This year is one of reckoning as the ACC garnered just a little bit of national respect for sending a record ten teams to bowl games. The recently maligned league has two jobs entering the 2009 season; continue the improvement made through upgrading coaching, facilities and talent level and work to maintain some of the national spotlight. With several critical out of conference dates for the ACC’s contenders we’ll take a look at the ten most critical games for the ACC and its national perception.
#10 Oklahoma @ Miami on October 3rd
No one expects the young Canes to win this game early in the season and rightfully so; the Sooners return plenty of firepower from their Big XII Championship team. The young Randy Shannon has been to only one lower tier bowl game so it would seem Big Game Bob Stoops has the Hurricanes overmatched at every turn heading into this contest. It’s the very obvious "haves" of OU versus the "not sure what we have yets." With the OU team going up for their second straight BCS title game appearance this is a great measuring stick for Shannon’s young team. If the Canes can keep it close, or pull off the improbable upset, this would be a solid hat tip to the improving ACC.
#9 Florida State @ Florida on November 28th
The annual contest of the North Florida rivals was a slopfest a season ago that saw the eventual national champions run roughshod through an inexperienced, offensively inept Florida State team. This game will be another measuring stick more than a slug it out battle of the nineties. The Noles are trying to comeback to prominence and their performance will show Bobby Bowden, Mickey Andrews and most importantly Jimbo Fisher how much further the Tallahassee squad must climb to return to the glory of a decade ago.
#8 Boston College @ Notre Dame on October 24th
Last years Atlantic Champs have lost quite a bit including two of the top four defensive tackles taken in this years NFL draft; their second coach in as many seasons and two starting linebackers for the season. New "old" coach Frank Spaziani makes his first trip to South Bend at the helm after handling this rivalry from the defensive coordinator position over the last decade. The Irish appear poised for a break out season after two years of subpar football and the Eagles look to be set for a down year. BC has beaten Notre Dame handily each of the last two seasons but without a proven quarterback and questions on defense that streak could be coming to an end quickly. However, a win here over a hyped ND squad would be a solid coup for the league.
#7 Virginia Tech @ East Carolina on November 5th
The Hokies first and foremost need revenge for a season opening loss in 2008. East Carolina is a potential BCS buster out of Conference-USA and entering 2009 both teams are drastically improved from last years opener. For ECU Pickney is the full time gamer and Skip Holtz’s Pirates return a total of 16 starters. The Hokies have a weapon, in Tyrod Taylor that the Beamer opted not to utilize in last season’s close loss and the freshman receiving and running back core is a year older and Orange Bowl tested. A loss to a non-BCS opponent would be brutal for the ACC here and what’s worse is a loss to East Carolina would send a shockwave through the region.
#6 East Carolina @ North Carolina on September 9th
Two seasons ago Butch Davis was baptized into this largely one sided rivalry as the Pirates packed Dowdy-Ficklen and beat the state’s flagship university. Davis knows full well how pesky a confident ECU can be as they were a thorn in the side of his Canes. A lot has changed since 2007 and the Heels look to prove they’re "The Old North State’s" true big boys by winning. While a Hokie loss is worse nationally for the ACC; the four league schools sharing the state know that another Carolina loss to ECU would shake up the recruiting picture and muddy the waters between the BCS teams and the non-BCS Pirate squad.
Check Back Soon For 5-1 of the ACC's Best Non-Conference Games...
Showing posts with label Clemson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clemson. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
An ACC Player You Oughta Know
He's a baseball player?
Why you're right folks.
But he's also the newest starting quarterback for the purple and orange out of Pickens, he's Kyle Parker.
While generally now is when I discuss why said player is poised to have a solid year and what makes me think he'll be "BALLIN'" (and you know this) Parker is a special case. His former coach, Tommy Bowden, really just took the words from me about a year ago.
"He's really good looking. If I was a girl, I'd be very interested in him. He wears those tight pants. When you wear loose stuff, you can't tell the definition of a guy's body. In baseball, everything's tight and you can tell he's very well put together."
With that said do you really need to know that he's got a rocket arm, was an Elite 11 quarterback coming from Jacksonville, Fla or that Dabo is so high on the kid he's having trouble not burying the great Willie Korn in the annals of Clemson lore with the other never was's.
Parker's got poise, skills and a ton of talent surrounding him. Plus with 79 starts returning along the O-Line his jersey should stay as clean in football as it does when he trots around the bases for Jack Leggett.
Quote from http://clemson.scout.com/2/743007.html
Photo from http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/clem/sports/m-basebl/auto_action/1826385.jpeg
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Week Eight: Football From Mass to Miami Podcast
To listen to the show live click here
On last week's show we talked at length about UNC committing to football in order to keep Butch Davis. I thought the Clemson mess would solve itself but the Tigers will once again take the lead in the ACC issues with their recent firing of Tommy Bowden. The parties involved fumbled the exchange but in the end Terry Don Phillips set himself up to hire the perfect candidate and this week I'll break down MY preliminary list of go to guys. That list will also include two names that the Tigers shouldn't even invite to Pickens county.
Along with the continued Clemson melodrama we'll talk about the Brandon Tate injury and what a blow that strikes to UNC football's season expectations. The Heels will have to pick things up and make some serious personnel changes to continue their push towards the ACC title game.
Lastly this week's biggest ACC issue will be the resurgence of Virginia. The Wahoos looked awful early but the last two weeks they have proven themselves to be a team capable of winning on any given Saturday.
As with every episode of Football, From Mass to Miami you'll find:
A recap of all the Week 7 action in the ACC
Complete breakdowns of the ACC Standings
Detailed rankings of offense, defense as well as overall units
The ACC Issues of the Week
A look ahead to Week 8's games including predictions
This show might get a little bit testy as your host bristles from the incredible let down experienced at the hands of the Clemson Tigers.
Be sure to tune in live by clicking here
On last week's show we talked at length about UNC committing to football in order to keep Butch Davis. I thought the Clemson mess would solve itself but the Tigers will once again take the lead in the ACC issues with their recent firing of Tommy Bowden. The parties involved fumbled the exchange but in the end Terry Don Phillips set himself up to hire the perfect candidate and this week I'll break down MY preliminary list of go to guys. That list will also include two names that the Tigers shouldn't even invite to Pickens county.
Along with the continued Clemson melodrama we'll talk about the Brandon Tate injury and what a blow that strikes to UNC football's season expectations. The Heels will have to pick things up and make some serious personnel changes to continue their push towards the ACC title game.
Lastly this week's biggest ACC issue will be the resurgence of Virginia. The Wahoos looked awful early but the last two weeks they have proven themselves to be a team capable of winning on any given Saturday.
As with every episode of Football, From Mass to Miami you'll find:
A recap of all the Week 7 action in the ACC
Complete breakdowns of the ACC Standings
Detailed rankings of offense, defense as well as overall units
The ACC Issues of the Week
A look ahead to Week 8's games including predictions
This show might get a little bit testy as your host bristles from the incredible let down experienced at the hands of the Clemson Tigers.
Be sure to tune in live by clicking here
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Football, From Mass to Miami Podcast Tonight 9pm
Tonight on the podcast yours truly will again be breaking down the ACC from top to bottom and addressing the most poignant issues surrounding the conference. There's a lot to talk about regarding the week 5 events in the league as well as the quick approach of the halfway point for the ACC. So be sure to click here and listen live as we break down the nation's most underrated conference.
As with every episode of Football, From Mass to Miami you'll find:
A recap of all the Week 4 action in the ACC
Complete breakdowns of the ACC Standings
Detailed rankings of offense, defense as well as overall units
The ACC Issues of the Week
A look ahead to Week 5's games including predictions
Be sure to tune in to the show live to get your questions answered and hear some knowledgeable ACC football discussion. Check it out
As with every episode of Football, From Mass to Miami you'll find:
A recap of all the Week 4 action in the ACC
Complete breakdowns of the ACC Standings
Detailed rankings of offense, defense as well as overall units
The ACC Issues of the Week
A look ahead to Week 5's games including predictions
Be sure to tune in to the show live to get your questions answered and hear some knowledgeable ACC football discussion. Check it out
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Week Three: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly ACC Recap
Week Three Scores:
North Carolina 44 Rutgers 12
Maryland 35 California 27
Duke 41 Navy 31
Clemson 27 NC State 9
Virginia Tech 20 Georgia Tech 17
Florida State 49 Chattanooga 7
Virginia 10 UConn 45
This week was a solid one for the ACC as they went 4-1 in nonconference games and featured a Coastal Division showdown with the Hokies taking on the Yellow Jackets in Blacksburg.
The California Golden Bears were shocked by the Terps in the best ACC surprise of the weekend. Maryland caught the west coast Bears sleeping early and when Jeff Tedford's squad woke up in the fourth quarter it was too late for them to salvage the victory. North Carolina showed America that the preseason hype wasn't completely unwarranted as they blasted Rutgers and even Duke got into the action beating a solid Navy squad.
With that said let's get into The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of the ACC's third week of football action.
The Good
Maryland Rush Defense: The Terps defense against the run was spectacular, holding Jahvid Best and the Bears to a measly 38 yards for the game. Best entered the game with over 300 rushing yards on the season but was held to only 25 yards by a defense that looked passive in the weeks leading up to the game. David Philistin led the way with 13 tackles including one for loss as the Terps stacked the line and shut down the Bears rushing attack.
Florida State Quarterbacks: Devontrey Richardson and Christian Ponder were a combined 22-36 for 297 yards and 4 TD's Saturday against Chattanooga. Yes the Mocs are an FCS team but for the 'Noles this is a sign that the two quarterback system of D-Vo and Ponder is slowly maturing and readying itself for the ACC schedule quickly approaching. It is clear that the Seminoles have started their crawl way back to national prominence, entering the Coach's Poll at #25 this week.
UNC Defensive Back Seven: The unit is young but the linebackers are starting to understand their fits and the secondary is benefiting from the experience from a season ago. Nabbing 4 interceptions from Rutgers' quarterback Mike Teel the unit is beginning to gel nicely in their zone drops and making good reads on the football. If they can play as physical with the Tech's and Miami the team will definitely be competing for the Coastal Division title come November.
The BAD
NC State Offense: The Wolfpack produced only 288 yards against the Clemson Tigers' less than suffocating defense. While the team moved the ball well at times between the twenties they continued their 13 quarter offensive touchdown drought. Yes, it has been over three games since the Pack offense has put the ball in the end zone against a FBS team. Next week against ECU the countdown continues.
Virginia Rushing Attack: Mikell Simpson and Cedric Peerman were expected to be All-ACC contenders entering the 2008 season, a tandem second only to CJ Spiller and James Davis of Clemson. The two were supposed to take the heat off Peter Lalich and giving opponents fits with their smash and dash running styles. The duo rumbled for 24 total yards at Connecticut, bringing their combined season total to 200 yards. Without some increased production from these backfield mates Virginia's woes will continue.
The UGLY
Virginia Tech Passing Attack: The un-redshirting of Tyrod Taylor was designed to jump start the Hokies offensive attack. In a way it worked as VPI has two wins with Taylor at the helm and their rushing production has increased substantially. But, Taylors 48 yards passing was one of the worst showings for a quarterback in the modern era. He threw for 61 fewer yards than the triple option conservative attack of the Ramblin' Wreck.
Sure he completed around 64% of his passes but to put it in perspective; Taylor was 9-14 for 48 yards, Georgia Tech had one pass for 41 yards during the game. In other words, if all of Taylor's completions were lined up from the one they wouldn't even reach midfield.
Virginia Rushing Defense: The Wahoos offense looked bad, their rushing defense was abhorrent. Donald Brown is nobodies All-American but the Hoos defense sure did their best to make him look like a world beater in allowing him to rush 20 times for 206 yards through three quarters. The Cavaliers surrendered 382 total rushing yards or 163 more rushing yards than their offense gained total. Clint Sintim, Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby, the senior linebackers and core of this defensive football team have got to find a way to turn this once proud defense around.
All in all this week was strong for the ACC and next week the conference schedule features only two games as the Tar Heels play host to Virginia Tech and Wake Forest heads down to Tallahassee. The ACC also has nonconference games against the SEC (GT vs MSU), Big XII (UM vs TAMU) and Conference USA (BC vs UCF, NCSU vs #15 ECU)
North Carolina 44 Rutgers 12
Maryland 35 California 27
Duke 41 Navy 31
Clemson 27 NC State 9
Virginia Tech 20 Georgia Tech 17
Florida State 49 Chattanooga 7
Virginia 10 UConn 45
This week was a solid one for the ACC as they went 4-1 in nonconference games and featured a Coastal Division showdown with the Hokies taking on the Yellow Jackets in Blacksburg.
The California Golden Bears were shocked by the Terps in the best ACC surprise of the weekend. Maryland caught the west coast Bears sleeping early and when Jeff Tedford's squad woke up in the fourth quarter it was too late for them to salvage the victory. North Carolina showed America that the preseason hype wasn't completely unwarranted as they blasted Rutgers and even Duke got into the action beating a solid Navy squad.
With that said let's get into The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of the ACC's third week of football action.
The Good
Maryland Rush Defense: The Terps defense against the run was spectacular, holding Jahvid Best and the Bears to a measly 38 yards for the game. Best entered the game with over 300 rushing yards on the season but was held to only 25 yards by a defense that looked passive in the weeks leading up to the game. David Philistin led the way with 13 tackles including one for loss as the Terps stacked the line and shut down the Bears rushing attack.
Florida State Quarterbacks: Devontrey Richardson and Christian Ponder were a combined 22-36 for 297 yards and 4 TD's Saturday against Chattanooga. Yes the Mocs are an FCS team but for the 'Noles this is a sign that the two quarterback system of D-Vo and Ponder is slowly maturing and readying itself for the ACC schedule quickly approaching. It is clear that the Seminoles have started their crawl way back to national prominence, entering the Coach's Poll at #25 this week.
UNC Defensive Back Seven: The unit is young but the linebackers are starting to understand their fits and the secondary is benefiting from the experience from a season ago. Nabbing 4 interceptions from Rutgers' quarterback Mike Teel the unit is beginning to gel nicely in their zone drops and making good reads on the football. If they can play as physical with the Tech's and Miami the team will definitely be competing for the Coastal Division title come November.
The BAD
NC State Offense: The Wolfpack produced only 288 yards against the Clemson Tigers' less than suffocating defense. While the team moved the ball well at times between the twenties they continued their 13 quarter offensive touchdown drought. Yes, it has been over three games since the Pack offense has put the ball in the end zone against a FBS team. Next week against ECU the countdown continues.
Virginia Rushing Attack: Mikell Simpson and Cedric Peerman were expected to be All-ACC contenders entering the 2008 season, a tandem second only to CJ Spiller and James Davis of Clemson. The two were supposed to take the heat off Peter Lalich and giving opponents fits with their smash and dash running styles. The duo rumbled for 24 total yards at Connecticut, bringing their combined season total to 200 yards. Without some increased production from these backfield mates Virginia's woes will continue.
The UGLY
Virginia Tech Passing Attack: The un-redshirting of Tyrod Taylor was designed to jump start the Hokies offensive attack. In a way it worked as VPI has two wins with Taylor at the helm and their rushing production has increased substantially. But, Taylors 48 yards passing was one of the worst showings for a quarterback in the modern era. He threw for 61 fewer yards than the triple option conservative attack of the Ramblin' Wreck.
Sure he completed around 64% of his passes but to put it in perspective; Taylor was 9-14 for 48 yards, Georgia Tech had one pass for 41 yards during the game. In other words, if all of Taylor's completions were lined up from the one they wouldn't even reach midfield.
Virginia Rushing Defense: The Wahoos offense looked bad, their rushing defense was abhorrent. Donald Brown is nobodies All-American but the Hoos defense sure did their best to make him look like a world beater in allowing him to rush 20 times for 206 yards through three quarters. The Cavaliers surrendered 382 total rushing yards or 163 more rushing yards than their offense gained total. Clint Sintim, Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby, the senior linebackers and core of this defensive football team have got to find a way to turn this once proud defense around.
All in all this week was strong for the ACC and next week the conference schedule features only two games as the Tar Heels play host to Virginia Tech and Wake Forest heads down to Tallahassee. The ACC also has nonconference games against the SEC (GT vs MSU), Big XII (UM vs TAMU) and Conference USA (BC vs UCF, NCSU vs #15 ECU)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Week Three: Atlantic Division Previews
Check out the Coastal Division Previews
Four teams get into action this week including the first ACC Atlantic match up of the year coming when NC State heads down to Clemson for the Textiles Bowl. FSU gets into a little scrap with Chattanooga which shouldn't be much of a test, more like a good tune up for the Wake Forest game. Maryland hosts the 23rd ranked California Bears in College Park and this game is a nonconference bout that could really change the course of the Terps season should they be able to pull it out.
North Carolina State @ Clemson (12:00 pm Saturday)
The Textiles Bowl has grown in prominence over the last decade or so with the Wolfpack and Tigers both climbing into the national spotlight at times. However, this doesn't appear to be one of those "big" years for the game. Both teams were utterly embarrassed by SEC foes in week one. Week two saw Clemson rebound "strong" against the Citadel while NC State's struggles continued against a middle of the road FCS team, William and Mary.
In week three Clemson looks to build momentum for their charge towards the ACC title that is still very much within reach. Meanwhile NC State hopes to somehow catch a break and avoid locking up a non-winning season in their first seven games by avoiding a five game losing streak (Clemson, ECU, USF, BC & FSU all in a row).
The Tiger's weaknesses on the offensive line have been heavily documented including Chris Hairston's scooter accident on Saturday following the win. This weakness plays to the lone strength on the Wolfpack team; their defensive line and aggressive linebackers.
Keys to a Clemson Win
-Protect Cullen Harper. He got beat up against Alabama and against an inferior opponent there were times that Harper was under duress. NC State is somewhere between 'Bama and the Citadel in terms of talent and their ability to get to the quarterback. They terrorized Tommy Beecher for much of the game at South Carolina and the jury-rigged offensive line is going to have to keep Harper off his back for the Tigers to waltz to victory.
-Make the Pack 1-Dimensional. Russell Wilson is back for the Pack, throwing the football and running for his life. The Tigers can't let NC State get into their offensive game plan of run the football a lot, then run some more. By forcing negative first down plays and stuffing the box the Tigers should force the Pack into dropping back to throw. The Tigers' offense can help expedite this process by scoring early and often to force the Pack to play from behind, letting Ricky Sapp and DaQuan Bowers attack off the edge and Michael Hamlin and co. feast on Wilson's passes.
-Punch the Wolfpack in the Mouth. Clemson is better, more experienced and more athletic. Against 'Bama the Tigers were taken to the woodshed by a tougher team, they can't let NC State walk into the Valley and kick them in the teeth, they need to show some backbone and stone the Wolfpack early.
Keys to an NC State Win
-Utilize those running backs. Curtis Underwood and Andre Brown are two quality backs for the Wolfpack. Tom O'Brien must find a way to interject them into multiple facets of the game to give Wilson a shot to compete. The screen, draw and check down passes must involve the backs in order to stymie the Tigers brutal pass rush. Establishing the run early will open the play action pass game as well as slow down the Clemson rush.
-Sack Cullen Harper. The Wolfpack defensive line is their best overall unit on the team. Through two games they have 13 TFL's and 8 sacks. Against this Clemson offensive line expect Shea McKeen and Willie Young to be all over Harper, giving the Pack a chance for the big play in Death Valley.
-Play Disciplined. The Pack defense cannot afford to play the undisciplined, renegade style that was a hallmark of the Chuck Amato athletic defensive scheme. Clemson's running back tandem of CJ Spiller and James Davis will gash the unit and make them pay with cut backs from over pursuit. In the pass game an overzealous approach would be the death of the Wolfpack secondary as Clemson's play action passing and double moves can only be counter acted by sound technique defense.
Maryland vs California (12:00 pm Saturday)
This Jeff Tedford team mirrors most of his strong offensive Pac-10 squads from years past. A strong quarterback with a talented core of skill players capable of making you pay with both the run and the pass. Things don't bode well for the Terps who have been the Atlantic's worst team thus far into 2008; losing to Middle Tennessee and Darrius Heyward-Bey's paltry 7 receptions in two games are the most glaring shortcomings.
Gone are the days of tough defense and quality quarterbacking as Jordan Steffy and Chris Turner have both proved themselves unable to lead this team to anything but a marginal victory over an FCS team. Five interceptions to one touchdown combined and an abysmal completion percentage just under 50 percent. Da'Rel Scott is a quality running back who is averaging 160 yards a game and giving the Terps good ground production, their woes can be attributed solely to their poor quarterback situation.
Facing this Cal with offensive guru Jeff Tedford is going to seriously test the Terps increasingly passive defense. They're reacting to teams and this is evident in the absence of sacks and minimal amounts of turnovers forced, passes defensed and tackles for loss. Without a more aggressive approach, led by Dave Philistin and Alex Wujciak, the Terps will be in for a long Saturday filled with Bears dancing into the end zone.
Keys to a Terp Win
-Disrupt the Bears' timing. Jamming receivers, timely blitzing and defensive line stunts are three tools the Terps need to employ to disrupt Tedford's precision passing attack. Allowing Riley to sit in the pocket will only result in the Maryland defensive backfield being picked apart like a Thanksgiving turkey.
-Win Special Teams. No the Terps won't win the quarterback battle. No they don't have the athletes on defense or at the edge; but, the Terrapins can play sound special teams and win that facet of the game. With Travis Baltz averaging over 40 yards a punt, forcing 4 fair catches and pinning opponents inside the twenty twice The Fridge should play field position using Baltz as his weapon. Scoring a blocked punt or field goal will also go a long way in towards getting the Terps some much needed momentum.
-Gamble on both sides of the ball. Maryland can't play the passive, vanilla defensive looks they've showed through the two games this season and hope to beat the Bears. They need to blitz, disguise coverages and bring pressure from depth in order to force Riley to make poor decisions. On offense Maryland should work some misdirection to counteract the superior speed of Cal. Running play action through establishing Da'Rel Scott early should help lock the safeties and star linebacker Anthony Felder into the run game and open up Heyward-Bey vertical.
Florida State vs UT-Chattanooga (3:45 Saturday)
The 'Noles looked outstanding against lowly Western Carolina last weekend, blowing them out in classic FSU fashion 69-0. This week brings a marginally stiffer test in Chattanooga but not a game worth extrapolating a ton of knowledge from. Florida State needs to focus on getting their young guns Christian Ponder and D'Vontrey Richardson more live fire experience in preperation for their ACC opener against Wake Forest.
Chattanooga experienced a monster blowout in their opener against Oklahoma and barring some superb execution and a lot of luck this game should be more of the same. Florida State's defense should fly around to the football, expect to see Toddrick Verdell, Derek Nicholson and Myron Rolle working shut down the Mocs attack and polish their skills.
Keys to a 'Noles win
-Play sound football. The 'Noles have superior talent and they must simply come out and play disciplined football to ensure a victory. Make good run fits, cover down receivers and tackle the football on defense. On offense, D-Vo and Ponder need to stretch their legs, get Greg Carr and Rod Owens involved early and often to get their timing down and make sure that the run game is fully operational.
-Test the men up front. The offensive line at Florida State was a biggest question mark heading into 2008, ranked worst in the ACC by some college football pundits. Game one saw them push the Catamounts around to the tune of 290 rushing yards. They need to grow their cohesion and continue to gel against the Mocs, helping Jermaine Thomas push close to the century mark and protect Ponder and Richardson.
-Escape unscathed. Rule number one with this game is to stay completely healthy. Losing an offensive lineman, quarterback or key defender would decimate this fragile, untested football team. Bobby Bowden, Jimbo Fisher and Mickey Andrews need to make sure that they keep their units out of harms way, knees in tact and ankles sprain free. The 'Noles have Wake Forest next weekend and they'll need all their bodies for the 7 o' clock date with the Deacs next Saturday.
Four teams get into action this week including the first ACC Atlantic match up of the year coming when NC State heads down to Clemson for the Textiles Bowl. FSU gets into a little scrap with Chattanooga which shouldn't be much of a test, more like a good tune up for the Wake Forest game. Maryland hosts the 23rd ranked California Bears in College Park and this game is a nonconference bout that could really change the course of the Terps season should they be able to pull it out.
North Carolina State @ Clemson (12:00 pm Saturday)
The Textiles Bowl has grown in prominence over the last decade or so with the Wolfpack and Tigers both climbing into the national spotlight at times. However, this doesn't appear to be one of those "big" years for the game. Both teams were utterly embarrassed by SEC foes in week one. Week two saw Clemson rebound "strong" against the Citadel while NC State's struggles continued against a middle of the road FCS team, William and Mary.
In week three Clemson looks to build momentum for their charge towards the ACC title that is still very much within reach. Meanwhile NC State hopes to somehow catch a break and avoid locking up a non-winning season in their first seven games by avoiding a five game losing streak (Clemson, ECU, USF, BC & FSU all in a row).
The Tiger's weaknesses on the offensive line have been heavily documented including Chris Hairston's scooter accident on Saturday following the win. This weakness plays to the lone strength on the Wolfpack team; their defensive line and aggressive linebackers.
Keys to a Clemson Win
-Protect Cullen Harper. He got beat up against Alabama and against an inferior opponent there were times that Harper was under duress. NC State is somewhere between 'Bama and the Citadel in terms of talent and their ability to get to the quarterback. They terrorized Tommy Beecher for much of the game at South Carolina and the jury-rigged offensive line is going to have to keep Harper off his back for the Tigers to waltz to victory.
-Make the Pack 1-Dimensional. Russell Wilson is back for the Pack, throwing the football and running for his life. The Tigers can't let NC State get into their offensive game plan of run the football a lot, then run some more. By forcing negative first down plays and stuffing the box the Tigers should force the Pack into dropping back to throw. The Tigers' offense can help expedite this process by scoring early and often to force the Pack to play from behind, letting Ricky Sapp and DaQuan Bowers attack off the edge and Michael Hamlin and co. feast on Wilson's passes.
-Punch the Wolfpack in the Mouth. Clemson is better, more experienced and more athletic. Against 'Bama the Tigers were taken to the woodshed by a tougher team, they can't let NC State walk into the Valley and kick them in the teeth, they need to show some backbone and stone the Wolfpack early.
Keys to an NC State Win
-Utilize those running backs. Curtis Underwood and Andre Brown are two quality backs for the Wolfpack. Tom O'Brien must find a way to interject them into multiple facets of the game to give Wilson a shot to compete. The screen, draw and check down passes must involve the backs in order to stymie the Tigers brutal pass rush. Establishing the run early will open the play action pass game as well as slow down the Clemson rush.
-Sack Cullen Harper. The Wolfpack defensive line is their best overall unit on the team. Through two games they have 13 TFL's and 8 sacks. Against this Clemson offensive line expect Shea McKeen and Willie Young to be all over Harper, giving the Pack a chance for the big play in Death Valley.
-Play Disciplined. The Pack defense cannot afford to play the undisciplined, renegade style that was a hallmark of the Chuck Amato athletic defensive scheme. Clemson's running back tandem of CJ Spiller and James Davis will gash the unit and make them pay with cut backs from over pursuit. In the pass game an overzealous approach would be the death of the Wolfpack secondary as Clemson's play action passing and double moves can only be counter acted by sound technique defense.
Maryland vs California (12:00 pm Saturday)
This Jeff Tedford team mirrors most of his strong offensive Pac-10 squads from years past. A strong quarterback with a talented core of skill players capable of making you pay with both the run and the pass. Things don't bode well for the Terps who have been the Atlantic's worst team thus far into 2008; losing to Middle Tennessee and Darrius Heyward-Bey's paltry 7 receptions in two games are the most glaring shortcomings.
Gone are the days of tough defense and quality quarterbacking as Jordan Steffy and Chris Turner have both proved themselves unable to lead this team to anything but a marginal victory over an FCS team. Five interceptions to one touchdown combined and an abysmal completion percentage just under 50 percent. Da'Rel Scott is a quality running back who is averaging 160 yards a game and giving the Terps good ground production, their woes can be attributed solely to their poor quarterback situation.
Facing this Cal with offensive guru Jeff Tedford is going to seriously test the Terps increasingly passive defense. They're reacting to teams and this is evident in the absence of sacks and minimal amounts of turnovers forced, passes defensed and tackles for loss. Without a more aggressive approach, led by Dave Philistin and Alex Wujciak, the Terps will be in for a long Saturday filled with Bears dancing into the end zone.
Keys to a Terp Win
-Disrupt the Bears' timing. Jamming receivers, timely blitzing and defensive line stunts are three tools the Terps need to employ to disrupt Tedford's precision passing attack. Allowing Riley to sit in the pocket will only result in the Maryland defensive backfield being picked apart like a Thanksgiving turkey.
-Win Special Teams. No the Terps won't win the quarterback battle. No they don't have the athletes on defense or at the edge; but, the Terrapins can play sound special teams and win that facet of the game. With Travis Baltz averaging over 40 yards a punt, forcing 4 fair catches and pinning opponents inside the twenty twice The Fridge should play field position using Baltz as his weapon. Scoring a blocked punt or field goal will also go a long way in towards getting the Terps some much needed momentum.
-Gamble on both sides of the ball. Maryland can't play the passive, vanilla defensive looks they've showed through the two games this season and hope to beat the Bears. They need to blitz, disguise coverages and bring pressure from depth in order to force Riley to make poor decisions. On offense Maryland should work some misdirection to counteract the superior speed of Cal. Running play action through establishing Da'Rel Scott early should help lock the safeties and star linebacker Anthony Felder into the run game and open up Heyward-Bey vertical.
Florida State vs UT-Chattanooga (3:45 Saturday)
The 'Noles looked outstanding against lowly Western Carolina last weekend, blowing them out in classic FSU fashion 69-0. This week brings a marginally stiffer test in Chattanooga but not a game worth extrapolating a ton of knowledge from. Florida State needs to focus on getting their young guns Christian Ponder and D'Vontrey Richardson more live fire experience in preperation for their ACC opener against Wake Forest.
Chattanooga experienced a monster blowout in their opener against Oklahoma and barring some superb execution and a lot of luck this game should be more of the same. Florida State's defense should fly around to the football, expect to see Toddrick Verdell, Derek Nicholson and Myron Rolle working shut down the Mocs attack and polish their skills.
Keys to a 'Noles win
-Play sound football. The 'Noles have superior talent and they must simply come out and play disciplined football to ensure a victory. Make good run fits, cover down receivers and tackle the football on defense. On offense, D-Vo and Ponder need to stretch their legs, get Greg Carr and Rod Owens involved early and often to get their timing down and make sure that the run game is fully operational.
-Test the men up front. The offensive line at Florida State was a biggest question mark heading into 2008, ranked worst in the ACC by some college football pundits. Game one saw them push the Catamounts around to the tune of 290 rushing yards. They need to grow their cohesion and continue to gel against the Mocs, helping Jermaine Thomas push close to the century mark and protect Ponder and Richardson.
-Escape unscathed. Rule number one with this game is to stay completely healthy. Losing an offensive lineman, quarterback or key defender would decimate this fragile, untested football team. Bobby Bowden, Jimbo Fisher and Mickey Andrews need to make sure that they keep their units out of harms way, knees in tact and ankles sprain free. The 'Noles have Wake Forest next weekend and they'll need all their bodies for the 7 o' clock date with the Deacs next Saturday.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Kicking Off The 2008 ACC Season
The ACC season kicks off in just about a week and by now every fan has read more than their share of season previews. The words of Bruce Feldman, Phil Steele, Athlon, Lindy's and Street's and Smith have become the gospel of college football fans.
Depth charts, match-ups and schemes are all but swirling around the brain and the words "Hot Seat" and "Breakout Year" are burned into our retinas. Preseason All-ACC picks, freshmen to watch and divisional champs have been droned on about so frequently that we can all recite them in our sleep.
With only a week to go lets take a step back and check out the gameday atmosphere of the ACC and the best of what our twelve member institutions have to offer as we get set to experience another fall of ACC football.
Best Stadium: North Carolina
Most folks don't look to Chapel Hill when they think of the best college football stadiums. Most folks also confuse the idea of the best with the biggest.
Kenan Stadium is a simple 60,000 seat horse shoe that is nestled right into the heart of the UNC campus. Surrounded by pine trees with a view of the legendary Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower just over the west endzone visitors to the venue are never disappointed.
As several publications have ranked Kenan Stadium is one of the premier places to take in a college football game in the nation, including a paper in the heart of the SEC, the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Ringed by the pine trees as well as dormitories, a dining hall, class rooms, the hospital and the Bell Tower there is no denying the picturesque qualities of Kenan.
Best Tailgating: Clemson
Depth charts, match-ups and schemes are all but swirling around the brain and the words "Hot Seat" and "Breakout Year" are burned into our retinas. Preseason All-ACC picks, freshmen to watch and divisional champs have been droned on about so frequently that we can all recite them in our sleep.
With only a week to go lets take a step back and check out the gameday atmosphere of the ACC and the best of what our twelve member institutions have to offer as we get set to experience another fall of ACC football.
Best Stadium: North Carolina
Most folks don't look to Chapel Hill when they think of the best college football stadiums. Most folks also confuse the idea of the best with the biggest.
Kenan Stadium is a simple 60,000 seat horse shoe that is nestled right into the heart of the UNC campus. Surrounded by pine trees with a view of the legendary Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower just over the west endzone visitors to the venue are never disappointed.
As several publications have ranked Kenan Stadium is one of the premier places to take in a college football game in the nation, including a paper in the heart of the SEC, the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Ringed by the pine trees as well as dormitories, a dining hall, class rooms, the hospital and the Bell Tower there is no denying the picturesque qualities of Kenan.
Best Tailgating: Clemson
There are pockets of tailgating greatness scattered throughout the ACC. However, for overall community atmosphere there are only four true contenders.
The Tigers edge out NC State, FSU and Virginia Tech because of the sheer size of their tailgating Saturdays in Pickens County. The spacious fields filled with RVs, law enforcement concerned more with helping and patron safety than ticketing and arresting as well as committed lifelong tailgaters make Clemson an environment perfectly conducive to enjoying a fall Saturday.
Generators rumble, grills sizzle, the southern rock blairs in the air all the while televisions set on tables and hung on the side of RVs show the highlights of the college football world. Solid Orange nation offers beers, bourbon and barbecue to old friends, new friends and perfect strangers alike.
The aromas of Carolina barbecue, fried turkey, homemade jambalaya, chili and the rest of a veritable cornucopia of traditional southernfare mix in the air to produce a heavenly scent that simply screams Southern Football Saturdays. Its a set up that would make any SEC fan proud.
Best Pre-Kickoff Ritual: Clemson, Florida State and Virginia Tech
With the mixture of old school and new school in the ACC it was too tough to pick a winner in this category, hence three schools share the title.
Howard's Rock, the Hill, Tiger Rag and C-L-E-M-S-O-(wait for it)-N. There really isn't much to explain here as every self respecting college football fan knows the story and the drama that surrounds "The Most Exciting 25 Seconds in College Football." It is one of the most original entrances in the game.
The cheery tones of FSU's fight song end with the resounding WHoOOoOO and then Chief Osceola and Renegade charge out on to Bobby Bowden Field in Tallahasee, a flaming spear held high above his headdress. As the Chief plants the spear at midfield the eruption of the 82,000+ 'Noles fans into the War Chant and the gravity of the game sets in as FSU, the fans and their opponents know that the niceties are over; its time for football.
Virginia Tech's pregame entrance is just a baby compared to the traditions of Clemson and FSU. But this baby is an experience that every true fan owes themself. At 66,000+ Tech's Lane Stadium is modest in size compared to Death Valley and Doak Campbell, but the eerily vertical stands create a noise level capable of rattling most opponents. As the "Let's Go Hokies" stadium wide chant gives way to Metallica's Enter Sandman the Hokie faithful go wild making, Lane Stadium physically shake under the crowd. One of the loudest entrances in the nation, simply put, the Hokie's fans hold their own in Blacksburg.
Honorable mention goes to the Canes' often imitated but never duplicated "Running Through The Smoke" and the Yellow Jackets coming into the Dodd led by the Wrambler.
Best Uniforms: Wake Forest
Honorable mention goes to the Canes' often imitated but never duplicated "Running Through The Smoke" and the Yellow Jackets coming into the Dodd led by the Wrambler.
Best Uniforms: Wake Forest
The ACC has some very intriguing uniform combinations, from Clemson's all purple getup that would make Grimace jealous to the UNC all blues that would make Papa Smurf proud. The Seminoles and Terps both have experimented with all black but the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest do it right.
Grobe's boys don the all blacks for every home game and the greatness of the unis is in their simplicity. No multicolor stripes like the all black duds of FSU. No white helmets offsetting the black jerseys as is the case with the Terps. Just black; basic black uniforms with gold lettering and a whole lot of attitude.
Shifting from the bottom of the barrell just a decade ago to the sleek all black uniforms let the rest of the ACC know that the Deacs have arrived on the scene.
Best Helmets: Miami
FSU's spears and tomahawk stickers are as crucial to the 'Noles as Bobby Bowden and Renegade. The interlocking NC of the Heels is as recognizable as any in the college football ranks. NC State's giant S and tiny NC has a classical look but strong Wolfpack feel and BC's basic gold helmet with the lone stripe is about as traditional as it gets.
However there is only one school that is recognized by a single letter; The U. That orange and green decal on the side of the Hurricane's helmets is uniquely and unabashedly South Florida. They don't need to dress it up with stickers, they are the U and their helmets let the world know.
As simple as the design is there isn't any doubt that the 'Canes helmet is in the top tier of NCAA headgear along with the likes of Alabama, Nebraska, Michigan and Penn State.
As it stands now the ACC has got some solid traditions across the board and breaking them down to the best and brightest for the sake of ranking them was no small task. From Chestnut Hill down to Coral Gables the conference covers more mileage than any other BCS league and with expansion finalized in 2005 the ACC is still ascending that mountain to the upper echelon of college football.
With a good showing in the 2008 season the ACC should be well on its way to changing the basketball first sentiments the league generally evokes.
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