ACC: Bobby Hart
2011 overall record: 9-4
2011 conference record: 5-3 (t-3rd)
Returning starters: Offense: 6; defense: 8; kicker/punter: 1
Top returners:
QB EJ Manuel, CB Greg Reid, LB Telvin Smith, DE Brandon Jenkins, DE Bjoern Werner, WR Rashad Greene
Key losses:
T Zebrie Sanders, WR Bert Reed, LB Nigel Bradham
2011 statistical leaders (*returners)
Rushing: Devonta Freeman* (579 yards)
Passing: EJ Manuel* (2,666 yards)
Receiving: Rashad Greene* (596 yards)
Tackles: Nigel Bradham (86)
Sacks: Brandon Jenkins* (8)
Interceptions: Lamarcus Joyner* (4)
Spring answers
1. Erving steps in: The Seminoles have to replace both starting offensive tackles, but coach Jimbo Fisher believes he has found a future NFL starter in converted defensive tackle Cameron Erving. The 6-foot-5, 304-pound sophomore from Colquitt, Ga., has good feet and long arms. He stepped in at left tackle, and sophomore Bobby Hart and junior Bryan Stork are battling to start at right tackle entering preseason camp.
2. Deep receiving corps: With big-play wideouts such as Rashad Greene, Kenny Shaw and Christian Green coming back, the Seminoles were already loaded on the perimeter. Throw Willie Haulstead and redshirt freshman Kelvin Benjamin into the mix, and it might be the deepest receiving corps in the country. Haulstead missed all of last season with a concussion, and Benjamin was redshirted. Fisher said the pair might be his team’s best wideouts, which is saying a lot.
3. Defensive line is stocked: Defensive end Bjoern Woerner and tackles Timmy Jernigan and Jacobbi McDaniel missed the spring because of injuries, but their replacements showed FSU will be pretty deep in its defensive front. End Cornellius “Tank” Carradine and nose tackle Anthony McCloud had nice springs.
Fall questions
1. The running game: Florida State struggled to run the ball last season, finishing next-to-last in the ACC at 112.2 yards per game. Injuries were a big part of the problem. The Seminoles didn’t find many answers in the spring. Top returning rushers Devonta Freeman and Chris Thompson missed spring practice because of injuries, and promising sophomore James Wilder Jr. miss a big chunk after he was arrested for resisting arrest in February.
2. Punter: The Seminoles are really going to miss departed punter Shawn Powell, who averaged 47.1 yards per punt and helped FSU’s defense by putting opponents in bad field position. Freshman Cason Beatty, a former high school quarterback, enrolled in classes at FSU in January and participated in spring practice. He struggled with consistency, but FSU coaches like his strong leg and hang time.
3. Backup quarterback: Senior EJ Manuel needs to stay healthy for the Seminoles to reach their potential, but there are a couple good backups behind him. Clint Trickett has added weight and threw the ball well in the spring. He’s still battling redshirt freshman Jacob Coker for the No. 2 job. FSU will also hold its breath to see if highly regarded quarterback recruit Jameis Winston of Hueytown, Ala., enrolls in school or signs a professional baseball contract this summer.
2011 conference record: 5-3 (t-3rd)
Returning starters: Offense: 6; defense: 8; kicker/punter: 1
Top returners:
QB EJ Manuel, CB Greg Reid, LB Telvin Smith, DE Brandon Jenkins, DE Bjoern Werner, WR Rashad Greene
Key losses:
T Zebrie Sanders, WR Bert Reed, LB Nigel Bradham
2011 statistical leaders (*returners)
Rushing: Devonta Freeman* (579 yards)
Passing: EJ Manuel* (2,666 yards)
Receiving: Rashad Greene* (596 yards)
Tackles: Nigel Bradham (86)
Sacks: Brandon Jenkins* (8)
Interceptions: Lamarcus Joyner* (4)
Spring answers
1. Erving steps in: The Seminoles have to replace both starting offensive tackles, but coach Jimbo Fisher believes he has found a future NFL starter in converted defensive tackle Cameron Erving. The 6-foot-5, 304-pound sophomore from Colquitt, Ga., has good feet and long arms. He stepped in at left tackle, and sophomore Bobby Hart and junior Bryan Stork are battling to start at right tackle entering preseason camp.
2. Deep receiving corps: With big-play wideouts such as Rashad Greene, Kenny Shaw and Christian Green coming back, the Seminoles were already loaded on the perimeter. Throw Willie Haulstead and redshirt freshman Kelvin Benjamin into the mix, and it might be the deepest receiving corps in the country. Haulstead missed all of last season with a concussion, and Benjamin was redshirted. Fisher said the pair might be his team’s best wideouts, which is saying a lot.
3. Defensive line is stocked: Defensive end Bjoern Woerner and tackles Timmy Jernigan and Jacobbi McDaniel missed the spring because of injuries, but their replacements showed FSU will be pretty deep in its defensive front. End Cornellius “Tank” Carradine and nose tackle Anthony McCloud had nice springs.
Fall questions
1. The running game: Florida State struggled to run the ball last season, finishing next-to-last in the ACC at 112.2 yards per game. Injuries were a big part of the problem. The Seminoles didn’t find many answers in the spring. Top returning rushers Devonta Freeman and Chris Thompson missed spring practice because of injuries, and promising sophomore James Wilder Jr. miss a big chunk after he was arrested for resisting arrest in February.
2. Punter: The Seminoles are really going to miss departed punter Shawn Powell, who averaged 47.1 yards per punt and helped FSU’s defense by putting opponents in bad field position. Freshman Cason Beatty, a former high school quarterback, enrolled in classes at FSU in January and participated in spring practice. He struggled with consistency, but FSU coaches like his strong leg and hang time.
3. Backup quarterback: Senior EJ Manuel needs to stay healthy for the Seminoles to reach their potential, but there are a couple good backups behind him. Clint Trickett has added weight and threw the ball well in the spring. He’s still battling redshirt freshman Jacob Coker for the No. 2 job. FSU will also hold its breath to see if highly regarded quarterback recruit Jameis Winston of Hueytown, Ala., enrolls in school or signs a professional baseball contract this summer.
FSU's O-line could have foreign flavor
March, 19, 2012
Mar 19
9:00
AM ET
By
Mark Schlabach | ESPN.com
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida State offensive line coach Rick Trickett likes to joke that the Seminoles have their own version of the United Nations.
Star defensive end Bjoern Werner is a native of Berlin, Germany, and the Seminoles’ starting offensive tackles this coming season might be from England and Switzerland.
Anything might be better than the inexperienced group the Seminoles put on the field last season. Because of injuries, Florida State started four freshman offensive linemen in its 18-14 victory over Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl.
As FSU begins spring practice, those freshmen are now sophomores, and two JUCO transfers -- Daniel Glauser and Menelik Watson -- might step in to anchor the offensive line.
Glauser, a native of Rheinfelden, Switzerland, enrolled at FSU in January and is participating in spring practice. Watson, from Manchester, England, is expected to join the Seminoles this summer.
“The [foreign-born] players are more mature,” FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said.
But when it comes to football, Glauser and Watson are relatively inexperienced. Glauser grew up playing soccer in Switzerland, but he was encouraged to move to the U.S. by his American-born coach to play college football. Glauser, 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, spent the past two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute. Fisher was so impressed with Glauser that he offered him a scholarship even though he’ll have only one season of eligibility at FSU.
“New Mexico Institute didn’t know they could have redshirted him,” Fisher said. “They didn’t know. We didn’t know.”
Watson took an even longer route to Florida State. He came to the U.S. to play basketball at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Watson, 6-6 and 320 pounds, averaged 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds for the Red Foxes during the 2010-11 season.
“Watson was a Division I basketball player,” Fisher said. “He was 270 pounds and was a wing, not a post player. He wasn’t scoring with his back to the basket. He was making moves and driving to the basket.”
Because of his size, Watson figured he’d reached his ceiling as a basketball player. After briefly considering a professional boxing career, Watson enrolled at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif., where he not only had to learn how to play offensive tackle but also the game’s rules. He played in eight games at Saddleback last season. The Gauchos’ other offensive tackle was Kyle Long, son of NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long, who signed with Oregon.
Watson still has a long way to go in his development, but he’ll probably compete with Glauser and sophomore Bobby Hart for the starting offensive tackle jobs this coming season. The Seminoles lost departed senior tackles Zebrie Sanders and Andrew Datko, who combined to play in 90 games in their FSU careers. Datko missed all of last season because of shoulder injuries and chose to turn pro, instead of appealing to the NCAA for another season of college eligibility.
Sophomores Austin Barron, Tre’ Jackson and Josue Matias, who started against Notre Dame at center, right guard and left guard, respectively, are coming back to compete in the middle of the offensive line. Cameron Erving, a converted defensive tackle, also will be in the tackle mix.
“I like the young guys,” Fisher said. “They’re all sophomores. They’re big and athletic. They actually know they can play with the way they came back [against Notre Dame]. They’re confident now. They don’t have to walk on the field and think, ‘Can I play?’ They know they can play.”
Right guard Bryan Stork said continuity and staying healthy are keys for FSU’s offensive line this coming season.
“Before you’re at the top, you’re always at the bottom,” Stork said. “I feel like we’re a diamond in the rough. We’ve got the guys. It’s just everybody getting better together.”
Star defensive end Bjoern Werner is a native of Berlin, Germany, and the Seminoles’ starting offensive tackles this coming season might be from England and Switzerland.
Anything might be better than the inexperienced group the Seminoles put on the field last season. Because of injuries, Florida State started four freshman offensive linemen in its 18-14 victory over Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl.
[+] Enlarge
Cal Sports Media via AP ImagesMenelik Watson -- a Manchester, England, native -- played basketball and considered boxing before commiting to football.
Cal Sports Media via AP ImagesMenelik Watson -- a Manchester, England, native -- played basketball and considered boxing before commiting to football.Glauser, a native of Rheinfelden, Switzerland, enrolled at FSU in January and is participating in spring practice. Watson, from Manchester, England, is expected to join the Seminoles this summer.
“The [foreign-born] players are more mature,” FSU coach Jimbo Fisher said.
But when it comes to football, Glauser and Watson are relatively inexperienced. Glauser grew up playing soccer in Switzerland, but he was encouraged to move to the U.S. by his American-born coach to play college football. Glauser, 6-foot-6 and 315 pounds, spent the past two seasons at New Mexico Military Institute. Fisher was so impressed with Glauser that he offered him a scholarship even though he’ll have only one season of eligibility at FSU.
“New Mexico Institute didn’t know they could have redshirted him,” Fisher said. “They didn’t know. We didn’t know.”
Watson took an even longer route to Florida State. He came to the U.S. to play basketball at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Watson, 6-6 and 320 pounds, averaged 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds for the Red Foxes during the 2010-11 season.
“Watson was a Division I basketball player,” Fisher said. “He was 270 pounds and was a wing, not a post player. He wasn’t scoring with his back to the basket. He was making moves and driving to the basket.”
Because of his size, Watson figured he’d reached his ceiling as a basketball player. After briefly considering a professional boxing career, Watson enrolled at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, Calif., where he not only had to learn how to play offensive tackle but also the game’s rules. He played in eight games at Saddleback last season. The Gauchos’ other offensive tackle was Kyle Long, son of NFL Hall of Famer Howie Long, who signed with Oregon.
Watson still has a long way to go in his development, but he’ll probably compete with Glauser and sophomore Bobby Hart for the starting offensive tackle jobs this coming season. The Seminoles lost departed senior tackles Zebrie Sanders and Andrew Datko, who combined to play in 90 games in their FSU careers. Datko missed all of last season because of shoulder injuries and chose to turn pro, instead of appealing to the NCAA for another season of college eligibility.
Sophomores Austin Barron, Tre’ Jackson and Josue Matias, who started against Notre Dame at center, right guard and left guard, respectively, are coming back to compete in the middle of the offensive line. Cameron Erving, a converted defensive tackle, also will be in the tackle mix.
“I like the young guys,” Fisher said. “They’re all sophomores. They’re big and athletic. They actually know they can play with the way they came back [against Notre Dame]. They’re confident now. They don’t have to walk on the field and think, ‘Can I play?’ They know they can play.”
Right guard Bryan Stork said continuity and staying healthy are keys for FSU’s offensive line this coming season.
“Before you’re at the top, you’re always at the bottom,” Stork said. “I feel like we’re a diamond in the rough. We’ve got the guys. It’s just everybody getting better together.”
Our offseason spotlight series continues today with Florida State. A reminder: This series features individual players, position groups and coaches who really need to have big offseasons -- starting this spring.
Spotlight: Offensive line.
2011 Summary: Florida State’s woes up front began at this time last year, when several players were injured during the spring and the group never truly gained any cohesiveness or continuity, as injuries remained an issue through the entire season. The players who lined up for the season opener had only practiced together for about a week, and by the time FSU hosted Virginia on Nov. 19, the Noles had used six different starting lineups. No single group was in the same position for more than three straight games, and true freshman tackle Bobby Hart was thrown into the starting lineup at 17 years old. Four freshmen were in the starting lineup against Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl, and that’s where the Seminoles will start off this spring.
The skinny: The good news is that David Spurlock, who missed more than five games with a knee injury, is back in the mix. The most pressing question is who will replace the two talented tackles in Zebrie Sanders and Andrew Datko. Hart, Austin Barron, Josue Matias and Tre' Jackson were the starters for the bowl game, and matured rapidly from one half to the next. If the Noles are going to get more out of their offense, particularly the running game, they’re going to have to get more out of their young linemen.
Spotlight: Offensive line.
2011 Summary: Florida State’s woes up front began at this time last year, when several players were injured during the spring and the group never truly gained any cohesiveness or continuity, as injuries remained an issue through the entire season. The players who lined up for the season opener had only practiced together for about a week, and by the time FSU hosted Virginia on Nov. 19, the Noles had used six different starting lineups. No single group was in the same position for more than three straight games, and true freshman tackle Bobby Hart was thrown into the starting lineup at 17 years old. Four freshmen were in the starting lineup against Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl, and that’s where the Seminoles will start off this spring.
The skinny: The good news is that David Spurlock, who missed more than five games with a knee injury, is back in the mix. The most pressing question is who will replace the two talented tackles in Zebrie Sanders and Andrew Datko. Hart, Austin Barron, Josue Matias and Tre' Jackson were the starters for the bowl game, and matured rapidly from one half to the next. If the Noles are going to get more out of their offense, particularly the running game, they’re going to have to get more out of their young linemen.
Thanks as always to the sports information directors throughout the league for this week’s package of notes:
ACC: With Virginia Tech RB David Wilson, North Carolina RB Giovani Bernard, and Miami RB Lamar Miller leading the way, the ACC could set a league record for the most 100-yard rushing games in a single season in its history. Heading into Saturday, ACC runners have reached or surpassed the 100-yard mark in rushing on 47 occasions led by Wilson (9), Bernard (6) and Miller (6). The league mark of 55 100-yard rushing games was set last year. What makes this year’s total even more impressive is the fact that Boston College’s Montel Harris, who personally has 22 career 100-yard games, has contributed just one to the total this season due to an injury which has forced him to miss almost the entire 2011 season.
BOSTON COLLEGE: In BC’s 38-7 home loss to Florida State, a season-high 10 players were sidelined with injuries. In addition to the five players who have suffered season-ending injuries – WR Ifeanyi Momah (knee), DB C.J. Jones (knee), DL Connor Wujciak (shoulder), RB Montel Harris (knee) and DL Kaleb Ramsey (foot) – five veterans have suffered various recent injuries. They include senior OL Nate Richman, redshirt freshman RB Tahj Kimble, sophomore LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, junior DB Jim Noel and sophomore RB Andre Williams.
CLEMSON: The Tigers have defeated Wake Forest 23 of the past 25 meetings in Death Valley and have not lost to Wake Forest at home since 1998. Clemson has a 6-0 record at home this year and an average victory of 41-25. A win Saturday would also give Clemson a 7-0 record at home this year, the program’s first perfect home season since 1990 when Clemson was 6-0 in Death Valley.
DUKE: Duke has played five one-possession games (decided by eight points or less) this season with an average margin of difference of 2.40 points. The five games are tied for the third most in the nation. Duke’s 2.40 average is the sixth lowest nationally among schools that have played at least three one-possession games, with Buffalo ranking first at 1.67 average points in three games.
FLORIDA STATE: In 2011, 15 true freshmen have played, tied for the seventh-most among all FBS teams. The ‘Noles have played 11 redshirt freshmen for a total of 26 freshmen played. That number is tied for third among FBS schools, trailing only Clemson and Indiana, with 29 each. Five FSU true freshmen–-C Austin Barron, RB Devonta Freeman, WR Rashad Greene, OT Bobby Hart, and TE Nick O’Leary – have made starts, along with redshirt freshman QB Clint Trickett. FSU played 12 true freshmen in 2010 and 12 redshirt freshmen for a whopping 40 freshmen who have played to this point over the past two seasons.
GEORGIA TECH: The Jackets have allowed a 100-yard rusher in a game five times this season (all five have been ACC opponents). David Wilson’s rushing total (175 yards) was the most by a Tech opponent since 2009.
MARYLAND: WR Quintin McCree had his second career 100-yard receiving game with 117 yards against Virginia. It was also McCree’s second 100-yard effort in his last three games. WR Kerry Boykins also had the first of his career with 101 yards in Saturday’s Virginia game. McCree and Boykins are just the second Maryland duo in the past 16 years to post 100 receiving yards in the same game. Danny Oquendo (111) and Torrey Smith (115) both went over 100 receiving yards against Boston College on Nov. 29, 2008. Prior to that, the feat hadn’t occurred since 1995.
MIAMI: With his 202-yard performance against Duke on Nov. 5, Jacory Harris remains in second place in Miami’s records book with 8,097 career passing yards, surpassing Gino Torretta and trailing only Ken Dorsey (9,565).
NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina has never had a 1,000-yard runner and 1,000-yard receiver in the same season. Last week at NC State, Bernard became the 15th player in UNC history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and the first since Jonathan Linton in 1997. Heading into the Virginia Tech game, senior wide receiver Dwight Jones, who has 913 receiving yards, needs 87 yards to become just the second player in UNC history with 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
NC STATE: Tom O’Brien has won 42 games in BC’s Alumni Stadium, but is looking for his first win there as a visitor.
VIRGINIA: The Cavaliers enter Saturday’s game at Duke tied for third in the ACC in total offense at 427.7 yards per game. UVa is tied for 13th nationally with just eight sacks allowed this season (312 pass attempts). OG Austin Pasztor along with OT Oday Aboushi, OG Luke Bowanko, C Anthony Mihota and OT Morgan Moses have started all nine games this season. The only other ACC teams to start the same offensive line this year are NC State and Virginia Tech. The last time the same five players started an entire season on the offensive line at UVa was 2004. Coincidentally, that was the last time UVa averaged more rushing yards (242.8) per game than this year (190.1).
VIRGINIA TECH: The two rushing touchdowns by quarterback Logan Thomas against Georgia Tech gave him eight for the season, tying the single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a Tech quarterback. In 1999, Michael Vick rushed for eight touchdowns (he had another in the Sugar Bowl, but the NCAA didn’t count bowl statistics then). Thomas finished with 70 yards rushing,
WAKE FOREST: Wake Forest had come away with points on 11 straight trips to the red zone over four games heading into the Notre Dame game. Wake scored touchdowns on each of its first two trips to the red zone against Notre Dame and held a 17-10 halftime lead. But Wake’s string of 13 consecutive scoring trips came to a close when the Deacons failed on both red zone visits in the second half. The drives ended with a Brandon Pendergrass fumble at the Notre Dame nine-yard line and a missed field goal by PK Jimmy Newman.
ACC: With Virginia Tech RB David Wilson, North Carolina RB Giovani Bernard, and Miami RB Lamar Miller leading the way, the ACC could set a league record for the most 100-yard rushing games in a single season in its history. Heading into Saturday, ACC runners have reached or surpassed the 100-yard mark in rushing on 47 occasions led by Wilson (9), Bernard (6) and Miller (6). The league mark of 55 100-yard rushing games was set last year. What makes this year’s total even more impressive is the fact that Boston College’s Montel Harris, who personally has 22 career 100-yard games, has contributed just one to the total this season due to an injury which has forced him to miss almost the entire 2011 season.
BOSTON COLLEGE: In BC’s 38-7 home loss to Florida State, a season-high 10 players were sidelined with injuries. In addition to the five players who have suffered season-ending injuries – WR Ifeanyi Momah (knee), DB C.J. Jones (knee), DL Connor Wujciak (shoulder), RB Montel Harris (knee) and DL Kaleb Ramsey (foot) – five veterans have suffered various recent injuries. They include senior OL Nate Richman, redshirt freshman RB Tahj Kimble, sophomore LB Kevin Pierre-Louis, junior DB Jim Noel and sophomore RB Andre Williams.
CLEMSON: The Tigers have defeated Wake Forest 23 of the past 25 meetings in Death Valley and have not lost to Wake Forest at home since 1998. Clemson has a 6-0 record at home this year and an average victory of 41-25. A win Saturday would also give Clemson a 7-0 record at home this year, the program’s first perfect home season since 1990 when Clemson was 6-0 in Death Valley.
DUKE: Duke has played five one-possession games (decided by eight points or less) this season with an average margin of difference of 2.40 points. The five games are tied for the third most in the nation. Duke’s 2.40 average is the sixth lowest nationally among schools that have played at least three one-possession games, with Buffalo ranking first at 1.67 average points in three games.
FLORIDA STATE: In 2011, 15 true freshmen have played, tied for the seventh-most among all FBS teams. The ‘Noles have played 11 redshirt freshmen for a total of 26 freshmen played. That number is tied for third among FBS schools, trailing only Clemson and Indiana, with 29 each. Five FSU true freshmen–-C Austin Barron, RB Devonta Freeman, WR Rashad Greene, OT Bobby Hart, and TE Nick O’Leary – have made starts, along with redshirt freshman QB Clint Trickett. FSU played 12 true freshmen in 2010 and 12 redshirt freshmen for a whopping 40 freshmen who have played to this point over the past two seasons.
GEORGIA TECH: The Jackets have allowed a 100-yard rusher in a game five times this season (all five have been ACC opponents). David Wilson’s rushing total (175 yards) was the most by a Tech opponent since 2009.
MARYLAND: WR Quintin McCree had his second career 100-yard receiving game with 117 yards against Virginia. It was also McCree’s second 100-yard effort in his last three games. WR Kerry Boykins also had the first of his career with 101 yards in Saturday’s Virginia game. McCree and Boykins are just the second Maryland duo in the past 16 years to post 100 receiving yards in the same game. Danny Oquendo (111) and Torrey Smith (115) both went over 100 receiving yards against Boston College on Nov. 29, 2008. Prior to that, the feat hadn’t occurred since 1995.
MIAMI: With his 202-yard performance against Duke on Nov. 5, Jacory Harris remains in second place in Miami’s records book with 8,097 career passing yards, surpassing Gino Torretta and trailing only Ken Dorsey (9,565).
NORTH CAROLINA: North Carolina has never had a 1,000-yard runner and 1,000-yard receiver in the same season. Last week at NC State, Bernard became the 15th player in UNC history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and the first since Jonathan Linton in 1997. Heading into the Virginia Tech game, senior wide receiver Dwight Jones, who has 913 receiving yards, needs 87 yards to become just the second player in UNC history with 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.
NC STATE: Tom O’Brien has won 42 games in BC’s Alumni Stadium, but is looking for his first win there as a visitor.
VIRGINIA: The Cavaliers enter Saturday’s game at Duke tied for third in the ACC in total offense at 427.7 yards per game. UVa is tied for 13th nationally with just eight sacks allowed this season (312 pass attempts). OG Austin Pasztor along with OT Oday Aboushi, OG Luke Bowanko, C Anthony Mihota and OT Morgan Moses have started all nine games this season. The only other ACC teams to start the same offensive line this year are NC State and Virginia Tech. The last time the same five players started an entire season on the offensive line at UVa was 2004. Coincidentally, that was the last time UVa averaged more rushing yards (242.8) per game than this year (190.1).
VIRGINIA TECH: The two rushing touchdowns by quarterback Logan Thomas against Georgia Tech gave him eight for the season, tying the single-season record for rushing touchdowns by a Tech quarterback. In 1999, Michael Vick rushed for eight touchdowns (he had another in the Sugar Bowl, but the NCAA didn’t count bowl statistics then). Thomas finished with 70 yards rushing,
WAKE FOREST: Wake Forest had come away with points on 11 straight trips to the red zone over four games heading into the Notre Dame game. Wake scored touchdowns on each of its first two trips to the red zone against Notre Dame and held a 17-10 halftime lead. But Wake’s string of 13 consecutive scoring trips came to a close when the Deacons failed on both red zone visits in the second half. The drives ended with a Brandon Pendergrass fumble at the Notre Dame nine-yard line and a missed field goal by PK Jimmy Newman.
Thanks as always to the sports information directors throughout the league for making us smarter about each team this week. Did you know …
ACC: This week, in terms of yards per game, the ACC has the nation’s leading freshman rusher, in North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard (109.6), and the leading freshman receiver in Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins (104.0). They’ll go head-to-head in Death Valley on Saturday. -- ACC game notes
BOSTON COLLEGE: Although Boston College started the season 1-5, the Eagles have fared well in the second half of their schedule over the course of the past 10 years. In the final six regular-season games of the past 10 seasons, the Eagles have a combined record of 39-21. That includes a 5-1 record in the second half of the 2010 season, when Boston College became the first team in ACC history to record a five-game winning streak after suffering a five-game losing streak the same year. -- Chris Cameron
CLEMSON: When running back Andre Ellington ran for 212 yards and Watkins had 105 yards receiving at Maryland, Clemson became the first ACC team with a 200-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in the same game since Oct. 17, 2002 (Chris Downs, Scooter Monroe of Maryland vs. Georgia Tech). -- ACC game ntoes
DUKE: Duke is 3-3 at the midpoint for the third time in coach David Cutcliffe’s four seasons. Only once in the 13 seasons before Cutcliffe’s arrival were the Devils at or above .500 after six games. That came in 1998. -- ACC game notes
FLORIDA STATE: At the start of the 2011 season, Florida State had the ACC’s most experienced offensive line, with seniors Andrew Datko, Zebrie Sanders, David Spurlock, and Bryan Stork, who combined for 105 career starts. Sanders and Stork were the only veterans from the injury-ravaged unit in the lineup last week at Duke, when the ‘Noles rolled up 481 total yards, their highest output in 16 games. The lineup included just 57 career starts, 42 of which belonged to Sanders, followed by Stork (9), Jacob Fahrenkrug (5), Bobby Hart (1) and first-time starter Garrett Faircloth. -- Bob Thomas
GEORGIA TECH: Paul Johnson is 3-0 in games following the first loss of the season, and the Jackets have won those three games by an average of 18 points. -- ACC game notes
MARYLAND: So far this season, six freshmen: defensive lineman Keith Bowers, linebacker Lorne Goree, defensive lineman Andre Monroe, linebacker Mario Rowson, defensive back Titus Till, and linebacker Alex Twine have started for the Maryland defense, including four against Georgia Tech (10/8) and five against Clemson (10/15). That was the most freshmen to start for Maryland since Nov. 20, 1993, when a quintet started in a 33-32 win over Wake Forest. The five freshmen defensive starters against Clemson are the most in the nation for one game. In fact, only one other team in the FBS (Indiana) in the has started four or more freshmen defenders this season. -- Shawn Nestor
MIAMI: The Canes’ win over North Carolina last weekend marked the first time that Miami won as an ACC members while getting two or fewer rushing first downs in a game. (They had two.) ACC teams with two or fewer first downs by rush are 15-69 (.119) since the start of the 2000 season. -- ACC game notes
NORTH CAROLINA: Quarterback Bryn Renner has not thrown an interception in four of his past five games, including three straight. He has attempted 81 consecutive passes without an interception. Renner leads the ACC and ranks seventh in the country with a 174.1 pass efficiency rating. Renner completed 20 of 22 pass attempts in the second half against Miami last week. -- UNC game notes
NC STATE: Virginia coach Mike London is one of NC State head coach Tom O’Brien’s seven former assistant coaches who have gone on to become head coaches. London served on the Boston College staff as defensive coordinator from 1997-2000. This will mark the fifth time that O’Brien has faced one of his former assistants, with all four previous games coming against Boston College. O’Brien, who is making his first appearance in UVa’s Scott Stadium since spending 15 seasons there (1982-96) as an assistant for the Cavaliers to George Welsh, faced Jeff Jagodzinski, his replacement at BC twice, and Frank Spaziani, who was his defensive coordinator for the Eagles, twice. -- Annabelle Myers
VIRGINIA: Behind Perry Jones, Kevin Parks, and a veteran offensive line, Virginia rushed for a season-high 274 yards in its 24-21 win against No. 12 Georgia Tech, the most by a UVa team since 2004. Jones recorded a career-high 147 yards and eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the second consecutive game. The Cavaliers have totaled at least 150 rushing yards in each of their first six games. The last time UVa had a six-game streak rushing for at least 150 yards was the final six games of 2004. -- Jim Daves
VIRGINIA TECH: Two random notes for you: As an ACC member, Virginia Tech is 15-1 overall and 13-0 in conference games played in North Carolina. The Hokies were penalized only twice against Wake Forest; that’s the third time in seven games that they have been flagged two or fewer times. Ok, one more random note … The Hokies wore white uniform tops and pants against the Deacs and improved to 10-1 under coach Frank Beamer in that attire. -- ACC game notes
WAKE FOREST: Wake Forest redshirt freshman cornerback Merrill Noel leads the nation in passes defended with 2.17 per game. Noel has 12 pass breakups and one interception for a total of 13 passes defended. He has climbed to 11th place on the school list for passes broken up in a season. The season mark for breakups is 18 by A.J. Greene in 1987. Greene also holds the mark for passes defended in a season with 25, also in 1987. -- Steve Shutt
ACC: This week, in terms of yards per game, the ACC has the nation’s leading freshman rusher, in North Carolina running back Giovani Bernard (109.6), and the leading freshman receiver in Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins (104.0). They’ll go head-to-head in Death Valley on Saturday. -- ACC game notes
BOSTON COLLEGE: Although Boston College started the season 1-5, the Eagles have fared well in the second half of their schedule over the course of the past 10 years. In the final six regular-season games of the past 10 seasons, the Eagles have a combined record of 39-21. That includes a 5-1 record in the second half of the 2010 season, when Boston College became the first team in ACC history to record a five-game winning streak after suffering a five-game losing streak the same year. -- Chris Cameron
CLEMSON: When running back Andre Ellington ran for 212 yards and Watkins had 105 yards receiving at Maryland, Clemson became the first ACC team with a 200-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in the same game since Oct. 17, 2002 (Chris Downs, Scooter Monroe of Maryland vs. Georgia Tech). -- ACC game ntoes
DUKE: Duke is 3-3 at the midpoint for the third time in coach David Cutcliffe’s four seasons. Only once in the 13 seasons before Cutcliffe’s arrival were the Devils at or above .500 after six games. That came in 1998. -- ACC game notes
FLORIDA STATE: At the start of the 2011 season, Florida State had the ACC’s most experienced offensive line, with seniors Andrew Datko, Zebrie Sanders, David Spurlock, and Bryan Stork, who combined for 105 career starts. Sanders and Stork were the only veterans from the injury-ravaged unit in the lineup last week at Duke, when the ‘Noles rolled up 481 total yards, their highest output in 16 games. The lineup included just 57 career starts, 42 of which belonged to Sanders, followed by Stork (9), Jacob Fahrenkrug (5), Bobby Hart (1) and first-time starter Garrett Faircloth. -- Bob Thomas
GEORGIA TECH: Paul Johnson is 3-0 in games following the first loss of the season, and the Jackets have won those three games by an average of 18 points. -- ACC game notes
MARYLAND: So far this season, six freshmen: defensive lineman Keith Bowers, linebacker Lorne Goree, defensive lineman Andre Monroe, linebacker Mario Rowson, defensive back Titus Till, and linebacker Alex Twine have started for the Maryland defense, including four against Georgia Tech (10/8) and five against Clemson (10/15). That was the most freshmen to start for Maryland since Nov. 20, 1993, when a quintet started in a 33-32 win over Wake Forest. The five freshmen defensive starters against Clemson are the most in the nation for one game. In fact, only one other team in the FBS (Indiana) in the has started four or more freshmen defenders this season. -- Shawn Nestor
MIAMI: The Canes’ win over North Carolina last weekend marked the first time that Miami won as an ACC members while getting two or fewer rushing first downs in a game. (They had two.) ACC teams with two or fewer first downs by rush are 15-69 (.119) since the start of the 2000 season. -- ACC game notes
NORTH CAROLINA: Quarterback Bryn Renner has not thrown an interception in four of his past five games, including three straight. He has attempted 81 consecutive passes without an interception. Renner leads the ACC and ranks seventh in the country with a 174.1 pass efficiency rating. Renner completed 20 of 22 pass attempts in the second half against Miami last week. -- UNC game notes
NC STATE: Virginia coach Mike London is one of NC State head coach Tom O’Brien’s seven former assistant coaches who have gone on to become head coaches. London served on the Boston College staff as defensive coordinator from 1997-2000. This will mark the fifth time that O’Brien has faced one of his former assistants, with all four previous games coming against Boston College. O’Brien, who is making his first appearance in UVa’s Scott Stadium since spending 15 seasons there (1982-96) as an assistant for the Cavaliers to George Welsh, faced Jeff Jagodzinski, his replacement at BC twice, and Frank Spaziani, who was his defensive coordinator for the Eagles, twice. -- Annabelle Myers
VIRGINIA: Behind Perry Jones, Kevin Parks, and a veteran offensive line, Virginia rushed for a season-high 274 yards in its 24-21 win against No. 12 Georgia Tech, the most by a UVa team since 2004. Jones recorded a career-high 147 yards and eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the second consecutive game. The Cavaliers have totaled at least 150 rushing yards in each of their first six games. The last time UVa had a six-game streak rushing for at least 150 yards was the final six games of 2004. -- Jim Daves
VIRGINIA TECH: Two random notes for you: As an ACC member, Virginia Tech is 15-1 overall and 13-0 in conference games played in North Carolina. The Hokies were penalized only twice against Wake Forest; that’s the third time in seven games that they have been flagged two or fewer times. Ok, one more random note … The Hokies wore white uniform tops and pants against the Deacs and improved to 10-1 under coach Frank Beamer in that attire. -- ACC game notes
WAKE FOREST: Wake Forest redshirt freshman cornerback Merrill Noel leads the nation in passes defended with 2.17 per game. Noel has 12 pass breakups and one interception for a total of 13 passes defended. He has climbed to 11th place on the school list for passes broken up in a season. The season mark for breakups is 18 by A.J. Greene in 1987. Greene also holds the mark for passes defended in a season with 25, also in 1987. -- Steve Shutt
According to FSU's official Twitter feed, both quarterbacks EJ Manuel and Clint Trickett took the field for warm-ups against Wake Forest. Also, veteran left tackle Andrew Datko will not start today. Bobby Hart will replace him in his first-ever start. Definitely not the ideal situation for FSU up front, especially with the way the line has struggled this season.
Back in ACC country today. Thanks for having me.
- Jimbo Fisher looks very much in charge at Florida State, Tony Barnhart writes in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Florida State is in the lead for coveted offensive tackle recruit Bobby Hart.
- North Carolina coach Butch Davis talks quarterback T.J. Yates and the need to improve on offense with The Sporting News' Dave Curtis.
- Former Clemson running back C.J. Spiller could end up being the next Chris Johnson, which wouldn't be a bad thing at all, Jeff Legwold writes in The Denver Post.
- The Virginia football team's trip to Old Dominion is being labeled as a success, Dave Fairbank writes in the Daily Press. Cavaliers wideout Tim Smith is stepping up this spring and expects to lead an improved receiving corps, Michael Phillips writes in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
- A look at Miami's position battles coming out of spring practice from The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson.
- After a health scare last fall, Wake Forest safety Josh Bush is back on the practice field, Dan Collins writes in the Winston-Salem Journal. Wake Forest's outgoing seniors talk about their NFL draft prospects.
- Sorting out a loaded running back position tops the list of questions facing Virginia Tech as spring practice opens.
- Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson gets some props from state lawmakers.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Heather Dinich
Dinich covered ACC and Big Ten football for five seasons before joining ESPN.com in November 2007. She's an Indiana grad but somehow her favorite day of the week is Saturday.
