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Canes Control Destiny In ACC

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By PAUL NEWBERRY

The Associated Press

Published: November 20, 2008

ATLANTA - Look who's back in the rankings and trying to nail down a championship.

Yep, it's the Miami Hurricanes, who have reason to be proud even if this sort of thing was once the norm.

Trying to break away from the pack in the convoluted Atlantic Coast Conference, No. 23 Miami can move a step closer to locking down a division title with a win against Georgia Tech (7-3, 4-3 ACC) tonight. In fact, the Hurricanes could be celebrating as soon as Saturday if they win their sixth in a row and one or two games go their way.

"It's a good feeling, but to control our own fate, we've got to win tonight," offensive tackle Jason Fox said. "That's our only focus right now, and that's what is on everybody's mind - just Georgia Tech. We'll worry about the other stuff when we get there."

Miami will go into a game with a ranking for the first time in more than two years. The Hurricanes had been missing from 41 straight polls.

But second-year coach Randy Shannon has turned things around. Even with a redshirt freshman quarterback and a roster full of youngsters, the Hurricanes (7-3, 4-2) have gone more than a month without a loss to claim sole possession of first place in the Coastal Division.

In a league where nine teams are still in the running for two spots in the ACC Championship Game in Tampa on Dec. 6, the Hurricanes are one of three that doesn't have to worry about what anyone else does.

"We've never really talked about it, but it was on my mind," quarterback Robert Marve of Plant High said. "Are they going to lose? Aren't they going to lose? Who are they playing? I was trying to figure everything out, but it's simple now. Win, and we keep going."

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