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ACC Football September Wrap-Up

Monday, September 28th, 2009

If you have been following the blog, we have been recapping where the ACC is as a conference after each week. Here’s what has happened and the effects on the rest of the season.

Week one, we saw a resurgence of Florida State and Miami back onto the national scene, but also several disappointing losses to other conferences. The first inclination of an upcoming tough season for the Virginia Cavaliers would be introduced with a loss to in-state FCS opponent James Madison.

Week two, Miami took the week off, but Clemson-Georgia Tech would carry the show with another classic in a great rivalry and the Jackets would prevail. Overall, the ACC would improve with every team prevailing except for the ‘Hoos of Virginia versus a tough TCU team that makes another appearance in this blog.

Week three, the Canes are back…and really, they are back so we think in week three with a dominating performance against the Yellow Jackets that had looked impressive against Clemson the previous week. Speaking of the Tigers, Clemson’s defense would control the line of scrimmage against the Eagles in a rain-soaked, lightning delay-marred game–25-7 in the Tigers’ favor. Two more bad losses for the ACC would occur with Maryland getting downed by the Blue Raiders of Middle Tennessee State and UVA coming from ahead to lose to the Southern Miss Eagles.

Week four, what we knew coming in about Virginia Tech and Miami was rendered meaningless. Virginia Tech, that of the poor offense and struggling defense, would put 31 on the board and downgrade the Cat 5 Miami Hurricanes’ offense to a tropical depression. One team’s misfortune is Georgia Tech’s ticket back into this ACC thing and they would not disppoint at home with big win 24-7 win over North Carolina. In the Atlantic(yeah, they play football too), Wake Forest would nearly spoil a great performance by the home Eagles until a broken play would lead to a turnover in overtime to secure the BC win. Out of conference, the ACC went 2-3 with alright wins against Pittsburgh and North Carolina Central, but a tough loss against TCU for Clemson, head-scratching loss vs. South Florida for FSU, and a fairly predictable loss to Rutgers for Maryland.

September means (insert witty, informative thought here) for the ACC this season…

*The Atlantic Division is a mess and five teams can win it. I have done a 180 turn on Boston College and think they can really compete(especially with a win over FSU this weekend at home). Clemson has the best defense in the division. Florida State has the smoothest offense when the offensive line is able to control the line of scrimmage–in which they struggled against South Florida. NC State is still a bit of mystery, but they are definitely trending up since their sordid start. Wake Forest, in a loss, really did show me something and you cannot count out Coach Grobe. It could come down to the very last weekend of the ACC season as to who wins this division.

*Virginia Tech is in the driver’s seat(again). Miami and Georgia Tech are in the unenviable position of needing other teams to lose right now. It is way early, but the Hokies have the talent and experience(and maybe after VT/Miami–the offensive coaching) to hold onto this division.

*Miami is going to win out in the ACC. There is no team on their ACC schedule they should lose too.

*It comes down to one game for the Jackets. October 17th brings the Hokies to town. With a win, they are in the running for a two or three way tie. They cannot have the two team tie with the Canes as they lose the tiebreaker, but a win against the Hokies makes the Coastal just a bit more interesting.

*It’s back to the drawing board for North Carolina, Duke, and Virginia. In theory, none of these teams are even close to being mathmatically out of it, but they fail the eye test. UNC is by far the most promising of the Coastal trio and have the talent to overcome their issues. UNC QB T.J. Yates has found a real weapon in WR Erik Highsmith, but the rest of the offense needs  a lot of work. Virginia showed some signs of life against Southern Miss, but could not stop the Golden Eagles comeback on the road. They have started to scrap some of new offensive coordinator Gregg Brandon’s spread offense which may or may not help. Coming off a bye week, we will learn a lot about Virginia against North Carolina this week in Chapel Hill. Duke may be a little worse than last season, but still improved from recent years. I would not count out a surprising win down the road because they could sneak up on somebody.

*Maryland is capable of being a double digit loss team–we just are waiting on whether it is 11 or 10 losses.

Where is September taking the ACC–fans of college football? Leave a comment on your thoughts on month one of ACC football…

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Week 3 of ACC Games: What Knowledge We’ve Gained

Sunday, September 27th, 2009

Because I’ll just continue this schtick and crusade against the phrase “what we learned”, here is what knowledge we’ve gained about the ACC teams who met this week…

ACC Week 3: What Knowledge We’ve Gained

*Forgive me for doubting you Virginia Tech, but there are a lot of people at the ACC confessional booth this week after their destruction of the Canes in weather reminiscent of Miami’s nickname. The immensely trite phrase, but still unique Beamer Ball was ever-present in this one. Another big story was the Hokies’ freshman RB Ryan Williams and the monster day he had. He would rush for 150 yards and 2 TDs–finding a RB to replace Evans was key to keeping the Hokies chances for back-to-back-to-back ACC Championships and they have found it. If you have not already, circle October 17 on your calender for the Hokies’ matchup with Georgia Tech–could be the difference between the Hokies taking the Coastal out-right or being mired in a 3 way tie for the division.

*Georgia Tech pulled one out when they needed and they benefited from a two game swing that vaults them back into contention. This pendulum will swing quite a bunch in both divisions with so much football to come, but the Jackets have to be pumped about Saturday’s action. GT QB Josh Nesbitt performed better in the second half of the 24-7 Yellow Jackets win that was also noteworthy for reigning and Preseason Player of the Year choice Jonathan Dwyer recovering from a rough two game stretch to a 158 yard game.

*The Coastal is a three team race as Miami is no less in this thing as they were before losing by 24 points on the road at VT. Miami had a bad day, but they will recover. The reasons why Miami was so successful in the first two weeks are not going to go away down the stretch. After Oklahoma, it is more than likely that they run the table for the rest of their schedule. They are the biggest Hokies’ fans out there on October 17.

*Have we really gone down to the 4th point to talk about BC? I am so sorry Eagles’ fans. BC made a statement against Wake Forest that they are alive and well for a third straight entrance to the ACC Championship Game. The one thing that was clear before the season is that if this team could find a solid QB–they could be dangerous with every other part of O being solid and the defense being adequate. BC QB Dave Shinskie would throw for 228 yards and 3 TDs–the Eagles have found a QB. For the Atlantic Division, you do not have to wait until October 17th for a big one–next week FSU travels to Boston College for a crucial divisional matchup for both teams.

*For our other losers, UNC and Wake, they both have a lot of flaws, but Wake has more upside of the two. The Deacs came back in impressive fashion and should have, at the very least, tied it up to go to a 2nd overtime against BC. Wake Forest discovered again RB Brandon Pendergrass as a weapon which is positive going into the rest of the schedule. UNC has a number of issues to deal with and frankly, is not in the Coastal picture at all.

Here’s where you come in, what have I missed with the ACC vs. ACC games this week? Where am I totally off/on? Add a comment on the matter…

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Who Needs It the Most This Weekend?

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Three key divisional matchups mark a great weekend of ACC football.

Every division game is important, but who needs it the most? Could it be Virginia Tech? They come into this game with a 2-1 record composed of all out-of-conference games. Their home Coastal Division matchup with Miami is certainly huge, but they have seven more ACC games to go.

As for Miami, they are already 2-0 in the Coastal and this win would be icing on their cake rather than a must-win. With the momentum they currently have, the ‘Canes have raised the stakes for their season and really should win this game.

North Carolina comes into Bobby Dodd Stadium with a 3-0 record(all out of conference) and looking for a key Coastal win to launch their ACC Championship campaign. Still–UNC has no necessity to win this game, but have looked slightly better this season than the Jackets.

To not further bury my answer, I will just go ahead and tell you it is Georgia Tech. A few weeks ago, I said GT-Clemson was the biggest game of their season–well, the loss to Miami raised the stakes and they simply cannot drop this one and expect to keep their eyes on the prize. GT Coach Paul Johnson was less than pleased with the performances on either side of the field, but the defense has seen the biggest change. They will switch from a more complex 4 lineman, 2 linebacker, and 5 defensive back formation to the traditional 4-3-4. On offense, Coach Johnson has stressed that it all comes down to execution and not change of direction of the offense. My picks are up at On The B. Rink and I think the Jackets get back on track, but it will be a struggle.

BC and Wake get honorable mentions here–BC needs it more than Wake Forest, but there is little pressure on the Eagles to win the Atlantic as they were never really expected to contend with all that happened in the off-season. The Deacs have looked like the better team here so far with wins over Stanford and Elon, but BC will be tough test on the road because of the Eagles’ desperation for a win.

Thanks for reading and leave a comment for fun and for the Raycom T-Shirt Contest!

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Image Is Everything

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Image is everything, or at least that’s what Andre Agassi told us in those camera commercials years ago. Well, the image of the ACC conference was enhanced considerably with what Florida State and Virginia Tech accomplished last weekend. The Noles rolled over BYU while the Hokies pulled one out of the fire with a last play touchdown to beat Nebraska. I think most fans of college football who don’t live in the ACC footprint judge the conference, and thus develop their image of it, by what they see on national TV. In the first two weeks the ACC gave the nation thrillers with Florida State and Miami and then Georgia Tech and Clemson. And those were conference games.  The nation also saw Virginia Tech fall to Alabama on the opening weekend. What happened for the ACC last week – and let’s not forget North Carolina beating East Carolina – helps in the polls, recruiting and yes, image.

Miami is the only team in the ACC that plays in an NFL stadium and, to be honest, I don’t miss the Orange Bowl at all. What a dump that was. It had its day, back in the 60s maybe, but was a sore spot compared to other conference facilities. Landshark stadium is a ways from campus, but there are numerous roads in and out making getting to and leaving the game much easier. There is plenty of paved parking, club level amenities, and great locker room facilities. This has to be an added recruiting tool for Hurricanes Coach Randy Shannon who can tell a high school player that he will be on a field that not only hosts great college games but the NFL as well.

If Jacory Harris has a day against Virginia Tech this Saturday like he had against Georgia Tech last Thursday, you can let the Heisman hype begin.  The key to the win over the Yellow Jackets was the Miami offensive line giving Harris all night to throw.  By the way, look out for Jimmy Graham, the Miami tight end who just started playing football after being a Canes basketball player. He caught a TD pass against Georgia Tech and this week Hokies Coach Frank Beamer said that Graham will be playing on Sundays in the NFL.  WOW, quite a compliment after two games.

When I travel to games around the county, I try to find a local eatery in the area instead of a chain restaurant available in most areas. Thursday morning of the Canes/Jackets contest I had the yen for an omelet, but knowing it was almost lunchtime figured it would be hard to find. I walked around the vicinity of my hotel and found a deli in the back of a shopping mall. I walked in, saw a big board with all kinds of breakfast offerings and asked for an omelet. Sorry, but we stopped serving breakfast, was the response.  What? This was a deli! Having worked in Manhattan years ago, I know all about delis. I realize it was 11:30 a.m. and lunchtime for many, but how hard would it have been to open the fridge where I am sure they had some eggs and a slice of cheese?  Nope, not to be. You wonder why restaurants fail. Don’t worry – I did find some eggs at a bagel place down the street. Yes, it was a national chain.

I am off to Blacksburg this weekend for ESPN Radio’s Game of the Week.  It’s Miami at Virginia Tech. Check your local listings.

–Bill Rosinski

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ACC Football Weekend Recap (9.20.09)

Monday, September 21st, 2009

The performance of the week undoubtedly goes to Florida State, who went on the road to #7 BYU and absolutely man-handled them 54-28. It was a much needed boost for the ACC considering their recent history against stronger out of conference opponents. Virginia Tech also gave the league some good press, beating #19 Nebraska at Lane Stadium 16-15 on a TD pass with 21 seconds left, while North Carolina took care of business against East Carolina. It wasn’t all good news though with Maryland losing to MTSU, Virginia dropping one to Southern Miss and Duke getting waxed by #22 Kansas. (more…)

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Week 2 of ACC Games: What Knowledge We’ve Gained

Sunday, September 20th, 2009

This week’s slate gave us Miami-Georgia Tech and Clemson-Boston College–two big divisional games for the Atlantic and the Coastal.

2 ACC Games In: What Knowledge We’ve Gained(still refusing to go with “what we’ve learned”)

*Miami could very well be a top five to ten program this season–carrying the ACC banner. Preseason, I had Miami going 1-3 with the tough early schedule of Georgia Tech, Florida State, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma, but recovering to go 7-1 down the stretch to an 8-4 overall record. Safe to say, the Canes have even exceeded what I thought they could possibly pull off this season and are primed for a BCS National Championship run. It is a long season so I am not calling it now, but what can this team not do if they beat Virginia Tech at Lane Stadium next week? As long as Jacory Harris continues to have enough time to make a sandwich on his offensive lineman’s back to pass, Harris will keep slicing and dicing defenses this season.

*What Miami has been for the Coastal in ACC play–Clemson is that on the other side of the ACC divisional structure. While the offense is still developing, Clemson’s defense really showed out in the Tigers’ first game against a normal offense(played an aggressive spread passing attack in MTSU and GT’s triple option in week two). The defense is just solid from front to back with all-star talent–the difference being a new defensive coordinator in Kevin Steele to unleash them on the ACC. Another impressive aspect of the Tigers is their special teams’ play. The threat of C.J. Spiller and Ford has always been there since they stepped on campus, but something is vastly different in the actual execution of big kickoff and punt returns. Spiller has taken back one of each so far this season and is poised to have a lot more if teams continue to kick to him. Clemson’s kicker Richard Jackson would set the school record in awful conditions against Boston College this week with 6 FGs. Six FGs does not reflect well on the offense’s ability to punch it in the endzone though, but they did so in Atlanta versus GT so I would not be so concerned.

*Georgia Tech, in one week, has gone from conference contender to pretender. I know it’s harsh, but who is that defense stopping this season? Clemson’s adjustments in the second half ripped up a defense that had looked so good–last Thursday, Miami had them from the very start. I will not be so quick to say Paul Johnson’s offensive scheme is done, but Miami and Clemson showed the way to stop it. Good news for the Jackets, Clemson and Miami have the two best defenses in the ACC–it only goes up from here and it is a long season.

*The Eagles were soaring high into Clemson last Saturday, but they met a real defense and were grounded. Remember, this is BC team that physically manhandled Clemson for four straight games against the Tigers since they joined the ACC. From being at this game, I could see that they just did not have that push against the Tigers like in year’s past. The holes that BC running backs had in past seasons were non-existent. The most important aspect was that the Eagles had zero passing game to keep the defense honest. Clemson knew they had two guys to stop–BC RBs’ Harris and Haden–and were effective in doing so. This performance sets up a huge Atlantic Division home game against Wake Forest next week. With even tougher conferences games in succeeding weeks, the Eagles have to win next week to keep the Atlantic Division belt.

*Rainy games are fun to watch on TV (Raycom!), but not so much in person. The weather held off at the Clemson-BC game for pre-game tailgating and a lot of the first half, but a deluge that would make Noah’s jaw drop came in the second half and the lightning caused two 30-45 minute delays. I was somewhat prepared with a good jacket to shield off rain, but by the end of it, I still looked like had just exited a pool with my clothes on.

There’s more to add…and this is where you, the reader, come in. What have I missed with the two ACC games this week? Where am I off/on? Comment it up below, ACC fans!

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Raycom Sports’ “30 Days, 30 Shirts” Original Retro Brand College Comment Contest

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

Original Retro Brand is giving away one college tee (winner’s choice) per day for the next 30 days. September 19th, 2009 – October 18th, 2009.

All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY!

How to enter: Each comment you leave on this blog equals one entry into the contest. These must be genuine comments. By “genuine comment” I mean it must add something to the conversation taking place. For example, a comment that simply says “cool” or “please enter me” will not help you win an awesome shirt from Original Retro Brand. Your fate is in your own hands. The more you comment, the better chance you have at winning. So if you really want a shirt, comment a lot! At the end of each week, 7 winners will be chosen at random from relevant comments left on all Raycom Sports’ blogs. These winners will be contacted by Raycom Sports to let them know how to claim their prize (ie. get their address, team, and shirt size). Please note: All shirts will be shipped within 7 days of the end of the promotion (October 18th).

About Original Retro Brand (www.originalretrobrand.com)…These are the shirts ACC fans (and all other college sports fans) were born to wear. They are the logos you remember in a cool, fitted, fashion-forward tee. Be the envy of all your friends, neighbors, and co-workers. By the way, you don’t have to wait until the contest is over. Buy a shirt today! We don’t just love them because they are our sponsor. We love them because they are AWESOME!

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Clemson’s CJ Spiller aiming for career milestone against Boston College

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

The similarities between Clemson and Boston College are almost endless heading into their ‘09 match-up. Both teams have coaches starting their first full season, both have an established run game but came in with a questionable situation at quarterback, and both were expected to finish in the lower tier of the Atlantic. A combo of that and a history of close games, the last 3 have been decided by a total of 9 points, make this an intriguing one. Oh, and they play for a really cool trophy.

It’s no surprise Boston College was expected to start the season 2-0, playing lower tier opponents, but putting up the numbers they have were a bit unexpected. Who saw 44 points a game from an offense that didn’t have ANY security at QB, and 3.5 allowed a game from a defense that lost a key defensive lineman to the NFL and their fearless leader to cancer? Color me surprised. But here we are, watching an Eagle offense that’s averaging almost 400 yards a game and leads the league in scoring. They take that offensive show on the road to face one of the best defenses in the league, in one of the toughest venues to play in – Death Valley. Despite a gut wrenching loss to Georgia Tech, hopes are high in Tiger Town behind Coach Dabo and
freshman sensation Kyle Parker.

Did we mention a guy named CJ? Yeah, Mr.Spiller is a big deal too. This weekends game against Boston College could see him become the first player in ACC history to have 2,500 yards rushing, 1,000 yards receiving and 1,500 return yards. The speedster needs 66 yards rushing, 14 yards receiving, and 29 return yards, which is a
very likely.

The Offense:
Boston College comes in putting up almost 400 yards a game and leading the league in scoring at 44 a game, a far cry from what was expected considering the problems faced at quarterback in the preseason. Justin Tuggle and Dave Shinskie have split time behind center, with both being somewhat effective throwing for 389 yards and 5 TD’s combined and only 1 INT. The real star of the offense has been running back Montel Harris. He has averaged a little over 90 yards a game, and carrying an impressive 5.3 yards a carry, along with 3 TD’s. The trip to Death Valley Saturday will be the first real test this offense has faced this season.

The Tigers started the season with plans of a two-quarterback system, but quickly shifted to Freshman Kyle Parker, who has shown flashes of brilliance and great leadership. He was the catalyst for the Tigers comeback and near victory at #15 Georgia Tech last week, tossing for 261 yards, and 3 TD’s. The Tigers were down 24-0 midway through the second quarter, but behind Parker and a stout defense they actually took the lead 27-24 on a Richard Jackson 53-yard field goal. Clemson’s rushing attack has been a bit of a question mark so far this season. On paper, the 163.5 yards a game look good, but that’s thanks in part to a 202 yard performance against MTSU. While they did manage 125 against a good Georgia Tech defense, superstar CJ Spiller hasn’t really gotten his wheels going, averaging only 49 yards a game, but in his defense he has been a jack of all trades this season – he leads the Tigers and is 3rd in the ACC in all purpose yards at 202.5 a game.

The Defense:
Boston College: A peak at the stats sheet shows an Eagles defense that is giving up a mere 3.0 points a game and only 155 yards of offense. Granted, they have only played two sub par opponents. Even so, the defense is looking good, despite missing All-ACC linebacker Mark Herlich. The secondary is looking even better than last season, only allowing 84 yards a game. A little eye-popping stat – the longest pass given up this season: 18 yards against Kent State. I’d love to go a little more in-depth on the Eagles defense, but they haven’t had a single real test thus far this season, so it’s a little tough.

Clemson: What a difference a half time adjustment makes. After getting thumped to the tune of 24-7 in the first half, the Tigers only allowed Tech 167 yards and 6 points in the 2nd half of a their 30-27 loss last week. Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele has done away with the ‘bend but don’t break’ system Tiger nation has long seen, and installed a smash mouth, ultra aggressive style that has his defense looking like a top 10 finish statistically could be in the near future. Oh, and bad news for opponents: not only are they fast, they hit hard. Real hard. Just ask Tech QB Josh Nesbitt.

The Special Teams:
Boston College: The Eagles have their work cut out for them trying to rival the Tiger return game, but senior WR Rich Gunnell is no amateur. He has already logged one punt return for a TD, a 46-yarder against Northeastern, and is 3rd in the league in punt return average at 22.5. The Eagles do hold a bit of an advantage in field goal kicking. Senior Steve Aponavicius has been perfect on the year, going 3-3 on FG’s and 11-11 on PATs.

Clemson: Hands down, the Tigers have one of – if not THE best – return game in the country. A combo of CJ Spiller and Jacoby Ford provide the possibility of instant scoring anytime there’s a kickoff or punt. In their first game of the season, MTSU saw Spiller take a kickoff back 96-yards for a TD and Ford do the same on a 61-yard punt return. Spiller is currently 2nd in the ACC and 6th nationally in kick return average, with a 43.5 yard average, and Ford is sitting 4th the league in punt returns. The kicking game is a bit of a question mark for the Tigers. Richard Jackson showed his leg against Georgia Tech, booming a 53-yarder that could have easily hit from 60-yards, but he has some work to do on accuracy, only hitting on 5 of 7 for the year.

The Final Take:
Clemson finally broke the 50-year losing streak to the Eagles last season, with a 27-21 win in Chestnutt Hill. The 2009 version should see a repeat, but not nearly as close.

The Tiger defense showed what it was made of last week in the second half, looking more and more like a “Steele Curtain” (pun intended). While Boston College looks good on paper offensively, they haven’t seen a defense even close to this one yet. The Tigers should be able to apply constant pressure on whichever QB is calling the plays, forcing mistakes down field. Where the Eagles might keep it close is on defense. Kyle Parker has shown promise, but has also shown those freshman mistakes that could wind up costing a ‘W’. If the Eagles can establish themselves up front, and completely stop the run, they’ll force him to beat them through the air. But that could be a bad thing considering Parker has proven his arm strength, vision and ability to hit the big pass.

I think we’ll see a close one through the first quarter, but the Clemson defense will come alive and shutdown the Eagles, giving the Tiger offense plenty of time to operate. Clemson RB CJ Spiller should come close to his first 100-yard game this season, with Parker tacking on a few TD passes, leading to a decisive Tiger victory.

ACC Blitz Prediction: Clemson 34, Boston College 17

By the Numbers:
0 – Rushing TD’s by Clemson

5 – Number of TD’s over 40-yards for Clemson this season

7 – Total points allowed by Boston College in 2 games this season

9 – Number of total points the games between Clemson-Boston College have been decided by

27 – How many unanswered points Clemson tallied last week

44 – Boston College points per game in 2009

53 – How far Clemson Kicker Richard Jackson nailed a field goal from against Georgia Tech

63 – How far that field goal *could* have been good from

85 – Average punt return allowed by Clemson. It is only 1 though. An 85-yarder by Georgia Tech on a botched punt

Harlon Jordan
ACC Blitz
http://www.ACCBlitz.com

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As the ACC Turns

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

I have said this before and will again, because I think many college football fans don’t know about it, but a night game at Georgia Tech with the city of Atlanta set as the background at Bobby Dodd Stadium is an awesome sight. Calling the “Jackets” win over Clemson last Thursday I had the chance to savor the atmosphere as well as enjoy an outstanding conference game. It looks like QB Kyle Parker is a keeper for the Tigers. Its one thing to throw for big yards and touchdowns when your team is leading but another to do it after your team falls behind 24-0 in the second quarter. The opposition knows you are going to throw the ball yet Parker was brilliant rallying Clemson to a fourth quarter lead. By the way a tip of the cap to Wes Durham the voice of Georgia Tech who is working his 15th season behind the mike in the flats. He comes from “good stock” as they say, the son of Woody Durham the long time voice of the Tar Heels. One other note on the Ga Tech/Clemson game, there were over 20 NFL scouts in the press box taking a look at potential future draft picks, including Bill Polian. I always enjoy seeing Bill, the Indianapolis Colts president, who was the GM of the Carolina Panthers when I was calling games for that NFL team. You don’t see many NFL team presidents scouting games but Bill loves the process of evaluating talent. I asked him a few years ago what he looks for when he is attending games that he can’t see when watching video of players. He told me one thing is the demeanor of a player after he makes a good play or a bad one, how he interacts with his teammates and coaches, not only on the field but off after something good or bad happens. I guess it’s the little things that separate guys like Bill Polian when it comes to evaluating talent.

Boston College did what it needed to do, win its opening two games, before entering conference play this week against Clemson. Frank Spaziani is now 3-0 as a Head Coach, don’t forget his Meineke Car Care Bowl win a few years ago after Tom O Brien left for NC State. The quarterback position is still a big issue. Justin Tuggle and David Shinskie continue to share snaps. When asked about his quarterbacks and if one player had the edge, Coach “Spaz” said he is “still evaluating it”. Nothing against BC but they got 19 votes in the latest AP top 25 poll. What?

I learned along time ago that in pro football fans eventually get coaches fired. They stop showing up or leave early. They stop buying the product. In college football it’s the fans and also the alums who donate millions to a program who will get a coach fired. The fans of Virginia are starting to leave early. Not a good sign for Cavs coach Al Groh. But we have seen this before in Charlottesville and Groh has been able to save his job.

What a week for me, calling Florida State/Miami, then Georgia Tech/Clemson, and then finally South Carolina/Georgia on national radio. Each game went down to the final series. This week, it’s Georgia Tech at Miami on Thursday and then off to WVa. at Auburn on Saturday. Check your local listings.

–Bill Rosinski

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Atlantic Division Rivalry on Display with Clemson/BC Saturday

Monday, September 14th, 2009

In the battle for the O’Rourke-McFadden Trophy(yes, Clemson and BC have a trophy to fight for—more on this later), two Atlantic Division rivals, Clemson and Boston College, face off on Raycom for an early edge in the division.

Now you say, “Does Clemson and Boston College really deserve hype—I mean it really has not been that a good series, has it?” *Buzzer* Wrong answer.

No matter your stereotypes for Boston College football (like slow, boring…), they have made a rivalry out of this game for the pure fact that no matter the odds against them—the Eagles have looked like the better team every time these teams have played since BC joined the ACC.

It all started in 2005 with a relative unknown at the time, BC QB Matt Ryan, recovering from one of the most brutal ACC hits ever to a 16-13 road win at Clemson. In 2006 with hopes for revenge, Clemson led by QB Will Proctor would have the game of his life, but a missed extra point would doom the Tigers in OT losing 34-33 to the Eagles. The year 2007 brought the epic Atlantic Division Championship Game in Death Valley as the winning team in this series would go to Jacksonville. For a third straight year, BC QB Matt Ryan would lead the Eagles to victory on the road in this rivalry with a great scramble and throw to current BC WR Rich Gunnell  for the game-winning TD with 1:46 to go in the 4 quarter to go on to a 20-17 win.

Because nothing makes sense in this series—I give you the 2008 BC-Clemson game. With Clemson coming off a coaching change and loss to Georgia Tech, the trip to Chestnut Hill to face the Eagles was less than promising. The Eagles had one guy to stop—and they just could not do it. Clemson star RB C.J. Spiller would light up BC for 242 total yards with a 64 yard kickoff return being the linchpin to set Clemson up for the game-winning score to a 27-21 Tigers’ victory.

In the 2009-10 installment of the battle for the O’Rourke-McFadden Trophy(for more background on this trophy and budding rivalry–check out fellow Raycom blog for BC post on it), history and this year’s teams tell you that this will be another great game. Both squads feature star running backs that can change the game in an instant, but the victory will come from who breaks out at QB. Clemson QB Kyle Parker went on the road to Georgia Tech and went a solid 261 passing yards/3 TDs/2 INTs while BC’s combo of QBs Justin Tuggle and Dave Shinskie would throw for 223 yards and 3 TDs against Kent State. From most accounts, BC QB Tuggle set himself apart last week coming in to Clemson which will be a 1000% improvement in defense over their first two opponents in Northeastern and Kent State. Clemson showed a prowess to stopping the run versus Georgia Tech with their strong defensive line anchored by some big defensive tackles in Brandon Thompson and Jarvis Jenkins. Boston College, pure and simple, has to have an effective forward passing game or they will lose…and bad. The offensive line will be the key as Clemson Defensive Coordinator Kevin Steele finally gets to debut his aggressive blitzing scheme against the Eagles. With Tuggle or Shinskie on their backs too often, BC will not be represented well on the scoreboard.

The difference in this year’s Tigers offensively from last year’s Clemson-BC game is an effective use of the Tigers’ non-C.J. Spiller athletes. Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney has learned how to use a speedy WR in Jacoby Ford effectively as we learned in the Clemson-GT game last week(109 yards and 1 TD—plus the amount of yards he should have had due to the bad holding call). For the Eagles Saturday, BC Head Coach Frank Spaziani will have to rely on his stout defense to carry the load. Boston College’s D has only allowed 7 points through 2 games, but this step up in talent is off the charts from what they have faced—we just do not know how BC will respond at this point.

Clemson-Boston College is one of the best developing ACC rivalries and check it out at noon from Death Valley in Clemson on your local Raycom affiliate.

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