Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher and Virginia’s Mike London will be on opposite sidelines when their teams play Saturday night, but they share a common bond when it comes to two of their children.
Fisher’s youngest son Ethan, who is 6, has Fanconi anemia, a genetic disorder that causes bone-marrow failure and occurs in about one in every 131,000 children. London’s daughter, Ticynn, was diagnosed with the disease when she was 4 years old, but London was a bone-marrow transplant match for his daughter, who is now 16.
A match hasn’t been found for Ethan Fisher.
“When I found out that his son, Ethan, was diagnosed with that and that they were out trying to do whatever they could to find out more about it — to find out about the opportunities and research, what they needed to do — I immediately reached out to Coach Fisher,” London said. “We talked, not as two football coaches, but as two fathers, two fathers whose children — one who had gone through and one who is about to go through the process.”
London and Fisher shot a public-service announcement that will be shown at Doak Campbell Stadium during the game, which is crucial to Virginia’s Coastal Division title hopes.
Clemson already has clinched the Atlantic Division and a spot in the ACC championship game, but Virginia Tech and Virginia are battling for the other spot.
The formula is simple for the Hokies (9-1, 5-1 ACC).
They can wrap up the Coastal title if they defeat North Carolina on Thursday night and if FSU knocks off Virginia (7-3, 4-2).
However, if Virginia Tech loses to North Carolina, or if both the Hokies and Virginia either win or lose this week, the division championship will be decided when the in-state rivals face each other in Charlottesville on Nov. 26.
“There are a whole lot of things going on there,” London said. “Again, it’s an opportunity to show what type of team we are, what we can be.”
Burning question
Will North Carolina State’s David Amerson lead the nation in interceptions?
Amerson doesn’t talk much, but statistics say that the sophomore cornerback has a school-record 10 picks in 10 games, which leads the FBS (formerly Division I-A).
Georgia’s Bacarri Rambo and Kansas State’s Nigel Malone are second with seven each.
“He’s pretty modest about it,” linebacker Audie Cole told the Raleigh News and Observer. “He stays quiet and does his job.”
In fact, no FBS player has intercepted more than 10 passes in a season since Wisconsin’s Jim Leonhard had 11 in 2002. If Amerson maintains this pace, he will be the first player to average an interception a game since Georgia’s Terry Hoage (1.20) in 1982.
“... He has great instincts, and I think he has very good ability,” North Carolina State coach Tom O’Brien said earlier this year. “He’s a kid that has only been playing with us for two years, so he came into the scheme that — he’s learned it from the ground up. From Day 1, he’s come in and been coached to do what we want to do.”
Amerson is just one away from the ACC record of 11, set by North Carolina’s Dre Bly in 1996.
In focus
Florida State punter Shawn Powell (Darlington) has it all planned out if he ever scores a touchdown. But first, he has to talk Fisher into trying a fake punt.
“I told Coach Fisher not to meet me halfway, because [I’m going] to get all of my 15 yards,” Powell told seminoles.com. “I’m going to do a flip in the end zone, take off my helmet, maybe do a little Deion [Sanders] dance. I’m going to punt the ball into the stands. I’m going to go about 10 minutes because I’ve never scored a touchdown in my life. It would be the greatest moment ever.”
Until that time comes, Powell will be content on being one of the better punters in the nation.
He has averaged 47.1 yards — which would rank second in the FBS if he had punted enough to qualify — after punting five times for a 54.8 average in the Seminoles’ victory over Miami on Saturday.
Powell, who was the ACC’s specialist of the week, had 66- and 63-yard punts and booted a 51-yarder that went out of bounds at Miami’s 1-yard line. Another punt went out at the 6.
Only 12 of Powell’s 34 punts have been returned and 14 have pinned opponents inside their 20.
Etc.
Greg Reid (Lowndes) returned a punt 83 yards for a touchdown in FSU’s victory over Miami. It was the longest punt return in the ACC this season. ... Miami defensive end Shayon Green (Tift County) has battled a knee injury and has three tackles in two games. ... Jamal Bruce (Callaway) has four tackles in 10 games as a backup defensive tackle at Duke. ... Gabe Irby (Habersham Central) has played in one game at guard for Wake Forest.
Quotable
“We are fighting for a 10th win. We haven’t won 10 games in 21 years. That would be a big deal. A lot of these guys weren’t even born then. We have to finish strong and be our best. We have to keep moving forward. We can never be satisfied.” — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney
“It’s nice to be here at the end of the season and still have things to play for. Last year we had nothing other than pride to play for. Now we have an opportunity to be bowl eligible, but it’s not going to be easy. We have two really good teams coming to town.” — Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe on being 5-5 with Maryland and Vanderbilt left to play
By the numbers
1 Running back Orville Reynolds is the only freshman to play for Wake Forest this season.
320.8 ACC-leading total offense average of Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd. FSU quarterback E.J. Manuel is second at 257.4.
Schedule
Thursday
North Carolina at Virginia Tech, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday
Georgia Tech at Duke, 12:30 p.m. (WUPA)
Maryland at Wake Forest, 3 p.m. (FSSO)
Clemson at North Carolina State, 3:30 p.m. (ABC or ESPN)
Boston College at Notre Dame, 4 p.m. (NBC)
Virginia at Florida State, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
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