Sports > September 6, 2007

By James Burnett | Contributing writer

Sorry Deacons, it just wasn’t our weekend. After a very tight BC loss, and a squeak by win by our new rivals the Louisville Cardinals’ (73-10 over Murray State), Deacon Nation has got to be feeling a little low in spirits.

Were we unlucky this weekend?

Yes. During a pivotal drive in the third quarter our backs were broken as an attempted reverse was snuffed out by a defensive lineman on the quintessential “look what I found” play.

As redshirt senior wide receiver Kenneth Moore took the usual Wake reverse, a BC defensive lineman literally fell through two blockers directly into Moore’s path.

A ten-yard loss and a sack later, the score remained 28-35. From then on, the Deacs were unable to mount much of a comeback.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

At least we are not Michigan. As if taken directly from the pages of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Appalachian State crept into the Big House and took everything.

There will be no championships and no storybook endings for seniors Chad Henne and Mike Hart.

Unfortunately it is very hard to compare Mario Manningham to a small Who living on a snowflake, so the comparison ends here.

Instead Lloyd Carr has to explain to the school, the fans and, most importantly, his players why there will be no Christmas this year. (Can you say “lets do the Outback Bowl tonight”?)

How a Division I-AA team located in Boone, N.C., defeated the preseason No. 5 team in America, and perhaps why he should be allowed to keep his job.

This defeat also sheds some light on another growing trend in NCAA football – parity.

Last year the Demon Deacons were the poster children for what was once a little-known concept in college football.

Like a mid-major team storming through the NCAA tournament, the Deacs accomplished what no one thought was possible, even in what was considered a “down year” for the ACC.

The same resounding effect was felt as Boise State crashed the BCS in stunning fashion.

The Big East itself acts as a breeding ground for potential upsets, with multiple teams serving as perennial underdogs that no one really wants to play (Rutgers, Louisville, West Virginia, South Florida).

In reality this weekend’s upset was inevitable.

Just as the No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament will eventually lose to the 16 seed, so is the preseason football top 10 destined for Michigan’s fate as they continue to open the season with out of conference cake walks.

Most D-1 teams will be thinking twice now before scheduling season openers against former 1-AA champions, especially the Mountaineers who became the first 1-AA team to beat a 1-A team since 1978 , according to ESPN.com.

So take heart Deacon fans, there is still hope.

A few untimely injuries (specifically Riley Skinner), a nameless defensive formation involving two of four linemen dropping into zone coverage and a nonexistent ground attack leave us with many more questions than answers.

However, as Appalachian State showed us this weekend, all it takes is four quarters to make everyone believe again.