OUR LEAGUE: Lalich heads west for next chapter of college career

Scattershooting around the ACC, while wishing the best of luck to Pete Lalich, who has transferred to Oregon State ...

Lalich, who was booted from Virginia’s program last week, was in Corvallis on Monday, taking in the Beavers’ practice. Oregon State plays No. 1 Southern California this week.

You think Lalich may have shared a little first-hand knowledge with Beavers’ coach Mike Riley? Lalich and UVa lost to USC in the season opener.

Lalich and his mom, Penny, took a red-eye flight home Tuesday night and Lalich had to write six essays as part of his admission to the school. He hopes to start classes there next Monday.

The former UVa starting quarterback considered UCLA and Cincinnati, but settled on Oregon State. Part of that choice may have been nudged along by Virginia coach Al Groh, who helped Lalich find another place to play.

Groh confirmed during Wednesday’s ACC coaches’ teleconference call that he assisted Lalich’s search but declined further comment on the matter.

“Mike Riley and I are good friends,” Groh said.

Mrs. Lalich said that she likes Riley and appreciated Groh’s help.

“Coach Groh highly recommended [Riley] to Peter and Peter to him,” she said. “Coach Groh has been wonderful to Peter [through the ordeal]. I have even gained respect for [Groh] during this nightmare.”

Mrs. Lalich went on to say that her son misses his old team.

“You will never know how proud Peter was to be a Cavalier,” she said. “He so loved his teammates and coaches and fellow students. I still get teary eyed when I think about what happened in Charlottesville.”

A second chance

One of Duke’s top defensive players, senior linebacker Michael Tauililli, who is averaging 10 tackles a game, is thankful that his school’s administration didn’t pull the plug on his career after he made a big mistake before the 2007 season started.

Only two days before Duke’s training camp ended last season, Tauililli was arrested and charged for a number of items that would make Pete Lalich’s infractions seem minute by comparison.

Durham police charged Tauililli for his part in an auto accident, including driving while impaired, failing to stop after an accident, assault by pointing a gun, carrying a concealed weapon, and simple assault. He, too, was 20 years old (under the North Carolina legal drinking age).

Former Duke coach Ted Roof suspended Tauililli for the season opener, was off limits to media all season and gave the player a strict set of rules to follow for the rest of the season.

“It was fine ... it was a good move by Coach,” Tauililli said. “It was good for me personally so I could get mentally focused on what was going on with the season. Coming back and being able to speak and represent the team in a better light is definitely a positive for me now. I learned so much from it. I definitely plan on not making that mistake again.”

Tauililli said he learned to be more conscious of his decision-making off the field.

Maybe sometimes coaches do know best.

What’s up at FSU?

Seminoles fans were stunned over the weekend when Wake Forest defeated FSU for the third straight season, perhaps another sign of the apocalypse.

What’s wrong with once powerful Florida State?

The answer my friend, is not blowing in the wind. It’s much simpler than that.

Look no further than the offensive line. Florida State has started the youngest offensive line in the nation so far: two true freshmen, one redshirt freshman, one true sophomore, and one redshirt sophomore.

No wonder the ’Noles’ best back, Antone Smith, had only 24 yards rushing against Wake.

Although give the Deacons credit. They have a good defense.

FSU is still getting players back from the off-seasoon academic suspension, with at least three key starters returning for this week’s game against Colorado.

The Streak

Duke coach David Cutcliffe was asked if he will use the Blue Devils’ 25-game ACC losing streak as motivation in preparation for Virginia this weekend. His Devils are a seven-point favorite over the Cavaliers in Durham, N.C.

“We talk about it,” Cutcliffe said. “I’m a big believer in being upfront. I’m not going to pound it into their head. Our redshirt seniors are 1-31 for their careers and 0-24 in their playing careers. They’re aware of it. They know we have to play better just to get into the game.”

On recruiting

Cutcliffe said that while scouting for potential quarterbacks, he watches a ton of tape and that he’s looking at ninth and 10th graders now.

He certainly has an eye for talent, having coaching both Peyton and Eli Manning.

“Right now I’m looking at [a high school quarterback prospect] who is 5-foot-10 that I think is a great player,” Cutcliffe said. “I’ve fallen in love with him already. He can spin it better than anybody I’ve seen. If I can sign him, I will.”

Stat of the Week

Virginia’s opponent this weekend, Duke, has outscored its three opponents by a 48-14 count in the second half thus far, including a key 34-7 margin in the third quarter.

Last season, Duke was outscored 181-96 in the second half (81-46 in the third quarter and 100-50 in the fourth).

Quote of the Week I

Frank Beamer on taking advice from fans:

“I don’t think you want to listen to what the fans say. If you listen to them too much, you’ll be sitting up there with them.”

Quote of the Week II

From Beamer again, on facing Nebraska:

“The tough part is turning on the video and seeing one of the biggest football teams I’ve ever seen. Their wide receivers are big, their tailbacks are big, their linemen are big. They’re huge.”

Quarterback roulette

ACC quarterbacks are certainly taking a beating so far this season.

Heading into this weekend, seven of the dozen ACC schools will have started at least two quarterbacks this season. Some have been because of injury, like Maryland, N.C. State and North Carolina.

Others have been for other reasons, although Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech have brought in other quarterbacks when the starter was nicked.

Virginia and Miami have both used two different starters and Florida State has used three different quarterbacks in its games although Seminoles offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher has stuck with Christian Ponder as the starter the entire time.

Several ACC coaches said during Wednesday’s teleconference that not having two quarterbacks ready to play is a big mistake. In fact, it’s not a bad idea to have three somewhat ready because if the starter goes down, then the reserve had better have a backup just in case he goes down as well.

“The NFL dramatically changed the amount of contact allowed on a quarterback,” said UNC coach Butch Davis, who will be starting a new QB this week against Miami. “College football is a little more liberal to the contact allowed on a quarterback than in the NFL.”

Speaking of the Tar Heels, they’ll start either redshirt freshman Mike Paulus or junior Cam Sexton. Paulus struggled last week when he took over for T.J. Yates and threw two interceptions and was sacked once by Virginia Tech.

Give ‘em time

Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said that piling on the ACC for losing nonconference games the first week of the season was a bit premature.

The league was 6-0 against nonconference competition last weekend and is 16-4 overall thus far.

“I said all along that you give this league enough games and we’re going to be just fine,” Beamer said. “The coaching is too good and the teams are solid. I don’t know that you judge [the ACC] over a weekend or even over a year. Over a period of time, the ACC is going to be just fine.”

Beamer’s Hokies face a tough nonconference trip this weekend to Nebraska.

He missed?

Wake Forest fans probably couldn’t believe that Deacons’ kicker Sam Swank missed three field goals in the win over Florida State last weekend. Of course, he made four others to account for all of Wake’s 12 points.

Swank is almost automatic, so much so that Coach Jim Grobe said he sometimes takes his superb kicker for granted.

“It’s a shock to everybody when he misses,” said Grobe, whose Deacs are the ACC’s only undefeated team.

The coach said that he was only concerned with one of the misses, a chip shot that showed a lack of concentration on Swank’s part. Another 48-yard attempt was struck well and just missed. Yet another, well, Grobe took the blame for.

“The first one was my fault,” Grobe said. “Florida State took a time out, then there was a TV time out. We had the field goal team standing out there a long time. I probably should have him come over and kick some into the net, but I’m not smart enough to do that.”

Grobe said kickers are like everyone else on the team and at some point they’re going to have a tough game.

“We’re not going to throw him away because he misses from time to time,” Grobe said.

ACC in NFL

The ACC is well represented in the NFL.

Virginia’s numbers are somewhat misrepresented because the graphic details players that were on opening-day rosters. Since that time, the Cavaliers now have 25 players on NFL rosters, which would tie UVa for the third-most in the league along with Virginia Tech, which is 14th nationally.

Short yardage ...

Wake Forest’s seniors will likely become the winningest class in school history, already compiling a record of 27-14 (the Deacs’ school high is 28-21 by last year’s senior class). ... Wake has won 23 of its last 30 games going back to the ‘06 season opener. ... Florida State coach Bobby Bowden was quick to point out that Wake is an experienced bunch. Said Bowden: “They have eight, fifth-year seniors. They’ve been pretty good the last couple of years, so imagine them coming back for a third year as starters.”. ... N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien will be starting his third quarterback of the season on Saturday when Harrison Beck takes over. ... If C.J. Spiller gains 88 yards rushing this weekend against Maryland, it will mean that Clemson has a 2,000-yard career rusher (Spiller), a 3,000-yard rusher (James Davis), and a 2,000-yard receiver (Aaron Kelly) on the same offense.

The picks

Last week: 4-4. To date: 27-9. This week: Boston College 33, Rhode Island 17; Clemson 24, Maryland 20; Florida State 23, Colorado 17; Miami 30, North Carolina 13; South Florida 31, N.C. State 23; Wake Forest 40, Navy 24; Nebraska 21, Virginia Tech 19; Virginia 20, Duke 19.