CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The rain from Hurricane Matthew kept coming. So too did Virginia Techs aggressive defense, along with an offense that kept chipping away through its own mistakes.Consider it proof that the No. 25 Hokies are catching on to what their new coach is preaching.Jerod Evans accounted for three touchdowns while the defense shut down No. 17 North Carolina in a 34-3 road win Saturday played in heavy rain the hurricane brought as it made its trek north.What I do like is I do think theyre good listeners, Virginia Tech coach Justin Fuente said. I do think theyre listening to our process.Since a Week 2 loss to Tennessee, Virginia Tech has won three straight blowouts -- this one against the reigning Coastal Division champion Tar Heels (4-2, 2-1), who had beaten Pittsburgh and Florida State on last-second scores in the past two weeks.Simply put, the Hokies were tougher than both the Tar Heels and the unfavorable conditions.Were tired of hearing about everybody else, Evans said. Were tired of hearing about UNC, Miami, Clemson, Louisville, etc. Those are great teams, dont get me wrong. ... But at the same time, we feel like we should be mentioned in those categories with those guys. So every week we have a statement we want to make.The Hokies had their share of weather-related troubles, including seven fumbles, bobbled snaps and a season-low 264 yards.But Bud Fosters defense locked down on UNCs Mitch Trubisky, who entered as one of the nations top passers. UNC finished with 131 yards, with Trubisky throwing his first two interceptions of the year, while the Hokies scored 20 points off four turnovers.UNC, playing without injured top tailback Elijah Hood, failed to score a touchdown for the first time under fifth-year coach Larry Fedora.They were in the right spots when I couldnt put the ball in the right place, Trubisky said. They were there to make the play and break it up. Overall I dont blame it on the weather. I just think it was us.THE TAKEAWAYVIRGINIA TECH: Theres that familiar bring-your-lunch-pail edge taking shape with this group. Virginia Techs nationally ranked defense won battles up front, while its offense did a much better job fighting through the weather conditions.They know what the tradition is and the expectations are, Foster said. And theyre working extremely hard to live up to those and get it back to that.NORTH CAROLINA: The wet weather doesnt fully explain why the Tar Heels high-flying offense looked so, well, waterlogged. They never got in rhythm and never responded as the Hokies pushed through them -- a curious all-around clunker for a surging team.Im not going to blame it on the weather, Fedora said. They played in it, too. They seemed to handle the weather. We did a poor job all the way around.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Hokies slipped into the AP Top 25 after a bye week and look like theyll stick around a while. As for the Tar Heels, they fell out of the rankings after a season-opening loss to Georgia, then returned this week for what could be another brief stay.SPUTTERING OFFENSEUNCs 131 yards were its lowest since a 1999 loss to Wake Forest, while the 31-point margin of defeat was the worst for UNC since a 41-10 loss to rival North Carolina State in 2008. Trubisky, who entered with three straight 400-yard passing games, threw for 58 yards.And receiver Ryan Switzer, who had a two-game ACC record of 30 catches against Pitt and FSU, had two catches for 2 yards with a couple of drops.WEATHER ISSUESThe rain was in full force roughly two hours before the game kicked off, and didnt let up. That meant a sparse and soaked crowd for one of UNCs biggest home games, with plenty of Hokies fans making the trip.The National Weather Services Raleigh office reported Hurricane Matthew brought nearly 9 inches of rain in nearby Raleigh between midnight and 8 p.m.UP NEXTVIRGINIA TECH: The Hokies play a cross-division game at Syracuse in their first meeting since 2003.NORTH CAROLINA: The Tar Heels travel to No. 10 Miami in another critical Coastal matchup, with the home teams winning the past two seasons by a combined 55 points.---Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap and the APs college football site at http://collegefootball.ap.org Adidas NHL Jerseys Autographed . Arsenal failed to take full advantage of its main rivals stumbles on Saturday as substitute Gerard Deulofeu levelled with a hard shot from a tight angle in the 84th minute to give Everton a deserved point. Ahead of a crucial fortnight that will see them play against Napoli in the Champions League, Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal leads by five points ahead of Liverpool and Chelsea. Stitched Adidas NHL Jerseys . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. http://www.cheapnhljerseyssigned.com/ . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. Signed Adidas NHL Jerseys . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Authentic Adidas NHL Gear . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. Call me a Cinderella cyclist. Im happy to gear up and ride anywhere, anytime -- until the clock strikes a certain witching hour. Then Im pedaling home hard to beat the sinking sun. Riding at night is an activity Ive avoided since I picked up road biking a decade ago. Id sooner hop on an indoor stationary bike to train for triathlons and even longer races, like centuries and gran fondos, than hit the road when the streetlights come on.Why am I so afraid of the dark? For starters, I dont trust drivers partly because, as a native New Yorker, I never got my license. I worry that I dont understand how folks behind the wheel think. These four-wheeled beasts feel foreign to me and my two-wheeled steed. It doesnt help knowing that more than 800 people lost their lives in a bicycle and motor vehicle collision in 2015, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. One in five of these fatal crashes happened between 6 p.m. and 8:59 p.m., reports the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center.Bottom line: I love my life, and putting it on the line for an evening ride never seemed worthwhile to me. I know that sounds dramatic, especially to some of my daring friends who think Im being overly cautious. Theyve long told me how peaceful and fun night riding can be. I dont doubt it. I know this bustling city, particularly Brooklyn where I live, can feel calmer in the darkness when everyones winding down from their workday. And frankly, as an anxious person, a little calm would do me good. In those ways, I realize Im missing out. This is why I was open to the idea of getting the right safety gear to finally give this a go.The detailsWhen I received an opportunity to test the new Visijax LED Cycling Jacket with Turn Signals from Sharper Image ($154.99, sharperimage.com), I initially wrote it off for the aforementioned reasons. But it stayed with me. Truth is, the best story ideas scare me a little. And I really do wish I were brave enough to bike at night for fun. A few days later, I returned to the website to watch the video on how it works and then read reviews on Visijax.com. One customer comment in particular gave me some hope: The lights are really, really bright and even when theyre not on, the yellow is unmissable. So I ordered one.Unlike my other cycling jackets, this unisex model had 23 built-in LED lights and reflectors strategically placed throughout, including the chest, arms and back. It comes with a small, lightweight, rechargeable Lithium-ion battery pack that lasts roughly 30 hours. It discreetly plugs into the jacket via an inside pocket and hidden cable.Flicking the lights on or off is easy. You just push the power button sticker on the front of the jacket, which connects to the battery, and choose from three operating modes: one tap to switch on front and rear lights (slow flash), a second tap for quick flashing mode, and a third to display all lights with no flashing. A fourth tap turns it all off and youre back to just a regular, no-frills neon jacket.The coolest part: Motion-activated turn signals in the sleeves (on the front and back, just below the shoulders) flash for about 5 to 10 seconds when you indicate youre heading left or right. This way, youre better able to communicate your riding intentions to others at all times.The testOn an unusually warm night this fall, my friend Tishon met me outsidee my Brooklyn apartment at 7:15 p.ddddddddddddm. to bike about eight miles round-trip, heading north towards Williamsburg. I felt good about this little adventure because its a route Ive done many times in daylight and Tishons one of my badass friends who enjoys pedaling after hours. The minute I walked outside and switched on the jacket, I lit up like a Christmas tree. From the look of surprise on Tishons face, it really felt like Xmas, too.We laughed over my light show, then hit the road, down the highly trafficked street of Vanderbilt Ave. Using the well-marked bike lanes helped ease my nerves. My jacket was so bright that I didnt even use my standard mounted bike lights. When it was time to make a right turn, I happily flung my arms out to signal my plans. So far, so good.Once in Williamsburg, we veered to the left (arm up!) to this hidden little park overlooking the East River and Manhattans twinkling skyline. Then, after about 20 minutes of star and skyscraper gazing, we headed back south, toward home, but first we stopped for tacos. This afforded me another half-dozen brilliant turns onto main roads and side streets. By the time we got to my apartment around 10 p.m., I felt like a bonafide night rider. The cherry on top was when my neighbor Pepper, who was standing outside the building, looked at my shining armor with envy and asked where she could get one.What I likedFull disclosure: I love bright things. I own a fluorescent pink bike helmet and snazzy white sneakers. So I was kinda excited to wear this highlighter-yellow number out in public. That said, even I was a little self-conscious (see cons below), but I did feel very hard-to-miss. Knowing that my fashion statement would stop traffic did make me feel extra safe. This ultimately allowed me to enjoy stepping outside my comfort zone and expand my little world.What I didnt likeAs much as I love all that glitters and glows, I still felt a little shy in this hello-high-beams number. Its hard not to feel geeky in safety apparel in general (looking at you, knee pads), especially something this eye-catching. Also, I was pretty warm under all of these lights. The rainproof fabric, coated with Teflon to keep you dry, is breathable thanks to air vents, but on this temperate night it felt toasty. I had to roll up the sleeves to my elbows to let in the cool breeze as we rode, and that seemed to do the trick.Another concern: The motion sensors didnt always pick up on my turn signals. As the night wore on, my gestures became a bit more elaborate to set off the flashing. That could be because I only charged the battery for an hour beforehand. It probably needed a few more hours to be fully charged.Worth it?Yes, though I havent completely gone to the dark side. Riding on a cool, sunny day in a car-free zone will always be my preference. But with this jacket, I feel less vulnerable, more protected and truly open to opportunities to experience my favorite activity in a new way. In fact, I already have evening plans with another friend to hit the town on two wheels next week. Yup, Im officially taking this dazzling show on the road, and would recommend it if visibility is one of the key reasons holding you back from riding at night too. cheap falcons jerseys cheap ravens jerseys cheap bills jerseys cheap bears jerseys cheap bengals jerseys cheap cowboys jerseys cheap lions jerseys cheap texans jerseys cheap colts jerseys cheap jaguars jerseys cheap chiefs jerseys cheap rams jerseys cheap dolphins jerseys cheap vikings jerseys cheap saints jerseys cheap giants jerseys cheap jets jerseys cheap eagles jerseys cheap steelers jerseys cheap 49ers jerseys ' ' '