ESPN College Football

2011 overall record: 10-4
2011 conference record: 6-2 (1st)
Returning starters: Offense: 6; defense: 7; kicker/punter: 1

Top returners

QB Tajh Boyd, WR Sammy Watkins, WR DeAndre Hopkins, RB Andre Ellington, C Dalton Freeman, DE Malliciah Goodman, LB Corico Hawkins, LB Jonathan Willard, FS Rashard Hall

Key losses

T Phillip Price, G Antoine McClain, T Landon Walker, NG Brandon Thompson, DT Rennie Moore, DE Andre Branch, TE Dwayne Allen

2011 statistical leaders (*returners)

Rushing: Andre Ellington* (1,178 yards)
Passing: Tajh Boyd* (3,828 yards)
Receiving: Sammy Watkins* (1,219 yards)
Tackles: Rashard Hall* (89)
Sacks: Andre Branch (10.5)
Interceptions: Jonathan Meeks* (3)

Spring answers

1. Boyd more consistent: Quarterback Tajh Boyd looked more comfortable and had a better handle of offensive coordinator Chad Morris’ wide-open spread offense in his second season in the system. The Tigers were red-hot out of the gates in 2011 but struggled with consistency and turnovers in the second half of the season. Clemson had only eight turnovers while starting the season with an 8-0 record, but had 16 in its 2-4 finish.

2. Venables takes over defense: New defensive coordinator Brent Venables, who was hired from Oklahoma to replace fired defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, installed a 4-3 defense with simpler terminology. The Clemson defense was shredded in a 70-33 loss to West Virginia in the Discover Orange Bowl. Venables opened up every starting job on defense this spring.

3. Two is better than one: Clemson receiver Sammy Watkins was the country’s top freshman last season, catching 82 passes for 1,219 yards with 12 touchdowns. But junior DeAndre Hopkins showed this spring he might be just as good. Hopkins caught 72 passes for 978 yards with five touchdowns in 2011. With tight end Dwayne Allen moving on to the NFL, the Tigers need another big-play weapon.

Fall questions

1. Sammy Watkins: Watkins, an All-American receiver during his freshman season in 2011, was arrested last week on misdemeanor drug charges. Coach Dabo Swinney hasn’t yet announced what punishment, if any, Watkins will face. If Watkins misses any game action, his absence might really hurt the Tigers in their season opener against Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in Atlanta’s Georgia Dome.

2. Offensive line overhaul: After losing three starting offensive linemen and five seniors who played in the line rotation in 2011, the Tigers had to rebuild the unit this spring. Morris feels good about his starting five after moving nose tackle Tyler Shatley to right guard. Morris said Shatley brings some toughness to the offensive line. The rest of the line looks like this going into preseason camp: left tackle Brandon Thomas, left guard Kalon Davis, center Dalton Freeman and right tackle Gifford Timothy. It has to hold up for the offense to be effective.

3. Defensive line: The Tigers lost a trio of standout defensive linemen in tackles Brandon Thompson and Rennie Moore and end Andre Branch. Clemson brings back all of its starting linebackers and most of its secondary, but Venables will have to rebuild his defensive front with young players.

Clemson linebacker Corico Hawkins was in coverage last Saturday and couldn’t see the fourth-down hit teammate Rennie Moore laid on FSU quarterback Clint Trickett to end the Seminoles’ hopes at a comeback.

He didn’t have to, either.

“All I heard was a roar,” Hawkins said. “I turned around and Rennie was celebrating. It was amazing. It couldn’t have happened to a better guy.”

For all of the attention Clemson’s offense has been receiving lately, it was the Tigers’ defense that got the last word on Saturday in a 35-30 upset win over the Seminoles.

“It was great being able to be on the field when the game was on the line and be able to stop them, that’s it, no more, as opposed to standing on the sideline, watching for the offense to make a play,” Hawkins said. “It’s always good to end the game on defense.”

It wasn’t until last Saturday that Clemson’s defense started to turn the corner, play more fundamentally sound, and start to close the gap a bit with its high-flying offense. Part of the early struggles can be attributed to the high number of substitutions and younger players who saw snaps in the first two games of the season, but more was expected from a defense that typically reloads. Clemson’s defense has put up pedestrian numbers this season, but against Florida State, the Tigers proved they are capable of more heading into Saturday’s game at Virginia Tech.

“I thought we made a lot of progress,” said coach Dabo Swinney. “We didn't have any critical errors, missed assignments in that game. We did a much better job with being in our gaps. But the biggest improvement is we tackled better. We were really poor the first few games, so it was good to see us tackle better. We had a couple of really key stops with some one-on-one tackles. That was good to see. We did a better job in coverage. We had a couple of busts, but we turned a couple of guys loose. We still gave up three or four big plays, which is the biggest area of concern. Where their guy made a play on our guy, and we've got to win more of those match-ups.

“We're not even close to what we want to be defensively,” he said, “but we are making progress, and it's still early in the season, and they found a way to make some key plays and we've got to continue to do that.”

Clemson’s defense still has a long way to go. The Tigers are No. 90 in the country in total defense and No. 66 in scoring defense, allowing 25 points per game. Against FSU, though, Clemson held the Seminoles to just 29 rushing yards and 3-of-10 third-down conversions. It was the fewest rushing yards that Florida State has had against Clemson since 2003, when the Tigers held the Seminoles to just 11 yards rushing. FSU was only in the red zone twice.

Still, Clemson continues to allow too many big plays for defensive coordinator Kevin Steele’s liking.

Opposing offenses collectively have 19 plays of 20 yards or more and six have gone for touchdowns in four games this year. Last year, Clemson allowed a total of 48 plays of 20 yards or more and only eight went for touchdowns.

“Our standard is excellence,” Steele said. “We’re not an excellent defense yet, but I don’t know that we ever have been and it’s sure hard to get there. But we are improving. It’s just about doing our job and being effective. We’ve made improvement there, but we’ve got a long way to go. The test there Saturday, we’d like to have a little bit more time to get some of those things ironed out before you have to face a team like Virginia Tech, but they’re on the schedule this week, so we better grow up fast.”

Here are this week's injury reports from the schools that turned them in. Don't forget, schools don't have to report these for nonconference games:

Clemson

Out
Joe Gore, DE, Knee

Doubtful
Rashard Hall, Saf, knee

Will Play
Demont Buice, RB, foot
Corico Hawkins, LB, knee
Bashaud Breeland, DB, shoulder

Duke

RB Juwan Thompson (leg) – Probable
S Jordon Byas (foot) -- Questionable
C Brian Moore (arm) – OUT
RB Desmond Scott (leg) – OUT
RB Josh Snead (foot) – OUT

Florida State

Out
OG Henry Orelus (concussion)
WR Willie Haulstead (concussion)
WR Josh Gehres (knee)
LB Holmes Onwukaife (shoulder)
OL Tre’ Jackson (knee)

Questionable
DT Anthony McCloud (knee)
SS Nick Moody (quad)

North Carolina

Out
Jabari Price, DB, Finger
Norkeithus Otis, LB Concussion
Devon Ramsay, FB Knee

Doubtful
Joshua Adams, WR Illness

Questionable
P.J. Clyburn, LB Foot
T.J. Leifheit, OL Ankle
Terry Shankle, DB Knee

NC State

Out for season

Jarvis Byrd, CB - knee
Sterling Lucas, LB - knee

Out
Mustafa Greene, HB - foot
J.R. Sweezy, DT - foot
Thomas Teal, DT - foot
Andrew Wallace, OG - knee
Logan Winkles, FB - knee

Questionable
Jeff Rieskamp, DE - shoulder

Virginia Tech

Out for Season

Kwamaine Battle (ACL)

Probable

Telvion Clark (ankle)
D.J. Coles (shoulder)
Theron Norman (shoulder)
Michael Via (knee)

It was a busy weekend in the ACC. Here's a look back at the highlights from the scrimmages, according to the sports information departments of the teams that provided reports:

BOSTON COLLEGE

Coach Frank Spaziani told reporters after the 70-minute scrimmage that there were some good things, but "it's like a jigsaw puzzle with all the pieces in the box; they're not connected yet."

Offensive highlights:

• Quarterback Chase Rettig completed 12 of 19 passes for 124 yards and two touchdowns. “I think Chase showed the progress he's been making,” Spaziani said. “The obvious things were fine; there were some subtle things he needs to work on.”
• Rettig connected on passes of 10 yards six times, including a 30-yard pass to Colin Larmond, Jr., a 24-yard touchdown pass down the middle of the field to receiver Bobby Swigert and a 3-yard touchdown pass to senior captain Ifeanyi Momah.
• Larmond (3 receptions for 53 yards), Swigert (3-for-33), junior receiver Donte Elliott (3-for-37) and redshirt freshman tight end Jarrett Darmstatter (3-for-16) led a total of 12 receivers that registered at least one reception each.
• Rettig and fellow quarterbacks Mike Marscovetra and Dave Shinskie combined for four touchdowns as Marscovetra went 6-for-9 for 30 yards and a touchdown pass of five yards to junior receiver Hampton Hughes and Shinskie connected on 4-of-5 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown to sophomore tight end Mike Naples.
• Tailback Rolandan Finch carried the ball 10 times for a total of 30 yards to lead all running backs while sophomore Andre Williams broke free for a 20-yard touchdown run during red zone drills. Williams finished with five attempts for 21 yards and redshirt freshman Tahj Kimble accounted for 20 yards on five carries.

Defensive highlights:

• Linebacker Nick Clancy and defensive back Sean Sylvia led the team with four tackles each.
• Sophomore linebacker Jake Sinkovec had one interception and one fumble recovery.

CLEMSON

Quarterback Tajh Boyd had an impressive performance, as he completed 10 of 12 passes for 168 yards and a touchdown to highlight the new offense in Clemson’s 75-play scrimmage in Memorial Stadium on Saturday morning.

Offensive highlights:

• Boyd completed each of his final eight passes to six different receivers. He threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to receiver DeAndre Hopkins, then connected on a 3-yard score to Dwayne Allen in a goal-line situation.
• Allen had three receptions for 66 yards, including a diving catch over the middle for 14 yards and a first down. Brandon Ford had three receptions for 37 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown pass from Cole Stoudt.
• Stoudt was 4-of-14 passing, but threw for 71 yards and two touchdowns, one to Ford and one to Bryce McNeal (23 yards).
• Rod McDowell was the leading rusher with four carries for 68 yards, including a 39-yarder on his first carry of the day. Andre Ellington had five rushes for 41 yards and added two receptions, while freshman Mike Bellamy had five carries for 40 yards.

Defensive highlights:

• The first-team defense did not allow a scoring drive.
• Martin Jenkins led the team with seven tackles, including a tackle for loss.
• Corico Hawkins had five tackles and a fumble recovery, while freshman defensive end Corey Crawford had five stops, including a sack.

Special teams highlights:

• Clemson’s three kickers, Chandler Catanzaro, Ammon Lakip and Brian Symmes were a combined 16-of-16 on the day in field goal attempts and extra points against a live rush.

Notable:

• Three Tigers missed the scrimmage because they were going through graduation exercises across the street from Memorial Stadium in Littlejohn Coliseum. Starting offensive tackle Landon Walker, starting safety Rashard Hall and reserve defensive end Kourtnei Brown all graduated from Clemson on Saturday. It was especially noteworthy for Hall, who has been at Clemson just three years. He joins Nick Eason (now in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals) as the only scholarship football players to graduate with two years of athletic eligibility remaining.
• Four players missed the scrimmage due to injury. Those players were defensive back Xavier Brewer (sprained foot), defensive back Garry Peters (bruised calf), Andre Branch (head injury), DeShawn Williams (sprained ankle).

GEORGIA TECH

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson had mixed reviews after the Yellow Jackets' first scrimmage, which ran 90 minutes inside Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday morning.

"It was like a lot of first scrimmages, there were way too many balls on the ground and way too many penalties," Johnson said. "But we hit some big plays. When you play against each other there's positives and negatives on both sides. It's a starting place and we'll look at it and try to make some improvements."

Offensive highlights:

• While no official statistics were kept, quarterback Tevin Washington passed for well over 100 yards, including a 63-yarder to senior A-back Roddy Jones. Redshirt freshman quarterback Synjyn Days threw the only touchdown of the day, to true freshman Jeff Greene.
• Greene ran with the first unit Saturday as most of the veterans -- junior Stephen Hill, senior Tyler Melton, sophomore Jeremy Moore and junior Daniel McKayhan -- all sat out with injuries.
• Washington scored the only other touchdown Saturday on a 1-yard QB keeper.

Defensive highlights:

• Defensive end Emmanuel Dieke had a sack, true freshman Jamal Golden intercepted a Vad Lee pass, and Steven Sylvester and Isaiah Johnson both recovered fumbles.

Special teams highlights:

• Sophomore Justin Moore booted a 45-yard field goal on his only attempt.
• David Scully's 52-yard attempt was long enough, but just wide left.

MIAMI

The most important news out of Miami's first scrimmage was that quarterbacks Jacory Harris and Stephen Morris combined for five touchdown passes and only one interception. That sounds like improvement. Miami's quarterbacks combined for 407 passing yards on 38-of-52 passing for six touchdowns and only one interception.

Offensive highlights:

• Receiver Tommy Streeter had the best offensive day for the Canes, catching five passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns, two of which came from Harris.
• Lamar Miller had runs of 16 and 31 yards on the opening drive.

Defensive highlights:

• Senior defensive back JoJo Nicolas led all defenders with eight tackles (six solo), with two tackles for loss.
• Ramon Buchanan and freshman Gionni Paul and each had six total tackles, with Paul also recording a tackle for loss.
• The defense totaled eight tackles behind the line of scrimmage for a total loss of 29 yards

VIRGINIA TECH

The Hokies' offense was the highlight, but what does that mean for the defense? Coach Frank Beamer pointed out that there were some long plays allowed, as the offense racked up 398 yards of total offense in the 78-play scrimmage at Lane Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The touchdowns came against Tech's second- or third-team defense, though, so the jury is still out.

"I thought it was a good first scrimmage -- better than most," Beamer said, according to the team's scrimmage report. "You take into consideration that you're trying to get everyone some work, people who don't know quite what they're doing, and that makes things a little ragged. I thought overall, though, it was a sharp scrimmage. The quarterbacks made some nice plays and Wilson got a couple of long plays against the defense, and we need to see what's going on there. Overall, the effort was good and the play was good."

Offensive highlights:

• Backup quarterback Mark Leal led the quarterbacks with 116 yards passing, completing 6 of 13. He also threw an interception. Beamer said Leal is No. 2 on the depth chart behind Logan Thomas. Ju-Ju Clayton, who has dropped to No. 3 on the depth chart, completed 6 of 10 for 51 yards, while starter Thomas completed 4 of 8 for 79 yards, with an interception, in limited action.
• Tailback David Wilson scored against the Hokies' second-team defense on a 22-yard run. Wilson led all rushers with 57 yards on five carries. Freshman Michael Holmes added 54 yards rushing on a game-high 11 carries.

Defensive highlights:

• Freshman tackle Luther Maddy led the team with eight tackles, including two for a loss, and a sack. Freshman Michael Cole added six tackles, while Telvion Clark and Jack Tyler each finished with four.
• Barquell Rivers had three tackles and an interception.
• Jayron Hosley and freshman Ronny Vandyke also had interceptions. Hosley intercepted a Logan Thomas pass, while Vandyke intercepted a Trey Gresh attempt.

Special teams highlights:

• The kickers connected on 5-of-6 attempts. Cody Journell hit from 35, 22 and 35 yards, while Justin Myer drilled a 52-yarder and a 28-yarder. "Cody's kicking extremely well," Beamer said. "Myer has a load of potential, and he needs to win some of the kicking contests during the week. That shows consistency, and that's where he is right now. Cody is usually winning it or right in the running at the end."

You are going to argue about this. How do I know? Because I'm still arguing with myself over it ...

1. Boston College: Luke Kuechly is one of the best in the country, but he’s not alone. The Eagles also have Kevin Pierre-Louis, who ranked second nationally among all freshmen in tackles per game last season with 7.15 -- ninth in the ACC. It won’t be easy to replace Mark Herzlich, on or off the field, but Steele Divitto played in 11 games last season, and Nick Clancy and Will Thompson both saw time on the second team.

2. Florida State: The Noles had to replace two starters, including Kendall Smith, the team’s second-leading tackler, last season, and Mister Alexander, but the upcoming talent could be even better. Nigel Bradham led the team with 98 tackles and five pass breakups last season, and Christian Jones, Jeff Luc, Telvin Smith and Vince Williams will also be competing for playing time.

3. Miami: Sean Spence, who has 30 career starts, should be one of the best in the country, and Ramon Buchanon, another senior, also returns. The Canes have five other linebackers with experience in Kelvin Cain, who started seven games, Jordan Futch, who had a great spring and will see the field, Tyrone Cornelius, Shayon Green and C.J. Holton.

4. North Carolina: Kevin Reddick, who led the Tar Heels with 74 tackles last season, returns for his third season as starter. Zach Brown is also a returning starter with game-changing capabilities, and there is plenty of depth with Dion Guy, Darius Lipford, Ebele Okakpu and Herman Davidson. Junior college transfer Fabby Desir could also have an impact.

5. NC State: Audie Cole and Terrell Manning have combined for 39 career starts, and Cole fared well this spring moving to the middle to replace Nate Irving. With the return of Sterling Lucas, Dwayne Maddox and Colby Jackson, there is plenty of experience, but not quite as much depth as some other programs.

6. Georgia Tech: The Jackets return both starters in Steven Sylvester and Julian Burnett. There is no shortage of depth with Jeremy Attaochu, Quayshawn Nealey, Brandon Watts, Albert Rocker, Malcolm Munroe and Daniel Drummond.

7. Clemson: This group has a lot of potential, especially if true freshmen Tony Steward and Stephone Anthony make an immediate impact. There’s no question they’ll be given a chance, but the Tigers already have a good group with Corico Hawkins, Quandon Christian and Jonathan Willard.

8. Virginia Tech: It seems like this rotation has been in flux for a while now. The Hokies’ leading tackler returns in Bruce Taylor, Barquell Rivers had 96 tackles as a starter in 2009 but was injured last season, and there are several young players adding to the competition. Chase Williams, Tariq Edwards, Telvion Clark and Jack Tyler are only a few. Whip linebacker Jeron Gouveia-Winslow will have to earn his spot back over Alonzo Tweedy, Dominique Patterson and Nick Dew.

9. Maryland: The Terps were hit hard here with the losses of Alex Wujciak (381 career tackles) and Adrian Moten (14.5 career sacks). Demetrius Hartsfield returns with 20 career starts, and there are four lettermen returning including Darin Drakeford, Isaiah Ross, David Mackall and Bradley Johnson.

10. Wake Forest: Kyle Wilber’s move to outside linebacker will give this position a boost, as he led the Deacs with 14.5 tackles for loss and six sacks last season. His backup is Gelo Orange (22 tackles). The Deacs also have Tristan Dorty, Joey Ehrmann, Mike Olsen, Scott Betros, Riley Haynes and Justin Jackson.

11. Virginia: Starters LaRoy Reynolds and Ausar Walcott both return, but neither has started more than 11 career games. Junior Steve Greer has prior starting experience but played mainly as a reserve last season. Adam Taliaferro, Conner McCartin, Tucker Windle and LoVante Battle are also in the mix for playing time.

12. Duke: Kelby Brown is the lone returning starter, but he’s a promising young player who led the nation last season as a freshman in fumbles recovered. He missed spring ball while recovering from a knee injury, but is expected to start with Tyree Glover or Kevin Rojas.

2010 overall record: 6-7

2010 conference record: 4-4

Returning starters

Offense: 8, defense: 5, punter/kicker: 2

Top returners

WR DeAndre Hopkins, RT Landon Walker, DE Andre Branch, DT Brandon Thompson, P Dawson Zimmerman, RB Andre Ellington, WR Jaron Brown, C Dalton Freeman, OG Antoine McClain, TE Dwayne Allen, MLB Corico Hawkins, S Rashard Hall

Key losses

DE Da’Quan Bowers, DT Jarvis Jenkins, FS DeAndre McDaniel, CB Marcus Gilchrist, RB Jamie Harper, QB Kyle Parker, LT Chris Hairston

2010 statistical leaders (* returners)

Rushing: Harper (760 yards)

Passing: Kyle Parker (2,213 yds)

Receiving: Hopkins* (637 yds)

Tackles: McDaniel (84)

Sacks: Bowers (15.5)

Interceptions: McDaniel (4)

Spring answers

1. Cole Stoudt is the backup quarterback. Until true freshmen Stoudt and Tony McNeal enrolled in January and arrived on campus, Tajh Boyd was the only scholarship quarterback on the roster. With Boyd the undisputed starter, the main competition was for his backup. Stoudt won the job over McNeal, who also played well and is a good runner, but Stoudt had the stronger arm.

2. Phillip Price will replace Chris Hairston at left tackle. The Tigers have four starters returning on the offensive line but big shoes to fill at left tackle, where Hairston was a three-year starter. Price, who joined the team as a walk-on tight end and moved to offensive line last year, beat Brandon Thomas for the job.

3. Players bought into the system. First-year offensive coordinator Chad Morris brought an up-tempo offense from Tulsa that is similar to what Auburn runs, and the players not only embraced it, they had fun with it this spring. Whether or not they can execute it on Saturdays? See below …

Fall questions

1. Execution of the offense. With a brand new scheme, a first-year starting quarterback and new offensive coordinator, the entire offense is a question mark heading into the fall. The Tigers also lost their leading rusher in Jamie Harper, who decided to leave early for a shot at the NFL. Can the Tigers get it together quickly enough to be a contender in the Atlantic Division again?

2. Will there be enough pressure on quarterbacks? With the departure of Bowers and his 15.5 sacks -- not to mention and 21 quarterback pressures -- the Tigers will have a lot of ground to make up. Bowers was a big reason Clemson was in top 20 in the nation in both scoring defense and total defense last year. With him gone, who’s going to step up and get after the quarterbacks? Malliciah Goodman and Andre Branch are expected to.

3. Will the Tigers find consistency in the kicking game? Clemson lost five games by a touchdown or less last year, including the overtime loss to Auburn, which slipped away with a missed field goal in overtime. Will Chandler Catanzaro pick up where he left off at the end of last season and show some consistency? He made six of his final seven field goals last year, but he also started slow this spring before finishing strong.

Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd threw two touchdown passes and continued to show progress on Saturday in the Tigers' final stadium scrimmage before Saturday's spring game.

Offensive highlights:

• Boyd completed 8 of 16 passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns. He completed a 20-yard scoring pass to DeAndre Hopkins, and a 3-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman tight end Sam Cooper in a goal-line situation. Boyd also had 10 carries for 14 yards. Hopkins finished with two catches for 43 yards.
• Marquan Jones had a team-high four catches for 44 yards.
• Jaron Brown had two carries for 26 yards, a 30-yard reception and a 20-yard punt return. D.J. Howard (19-85), Demont Buice (13-59), Rod McDowell (8-36) and Brown (2-26) combined for 206 yards in 42 attempts.

Defensive highlights:

• Corico Hawkins led the defense with eight tackles, and Rashard Hall had seven.
• Corey Crawford had an 87-yard fumble return and caused and recovered another fumble. He also had a tackle for loss and a pass deflection. Crawford’s playing time increased this week when Andre Branch returned home to be with his family after the death of his grandfather.
• Tig Willard had six tackles, a pass broken up and an interception. Josh Watson had two tackles for loss, and Justin Parker had five tackles, including a sack.

Quotable: "Tajh Boyd has continued to improve and the game is slowing down for him," coach Dabo Swinney said, according to the team's practice report. "He has a bit of false security when wearing the purple jersey [quarterbacks are not tackled], and I need to break him of that, but he is improving. He made some very good decisions today."

A few quick highlights from the Clemson Tigers' scrimmage report:

OFFENSE

• The quarterbacks combined to throw for 237 yards and four touchdowns without an interception, but the offense was held to just 91 rushing yards.
• Tajh Boyd had 104 yards on seven completions. Freshman Tony McNeal threw for 110 yards on five completions, including a 60-yard pass to Joe Craig. McNeal threw touchdowns to Craig and Marquan Jones in an array of passing situations, and also added a 15-yard scramble.
• Junior Dwayne Allen caught two passes, both for touchdowns.
• The running backs combined for 106 yards on 24 carries. D.J. Howard led with six carries for 60 yards.

DEFENSE

• Corico Hawkins and Quandon Christian led the way with five tackles, while Corey Crawford, Andre Branch, and Joe Gore added four apiece.

It's that time of year, ACC fans. Duke kicks off the ACC's spring football schedule with practice tomorrow, so it's time to take a look at three storylines to watch for each program. We'll start with the Atlantic Division:

BOSTON COLLEGE

Spring practice starts: March 15

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• The progression of quarterback Chase Rettig. As a true freshman, Rettig replaced Dave Shinskie as starter against Notre Dame on Oct. 2. He’ll only get better with more experience, and there’s room for improvement, as he threw nine interceptions and six touchdowns. He completed 51.3 percent of his passes for 137.6 yards per game. Two of those picks came in the 20-13 loss to Nevada in the Kraft Fight Hunger bowl, but he’s expected to take an important step forward this offseason and will need to if BC is going to graduate from the nation’s 109th best offense.
• The offense under a new coordinator. Kevin Rogers replaced Gary Tranquill, who retired after the bowl game, and the Eagles will have to adjust to a new scheme and system, starting this spring. Rogers said he'll adapt his system to the personnel he has to work with, but considering he was hired on Monday, there hasn't been much time for him to evaluate film.
• The revamped offensive line. BC has to replace three starters up front, including left tackle Anthony Castonzo, right guard Thomas Claiborne and right tackle Rich Lapham. Emmett Cleary and center Mark Spinney are returning starters, and left guard Ian White started a few games at the end of the year. Bryan Davis, Claiborne’s backup at right guard, and John Wetzel, Castonzo’s backup, are frontrunners to earn starts.

CLEMSON

Spring practice starts: March 7

Spring game: April 9

What to watch:

• Quarterback Tajh Boyd. Prior to the arrival of two early enrollees, Boyd was the only scholarship quarterback on the roster, and his experience alone -- albeit limited -- makes it his job to lose. The staff wants him to become a little more accurate and consistent this spring. His education was accelerated at this time a year ago when former quarterback Kyle Parker spent the spring playing baseball, but that was under former offensive coordinator Billy Napier. He’s got a new coordinator -- and a new offense to learn.
• The new offensive scheme. First-year offensive coordinator Chad Morris brings an up-tempo style similar to that of Auburn’s, and the Tigers will have to learn it as quickly as he’ll want them to execute it. Morris has said Boyd is suited just right to lead it. Morris will want to stretch the field in every direction, depend on a strong running game and include long pass plays. He’s tasked with improving an offense that ranked No. 10 in the ACC in both scoring offense and total offense.
• Defense up the middle. It starts up front, where the Tigers have to replace defensive tackle Jarvis Jenkins. Linebacker Brandon Maye, who played in the middle a lot, decided to transfer, and safety DeAndre McDaniel, who controlled the middle of the field in the secondary, has also graduated. The Tigers have the No. 1 inside linebacker and No. 1 outside linebacker in the country in this year’s recruiting class, but they won’t arrive until the summer. For now, Corico Hawkins returns as a starting middle linebacker, while Quandon Christian is likely to stay on the outside. Rennie Moore will replace Jenkins, but McDaniel’s spot is up for grabs.

FLORIDA STATE

Spring practice starts: March 21

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Big holes on the offensive line. There’s depth, experience and incoming talent, but there are also big shoes to fill with the graduation of left guard Rodney Hudson and center Ryan McMahon. Right guard David Spurlock has been seen snapping on the sidelines at practices, indicating he could move to center, while recovering from concussions and going through rehab. McMahon’s backup was Jacob Stanley. Henry Orelus, Bryan Stork and Rhonne Sanderson all started at right guard for Spurlock when he was out. Junior college transfer Jacob Fahrenkrug, the No. 4 overall junior college prospect, could have an immediate impact at left guard.
• Backup quarterback battle. With EJ Manuel a lock as the starter, the attention turns to the No. 2 spot. Clint Trickett, a redshirt freshman and son of offensive line coach Rick Trickett, and Will Secord, a redshirt sophomore, are the top two candidates. Secord was named the most improved quarterback of the spring at this time a year ago. Neither of them have thrown a collegiate pass.
• Linebackers. The Seminoles will have to replace two starters in Kendall Smith and Mister Alexander. Nigel Bradham is the only returning starter. This spring will feature competition among Christian Jones, Telvin Smith, Vince Williams and Jeff Luc. It’s a more talented crop waiting in the wings, but inexperience is a factor. It’s a chance for Luc and Jones -- two of FSU’s top recruits in the 2010 class -- to remind everyone why they were rated the No. 1 inside linebacker and No. 2 outside linebacker, respectively, in the country.

MARYLAND

Spring practice starts: March 29

Spring game: April 30

What to watch:

• New staff, new schemes. First-year coach Randy Edsall wants to be multiple, get vertical and take advantage of quarterback Danny O’Brien’s strengths. The departure of former defensive coordinator Don Brown to Connecticut was a surprise and a blow to the defense, which will now have to make a transition under a new coordinator who has yet to be hired.
• Competition at linebacker. Two starters have to be replaced in Alex Wujciak and Adrian Moten, who were also both leaders of the defense. Demetrius Hartsfield returns as a starter, but the new staff will have to figure out who else fits into what slots. Ben Pooler has had knee trouble, but he is expected to compete with Darin Drakeford and Ryan Donohue, who were both No. 2 at their respective positions in 2010.
• Special teams. Not only did the Terps lose a four-year starter in punter/placekicker Travis Baltz, they also have to replace their top kick returner and conference leader in all-purpose yards in receiver Torrey Smith, who left early for the NFL. Nick Ferrara handled kickoffs last year and was No. 2 behind Baltz at both kicker and punter, but he’s a placekicker first, and has to get back on track with consistency. He’ll be the only scholarship kicker on the roster until incoming freshman Nathaniel Renfro joins the team this summer. Dexter McDougle has returned kickoffs in the past, and Trenton Hughes is another option, but with a new staff, it could be a clean slate.

NC STATE

Spring practice starts: March 17

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Mike Glennon. The team is moving forward as if starter Russell Wilson won’t return, promoting Glennon to No. 1 on the depth chart. The offense will have a new look, as the plays will be suited to Glennon’s strengths. At 6-foot-7, he’s much taller than Wilson, a more prototypical drop-back passer with a strong arm. While the plays might look different to the fans, they’re the same ones Glennon has been practicing since the day he arrived on campus. He’s a smart, unflappable player scheduled to graduate this May, but we haven’t seen enough of him to know just how good he is.
• A new crop of receivers. NC State will have to replace three seniors in Owen Spencer, Jarvis Williams and Darrell Davis. Spencer and Williams led the Pack in receiving last year, combining for nine touchdowns and over 1,600 yards. NC State will turn to Jay Smith, who had 10 catches in 12 games, Steven Howard, Quintin Payton, and T.J. Graham, who had four touchdowns and played in all 13 games. Payton played a little more toward the end of the year, and he’s a tall, big target (about 6-foot-4) and comparable to Williams. Bryan Underwood, who redshirted last year, could also contribute.
• Running back competition. James Washington had taken over the starting job at the end of 2010, but he’ll be pushed this spring by Dean Haynes and Mustafa Greene, who led the team in rushing in 2010 as a true freshman. They’ll also be under the direction of a new assistant coach, as Jason Swepson is now the head coach at Elon. It will be the first time Greene has been in a spring practice, and Washington, who was hurt last year, is finally healthy.

WAKE FOREST

Spring practice starts: March 15

Spring game: April 16

What to watch:

• Progress of quarterback Tanner Price. The maturation of Price, who started nine games as a true freshman last year, will be crucial to the Deacs’ hopes of returning to the postseason. Price was forced to play earlier than expected and finished with seven touchdowns and eight interceptions. He completed 56.8 percent of his passes for 1,349 yards.
• A defense in transition. Coach Jim Grobe has said the staff is committed to making the transition to a 3-4 defense. The Deacons used that scheme to defend the triple option against Georgia Tech and Navy, and continued to experiment with it as the season progressed. This linebackers in this year’s recruiting class were brought in specifically with the 3-4 defense in mind.
• Redshirt offensive linemen. There were three true freshmen who redshirted last year who are expected to give four returning starters some legitimate competition -- Colin Summers, Dylan Heartsill and Daniel Blitch. The Deacs will also have to replace starting center Russell Nenon. Chance Raines was his backup last year.

As Clemson starting quarterback Kyle Parker watched Saturday's scrimmage from the sideline because of a sore back, the Tigers' defense took full advantage.

Clemson's first-team defense didn't allow a touchdown, and linebacker Jonathan Willard led the way with two interceptions, a pass deflection and four tackles. Other Tigers' defensive standouts Saturday included cornerback Marcus Gilchrist (INT, sack, 78-yard punt return), linebacker Brandon Maye (2 tackles for loss, 1 sack), cornerback Xavier Brewer (INT) and linebacker Corico Hawkins (5 tackles).

Tajh Boyd quarterbacked the first-team offense and completed 4 of 11 passes for 39 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Boyd threw an interception on his first series but did account for the scrimmage's lone touchdown not in goal-line situations, against the second-team defense. Clemson mixed and matched offensive linemen throughout the scrimmage, which led to a few mix ups.

Mike Wade led the second-team offense and completed 6 of 12 passes for 60 yards.

"You will never hear me complain about having a dominant defense," Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney said. "The difference between our offense and our defense is the depth, especially in the line. The next step for our defense is to play this way on a consistent basis. I have been very impressed with Marcus Gilchrist. He is as good a player, as smart a player, as we have on this team."