WFU says Price 'doubtful' after concussion

l Freshman quarterback Tanner Price is doubtful for Wake Forest’s game against Georgia Tech on Saturday.

Coach Jim Grobe said that sophomore Ted Stachitas is expected to start.

Price suffered a concussion in Saturday’s 31-0 loss at Florida State, and did not practice last night. Trainer Don Steelman said that Price will be evaluated throughout the week before his availability for Saturday is determined.

Regardless, Stachitas has been tabbed to make his third start of the season. Stachitas started the first two games against Presbyterian and Duke, but was sidelined for the second half against the Blue Devils because of a bruised left hand.

“He’s back up, and we felt it would be that way,’’ Grobe said of Stachitas’ return to the starting lineup. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Brendan Cross got some reps and maybe Sky Jones. Who knows? We’ll just kind of see how it goes.

“We kept looking until we found Riley (Skinner), and maybe Ted gets this opportunity and steps up, which we would expect. We thought enough of him to start him at the start of the season, and had he not gotten hurt who knows what would have happened.’’

Linebacker Scott Betros is doubtful for the Georgia Tech game because of a sprained ankle.

— Dan Collins

l Winston-Salem State broke into the American Football Coaches Association’s Division II Top 25 yesterday, coming in at No. 23 for its first national ranking since 2002. WSSU improved to 5-0 last Saturday with a 31-14 win at Fayetteville State.

“It’s great to be ranked, but the rankings don’t mean a lot in terms of playing for a national championship,” Coach Connell Maynor said in a release from the school. “We’re going to take things one game at a time. You can’t win a championship by being ranked. You’ve got to win them on the field.”

WSSU has its best record after five games since 1991, when it won the CIAA title and last appeared in the Division II playoffs.

Also yesterday, UNC Pembroke re-entered the poll at No. 24 after falling out last week.

— Phil Hrichak

l The ACC set a 3:30 start time for the Clemson at North Carolina game Oct. 9, with regional television coverage on ABC and national coverage on ESPN.

Other start times and TV coverage plans announced yesterday for Oct. 9 games were: Boston College at N.C. State (noon, ACC network); Central Michigan at Virginia Tech (noon, ESPNU); Virginia at Georgia Tech (3:30, ESPNU); Navy at Wake Forest (6:30); and Florida State at Miami (8 p.m., ABC).

l Running back Jeff Demps of Florida will miss practice this week with a bruised foot but could be back for Saturday’s game at No. 1 Alabama.

Coach Urban Meyer said yesterday that Demps was still wearing a protective boot on his left foot, which he bruised Sept. 18 at Tennessee and re-injured last weekend against Kentucky. Meyer said that tests showed no ligament damage or broken bones.

l N.C. State has announced a sellout for Saturday’s home game against Virginia Tech. Kickoff will be at 3:30 at Carter-Finley Stadium, with television coverage on ABC (WXLV Ch. 7).

l Receiver Chris Rainey, kicked off the team at Florida after being charged with aggravated stalking two weeks ago, agreed to a plea deal on a misdemeanor charge yesterday and must perform 10 hours of community service or pay $100 to a domestic-violence shelter. He also must undergo evaluation and any required counseling for anger-management and domestic-violence issues. If he completes those requirements and stays out of trouble for six months, the charge will be dismissed.

Coach Urban Meyer said yesterday that Rainey was still “not part of the team.” Asked whether Rainey definitely would not play Saturday against top-ranked Alabama, Meyer said, “This week? Oh, yeah.”

Rainey was arrested Sept. 14 and charged with aggravated stalking, a third-degree felony, after it was alleged that he sent a woman he used to date a text message that read, in part, “Time to die ....” The woman said in court that she did not want Rainey prosecuted.

l Coach Rich Rodriguez of Michigan expects quarterback Denard Robinson’s bruised left knee to be healthy enough for him to play at Indiana on Saturday but limited Robinson’s activity yesterday with the hope that he can practice today. Robinson left Saturday’s game against Bowling Green with an injured left knee.