Virginia Tech and South Carolina to clash in Atlanta with deep family ties

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Virginia Tech opens its fourth season under Brent Pry with a marquee game against South Carolina in Atlanta on Aug. 31, marking a meeting of two programs with deep ties to one family.

The Gamecocks are coached by Shane Beamer, the son of former longtime Hokies coach Frank Beamer. Frank Beamer coached Virginia Tech for 29 years with a run as a perennial bowl team — including playing for the national championship for the 1999 season — while winning 238 games.

So Pry faced a tough question: who will Beamer be rooting for?

“He loves Virginia Tech an awful lot but he loves his son first,” Pry said with a chuckle. “I think if you ask Frank’s wife, she’d be like, ’My son is where it’s at, you kidding me?’”

Pry said he had mentioned the opener to Beamer.

“He said, ’I just want both teams to play really well,’” Pry said. “It’s pretty awesome for him and his family, I think, to have this game. It’s a great setup, appreciate the folks that planned it. It’s an awesome opportunity for our team. But the connection between the Beamers and Virginia Tech, it’s got a nice storyline to it.”

Hey, what about the Wolfpack?

Just moments after North Carolina's Bill Belichick and Clemson's Dabo Swinney held court to a packed interview room at ACC media days, North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren and his players arrived to much less fanfare. Only a few handful of reporters remained to hear what the Wolfpack had to say.

That lack of attention didn't surprise NC State quarterback CJ Bailey.

“I do feel like we’re the underdogs,” Bailey said. “We have so much to prove and I can’t wait to show it. There’s a lot of people that don’t believe that NC State football can make it to ACC championship and win it, and I think we can because we have a lot of brotherhood.”

Bailey said NC State is motivated by a rough 6-7 season a year ago under Doeren that culminated in a 26-21 loss to in-state rival East Carolina in the Go Bowling Military Bowl.

“The things we went through last year, especially the guys that returned, they saw what happened,” Bailey said. “We need to do more this year.”

Different muscles

Duke’s Wesley Williams has found a new test beyond chasing down quarterbacks: hot yoga and Pilates.

And it wasn’t because of some long-thought-out plan, either.

“Truth be told, my girlfriend,” Williams said. “She said, ’You’re coming with me.’”

The 6-foot-3, 278 pound defensive end who had nine sacks last year said he has been going to those types of classes about once or twice per week during the summer. And he’s gotten feedback from scouting experts saying it’s the kind of training pro players are utilizing more.

Williams said it’s improved his core strength. It’s also required some humility.

“I’ve looked bad in those classes before,” he said with a laugh. “The ladies in there, they’ll tell you I look horrible, catching cramps in there, the whole nine yards. It’s gotten pretty bad, but honestly it’s really fun.

“It’s just different muscles. You’ve got to respect every type of workout. You go in there thinking you’re the big dog because you can bench and squat, and it means nothing in there.”

Boston College WR eyes record

Boston College wide receiver Lewis Bond is zeroing in on Zay Flowers’ school record for career receptions and yards receiving this season. Lewis enters his third season as a starter needing 75 receptions and 1,665 yards to break the mark set by Flowers, who is now catching passes from Lamar Jackson with the Baltimore Ravens.

“It’s definitely something I’ve thought about,” Bond said. “It’s a big accomplishment if I can do it. But I’m more focused on the team, more focused on winning games for the team, and that’ll come naturally. That’s what OB says. He says personal goals will come if the team accomplishes the goals we’ve trying to accomplish.”

Bond emerged as the Eagles’ most dangerous weapon over the past two seasons with 1,335 yards receiving and 119 catches during that span.

He’s hoping it’s enough to garner attention from NFL scouts.

“I guess it would show the next level that I’ve been consistent for three years and also improvement over those three years. So that would be the biggest thing,” Bond said.

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AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football