Robert Willett - rmillett@newsobserver.com

GREENVILLE -- East Carolina still has its Conference USA title to defend.

The big splash against name-brand opponent from a major conference will have to wait for another year after Thursday night's lackluster 16-3 loss to No. 22 Virginia Tech.

Staff video by Travis Long, Joe Giglio, Caulton Tudor

Topic: The big Duke-Carolina football game and Virginia Tech's trip to ECU.

The ACC has nine bowl tie-ins and three bowl-eligible teams (Georgia Tech, Miami, Boston College).

With a win this week, Clemson (5-3) and Virginia Tech (5-3) can push the total to five.

Maryland, Virginia and N.C. State are all but mathematically eliminated, leaving a group of four (UNC, Duke, Wake and FSU) for the final four spots.

All five in-state teams entered the season with big bowl hopes, in some cases bigger than others, but on Columbus Day only Wake Forest looks like slam-dunk for college football's bloated postseason.

The biggest problem for the Triangle contingent is a 6-6 record isn't good enough, thanks to the scheduling of two I-AA teams each.

Here's what the North Carolina teams have in front of them to qualify for a bowl:

If there's an ironic upside for ECU's fans to the team's disappointing performances in a narrow win over Appalachian State and pair of sobering losses at West Virginia and North Carolina, it has to be that Skip Holtz's lamp has dimmed.

Had the Pirates done as some pundits expected and opened 3-0, Holtz by now would be Topic-A among the thousands of disgruntled Virginia who are sizing up Al Groh's office for a new occupant, with more schools in similar situations to soon follow.

Tonight "CSI" Miami" begins its eighth season on CBS (10 p.m.) and even star Emily Procter, who plays Calleigh Duquesne, will tell you it's a year of change.

"That is an understatement," she says on the phone from Los Angeles. "They say everything changes every 7 years and that certainly applies to us."

If you haven't heard, Eric Delko (Adam Rodriguez) is leaving the show; he's scheduled to appear in about 10 episodes. (He's starring in the new Tyler Perry film "I Can Do Bad All By Myself" and has a role on "Ugly Betty.")

UNC, led by two freshmen receivers and a stout run defense defeat the ECU Pirates 31-17 at Kenan Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009.

Staff photo by Robert Willett 

Photo gallery: UNC 31, ECU 17

First Look: See 241 raw images from the game

CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina was waiting for its young receivers to emerge. Turns out all the Tar Heels needed was a visit from East Carolina.

No. 24 UNC beat ECU 31-17 on a breakout game from freshman receiver Erik Highsmith, who caught six passes for 113 yards and a touchdown.

First Look: Staff photojournalist Robert Willett's raw edit from the first half of the game in Chapel Hill on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009.

@ CHAPEL HILL

UNC 31, ECU 17 Final

• Dagger. Ryan Houston's second TD run makes it 31-17.

• Good drive by Pirates but they have to settle for a 22-yard FG by Ben Hartman