Taking advantage of turnovers key to ACC success

By Lee Roberts  |   Wednesday, November 19, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

College Football
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Common football theory suggests that the team that wins the turnover battle will win the game. With ACC front-runners Maryland and Miami having negative turnover margins this season, perhaps some adjustments need to be made to the hypothesis. It doesn’t do a team any good to force turnovers unless it's capitalizing with points.

Wake Forest, North Carolina and Virginia Tech lead the ACC in turnover margin. While all three teams will go bowling this year, they all also need some help to win their divisions and surpass Maryland and Miami in the standings. The Demon Deacons lead the way with a plus-14 turnover margin, despite a six-giveaway performance against Navy. However, the Deacons have struggled to 6-4 despite many people thinking they had a chance for a 10-win season.

A look at Wake Forest’s loss to N.C. State will help demonstrate the need for teams to produce points off turnovers. In this game, each team had one turnover. N.C. State picked off Riley Skinner at its own 18-yard line and proceeded to drive 82 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, N.C. State fumbled on its own 13 and Wake Forest recovered. After gaining only 6 yards on three plays, Wake Forest kicked a field goal. The Demon Deacons lost by four points – the difference between a touchdown and a field goal.

In North Carolina’s loss to Maryland, the Tar Heels forced a fumble at the Maryland 35 while leading 15-14. North Carolina ran three plays for no yards and punted the ball back to Maryland. Even just a field goal would have forced the Terrapins to score a touchdown to win, but Maryland was instead able to drive down and kick a field goal for the victory.

These types of scenarios are taking place all over the league. Boston College scored 10 points off turnovers against Florida State and won, 27-17. Miami prevented Virginia Tech from capitalizing on the one turnover it forced during their matchup and won by two points. In a league as wide open as the ACC, the teams that take advantage of the opportunities created by turnovers are the ones that will rise to the top.

It seems every talking head’s analysis of the ACC is, “I can’t figure out what’s going to happen in this league.” These experts just aren’t trying hard enough. The teams that translate turnovers into points and prevent their opponents from doing so are the ones that will be playing in the conference title game in Tampa. See? It’s not that hard to figure out.
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About Lee Roberts

Born in Richmond, Va, I moved south to UNC-Chapel Hill for college and received a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. I currently live in Charlotte, NC and cover Auburn, LSU and the ...
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