With nothing left to lose, Virginia emptied the playbook and enjoyed some of its biggest gains of the season. But like almost everything else this year, the momentum came crashing down. Mikell Simpson was injured, Jameel Sewell was sacked six times in the fourth quarter, and Virginia’s players walked off the field behind police escort as Clemson’s fans stormed the field to celebrate a division title.

W hen: 3:30 p.m. O n the air: TV - ABC; radio -WRVA (1140), 2:30 Records: Virginia 2-4 ACC, 3-7; Clemson 5-2, 7-3
  Players to watch: U.Va. - LB Steve Greer, 80 tackles, 1 sack; RB Rashawn Jackson, 5.3 yards per carry, 2 TDs; QB Jameel Sewell, 6 TDs, 174 yards per game, 53.0 completion percentage. Clemson - LB Kavell Conner (Manchester), 63 tackles, 1 sack; DE Andre Branch (Varina) 33 tackles, 1 sack; RB C.J. Spiller, 312 all-purpose yards vs. Florida State.

As outside observers start to write the final words on the Al Groh era at Virginia, the coach is working to keep things the same with his team. When asked how he planned to prepare for today’s game against Clemson, he borrowed some advice from golf. “Pick out your target, block out all distractions, and take dead aim,“ he said. “That’s how we compete from week to week.

Kendric Burney returned one of his three interceptions for a 77-yard touchdown and his third pickoff resulted in a bizarre fourth-quarter score that helped North Carolina beat No. 12 Miami 33-24 yesterday in an Atlantic Coast Conference game. Burney fumbled his third interception on what looked to be a pass, but Melvin Williams picked up the loose ball and ran the last 44 yards for a score. The touchdown held up on review after replays showed the ball slipping from Burney’s hand, confirming a play that gave the Tar Heels (3-3, 7-3) a 30-17 lead with about 9½ minutes left.

RALEIGH, N.C. - Russell Wilson threw three touchdowns and ran for another, and N.C. State snapped a four-game losing streak by holding off Maryland 38-31 yesterday in a matchup of the ACC Atlantic Division’s worst teams. Wilson was 25-for-38 for 343 yards and the Wolfpack (1-4, 4-5) made just enough plays to secure their second win against a Bowl Subdivision opponent. The teams combined for 752 total yards.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.—Jacory Harris threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Travis Benjamin with 1:08 left, and No. 18 Miami rallied to beat Wake Forest 28-27 yesterday. Harris threw for 330 yards and three TDs for the Hurricanes (3-2, 6-2), who trailed 27-14 going into the fourth quarter. Miami took advantage of a muffed punt to score a TD, then took its first lead when Harris directed an 82-yard scoring drive in the final minutes.

A Connecticut player who was an expectant father was stabbed to death early yesterday after an on-campus dance, just hours after helping his team to a homecoming victory. Jasper Howard, 20, of Miami, and another student were stabbed during a fight after a fire alarm was pulled during a university sanctioned dance at the UConn Student Union just after 12:30 a.m., police said.

Clemson tailback C.J. Spiller said he’ll play Saturday against No. 15 TCU despite a toe injury. The Tigers’ star did not return after the second of two rain delays in last week’s 25-7 victory over Boston College. Spiller first had the problem in the season-opening win over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 5 when he came out early in the second quarter.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Robert Griffin completed his first eight passes, finishing with 136 yards passing and a touchdown, to help Baylor beat Wake Forest 24-21 yesterday. Kendall Wright ran for a TD, wide receiver Ernest Smith passed for a score and David Gettis caught one for the Bears, who opened last season with a 41-13 home loss to the Demon Deacons.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - There’s less of Ralph Friedgen on the Maryland sideline these days, thanks to a diet that has enabled the Terrapins’ coach to drop 105 pounds. Friedgen won’t say how much he weighed before he began the diet in October, but this is certain: He was well over 300 pounds and not in a very healthy place. “A couple of years back, I looked into doing lap band surgery, and then a week away I decided not to do it because it would limit what I could eat and how I could eat it,“ Friedgen said yesterday. “But the doctors had told me when things start going bad, being overweight, they’re going to go bad fast.“

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Atlantic Coast Conference’s football championship game is moving back to prime-time television. The ACC said yesterday this year’s game will kick off at 8 p.m. on Dec. 5 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. ESPN will broadcast the game. It’s the first prime-time kickoff for the ACC title game since the inaugural contest in 2005. The game has started at 1 p.m. in each of the past three seasons. ABC televised the first four title games.

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Clemson coach Oliver Purnell has agreed to a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the Tigers through 2016 - and keep him the school’s highest-paid coach. While the deal hasn’t been signed, Purnell, a former Old Dominion coach, and Athletic Director Terry Don Phillips have signed a memoradum of understanding dated June 1 that outlines the improved package.

South Region Wolverines’ zone sends Tigers home Michigan’s defense leaves Clemson befuddled in narrow first-round win KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Shot after shot clanged off the rim, if they hit anything at all. Jumpers, 3-pointers, layups—didn’t matter. Clemson just couldn’t figure out Michigan’s zone defense. Michigan stymied Clemson with its 1-3-1 defense and survived a late scare in its first NCAA tournament game in 11 years, beating the Tigers 62-59 in the first round of the South Region last night.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—Shot after shot clanged off the rim, if they hit anything at all. Jumpers, 3-pointers, layups—didn’t matter. Clemson just couldn’t figure out Michigan’s zone defense. Michigan stymied Clemson with its 1-3-1 defense and survived a late scare in its first NCAA tournament game in 11 years, beating the Tigers 62-59 in the first round of South Regional on Thursday night.

For a half, it was a fiercely contested ACC men’s basketball game. After that, it was no contest. The Clemson Tigers, who lost in overtime to the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena last month, avenged that defeat in emphatic fashion last night. The 18th-ranked Tigers celebrated Senior Night by crushing the Cavaliers 75-57 at Littlejohn Coliseum.