Practice Cancelled And Hayes Sidelined

Florida State canceled today's football practice following this morning's funeral for Ronnie Andrews, son of longtime FSU defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.

Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher also said today that out of respect to Andrews he would wait until at least Thursday to say who will be the Seminoles' No. 1 quarterback.

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Linebacker Geno Hayes missed Tuesday's scrimmage with a strained neck muscle and hasn't been in contact drills since last week. "A little muscle in my neck is strained," said Hayes.
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Jimbo Fisher and tight-ends coach John Lilly were in a box for Tuesday's scrimmage. They watched the scrimmage from the coaching box, with Fisher calling in plays through a headset. "We wanted it to be like a game," Fisher said.

Kicking Off 2007 Season

There have been several NCAA rules changes for the 2007 football season but the rule that is getting the most attention is the one that states teams must now kick off from the 30-yard-line instead of the 35. Some notable college coaches are weighing in on the kicking change.

Texas head coach Mack Brown states, " I think it could change college football as much as anything we've ever seen." Pretty strong words for a mere five yard change or is it? Another coach, Missouri's Gary Pinkel says,"It'll be a huge impact. Obviously, it depends on your kicker."

Another coach gives a different perspective. "I spent three years in the NFL, so it's not a shock to my system," Colorado State special-teams coach Dave Arnold said, "but it's a shock to the college football system."

So what is five yards? It is only a mere 15 feet. Consider these statistics. A year ago, the ACC, returned 64.4 percent of all kickoffs. In the SEC, it was 69.1 percent.

Rogers Redding, the SEC's supervisor of officials, estimates that somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of all kickoffs will be returned this season because kickers won't be able to boot it into the end zone as often. Of course, more returns means better starting field position for the opposing offense. Better starting field position usually translates into more points. The average kickoff return in the ACC and SEC last season was just more than 20 yards. That figure is expected to increase by at least 5 yards, if not more.

"I think the time that we've spent on kick coverage and kick returns in practice has just about tripled," said Eddie Gran, the special teams coach at Auburn. "We're covering kicks live in practice. We rarely ever do that. None of us really knows what is going to happen, but whatever it is, we have to be prepared for it."

The NCAA rules oversight panel's decision was predicated on keeping the game moving and the energy level high. It may also create some elevated blood pressure for coaches.

Purdue head coach Joe Tiller and critic of the change has yet another perspective on the rule change. He says that the kickoff is the most violent play in football and the few extra returns won't be worth it if injuries, such as concussions, increase. Says Tiller, "So now they're moving back 5 yards so we can create more g-forces as these kids are running into each other," he said. "I'm not in favor of moving it back 5 yards. I think about the health and safety of the players, first and foremost."

Dave Parry, national coordinator of NCAA football officiating, says, ""We're going to give it a try and see how it goes. I think most people are willing to take a good look at it, and let's give it a chance."

Lou Makes Visit And UAB To Start Two

Florida coach Urban Meyer invited a former boss to Gainesville to assess the Gators' Monday morning practice. Lou Holtz, whose head coaching career included stops at Notre Dame, South Carolina and Arkansas, watched the session, spoke with several players and told Meyer that the team was looking good. Holtz, who wore a blue UF hat, hired Meyer as wide receivers coach at Notre Dame in 1996.

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Bama's Nick "The Liar" Saban is concerned about the new NCAA kicking rule. The NCAA rule moves kickoffs back five yards to the 30-yard line this season. Cnsidering Alabama's three returning kickers combined for only five touchbacks on 64 kickoffs last season, it spells potential trouble.
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Both Sam Hunt and Joseph Webb will see action at quarterback in UAB's season opener at Michigan State, and Webb will likely also start at wide receiver, UAB head coach Neil Callaway said. Callaway said Hunt, a senior, will likely start at quarterback on Sept. 1, but Webb will be on the field for the first snap as a receiver. He said Webb, a sophomore, will also "play a lot of quarterback. We're going to be interchangeable."
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Colorado true freshman wide receiver Josh Smith, the surprise standout of training camp, had to be hospitalized Saturday and Sunday after suffering a bruised kidney during Saturday's scrimmage at Folsom Field. Smith, a 6-foot, speedy product of Moorpark, Calif., is out indefinitely as he recovers. It was unclear whether he was injured while being tackled during a scrimmage or if the injury occurred when Smith ran into a cement wall in the southwest corner of the stadium chasing a pass into the deep corner of the end zone

Ranking The ACC Coastal Division Teams: Miami

You can't accuse new Miami head coach Randy Shannon of attempting to downplay the expectations for his football team. Here is what Shannon has said about a Hurricane team that went 7-6 in 2006. "We're going to be a great team. We're going to dominate. We are going to be a team to be reckoned with...."

Shannon takes over for Larry Coker who went 60-15, won one national championship, and played for another. So much for winning and job security. Although new, Shannon has been a coach on the Canes football team for years.Shannon, 41, was the team's defensive coordinator for the last six seasons. In that time, he coached top 10 defenses in five of those six seasons. A native of Miami, a former Hurricanes player and graduate of the university, Shannon played on or was a coach for three of the school's five national championship teams. He played for the Hurricanes from 1985 to 1988 and had been an assistant coach for 13 seasons before being named the 20th head coach in school history.

Shannon has instituted strict rules for the team to counter the bad boy image of the team. No one can forget the ridiculous brawl on the field last year between Miami and FIU football players. Whether his rules will curtail such incidents is yet to be seen.

Like FSU, the Canes are not accustomed to the mediocre record that it compiled last year and they are on a mission to reclaim the glory that is a Cane tradition. They however have some new kids on the block in the Coastal Division that will have something to say about whether they can compete for the Coastal Division crown. Miami will be tested early when they take on Oklahoma at Oklahoma in their second game.

So what about the 2007 Miami Hurricanes? If you ask Nole fans, all we care about is if we can beat them. With that said, the Canes return Javaris James, who rushed for 802 yards — the second-best freshman total in program history. They also return four starting offensive linemen.

Miami has always had a tenacious and quick defense under Shannon and that should not change. The big question mark is who will start under center for the Canes.

Senior quarterback Kyle Wright has been hobbled by injuries and had limited practice time on Tuesday. Junior Kirby Freeman is competing for the starting job against Wright. Freeman did start the last four games in 2006 due to a thumb injury by Wright.

FSU It's Time Ranking Prediction: The Canes are probably a year away from competing for the ACC championship. I am predicting a ranking of #3 for the Canes in the ACC Coastal Division.

Scrimmage Stats

Passing

Drew Weatherford: 10-for-19, 135 yards, 2 INTs; LG: 38 yards

Christian Ponder: 5-for-5, 61 yards; LG: 46 yards

Xavier Lee: 6-for-13, 53 yards; LG: 11 yards

D'Vontrey Richardson: 1-for-5, 36 yards; LG: 36 yards

Rushing

Jamaal Edwards: 9 rushes, 57 yards; LG: 33 yards

Drew Weatherford: 2 rushes, 19 yards; LG: 11 yards

Pat Davis: 10 rushes, 16 yards; LG: 10 yards

Marcus Sims: 3 rushes, 8 yards, 1 TD; LG: 5 yards

Receiving

Preston Parker: 2 catches, 54 yards; LG: 34 yards

Richard Goodman: 2 catches, 48 yards; LG: 38 yards

Cameron Wade: 2 catches, 47 yards; LG: 46 yards

Chase Walker: 1 catch, 36 yards

Joslin Shaw: 4 catches, 31 yards; LG: 12 yards

Damon McDaniel: 4 catches, 26 yards; LG: 9 yards

Greg Carr: 1 catch, 11 yards

Pat Davis: 1 catch, 9 yards

Marcus Sims: 1 catch, 9 yards

Jonathan Hannah: 1 catch, 7 yards

Jamaal Edwards: 1 catch, 6 yards

De'Cody Fagg: 1 catch, 4 yards

Taiwan Easterling: 1 catch, 2 yards

Defense

Derek Nicholson: 5 tackles

Maurice Harris: 5 tackles, INT

Budd Thacker: 4 tackles, 2 TFL (-6 yards),pass deflected

Myron Rolle: 3 tackles

Paul Griffin: 3 tackles, 2 TFL (-11 yards), 1 sack (-8 yards), PBU

Anthony Houllis: 3 tackles

Roosevelt Lawson: 3 tackles

Justin Mincey: 3 tackles, 1 sack (-4 yards), PBU

Dekoda Watson: 2 tackles, blocked FG

Jeremy Franklin: 2 tackles, INT (8 yards)

Andre Fluellen: 2 tackles, 1 sack (-8 yards)

Letroy Guion: 2 tackles, 1 sack (-6 yards), fumble caused, fumble recovery

Korey Mangum: 1 tackle, TD return 50 yards on FG block

Kendall Smith: 1 tackle, fumble caused, fumble recovery

Eli Charles: 1 tackle, 1 sack (-4 yards)

Everette Brown: 1 tackle, 1 sack (-1 yards)

FSU Holds Scrimmage At Doak

Excerpts From FSU Sports Information:

For the last time this preseason the Florida State football team held a full scrimmage in Doak Campbell Stadium. The two hour scrimmage completed the second-to-last two-a-day of the preseason. The team held a kicking scrimmage in the morning before the full pad scrimmage this evening. The squad will reconvene Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. for a 20 period practice.

The scrimmage started at the one-yard line with the second-team offense facing the first team D. J.R. Bryant broke up a pass, Myron Rolle took down Pat Davis and Alex Boston had a stop on third down for a three-and-out. The first team offense suffered a similar fate. Letroy Guion, who had a huge practice, recorded a tackle at the line, Drew Weatherford and Richard Goodman failed to connect and then Jamaal Edwards caught a pass underneath but was short of the first.

The ball moved out to the 35 for the next segment. The second team offense looked pretty good versus the ones. Davis had a short run and then followed that with a nice gain up the middle. Xavier Lee hit Greg Carr for a first down and then fired incomplete on a deep route. Lee then connected with Damon McDaniel on a short screen bringing up third down. The twos kept the drive alive thanks to Joslin Shaw. Shaw made a catch right at the sticks and was drilled by Rolle but held on for the first. After a short gain by Davis and a Guion sack the second team offense faced third down once again, which the offense was unable to convert. That brought Gary Cismesia onto the field to attempt a 50-yard field goal but Dekoda Watson blocked the kick and Korey Mangum returned it for a TD.

The scrimmage moved to the 50-yard line next and the first team defense continued to look stellar. After Davis was stopped for no gain, Lee found Shaw underneath for a first. That was all the offense could get though thanks to Guion. On the next play the tackle got into the backfield and got his hand on the ball as it was being flipped between offensive players on a reverse. He jumped on the fumble he created to end the drive. The two got three more tries from the 50 but two short runs by Davis and a screen pass to Davis did not produce points.

The first team offense got its chance from the 50 next. The series started with Weatherford finding Goodman deep on a 38-yard completion. Neefy Moffett made a nice play almost getting Weatherford in the backfield. Just as Weatherford was throwing Moffett got there to knock the ball loose but it was ruled an incompletion. That kept the drive alive and the ones took advantage. Edwards had a nice run around the end bringing up a third down and manageable play but Weatherford's pass to McDaniel was just short. With the ball at the five, the offense went for it on fourth and Marcus Sims not only got the first but also scored. With one play left, the ones moved back to the 50 looking for more points. Weatherford aired one out to Parker but the wideout couldn't hold on to the deep ball.

The scrimmage moved into the two-minute drill next. The first team defense had a great series versus the twos forcing a three and out. The first team offense had a little more success though. Weatherford hit Fagg for a short gain and then Parker on an out. After an incompletion, Weatherford took off and scrambled for a first. The next pass was blocked in the backfield by a leaping Justin Mincey, who also had a great scrimmage. Weatherford completed another short pass before Cismesia was brought on. The senior kicker nailed a 53-yard field goal as time ran down.

In goal line the second team offense went 1-for-4. Edwards scored a TD on the first play but Rodney Gallon had a big time stop on Sims at the line on the next attempt. From the three yard line Edwards turned in a highlight film run. He was trapped six yards in the backfield but reversed his direction and went across the field and made it around the corner. As he was ready to finish off the spectacular TD run Dekoda Watson came out of no where to save the TD. On the last play Moffett once again made a play tackling the ball carrier behind the line.

The first team offense started slow missing on its first two attempts. Edwards was stopped from the three and Erik Stapleton was stopped from the one. The ones did convert the next two chances though. Weatherford avoided a sack, scrambled and hit Charlie Graham for six and Sims finished the scrimmage off with a one-yard TD.

Head Coach Bobby Bowden
"The offense moved up and down the field pretty good but the defense did a pretty good job of keeping them out of that end zone except several times. The first drive was a beautiful thing - had about a 55-yard drive down to about the 10 of 15. Force a field goal. Defense blocks it and scores a touchdown. Catching the ball was pretty good.

"I'd like to think we've improved out there but it's going to get down to see where you see you are making mistakes that are costing you drives and stuff like that. I thought it was pretty spirited. I don't think we had any serious injuries out there; that's what we have got to keep our fingers crossed there.

"We made all of our kicks today. We had one from 53 yards and had another from 40-something. That's encouraging. I think Cismesia hit one about 53 and the other guy from one from over 40. I couldn't tell you the exact distance."

Canes Will Move And Clemson Tries New Plays

The University of Miami announced today that the Hurricane football team will kick off its 2008 season at Dolphin Stadium. According to the release, Dolphin Stadium is one of the most state-of-the-art stadiums in the country.

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Has Clemson offensive coordinator Rob Spence created a package of plays to take advantage of wide receiver Rendrick Taylor's size and skill? At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Taylor is imposing. As Clemson began practice Monday, he was seen with the ball much like a running back. Taylor said he might be used in that manner on short-yardage plays. It's just a little package that Coach Spence talked about doing, Taylor said

Is Drew The One?

Is it a secret who the starting QB will be for the Noles? I think not. This is what Jimbo Fisher has said about the starting QB. "I think we're starting to get some (separation), I really do. What I'm looking for is consistency. We're getting there as unit. I think we're getting one (quarterback) that's playing a little more consistent than the other."

Translation: start making those Drew Is The One t-shirts.

Let me make this clear. I have no horse in the QB race. I only want a QB that can help us win games. I do know having watched both Weatherford and Lee in game situations that Lee is the most talented QB.

I think it is also clear that Bobby Bowden has always wanted Drew Weatherford as the starting QB. With that said, I think based on those who have observed practices that Weatherford has been more consistient. Time will tell if the soon to be announced decisison was the right choice.

New Poll Question

New poll question:Which new coach will have the most impact on the football team?

Poll Results- Best Coach In ACC

Poll results for best coach in the ACC:

1. Bobby Bowden- 62.5%

2. Frank Beamer- 15.6%

3. Jim Grobe- 8.3%

Noles To Take On Air Force

According to The Orlando Sentinel, Florida State has a deal pending to play Air Force in Orlando's Citrus Bowl in 2012. FSU had committed to play a 2012 or 2013 neutral-site game in the Orlando stadium pending its renovation, which was finally approved last month.

Ranking The ACC Coastal Division Teams: Virginia

Move over Ted Roof. There is another ACC coach on the hot seat. Virginia head coach Al Groh in his seventh season is feeling the heat also. Groh whose record is 42-33 at Virginia is coming off a 5-7 2006 season. Even though the Noles were struggling last year, they managed to manhandle Virginia 33-0.

The Cavaliers lost thirty-five lettermen and will return nineteen for the 2007 season. That is more starting lettermen than any other school. They will start the 2007 season having lost only three starters which is definitely a positive for the team.

2006 saw the Cavs with an anemic offense that ranked 113 out of 119 Division 1-A teams. In all, 10 starters return to a defensive unit which ranked 17th nationally in total defense.

Defensive ends Chris Long and Jeffrey Fitzgerald combined to make 24 tackles for loss. Long was named to the 2nd-team All-ACC honors, while Fitzgerald was named a first team Freshman All-America by The Sporting News and the AFCA In addition, all four starting linebackers return from last fall including Clint Sintium, Jermaine Dias, Jon Copper and Antonio Appleby. On offense, all five starters return to the line including sophomore Will Barker, who was named a second-team Freshman All-America by The Sporting News. Quarterback Jameel Sewell started the final nine games and was named an Honorable Mention Freshman All-America by The Sporting News.

So what is in store for 2007? The Cavs have an early decent schedule and should be able to accumulate some wins at the beginning. The end of their schedule looks more ominous as they have Wake Forest and Miami and conclude with Virginia Tech at home. This year should be better than last and if it isn't Groh may be getting more heat than he can stand.

FSU It's Time Ranking Prediction: Virginia should be able to finish ahead of Duke and North Carolina in their division. I think they will finish #4 in the Coastal Division.

"I can help the team more"

"I've been thinking about it. I've been wanting to stay at quarterback but it ain't all about me. I just feel like as a receiver I can help the team more. It was tough. I've got to learn the basic stuff. I just want to concentrate on receiving now and to help the team so I can get better with that. ...I knew the routes, but on the running plays, I didn't know who to block or anything."
D'Vontrey Richardson comments regarding playing wide receiver on Monday

Defense Continues To Be Strong And D'Vontrey Richardson Tries Wide Receiver Position

Excerpts from FSU Sports Information:

After taking a day off from the practice fields on Sunday, the FSU football team returned to action Monday morning. The squad was in full pads and practiced for 24 periods. Tuesday will be the second-to-last two-a-day and the last one that will involve a scrimmage.

In skeleton Drew Weatherford had a nice day going 8-of-12 completing his first five in a row. Parker had three catches, De'Cody Fagg, Richard Goodman, Joslin Shaw, Greg Carr and Antone Smith all caught passes as well. Patrick Robinson recorded a pick for the defense.

In 11-on-11 Smith opened the drill with a nice run. He broke through the line and then used a spin move at the second level to turn it into a big gainer. Other offensive highlights included Christian Ponder connecting with Carr and Taiwan Easterling, Pat Davis busting a nice run inside and Xavier Lee completing passes to McDaniel and Rod Owens. There were quite a few defensive highlights as that squad built on the momentum from Saturday's scrimmage. Toddrick Verdell recovered a fumble on a bad snap. Eli Charles and Derek Nicholson both got to the quarterback, Charles on two occasions. Budd Thacker just missed out on a sack but forced the QB into a hurried incompletion. Everette Brown skied to deflect a screen pass and Jatavious Jackson and Justin Mincey both had tackles behind the line.

In goal line, the offense got back on track scoring four times on eight tries. The first team offense got in twice. The first TD came on Smith's powerful run. The tailback lowered his shoulder and drove Verdell into the endzone. On the next play Weatherford and Jonathan Hannah connected for a TD. The defense stymied the next two attempts. Guion forced Weatherford to throw the ball away and Erik Stapleton was then stopped on a one-yard plunge. The defense kept the momentum going stopping the two's on their first attempt as D'Vontrey Richardson was tackled on a pitch out. Lee hit Charlie Graham for a one-yard TD on the next play. Stapleton then gained two yards from the three before Antonio White caught a Lee one-yard pass for a touchdown.

Head Coach Bobby Bowden:

Opening statement:
"Okay I thought from the scrimmage, I thought we improved some over the previous week. And of course that will be the key every time we scrimmage is to improve. I thought our tackling was better. Sometimes our angles are not good, missed a lot of assignments on offense. Of course when you do that, a play breaks down. But again, the main thing I thought I saw some improvement. I imagine Clemson and them improved also last week. So we've simply gotta keep on getting better."

On D'Vontrey Richardson playing wide receiver:
"We worked D'Vontrey, we're gonna work him at quarterback and receiver. We got some receiver work today; looked pretty good in there. We'll work him both positions. It's a case of a good athlete. You can't redshirt him again so if you get a chance to play him and get him some playing experience. No matter where he lines up at, it will be good for him. We're not taking anything away from his quarterbacking. They are usually pretty doggone athletes. Most quarterbacks are pretty good athletes, he is a good, exceptional athlete. But we still don't want to lose him as an athlete. That's a good prospect there."

On the passing of Mickey Andrews' son:
"We had a meeting with our squad today and talked about that. Sad, sad thing. You can tell it when he's (coach Andrews) not here, you can miss that voice. It's gotta be tough as heck. I don't know anything more then losing a son."

Miami's Kyle Wright Limping And BC Coach Happy

Kyle Wright's chances of winning the University of Miami starting quarterback job might have taken a hit. Wright, a senior, attended practice Sunday morning wearing an elasticized brace over his left knee. He was limping noticeably, and did not participate in the stretching and running drills that precede the main part of practice. UM coach Randy Shannon said Wright has been experiencing knee soreness for at least a few weeks.

In related news, Miami senior LB Glenn Cook will miss the 2007 season with ligament damage in his foot, according to sources close to the program. Cook suffered the injury on Aug. 8 and had surgery. It was originally believed that he would miss at least three games.

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Duke junior cornerback Jabari Marshall returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown and added an interception to highlight Duke's 70-play situational scrimmage on Saturday afternoon at Wallace Wade Stadium.

"I was real pleased with the one defense," said head coach Ted Roof. "And the one offense started to make more plays today. We've got to develop some more depth. It can't be like we're falling off the face of the earth when the second group comes in. They've got to do a better job of executing and functioning."
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Senior quarterback Matt Ryan completed 12-of-19 passes for 94 yards in the Boston College football team's third preseason scrimmage Sunday afternoon in Alumni Stadium. Senior running back Andre Callender returned to the lineup and carried the ball 16 times for 53 yards on the day, while junior A.J. Brooks had 14 carries for 42 yards. "I was happy with today," Coach Jeff Jagodzinski said. "We've still got some work to do, and we've got 13 days to get it done."

Bama Player In Trouble And Callaway Unhappy

Alabama star cornerback Simeon Castille was arrested early Sunday on a disorderly conduct charge. Tuscaloosa police said Castille was arrested in an entertainment district near campus. He was taken to the Tuscaloosa County Jail and Coach Nick Saban said he didn't have all the facts of the case.

Castille was one of the top defensive backs in the Southeastern Conference last season. He led Alabama with five interceptions and three recovered fumbles.

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The University of Colorado said Sunday that freshman wide receiver Josh Smith was hospitalized for observation Saturday evening after bruising his kidney in the scrimmage Saturday. He is out indefinitely.Also, linebacker Marcus Burton was declared academically ineligible for the season.
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UAB head football coach Neil Callaway didn't mince words when asked his impression of his team's second fall scrimmage Saturday at Legion Field.

"I was a little disappointed with the defense, to be honest with you," said Callaway. "I didn't see a lot of the guys on the defense flying around, playing with any purpose. They're just kind of out there going through the motions."

A Sad Note

The Tallahassee Democrat is reporting that Ronnie Andrews, the son of Florida State defensive coordinator/associate head coach Mickey Andrews, died on Sunday.

TPD spokesman David McCranie indicated that Ronnie Andrews was found outside his father's house about 5:55 p.m. and that foul play is not suspected. Ronnie Andrews, 41, was the father of three children.

I know that readers of this blog join me in our condolences to Mickey and his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mickey and his family at this tragic time.

Ranking The ACC Coastal Division Teams: North Carolina

North Carolina with Butch Davis at the helm is one of four ACC schools that will have new head coaches and staff for the 2007 season.

Davis brings a proven record at the college level having amassed a 51-20 record at Miami in six years as the Canes head coach. Tar Heel fans are full of optimism as the 2007 season is set to begin. Optimism for the future is so high that Davis recently announced that the school is hoping to begin a $100 million renovation of Kenan Stadium within the next 18 months.

Davis came in and had an excellent recruiting season which led to more optimism by the fans. Nole fans will recall that Davis snared highly recruited defensive tackle Marvin Austin who by all accounts was coming to FSU. However, it takes time to bring in a whole new system and staff and expect to win lots of games in the first season. Chances are that is not going to happen.

North Carolina returns forty-six letterman having lost sixteen. Of the sixteen leaving, eleven were starters for the 2006 season. The Heels have an easy schedule to begin with before taking on Virginia Tech, Miami, and South Carolina three weeks in a row. Question marks loom at quarterback and the defense only has four starters from last year. Davis did announce this past week that redshirt freshman T.J. Yates will start the Heels opener Sept. 1 against James Madison. The decision does not entirely resolve the quarterback competition, though, because Davis said he would only commit to starting Yates in the first week.

The Heels do have a talented receiver in sophomore Hakeem Nicks who some are predicting could be the best receiver in the ACC. At 6-1, Nicks isn't huge or a speedster, but he does have the ability to come up with the ball and make big plays.

With that said, the Tar Heels will probably have to endure another lackluster record. Any thing above the 3-9 2006 record will be cause for celebration.

FSU It's Time Ranking Prediction: I think the Tar Heels could surprise but I still think they will be no better than #5 in the Coastal Division.

Ranking The ACC Coastal Division Teams: Duke

One thing can be said about the Duke football program. There is nowhere to go but up. After a 0-12 season in 2006, the Duke Blue Devils will open their season with Connecticut which is a decent team. Their road schedule includes Northwestern, Navy, Miami, and Florida State. After playing Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Clemson and Georgia Tech at home, they end their season with games at Notre Dame and North Carolina. Ouch!

Head coach Ted Roof in his fourth year with a 5-34 cumulative record will definitely be on the hot seat this year. It was so bad after last season that Duke held a "Duke Football Summit" with former alumni and others to try and breathe life into the program.

Duke has had some off the field problems and had suspended junior linebacker Michael Tauiliili indefinitely for violating team policy. This past week, Duke reinstated Tauiliili who had been arrested for gun and driving while impaired charges. He will be suspended for the UConn game,

Duke has forty-four returning lettermen and lost sixteen. They will have an experienced offensive line and a returning QB that should provide some help. Duke also has a new offensive coordinator and Roof has promised that his offense will be wide-open. According to Roof, "we're going to be aggressive in throwing the football down the field."

So what is the prediction for this bastion of academia? Don't expect the Blue Devils to do a "Wake Forest" on the ACC Coastal Division. They may win one or two games this year. Maybe.

FSU It's Time Ranking Prediction: I am going to go out on a limb and predict Duke at #6 in the Coastal Division.

"Quarterbacks aren't as big a problem around here as y'all think...."

"We've got to learn how to block people up front, run the ball and hold onto it there. We keep pointing at the quarterbacks. Quarterbacks aren't as big a problem around here as y'all think they are."
Offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher after second scrimmage

Clemson Defense Fired Up

Observers declared Clemson’s starting defense the clear winner in Saturday’s scrimmage. The first-team defense stuffed the running game, did not allow a passing touchdown and made the starting offensive line look bad.“I’m finding out our defense could be pretty good,” Bowden said. “They run real good and you can’t bounce anything outside.”

“There is a fire in our defense right now,” sophomore middle linebacker Cortney Vincent said. “Everybody is running wide open. I’ve never seen anything like this from us. We’re playing a different style now. We’re not going to turn it on and turn it off anymore.”

"...Hard To Get Anyone Open...."

"The thing that impressed me the most was the coverage of our secondary. They stayed on those receivers pretty doggone good. Other than those first two (big plays), they stayed on them tight. It was hard to get anyone open in there. They also put a lot more pressure on the passer."
Bobby Bowden comments re secondary after second scrimmage

Stats From Second Scrimmage

Passing

Drew Weatherford: 5-for-15, 147 yards, 2 TDs

Xavier Lee: 5-for-13, 35 yards

Christian Ponder: 2-for-3, 30 yards

D'Vontrey Richardson: 0-for-3

Rushing

Antone Smith: 9 rushes, 85 yards; Long: 54 yards

Dionte Allen: 4 rushes, 9 yards; Long: 6 yards

Jamaal Edwards: 5 rushes, 7 yards; Long: 7 yards

Receiving

Bert Reed: 3 catches, 35 yards

Rod Owens: 2 catches, 45 yards, TD

Joslin Shaw: 2 catches, 16 yards

Damon McDaniel: 1 catch, 36 yards

De'Cody Fagg: 1 catch, 34 yards, TD

Richard Goodman: 1 catch, 34 yards

Greg Carr: 1 catch, 8 yards

Jonathan Hannah: 1 catch, 4 yards

Defense

Mister Alexander: 3 tackles, 2 TFL for 12 yards, 1 sack for 7 yards, PBU

Eli Charles: 3 tackles, 3 TFL for 13 yards, 2 sacks for 6 yards, fumble recovery
Everette Brown: 3 tackles

Patrick Robinson: 3 tackles, PBU

Letroy Guion: 2 tackles, 2 TFL for 11 yards, 1 sack for 6 yards

Budd Thacker: 2 tackles, 1 TFL for 5 yards

Dekoda Watson: 2 tackles

Derek Nicholson: 2 tackles, 2 TFL for 6 yards

Myron Rolle: 2 tackles, PBU

J.R. Bryant: 2 tackles

Rodney Gallon: 2 tackles

Maurice Harris: 2 tackles, PBU

Neefy Moffett: 1 sack for 7 yards

Emmanuel Dunbar: 1 sack of 11 yards

Paul Griffin: 1 tackles, forced fumble

Roosevelt Lawson: forced fumble

Jatavious Jackson: fumble recovery

Defense Makes Statement In Second Scrimmage

Excerpts from the FSU Sports Information Department:

The Seminole football team held their second scrimmage in three days on Saturday and it was a big day for the FSU defense. Once again the offense got off to a fast start but over the duration of the scrimmage it was the Florida State defense that had the better evening. The team will take the day off Sunday before returning to practice Monday at 9:20 a.m.

Saturday morning's kicking scrimmage began with some position work before the team spent about an hour and a half working on all aspects of the kicking game.

Joslin Shaw, Preston Parker, Bert Reed and Jamie Robinson worked returning kicks. Parker and Reed spent the morning returning punts.

Gary Cismesia had a great morning kicking field goals. The senior hit from 21, 22, 31, 32, 32 and 43 yards and missed just one kick from 38. Graham Gano connected from 24, 30 and 37 yards but missed from 30, 41 and 47.

Just like Thursday's scrimmage, the offense got off to a fast start. The first team offense, which started with Drew Weatherford under center at the one yard line, picked up two big plays for first downs. The first jaw-dropping play was turned in by Antone Smith. With the ball at the one-yard line, Smith disappeared into a sea of Garnet jerseys but somehow broke loose and took the ball 54 yards up the sideline. The next big play came on a Weatherford to Richard Goodman pass for 33 yards. The first team defense then came out with the ball once again placed on the one and had a very impressive stand. Everette Brown tackled Jamaal Edwards inside the one, and close to a safety, and the second team offense was unable to get a first down.

In red zone the offense continued to struggle. The ones, with Weatherford at the helm, could not get into the endzone on any of their four tries. The biggest play was turned in by Smith who went for five yards on a third and goal from the eight. The two's came on and were unable to get in the endzone either. Lee did have a nice 10 yard completion to Jonathan Hannah from the 18 but after that Brown recorded a sack and knocked the ball loose. The next two plays netted three and one yards respectively.

In goal line drills, the defense allowed just three TD's in eight tries. The first team offense scored twice. The first came from three yards out as Smith got around the edge thanks in no small part to a nice Seddrick Holloway block. After an incompletion to Hannah, Weatherford hit Holloway on a three yard TD pass. Weatherford made a very nice throw as he lofted it over a defender in front of him and into Holloway.

The second team offense started off with a TD from Lee to Charlie Graham but after that it was big plays by the first team D. Nicholson had a big hit on Edwards, who kept his balance but was finished off by Guion. Lee then was forced into an incompletion when he was chased out of the pocket by Neefy Moffett.

The kickers each got one field goal attempt. Cismesia missed his from 36 and Gano made his from the same distance.

Head Coach Bobby Bowden

On the last two scrimmages
"I thought the last two scrimmages have followed the same pattern. The offense comes out scores a big one, gets the ball, scores another big one, the defense shuts them out the rest of the day."

"Defense, you've got to come out the first of the game, you can't spot people two touchdowns. Offense you've got to play 60 minutes so it's been two scrimmages in a row that it's been like that."

Noles #19 In AP Preseason Poll

1. Southern Cal
2. LSU
3. West Virginia
4. Texas
5. Michigan
6. Florida
7. Wisconsin
8. Oklahoma
9. Virginia Tech
10. Louisville
11. Ohio St.
12. California
13. Georgia
14. UCLA
15. Tennessee
16. Rutgers
17. Penn St.
18. Auburn
19. Florida State
20. Nebraska
21. Arkansas
22. TCU
23. Hawaii
24. Boise St.
25. Texas A&M

Heads You Lose Tails We Win

Tommy Bowden said Friday he'd defer the kickoff until the second half if he wins the coin toss for the Florida State game. "Right now I plan on deferring," he said. "I could change my mind." The NCAA has changed the rule on kickoffs ; this season kickoffs are moved from the 35-yard line to the 30 to match the NFL.

Reed Returns And Hannah Scores

Fullback Joe Surratt will be sidelined indefinitely due to a fractured right fibula sustained in Thursday night's scrimmage. Surratt will probably have surgery Monday and his status for the rest of the season will be determined after the operation. Bobby Bowden said that Surratt could be back by the middle of the season but also did not rule out the possibility of a medical redshirt.

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Freshman wide receiver Bert Reed returned to practice after missing four days of practice following the death of his brother this past weekend. Reed took part in the second half of practice on Friday.
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Louisburg College transfer Jonathan Hannah practiced in full pads for the first time in Thursday's scrimmage. The tight end caught two passes for 18 yards, and finished the goal-line drill with a touchdown reception from Drew Weatherford.

Clemson Loses Running Back For Season

Clemson's football practice on Friday began with Coach Tommy Bowden's announcement to the team that sophomore running back Ray Ray McElrathbey would be lost for the season due to a torn ACL. The injury took place in practice on Thursday.

"I really hate this for Ray Ray," said Bowden. "He was doing very well at running back. He had a good spring and had been doing well in the preseason. He did well in the scrimmage last Saturday.

Practice Cut Short By Lightning

Less than 24 hours after the first scrimmage of the preseason, Florida State's football team was back out on the practice fields Friday afternoon. The 20-period practice was cut short by about 20 minutes due to lightning in the area. The team moved inside before the coaching staff decided to call it a day after 16 periods. FSU will scrimmage for the second time in three days Saturday inside Doak Campbell Stadium.

In 7-on-7 Toddrick Verdell had the defensive highlight of the day picking off a pass and taking it back for a TD. Weatherford and De'Cody Fagg had a nice rhythm as the two connected three times. Weatherford also hit Damon McDaniel and completed on a bomb to Goodman. Lee completed passes to McDaniel and Charlie Graham. Owens caught a ball from Ponder.

Friday's pass rush drill was one of the most even so far. Everette Brown continued to dominate as he won at least three individual match-ups. Jatavious Jackson, Emmanuel Dunbar, Paul Griffin, Letroy Guion, Kevin McNeil and Andre Fluellen were among the defensive players that got past their offensive counterpart. On the offensive side Caz Piurowski recorded multiple wins as did Brandon Davis. Evan Bellamy, Tyler Graves, Daron Rose and Rodney Hudson all held their ground as well.

The practice ended amidst 11-on-11. Weatherford and Fagg continued their productive day with a completion and Patrick Robinson broke up a pass before the team was called off the field.

Head Coach Bobby Bowden:

On putting the first string versus the second string in yesterday's scrimmage:
"There are times when your team is at a maturity level where you want to do one versus one, maybe they're all young and they're all inexperienced and you want to get the best against the best. And there comes another time you want to try to preserve them a little bit and you put one versus twos."

On the injury to FB Joe Surratt
"Joe was making some progress, he was trying to gain some ground he lost during the summer and he was beginning to gain it, you know. But got that fibula busted. He'll be out for a while."

Are The Tigers Set To "Surprise" ?

As reported in a previous posting, Clemson's backs that are nicknamed "Thunder" and "Lightning" are an awesome duo. The idea of James Davis ("Thunder") and C.J. Spiller ("Lightning") in the same backfield makes the Clemson offense more dangerous.

Clemson's offensive coordinator has spent hours researching ways of taking advantage of the Tigers most valuable weapons, trying to strike the balance they lacked last season when Clemson lost four of its last five games.

Running back Spiller has stated that both backs will be in the backfield at the same time. Spiller has been quoted as saying "we've been working on it in camp and it's going great." There have also been reports that Spiller is practicing being under center at QB.