NCAA Football FanHouse

Spiller Force Behind Clemson Revival

Jim Henry — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College, Clemson, Duke Football, Florida State, University of Miami, Virginia, ACC

Much of the credit for Clemson's turnaround this season goes to its offense. Let us count the ways.

During Clemson's current five-game winning streak -- the program's longest in three seasons -- the Tigers have scored at least 38 points in each game, a program first. During that span, Clemson has averaged 42 points per game, 425 total yards per game, 6.87 yards per play and 220 passing yards a game.

No wonder the Tigers, who had lost three of their first five games by a total of 10 points, are positioned to clinch their first trip to the ACC title game with a home victory Saturday against struggling Virginia.

Of course, Clemson's success on offense revolves around all-purpose back and Heisman Trophy hopeful C.J. Spiller. Spiller needs 103 all-purpose yards to break the ACC single-season record of 2,054, held by Virginia's Thomas Jones.

In last Saturday's victory over N.C. State, Spiller had a 16-yard touchdown run, caught a 34-yard scoring pass and threw a 17-yard touchdown to Xavier Dye, becoming the first Clemson player to do all three in one game.

"I'm just proud of C.J. -- another ho-hum day for him," coach Dabo Swinney said.

"I don't know how many other 'first evers' the guy can have."

Clemson has gained at least 200 yards passing and 200 yards rushing in each of the last two games. Clemson is 52-0-1 when it has at least 200 yards of each in the history of the school.

The Tigers also have gotten a big boost lately from freshman Kyle Parker. He's thrown 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in the Tigers' four wins over FBS opponents during their five-game winning streak while compiling a 164.9 passer rating.

Swinney's defense, meanwhile, allows 299.3 yards per game to rank second in the ACC and 20th nationally. Clemson's 20 interceptions (12 in the last five games) lead the FBS.

Clemson has not won an ACC Championship since 1991, when a defense led by future NFL players Levon Kirkland, Chester McGlockton and Brentson Buckner, led the nation in rushing defense.

The Tigers were 9-1-1 in the regular season that year and had a 6-0-1 record in the ACC, good enough for the league championship. Clemson defeated Maryland in the final home game on Nov. 16, 1991 and that was the last time Clemson clinched any type of title.

The Tigers have the opportunity to make history on Senior Day Saturday.

"I think that would be really special for those guys," Swinney said.

"I still remember my high school senior game. They work so hard and these guys put so much into it for those 12 Saturdays. It is just a special day and then that it is your last game and an opportunity to win the Division title on the same day. These guys were four years old the last time we won one. It is a great opportunity for them.

"That is why you play the game. All year long they have been working towards their goals and now the second goal is right there in reach. I think it would be really special."

Ann's Still Hot

It was nearly two months ago when Ann Bowden -- wife of FSU coach Bobby Bowden -- said she felt her husband was being betrayed by those who had called for the veteran coach to retire at season's end. She is obviously no less upset these days.

Bobby Bowden has indicated many times that he wants to continue to coach at FSU next season. His status will be determined by school officials at regular-season's end. Here's what Ann had to say in a USA Today story earlier this week concerning her 80-year-old husband's future.

"You know, we don't need the university as much as they need us -- as much as they need him and his connections and reputation and everything," Ann said in the story.

"If they want to pull that trick, we'll just shake the dirt off our feet and go to Europe or go on a long cruise or something. ... They'll have to fire him for him not to go another year. ... If they've got guts enough to do it, let them do it."

Spirit Award

Boston College linebacker Mark Herzlich, who recently overcame a rare form of bone cancer and helped inspire more than $120,000 in donations for cancer-related causes, has been selected for the Disney Spirit Award given annually by Disney Sports to college football's most inspirational figure.

Herzlich will be presented with the award during The Home Depot ESPNU College Football Awards at Walt Disney World Resort on Thursday, Dec. 10.

"The Disney Spirit Award is an award that means more to me than any award based on statistics and on-the-field achievements," Herzlich said in a prepared statement.

"I have had to battle a deadly rare disease this past year and, along with beating the disease, I was fortunate to be able to help others along the way. To be recognized with this award is an honor and I hope that it shows people around the world that there is hope and that it will encourage them to continue to battle."

Buyout for Groh?

For embattled Virginia coach Al Groh, it's business as usual.

The Cavs are on the cusp of having consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1981-82. Add in a four-game losing streak and factor in a decline in attendance, season-ticket sales, and fund-raising, and one would suspect Groh's future in Charlottesville, Va., appears bleak.

Groh, in his ninth season, knows there is not much he can do about the future, so he deals with the present. And he believes his team has prepared well for Saturday's game against Clemson.

"Pick out your target, block out all distractions and take dead aim," Groh said, explaining Virginia's mentality heading into the Clemson game.

"It takes everything a team and a player has got to get ready to compete successfully, much less think about those extraneous things."

According to media reports, it would coast Virginia more than $4 million to pay Groh for the two years that remain on the contract.

Must-Win for Blue Devils

Duke (5-5), which has dropped its past two games to North Carolina and No. 7 Georgia Tech, finds itself in a must-win situation Saturday at Miami if Blue Devils hold any hope of becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 1994.

It doesn't help that the banged-up Blue Devils haven't won against the Hurricanes since 1976 and have lost the past five games.

Enough of those negative vibes, says Duke coach David Cutcliffe.

"When I get on that plane, I want to believe we are going down there not with the hopes of winning, but planning to win," Cutcliffe said.

"I can tell you 5,000 reasons we won't win. If I tell you 5,000 reasons we won't win, then I have to tell you 5,000 things we are going to do about it. I talked about the challenges, what they are and what we are going to do about them.

"If you don't prepare well, you won't believe you have a chance to win or are going to win when you are playing. It all comes down to the preparation; the sincere, focused, intense preparation."

Spiller Force Behind Clemson Revival originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC Notebook: Settling Divisional Races

Jim Henry — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:30:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College, Clemson, Duke Football, Georgia Tech, Maryland, University of Miami, NC State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, ACC

Closure.

That's what we may get from the ACC this weekend in terms of divisional winners advancing to the title game in Tampa, Fla., next month.

Clemson could clinch the Atlantic Division Saturday if the Tigers beat North Carolina State and Boston College loses at Virginia. Georgia Tech, meanwhile, can clinch the Coastal Division by beating Duke in its last league game. Of course, keep an eraser handy, just in case.

Boston College still has a chance to win the Atlantic, but the Eagles need Clemson to lose to the Wolfpack and to Virginia on Nov. 21. If the Yellow Jacket lose, as many as three teams, including Miami and Virginia Tech, could finish with two losses each.

The No. 7 Yellow Jackets (9-1), however, have been the toast of the ACC since losing at Miami in the season's third week. They are on a seven-game winning streak and boast their highest ranking since 1999.

"Since we lost to Miami, I told our guys every Monday that this week's game is single elimination. It's like the playoffs," Tech coach Paul Johnson said.

"That is the way we've tried to go at it. I said after the Miami game I thought no one would win our division with two losses. If we lose on Saturday, then maybe somebody will, but if we win, nobody won't."

Duke, of course, has a chance because it has quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, the ACC's No. 2 passer with 2,428 yards and only five interceptions, and head coach David Cutcliffe.

Tech has its turf-grinding triple option. The Yellow Jackets lead the nation in time of possession, keeping the ball 34:56 minutes per game.

"When you're playing a team that possesses the ball as well as Georgia Tech does, the best way to prevent them from dominating the ball is to try and stay on the field yourself," Cutcliffe explained.

"Your offense is not just playing their defense, your offense is playing their offense. You don't want to put your defense right back on the field after they just put together a 12- or 14-play drive, so those things are critical."

Welcome Back Frank

It has been nearly 20 years since Frank Spaziani last stepped inside Scott Stadium, and this time he'll be viewing Virginia football from the opposite sideline.

Spaziani, the first-year head coach at Boston College, was an assistant with the Cavaliers for nine seasons (1982-1990) under head coach George Welsh. This is the Eagles' fifth season in the ACC, but it will be their first trip to Charlottesville, Va.

With Spaziani overseeing the defense, UVA was ranked No. 1 in the country for three weeks in 1990, the only time the Cavaliers ever have been ranked No. 1. However, it didn't end with all roses.

Virginia won its first seven games before losing to eventual national co-champion Georgia Tech 41-38. The Cavaliers won at North Carolina the next week, then lost their last three games.

Following the season, Welsh made the decision to replace Spaziani as defensive coordinator. Spaziani was given the option of coaching defensive backs under new coordinator Rick Lantz but declined. Spaziani appreciated his time spent with the Cavs.

"When you take the whole body of stuff, I have nothing but tremendous memories of Virginia and my experience there, and I can't tell you how valuable it's been to me," Spaziani told The Roanoke (Va.) Times.

Young Guns

Maryland quarterback Chris Turner remains questionable for Saturday's game against No. 20 Virginia Tech with a left knee injury. If Turner is unable to go, look for sophomore Jamarr Robinson to step in behind center.

Robinson attempted his first collegiate passes last Saturday at N.C. State, going 5-for-11 for 27 yards while rushing for a team-high 38 yards.

The Terps also have true freshman Danny O'Brien and C.J. Brown available, though they have yet to appear this season. If they sit out the last three games, they will retain four years of eligibility heading into next season.

Although guaranteed a losing season, Maryland head coach Ralph Friedgen says he's playing to win and not worried about next year.

"If Chris can go, we're going to have to make that decision," Friedgen told The Washington Times.

"To me, I've been ready to play Danny for two weeks. I think if he's the best guy, let's find out whether he can do it. If Jamarr's doing well, that's great, too. If Chris doesn't play, at least we're going to be able to see where we're at at quarterback."

Around the Horn

Who has the better arm behind center? Kyle Parker, the outfielder, or Russell Wilson, the second baseman?

Parker and Wilson have faced each other on the baseball diamond before, but Saturday's game between Parker's Clemson Tigers and Wilson's N.C. State Wolfpack marks the first time the two quarterbacks are on the same football field.

Parker has set a Clemson record for wins by a starting freshman quarterback, while Wilson, the league's Rookie of the Year last season, is second in the ACC in passing efficiency and leads the ACC in touchdown passes with 24.

"Coming into the season people were trying to make number 11 (Parker) beat them," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said.

"I think he has answered a lot of those things. He can make every throw. He runs pretty well."

ACC Notebook: Settling Divisional Races originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC Notebook: Bowden Still Boss

Jim Henry — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Clemson, Duke Football, Florida State, Georgia Tech, UNC, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, ACC

It'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."

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.

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State Rep. Barry Mask, R-Wetumpka, made history 30 years ago when he became Auburn University's first "Aubie" mascot. He holds a photo Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, of the way he looked in 1979 when he made his debut in his "Aubie" costume. (AP Photo/Montgomery Advertiser, Alvin Benn)

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Oklahoma State football offensive coordinator Gunter Brewer is seen in Stillwater, Okla., Monday, Nov. 2, 2009. With the Cowboys facing fourth-and-1 on their very first drive against the nation's stingiest rush defense, coach Mike Gundy made a quick decision--so fast that he seemed to catch Texas off guard--and told his offense to go for it. "We knew possessions were going to be key, and we didn't want to turn it over if there was a gettable fourth down or we felt like we had a play loaded up that would fit," Brewer said. "We wanted to play fast." (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Pulaski Academy High School football coach Kevin Kelley works with his team in Little Rock, Ark., on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009. Virtually every time the Pulaski Academy Bruins face fourth down, the prep school team from Little Rock, Ark., goes for it. No matter the distance. And here's the thing _ the strategy works. Coach Kelley and his Bruins won the state championship in Arkansas' second-largest classification last season and did not punt.(AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

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Penn State football coach Joe Paterno answers a question at his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State host Ohio State in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 7. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno answers a question duirng his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009 in State College, Pa. Penn State host Ohio State in an NCAA college football game on Saturday, Nov. 7. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

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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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ACC Notebook: Hokies, Heels Look to Bounce Back

Jim Henry — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:26:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College, Duke Football, Florida State, Georgia Tech, NC State, Virginia Tech, ACC

Both Virginia Tech and North Carolina want to move forward Thursday night following difficult losses. One of the two will be disappointed.

The No. 14 Hokies (5-2 overall, 3-1 ACC) say they are no longer stewing over their 28-23 loss at Georgia Tech on Oct. 17, despite the lingering chatter about the Yellow Jackets' chop-blocking techniques and how Virginia Tech no longer controls its destiny in the ACC's Coastal Division.

UNC is coming off a tough loss, too. Playing its first Thursday night home game a week ago, the Tar Heels led Florida State 24-6 after halftime and then fell apart, losing 30-27. The Seminoles had 285 of their 395 passing yards in the second half to keep the Tar Heels (4-3, 0-3) winless in the ACC.

"I thought we were over Georgia Tech last week," Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer said.

"We played hard. They made some great plays. They've got some great players. We didn't quite play as well as we needed to and lost. ... I think our coaches and players put that loss behind us and moved on. We'll see (Thursday night)."

A national television audience and fans at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Va., should see a tussle over the running game.

UNC has the second-best rushing defense in the league (102.6 yards per game) and allowed only 48 yards to FSU. Virginia Tech, led by Ryan Williams and Josh Oglesby, is second in rushing offense (203.7 ypg).

The Hokies are also looking for consistency on defense after being scorched for 309 rushing yards by Georgia Tech. The defense has already allowed 12 rushes of 20 yards or longer, nearly matching last year's season total (14).

"They know I am not happy," Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster said. "That's unacceptable around here. For us to have the type of team we need to down the stretch, we've got to play great defense."

As far as the league's pecking order, Virginia Tech needs help if it's going to make a third consecutive appearance in the ACC championship game. The Hokies must win their four remaining conference games and have No. 11 Georgia Tech lose to either Wake Forest or Duke.

"There's a lot of football to be played," Beamer said.

"You've got your BCS standings. You've got your conference situation, and there's just a lot of football to be played. What we can control is how we prepare and how we play against North Carolina. So that's the key thing for us right now, to put all our efforts toward North Carolina."

UNC, meanwhile, now must scramble just to make the postseason. With games at the Hokies, Boston College and N.C. State, as well as home games against Duke and No. 18 Miami, it looks like a tall order.

HOME SWEET HOME?

Over its last six home games, Florida State is an embarrassing 1-5. The only victory came against Jacksonville State in September when the Seminoles scored twice in the closing minutes to survive.

FSU hopes to change its luck Saturday against struggling North Carolina State.

"We've been a mistake-prone football team," FSU coach Bobby Bowden said.

"We've been making just enough errors to get yourself beat. We play close and then we either win it or lose it in the last three minutes. The game we won was that way. I think everybody would rather play at home. It's just that it hasn't happened. And it needs to happen."

Yes it does, especially if the Seminoles want to remain in contention for the ACC championship.

Say what?

It might be a pipe dream, considering FSU's schizophrenic play, but the Seminoles need to win their remaining league games against N.C. State, Wake Forest, Clemson and Maryland to finish 4-1 in the Atlantic Division (and 4-3 overall in the ACC).

If that somehow happens and Boston College losses to either Virginia, North Carolina or Maryland in November, the Seminoles would land in the ACC title game in Tampa, Fla.

When asked if the Seminoles' dramatic comeback victory at UNC last Thursday could turn around the Seminoles' season, Bowden said, "Well, the answer to that is, yes it can. But the question is, will it?

"Did BYU (victory) turn things around? No. We had a great doggone ballgame and then the next week got beat -- and lost, what, three in a row? Is it going to have that effect? It could, but nothing's a guarantee. So we're just going to see what happens."

HOT STREAK

The Duke Blue Devils (4-3, 2-1) haven't played in a bowl since the 1995 Hall of Fame Bowl. And they haven't even come close to bowl eligibility since that trip to Tampa.

Well, the Blue Devils have won two straight ACC games for the first time since 1994 and will try to go for three in a row Saturday at Virginia.

Duke needs three wins in its remaining five games to earn bowl status since its win over North Carolina Central, which is transitioning to FCS status, doesn't count in the postseason picture.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe, a positive chap, is certainly enjoying the journey.

"It's week nine of college football and it keeps getting more intense, and I think probably more fun for everybody -- players, coaches, fans and media," he said.

"All of these games get bigger and bigger and bigger."

MIND BOGGLING

Boston College Frank Spaziani was surprised when running back Josh Haden and quarterback Justin Tuggle informed him earlier this week of their plans to leave the program and transfer.

Tuggle started the first two games of the season and helped lead the Eagles to easy victories. But he struggled in a 25-7 loss to Clemson, completing just 4 of 20 passes for 23 yards. Tuggle was intercepted three times and sacked three times. He slipped on the depth chart to No. 3 and then No. 3 with Dave Shinskie and Mike Marscovetra ahead of him.

Haden, whose older brother Joe is a starting cornerback for the top-ranked Florida Gators, started 13 career games and gained 479 yards. Haden, however, has been slowed by an ankle injury and saw his playing time diminish with the emergence of Montel Harris, who turned in a 264-yard, five-touchdown effort in a win over North Carolina earlier this month.

"The timing is tough," Spaziani said.

"As to what was on their minds, I don't know. Who can figure out what is in the minds of 19- or 20-year-olds sometimes.''

ACC Notebook: Hokies, Heels Look to Bounce Back originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC Notebook: FSU Needs Victories

Jim Henry — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:26:00 EST

Filed under: Clemson, Duke Football, Florida State, Maryland, University of Miami, NC State, Notre Dame, ACC

It has reached this point at Florida State: panicking Seminole fans are searching for victories.

At 2-4, FSU and head coach Bobby Bowden need to find four more victories in their remaining six games to become bowl eligible. That challenge starts Thursday night in a nationally-televised game at North Carolina. The Seminoles close October against North Carolina State and tangle with Clemson, Wake Forest, Maryland and Florida in November.

FSU has played in 27 consecutive bowl games dating back to 1981, when the Seminoles went 6-5.

With all that's going on at FSU surrounding its porous defense, injuries and the emotional debate surrounding Bowden's future, the Seminoles' best-case scenario might be the program's second 6-6 regular season in four years. FSU beat UCLA in the 2006 Emerald Bowl to avoid its first losing season since 1976, Bowden's first in Tallahassee.

Bowden says FSU's struggles are not a secret.

"We'll go out there and stop a team, and stop a team, and stop a team and then whoop," Bowden said in reference to the Seminoles' defensive lapses.

"So if they ever get that squared away we'll be a pretty good ballclub. Another thing is, nobody's crushed us. We haven't been blown out. We've been right down to the wire with everybody, which maybe with one play less for them or one play more for us, we could be up at the top."

Both the Seminoles (2-4, 0-3 ACC) and Tar Heels (4-2, 0-2) are looking for their first ACC victories of the season. It's actually an intriguing matchup, considering FSU is No. 1 in the conference in offense and last in defense, while UNC is No. 1 in defense and last in offense.

The Thursday night game is also the first of its kind at Kenan Stadium.

"It's a big challenge for us and we have to execute and play as well as we can if we want to be successful," FSU quarterback Christian Ponder said. "It's a heck of a challenge and it's something that we can show up and shock the world and make a statement because it's a Thursday night game and it's the only game on. So we have an opportunity but a heck of a challenge."

Bowden, who has indicated he'd like to return to coach in 2010, believes FSU's season-opening defeat to Miami has haunted the Seminoles. The game wasn't decided until the final play, when Seminoles receiver Jarmon Fortson was unable to catch a low pass in the end zone for the win.

"I think the old expression that Lombardi said, that winning breeds winning and losing breeds losing and once you've lost, you have got to get your kids to have a positive attitude," Bowden said.

"With us, we've been in every ball game. Every game we've been in has come down to the last three or four minutes. If we score, we win. If we don't score, we lose. Against Miami, we're on the two yard line with a first down but the time caught us and we couldn't get in anything but two plays. Then we missed a touchdown in the end zone that would have won it.

"That might have changed our whole season if could have won that darn ball game."

And if you are wondering about Bowden's retirement plans, he continues to drop hints. The latest one Bowden gave that he will not slip quietly away after this season came in a radio interview he gave Wednesday to an AM station in Raleigh, N.C.

Bowden also told host David Glenn of Sports Radio 850 "The Buzz" that he will not discuss his exit strategy because he doesn't want a highly publicized countdown to the end.

"I know I am in the last years - I say plural - of my career," said Bowden in a transcript of the interview available on ACC Sports Journal.

"My days are numbered. I did not want to say, 'Well, I'm going to leave at this time.' I already know when I'm going to leave. And [coach-in-waiting] Jimbo Fisher knows when I'm going to leave. He and I have talked about it."

ON THE ROAD

Boston College has Notre Dame's number.

The Eagles have won six straight against the Irish, including the last three at storied Notre Dame Stadium. If Boston College prevails, the senior class will graduate having gone undefeated against the Irish.

The bad news is BC is 0-2 on the road this season, falling behind early and never recovering at Clemson (25-7) and Virginia Tech (48-14).

"It is very complicated," BC coach Frank Spaziani said in at attempt to explain the Eagles' road struggles.

"Early in the year we weren't where we are now so that attributes to it. It also depends on the opposition and how they play against us can also factor in. Everything is new to this team because we are so young so we have to learn from it and move
on."

YOUNG GUNS

The two youngest head coaches in the ACC will meet Saturday, when Clemson plays Miami.

Clemson's Dabo Swinney is the youngest head coach in the ACC at 39. He will turn 40 on Nov. 20, the day before Clemson meets Virginia in the final home game of the year. Miami's Randy Shannon is the second youngest head coach at 43. He won't turn 44 until Feb. 24.

If history is any indication, the showdown could generate some gray hairs. The last two games between the teams were decided in overtime. Clemson won at Miami in one overtime in 2004, while the Hurricanes won at Clemson in triple overtime in 2005.

UM is in the driver's seat in the ACC Coastal Division, while the Tigers continue to search for consistency. A win over the eighth-ranked Hurricanes would represent the highest-ranked team Clemson has defeated since the 2004 (end of 2003 season) Chick-Fil-A Bowl, where Clemson defeated No. 6 Tennessee.

"We are in the middle of a division race so at this point it is like a playoff every week in this conference," Swinney said. "We are trying to just stay in the hunt and get better as a football team. We have our hands full. This is a good team we are getting ready to play."

HISTORY LESSON

The Duke Blue Devils, off last week, will try to put together back-to-back ACC wins for the first time since 1994 when they face visiting Maryland on Saturday.

Duke, 3-3 overall and 1-1 in the ACC, says it hasn't lost any momentum from its biggest win of the season, a 49-28 victory over North Carolina State nearly two weeks ago. Thaddeus Lewis completed 40 of 50 passes and finished with a career high 459 yards. Meanwhile, the Blue Devils defense held the Wolfpack offense scoreless in the second half.

Duke and Maryland haven't met in five years.

"Kids don't see much past now, past today, so all they know is that Maryland's had a difficult start," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said.

"But when you put on the tape, they see that Maryland's a good football team. You really don't have to convince kids once they see tape. They've seen enough tape to know what a good team looks like and what a bad team looks like. Maryland is a good team."

ACC Notebook: FSU Needs Victories originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:26:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC Notebook: Hokies Can't Let Up

Jim Henry — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:05:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College, Duke Football, Florida State, Georgia Tech, NC State, Virginia Tech, ACC

Virginia Tech travels to Georgia Tech on Saturday in what may be the biggest hurdle left on the Hokies' regular season schedule. The fourth-ranked Hokies are in prime position to be in the national title race with some help. They will also virtually wrap up the ACC Coastal Division with a win in Atlanta.

Of course, this isn't expected to be a walk in the park for Tech either.

The Yellow Jackets, who have won three straight, present a unique challenge to the Virginia Tech defense behind their triple-option. Over the last three games, Georgia Tech has averaged 472.3 yards of total offense. The Hokies, always strong on defense and special teams, appear to be finally clicking on all cylinders now that quarterback Tyrod Taylor and running back Ryan Williams are propelling the offense.

The game will feature the top three rushers in the ACC -- Williams and the Yellow Jackets' running back Jonathan Dwyer and quarterback Josh Nesbitt, who has rushed more than 20 times in each of Tech's last three games.

"Historically, you know that they're going to be strong defensively and in special teams," Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said.

"But, offensively they've played well, scoring a lot of points and racking up a bunch of yards. They have a very athletic quarterback, their tailback is a great player, they have a veteran offensive line and an experienced tight end and they're very well coached. They are just a good team and usually good teams get better as the season goes on."

Virginia Tech has won five straight games after a season-opening loss to Alabama in the Georgia Dome. The Hokies whipped visiting Boston College, 48-14, last Saturday in a rematch of the last two ACC championship games. Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer is extremely wary of the Yellow Jackets' triple option.

"They are more advanced this year," Beamer said.

"This is the second year they have been in it. They don't turn the ball over very much, and they keep it in the quarterback's hands a lot. But I just think, overall, they are more advanced. It can work both ways, I think the fact that it is different from what you see on a normal basis, makes it very difficult to prepare for in four or five days."

BACK ON THE BUMP

Dave Shinskie will start at quarterback for Boston College in Saturday's home date against North Carolina State at Alumni Stadium. But how long will he play?

Shinskie is still trying to get past last Saturday Virginia Tech loss in which he completed 1 of 12 passes for 2 yards and threw two interceptions. Shinskie told The Boston Globe that he is moving on -- or making the attempt.

"I've been through bad losses," said Shinskie, who played professional baseball before switching careers this past summer.

"It's almost going out in the first inning of a baseball game and giving up nine runs. Your ERA is going to be high. You have to come back throw nine strong innings and hold them scoreless the next time. You've got to put it behind you. You have to do it or you're not going to make it."

STAYING OR GOING?

Bobby Bowden is sticking to his guns. Sort of.

Florida State's legendary coach went on a nationally televised show on Tuesday night and said he was "strongly leaning" toward returning for the 2010 football season. When pressed by the media about the comment following the Seminoles' practice on Wednesday, Bowden said, "If that's what I said, that's what I meant."

Bowden, called to step down at season's end by the university's board of trustees chairman, is under a one year-contract that will be reviewed by the FSU administration at the end of the season.

Last week, Bowden, under fire for the Seminoles' 2-4 start, went on various radio and television shows and said that he would make a decision after the season. He has since softened that stance.

In his Sunday news conference, Bowden said, "I think it's my decision. I think it is" when asked who had the ultimate decision -- Bowden or the FSU administration? -- concerning his future.

FSU has a contract with offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher that names him the head coach by Jan. 2011 or pays him $5 million.

STREAKING

Duke's 49-28 thrashing of host North Carolina State on Saturday was a big win. How big?

The last time Duke won in Carter-Finley was 1984. None of the current Blue Devils were born yet and Duke head coach David Cutcliffe was a 35-year old tight ends coach at Tennessee.

The victory ended an eight-game ACC losing streak, an 11-game slide against the Wolfpack and a 20-game road losing streak in the ACC.

"Everyone wants to talk about streaks," said Cutcliffe, whose Blue Devils are off Saturday. "I don't talk about streaks very often. We just try to take it one game at a time because so many of those streaks are negative in our regard."

STRICTLY BUSINESS

N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien, the former head coach at Boston College, returns to Beantown Saturday. Don't expect O'Brien to get all warm and fuzzy about seeing close friends. When asked if he had anything he wanted to do while in Boston, O'Brien answered:

"Win a football game. I'm telling my players it's a business trip. I'm not going up there for a social."

ACC Notebook: Hokies Can't Let Up originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC Notebook: Eagles Flying High

Jim Henry — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College, Clemson, Duke Football, Florida State, Maryland, NC State, UNC, Virginia, Wake Forest, ACC

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.

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)

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)

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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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)

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)

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)

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)

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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ACC Notebook: A Devilish Homecoming

Jim Henry — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Clemson, Duke Football, Georgia Tech, Maryland, University of Miami, Virginia Tech, ACC

Matt Daniels doesn't even want to think about the repercussions if Duke loses to North Carolina Central University on Saturday.

The two campuses are just five miles apart, and locals in Durham, N.C., have been chatting for months about whether the Eagles can compete against a Blue Devils team that already this season has lost to a Football Championship Subdivision school.

"A lot of heads are going to be turning," said Daniels, Duke's sophomore safety.

"It's going to really affect the rest of our season. It's a confidence thing, oh, man, if we lose to Central -- they are five minutes away from us -- you are probably going to have to deal with the fans, the coaches, the Duke community, the employees here at Duke... (it will) stick on you. if you lose this game this week and win the rest of them, it's still going to stick on us."

City officials have dubbed the first-ever meeting between the pair as the "Bull City Gridiron Classic." Groups from both schools have planned community service projects before the game at Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium. Players from both teams have, in past summers, participated in 7-on-7 passing drills against each other.

Daniels played recreation football as a youth in Atlanta with NCCU's Rickie Hubbard. The showdown also features family ties. Sophomore linebacker Chris Drew is the older brother of Duke defensive lineman John Drew.

After losing its season opener to FCS Richmond, Duke beat Army but was hammered at No. 22 Kansas 44-16 last Saturday. NCCU is 0-3 with losses to Hampton, Liberty and Morehead State. After a quick rise to prominence in the Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association, the Eagles are in the third year of their move into the Football Championship Subdivision.

"I was an optimist, and a lot of people have been pessimistic about this ever happening," NCCU head coach Mose Rison said.

"I don't know enough history, but I do know this: People are very excited about this, and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we've had success here in football, and people have always wondered how good we can be. Are we good enough to play with a school like Duke in the ACC? Wondering minds have always wondered if indeed that could ever happened, because we were just good enough at the Division II level."

NCCU last played at Duke's Wallace Wade Stadium in 1974, when the Eagles defeated North Carolina A&T, 29-18.

Daniels said the Blue Devils can't take a victory for granted.

"We have a chance to win -- nothing is definite," Daniels said. "We have a chance to win all of our games but it's our duty to commit and understand what's at hand."

Like Old Times

Miami and Virginia Tech head into their game at Lane Stadium on Saturday both ranked for the first time since 2005.

With opening victories over Florida State and Georgia Tech, the Hurricanes are looking to win three consecutive games against top 25 opponents for the first time since 2001. That was a good year for UM, which won its final three regular-season games against ranked teams, then beat fourth-ranked Nebraska to win the National Championship.

The Hurricanes are averaging 35.5 points and lead the ACC with 465.0 yards of total offense per game this season. While much of that success has been attributed to quarterback Jacory Harris, he has deferred to UM's defense.

"We're clicking because of the defense," said Harris, who has completed 69.5 percent of his passes. "The defense ... they go out there and they show us that they can stop the team (Georgia Tech) that last year put up over 400 yards rushing on us and when they showed us that, it gave us motivation."

Poll Watching

Georgia Tech fell out of the AP and USA Today poll this week after last Thursday's loss to Miami. Yellow Jackets coach Paul Johnson was emphatic about his feelings concerning the polls.

"I do not care about the polls. That is ridiculous anyway," he said.

"I can look and see so many different things that do not make any sense. How can Oklahoma be ranked ahead of BYU or Oklahoma State sitting ahead of Houston. Teams that have beat teams head-to-head are nine spots behind them. Right now, this time of year, the poll does not mean anything."

How 'Bout Some Love

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney believes C.J. Spiller is underappreciated outside of the Tigers program.

Spiller, a senior, has scored a touchdown on a play of more than 60 yards in each of the Tigers' first three games. He also needs just 291 all-purpose yards to become the ACC's record holder in that category. While the school launched a Heisman campaign prior to the season that included a life-size poster featuring his likeness and he currently ranks in the top five nationally in three different statistical categories, there hasn't been much buzz surrounding Spiller.

Despite being hampered by a sore toe, Spiller needs just 2 return yards and 12 receiving yards to become the first ACC player ever to have 2,500 rushing yards, 1,500 return yards and 1,000 receiving yards in a career.

"I don't think anybody in this room or in our stadium really appreciates what C.J. has done so far this year, or in his career at Clemson," Swinney said.

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Allyson Duckworth of Oxford, Miss., sets up an open spread of eats at her tent at "The Grove," Ole Miss' famous tailgating site, outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, hours prior to the school's home opener NCAA college football game against Southeastern Louisiana in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009. Swine flu is swirling through the nation's campuses, but despite all the warnings, flu kits and prominently displayed jugs of hand sanitizer, many students just aren't that worried. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

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An Ole Miss decorated dispenser of hand sanitizer rest next to football themed napkins and an almost empty tray of crackers and dip, at the tailgate setup of the Deaton family of Booneville, outside the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., Saturday Sept. 19, 2009, prior to the home opener NCAA college football game against Southeastern Louisiana. Lori Deaton, who works as a medical technician, said her concern about Swine Flu led her to bringing the hand sanitizer. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Two University of South Florida students take turns drinking from a cup during a college football game Saturday Sept. 19, 2009 in Tampa, Fla. Swine flu is swirling through the nation's campuses, but despite all the warnings, flu kits and prominently displayed jugs of hand sanitizer, many students just aren't that worried. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Thousands of Mississippi fans mill around "The Grove," a tented tailgate site outside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Miss., Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, prior to the home season opener NCAA college football game against Southeastern Louisiana. The threat of both seasonal flu and Swine Flu virus being spread, is especially great among such type gatherings with open food and drink being served and a lack of available hand sanitizing dispensers at each tent. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

In this Aug. 5, 2008 photo, North Carolina Central head coach Mose Rison, center, calls a play for the offense during the team's NCAA college football practice. North Carolina Central and Duke will meet this week for the first time in football, as the schools hope to bridge a gap that has stretched beyond the five miles that separate the campuses. (AP Photo/The News & Observer, Jason Arthurs)

Nebraska head football coach Bo Pelini reflects on last week's 15-16 loss to Virginia Tech during his weekly news conference, in Lincoln, Neb., Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. With the exception of a few unguarded moments, Pelini refused to let his weekly news conference turn into a pity party. Pelini said that he and his Cornhuskers are going to turn the fallout from last week's crushing 16-15 loss into positive energy. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno answers a question during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, in State College, Pa. Penn State plays Iowa in an NCAA college football game on Saturday in State College. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

In this Sept. 19, 2009 photo Mississippi tailback Brandon Bolden sprints past a Southeastern Louisiana defender on his way to a 44-yard run in an NCAA football game in Oxford, Miss. The fourth-ranked Rebels will need as much as they can get out from Bolden as they head into Southeastern Conference play. Their first big challenge of the season comes Thursday night against South Carolina and the SEC's No. 2 rushing defense. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Nebraska quarterback Zac Lee talks about his bandaged thumb, due to a splinter fracture, during a news conference in Lincoln, Neb., on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. Nebraska takes on Louisiana-Lafayette in an NCAA college football game on Saturday in Lincoln. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno listens to a question during his weekly news conference on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, in State College, Pa. Penn State plays Iowa in an NCAA college football game on Saturday in State College. (AP Photo/Pat Little)

"This guy is a once in a lifetime guy. He is special. It just shows you how dynamic he is. He can just impact the game in so many ways. He is just as complete player as you can be. When you turn the film on he picked up a blitz in the [Boston College] game and jacked that linebacker up. He is just doing a super job for us in every area. I am really proud of C.J. He has a little bum toe and he just plays right through it. He doesn't complain, doesn't say anything."

A Tough Situation

Not much has gone right for the Maryland Terrapins this season.

Maryland is 1-2 after a 32-31 loss to Middle Tennessee State, the second season in a row the Terps have been upset by the Sun Belt Conference team. Maryland is at home Saturday against Rutgers (2-1).

"We are in a tough situation right now," Terps head coach Ralph Friedgen said.

"This is a time where a season hasn't gone along exactly as we wanted it to. I think we've played three very good teams. We are facing some hard luck. Sometimes you have to change your luck to make your luck, I understand that. I think our kids are playing hard. I think we are getting better. But you have to eliminate mistakes."

The Terrapins have surrendered 119 points this season, the worst three-game total since Friedgen took over as coach before the 2001 season. Friedgen hired defensive coordinator Don Brown in January with hopes that the success he had during five seasons at Massachusetts would continue at Maryland.

So far, it hasn't happened.

Maryland ranks 111th among 120 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in total defense, yielding an eye-popping 466 yards per game.

ACC Notebook: A Devilish Homecoming originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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ACC Would Like a Do-Over for the Opening Weekend

Chas Rich — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:35:00 EST

Filed under: Boston College, Clemson, Duke Football, Georgia Tech, Maryland, NC State, UNC, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, ACC

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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Duke Football Team Hit by Swine Flu

Michael David Smith — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:50:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Football

A swine flu outbreak has hit the Duke football team hard this off-season, as more than 15 players have been diagnosed with symptoms that medical personnel believe are caused by the H1N1 virus.

Duke, citing privacy laws, is declining to name the players or give specific medical information, but indications are that the players are not seriously ill, and some of them have already returned to practice. Duke sports information director Art Chase gave the following statement to Heather Dinich of ESPN.com:

"Like many other schools and summer camps, Duke has had students diagnosed with influenza that is presumed to be H1N1. The cases involving our football program have been very mild, with illness typically lasting two or three days. We are following CDC guidelines to keep individuals out of general circulation for 24 hours after their fever subsides, so many of the individuals who were ill are already back at practice. The student-athletes received immediate treatment from our medical staff, and returned to practice only after being cleared by Duke physicians."

Duke players stay off campus at the Durham Hilton during their training camp, which may help keep the virus from spreading among the larger student body.

So far, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed that 6,506 Americans have been hospitalized because of swine flu and 436 have died.

Duke Football Team Hit by Swine Flu originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Give This Blue Devil His Due

Jim Henry — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Football, ACC

When Thaddeus Lewis arrived at Duke as a freshman quarterback in 2006, he had already given thought to his legacy with the Blue Devils. Lewis wanted to be recognized and remembered as the quarterback that started a new trend at Duke. It is called winning, a novel approach for a football program that last experienced a winning season in 1994.

Lewis hasn't accomplished his goal just yet, but he has certainly helped make Duke football fun again. The Blue Devils won four games in 2008, as many as they had won in the previous four years combined, and won their first Atlantic Coast Conference game since 2004.

Expectations -- another new word associated with Duke football -- are actually being bantered about this off-season. Nearly 5,000 fans ventured to Wallace Wade Stadium and watched the Blue Devils' spring football game last month.

"Students have never been excited about football season approaching, but that has changed and it's pretty exciting," Lewis told FanHouse Thursday. "I wanted to come in here and be a good influence and help turn the program around. Students, fans, people in the community are all excited about football and that motivates you to keep working hard. Everyone is serious about winning."

Duke was certainly serious about winning last year when it hired David Cutcliffe. Cutcliffe, with his impressive SEC pedigree, fielded a vastly more competitive team (4-8) in his first season compared to the 1-23 versions rolled out by Ted Roof the previous two seasons.

Lewis, a three-year starter from Miami, is determined to put an exclamation point on his career that has seen steady improvement through three seasons.

A second-team All-ACC pick in 2008, Lewis enters his senior season ranked first among active players in the conference in passing yards (6,735), first in touchdown passes (47), first in 300-yard passing games (four) and second in total offense (6,609). Additionally, Lewis' interceptions have declined dramatically, dropping from 16 in 2006 to 10 in 2007 to six in 2008.

Lewis credits his improvement to experience, confidence and a connection to the new coaching staff. Cutcliffe, a cagey veteran well respected among his peers, has coached a pair of quarterbacks named Manning (Peyton at Tennessee and Eli at Ole Miss). He was named the SEC Coach of the Year with the Rebels in 2003, punctuated by a SEC West co-championship and a Cotton Bowl win.

Lewis is spending most of his free time this off-season in the video room studying last year's cutups. Lewis also enjoyed a solid spring and wants to carry that momentum into 7-on-7 passing drills and strength and conditioning workouts that have started.

"Instead of forcing the issue, I am making better reads and I know where the football needs to go," Lewis said.

"But there's not an area of my game that I can't improve on. I am still learning the system. As a quarterback you want to make sure everyone is on the same page. There were games last year where we didn't capitalize on all of our opportunities and that could have been the difference in games. Against Virginia, I think we showed we could play with any team in the ACC. We showed a lot of character and a lot of heart, and it's something we can build on for this season."

Duke snapped a 25-game losing streak in ACC play when it erupted for 28 unanswered points in the second half to beat visiting Virginia 31-3 on Sept. 27. The Blue Devils also beat two bowl participants (Vanderbilt and Navy), narrowly lost to Northwestern despite driving inside the Wildcats' 25-yard line on their final two possessions, and dropped four ACC games by 11 points or less.

Despite a healthy dose of optimism, the Blue Devils must replace key departures on offense. Duke lost a trio of three-year starters along the offensive line and talented receiver Eron Riley, a first-team All-ACC selection who was Lewis' favorite target the past three seasons.

Latest College Football Images

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, center, smiles as he greets people before the "Evening With Joe" event Wednesday, May 27, 2009, in Fogelsville, Pa. Paterno said he'd like to see either Rutgers, Pittsburgh or Syracuse join the Big Ten. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno speaks with media in Fogelsville, Pa., before the "Evening With Joe" event on Wednesday, May 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, center, drops into a three-point stance with Matthew Rauscher, left, and Frankie Rauscher, right, before the "Evening With Joe" event Wednesday, May 27, 2009, in Fogelsville, Pa. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno speaks with media in Fogelsville, Pa., before the "Evening With Joe" event on Wednesday, May 27, 2009. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

In this undated photo released by the University of Kentucky, Jeremy Jarmon is shown. Kentucky defensive end Jeremy Jarmon has been ruled ineligible for his senior season by the NCAA because of a failed drug test. He said at a news conference Saturday, May 23, 2009, he had inadvertently taken a banned substance that turned up positive during a random NCAA test in February. An appeal was denied, in effect ending his college football career. (AP Photo/University of Kentucky)

In this Dec. 27, 2008, photo, Florida State's Corey Surrency signs autographs following the Champs Sports Bowl college football game in Orlando, Fla., against Wisconsin. The NCAA has denied Surrency's final appeal to play another year. The decision Tuesday, May 19, 2009, upheld an April ruling. It means the senior, who played just one year at Florida State, has used up his eligibility. (AP Photo/Reinhold Matay)

In this Nov. 1, 2008, photo, Boston College's Mark Herzlich plays against Clemson in an NCAA college football game in Boston. Herzlich, the Atlantic Coast Conference defensive player of the year, has cancer. Herzlich said Thursday, May 14, 2009, he was diagnosed earlier this week with Ewing's Sarcoma after feeling pain in his leg and will undergo more tests in his home state of Pennsylvania. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Josh Halter is swarmed by family and friends after being named the drum major for The Ohio State University Marching Band in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (Jeff Hinckley/Columbus Dispatch/MCT)

MCT

Penn State football coach Joe Paterno, speaks to the media in Arlington, Va. on Tuesday, May 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The good news is Duke will welcome back senior Re'quan Boyette, the team's leading rusher in 2006 and 2007, from a knee injury that sidelined him last year. Sophomore Jay Hollingsworth, who led the Blue Devils in rushing (399) and added 25 receptions, also returns to give the Blue Devils a nice one-two punch in the backfield that only averaged 106.2 rushing yards per game in 2008.

Despite losing six starters from a defense that limited opponents to 357 yards per game, Duke returns second-leading tackler Vincent Ray and one of the conference's top lineman in Vince Oghobaase. Cutcliffe praised the approach of his players in spring drills.

"The biggest thing we were going into was to take our competitiveness up a notch, learning how to compete, just absolutely, fiercely compete," Cutcliffe said. "And the other thing was to build our depth. I think we have accomplished both of those this spring."

Lewis, who selected the Blue Devils over Pittsburgh, South Florida and TCU out of Miami Hialeah Lakes High School, also feels more comfortable in his leadership role. Polite and soft-spoken, Lewis plans to be more vocal this season -- he calls it "tough love" -- after leading by example the past years.

Lewis, who will graduate in December, can see and feel that the Blue Devils' program is headed in the right direction.

A recent pledge of $10 million by a booster was made to upgrade the practice field and facilities. Duke is also making noise in recruiting. The future of the quarterback position is the redshirt freshman Sean Renfree, the jewel of Cutcliffe's first recruiting class. Eleven players from the 2009 class, highlighted by quarterback Sean Schroeder, are already on campus and enrolled. Cutcliffe recently received a commitment for the Class of 2010 from quarterback Brandon Connette from Corona, Calif.

"The next generation of Duke football players will be able to train and take advantage of the new facilities and that's really great to see that commitment," Lewis said.

Lewis, meanwhile, committed to Duke on National Signing Day in February 2006. He has given the Blue Devils three solid seasons and is pumped to end his career with a bang. The Blue Devils have a great opportunity to start off on a good note with September games against Richmond, Army, Kansas and North Carolina Central. October and November will add the final touches to his legacy.

"I plan to be out on the field [Friday] working and throwing," Lewis said. "We can win."

Give This Blue Devil His Due originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 29 May 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Greg Paulus Will Play QB at Syracuse

Chas Rich — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:34:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Football, Syracuse, ACC, Big East, Recruiting, General CFB Insanity

Greg Paulus has chosen to go from being the focus of verbal abuse and scorn as a guard for Duke basketball to physical abuse as the quarterback of Syracuse. The senior has one year of eligibility remaining, and was one of the top quarterback prospects in the country before opting for basketball at Duke.

Paulus made the decision quite a saga, as he traveled from working out with the Green Bay Packers to a flirtation with Michigan before narrowing the field to Nebraska or Syracuse. He ultimately chose Syracuse, his hometown team and the one he originally scorned in favor of Duke.

Under the always simple-to-understand and not-at-all-convoluted NCAA regulations concerning student-athletes (/sarcasm off), Paulus has an additional year of athletic eligibility in a different sport. He can transfer to another school right away to play as long as they offer a graduate program he wishes to take that is not offered at his prior school.

Paulus will not come in designated as the starting quarterback for the Orange. Coach Doug Marrone had previously designated redshirt freshman Ryan Nassib as the starter. He will compete, and it will be very likely that he will start the season as the back-up.

As the No. 2 starter, it is almost a certainty that he will see a decent amount of action. There are no shortages of weaknesses for a Syracuse squad that had hit bottom under Greg Robinson, and is now trying to climb out under the new coaching regime. One of the weakest areas is the Orange offensive line. The odds of any quarterback for Syracuse managing to play the whole season without needing a break from the expected physical abuse are long.

This is good news for many who have longed to see Greg Paulus take a real body shot rather than simply flop from the breeze as a guard blows right by him.

Greg Paulus Will Play QB at Syracuse originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 14 May 2009 11:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Duke Football Interested in Greg Paulus

Ryan Wilson — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Football, Rumors

First, the Green Bay Packers expressed interest in Greg Paulus, the former Duke University point guard and high school All-American quarterback. Then, University of Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez had a meet-and-greet with Paulus about the possibility of playing in Ann Arbor this fall.

And today, there's this: Duke also wants in on the Paulus action. But unlike the Wolverines -- who could envision him as a quarterback in their spread offense -- Blue Devils football coach David Cutcliffe has no such plans. Nope, he'd like to kick the tires on Paulus, college wide receiver.

Cutcliffe said he and Paulus "talked extensively" about the possibility of Paulus joining the football team, but the bottom line was there was "no way" he could come out and try to play quarterback for the Blue Devils after such a long hiatus from the position.

"He's a quarterback at heart, but there was no way he was going to be able to compete and play quarterback for us," Cutcliffe said. "I think that was the deciding factor. Prior to our last six practices, I was going to try to get him out, give him a chance to work at slot receiver. He's a fierce competitor, a great young man. He's been a tremendous basketball player. "

There are eligibility concerns (ESPN reports that "... Because [Paulus] was never a basketball redshirt at Duke, as an undergraduate transfer he would be eligible to play football at another school, assuming there are no extenuating circumstances concerning his eligibility."), and, of course, there are also issues of whether Paulus is good enough to play a major college sport after a four-year layoff.

Even his high school football coach sounds skeptical.

"I'm not sure the Michigan offense suits him," [Joe] Casamento said. "We ran a spread, but a spread to pass. He might take some pounding in that offense. I understand Greg is keeping his options open, but I still believe basketball is his passion. When he chose basketball, he told me that one day he'd like to be a basketball coach."

Casamento added, "He could always throw it accurately and he's a smart winner and a leader, but where now is the arm strength?" Fair question. No idea how this ends up, but if Paulus is the Wolverines starting quarterback in the fall, Rodriguez might as well start polishing up the ol' CV. There's no way one of the most storied college programs in the country can't find a somebody to beat out a backup point guard who last threw a pass in 2005.

As for Paulus' NFL aspirations, they may have to wait a year. Which means Aaron Rodgers gets one more chance to prove that trading Brett Favre last offseason was the right thing to do.

Duke Football Interested in Greg Paulus originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Duke Recruit Should Fit Right In

Ian Cohen — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:12:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Football, ACC, Recruiting

Ever since David Cutcliffe and his dual-Manning pedigree came to Durham, it hasn't been much of a surprise that quarterbacks are finding themselves more interested in getting in on the action. Okay, the one major steal Duke can claim thus far is nabbing Arizona recruit Sean Renfree after he turned tail on Georgia Tech. Mind you, he signed on before Paul Johnson was tabbed to head coach the Yellow Jackets, so you can obviously see his reasoning. And now, a proud report indicates that Duke has picked up another intriguing QB prospect who has put together a pretty groovy statistical resume: at Weddington High, Anthony Boone racked up over 5,000 combined rushing and passing yards, and he sorta looks like a miniature Greg Oden. Better yet, he's lead his squad to an 0-11 record in 2008! Wait, that has to be a typo, no?

Um, no. Turns out that dude might actually be the Ricky Davis of this high school football ish, racking up impressive stats despite playing on what appears to be a horrifically crappy team. Kudos to Duke for seeing the potential in this kid if he pans out, but maybe their PR team needs to do some spin doctoring, or at least some sort McCain-style bait and switch on relevant stats.

New Duke Recruit Should Fit Right In originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:12:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Cutcliffe Is Not Your Next Tennessee Coach

Ian Cohen — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:56:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Football, Tennessee, ACC, SEC, Coaching, Rumors

Remember those days when Al Golden thought a four-win year at Temple would automatically make him the frontrunner for the Penn State job when it opened up? If nothing else, it shows the usually uncreative thought process between your average head coach search- hey, he did good at (crap school X), so if he gets the resources he needs, it'll be awesome!

It's no surprise then that the new dude at Duke would be a hot commodity after leading them to four wins and counting- that's about four times what they usually can expect. Heck, it's not even totally surprising that he'd be brought up as a potential replacement for Philip Fulmer at Tennessee. Now, what if we're talking about a dude who used to be the OC under Fulmer and was seen as having been railroaded out of his last HC gig?

Well, as obvious as David Cutcliffe to UT might sound (and I'm pretty sure the boosters could foot whatever buyout necessary), he's put the kibosh on it for the time being- "I'm at Duke, staying at Duke," so says Cutcliffe. But FOR HOW LONG???? And really, it's not as much of a shock as you might think, not because he's wildly appreciated for his modest success. You could argue Duke has a better chance of getting to a BCS bowl in the near future.

David Cutcliffe Is Not Your Next Tennessee Coach originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 14:56:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Confessions of a Duke Football Fan

Ray Holloman — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Football, Georgia Tech, ACC

For the better part of my adult life, being a Duke football fan has been something akin to being a card-carrying member of the Libertarian party or putting ketchup on your eggs. It's something that's far out of the mainstream and always required explanation, an explanation that usually results in the kind of confused look your dog might make if asked to solve particularly complex long division problem.

At best, you might get a courageous cheer of encouragement in the face of long odds, as though you'd just told someone you were leading Lichtenstein on an offensive against Russia. More generally, people look at you like you just put $100 on the Royals to win the playoffs. The Stanley Cup playoffs.

Even during the four years I attended Duke from the fall of 1997 through 2000, the arrival of football season came with all the anticipation of Arbor Day. In the Gobi Desert. Though Duke would typically draw 1,200 to 1,500 undergraduates to every game (out of an enrollment of 6,000, which means more students attended games at Wallace Wade than next-door neighbor Cameron Indoor), football season was a way to mark the time. It was two months until basketball season, and it was the appropriate venue to let forth a long string of obscenities, a privilege now instead ably manned by the defensive play of point guard Greg Paulus.

As fans, the Duke faithful held the Blue Devils to a standard Sarah Palin would have been comfortable with: Play hard, don't embarrass yourself and it's a victory. And even in the worst times, the team put up academic success numbers that would make the men's basketball team's on-court success jealous.

And yet, from the 1995 season until this August, clearing that bar might as well have been asking for the football equivalent of out-jumping Bob Beamon.

From 1995 through 2007, Duke posted four winless seasons, was sued for, and lost, a sexual discrimination suit by placekicker Heather Sue Mercer, made headlines when a linebacker robbed a man in a wheelchair, made headlines again when protesting that "Duke sucks" should be legal standard to wrangle out of a game against Louisville and generally served as the longest running punchline this side of the aristocrats.

Why did the chicken cross the road? Probably to crack a joke at the expense of Duke football fans.

Somewhere in there, we're fairly certain they were started the subprime crisis, caused the common cold and sprung Chumbawumba upon an unsuspecting populace as well.From 1995 to the start of this season, Duke went 22-125.

Dial-up internet thinks it's been a bad decade for Duke football. Enron was amazed how far Duke fell. Pauly Shore's career feels pretty good about its trajectory compared to Duke football.

So somewhere in there, mentioning that my family has long been season-ticket holders had become something you mumble under your breath like mentioning you have a cold sore.

Of course, there were highlights along the way.

In 1997, Duke knocked off Army to end a 15-game losing streak and students stormed the field . Carl Franks' Airborne attack generated plenty of goodwill at the start of his first season and free T-shirts, complete with winged footballs. (We all assumed at the time, as I wrote years ago, that he meant Airborne like Steve Spurrier. Turns out he meant airborne like ebola.) The Blue Devils traveled to Virginia in 1999 and toppled a Cavalier team with Heisman heavy Thomas Jones for Franks' first win. Duke shocked Clemson in 2004. There was Spencer Romine, the star quarterback who headed off to medical school after undergraduate (no doubt to diagnose his own set of injuries caused by Duke's 'Airborne' blocking scheme. Romine, a legitimately talented quarterback, left every game looking like he'd gone 12 rounds with vintage Tyson and another 12 with an angry Tawny Kitaen), the delightful-to-pronounce Chike Egbuniwe and a never-ending series of wide receiver screens to Scottie Montgomery, a play that was to then-coach Goldsmith what the option was to Tom Osborne or the Soup Can was to Andy Warhol.

Then for a long time, nothing happened.

Until this week, when Duke received its first vote in the coaches' poll other than ex-coach Steve Spurrier's formerly yearly preseason thank you ballot which was college football's answer to the $2 bill your weird uncle always sent one month after your birthday

Don't look now, but Duke is 3-1 and within striking distance, possibly a Saturday victory over Georgia Tech, of being ranked for the first time in more than a decade.

Ponder that while you check the world's axis and consider just how remarkable a turnaround this is. It's like Damon Wayans becoming Lawrence Olivier overnight. It's like the Green Party replacing the Republicans by Wednesday. It's like the Detroit Lions ... being good.

And that's led Duke fans to an unfamiliar feeling deep in their gut. At first, it could've been assumed to be lingering food poisoning. After all, like any Duke undergrad from the '90s spent way too much of their time and lower intestine at Han's.

But it turns out it's a little something called pride.

Take that, Al Groh. Yo momma, Navy. Just Made U look silly JMU.

So what's changed at Duke other than a fan base that can now talk smack and string theory?

David Cutcliffe

While Duke football has always had its own intrinsic set of problems, stringent admissions, the hulking shadow of the basketball team, the administration's long-running and foolish attempts to turn the school into another also-ran Ivy instead of school people might want to attend for reasons beyond its U.S. News and World Report ranking, it's never been a completely hopeless cause.

But it requires one heck of a coach to wrestle all those problems and for years, Duke simply didn't have him.

Understanding why requires a decade backtrack to when former athletic director Joe Alleva took over for Tom Butters, a man whose face wouldn't just be on Duke's Mount Rushmore, but rather the man who would've raised the money to have it built as well. A superb salesman, Butters could've talked McCain into running on Obama's ticket and extracted a $700 billion check from Wall Street itself, solving the financial crisis and still have his afternoon free. Most importantly, Butters is the man who made the all-time home-run hire at Duke and maybe any school, pegging a middling Army coach named Mike Krzyzewski to take over a basketball program on the verge of its own personal recession.

So in Alleva's first two attempts at hiring a football coach, he went after the same type of career-defining hire. He eschewed experience, at one point in 2003 reportedly turning down former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Ross, who led the Yellow Jackets to a national title and coached in the NFL, in favor of the diamond in the rough. At a school that once turned down Bobby Bowden for a head coaching position in 1970, Alleva's missteps didn't sink the program by themselves, but he certainly attached a pair of concrete shoes to a foundering program. Alleva's first hire was Carl Franks, a former Duke tight end and little known position coach under Steve Spurrier at Florida. Then came Franks' last defensive coordinator, Ted Roof, who was the interim coach at the time.

Franks might've been the nicest man ever to walk a college sideline. He would give you the shirt off his back and then asked if you wanted it washed. In the fall of 2001, he even saved a man from drowning after pulling him from submerged car. From Sunday to Friday, he was as fine a tribute to Duke University as anyone that's been associated with the school.

Roof , meanwhile, was a magnificent recruiter and is owed much of the credit for Duke's success this season. Under his watch, Duke beat out Pitt for quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, beat out Miami, Texas A&M and a host of others for five-star defensive tackle Vince Oghobaase, managed to crack the top 25 nationally in recruiting and left the cupboard stocked for Cutcliffe with stars like Vincent Rey, Eron Riley and Michael Tauiliili. (Further proving that rooting for Duke is best left to the smart kids, notably those of us that didn't graduate with English degrees: Their defense includes an Oghobaase, a Tauiliili, and an Akinbiyi with a Okpokowuruk second on the depth chart.) Even Roof predicted success this season, claiming two years ago that the 2008 squad would be bowl eligible.

But on the sideline, they might as well have been trying to figure out cold fusion or straighten out the Raiders organization. Franks was 7-45. Roof was 6-45 and 3-33 in the ACC. Both men had numbers that were excellent for cholesterol counts and awful for winning percentage.

Latest College Football Photos

Utah quarterback Brian Johnson (3) is sacked by Oregon State defensive end Slade Norris (58) during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)

Utah defensive back R.J. Stanford (25) keeps Oregon State wide receiver Shane Morales (13) from catching a pass during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)

Utah wide receiver Brent Casteel scores against Oregon State's Greg Laybourn (44) with a dive across the goal line during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)

Utah wide receiver Freddie Brown catches a touchdown pass against Oregon State during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)

Utah wide receiver David Reed returns the ball for 79 yards against Oregon State during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Douglas C. Pizac)

Memphis receiver Earnest Williams (14) catches a pass and takes it in for a touchdown against UAB in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

UAB receiver Justin Johnson (82) is tackled by Memphis defender Freddie Barnett, right, in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Memphis receiver Earnest Williams (14) catches a pass for a touchdown over UAB safety Will Dunbar, left, in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

UAB quarterback Joe Webb (5) runs in for a touchdown around Memphis defender Winston Bowens (50) in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

UAB safety Chase Daniel (31) breaks up a pass intended for Memphis receiver Steven Black (2) with his leg in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Birmingham, Ala., on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2008. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

But Cutcliffe, who became Alleva's last major hire before leaving for LSU, brought an air of respectability to the program and the know-how to turn the Blue Devils' stockpile of talent into a winning football club. He wasn't a home-run hire out of nowhere; he was an excellent football coach Ole Miss made a tremendous mistake in firing. (The Rebels replaced Cutcliffe with Ed Orgeron, a man whose speech was as difficult to decipher as the decision to fire Cutcliffe.) Since his hire in December, the team reportedly lost more than 500 pounds collectively and the Blue Devils can keep up with what is probably the ACC's best pass-catch combination in Lewis and Riley. Teams have struggled to keep up with slimmed-down Blue Devils in the second half.

The results came quickly and were as positive as a Travis Henry pregnancy test.

The Blue Devils beat FCS school James Madison handily in the opener, outgained fellow brainiacs Northwestern 472 to 328 yards in Week 2, only to lose after a holding penalty wiped out the game-winning touchdown, and handled Shun White and Navy's rushing attack in Week 3. Last week, the Blue Devils scored 28 second-half points to rout Virginia 31-3, the first time it's held an ACC opponent to so few points since Spurrier's 41-0 road win over North Carolina.

After that game, Spurrier took a photograph in front of the scoreboard.

This year, it's just another win, even if it's the first ACC victory for every player on the team and snapped a pesky 25-game conference skid.

Three more wins and it's hello bowl. Nine more wins, including the ACC championship, and it's hello Orange Bowl. For the first time in a decade, a fella can dream, can't he?

After all, life may not always be so sweet in Durham. In Duke's last winning season in 1994, the Blue Devils started 7-0 before losing four of their last five, including a heartbreaking 41-40 loss to North Carolina that ranks with the Tar Heels' 2001 win in Cameron as the most bitter defeat I ever attended. (Even though Duke won the national championship in 2001, I still hope, a special place in the afterlife for Ron Curry and his allegedly injured ankle). And the schedule makers do the Blue Devils no favors; Duke isn't likely to be picked in any of its remaining games except possibly for N.C. State's visit to Wallace Wade.

And before long, Tennessee might come calling Coach Cut home if they're smart.

But Duke has come within a breath of upsetting Wake Forest the last two seasons, including a blocked chip field goal at the end of the game two years ago in Winston-Salem. Upset Wake, beat State and get one more break in an ACC that, on whole, should probably be relegated to the Mountain West or the Lingerie Football League, and the Blue Devils are bowl bound

So forgive us our moment in the sun.

And in the interim, we'll be gloating, even if we're still just marking time. But this time, it's not until the start of basketball season.

Because at Duke, bowl season is only two-and-a-half months away.

The writer is a 2001 graduate of Duke University and still can't believe Shane Battier fouled Brendan Haywood 45 feet from the basket.

Confessions of a Duke Football Fan originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Duke/Georgia Tech The Game Of The Week In The ACC?

Ian Cohen — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:25:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Football, Georgia Tech, ACC

It's that kind of week, I know. As previously reported, not only did GameDay make the decision to head to Nashville for the Vanderbilt/Auburn tilt, but it wasn't one based out of novelty- it's the only matchup between ranked teams where neither experienced a galling loss. If that wasn't enough, there's actually a good argument to be made that Duke/Georgia Tech is the main course for this weekend's ACC smorgasbord as well. I don't know if smorgasbords have main courses, but I'll mix my metaphors as I damn well please.

Clearly, this is a game of maximum importance for each- Duke sits at 3-1, three wins shy of a possible bowl bid that was likely unthinkable for even the most delusional best-case-scenario maker in David Cutcliffe's first year. And though I'm not discounting how much the Yellow Jackets have progressed under Paul Johnson thus far, this probably stands as Duke's best chance for a win in the remainder of the season, as the schedule gets most unkind in the upcoming months (it's not like they get Virginia four more times). That Wake Forest/Vanderbilt one-two ain't what it used to be, and while N.C. State and UNC both come to Durham, I'm pretty sure the home field advantage would be negligible at best. Georgia Tech figures to be further at a loss with starting quarterback Josh Nesbitt unlikely to play.

Meanwhile, for the Yellow Jackets, the loss to Virginia Tech puts them in a bit of a spot in terms of reaching the ACC championship. Whatever you think about the Hokies, it's hard to imagine them losing twice in this conference. Nonetheless, as long as Georgia Tech keeps plugging away, they've got a pretty manageable road in spite of away tilts at Clemson and North Carolina. A game like this could easily be the difference between San Francisco in December and, say, Orlando. Yeah, there's the Orange Bowl as well, but c'mon ... when was the last time those two ever delivered something worth watching? It takes a lot for something to be deemed unwatchable on New Year's Day if it involves a bunch of guys chasing after a football.

Is Duke/Georgia Tech The Game Of The Week In The ACC? originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:25:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Virginia Football- No Future II:
The Day After No Future

Ian Cohen — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:36:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Football, Virginia, ACC

"F--- everything, f-- me." -- Titus Andronicus.

I could wait and calmly deduce exactly what has gone wrong with Virginia's football program, but sometimes, white hot rage is the only acceptable response.

I understand that Virginia lost two first round draft picks (and probably the best player in school history), its starting quarterback, its best returning defensive player and won five games by less than two points en route to a 9-4 season. But when your head coach is being paid over $1.5 million per season, does that even come close to justifying how Virginia has transformed into what is unquestionably the worst team in a BCS conference. Say what you will about Syracuse, at least the Orange scored 21 points against Pittsburgh, which is more than UVa has put up against its three FCS competitors thus far. And yeah, one of them was USC, but the other two were UConn and now, Duke. You won't catch it on SportsCenter, but yes, Duke put a curb-stomping on Virginia to the tune of 31-3.

Where to begin?

Marc Verica probably played his last game as a starter by throwing four interceptions in the second half, contributing to UVA's six total turnovers. Rashawn Jackson was the leading rusher for Virginia, with 43 yards -- he's a fullback. John Phillips led the way with 59 receiving yards -- he's a tight end. And although UVA ended up outgaining the Blue Devils, it's indicative of what the program has become under the stewardship of Al Groh and Mike Groh- unexciting, stubborn, and more often than not, losing.

Were it not for the aberration of 2007, Groh would be in a position to suffer three straight losing seasons where, more often than not, the team looks completely lost on offense and has no succession plan on defense. Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Northwestern and Duke have one less between them. Virginia can no longer hide behind its assumed academic standards. More thoughts later, but the fact is, following Virginia football is like being a Democrat- please, anyone but the old guy and his incompetent sidekick.

Virginia Football- No Future II:
The Day After No Future originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Sat, 27 Sep 2008 15:36:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vegas Likes Duke Over UVA

Ian Cohen — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Football, Virginia, ACC

The good news for embattled Virginia head coach Al Groh is that he heads into a match-up this weekend that might ostensibly not be a must-win, considering they're heavy underdogs, at least according to Vegas. And let me state in no uncertain terms that any sentence including the words "Al Groh" must almost certainly involve the word "embattled." The bad news is that being outscored 97-17 in your first two DI-A games, and peglegging it to a 16-0 win over Richmond results in the oddsmakers thinking your squad is a 6.5-point underdog to Duke. I don't necessarily have the stats to back this up, but I can't imagine that Duke's been a seven-point favorite against anyone, FBS, DI-A, the AEPi IM team, DipSet's interns, you name it in the past two decades.

Does that make it even more of a burden to Al Groh, though? He's 7-for-7 so far against the Blue Devils, but not every one of those W's has been a cakewalk. What happens in the event of a blowout? Does a Virginia win all of a sudden give the Hoos false hope, since they'd be undefeated in the ACC? Did I make this game way more interesting than it really is?

Vegas Likes Duke Over UVA originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lawyer Details How Badly Duke Football Sucks

Chas Rich — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Duke Football, ACC, Video, General CFB Insanity

Yes, the decision came a while ago. It's worth revisiting, though, with the release of video from the hearing where attorneys for Duke successfully argued that Duke shouldn't have to pay Louisville damages for backing out of a game because Duke is so bad that anyone they got to takes Duke's place would be equal if not a better team (Hat tip to Lion in Oil).

This is beyond awesome. Just laying out to the judge how bad Duke football is.

What I'd love to have seen was when Duke's legal counsel went to the athletic director and school president with the plan.
Duke Lawyer: I think I have a way out of having to pay the $150,000 Louisville says we owe them for breaking the agreement.

President: Fantastic.
AD: How?

Duke Lawyer: We suck.

AD: What?

President: Pardon?

Duke Lawyer: We lay out the facts of how dismal the history and present state of the football program. We make it very clear that finding a replacement opponent was not a hardship.

President: So, we insult and diminish our program and our players and if we win, it becomes a court judgment that Duke football is the worst?

Duke Lawyer: Which is more important: the money or the embarrassment?

AD: ...

President: So, we suck you say.

Lawyer Details How Badly Duke Football Sucks originally appeared on NCAA Football FanHouse on Thu, 11 Sep 2008 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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