Um, did I say that?
posted by LW, Thursday, October 22, 2009
Like most egotistical, self-indulgent sportswriters, I often point out the occasions I've been right while conveniently glossing over the occasions I've been wrong.
There are times when the latter occasions are just impossible to ignore.
Such an instance presents itself in view of this fact:
North Carolina's offense might not be awesome.
Back in the summer, some writer for TI chose to rank the ACC's top five offensive coordinators.
At No. 5 on this list was the Tar Heels' John Shoop.
My colleague Ryan Bartow, who knows far more about North Carolina than I, tried to talk me out of it and basically told me I was stupid.
I insisted. And man, does my insistence look silly right now.
Chapel Hill High School probably has a better offense than North Carolina's at this point. The Tar Heels have surpassed 300 yards just twice in six games, and one of the occasions came against The Citadel.
They produced 289 yards in their last game, a 42-12 win over Georgia Southern.
They could not score a touchdown against Virginia and totaled 174 yards.
They scored one touchdown against Georgia Tech and totaled 154 yards.
They've had an open date to prep for Florida State's warm-butter secondary, so I'm betting they explode for at least 250 yards tonight.
Speaking of those Noles, what in the world happened to Jermaine Thomas this season? Coming in, I thought he was one of the ACC's bright young backs (a second helping of crow, please).
Thomas did well against Georgia Tech and might have his groove back.
Mark Schlabach gives this week's Bottom 10, accompanied by lyrics from Widespread Panic.
Good stuff. Veggie burritos will be served at the conclusion of this blog.
Moving on to Miami, the Hurricanes' special teams have not been all that special this season.
Here are the gory details:
• At Florida State on Sept. 7, the Seminoles returned three kickoffs into Hurricanes territory.
• Against Georgia Tech on Sept. 17, Matt Bosher missed two field-goal attempts, and walk-on Alex Uribe booted his first two kickoffs out of bounds.
• At Virginia Tech on Sept. 26, a blocked Bosher punt was returned for a touchdown, and the Canes were unable to pounce on two fumbled punts by the Hokies.
• Against Oklahoma on Oct. 3, defensive tackle Joe Joseph was penalized for running into the punter, leading to a Sooners touchdown, and the Canes gave up a 51-yard punt return that led to a field goal.
• Last week against UCF, sophomore Chris Ivory snapped the ball over the head off Bosher on a punt, giving the Knights first-and-goal at the Canes' 2.
So you know the Canes are wary with C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford coming to town.
From our friends at Canesport.com, a Q&A with defensive lineman Joe Joseph.
Joseph is one of the few guys from either team who were around the last time these teams met.
Clemson players who were on the field that day still talk about the ear-splitting noise at Death Valley. Shoot, it was even loud in the press box. And that place is air-tight.
Speaking of Spiller, really cool story here from Paul Strelow of The State. Spiller's father lives in Miami, and Saturday he'll watch his son play for Clemson in person for the first time.
"Growing up with a faith background, you're supposed to honor your mother and father," Spiller said. "And I wanted to get to know him and know what he was about.
"Unfortunately some guys go through life never knowing their father. I didn't want to be that guy."
How can you not like this kid?
Also in The State, the weekly ACC/SEC rankings.
12. Clemson: Tigers have as much talent as Miami. Last week they were as well-coached, too
In the Greenville News, Bart Wright writes about Clemson's desire to shake its roller-coaster history.
The story of Clemson football over the last decade is best encapsulated by a one-week stretch in 2004:
Win at Miami one week, lose at Duke the next.
Like it or not, that’s the image of Clemson football – a team with a lot of talent and a glass jaw that gets hit too often to be considered among the best in the Southeast.
When Dabo Swinney talks about changing the culture at Clemson, he’s really talking about that roller-coaster ride that gives people hope on the way up and takes it away on the way down, a cycle fans lived with throughout the Tommy Bowden era.
“I hope we can become a consistent football team,” Swinney said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. “It doesn’t really matter who the opponent is, we have to keep playing up to our ability.”
Ed McGranahan of the GN has a practice report from last night.
In the Post and Courier, Travis Sawchik writes about Clemson's preparations for noise at Land Shark Stadium.
The Tigers could get their first sustained taste of frenzied fans at Land Shark Stadium as Miami (5-1, 2-1 ACC) has much to play for in the Coastal Division, and the Tigers (3-3, 2-2) are coming off an impressive performance against Wake Forest. The game is scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. on ABC-TV (WCIV).
Miami has averaged 51,659 for three home dates this season, including a season-best 61,790 for the Oklahoma game.
"There was some crowd noise today, some crowd noise tomorrow," Swinney said. "We had pretty good execution in it today. Quarterback, making sure he is in command, making sure he is really barking out calls, if he is changing something, making sure it is communicated properly down the line.
"Being poised, under fire in crucial moments."
I'm just not convinced noise will be an issue Saturday. Miami's fans are notoriously casual, even during the good times. And the dynamics of their new digs just don't make for a high-decibel experience.
Then again, it didn't take a lot of Maryland fans to create communication confusion in the second half of the Tigers' loss in College Park.
More on the noise factor in the Independent-Mail.
Pete Iacobelli of the AP writes about Clemson's hopes that all the problems that came with a 2-3 start are in the Tigers' rear-view mirror.
Andrew Moore of the Seneca paper forecasts a 24-14 Miami victory. Steven Bradley writes about Jacoby Ford's homecoming.
And finally, a Scott Keepfer piece on Jacory Harris.
Harris is flying high, and so are the suddenly resurgent Hurricanes, who are 5-1 and ranked No. 8 in the nation heading into Saturday's game against Clemson. But don't expect Harris to get caught up in the hype.
“Listen, the only thing we're going to watch on TV from now on is SpongeBob (SquarePants),” Harris recently told his teammates. “We ain't watching ESPN, CBS or ABC. If SpongeBob is talking about us, then we deserve it.”
LW
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Like most egotistical, self-indulgent sportswriters, I often point out the occasions I've been right while conveniently glossing over the occasions I've been wrong.
There are times when the latter occasions are just impossible to ignore.
Such an instance presents itself in view of this fact:
North Carolina's offense might not be awesome.
Back in the summer, some writer for TI chose to rank the ACC's top five offensive coordinators.
At No. 5 on this list was the Tar Heels' John Shoop.
My colleague Ryan Bartow, who knows far more about North Carolina than I, tried to talk me out of it and basically told me I was stupid.
I insisted. And man, does my insistence look silly right now.
Chapel Hill High School probably has a better offense than North Carolina's at this point. The Tar Heels have surpassed 300 yards just twice in six games, and one of the occasions came against The Citadel.
They produced 289 yards in their last game, a 42-12 win over Georgia Southern.
They could not score a touchdown against Virginia and totaled 174 yards.
They scored one touchdown against Georgia Tech and totaled 154 yards.
They've had an open date to prep for Florida State's warm-butter secondary, so I'm betting they explode for at least 250 yards tonight.
Speaking of those Noles, what in the world happened to Jermaine Thomas this season? Coming in, I thought he was one of the ACC's bright young backs (a second helping of crow, please).
Thomas did well against Georgia Tech and might have his groove back.
Mark Schlabach gives this week's Bottom 10, accompanied by lyrics from Widespread Panic.
Good stuff. Veggie burritos will be served at the conclusion of this blog.
Moving on to Miami, the Hurricanes' special teams have not been all that special this season.
Here are the gory details:
• At Florida State on Sept. 7, the Seminoles returned three kickoffs into Hurricanes territory.
• Against Georgia Tech on Sept. 17, Matt Bosher missed two field-goal attempts, and walk-on Alex Uribe booted his first two kickoffs out of bounds.
• At Virginia Tech on Sept. 26, a blocked Bosher punt was returned for a touchdown, and the Canes were unable to pounce on two fumbled punts by the Hokies.
• Against Oklahoma on Oct. 3, defensive tackle Joe Joseph was penalized for running into the punter, leading to a Sooners touchdown, and the Canes gave up a 51-yard punt return that led to a field goal.
• Last week against UCF, sophomore Chris Ivory snapped the ball over the head off Bosher on a punt, giving the Knights first-and-goal at the Canes' 2.
So you know the Canes are wary with C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford coming to town.
From our friends at Canesport.com, a Q&A with defensive lineman Joe Joseph.
Joseph is one of the few guys from either team who were around the last time these teams met.
Clemson players who were on the field that day still talk about the ear-splitting noise at Death Valley. Shoot, it was even loud in the press box. And that place is air-tight.
Speaking of Spiller, really cool story here from Paul Strelow of The State. Spiller's father lives in Miami, and Saturday he'll watch his son play for Clemson in person for the first time.
"Growing up with a faith background, you're supposed to honor your mother and father," Spiller said. "And I wanted to get to know him and know what he was about.
"Unfortunately some guys go through life never knowing their father. I didn't want to be that guy."
How can you not like this kid?
Also in The State, the weekly ACC/SEC rankings.
12. Clemson: Tigers have as much talent as Miami. Last week they were as well-coached, too
In the Greenville News, Bart Wright writes about Clemson's desire to shake its roller-coaster history.
The story of Clemson football over the last decade is best encapsulated by a one-week stretch in 2004:
Win at Miami one week, lose at Duke the next.
Like it or not, that’s the image of Clemson football – a team with a lot of talent and a glass jaw that gets hit too often to be considered among the best in the Southeast.
When Dabo Swinney talks about changing the culture at Clemson, he’s really talking about that roller-coaster ride that gives people hope on the way up and takes it away on the way down, a cycle fans lived with throughout the Tommy Bowden era.
“I hope we can become a consistent football team,” Swinney said Tuesday at his weekly news conference. “It doesn’t really matter who the opponent is, we have to keep playing up to our ability.”
Ed McGranahan of the GN has a practice report from last night.
In the Post and Courier, Travis Sawchik writes about Clemson's preparations for noise at Land Shark Stadium.
The Tigers could get their first sustained taste of frenzied fans at Land Shark Stadium as Miami (5-1, 2-1 ACC) has much to play for in the Coastal Division, and the Tigers (3-3, 2-2) are coming off an impressive performance against Wake Forest. The game is scheduled to kick off at 3:30 p.m. on ABC-TV (WCIV).
Miami has averaged 51,659 for three home dates this season, including a season-best 61,790 for the Oklahoma game.
"There was some crowd noise today, some crowd noise tomorrow," Swinney said. "We had pretty good execution in it today. Quarterback, making sure he is in command, making sure he is really barking out calls, if he is changing something, making sure it is communicated properly down the line.
"Being poised, under fire in crucial moments."
I'm just not convinced noise will be an issue Saturday. Miami's fans are notoriously casual, even during the good times. And the dynamics of their new digs just don't make for a high-decibel experience.
Then again, it didn't take a lot of Maryland fans to create communication confusion in the second half of the Tigers' loss in College Park.
More on the noise factor in the Independent-Mail.
Pete Iacobelli of the AP writes about Clemson's hopes that all the problems that came with a 2-3 start are in the Tigers' rear-view mirror.
Andrew Moore of the Seneca paper forecasts a 24-14 Miami victory. Steven Bradley writes about Jacoby Ford's homecoming.
And finally, a Scott Keepfer piece on Jacory Harris.
Harris is flying high, and so are the suddenly resurgent Hurricanes, who are 5-1 and ranked No. 8 in the nation heading into Saturday's game against Clemson. But don't expect Harris to get caught up in the hype.
“Listen, the only thing we're going to watch on TV from now on is SpongeBob (SquarePants),” Harris recently told his teammates. “We ain't watching ESPN, CBS or ABC. If SpongeBob is talking about us, then we deserve it.”
LW
For questions or comments on this blog entry, please visit The West Zone message board.
Link to this entry - Discuss this entry - Return to Blog Home
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Larry Williams. Larry has covered the daily beat at Clemson since 2004. Williams, who worked for the Charleston Post & Courier from 2004-08, joined Tigerillustrated.com in November of 2008. He may be reached by email at ldubya08(at)gmail.com. Replace (at) with @.