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Georgia Tech can book ACC title game berth at North Carolina

Nov 7, 2006 - 10:00 PM No. 19 Georgia Tech (7-2) at North Carolina (1-8), 12:00 pm EST

CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (Ticker) - A berth in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game is a foregone conclusion for Georgia Tech, but the Yellow Jackets would like to wrap it up this weekend.

The 19th-ranked Yellow Jackets look to win the ACC Coastal Division title when they visit lowly North Carolina on Saturday.

Georgia Tech (7-2, 5-1 ACC Coastal) needs just a victory against North Carolina or next week at home against Duke to reach the conference title game, and the Tar Heels and Blue Devils are a combined 1-17 this season.

The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 31-23 triumph at North Carolina State in which Calvin Johnson and James Johnson combined for four touchdown receptions from Reggie Ball, who tied a career record for TD passes in a game.

An All-American candidate, Johnson had nine catches for a career-high 168 yards and Tashard Choice rushed for a personal-best 164 yards on 34 carries for Georgia Tech, which took the lead for good on Travis Bell's 26-yard field goal with 9:09 to play.

The Tar Heels (1-8, 0-5 Coastal) remained winless against Division I-A opponents after losing to Notre Dame on the road, 45-26.

Joe Dailey threw for three touchdowns for North Carolina, which is playing out the season under lame-duck coach John Bunting.

The Yellow Jackets have won seven of the last eight meetings but lost the last one here, a 34-14 setback in 2004.