The Roanoke Times from Roanoke, Virginia • 31

PULL-OFF SECTION SPORTS INSIDE ROANOKE DECEMBER ACC CHAMPIONSHIP Florida State 27, Virginia Tech 22 VT 'NOLE CONTENDERE MATT GENTRY The Roanoke Times Josh Morgan sits on the sidelines during the final minutes of Virginia Tech's 27-22 loss to Florida State in Saturday's ACC championship game at Alltel Stadium in Jacksonville, Fla. Tech looks like the underdog in defeat. By Randy King mile long and lugging a threerandy.king@roanoke.com game losing streak for the first 981-3126 time in 22 years. The loss cost Tech (10-2) JACKSONVILLE, Fla. a second consecutive ACC Forget about it, Frank Beamer championship and a BCS Bowl and Virginia Tech.

Just face berth in the Jan. 3 Orange it, you may never beat Bobby Bowl vs. Penn State. The fifthBowden. ranked Hokies are expected Florida Throwing away to be extended an invitation their best shot ever today to return here for the State lays at beating Division I Jan.

2 Gator Bowl, in which football's winningest they will face No. 16 Louisville claim to coach, Beamer's (9-2) at Alltel. Hokies delivered Meanwhile, FSU will head a dozen their second dud of to the Orange for a matchup the season against pitting icons Bowden and Joe straight the league's Florida Paterno, who rank first and secmembers, totally ond in major-college coaching wins over unraveling in a 27- victories. 22 loss to the two- It was FSU's 12th conVirginia touchdown under- secutive victory over Tech. dog Seminoles in the Bowden improved to 7-0 vs.

Tech. inaugural ACC cham- Beamer and 14-0 vs. Tech, pionship game at with all but three of those Alltel Stadium. wins coming in his 30-year No. 5 Tech was beaten in tenure at FSU.

every phase by an unranked Sparked by Willie Reid's 83- FSU team that stumbled into the game with an injury list a See HOKIES, 2 Hokies squander big opportunity 5 Associated Press Marcus Vick takes in the final moments of the Hokies' shocking loss to the Seminoles on Saturday night. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. They'll regret this one for a long time. Every one of them, from the walk-ons to the fifth-year seniors to the coaches with cushy contracts. The Virginia Tech Hokies had it all right in front of them Saturday night.

They could have vanquished The Streak, they could have repaired the image that was sullied by Miami, they could have staked their claim to greatness. Instead, the result of the inaugural ACC Aaron McFarling title game was a shocking, sobering and sad: aaron mcfarling Florida State 27, Tech 22. 981-3222 Opportunity lost. Anybody in that locker room who plays Their only the "we got beat by a better team" card should be ashamed. That may have been edge over apropos against Miami, but not here.

Tech was a 14-point favorite for a reason. Tech was This FSU team is FSU in name only. The Seminoles were coming off losses to N.C. a mental State, Clemson and Florida. Their offense was a joke.

They were injured, humbled and one, and Their exceedingly only edge over Tech was a mental they used vulnerable. one, and they used it well. Opportunity lost. it well. Tech coach Frank Beamer saw his darkest fears realized right away: The Hokies were laboring, See MCFARLING, 2 Inside this section SEC CHAMPIONSHIP HOWL TOP 25 No.

13 Georgia claims a spot in the Bowl No. 1 Southern Cal and No. 2 Texas combine for 136 points in easy wins Sugar by dominating third-ranked LSU to win the title game. to set up a showdown for the national championship in the Rose Bowl. 4 4.