NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com NCAA Football FanHouse http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif NCAA Football FanHouse http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/FSU's History, Bowden's Future Rest on Shoulders of a Freshmanhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/fsus-history-bowdens-future-rest-on-shoulders-of-a-freshman/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/fsus-history-bowdens-future-rest-on-shoulders-of-a-freshman/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/11/fsus-history-bowdens-future-rest-on-shoulders-of-a-freshman/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Bobby BowdenTALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State fans are speculating that Bobby Bowden's coaching future at FSU might be tied into the Seminoles' bowl eligibility. This much is known for certain: Bowden's status will be determined at season's end. And FSU's bowl chances will become much clearer on Saturday.

The Seminoles' hopes of a strong finish now rest on the shoulders of redshirt freshman quarterback E.J. Manuel. Manuel will make his first career start at Wake Forest following the season-ending shoulder injury to Christian Ponder.

What's at stake?

FSU (4-5) must win two of its final three games to extend its nation-leading streak of 27 consecutive bowl appearances and avoid its first losing season since 1976 -- Bowden's first in Tallahassee, Fla.

The Demon Deacons (4-6), meanwhile, must win their final two games to extend their school-record streak of three consecutive bowl appearances, all under ninth-year coach Jim Grobe.

All eyes will be on the quarterbacks.

Manuel has attempted four career passes. Wake Forest senior quarterback Riley Skinner has passed for 9,163 career yards.

Advantage Deacs, who also have beaten the Seminoles the past three years.

"It'll affect them like it would us if we didn't have Riley Skinner," Grobe said in reference to the Seminoles missing Ponder, who separated his right throwing shoulder on a tackle following an interception against Clemson last Saturday.

"I'm sure the young player is very capable. You very rarely have a backup quarterback that can't get the job done. In our case Ryan McManus is very capable. But anytime you lose a guy with all that experience, especially one of the top quarterbacks in the league, it hurts."

" I feel like our practices are harder than our games to be honest. "
-- FSU QB E.J. ManuelManuel, an athletic, record-setting quarterback from Virginia Beach, Va., believes his practice preparation will help in his transition from backup to starter. Manuel, in fact, split snaps with the first-team offense last week as Ponder was slowed by bruised ribs.

"I feel like our practices are harder than our games to be honest," Manuel said.

"We have so much pressure on us from the coaches in practice that when the game comes the pressure isn't anything, all the loud stuff and the crowd really don't matter."

Jimbo Fisher, FSU's offensive coordinator and head coach-in-waiting, indicated the Seminoles' game plan will be altered to fit Manuel's strengths.

Manuel, who concentrated on his throwing mechanics during the off-season after he missed spring drills with a thumb injury, has a strong arm and appears to glide when on the run. Fisher says an important component will be how Manuel handles the anxiety surrounding his first start.
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Not a problem, according to Manuel. Ponder, who will be facing shoulder surgery soon, will also make the trip with the Seminoles to support Manuel.

"I'm sure coach Fisher is going to put us all in positions we need to be in, in order to be successful and we'll be fine," Manuel said. "The coaches are going to put us in position to be successful, I'm not worried at all."

Grobe expects Manuel, who has played 11 career snaps and is 1-of-4 with four passing yards, to play well.

"This is a really talented guy, we know that he's got great skills, the ability to run and throw," Grobe said. "He was personally recruited by Jimbo Fisher. I'm sure all the things they're doing with Christian Ponder, they feel like they can do with Manual."

Concerning the iconic yet embattled Bowden, Grobe believes Bowden has earned the right to dictate his future.

"You really have to take in all that he's done for that school," Grobe said.

"You really need to be in a mindset that whatever Coach Bowden wants to do you're going to let him do. I think he's earned that right and he's done great things for the school. Anytime you get these legendary coaches that are toward the end of their career, it's important as a school you let them go out the way they want to go out and when they want to go out.

"He's been great and still is great for college football. If you spend anytime with Coach Bowden you know he's got a competitive spirit and he's still a heck of a football coach."

FSU's History, Bowden's Future Rest on Shoulders of a Freshman originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Christian PonderChristianPonderE.J. ManuelE.j.ManuelRiley SkinnerRileySkinnerJim HenryWed, 11 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST FSU's Ponder Out for Seasonhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/fsus-ponder-out-for-the-season/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/fsus-ponder-out-for-the-season/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/09/fsus-ponder-out-for-the-season/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Florida State needs two more victories in its final three games to become bowl eligible and avoid its first losing season since 1976. The Seminoles will have to accomplish both without their starting quarterback.

Redshirt junior Christian Ponder will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery in two weeks, FSU coach Bobby Bowden told his weekly luncheon crowd Monday at FSU's University Center.

Ponder suffered a Grade 3 separation of his right (throwing) shoulder late in the game against Clemson Saturday, and had already been ruled out of Saturday's game at Wake Forest. Heralded recruit E.J. Manuel will get his first start against the Demon Deacons.

Manuel, a 6-foot-4, 225-pounder, threw for nearly 7,400 yards and 68 touchdowns during his prep career in Virginia Beach, Va.

Ponder missed most of practice last week with bruised ribs suffered in the win over North Carolina State on Oct. 31.

Ponder has completed 226 of 329 passes for 2,171 yards with 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He led the ACC in passing yards per game (306.6) and total offense (327.4) heading into Clemson.

Ponder was injured when he tackled Clemson safety DeAndre McDaniel along the sideline following his fourth interception of the game. McDaniel starred at Tallahassee, Fla., Godby High School and was recruited by the Seminoles.

"I felt it pop," Ponder said.

"I didn't know it was going to be that serious. It [the tackle] was out of frustration. I let that get the best of me. I'm definitely upset. We had three games left - hopefully four. There were still goals we could accomplish. I wish I could be out there."

Manuel, meanwhile, misfired on his only two pass attempts.

"Some kids really come out in a situation like that, some don't," Bowden said Sunday on his teleconference with the media. "How's he going to do? I don't know but I'm anxious to see.

"He's got leadership qualities about him. He's 6-(foot)-5. He's going to see better. He's faster than Ponder. Now will he just go out there and play great? Not likely but you don't know, he might."

Manuel will be backed up by freshman walk-on Ryan Becker.

The Seminoles would like to redshirt Will Secord, who threw for 46 touchdowns in his three-year career at Wakeland High in Frisco, Tex. Secord, a left-hander, also was an accomplished baseball player in high school.

Ponder, who was drawing the attention of NFL scouts for his play on the field, said the injury will most likely lead to his return to the program next season.

His performance had earned him semifinalist honors for the Maxwell Award, presented to college football's player of the year, and he was also in contention for the Manning Award and the Wuerffel Trophy.

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FSU's Ponder Out for Season originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bobby BowdenBobbyBowdenChristian PonderChristianPonderJim HenryMon, 09 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST ACC Notebook: Bowden Still Bosshttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/acc-notebook-bowden-still-the-boss/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/acc-notebook-bowden-still-the-boss/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/11/05/acc-notebook-bowden-still-the-boss/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Bobby BowdenIt's becoming clear that Florida State's Bobby Bowden, who turn 80 on Sunday, wants to coach the Seminoles in 2010.

The feisty Bowden has tipped his hand many times since coming under fire from high-level boosters, fans and the media following a 2-4 start.

Consecutive victories over North Carolina and North Carolina State have helped quiet restless critics -- and a victory Saturday at Clemson would vault FSU into second place in the ACC Atlantic Division -- and Bowden said Wednesday he will make the final call on who replaces retiring Mickey Andrews as defensive coordinator.

However, Bowden also stressed that head coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher will make a strong contribution to the process, so don't expect a disagreement conspiracy between the pair.

"I think [Fisher] definitely has to have a say-so because he's the future here. You know it?" Bowden said. "And it's one of those things I'll make the final decision on. But I'll definitely get his input, and very strongly."

Fisher is scheduled to become the next FSU coach no later than Jan. 1, 2011. If he is not, his contract calls for him to be paid $5 million.

Florida State president T.K. Wetherell said in a statement last month that Bowden's status will be evaluated after the season, and the university would have no comment until then.

In his weekly conference on the Monday with the media, including FanHouse, Fisher said that he anticipates a smooth process with Bowden in hiring the defensive coordinator. Andrews had indicated prior to the season, his 26th at FSU, that this would be his last. He made it official on Wednesday.

Fisher said he keeps a working list of prospects for all position coaches. A timetable has not been set for naming a new defensive coordinator.

"I'm glad to have the input on what we're going to do in the future and what we want to do," Fisher said. "[There] are some outstanding guys [that] will be out there, I'm sure. This is a great job. That's why I don't want to go anywhere.

"I love it here."

FSU fans, however, appear to need coaxing to rally behind their team.

In last Saturday's homecoming game against N.C. State, the Seminoles played before their smallest crowd since 1993. A noon game on Halloween combined with rainy weather, a slow economy and the team's poor performance this season added up to just 67,712 tickets sold in a stadium that seats 82,300.

Quite frankly, judging by the huge pockets of empty seats, it's also unlikely that all ticket holders attended. The athletic department lost out on more than $700,000 in potential ticket revenue, according to school officials.

The Seminoles, who haven't beaten Clemson in Memorial Stadium since 2001, have remaining games at Wake Forest, home against Maryland and at top-ranked Florida.

"We can only take care of what we can take care of, and that's who we play," Bowden said. "This ballgame coming up is the biggest one. However, if you win it, the next one becomes the biggest one."

Stop the Bleeding

Virginia Tech is looking to avoid its first three-game losing streak since 2003 when the Hokies travel to East Carolina Thursday night. Tech head coach Frank Beamer has had only two three-game losing streaks during the Hokies' 16-year bowl run (1997, 2003).

A victory on ESPN would make Tech bowl eligible for the 17th-straight season.

How the Hokies rebound from consecutive defeats to Georgia Tech and North Carolina last Thursday will rely in large part on what their defense can do to reverse a recent trend of poor play on third down, when opponents have converted 18-of-34 the last two games.

"There hasn't been a game this season that we haven't played hard, but sometimes we have to play better and more consistent," Beamer said. "These guys care and we are going to move forward with that in mind."

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Epic Battle

Duke and North Carolina meet on Saturday in what normally translates into an epic battle on the basketball court. But we're talking football at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C

Don't be fooled. This is a huge game for the Blue Devils, who will become bowl eligible for the first time since 1994 with a victory. Duke is also looking for its first victory over UNC, which is coming off an emotional and dramatic win at Virginia Tech, since 2003 and just its second since 1989.

Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis has posted four consecutive 300-yard passing games. UNC coach Butch Davis went as far as to compare the Blue Devils offense to that of the Indianapolis Colts.

"After I saw [those comments], I called (Colts President) Bill Polian and asked if I could borrow his five offensive linemen," Duke coach David Cutcliffe laughed.

He turned me down."

Unlucky Deacs

Just 4-5 overall with a 2-3 ACC record entering Saturday's conference showdown against host Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium, Wake Forest has nearly run out of wiggle room. The Deacs need two wins in their remaining three games to become bowl eligible.

Four of Wake Forest's five losses have been decided by a combined 10 points. Making matters worse, senior quarterback Riley Skinner, who suffered a concussion in last Saturday's defeat against Miami, has been listed as questionable for this week's game.

Skinner is just one of three quarterbacks in ACC history to throw for 2,000 or more yards in each of his four seasons. That list also includes N.C. State's Philip Rivers and Duke's Thaddeus Lewis, who reached that milestone last Saturday.

"We're capable of winning," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said.

"That's the thing that we know. We've got to have things go right and not much has gone right for this football team. Unfortunately these guys have had some really bad breaks along the way. Obviously we've had some plays we could have made that would have made the difference without needing a break. But this is just about the most unlucky football team I've coached."

After watching film of Wake Forest's games this season, Tech head coach Paul Johnson agrees with Grobe.

"I think a lot of [their troubles] can be attributed to just bad luck," Johnson said.

ACC Notebook: Bowden Still Boss originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bobby BowdenBobbyBowdenjimbo fisherJim HenryThu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST ACC Notebook: Eagles Flying Highhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/acc-notebook-eagles-flying-high/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/acc-notebook-eagles-flying-high/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/10/08/acc-notebook-eagles-flying-high/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

A solid rivalry has developed between Boston College and Virginia Tech.

While the Eagles have won the last three regular-season games against the Hokies, Virginia Tech has beaten Boston College when its counted most in the past two ACC Championship games. Plenty is at stake again when the two tangle Saturday in Blacksburg, Va.

"These guys are a premier program in the country and they haven't skipped a beat since the last time we saw them," BC coach Frank Spaziani said.

"They are always improving. This is a very good football team. They are well coached in offense, defense and special teams. Especially in their venue down there, it is very difficult to play in there. The experience of going down there has to help but this is a similar situation (to Clemson), so we are going to have to buckle up our chin straps."

Both of these teams have a chance to meet for a third consecutive year in the ACC Championship. If the Hokies beat the Eagles and then beat Georgia Tech on the road next week they will have locked up the Coastal Division by mid-October. The Atlantic Division is a tad more unsettled, but Boston College is coming off consecutive wins over division foes Wake Forest and, last week, Florida State.

The last time that BC played at Lane Stadium two years ago, Matt Ryan threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Andre Callender with 11 seconds left and the No. 2 Eagles won 14-10 against the No. 8 Hokies on a Thursday night to keep BC's national title hopes alive. This year, No. 5 Virginia Tech finds itself in the national title hunt.

Boston College's hopes once again hinge on its quarterback -- 25-year freshman Dave Shinskie.

Tabbed the starter two weeks ago against Wake Forest, the former professional baseball player was 31-for-51 against the Demon Deacons. Last week against the Seminoles, he threw for 439 yards, five touchdowns and an interception.

"He has athletic skills," Spaziani explained.

"He throws the ball well and has good mechanics and a good touch. His arm is strong enough. He can do some of those things that can help you win. He is progressing just like a freshman would. He is making some progress but by no means is he a polished, accomplished field general. There is not enough experience there. Once again, he is getting better, he is learning and we see improvement. We still need to see a lot more."

Hokies coach Frank Beamer is impressed.

"I know he is playing well for them, and I think his age and maturity helps that situation," Beamer said. "He is really throwing the ball accurately, and I think he really gives them something. With those running backs, his ability to throw the football really helps them."

On the Auction Block

Bobby Bowden's challenges haven't only been on the football field.

The historic Coalson Plantation, a 40-acre estate near Thomasville, Ga., -- 35 minutes north of Tallahassee, Fla. -- whose owners include Bowden and son Tommy Bowden, was sold at auction Thursday. The property, nine miles north of the Georgia state line, dates back to 1825, when the main house was built.

It has 11 guest suites and other buildings add another 22 guest rooms, including the Bowden Presidential Suite, name for the Bowden family. The Bowdens were among the partners in a group that purchased the complex in late 2004.

One of the plantation's most noted attributes is the Showboat Theater, a replica of the stage set from the Broadway musical of the same name. Built in 1934, it hosted the first private screening of "Gone With The Wind" in 1939.

A Tarpon Springs, Fla., couple was the top bidder with a winning bid of $2.5 million.

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Streak Snapped

Too bad.

North Carolina State quarterback Russell Wilson's NCAA record of consecutive passes without an interception ended at 379 attempts in Saturday's 30-24 loss to Wake Forest. The sophomore was picked off twice, the first on a poorly thrown deep ball and the second in the end zone with 2:02 left and the Wolfpack driving for the go-ahead touchdown.

"I think he took a shot on the first one," Wolfpack coach Tom O'Brien said.

"He's done that in the past, and it didn't pay off. He didn't see the backside safety or corner or whatever it was coming across. The second one, I think he overcompensated. He's just got to calibrate his arm, get it right for the rest of the year. They're two throws he had chances of getting into the end zone, one too far to the left and one too far to the right."

Wilson streak was at 364 passes entering the game and he had thrown 15 more before the streak was snapped.

"I didn't even think about it, to be honest with you," Wilson said. "I am going to keep throwing the ball and giving my guys chances."

Tar Heel Blues

The most disappointing team in the ACC this year? FSU? How about North Carolina?

The Tar Heels have lost their only two conference games by an average of 15 points and one was against struggling Virginia. UNC has serious, serious problems on offense. The unit ranks 113th nationally with just 280.8 yards per game. Quarterback T.J. Yates has thrown more interceptions (7) than touchdowns (6).

"One of the questions as coaches that we have to ask ourselves is, 'Are we trying to do too much with a young, inexperienced offensive football team?'" UNC coach Butch Davis said. "Some of the things that we did last year, there's some guys that aren't ready to do some of those things all of the time [this year]."

Turtle Power

Much has been made of the Maryland Terrapins' struggles this season. They dropped three of four games to open the season, including an embarrassing effort against Middle Tennessee of the Sun Belt conference.

Don't look now, but Maryland (2-3 overall, 1-0 ACC) has the chance to remain in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division with a win at Wake Forest Saturday. The Terps ended their losing woes with a 24-21 win over Clemson last weekend to open ACC play.

"I think we are right on track," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said.

"I thought last week we got better. I think getting a win (against Wake Forest) will give us momentum and hopefully get us going."

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Middle Tennessee State quarterback Dwight Dasher (9) avoids the tackle of Troy's Bear Woods (48) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
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    In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes watches from the sidelines during the final minutes of an NCAA college football game against Texas State in Fort Worth, Texas. The transformation of Jerry Hughes from prep running back to All-American defensive end was never more evident than the picture of a skinny kid somebody taped to his locker. Now nearly 50 pounds heavier and a senior for No. 11 TCU, Hughes now looks more like a potential first-round NFL draft pick. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

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    In this photo taken on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, TCU defensive end Jerry Hughes runs off the field during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Texas State in Fort Worth, Texas.The transformation of Jerry Hughes from prep running back to All-American defensive end was never more evident than the picture of a skinny kid somebody taped to his locker. Now nearly 50 pounds heavier and a senior for No. 11 TCU, Hughes now looks more like a potential first-round NFL draft pick. (AP Photo/Donna McWilliam)

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    NEW YORK - OCTOBER 06: Matt Moore, a former college football player at Texas Christian attends The 24th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner benefiting The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis (national fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis) at The Waldorf=Astoria on October 6, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Miami Project) *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore

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    NEW YORK - OCTOBER 06: Matt Moore, a former college football player at Texas Christian attends The 24th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner benefiting The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis (national fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis) at The Waldorf=Astoria on October 6, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images for The Miami Project) *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore

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    NEW YORK - OCTOBER 6: Matt Moore, a former college football player at Texas Christian University, attends The 24th Annual Great Sports Legends Dinner benefiting The Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis (national fundraising arm of The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis) at The Waldorf-Astoria on October 6, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Brian Bedder/Getty Images for The Miami Project) *** Local Caption *** Matt Moore

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    Middle Tennessee State quarterback Dwight Dasher (9) avoids the tackle of Troy's Bear Woods (48) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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    Troy receiver Chip Reeves (8) celebrates with teammate Sergio Perez, rear, after scoring on a 52-yard pass reception in the first half of an NCAA college football game against Middle Tennessee in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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    Troy linebacker Boris Lee (2) breaks up a pass intended for Middle Tennessee State receiver Malcolm Beyah (4) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. At left is Troy defender Tebiarus Gill. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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    Troy running back Shawn Southward (20) reacts after scoring in the first quarter during an NCAA college football game against Middle Tennessee State in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. Middle Tennessee States's Emmanuel Perez (91) and Jeremy Kellem (20) walk away. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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    Troy receiver Chip Reeves (8) is pursued by Middle Tennessee State's Marcus Udell (3) on a 52-yard touchdown reception in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Troy, Ala., Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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ACC Notebook: Eagles Flying High originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bobby BowdenBobbyBowdenJim HenryThu, 08 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST ACC Notebook: Pack Ready for Fall Risehttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/30/acc-notebook-pack-ready-for-fall-rise/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/30/acc-notebook-pack-ready-for-fall-rise/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/30/acc-notebook-pack-ready-for-fall-rise/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Tom O'BrienTom O'Brien teams traditionally get better as the season goes on -- as North Carolina State did in winning four of its last five games last year. With Wake Forest, Duke and Boston College coming up in the next three weeks, the surging Wolfpack could be 6-1 going into its bye week prior to an Atlantic Division showdown at Florida State.

O'Brien, however, isn't about to get caught up in such nonsense. He's a game-at-a-time head coach, and Saturday's meeting at Wake Forest is N.C. State's first ACC game and first road game.

"All I know is what team I got this week against the team I am going to play," O'Brien said. "I don't know who is going to be here next week. We continue to march on and try to be the best we can weekly."

The Wolfpack, winners of three straight following Saturday's come-from-behind victory over Pittsburgh, has plenty of reasons to grin.

For starters, N.C. State is ranked No. 1 in the nation in total defense. Through four games, the Wolfpack is yielding just 201.2 yards per game after holding the Panthers to just 300 yards. Pitt came in averaging 380 yards per game.

State's defensive coaches were credited with doing a tremendous job of adjusting to Pitt's offensive schemes during the game. O'Brien, of course, wasn't ready to do cartwheels. He noted that the N.C. State defense missed more than 20 tackles, just as it had done in the season-opening defeat to South Carolina.

"It doesn't really say anything," O'Brien said of the unit's national ranking. "It's only after four games and one month of the season. If we're there after 12 games then it will say a lot about our defense."

Then there's the stellar play of quarterback Russell Wilson.

Wilson was 21-of-35 passing for 322 yards and four touchdowns against the Panthers. The majority of that came in the second half, when he led his team from two touchdowns behind by scoring the game's final 21 points. He also rushed the ball 10 times for a career-high 92 yards, including a 21-yard dash on fourth-and-14 from deep in Pittsburgh territory to prolong what turned into the game-tying drive.

"That was just Russell being Russell," O'Brien said.

"That turned the game around for us. He was able to break contain, they were in man coverage and everybody was run off. He took off down the boundary. That was the key scramble of the football game."

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In all, last year's ACC Rookie of the Year was personally responsible for 414 of State's 530 offensive yards in the game. Wilson also pushed his NCAA record streak of passes without an interception to 360. In his last 13 games, Wilson has 29 touchdown throws with zero interceptions.

Wilson credits preparation and his receivers for his streak.

"Each and every practice I'm trying not to throw an interception," Wilson said.

"Every throw I'm trying to move the ball up and down the field and help my team be successful. The same thing with the wide receivers. They know that in the back of their mind they're trying to make plays for me. They don't want to give up an interception. That's a pass that they could have an extra 15 or 30 yards. They don't want to give the ball up."

Tar Heels Run Over

 North Carolina suffered its first loss of the season, 24-7 at Georgia Tech last Saturday, losing its ninth consecutive ACC opener.

The Tar Heels (3-1, 0-1) managed a meager 154 total yards, including just 17 on the ground. On the flip side, UNC surrendered 317 rushing yards, 160 more yards than it had given up in the first three games combined, and turned over the ball three times. The Yellow Jackets also had a significant advantage in terms of time of possession, 42 minutes, 6 seconds to 17:54.

The Tar Heels return home Saturday or their 114th meeting with Virginia (0-3), which is coming off a bye week. The Cavaliers have won two of the past three in the series in Chapel Hill and six of seven overall. Don't expect personnel changes from UNC coach Butch Davis.

"I think we're playing the best players that we've got," Davis said.

"We've got to look at what are their capabilities, what can they realistically do and how can they get better at what we're trying to do? I think the worst thing we can do is some kind of magical hodgepodge where you move the offensive line around. They've got to get some consistency and continuity over the course of the week and the course of the season. We've got to be more effective. We've got to get the ball in the hands of our play makers better."

Frazzled by Turnovers

The struggling Maryland Terrapins have a minus-10 turnover margin. That's bad. In fact, the Terps already are more than halfway to last year's 13-game turnover total of 25. They've been costly, too, leading to 61 of the 153 points allowed this season.

That's why coach Ralph Friedgen has unveiled a new practice tactic this week as Maryland prepares for Saturday's visit from Clemson. Turnovers are met by immediate punishment.

"We're going to do something to recognize the turnovers, whether it's up-downs or whatever," Friedgen said. "I think we have to make a conscious effort to not do this. I think it (turnover) has to be something that we avoid at all costs."

Let it Rain

 Blacksburg, Va., is a tough place for a visiting team to win, especially when Virginia Tech is playing Beamer Ball to perfection -- as the Hokies did against the visiting Miami Hurricanes Saturday. A blocked punt for a touchdown, three sacks and a couple of turnovers turned their showdown with Miami into a laugher.

Let's not forget about the rain either. Word is more rain fell over a 24-hour period Saturday than on any other day in Blacksburg since 1987.

Average at Best

 Following Saturday's home defeat to South Florida, Florida State's record over its past 48 games (dating back to its October, 2005 loss at Virginia) is 25-23.

Corey Clark, a sportswriter with The Tallahassee Democrat, pointed out in his blog that if fans toss out victories against non-BCS conference teams (Troy, UAB, Rice and Western Michigan) and Duke, that record is 19-23.

And, Clark also pointed out that using that same qualifier (which means fans exclude non-BCS teams and Duke), the Seminoles are 5-11 in their last 16 home games against regular FBS football programs.


Quotable

When asked where he thought the ACC stood in the collegiate landscape this young season, N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien indicated he had no idea.

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Washington State running back Dwight Tardy, runs past Southern California safety T.J. McDonald during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Los Angeles, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009. USC won 27-6. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
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    Penn State coach Joe Paterno listens to a question during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State takes on at Illinois in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 3, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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    Penn State coach Joe Paterno jokes with reporters prior to his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State takes on at Illinois in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Oct. 3, in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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    In this Sept. 12, 2009, photo, Southern California running back Stafon Johnson runs for a touchdown against Ohio State during an NCAA college football game in Columbus, Ohio. Johnson had emergency throat surgery Monday, Sept. 28, after a weightlifting accident. The senior who scored the No. 7 Trojans' go-ahead touchdown against Ohio State was bench-pressing when the bar slipped from his right hand and fell onto his throat. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

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    In this Sept. 12, 2009, photo, Southern California running back Stafon Johnson runs for a touchdown against Ohio State during an NCAA college football game in Columbus, Ohio. Johnson had emergency throat surgery Monday, Sept. 28, after a weightlifting accident. The senior who scored the No. 7 Trojans' go-ahead touchdown against Ohio State was bench-pressing when the bar slipped from his right hand and fell onto his throat. (AP Photo/Amy Sancetta)

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    In this Oct. 18, 2008, photo, UCLA quarterback Kevin Craft looks to pass as Stanford defensive end Pannel Egboh puts on pressure during an NCAA college football game in Pasadena, Calif. The Bruins won the game on a last-minute touchdown pass by Craft, who's back in the starting lineup as UCLA prepares to face Stanford on Saturday, Oct. 3. (AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)

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    In this Oct. 25, 2008, photo, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford drops back to pass during an NCAA college football game against Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops doesn't know whether Bradford will be ready for Saturday night's game at No. 17 Miami on Oct. 3, but said it won't be a game-time decision. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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    In this photo taken Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, Penn State tight end Andrew Quarless is tackled by Iowa's Pat Angerer, upper right, and Tyler Sash, bottom, during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in State College, Pa. Iowa's defense handed the Nittany Lions their first loss for the second-straight season. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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    In this photo taken Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, Penn State quarterback Daryll Clark (17) throws the ball away and was charges with intentional grounding as Iowa defenders Christian Ballard (46) and Jeremiha Hunter move in and clear Penn State offensive lineman Nerraw McCormack (72) out of the way during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009, in State College, Pa. Iowa's defense handed the Nittany Lions their first loss for the second-straight season. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

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"Who knows in today's college football," O'Brien said.

"It seems like this is going to happen more and more. What was the quote I read in USA Today, I think probably USA Today or somewhere where Bobby Bowden said, 'Where did these guys come from?' Today everybody's got players. As I've said earlier, there are no free Saturdays, and you better be ready. I think people are coaching. There's a lot better coaches out there.

"Guys used to just roll out the ball and have talent and play the game and win. That doesn't happen anymore. I think guys are well-coached, teams are well-coached, they have players in position to win, and if you're not ready to play on a Saturday, anybody can win, anybody can lose."

ACC Notebook: Pack Ready for Fall Rise originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>russell wilsonRussellWilsonJim HenryWed, 30 Sep 2009 11:54:00 EST ACC Would Like a Do-Over for the Opening Weekendhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/06/acc-would-like-a-do-over-for-the-opening-weekend/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/06/acc-would-like-a-do-over-for-the-opening-weekend/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/09/06/acc-would-like-a-do-over-for-the-opening-weekend/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

This was not the way the ACC was hoping to start the 2009 college football season. The conference is still trying to establish that it is on par with the SEC, Big 12 or the Big 10. Instead, it has barely kept itself in front of the Big East. The early returns suggest more of the same this year.

Through the 10 games to start the season, ACC teams went a combined 4-6. That's bad enough, considering that the ACC was a collective 0-4 against teams from the other BCS conferences. With Virginia Tech losing to Alabama in a semi-neutral site, Wake Forest suffering a home loss to Baylor, Cal destroying Maryland, and of course the opening night nationally-broadcast loss by NC State as the harbinger for this lost weekend. When the best win of the weekend is Clemson trouncing a middle-of-the-pack Sun Belt foe in Middle Tennessee State, that is not a good sign.

Arguably, what's worse was going only 3-2 against FCS opponents. Sure North Carolina, Boston College and Georgia Tech handled the exhibition games that actually count with ease, but Duke and Virginia failed miserably. One member of the conference losing to a FCS opponent happens. Two in the same weekend? That is an eye-opener.

The argument against those losses being as bad as they look is that Duke and Virginia are expected to be two of the worst teams in the ACC. Plus, Richmond (which beat Duke) is the defending National Champion in 1-AA football. Yeah, I'm not buying it either.

It's the second time in the last four years that Richmond has taken out Duke. That suggests the fluke label does not easily apply. Reality seems to be slapping coach David Cutcliffe quickly.

Virginia just suggests that this will be a very long and miserable season for the Fightin' Grohs. An ill-fitting transition to a spread offense -- because that always goes so well with a head coach that is very conservative -- is just another problem. The only thing that may help Groh is that the Virginia athletic department just sent the basketball coach packing and made an expensive hire to replace him.

With performances like that, the excitement for that ACC battle between Miami and Florida State on Monday night should be at a fever pitch. Or you just might to prefer to scoop out your eyeballs with a spoon.

On the plus side for the ACC: After this opening weekend, expectations should be low enough that they should easily exceed them the rest of the way.

ACC Would Like a Do-Over for the Opening Weekend originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chas RichSun, 06 Sep 2009 22:35:00 EST With Record Success, Wake Forest's Riley Skinner Wants to Go Out on Tophttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/28/senior-at-last-wake-forests-riley-skinner-wants-to-go-out-on-t/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/28/senior-at-last-wake-forests-riley-skinner-wants-to-go-out-on-t/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/07/28/senior-at-last-wake-forests-riley-skinner-wants-to-go-out-on-t/#commentsFiled under: ,

Riley SkinnerRiley Skinner enjoyed his summer.

Skinner spent six weeks in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., training, golfing and visiting the beach. The veteran quarterback returned to Wake Forest energized -- and with a nice tan -- to help extend the Demon Deacons' school record eight-or-more win bowl seasons to a fourth consecutive year.

After years of relying on defense, Skinner wants to make sure the offense pulls its weight this season.

"We were fairly inconsistent last year with the scheme we had and the way we played each Saturday," said Skinner, the winningest quarterback in Wake Forest history with 26 victories as a starter.

"We need to help our defense out since they've been bailing us out of stuff for years, game after game. We have a lot of guys who can do it, who can play. Not to say we have it all worked out -- we still have a lot of kinks to figure out -- but I think it's going to be an offense that's going to be balanced, that's going to be mixed and it's not going to be focused around one receiver or one running back. I think we are fortunate enough to have depth, which we didn't have last year."

Actually, the Demon Deacs had a number of problems on offense last year despite winning eight games.

They were all over the map, emphasizing the pass early and the run late but never settling into a rhythm. The offensive line and receivers underachieved and injuries played havoc with the rotation. The offense needs to evolve after averaging just 21 points and 208 yards a game last year.

Bottom line, Skinner, who enters his senior season as the most efficient passer in school history and has a shot at several career records, needs help.

"Riley's aged over the last five years a lot better than I have," laughed head coach Jim Grobe.

"Yeah, he's special. I hope we can help him. Last year our offense didn't support him very well. The other 10 guys, we stayed banged up on the offensive line, our running backs stayed banged up, our wide receivers were shaky at best. Overall, we just didn't support Riley very well. I am hoping this group will give him more support because he's capable of really doing some great things for us if those other 10 guys come around."

While Skinner doesn't boast Heisman Trophy-like numbers, he's considered an outstanding leader with a contagious work ethic. That shouldn't come as a surprise. Skinner redshirted his freshman season in 2005 and was thrust into the starter's role the following year when the Deacs' top two quarterbacks were injured in a span of two weeks.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Skinner ranks first on the all-time ACC list for completion percentage, just ahead of Virginia's Matt Schaub (67.3 percent to 67.0 percent). When he picks spots and avoids picks, Skinner is difficult to beat. He is 19-3 in games without interceptions, but 7-8 when he tosses an interception. He's also within reach of school career records for pass attempts, pass completions, passing touchdowns, passing yards and total offense yards. Skinner currently ranks fourth in school history with 6,707 career total offense yards

After winning the 2006 ACC championship -- 36 years after their only other conference title -- the Deacs haven't been able to turn the corner. With so many key players needed to be replaced on defense -- linebacker Aaron Curry was selected fourth overall in the NFL draft by Seattle -- and special teams, a winning season and bowl berth would be a sure sign of long-term stability.

But that's not to say Wake Forest doesn't expect to contend for the league title.

The Deacs dropped four games by a touchdown or less last year. They held Florida State to three points, defeated Cotton Bowl champion Ole Miss and beat Navy in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl. Skinner went 11-for-11 to set an NCAA record for completion percentage in a bowl game and threw the go-ahead touchdown pass to lead Wake Forest to a 29-19 comeback victory over the Midshipmen. Three months earlier, Navy took advantage of four Skinner interceptions to beat Wake Forest.

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While the Deacs are not mentioned among the marquee teams in the ACC, Skinner is content to let opponents and fans underestimate Wake Forest. Why? Because he has liked what he has seen from teammates since his return from Florida.

"It has been pretty cool to see what has been going on with our team in terms of the intensity of our workouts, the commitment from everybody," said Skinner, who turns 23 in October.

"I think we have a lot of competition in a lot of areas in our team which is huge. I think it is probably one of the best things that we can have for our team. ... It brings out the best in everybody. I haven't seen a lot of our positions work this hard, put in this many extra hours before camp even starts. They want to be that guy. It has been pretty fun to get back up there this summer."

With Record Success, Wake Forest's Riley Skinner Wants to Go Out on Top originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>riley skinnerJim HenryTue, 28 Jul 2009 14:30:00 EST ACC Ready to Abandon Championship Game in Floridahttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/12/acc-ready-to-abandon-championship-game-in-florida/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/12/acc-ready-to-abandon-championship-game-in-florida/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/05/12/acc-ready-to-abandon-championship-game-in-florida/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

The ACC championship game has seen diminishing attendance from the 70,000 plus in the first game in 2005 down to a dismal sub-28,000 in 2008. The problem, it seems, has not been the fact that the ACC has been a collective morass of mediocrity that makes it less attractive for fans to want to make last-minute travel plans to the game. It has nothing to do with teams with smaller alumni bases like Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Boston College making appearances.

How about the fact that they have been held in Florida and only once has Florida State or Miami appear? Good luck getting the ACC to admit that was the expectation when they set it up for the first four games to be in Florida.
It seems the problem is that no one wants to go to Florida. Charlotte, North Carolina is the place to be.
"Charlotte is more in the middle of our footprint," North Carolina State athletic director Lee Fowler said Monday following meetings involving ACC athletic directors, football coaches, basketball coaches and faculty representatives, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Amelia Island. "We've tried Jacksonville, and we're trying in Tampa. I'd like to see how the game performs in North Carolina."

Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver, whose football team has played in three of the four ACC title games, was even more direct.

"We've got to get to Charlotte," he said. "That doesn't mean Jacksonville and Tampa haven't done good jobs. It's simply too hard for people to get to Florida for a weekend game, then plan on going to a bowl game - especially now, in this economic downturn."
The ACC championship game is not scheduled to make an appearance in Charlotte until 2010. The championship does not have a permanent location. The ACC has instead taken to soliciting bids from potential host cities to try and get the most money.

Charlotte, North Carolina is the most central location for most programs in the ACC. It is also not far from the league's offices in Greensboro. But the ACC has been sensitive to accusations that it favors holding events in North Carolina and providing an advantage for the programs in the state.

It seems unlikely that the ACC will be able to pull out of Tampa for this year. Tampa and Raymond James Stadium would likely, not be eager to lose any events that could produce some extra revenue.

It also seems unlikely that the ACC will be willing to pay any escape penalties to move it this year. So get ready for lots of empty seats for at least one more year. Just do not expect a return to Florida until FSU or Miami shows some sustained success.

ACC Ready to Abandon Championship Game in Florida originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 12 May 2009 15:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Chas RichTue, 12 May 2009 15:42:00 EST Wake Forest's Backup QB Makes Wise Economic Decisionhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/03/wake-forests-backup-qb-makes-wise-economic-decision/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/03/wake-forests-backup-qb-makes-wise-economic-decision/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2009/03/03/wake-forests-backup-qb-makes-wise-economic-decision/#commentsFiled under: ,

Most of us dream about going to college and maybe, just maybe, eking things out as a backup QB so you at least have access to whatever choice of coed you want without all the hassle of the pressure, the injuries, etc. Maybe you luck up and become the next Brad Johnson or Matt Cassell. More likely, you parlay that experience into something that will impress at least 95% of the people you meet for the rest of your life.

More like, you just use college as a way to lock down an internship during the summer so you can get that cushy job developing internet security software once you graduate. Looks like Wake Forest's backup QB Brett Hodges managed to live both dreams.

Hodges has voluntarily left the Demon Deacon football team to concentrate on his academics and more specifically, his internship with Symantec, which he played up as a wise move in this economy. Can't help but agree with him on that front.

While this is certainly indicative of a "student-athlete" template that a lot of people with jobs in the mainstream media wish existed more frequently, the fact is, this isn't good for Wake. Though Riley Skinner will be back to round out his decade in Winston-Salem, he's left without an experienced backup in what often appears to be a baffling complex offensive scheme. Fortunately, Wake's fortunes on the gridiron have allowed them to up the level of recruits and they've got options in speedy Skyler Jones and Ted Stachitas. He's from Florida. So you know he's good.

Wake Forest's Backup QB Makes Wise Economic Decision originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian CohenTue, 03 Mar 2009 15:07:00 EST No Minor Bowls for Those Who Play Themhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/20/no-minor-bowls-for-those-who-play-them/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/20/no-minor-bowls-for-those-who-play-them/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/20/no-minor-bowls-for-those-who-play-them/#commentsFiled under: , ,

WASHINGTON -- You laugh. Kevin Harris will smile.

Go ahead, chuckle at the notion of a 34th bowl game, the EagleBank Bowl in Washington. Joke that college football needs another bowl like Joe Paterno needs another candle on his birthday cake, like Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa needs another syllable, or anybody needs another appearance by David Hasselhoff

Go ahead, indulge your cynicism. It's easy. It's like picking on Matt Millen or the French. No one is going to disagree with you. Even NPR got into the act on the opening day of bowls, mocking the EagleBank Bowl in its own cranky "Get off my lawn, kids" way, should you put any stock in the opinions of an outlet with a higher percentage of 60-pluses in its audience than Oklahoma.

But just for a moment, take your cynicism and bury it deep enough that Indiana Jones couldn't find it.

This isn't the NFL, where cynicism is bred on a Terrell Owens' locker room stool, wearing a blinking red nose or Plaxico Burress turning his sweat pants into the Harper's Ferry arsenal.

This is college football, where teams like Wake Forest and Navy are each alloted 85 scholarships, of which the number that will ever make enough to afford one of Terrell Owens' earrings could comfortably fit in a Volkswagen Beetle with room left over for a Owens and Owens' ego.

So go ahead and make your jokes. But all Wake Forest's Kevin Harris can do is smile.

"It's been an unbelievable experience," said Harris, who started the year off the depth chart only to have his nationally televised moment in whatever sun peaked through the clouds at the EagleBank Bowl. "To see the Capitol and all the monuments was great. We were all excited. To have the chance to hang out together for a few more weeks ... we're a tight-knit group and that was great. But most of all, to be able to help give these seniors a win, because they bailed us out so many times, that was the best part."

Harris couldn't stop smiling. Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo, a granite-jawed man who might make the Washington Monument look like it was made out of Jell-O by comparison, had a hard time stopping his tears.

Why? Because whether you can admit it or not, these minor bowls aren't a blight on college football. They're the best part.


"It's hard to explain," Niumatalolo said as tears welled up. "Unless you worked with these guys, and know that it's so much more than football game... These tears -- I could care less if we lost or won by 70 -- is for seeing these guys take off pads for the last time, not knowing where they'lll be. These are young men who joined the armed services to defend us. I have the utmost respect."

Go ahead, complain that the current bowl system rewards mediocrity. With 68 teams invited, more than half of the Football Bowl Subdivision earns a bid. But after a season where student athletes gave us 12 to 13 games and passed up the easy life of college with the only cost to us the time we spent on the couch watching or the few dollars we tossed for the right to watch in person, is it really so hard to allow them one moment in the spotlight, even if it has to be subject to silly sponsor names like former galleryfurniture.com Bowl or the ev1.net fest? Make fun of the sponsors or the International Bowl which plays on a retro-fitted Canadian football field that leaves slabs of concrete exposed and looks a little like John Daly trying to fit into Paris Hilton's t-shirt. The set-up deserves it and every now and again the marketing behind the games deserve it too.

But don't for a moment take away from the athletes.

You don't have to look any further than the newest bowl, the EagleBank Bowl to see just how much it means to play in a minor bowl, even if you'd rather turn it into a Leno monologue.

Without this game, you'd never see a school like Wake Forest, which has an enrollment roughly the size of Owens' entourage or Travis Henry's illegitimate brood, put an exclamation point on its third straight eight-win season. Without this game, you'd never see Riley Skinner make amends for an awful performance that cost his team dearly earlier in the season and put another chapter in what is a golden age for the tiny Winston-Salem program that was once the kind of punchline even the Lions couldn't imagine being.

Without this game, you'd never see Harris finally have a moment that was all his, after suffering every injury in the medical handbook and seemingly inventing a few of his own, after converting from fullback to tailback and grinding out a win for the players he practiced with every day, but could never quite help on the field.

Without this game, you'd never have Navy senior Rashawn King telling everyone within smiling distance how it felt to score his first touchdown, while, like all Navy players wearing an emblem for various units around the world. ("I felt like Shun White," King joked of his high-scoring teammate for four years at the Academy and another year in prep school, seated next to him). Without this game you'd never have King leaving the locker room with his teammates once again after missing his final Army-Navy game following the sudden death of his father two days before the rivalry. Without this game, King would never have had the chance to repay his coach's kindness with the Midshipmen's biggest play of the game.

"You could see it in coach's eyes, in everybody's eyes," said King, who made it back home for his father's funeral with help from Navy's coaches. "Everybody wanted to send the seniors out with a win and we gave a solid effort.

"Getting that fumble, being able to contribute, that was huge."

Go ahead, tell us the last time an NFL player got weepy after scoring a touchdown in a losing effort. We'll wait.

Without this game, 68 teams would never have one last chance to make a stand together before spreading out into the world like the black-and-gold confetti that floated in the breeze at RFK Stadium after Wake Forest's 29-19 win.

"Just being back with the guys, coming out of the locker room for the last time, that was exciting," King said. "It was a heart-felt moment. "

So go ahead and complain about the bowl system and how it inconveniences you with television you don't have to watch or somehow cheapens your sports landscape. Just forgive us if we have an easier time mustering sympathy for the Big Three CEOs or an IRS auditor than we do for your inconvenience.

You laugh. Niumatololo will still shed a few tears, Rashawn King will never forget his only touchdown and Kevin Harris will smile for the rest of his life.

No amount of cynicism will ever be able to take that away.

No Minor Bowls for Those Who Play Them originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ray HollomanSat, 20 Dec 2008 20:15:00 EST Wake Forest's Capital Statementhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/20/wake-forests-capital-statement/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/20/wake-forests-capital-statement/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/20/wake-forests-capital-statement/#commentsFiled under: , ,

WASHINGTON -- Jim Grobe was always certain he could turn Wake Forest, a program that was barely a speed bump on Tobacco Road and little more than road kill on the national scene, into an ACC champion and an elite football program. So, as the coach sat next to the monument-sized trophy for winning the inaugural EagleBank Bowl in Washington, a grin began to form underneath his baseball cap as he admitted something he thought even he'd never thought he'd see.

"I never thought an eight-win season would be a disappointment at Wake Forest," Grobe said.

Congratulations coach, that's the price of building a program. And of being as good as the Demon Deacons were over the final three quarters in the come-from-behind 29-19 win over Navy.

If you needed a sign of just how far Wake Forest football has come under Grobe, who wrapped up his eighth season in Winston-Salem with his third consecutive bowl appearance and second straight bowl win, Saturday's win was the kind of blinking, neon announcement that might've fit in on the Las Vegas Strip.

Despite temperatures that seemed to rival the number of letters in Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada's last name and an early 13-0 deficit, the Deacons won their eighth game for a third straight season, exactly three times as many eight-win seasons as the school had in the pre-Jim Grobe era.

And they did it in what is unmistakeably the Wake Forest way under Grobe.
There was a defense that racks up turnovers with a sense of timing Rolex might envy, an offense that wants nothing more than to methodically grind the opposition into Gatorade powder, and, when all else fails, a little luck.

The Demon Deacons had all three Saturday. Quarterback Riley Skinner was perfect. The defense and surprise star Kevin Harris weren't far behind.

"Give a lot of credit to those guys," Navy running back Shun White said, "They made all the plays they had to to win."

It was Skinner that won game MVP honors, but had it gone to Harris or Alphonso Smith, who made the game's biggest play with his ACC record-setting 21st interception, no one would've demanded a recount.

The Deacons fell behind 13-0 early in the second quarter, allowing two field goals and a touchdown by Rashawn King after the rare Deacon fumble, an echo of the six turnovers Wake Forest uncharacteristically coughed up in their previous loss to Navy this season. But from then on the Wake Forest ran over the Midshipmen, checked the rear view mirror, and ran over them again, finishing the game on a 29-6 blitz.

Smith's interception on the Wake 2-yard line kept the Deacons out of an even bigger disadvantage, then the Deacons methodically marched 98 yards down the field, the football equivalent of a baseball bat to the mouth of the Midshipmen.

"Whenever someone makes a play like that it's going to change the morale of the players," White said. "When we got back on offense, their defense was flying around."

Even when the Deacons fell behind again, trailing 19-14 early in the fourth quarter after Navy's only offensive touchdown, there was no discomfort on the sideline, other than the lack of portable heaters that left Harris high stepping on the sideline to stay loose and linebacker Dominique Midgett dancing during a television timeout.

"We didn't say anything," Grobe said of the surprise deficit. "You could tell our players weren't panicked."

Credit that to the metronome consistency of the Wake Forest backfield.

Skinner didn't miss, connecting on all 11 of his attempts, but if he had Harris could've found plenty of seating on his broad shoulders for the team. The converted fullback who's managed to find most every injury in the medical dictionary in his four years at Wake Forest didn't know he was starting until three minutes before the game. He responded with 24 carries and 136 yards, both easily career highs.

"I'd like to tell you we're smart coaches and figured out Kevin was the guy," Grobe said. "But we didn't. He played well against Vanderbilt and we though he deserved the opportunity to start. So we figured we'd hang our hat on Harris unless he proved us wrong."

He didn't. Harris tore through the Midshipmen defense like a bowling ball through Navy's white-jerseyed pins, if only bowling alleys were sloped 45 degrees downhill. Harris even managed to surprise himself.

Asked if he was ready for a 24-carry afternoon, Harris' response was as brusque as his running style.

"Absolutely not," said Harris, whose only other 20-plus carry game two seasons ago. "I told them to watch me when I tap my helmet [to come out of the game]. ... Every time I tapped, we were in the red zone."

So Josh Adams took over, punching in two scores and helping Wake Forest to another bowl victory in the best series in school history.

"The thing I want to stress is that we had a heck of a season," Grobe said. "It wasn't as good as we wanted, but eight wins isn't too bad against the teams we were playing.

"I'm proud of the way we hung in there."

That too caused a grin under Jim Grobe's baseball cap.

But this time it was because that's exactly what Grobe always expected. Winning the Wake Forest way.

Wake Forest's Capital Statement originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 16:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>jim grobeJimGroberiley skinnerRileySkinnerRay HollomanSat, 20 Dec 2008 16:51:00 EST Bowl Season '08: Wake Beats Navy Behind Riley Skinner's Perfect Dayhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/20/bowl-season-08-wake-beats-navy-behind-riley-skinners-perfect/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/20/bowl-season-08-wake-beats-navy-behind-riley-skinners-perfect/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/20/bowl-season-08-wake-beats-navy-behind-riley-skinners-perfect/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

FanHouse gathers around the TV to bring you insights from Bowl Season '08.

Wake Forest headed into the 2008 Eagle Bank Bowl -- the first and obviously most prestigious of all postseason college events -- heavily disappointed with their season. A late loss to N.C. State sealed their fate as a lower tier bowl team, but it was an earlier home loss to Navy that had really derailed their season.

Well, that and the fact that offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke convinced Jim Grobe that running the ball 55 times against Miami would guarantee Wake a win. Fortunately, the EBB gave the Demon Deacons redemption on both counts as Wake downed the Midshipmen 29-19 in the first game of the bowl season.

Oddly enough, the score doesn't indicate two things very well: 1) Riley Skinner was perfect passing, going 11-11 for 166 yards passing and 2) the Deacs had to come back. Navy scored the first 13 points of the game and Wake looked horrible on both sides of the ball and, well, it looked like a repeat of earlier this year.

Skinner and Wake woke up at the end of the second half and with the help of Josh Adams' pair of short yardage touchdowns, came away with a fairly decisive victory.

The biggest story though isn't Skinner being perfect in his passing attempts -- it's that he's been the key reason why this Wake Forest senior class is the winningest in school history, heading to three bowls and locking up an ACC championship. All three bowls, of course, have been with Skinner under center.

Whether he'll end up actually end up as a successful pro is probably debatable, but one thing is for sure -- Orange or Eagle Bank, he took Wake bowling again this year, and despite a shoddy season for the Deacs, they at least got the last laugh on Navy.

Bowl Season '08: Wake Beats Navy Behind Riley Skinner's Perfect Day originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 15:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>bowlseason08Eagle Bank BowlEagleBankBowljim grobeJimGroberiley skinnerRileySkinnersteed lobotzkeSteedLobotzkeWill BrinsonSat, 20 Dec 2008 15:15:00 EST Notes From an EagleBank Bowlhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/20/eagle-bank-bowl-first-quarter/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/20/eagle-bank-bowl-first-quarter/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/20/eagle-bank-bowl-first-quarter/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The palm trees and Hawaiian shirts will have to wait. And the number of syllables in Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada's last name is undoubtedly higher than the temperature at RFK Stadium.

But football is here.

FanHouse is live at the inaugural EagleBank Bowl in Washington, the opening bowl game of the season. Check back as we update every quarter with analysis from the unfortunately outdoor press box.

Of course, with Navy blasting a cannon for every score, that and the temperature offer up a fairly good illusion of what it might be like to go ice-fishing with Plaxico Burress.

Fourth Quarter

The Midshipmen played a heck of a game. But Riley Skinner was perfect. Kevin Harris wasn't far behind.

Skinner didn't miss a pass in the fourth quarter or the game, finishing 11-of-11 and four-of-four in the final quarter, connecting with Chip Brinkman for a 44-yard pass on the Deacons' game-winning 80-yard drive and Ben Wooster for the game-winning touchdown.Harris, who unofficially finished with 122 yards, Rich Belton, who scampered for the final touchdown, a 35-yard bolt, and the Wake defense salted away the rest of the game.

Navy's offense ran like a well-oiled machine on the Midshipmen's first drive of the quarter, possibly having been slipped the motor oil in the coffe pot in the press box.

Navy's cut-and-paste quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada ripped off a 35-yard run on a keeper down the sideline, thanks to a huge block from senior wide receiver Curtis Sharp. He then slammed into the end zone from two yards out despite eight Deacons lined up in the box.

But the Midshipmen were forced to punt on their second possession with 5:40 left and fumbled it away one yard away from a first down on 4th-and-10 deep in their own zone. Wake's Belton carried the ball into the end zone two plays later.

Nearly 29,000 were on hand for the inaugural bowl, marking the largest selection of the cryogenically frozen this side of Joe Paterno's rolodex.

Wake Forest wins 29-19

Third Quarter

If you watched the second quarter, feel free to skip over the third and watch something claymation based instead of the second. Anything involving Joe Paterno will suffice. On the field, it was a carbon copy of the second quarter, Wake Forest slugging its way downfield in a game that has by and large only flirted with the forward pass.

The Demon Deacons marched the ball downfield 73 yards over 5:13 seconds before Josh Adams slammed up the middle for a five-yard touchdown.

There have been only 13 passes thrown thus far in the game, which pales in comparison to the way players on the sideline are handling the cold. Wake linebacker Dominique Midgett tried dancing; Kevin Harris tried high-stepping on the sideline.

But it was a quarter of dominance for Wake. Chip Vaughn got his payback on Shun Whit, dropping the back for no gain on third down, forcing a Navy punt, then letting him know who exactly was responsible for him ending up on his back

And fittingly, a fullback is making his case for MVP. Harris has 114 yards unofficially, the first 100 yard game of his career. Those numbers are my back of the envelope adding though, and be advised I once added five and six and got purple.

Wake leads 14-13

Second Quarter

Hello, Wake Forest. Welcome to Washington.

It took the Deacons a quarter, but somebody finally put a litlte chicken soup in their offense.

Wake Forest put a decent drive together on its first possession, keyed off a 29-yard run up the middle by Kevin Harris, but Sam Swank's 49-yard field goal clanked off the left upright. But Jim Grobe's decision to kick the 49-yarder instead of go for it on fourth-and-three at the 32-yard line seems destined for second guessing.

The Deacons' second drive went from their own 2-yard line, following Alphonso Smith's interception, to the end zone as the offensive line knocked the Midshipmen off the ball and let Harris gouge his way downfield. Quarterback Riley Skinner finally found the distance, completing three passes for 58 yards on the drive. Wake's touchdown with 36 seconds left snapped Navy's 160-minute shutout streak, dating back to the Notre Dame game.

Credit D.J. Boldin for being wide open enough that the uncle from Napolean Dynamite could've hit him.

The Midshipmen finished a drive from the first quarter to put another field goal on the board and marched downfield again in the second before cut-and-paste mandatory quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada lofted a can of corn interception to Smith, the 21st of Smith's career, marking a new ACC record.

A Wake Forest fumble in the midst of their 98-yard scoring drive initially resulted in a Navy touchdown but was correctly overturned. Harris fumbled again on the same drive, but it bounced out of bounds. The cold weather is certainly playing a factor. But at least they don't have to type Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada.

Navy leads 13-7

First Quarter

All it needed was a host of those Saved by Zero commercials to make it a near TiVo replay of the first matchup between these two teams, which Navy won 24-17 in Winston-Salem.

For the 12th time in 13 games this season, Navy marched down the field to score on its opening possession, a 40-yard field goal by David Harmon, set up by a 39-yard blast by Shun White.

Navy later scored on a 50-yard fumble return by Rashawn King, the seventh turnover the Midshipmen have forced against Wake Forest this season.

Credit Navy for doing it exactly in midshipmen style, mixing blockers and running backs in combination like they're trying to break a safe before slamming the whole mess downfield. Defensively, they've more or less formed a blockade, keeping Wake Forest's offense entirely in front of them with the exception of back-to-back 14 and 10-yard runs.

As for Wake Forest, it's cold and the Deacons are colder.

Navy's White is making the early case for MVP and already has one heck of a signature moment when crushed Wake Forest cornerback Chip Vaughn like a batting practice fastball and spent time standing over the cornerback so there would be no doubt exactly as the license plate of the truck that hit him.

Navy leads 10-0

Notes From an EagleBank Bowl originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>riley skinnerRileySkinnerRay HollomanSat, 20 Dec 2008 11:25:00 EST Turkey Legs to Go: Eagle Bank Bowl Travel Guide, Wake Forest vs. Navyhttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/08/turkey-legs-to-go-eagle-bank-bowl-travel-guide-wake-forest-v-n/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/08/turkey-legs-to-go-eagle-bank-bowl-travel-guide-wake-forest-v-n/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/08/turkey-legs-to-go-eagle-bank-bowl-travel-guide-wake-forest-v-n/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Turkey Legs to Go is FanHouse's complete travel guide for all of the 2008-2009 college bowl games. Here, we cover the Eagle Bank Bowl (Washington), which pits Wake Forest against Navy.

Overview / Matchup: The Navy Midshipmen are locked into what could be one of the more controversial bowl games of the 2008 season. Why, you ask? Well, because the ACC takes up the other slot in this game. Only one problem -- Maryland, who appeared to be the most obvious choice, has said they won't play in D.C. because of an exam conflict. Wake Forest, the next choice, accepted an offer to rematch against Navy, who shocked the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem earlier this year.

Hotels:For luxury accommodation we recommend the Ritz-Carlton, Georgetown because it's in a great location for going out. There are lots of young people, which means a strong focus on college sports (area newspapers have actually run stories about the large number of Carolina graduates that populate Georgetown). But there are probably a dozen world-class hotels in DC, and plenty more luxury options. None of the hotels listed are close to the stadium, because South East DC is too jangly for most tourists. The Capital Hilton is a great midrange option and probably offers the best all-around value for bowl travelers. The National Mall and two different metro stops are within easy walking distance. Recently refurbished and just three blocks from the Capitol, the Best Western Capitol Skyline Hotel is the best bet for the budget-minded traveler.

Restaurants: As for dining, Equinox is a classic Washington hob knob spot so expect to see reporters and political playmakers enjoying a steak. 2 Amys pizzas have been certified by the Italian government (it's in Northwest, off Wisconsin Ave). If you like pastries (and who doesn't?) their sfogliatelle is to die for. The Diner is cheap, delicious, and in the center of Adams Morgan, which is the undisputed after-hours circus of D.C.

Nightlife: If you want to sample a wide variety of beers try the Brickskeller. The DuPont Circle institution offers more than 1,000 bottles. The 9:30 Club is one of the nation's best small clubs to see live music, with bands like Kings of Leon and Wilco routinely showing up. And, if you're feeling particularly bourgeois, you can try and roll to Smith Point (where the Bush girls like to hang), but be warned -- it's an exclusive list they're holding at the door.

Turkey Legs to Go: Eagle Bank Bowl Travel Guide, Wake Forest vs. Navy originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 08 Dec 2008 09:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>eagle bank bowlEagleBankBowlturkeylegsbowlguideturkeylegstogoWill BrinsonMon, 08 Dec 2008 09:10:00 EST Is The ACC Getting Balled Out Of The Humanitarian Bowl?http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/02/is-the-acc-getting-balled-out-of-the-humanitarian-bowl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/02/is-the-acc-getting-balled-out-of-the-humanitarian-bowl/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/12/02/is-the-acc-getting-balled-out-of-the-humanitarian-bowl/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Truth be told, a lot of casual ACC fans probably didn't realize that the conference tie-in still existed. And I'm not sure if they'd miss it- usually, a bid to Boise is indicative of a season that was horribly uneven, thoroughly disappointing or, in the case of a serious rebuilding project, a half-lit beacon of hope.

Don't know what you got til it's gone, I suppose. More likely than not, Boise State is going to end up at home as the WAC representative, and rumor has it that Roady's is taking a serious look at similarly undefeated Ball State...provided the ACC's cool with that. Lord knows the casual viewer would be, as it would represent the only matchup of undefeated teams during the entirety of bowl season. In the event that we see said BSU/BSU tilt, Maryland might end up in the awkward situation of playing Navy even though they've been quick to opt out of the natural rivalry. Looks like the Congressional Bowl is willing to call Maryland's "we got exams" bluff (see also: "I'm washing my hair that night") and work around the last day of finals for the Terrapins- otherwise, the bowl could have to ask Navy to allow a rematch against Wake.

Is The ACC Getting Balled Out Of The Humanitarian Bowl? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 02 Dec 2008 19:06:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian CohenTue, 02 Dec 2008 19:06:00 EST College Football Songbook Thinks ACC Football Is BShttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/20/college-football-songbook-is-laughing-at-the-acc-again/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/20/college-football-songbook-is-laughing-at-the-acc-again/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/20/college-football-songbook-is-laughing-at-the-acc-again/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

The College Football Songbook is a weekly feature in which we'll be making as much fun as humanly possible of the most embarrassing moments in college football. Through words, music, and related video we'll leave a lasting memory implanted on the brains of the vanquished that they are not soon to forget.

All three ranked ACC teams were upset and knocked out of the top 25. It seemed more fun than a song about BYU...



Video Link

Photo Credits:
Amazon.com
Nick Anderson
Getty Images

College Football Songbook Thinks ACC Football Is BS originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Bobby BowdenBobbyBowdenCollegefootballsongbookFrank BeamerFrankBeamerTommy BowdenTommyBowdenJohn RadcliffMon, 20 Oct 2008 20:54:00 EST Thursday Night College Football Angst: Clemson at Wake Forest Live Bloghttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/thursday-night-college-football-angst-clemson-at-wake-forest-li/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/thursday-night-college-football-angst-clemson-at-wake-forest-li/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/thursday-night-college-football-angst-clemson-at-wake-forest-li/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

As usual, the College Football FanHouse is here to discuss the latest tension-filled Thursday night game. Amazingly, the scheduling Gods have smiled upon ESPN with five straight Thursday night upsets. Will tonight's contest between shaky Clemson and suddenly stung No. 21 Wake Forest be the sixth?

We'll be here to find out and invite you to join us. As usual it will be a fun time on what one ESPN commentator called "college football's Monday night".

Festivities begin at 7:30 PM ET after the jump.

Thursday Night College Football Angst: Clemson at Wake Forest Live Blog originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 09 Oct 2008 22:42:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>thursday night college footballThursdayNightCollegeFootballBrian GrummellThu, 09 Oct 2008 22:42:00 EST Clemson Might Want To Win Tonighthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/clemson-might-want-to-win-tonight/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/clemson-might-want-to-win-tonight/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/10/09/clemson-might-want-to-win-tonight/#commentsFiled under: , ,

By now, you know the drill with Clemson- OMG if they don't win it this year (it being the ACC, or at the very least, the Atlantic Division), Tommy Bowden will literally be drawn and quartered on the 50 yard line, at which point, the horses will be slain and fed as stew to local orphans. Who will then wash it all down with Bowden's blood and a mixture of four different flavors of Hi-C (Ecto Cooler being the only mandatory inclusion).

But even with what could most generously be described as an inauspicious start to the season, a win tonight against Wake Forest actually puts them in pole position to get to Jacksonville. Yeah, they dropped one to Maryland, but any squad that loses 31-0 to Virginia can't be assumed to run the table from here on out in-conference. But a loss puts them two down with Florida State and Georgia Tech coming right up. Thursday nights have tended to be wacky more often than not, so heads are cautiously high amongst the Tiger faithful. So says center Thomas Austin
"The only way to get that bitter taste out of your mouth is to get a win, and to right the ship in a sense," Austin said. "We're definitely kind of tired of hearing what's being said. We want to go out and prove ourselves again."
It doesn't hurt the Tigers cause that in what should be a close battle, Wake Forest's Sam Swank, perennial kicker/EA Sports "impact player" may be out. We'll have more tonight as the game progresses.

Clemson Might Want To Win Tonight originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian CohenThu, 09 Oct 2008 13:29:00 EST This Week In Schadenfreude: Trojans! Beavers! Build Your Own Single Entendre!http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/09/29/this-week-in-schadenfreude/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/09/29/this-week-in-schadenfreude/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/09/29/this-week-in-schadenfreude/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

scha·den·freu·de
-noun
satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.
[Origin: 1890-95; < G, equiv. to Schaden harm + Freude joy]
On This Week In Schadenfreude we explore the sputtering rage, gibbering condemnation, and resigned ennui of the college football fan who has recently undergone humiliating defeat. Because even in your darkest hour, someone else is suffering too, and probably worse than you. Unless you are a Michigan fan who has just finished watching the Appalachian State game.

Last year, USC lost to Stanford. This was an extremely creative way to obliterate their shot at the national championship. This year they did one better, though, losing to a team that was soundly beaten by Stanford and causing Arizona State blog Pitchfork Nation to issue a special edition of their Pac 10 Power Poll in WAR-sized caps:

NO ONE.
NO ONE IN THIS CONFERENCE IS POWERFUL.
AT ALL.

Meanwhile, USC fans are suddenly just like the rest of us--insane:

I'm just stunned. I can't believe it. I really can't. I don't care if we go on to win 10 national championships, Pete Carroll will forever be remembered for losing two games to horrible teams. It's like losing to Sacramento St. and Humboldt. Damn.

No, Pete Carroll will forever be remembered for naked grunting samoan guys, and then probably the national championships. And then probably his fabulous hair. Only if you are literally in the room with Mike Riley and Jim Harbaugh will USC's weird upsets get brought up. Congratulations, USC, you are the Tears of Unfathomable Sadness award recipient.

The rest of the week in spleen after the jump.

BIG TEN

Wisconsin managed to blow a 19-0 halftime lead and lose to Michigan 27-25 in what was possibly the best game your intrepid reporter has ever attended; Badger fans are taking it pretty well:

The MOST humilating loss in UW history...

...give Michigan credit, they didn't give up, UW did...I am ashamed to be a "Badger" fan right now...truly dispicable!!! I truly hope we are voted out of the Top 25 because this team does NOT deserve to be ranked...what a weak mentality!!!

Really? Losing by two points on the road is worse than, say, any of these beauties versus Michigan?

10/6/1990 @ *Wisconsin (1-10) W 41 3
10/7/1989 vs. *Wisconsin (2-9) W 24 0
10/1/1988 @ *Wisconsin (1-10) W 62 14
10/3/1987 vs. *Wisconsin (3-8) W 49 0

Meanwhile, this guy shouldn't have any problem getting over the loss:

Should I ever expect to beat Michigan

I'm a new student here previously of the U of Texas and was wondering that if Bielema didn't get it done this year why should I expect Wisconsin to ever beat Michigan?

The reason: he's got Memento disease just like Notre Dame's coaches. Wisconsin beat Michigan last year. And two years before that. So, like... yes?

Probably not.

Oh.

Michigan actually won that game, but holy Lord did you see that first half? If you are a Michigan fan, did, and still have your corneas, congratulations. Normally they wouldn't get featured, but this video is perhaps the essence of the freude:



Moments after they stopped taping those moppets started asking "why is daddy taking a screwdriver to his temple?" I hope he made it to the third quarter.
PAC 10

Let's go back to USC, where the natives are getting restless in Norm Chow's absence:
With all the talent, it is just sad that for some reason we keep blowing it. Somehow, we have these games where we just don't show up till the 2nd half and expect to win. Welcome to the real world, this is now the 4th year where we have had the most talent and will not win squat. Now maybe some of you will realize why we were so pissed when Kiff was just pissing away seasons with talent that should have won it all. When it is there you HAVE TO TAKE IT.
That's from the "Official We Haven't Won Squat Without Norm Chow" thread, the title of which is a perfect reason why USC fans are universally loathed. In the last three years, USC has lost the national championship game once and won the Rose Bowl twice. OH MY GOD THE WORLD IS ENDING.

Meanwhile, someone else mentions that "with Chow we win the NC" and a third someone gently points out the flaw with that assumption:
WHY?

Would Chow play Defense and FKING tackle that midget???
Probably not.

If USC fans think they have problems they should wander over to Washington message boards. One has a picture thread titled "How I feel about this season so far." A typical example:



Good news: Jake Locker's out!
SEC

As promised by an Alabama assistant coach, Georgia got decked out in black because they were planning a funeral for their national championship hopes. Dawg fans are now hastily reconsidering oil Tycoon Tex Pitfield's suggestion that they cancel the game in response to the southeast's Ike-induced gasoline shortage:

The game should have never been played. The gas that was wasted this weekend far outweighs anything that happened on that field. In fact, the Georgia players even came around to Pitfield's side early Saturday afternoon. As a protest to this senseless wasting of precious petroleum, the entire Georgia team decided not to show up for the first half.

Meanwhile, Kyle King had a weird night:

Mine was the second vehicle in line behind the lowered arm and flashing lights of the railroad crossing; before me was a white pickup truck with county government plates, and in the back of the truck was a cage containing a dog. It was dark, so I couldn't tell for sure, but the dog looked to be either a German shepherd or a Siberian husky or an Alaskan malamute.

The dog sat there in the cage, looking straight back at me, panting, not exactly menacing but not altogether benign, and I looked at him as he looked at me and the screeching of the interminable passing train howled ominously in the night, sounding eerily like something out of an Angelo Badalamenti score. On top of all that, I was a guy named Kyle dressed entirely in black, so the moment was positively Lynchian. The first half was a lot like that.

It may have been confusing, disturbing, mostly annoying and completely enthralling to David Foster Wallace (RIP), but at least you don't have to watch it over and over again for the rest of your life.


Tennessee. Well, uh. This happened to Youtube:



Could this be the first video in youtube history that's dumber than the comments?

Survey says...
You would get more laughs posting actual game footage of Crompton.
Yes.

Finally, Florida lost in the most painful of all ways to lose: a blocked extra point. Then this happened to Orson:
RUMSFELD!!!

Somehow I think Tebow's summer of playing with little boy's wangs had a part in this.

We received no less than four comments that were a variation on this theme. When's the plague happening? Soon? Soon enough? The Stand is a comedy, right? Laurie Garrett, TCOAN and ourselves are heading to Montana with a T1 line, arms, and three years worth of supplies. The rest of you are on your own.

I'm sure they just meant that Tebow could have been practicing outs and slants and TEBOW SMASH and stuff instead of doing baby Heisman poses. I post on the Fanhouse, man, and I know that commenters would never stoop so low as to joke about homosexuality.

Truth.
BIG EAST

Syracuse 24, Pittsburgh, 34, crying child:



Lather, rinse, repeat.
BIG TWELVE

Nebraska. Bo Pelini -- who is the coach, mind you -- got flagged for a critical personal foul in during a Virginia Tech touchdown drive; this is actually the second time Pelini's gotten flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct as Nebraska's head coach. Corn Nation is not so much enthused by the trend:

My real reaction?

EEEEEEEEYYAAAAAAGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

I think I saw that in a "Bloom County" strip once; Opus was laid up for weeks.
ACC

I wonder how Tommy Bowden's job security at Clemson is going? Let's check in with Block C...

F*CKITY F*CK F*CK F*CK

...We're going to have to grin and bear it with this staff until after signing day, then fire them and hope to lure someone else. Either way, people who are of the opinion that Bowden will somehow miraculously become a great coach some day need to realize that they are defending a completely untenable position. ... GTFO MY SCHOOL.
It must be late September again.


It's tough for Wake Forest fans to work up proper levels of spleen since their school is smaller than many high schools and is mostly known for being a place that graduates a lot of priests, but Old Gold And Blog is willing to give it a shot:
Much of yesterday seemed like a bad joke, kind of like the pun in the title. ["sunk" -ed] The first half performance was so bad that I literally laughed out loud a couple of times.
The elusive football-inflicted LLOL. Oh, how I wish I was way more unfamiliar with that thing.

This Week In Schadenfreude: Trojans! Beavers! Build Your Own Single Entendre! originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:18:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>this week in schadenfreudeThisWeekInSchadenfreudeBrian CookMon, 29 Sep 2008 18:18:00 EST So, How Was Your Weekend- Wake Foresthttp://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/09/29/so-how-was-your-weekend-wake-forest/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/09/29/so-how-was-your-weekend-wake-forest/http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2008/09/29/so-how-was-your-weekend-wake-forest/#commentsFiled under: ,

A look back on the various and sundry fortunes of ACC teams of the past weekend...

"You was right, [people] want you to be miserable with 'em"- Jay-Z, "Regrets"

I'll be honest- if you didn't want Wake Forest to have a successful team, I'd understand. I'd probably also assume you were an ACC coach with the last name of Bowden or Groh. In the event that teams like Wake (and possibly in the future, Duke) start winning with regularity more than they currently are, it disturbs the status quo that had existed in the ACC for too long. Basically, as long as you give Florida State a decent game, 8 wins per season and an occasional Peach Bowl was more than enough to secure your position as a head coach with decent job security in the olden days (read: like, in 2002).

Unfortunately, for the coaching class that came in during the early part of the century, the decentralization of power has actually made their jobs that much harder. Whenever someone gets on national TV popping off on how the ACC is just a petri dish breeding mediocrity, it's probably your fault. Especially when a school like Wake Forest is getting it done despite having the smallest enrollment of a BCS school, challenging academic standards and a shared statehood with two of the most recognizable brands of any college in the country (Duke and UNC).
Well, Tommy Bowden and Al Groh aren't leaving any "hot seat" lists any time soon, but at least they get a respite from hearing how much better of a job Jim Grobe could do with their resources. For a week, at least. Coming off yet another eye-popping domination of Florida State in Tallahassee, the Demon Deacons suffered probably the most inexplicable loss of the upset-lardened weekend, taking an L to Navy (yeah, they lost to Duke, but there's a chance doing that might not be all that shameful anymore). Usually, when something like this goes down, it can be attributed to an unfamiliarity with the option offense ... clearly, not something that can be the culprit here.

Oddly enough, Wake screwed this one up in large part to an insanely out-of-character performance by Riley Skinner, who threw four picks. Mind you that Wake is generally known for its ability to hold onto the ball while causing turnovers. Especially the talent discrepancy that happens nearly every week with these guys, avoiding mistakes is paramount.

Even with this supposed disaster (and trust, it's going to take a lot for Wake to sniff the Top 25 again any time soon), like Maryland, Wake is still undefeated in conference with a huge test out of the way. I'm not ready to sell yet, but this is just a reminder that Wake is human too. Weird.

So, How Was Your Weekend- Wake Forest originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

 

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]]>Ian CohenMon, 29 Sep 2008 13:12:00 EST