretion shifts power to the athletes in a way high-profile college football and basketball programs had to deal with before.

Unhappy with your policies about social media? You can transfer anywhere and play immediately. Uncomfortable with your stances on political issues? You can transfer anywhere and play immediately. According to an NCAA data- base, 4.6 percent of FBS college football players transferred from one four-year school to another in 2019, the highest rate since data collection began in 2004. JENNA FRYER Associated Press TALLADEGA, Ala. Denny Hamlin put himself in position to finally win in the playoffs by hanging at the back to avoid the carnage of the messiest and longest race in Talladega Super- speedway history.

His sweeping three-wide pass in triple overtime Sunday brought an end to the sloppiest race of the season. The Daytona 500 winner surged to the win coming out of the final turn it was the 58th lead change of a race that went nearly 32 miles, or 12 laps, longer than scheduled. Talladega was pocked with 13 cautions, two more than the re- cord, and nearly every title con- tender had some sort of damage. Only six of the 12 made it to the finish. Hamlin insisted lagging the No.

11 Toyota at the back of the field all day, waiting to pounce at the end, was his strategy all along. Either that, or he was simply the last driver standing when given the chance to snap a skid that started with the playoffs one month ago. hate to say it, but you have to play the game. You have to get to the next Hamlin said. win the championship, you have to win the last race and you have to get to the last race.

For us, we played the strategy to play the numbers to make sure we got locked Fitting for this particular wreck- fest was that win needed official review. He had gone below the yellow out-of-bounds line during the third overtime, but NASCAR ruled the move was legal. were crashing in front of Hamlin shrugged. viously, I got forced down The crowd of 15,000 the most allowed to attend the Al- abama superspeedway booed Hamlin as he was declared the winner. He dismissed any no- tion of a controversy over the yellow line rule, noting it had been called by NASCAR the same way the entire race.

The race went more than four hours, so long that it was moved from NBC to NBC Sports Network because local news and then NFL football needed the big network. Hamlin wins in 3rd overtime of longest race ASSOCIATED PRESS Denny Hamlin poses with the trophy after winning NASCAR Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Ala. ASSOCIATED PRESS Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera gives a halftime interview by phone while leaning on a team PR member for support during game against Baltimore. Washington coach leading team as he battles cancer Thing of the past? confounding rulings on transfer waivers could soon be decision Please see rIVera, Page B2 Please see TaLLadeGa, Page B2 Please see TOP 25, Page B2Please see TraNsFers, Page B2.