Showing posts with label NC ST. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NC ST. Show all posts

Thursday, October 5, 2023

Week 6 in the O5

 MWC: Hard to resist making a guess on Fresno St at Wyoming. Kenne, the Fresno QB, has nearly 1500 passing yards but Cowboys will slow him down and Waylee will rush for over 100 yards. WYO 25 FRES 24.

AAC: Long road trip for NTX to Navy, but they'll squeak out a win. NTX 17 Navy 16. I'm not sold on the new Navy HC Newberry.

MAC: Both teams have upset P5 teams. I'll roll with Gabbert and the Redhawks. Miami O 27 BG 22

CUSA: Sam Houston will remain winless after its visit to Liberty.  LIB 30 SHSU 13.  Liberty's win will move it to 3-0, the same record as surprising Jax St.

SunBelt: Marshall is 5-0 and looking strong, but NC St(ACC) held Louisville to 13 points last week. NCST  15 MU 13.

Oct 6, 2023

I thought SHSU was going to get its first W, but the Flames D stiffened. LIB 21 SHSU 16. Nice game for Q. Cooley RB - LIB 17CAR 106YDS 1TD

Tulane AD Troy Dannen is headed to UW.

Oct 8 2023

4 of 5:  Navy was my incorrect pick. Surprised that Miami O shutout Bowling Green, and how high scoring the NC State 49 /Herd 42 game was.

AAC action that surprised me by the score: UTSA 49 Temple 34.  UAB 56 USF 35
Week6 surprises: MiamiO 5-1 and SDST Aztecs(2-4) 


Monday, November 2, 2020

Rare 1A pigskin matchups, Independent style

 No. 22 #Marshall (4-0, 2-0 Conference USA)  scheduled a Nov. 7 home football game against Massachusetts, their first meeting since Marshall(then a MAC member) beat UMass 49-20 in 2001 when the Minutemen competed in the Atlantic 10 (1AA). The Herd should romp over the Minutemen who lost to Georgia Southern 49-0.  UMass  can be classified as a schedule filler.
A more intriguing matchup  is an intrastate Virginia battle between Liberty(5-0), led by Malik Willis, visiting VT(4-2) of the ACC. VT beat Liberty in 2016
And I'd be ignorant if I forgot to mention  BYU and Boise St ,  who were  once in the MWC together for a year or two. 
I like Liberty and BYU to win and give Independents more respect this season
Nov 7
BYU(8-0) demolished Boise St 51-17. Zach Wilson threw for 359 yards and two TDs and rushed for a TD.
Nov 7 afternoon
Wow what a wild ending  to the Liberty game. VT called a time out  with 11 seconds to go negating the  block of a FG attempt and a  return for a TD, then let  the Flames  get a first down and kick a FG. LIB 38 VT 35
Marshall destroyed UMass 51-10. Knox rushed for 118 yards and  two TDs for the Herd.
 
Nov 16: I wonder if Sankey's SEC freeze on Freeze is still in effect. Apparently this stopped Bama from hiring Freeze as an ASST a few years ago. So folks may want to relax on all the chatter about HF leaving taking the South Carolina job.
Nov 17
 Army was snakebit by Tulane last week, and I suspect Werts and his Georgia Southern (Sunbelt) mates will carry some venom into West Point and pull off a 19-17 win. Taggart's FAU bunch should have fun with UMass, and BYU will take care of N. Bama.
Hugh Freeze's coaching stock will soar higher with a win over NC St (ACC) behind  Malik Willis: 122-180, 1645 YDS, 15 TD   98 CAR, 700 YDS, 9 TD 
Nov 21
UMAss 's only score was a safety in a 24-2 loss to FAU(CUSA) . The Minutemen have scored 12 points in three games this season.
Nov 22
BYU had no problems with N.Bama, but I was  was wrong on two squeakers. Army roared back to edge  Ga Southern 28-27. Close call by the refs on whether GA SO got the ball spiked in time for a last gasp long FG attempt. NC ST blocked a Liberty FG attempt to survive 15-14.
Nov 26
 Liberty should handle UMass easily tomorrow. I wonder if the Freeze chase has cooled down since the loss to NCST.
Nov 28, 2020
Willis train rolls on for Liberty in a 45-0 shutout of UMass.  He rushed for 63 yards and a TD, and passed for 223 yards and 3 TDs 
Sept 22, 2022
UMass to hold Pride Day when Liberty football visits this week. Coach Freeze will have the Flames O ignited, and they'll get past this crap: UMass to hold Pride Day when Liberty football visits.  BTW, LU's field hockey team played at Northwestern in field hockey on Sept. 9, when the Wildcats set that day as their Pride Game. Do you see a trend?








 






 

Saturday, July 4, 2020

Yes, I'm 60 and miss the ACC

I'm remain miffed that the Terps moved to the Big 10 in 2014. Yes, we've made a few more Dances by being a B10 member, but I miss the old Tobacco Road days when fans of the Maryland and Virginia   would complain about the Greensboro-area  control of ACC Hoops.
I recall Jim O"Brien , Len Elmore , Tom McMillen etc from the days of less televised games . How about  Coach Lefty Driesell  stating boldly that MD was the UCLA of the East?
This week I've been fascinated the ACCN show aired on ESPN and caught myself wondering why are they talking about Pitt and Syracuse.
Yes, I keep up with current Sports news  and go to BTN to catch the latest on my Terps.
Anyone recall Mick Jagger's tune "old habits die hard" ?
July 8, 2020
However, I don't miss Dean Smith's, the former UNC HC,  four corners offense.
July 14, 2020
While reading Loose Balls, a book about the ABA, I was surprised to learn that Bones Mckinney,  a former Wake Forest Head Coach and former announcer of ACC games on Raycom Sports , had a stint as HC of the Carolina Cougars of the ABA.He was okay in the booth and didn't irk Terps fans . We directed our anger at Billy Packer, who rarely had a kind word for MD and UVA. BTW, Billy son Mark is a co-anchor on the ACCN.
July 21, 2020
Mark Packer, ACCN co-host, sounded like his dad Billy yesterday when he was  praising Dean Smith's four corners offense , particularly when Phil Ford was the UNC point guard. We Terps' fans would scream at the TV, Ford is carrying the ball and taking a half dozen steps. In other words, Ford should have been whistled for traveling.
July 22, 2020
Terps had a great trio of guards, John Lucas, Brad Davis, and Mo Howard, in the 1970s, who went on to so-so NBA careers.
Aug 20, 2020
 C J Spiller,  the 2009 ACC POY for Clemson and a decent NFL player, is joining the Clemson football staff. He's from Lake Butler, FLA and will be a plus for recruiting in football-rich Florida.
sept 5, 2020
Ernie Graham, a kid from Baltimore,had a 44-point performance in a 124-110 Terps win over N.C. State in December, 1978.  EG was erratic at times in his college career  but often came through in big games and later had a brief NBA career.
sept 19, 2020
NC HHS will allow two family members per player to attend live football games up to 350 people. Fred Demarest, spokesman for NC St' athletics department. “We will be giving 250 to our player parents and providing 100 for Wake Forest.” 
Sept 20
 Those fans saw  a he!! of a game . NC St 45 WF 42. Deacons O  didn't miss Newman.
Sept 30
Last night I bumped into a guy from my old Belair-Edison neighborhood in Baltimore, and he started telling soccer stories, particularly about his one season playing for MD, and a loss to Clemson 1-0 in 1973 ACC title game.
Oct 27
Virginia at the bottom of the ACC, and Terps got crushed by Northwestern in B10 play. Tua's brother threw three picks against NW. Terps/UVA used to be the ACC  regular season final game in a border war matchup. 
Jan 3, 2021
Despite an 0-7 bowl record, I still miss the Terps being in the ACC. I watched snippets of the Kentucky win over NC St yesterday, and  the announcer's chatter about UK football records started me thinking about how Jerry Claiborne left his job as the MD HC to return "home" to UK in 1982. Also how cool it was when Bear's Bama team made a rare trip to College Park , MD in 1974 and beat his former  Asst coach Claiborne 21-16. The loss wasn't cool but the we rarely got visits from the football powerhouses.
Feb 16, 2021
M.J. Walker scored 17 points for Florida State(12-3, 8-2 ACC)  in an 81-60 rout of  Virginia(15-4, 11-2 ACC). It was the Cavs largest ACC defeat since losing  65-41 at UNC on Feb. 18, 2017. VA Tech sits in third place with an  8-3 conference record.
March 9, 2021
3/9/74: Brutal  Terps OT loss to NC St in the ACCT final that prompted the NCaa to expand the Dance from 32-48 teams since it was one ticket per conference then. 
The Wolfpack had David Thompson, Tom Burleson, Monte Towe and Phil Spence and beat UCLA for the national title.
Terps had John Lucas, Tom McMillen, Len Elmore, Mo Howard, Tom Roy, and Owen Brown.
 Lefty Driesell rejected an NIT bid, but UM Eastern Shore (MEAC) won a game in the NIT in 1974.
April 6, 2021
No surprise that UNC stayed in house and promoted Hubert Davis  to replace Roy Williams. They stayed in house when Dean Smith retired and were erratic between Smith and Williams. Bill Guthridge (1997–2000)  then Matt Doherty (2000–2003).
April 22,2021
Terps hired Danny Manning, ex Wake Forest HC, yesterday for an assistant coach position, and I kept thinking it was an intra-conference move. One day I'll accept MD is in the Big 10.
June 3 , 2021
Scheyer to replace Coach K in 2022. K got the wins .However the notion that Duke was/is "above it all" and an honorable program continues to rile me. K is a nasty piece of work who's been given a lot passes by the media. Signed an ACC Terp fan😉
Sept 14, 2021
Shaky weekend for ACC football. Jax St (1aa) beat the Noles. Miami barely survived APP St (Sunbelt).
Against the P5: Pitt beat Tenn(SEC) and UVA beat ILL(B10) but Cuse lost to Rutgers(B10) and NCST lost to Miss St (SEC)
BC  was cruising against UMass, an Independent that's headed to 1AA or no football, and gave up 28 points in the second half in a 45-28 win.
Dec 4, 2021
When the Terps hired Turgeon, a Midwesterner with a Big 12 and MVC background, in 2011 I was skeptical. MD moved to the B10 in 2014. He's been solid overall with some ups and downs in ten years so I was a bit surprised to hear that he's out as the HC, and Danny Manning is the HC for the remainder of this season. Terps are 5-3 this season. 
Dec 30, 2021
I'm 62 and was stunned when I turned on the Pinstripe Bowl and the Terps blowing out VTech(ACC). Baby Tua had a solid game, and we ran a punt back for a TD. Brent Fry, the new VT HC in 2022 faces a daunting task, and he's keeping JC Price, the interim HC, who looked like a deer in the headlights yesterday, on his staff. 

Who knows maybe S.Carolina can snap the SEC losing streak and beat UNC(ACC) today?

 BTW, Clemson(ACC) beat Iowa St last night. 
May 8, 2022
A few years ago Maryland football agreed to a two-game series with Charlotte(CUSA) with games to be played in 2022 and 2023. No matchup history of these two teams.
I started thinking about the 1977 hoops Dance when UNC(ACC) lost to Marquette in the Final, and UNCC(as Charlotte was known) lost to UNLV in the consolation game. Cornbread Maxwell was  the big name for Charlotte who represented the SunBelt.
May 31, 2022
The undefeated Terps won the 2022 national lacrosse title defeating Cornell 9-7. It's their second national title as a Big 10 member. 4 NCAA T Titles– 1973, 1975, 2017, 2022
In men's baseball MD is hosting a regional for the first time and, of course, the NCAA includes an ACC team, Wake Forest.
#2 Wake Forest (40-17-1) vs. #3 UConn (46-13)
#1 Maryland (45-12) vs. #4 LIU (37-19)
July 17, 2022
I was scanning sports stories about the Chicago area and found a recent obit on Nick Trifunovich who went on to play at NC St for coach Press Maravich, a fellow Serb. He stayed at NC St when Press left for LSU to coach his son Pete in 1966.
Trif was one of four Serbian kids born in displaced persons(WW2) camps on the East Chicago-Washington HC varsity team in 1964. He attended St. George Serbian Orthodox Church.

 

Tuesday, January 1, 2019

New Year football notes in the state of West Virginia

  #danaholgorsen ,61-41 WVU record, is leaving WVU for Houston U (AAC)  to replace Applewhite as HC and will be the highest paid  Other 5  (Group of 5) coach at 5yr -20M . I guess it's all about the Benjamins because why would you leave a Power 5 job in which you've been moderately successful. WVU tied for third with Iowa St in the Big 12 this season.
#RichRodriguez, one time WVU HC, will be the next Ol Miss OC.
Marshall DC Adam Fuller is leaving the  #Herd to take the same gig at #memphis
He will replace Chris Ball who was was recently named head coach at Northern Arizona.
jan 4, 2019
WVU hires  Troy's #NealBrown , who's learned O from the same guys, Mumme & Leach, as Holgorsen did. Fickell , the Cincy U coach, was considered for the job, too, , but Tony Gibson , the WVU DC wasn't. Brown 's  2017 Troy squad upset LSU.
jan 14, 2019
#tonygibson will be the NC St safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator. He replaces Ted Roof, who left to become Appalachian State’s DC.
 jan 29, 2019
 USC hired #GrahamHarrell , North Texas OC, who also followed Kingsbury as a quarterback for Texas Tech and developed his coaching style in the  Mike Leach's Air Raid offense. I wonder who replaces Harrell at NTX. 
april 30, 2019
Boston’s #FenwayPark will host a new bowl game starting in 2020 featuring football teams from the ACC and AAC conferences.
May 29 2019
#MaxDurschlag, a long snapper,is leaving Appalachian St for South Carolina. he is coming on as a walk-on, so he'll be eligible to play immediately in 2019.
June 6 2019
jarrett Doege, QB, transfers from Bowling Green to WVU.  Doege's brother Seth played for Neal Brown, the new West Virginia head coach, when he was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech from 2010-12
Oct 12 , 2019
Holgorsen is off to a rough if not terrible start (2-3) as  Houston's HC  with kids fleeing for the transfer portal. They host Cincy in the AAC opener today.
WVU is( 3-2, 1-1) but it's next three games are against Iowa St, OU, and Baylor.
August 21, 2021
I dug up an old blog just to chat about the MD/WVA opener @ College Park, MD, the Terps' home. West Virginia  28–22–2 leads the rivalry series which started in 1919 and has had several breaks. A lot of the rivalry is based on recruiting battles between neighboring states. The daily weather forecast for western MD is more like WV and Ohio than the rest of the state of MD. I'm calling this year's matchup a tossup because both teams are coming off so-so seasons. Starting  QBs: Tua's brother for the Terps and Jarret Doege for WV.
sept 1, 2021
#hoops They love Huggy in your state. He got a 2 year extension. Plus in 2024-25 season, he can choose to assume an appointment of at least two years in public relations and development along with other duties within the athletic department if he is no longer the coach. 
sept 21, 2021
WV hung on against VTech to take home the Black diamond trophy. If they hadn't, it would have been a brutal week for HC Neal Brown. They travel to Norman, OK this weekend for a b12 matchup.
sept 28, 2021
OK took a tumble in the polls after needing a last-second field goal to beat West Virginia 16-13. Who new WV could play D?
nov 1, 2021
 After blowout losses to Iowa State the past three seasons West Virginia beat ISU 38-31. 
In other B12 news, #GaryPatterson exits TCU immediately after 20 season despite being asked to finish the season. Jerry Kill will serve as interim HC. For those thinking about Cincy's post season hopes this season, his 2010 Horned Frogs(MWC), made history as the first team from a non-automatic qualifying conference to play in the Rose Bowl during the BCS era, and finished that season 13-0 edging Wisky(B10)  21-19.
Jan 15, 2022
 Todd Graham, who started his coaching career on Rich Rodriguez's staff at West Virginia as a linebackers coach in 2001, resigned as the HC of Hawaii(MWC). Rainbows' players were calling him a verbal abuser, a tyrant, and a hypocrite during a state senate hearing, but he'll get his buyout dollars.  Hey Hawaii, lotsa luck finding a HC who doesn't yell at his players. 

On a side note, I wonder if Rich Rod brings Graham to Jax St as it transitions to the CUSA. 
Jan 22, 2022
Maybe now we're seeing why Graham left town? June Jones rejected Hawaii's HC offer because he wouldn't have control over who was on his coaching staff.
Jan 23, 2022
Rainbows hired Tommy Chang, one of their former QBs to be their HC. He knows the MWC from working as a position coach at Nevada from 2017 to 2021 and had just started as an assistant with Colorado St.
April 13, 2022
JT Daniels transfers from GA to WV and reunites with Graham Harrell, the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at West Virginia. Harrell was the USC OC in 2019 when Daniels was the Trojans QB .
June 2, 2022
 LSU AD Scott Woodward about the back and forth between Saban and Jimbo
“I’m not going to get in between two hillbillies fightin’ from West Virginia. That’s a no-win situation,”
June 8, 2022
Jerry West,  Rod Thorn, and possibly Oscar Robertson will usher Huggy into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2022 during enshrinement weekend in September (Sept. 9-10).
Aug 17, 2022
Pretty wild how the SEC doesn't have official soccer. WVU /Herd Sept 24 soccer matchup. A year Marshall followed up a national championship season in 2020 by making the 2021 NCAA Tournament and losing in the opening round to Providence. Below is a Metro news poll. 
Dec 16, 2022
Purdue is set to hire Graham Harrell, West Virginia OC, as its OC, the first major move under new coach Ryan Walters, the former Illinois DC. 
May 9, 2023
Good think Huggy is in the HoF already. He's apologized for his radio comments about the Cincy/Xavier rivalry, but IMO it ain't that bad. 
"Any school(Xavier) that can throw rubber penises on the floor and then say they didn't do it, my God, they can get away with anything,"

Interviewer Cunningham then responded and said, "I think it was 'transgender night,' wasn't it?"

Huggins then said, "What it was, was all those fags, those Catholic fags, I think."

He then added: "They were envious they didn't have one,"

June 18, 2023
I tweeted this yesterday about Huggins: Did the sensitivity training lead to the DUI yesterday? I'm kidding!!! I'm ok with Huggy. 

Now it appears he may resign. 
July 9, 2023
Short version: Huggy's reps are claiming that his wife texted WVU that he was resigning, and that's not a formal resignation.  This is likely about $$$. Both sides need to put this to bed. Hey Huggy, I like you, but your time is over. Plus, now you don't have to serve time in WOKE re-training learning how to pretend you buy in to all its inanity.
April 15, 2024
looking back WVU: Adam Fuller has been the DC at FSU since 2020. Graham Harrell has been OC at Purdue since 2023.

DI Baseball peek in April 2024

 UC Irvine 24-4 (10-2 Big West) Joichiro Oyama 5HR 28RBI 4SB ULL 24-8 (11-1 Sun Belt) LP Langevin has four saves. Eyes on WKU who just kno...