STORYLINE & RULES » . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in f

Atlantic Coast Conference teams are getting it done with some of the top defenses in the country.Four league teams rank in the top 11 in FBS total defense this week with Boston College (292.9 yards allowed per game) leading the pack at No. 7 just ahead of Clemson (298.6) at No. 8. Louisville (301.3) and Virginia Tech (302.0) are close behind at 10th and 11th respectively.All but BC have winning records, are in the Top 25 and have chance to win their respective divisions.How stingy their defenses play will likely determine how far they go.Every week you come in and its like, `OK, its the No. 1 defense, its the No. 8 defense, its the No. 10, Clemson co-offensive coordinator Tony Elliott said of what he faces each week. But I dont think our guys would have it any other way. ... As a coach youre like, `Man, when are you going to get one not ranked in the top 10? but at the same time, thats what really motivates your guys to perform.Stout defenses are not new in the ACC. Six teams ranked in the top 20 this time last season and five in the top 15 just last week.Former NFL Pro Bowl linebacker and current ESPN analyst Jonathan Vilma believes the defensive success is the result of schools finding recruits who can play right away and develop through experience. He also believes the ACC plays a more wide-open style that dictates having versatile athletes.You look at how North Carolina and Clemson like to open it up, Vilma said, so the style of defense is about having athletes can cover men and play good man defense on the outside with slot corners or (linebackers). Theyre physical at the point, can run sideline to sideline and can cover and/or tight ends.Continuity also helps.A key move by first-year Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente was convincing defensive coordinator Bud Foster to stay on staff and help rebuild a unit that ranked 42nd at this point last year.Opponents have converted less than 25 percent on third down this season against the Hokies, tops in the ACC, and they are second in the league in pass defense efficiency and red zone conversions. Take away a 31-17 loss at Syracuse and theyve outscored four recent opponents 174-36, including a 34-3 win at North Carolina.Any time youre together that long with a group of guys that youve recruited and really built a defense around what you want to do, youll be pretty good, Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said of Fosters defense.Yards might be hard to come by Thursday night in Pittsburgh when the Hokies visit to face the Panthers, who rank fifth against the run (96.6 yards).No matter where teams are ranked, Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson expects ACC foes to make it challenging to score points and gain yardage.Its getting harder and harder, Johnson said. Its like Ive said all along, this is the best the league has been defensively, I think, from top to bottom. There have been good teams in the past but overall top to bottom, this is the best its been defensively -- at least the teams weve played so far.The stinginess displayed by Clemson and Louisville has demonstrated there is much more to the Tigers and Cardinals than their respective dynamic quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Lamar Jackson.Practicing against those dual-threat players every day has helped the teams defenses.I think our defensive players understand the attention on Jackson, said Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, whose team has held Duke and North Carolina State to 489 combined yards the past two weeks.I tell them every day that we score points because our defense gets turnovers and gets short fields and scores, (along with) our special teams. Its all about the team and when you score points, its the team that scores points.But numbers only tell part of the story.Timely defensive stops have decided several big ACC matchups this season, few bigger than Clemsons overtime interception against N.C. State two weeks ago that sealed a 24-17 win . The Tigers committed four turnovers and had one converted into a touchdown before getting the takeaway that kept them unbeaten.That game capped a challenging stretch in which Clemson faced Louisville, BC and N.C. State, which ranked 26th at the time. The Tigers return from a bye to face another hurdle Saturday night at No. 12 Florida State, which is 55th defensively nationally but doesnt give ground in Doak Campbell Stadium.These days, not many ACC teams are giving up much of anything.---AP Sports Writers Hank Kurz Jr. in Blacksburg, Virginia, Pete Iacobelli in Clemson, South Carolina, and Charles Odum in Atlanta contributed to this report.---The APs college football page: collegefootball.ap.org Serge Ibaka Raptors Jersey . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Fred VanVleet Raptors Jersey . Fred Couples, captain of the U.S. side, put it all into perspective. "We know whos in charge," he said. http://www.nbaraptorsonline.com/Authentic-Marc-Gasol-Jersey/ . Team physician Dr. Steve Traina performed the surgery Friday. Robinson was injured in a spill underneath the Nuggets basket during the first quarter of Wednesday nights loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Vince Carter Jersey . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. Vince Carter Raptors Jersey . After Martin Skrtel put the Reds in front from close range at Stamford Bridge after only four minutes, Hazard hit back in the 17th with a superb strike. Etoo gave Jose Mourinhos team a decisive lead from Oscars back pass in the 34th. LYNCHBURG, Va. -- Caleb Homesley scored 15 points and set career highs with 11 rebounds and three blocks, and Liberty pulled away in the second half to beat Division II-member Central Pennsylvania College 62-48 on Tuesday night.Tied at 22 at halftime, Liberty pulled ahead 39-34 on Homesleys free throw and led 53-43 on a 3 by Georgie Pacheco-Ortiz with 2:38 left.The Flames shot 28 percent in the first half (9 of 27) and finished shooting 35.3 percent from the field.Ryan Kemrite scored 12 ppoints and grabbed five rebounds before fouling out for the Flames (4-3).dddddddddddd Myo Baxter-Bell scored 12 points and Liberty got 24 points from its bench compared with 12 for Central Penn.Tyrie Orosco led the Knights with 13 points and eight rebounds. Central Penn shot 25.5 percent from the floor (14 of 55) and made just 3 of 24 3-pointers (12.5 percent). ' ' '