May 17, 2012

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1st Quarter Recap: Clemson leads BC 17-0

October 8, 2011 By

Andre Ellington went over the 100 yard rushing mark for the second time this season.

Clemson wasted no time introducing Boston College to its new “smashmouth spread” offense, racing out to a 17-0 lead after one quarter.

BC took the opening kickoff but failed to pick up a first down.  Clemson received the ball at their own 20 and began to methodically march down the field.  Boyd had completions of 25 yds to Nuk Hopkins, 29 yds to Jaron Brown and 14 yds to Dwayne Allen to lead the way before delivering a 3 yard TD pass to Brown.  The drive went 8 plays for 80 yards in just 2:20.

The Tiger defense held BC to another 3 and out on their next possession.  Clemson then began from its own 16 and opened up the rushing attack.  Andre Ellington ran for 14 followed by an impressive 14 yard scamper from freshman D.J. Howard.  Howard shows incredible balance to stay on his feet after taking initial hits from defenders.  Boyd hit freshman Charone Peake in stride for what looked like a sure TD, but was dropped.  The Tigers settled for a 38-yard FG from Chandler Catanzaro to make the score 10-0.  Stats on the drive were 13 plays for 63 yards in 4:20.

BC started its next drive from their own 23.  On the first play QB Chase Rettig was mauled by Clemson DE Malliciah Goodman, forcing a fumble, recovered by the Tigers.  2 plays later Tajh Boyd ran a QB draw to the left for a 14 yard TD, giving the Tigers a 17-0 lead.

On Boston College’s ensuing drive the Eagles finally began moving the ball, reaching midfield before the end of the 1st quarter.

Filed Under: Clemson Tigers, college football, Sports

2011 South Carolina Coaches for Charity Dinner (AUDIO)

July 29, 2011 By

Coaches unite for charity...(L-R) Mike Ayers, Art Baker, Fisher Deberry, Kevin Higgins, Dabo Swinney

The 2011 South Carolina Coaches for Charity Dinner hosted by the Fisher DeBerry Foundation was a huge success for the second consecutive year.  Attendance was up by 50% from a year ago, and a wonderful meal was only surpassed by generous bidding on auction items where proceeds went to charity.

Steve Spurrier

In attendance were Clemson coach Dabo Swinney, USC’s Steve Spurrier, Wofford’s Mike Ayers, The Citadel’s Kevin Higgins, SC State’s Buddy Pough, and Furman’s Bruce Fowler.  Former Air Force head coach, and newly inducted NCAA Hall of Fame member Fisher DeBerry was the man in charge.

Joining us live on SportsTalk were a few of the coaches, including Fisher DeBerry, Mike Ayers, and Buddy Pough.

Fisher DeBerry is the all-time winningest coach for The United States Air Force Academy, and was elected into the NCAA College Football Hall of Fame earlier this year.  He holds an overall record of 169-109-1, and was named WAC coach of the year 3 times.  In 1985, he won the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award as NCAA college football’s coach of the year.  DeBerry has also been awarded the State Farm Coach of Distinction award in 2001, and has been inducted into the South Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.  He received an honorary doctorate of humanities from Wofford during its graduation ceremony in 2003.  He and his wife, Lu Ann, started The Fisher DeBerry Foundation, which is a tax exempt, nonprofit organization dedicated to the support and education of single moms and their children, as well as other charitable causes.

AUDIO: Former Air Force head coach Fisher Deberry

Buddy Pough

Mike Ayers is entering his 24th season with Wofford, where he has guided the Terriers from the DII ranks up to the Southern Conference in DI.  His teams have reached the playoffs 4 times in 8 years, including 3 conference titles (2003, 2007, 2010).  Since 2002, Ayers has led the Wofford to a 73-34 overall record, which ranks only second to 3-time National Champion Appalachian State.  Ayers and the Terriers are coming off a 10-3 season, with a share of the SoCon Title and a win in the NCAA FCS Playoffs.

AUDIO: Wofford head coach Mike Ayers

Buddy Pough is entering his 9th season as the head coach for his alma mater, South Carolina State.  Since succeeding head coach emeritus Willie Jeffries as Bulldog head coach in 2002, Pough has built the SC State football program into a perennial power in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).  Last season, SC State was named National Black Champion by the Sheridan Broadcasting Network, the 100 Percent Wrong Club of Atlanta, the Washington (DC) Pigskin Club and the Box-to-Row /BASN. In addition, the Bulldogs finished number seven in all three major FCS polls – The Sports Network, the FCS Coaches Poll and Any Given Saturday.  Pugh is 67-26 overall in eight seasons at the helm, including a dazzling 51-12 record in the MEAC.  His Bulldog teams have also won two outright MEAC titles (2008,09), and shared a third (2004).  He has also been named MEAC coach of the year twice.

AUDIO: SC State head coach Buddy Pough

 

Filed Under: ACC, Clemson Tigers, college football, NCAA, SEC, Southern Conference, Sports, State Colleges, The Citadel, USC Gamecocks, Wofford

2011 ACC Football Kickoff: Tom O’Brien (AUDIO)

July 25, 2011 By

NC State coach Tom O'Brien at ACC Media Day

2010 Season: 9-4 (5-3) 
By: Danny O’Donnell

The Wolfpack had a promising 2010 season when head coach Tom O’Brien led the team to their first winning season in his four years with the program. NC State is going to need the returning men to fill in the gaps that the team will be losing, especially on offense. O’Brien says, “We’re more mature than we’ve been, at this point. We kind of understand where we’re supposed to be and what we’re supposed to do.” Florida State is the favorite in the conference and Maryland is putting together a very serious squad. O’Brien is going to need to keep the momentum going into 2011 to have any chance at the division title.

This season, NC State will be returning just four starters from last year’s squad but will boast the return of three of their lineman. Tight end George Bryan (369 yards, 3 TDs) will return as the teams leading receiver after the loss of wide-outs receivers Owen Spencer and Jarvis Williams. But even with the return of the meat, the group will need to do much better than last season after finishing 11th in rushing yards per game in the ACC. And if the offensive line can get it together, the running game could be deadly for the Wolfpack. O’Brien is pleased to know that all four of his leading rushers from 2010 will be coming back headed by running back Mustafa Greene (597 yards, 4 TDs.)

The defense has much more to look forward to since they will be bringing back the majority of their 2010 squad. The secondary will bring back all of their starters including free safety Brandon Bishop (led the team with four interceptions.) But the unit failed to crack into the ACC’s top half of pass defense efficiency by allowing over 225 yards through the air a game. NC State will move Audie Cole to middle linebacker in hopes he can fill the hole left by former team leader Nate Irving. Irving led the NCAA linebacker’s in tackles for loss and was the team’s sack leader in 2010 with seven.

AUDIO: Tom O’Brien

Weakness: Wide Receiver. The leading returners to the team in receiving yards are their tight end and running back. NC State will return several veterans who desperately need to take leading roles. Senior TJ Graham has the speed to move throughout defenses, as well as go deep, but often time needs industrial strength glue to catch the ball. 
Strength: Running back. The depth at running back isn’t pouring out, but what they have is skill. Mustafa Greene will return as the leader followed by James Washington (who started the final four games last year.) But junior Brandon Barnes, now healthy, had a showcase spring practice and will be a serious threat to take over third-down responsibilities.

2010 Team Rankings
Offense
Scoring: 31.9 ppg (3rd ACC, 32nd National)
Rushing: 123.3 ypg (11th ACC, 95th National)
Passing: 281.2 ypg (1st ACC, 18th National)

Defense
Scoring: 21.3 ppg (6th ACC, 29th National)
Rushing: 114.3 ypg (2nd ACC, 14th National)
Passing: 225.1 ypg (8th ACC, 72nd National)

Russell Wilson (3,563 yards, 28 TDs) decided to skip the MLB for another season in college football. Unfortunately, he won’t be returning to the Pack. NC State was the top passing team in the ACC last year but will find it hard to repeat those numbers with a new quarterback and weak receiver core. But the team shouldn’t fear since Mike Glennon is taking over the position. A strong arm and pocket passer, the 6’6, 225 lbs junior has been learning from Wilson and is prepared to take over. Redshirt freshman Tyler Brosius will be a solid quarterback, and it will benefit him to let Glennon take over while the wide-outs get their act together.

Big Man on Campus: Mustafa Greene, RB. Greene will be the starting runner and is a statistical leader both on the ground and through the air. The Wolfpack do not boast flashy players but Greene is the closest thing they have to a poster player.  
On the Rise: Earl Wolff, S. Wolff was the teams leading tackle (95) last season and is increasing his skill set to find the ball. The secondary is bringing back everyone and Wolff will be a key asset as a blitzing safety to step up the pass rush.  
Breakout Freshman: Niklas Sade, K. NC State is going to have to rely on two young freshmen to take over the special teams play in 2011. Sade was a 2010 US Army All-American and will take over field goals and kickoffs.

NC State has a very easy road game schedule this fall. Florida State will be the only difficult team they face away from their home crowd. The first half of the schedule is winnable for the Pack until October when they’ll face Virginia, FSU, and UNC all in a row. The Wolfpack’s schedule should allow for a second place finish in the division and could see the top if the Seminoles have a struggling year. They’ll finish the season against Maryland at home and that game could easily decide who finishes behind the ‘Noles in the division. The offense is losing a lot and starting a new quarterback. Expect them to finish third in the division but higher in years to come.

Filed Under: ACC, college football, NCAA, Sports

2011 ACC Football Kickoff: Dabo Swinney (AUDIO)

July 25, 2011 By

Dabo Swinney at ACC Media Day

2010 Season: 6-7 (4-4)
By: Danny O’Donnell

The Clemson faithful are surprisingly upbeat after the season they had in 2010. Losing to South Florida in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, watching a heartbreaking overtime performance to eventual National Champion Auburn, and losing to South Carolina, again, are all reasons the orange and purple should have a wait-and-see mentality for 2011. Nope. A top-ten recruting class and the return of numerous key starters, the Clemson Tigers have it stuck in their heads that they can take on Florida State for the Atlantic Division.

Dabo Swinney is entering his third complete season with the Tigers and has shown mixed results. Leading to the team to an ACC Atlantic Division title in 2009, Swinney let the momentum slip away when Clemson had their first losing season since 1998. Football is king in the south and though Dabo’s seat isn’t hot, it’s not exactly comfortable.

Kyle Parker struggled throughout the season and the Tigers will have to wonder “what if” when looking back at the 2010 regular season game against Auburn. But sophomore Tajh Boyd is ready to make a name for himself and Clemson in 2011. As a backup, Boyd has over 300 yards passing and 4 touchdowns throws. Running back Jamie Harper (760 yards, 7 TDs) will be leaving the squad after finishing 2010 as the teams leading rusher. Andre Ellington (686 yards, 10 TDs) is coming back for his junior year and has high expectations to lead the team and/or league in rushing. Suffering a toe injury midway through the season, Ellington will tag team with true freshman Mike Bellamy to head a monstrous rushing attack this fall.

The defense will be returning six starters but is losing highly ranked talent. Second round draft picks Da’Quan Bowers (15.5 sacks and 74 tackles in 2010) and Jarvis Jenkins have both left enormous gaps for the defensive line. Talented defensive end Andre Branch (five sacks last season) will be an outside threat and pass rush motor. The Clemson Tigers finished second in the ACC in rushing defense and will need the talent of the starting four to shadow the lack of depth on the roster. 

Bashaud Breeland will be the babyface in the secondary going into his redshirt freshman year at cornerback. An eye-opener in spring practice, Breeland and his counterparts are going to need to click early and often to replace DeAndre McDaniels (leader in both tackles and interceptions) from the secondary.

AUDIO: Dabo Swinney

Weakness: Wide Receiver. The passing game for Clemson was dreadful in 2010 after finishing 9th in the ACC. DeAndre Hopkins (637 yards, 4 TDs) returns to the team as the leading receiver but will need help from speed demon Joe Craig and freshman Sammy Watkins to help take on some of the load. The group could see a lot of upside, but as of now their 2010 reputation proceeds them.
Strength: Offensive Line. Clemson is only losing one member of last year’s set up in left tackle Chris Hairston (fourth round draft pick) but have already moved David Smith over to fill that position. Senior Mason Cloy heads the depth chart position at left guard and after finishing seventh in rushing in the ACC, you can only expect this group will get better going into their second year together.

2010 Team Rankings
Offense
Scoring: 24.0 ppg (10th ACC, 86th National)
Rushing: 139.0 ypg (7th ACC, 79th National)
Passing: 195.6 ypg (9th ACC, 78th National)

Defense
Scoring: 18.8 ppg (1st ACC, 13th National)
Rushing: 128.5 ypg (5th ACC, 28th National)
Passing: 191.9 ypg (2nd ACC, 22nd National)

Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele is salivating at the mouth after hearing the news that five star linebackers Tony Steward and Stephone Anthony decided to come to Clemson. Corico Hawkins (finished third in tackles last season) and Quandon Christian will be the returning starters for the midfield crew. Jonathan Willard, as of now, is the starting outside linebacker, but don’t be surprised if Anthony or Steward make a run at any of those positions with their size, skill, talent, speed, strength………

Big Man on Campus: Andre Ellington, RB. They lost Bowers and they lost their quarterback. Now it’s time for Ellington to take over as the poster player for the Clemson Tigers. With a talented backfield, Ellington could see a rise from last years numbers and should have a one-thousand yard season. The running game was mediocre last year, so all eyes will be on him anyways.
On the Rise: Dwayne Allen, TE. Allen was the teams third leading receiver with almost 400 yards and a touchdown. Tajh Boyd is going to find himself dumping it to the flats often and letting the 6’4, 255 lbs man grab some extra yards.
Breakout Freshman: Mike Bellamy, RB. Steward is probably the headliner for the Tiger’s 2011 recruiting class but Bellamy should be the leader during the regular season. Just behind Ellington, Bellamy is a powerful runner and can come in on any down and distance. Expect a lot of receptions out of the backfield from him this fall.

The Clemson Tigers will face the majority of their steep competition in the first five weeks of the season. Clemson will welcome in Auburn week three in hopes to avenge last year’s debacle. After that, The Tigers will take on Florida State and Virginia Tech back to back weeks before they can start a soft middle season game lineup. And of course, the Tigers will get their shot at in-state rival South Carolina at the end of the season after losing to last year’s SEC East Champions two years in a row (which hadn’t happened in 40 years.) Clemson is predicted to finish fourth in the ACC Atlantic and go 6-6 during the regular season. But after 25,000 fans filled the stadium for the 2011 spring game, you can bet the orange and purple enthusiasts are a little more optimistic.

Filed Under: ACC, Clemson Tigers, college football, NCAA, Sports, State Colleges

2011 ACC Football Kickoff: Randy Edsall (AUDIO)

July 25, 2011 By

Randy Edsall at ACC Media Day

2010 Season: 9-4 (5-3)
By: Danny O’Donnell

Maryland fans were not at all excited about the removal of two-time ACC Coach of the Year Ralph Friedgen to make room for new head coach Randy Edsall. After building the Connecticut football program, Edsall will be coming into a tougher conference, but with an experienced group to start the era off on the right foot. Friedgen was the coach of the Terps for ten years, which for the most part, were pretty successful in the ACC. Edsall is going to need to silence any critics and bring energy to the program in his first years with Maryland.

After losing their offensive coordinator, preseason first-team All-ACC quarterback Danny O’Brien is going to have lofty expectations while going blind into the season. O’Brien had a ground breaking freshman year after throwing 2,438 yards and 22 touchdowns. But even with those numbers, O’Brien and the Terps finished just sixth in the ACC in passing yards. After losing both of their leading receivers, Quintin McCree (188 yards, 1 TD) will be on the hot seat to take on the air attack. Maryland will be showing all new starting receivers this year as well as a new running back. Davin Meggett (720 yards, 4 TDs) was not the offical starter last year, but did end up carrying most of the load on the ground with Da’Rel Scott.

The defense will be returning seven starters, most notably linebackers Demetrius Hartsfield and Kenny Tate (returning leader in tackles, 100.) Tate has been moved from safety to the star position, a hybrid between outside linebacker and safety slot. Weakside linebacker Darin Drakefort will be the new face in the midfield and was the top reserve for the Terrapins in 2010. The defensive line will also show their experience as the season goes on. Juniors Joe Vellano (UM 2010 leader in sacks, 5) and AJ Francis are prepared to combat running games with their size in the middle. Vellano was named to the second-team All-ACC squad after his performance last year and Francis is a former freshman All-American.

AUDIO: Randy Edsall

Weakness: Wide Receiver. Maryland has a good group of possible talent in their receiving core but have yet to truly prove they’re ready to take over a major role. Quintin McCree has yet to start and is now getting his shot as a senior. Dorsey and senior Ronnie Tyler will need to perform in order to get the most out of their all-conference quarterback.
Strength: Quarterback. Danny O’Brien is the star of the Maryland football team and will need to harness his offense especially with a new head coach and offensive coordinator. He will need to have the pieces around him to work to put up 2,500 yards and 20+ touchdowns in 2011.

2010 Team Rankings:
Offense
Scoring: 32.2 ppg (2nd ACC, 29th National)
Rushing: 138.2 ypg (8th ACC, 82nd National)
Passing: 214.7 ypg (6th ACC, 65th National)

Defense
Scoring: 22.2 ppg (7th ACC, 38th National)
Rushing: 124.5 ypg (3rd ACC, 21st National)
Passing: 227.9 ypg (10th ACC, 78th National)

Injuries and inexperience have plagued the Terrapins for the last two years but hopefully that should end for the front five. Returning four of their five previous starters, junior left tackle Justin Gilbert has the size to balance out his youth as a player. At 6’6, 300 lbs, Gilbert and the offensive line should take large strides in the right direction after finishing eighth in the ACC in rushing yards last fall.

Big Man on Campus: Davin Meggett, RB. Meggett and O’Brien will be the talk of College Park this coming season. After being behind Da’Rel Scott on the depth chart, Meggett truly showed the ACC that he is ready to take on a leading role. Known as a powerback, Meggett surprised coaches by adding speed and should be a dual-type runner in 2011.
On the Rise: Cameron Chism, CB. The defensive backs are bringing back both of their corners and will be happy to see Chism return to the field. Chism’s 23 consecutive starts is the most on the team and he is steadily collecting tackles (144 in his career.)
Breakout Freshman: Tyrek Cheeseboro, WR. An average recruiting class could see some talent out of Cheeseboro on the outside. There are no true targets for the Terrapins at receiver and third and fourth string wide out slots are anyone’s for the taking. Why not the 6-foot, 180 lbs speedy freshman?

Maryland had an impressive season against a weak Atlantic division; this year shouldn’t be different. Clemson and North Carolina State will battle the Terrapins for the second place spot (obviously behind Florida State.) Opening the season with Miami and West Virginia will help the young Maryland players understand tough competition right off the bat. Having to travel to Florida State and take on Notre Dame (at the Redskin’s Fedex Field) will the be toughest games the team will have to play. North Carolina State is losing a lot of talent on offense and Clemson is not quite complete… yet. Expect the new coach to come in and grab second in the division in 2011.

Filed Under: ACC, college football, NCAA, Sports
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