ACC Conference football capsules

[Baseball Guru]

ACC Conference football capsules


August 25, 2004
By Mario Hernandez

SportsTicker Staff Writer

CLEMSON


2003 record: 9-4 (Beat Tennessee in Peach Bowl)

Coach: Tommy Bowden

OUTLOOK: Seven starters on each side of the ball return for Bowden. QB Charlie Whitehurst could be the best signal-caller in the conference. His blossoming led a resurgance over the final four games of the season that may have saved Bowden's job, and his evolution will be a major factor as to how far the Tigers can go. Clemson will have a solid receiving corps with senior Airese Curry and highly touted sophomore Kelvin Grant. The defense will revolve around All-America candidate LB Leroy Hill. He will lead a defensive unit that allowed just 48 points over the final four games last year. Clemson also returns all four starters in its secondary, and junior college transfer Corey Groover and Maurice Fountain anchor the defensive line.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Whitehurst is only the second QB in ACC history to have more than 5,000 yards after his sophomore season. The other is former N.C. State star Philip Rivers.

SCHEDULE: The most challenging of any conference title contenders. Clemson will visit Miami, Virginia and Florida State. The Tigers must also go to Texas A&M a week before "Bowden Bowl."

DUKE

2003 Record: 4-8

Coach: Ted Roof

OUTLOOK: Roof had the interim tag removed from his coaching title after the Blue Devils played well in the five games after Carl Franks was fired. However, Roof will have his work cut out for him as Duke likely will be at the bottom of the ACC standings again. The offense must find a way to make up for the loss of RB Chris Douglas, the school's all-time leading rusher. Cedric Dargan, who had five touchdowns in 2003, is the most experienced runner on the roster. QB Mike Schneider hopes to improve on his four-touchdown, six-interception performance last season. He will be pushed by senior Chris Dapolito and Nebraska transfer Curt Dukes. The defense does return eight starters from least season, but it gave up nearly 29 ppg.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Duke's victory over rival North Carolina last year was its first win over its in-state foe since 1989 - Steve Spurrier's last game as Blue Devil head coach.

SCHEDULE: Duke will face seven bowl teams from last year, including visits to Florida State and Virginia Tech. Duke does get a reprieve as it does not face newcomer Miami.

FLORIDA STATE

2003 Record: 10-3 (Lost to Miami in Orange Bowl)

Coach: Bobby Bowden

OUTLOOK: Senior QB Chris Rix will have one last chance to guide the Seminoles to the national championship. The fourth-year starter has been inconsitent in his tenure as the signal-caller, but he will have eight other returning starters on the offensive side of the ball. Leon Washington and Lorenzo Booker each averaged over five yards a carry last year, which should ease the loss of bruising RB Greg Jones. The defense will have to make up for the loss of eight starters, but the Seminoles have not had a problem retooling in the past and this year should be no different. To make the transition easier, three of the four starters in the secondary return, including rover Jerome Carter.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Florida State is 90-6 since joining the ACC in 1992. But it has lost five straight games to the Miami Hurricanes, including a 16-14 setback in last season's Orange Bowl.

SCHEDULE: The Seminoles open their season with a trip to the Orange Bowl, where they have not won since 1998.

GEORGIA TECH

2003 Record: 7-6 (Beat Tulsa in Humanitarian Bowl)

Coach: Chan Gailey

OUTLOOK: The Yellow Jackets will have one of the more potent offenses in the conference in 2004. RB P.J. Daniels, the ACC's leading rusher last year with 1,447 yards, returns to lead the offense. QB Reggie Ball, the ACC Rookie of the Year, hopes to improve on his nearly 2000 yards passing. WR Nate Curry will be Ball's favorite target. Two All-ACC players will anchor the Tech defense: DE Eric Henderson will provide pressure on opposing quarterbacks while FS James Butler will patrol the secondary. Travis Parker will help Henderson to form one of the finest lines in the conference.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Georgia Tech is one of only 11 schools to have played in a bowl game in the last seven consecutive seasons.

SCHEDULE: Georgia Tech will not have to face Florida State this season, but it does have to visit North Carolina State, Maryland and Georgia.

[Baseball Guru]

MARYLAND

2003 Record: 10-3 (Beat West Virginia in Gator Bowl)

Coach: Ralph Friedgen

OUTLOOK: The Terrapins will have a lot of retooling to do this season, but it doesn't mean there aren't high expectations. They will have only nine of their 22 starters from a year ago returning. The biggest question will be at quarterback, where redshirt sophomore Joel Statham will take over the reins to an offense that scored just over 31 ppg. RB Josh Allen, who ran for 922 yards last season sharing the tailback duties, will be leaned on while Statham gets himself acclimated to the starting quarterback role. WR Steve Suter will return to become the prime target in the passing game. Two-time All-ACC CB Domonique Foxworth will be asked to anchor a secondary that will have three new starters, albeit one with three seniors. DE Kevin Eli hopes to carry over his 5 1/2-sack performance in the second half of the season, which earned him second-team all-conference honors.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Only two coaches have won more games in their first three seasons than Friedgen, who has won 31 games in his tenure at College Park. Larry Coker had 35 wins with Miami, while Barry Switzer won 32 games with Oklahoma.

SCHEDULE: Maryland faces a brutal stretch at the end of October and beginning of November. The Terps play at Clemson, home for Florida State, at Virginia and, after a bye week, at Virginia Tech.

MIAMI

2003 Record: 11-2 (Beat Florida State in Orange Bowl)

Coach: Larry Coker

OUTLOOK: Senior QB Brock Berlin will be the key to how far the Hurricanes go this season, their first in the ACC. His inconsistent play briefly cost him his starting position last year, when he threw more interceptions (17) than touchdowns (12). Tyrone Moss and Quadtrine Hill will split time at TB as Frank Gore attempts to recover from his second season-ending knee injury. Roscoe Parrish and Ryan Moore will provide stability in the recieving corps, while senior Kevin Everett hopes to continue the lineage of great Huricane tight ends. Miami's defense will have to make up for the loss of seven starters, but finding new stars has never been a problem for the 'Canes. Easing the transition is that three of the four returning players on defense are on the line, highlighted by DE Tomas Carroll. Senior CB Antrel Rolle is the other returning starter and has the potential to be an All-American.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Miami lost two games in 2003, the first time that the Hurricanes lost more than one game since 1999.

SCHEDULE: Miami will have a favorable schedule this season, facing its stiffest competition at the freindly confines of the Orange Bowl, including the season opener vs. Florida State. The Hurricantes' biggest road challenge will be at Virginia on November 13.

NORTH CAROLINA

2003 Record: 2-10

Coach John Bunting

OUTLOOK: North Carolina will have a lot of work to do if it hopes to get out of the cellar of the ACC. QB Darian Durant is the Tar Heels' all-time leader in touchdown passes and will likely own most of the major records in school history, but he also is 5-17 as a starter. RB Ronnie McGill returns after scoring seven touchdowns in 2003, and both starting wideouts will be back. The main problem for North Carolina last season was on defense. It ranked 116 out of 117 teams in total defense, surrendering a whopping 505 ypg. New defnsive coordinators John Gutekunst and Marvin Sanders hope to correct the problem. Any problems this season could result in a call to Steve Spurrier.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: The Tar Heels picked off only two passes in the entire 2003 season.

SCHEDULE: North Carolina will have to face most of the major contenders in conference, with non-conference games against Louisville and Utah.

NORTH CAROLINA STATE

2003 Record: 8-5 (Beat Kansas in Tangerine Bowl)

Coach: Chuck Amato

OUTLOOK: Although N.C. State will miss QB Philip Rivers, the cubbard is certainly not bare coming into the 2004 season. The Wolfpack will have 17 starters returning to Raleigh, including RB T.A. McLendon, who has over 1,700 yards and 25 touchdowns in his career. However, all eyes will be on QB Jay Davis, who has to fill the shoes of the conference's all-time leading passer. Nine players are back on the defensive side of the ball. Amato is hoping that experience will help a unit that allowed 421 ypg last season. The unit will be led by rover Andre Maddox, who paced the team with 145 tackles.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Amato is one of only four ACC coaches to lead his team to bowl games in his first four years.

SCHEDULE: State will face plenty of tough competition, most of it at home. It will host Ohio State, Florida State and Miami.

VIRGINIA

2003 Record: 8-5 (Beat Pittsburgh in Continental Tire Bowl)

Coach: Al Groh

OUTLOOK: The Cavaliers will return 15 starters from last season, but they will not have QB Matt Schaub back. QB Marques Hagans will be asked to replace Schaub and his nearly 3,000 passing yards. RBs Wali Lundy and Alvin Pearman combined for almost 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns last season. TE Heath Miller will provide a great target for Hagans and should be a leading candidate for the Mackey Award. Six of the seven starters up front return for the Virginia defense. LB Ahmad Brooks, who had 117 tackles in 2003, leads one of the best linebacking groups in the country.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Virginia ended its four-game losing streak to intrastate rival Virginia Tech last year with a 35-21 victory.

SCHEDULE: A balanced schedule has the Cavaliers hosting Clemson and Miami, while visiting Florida State and Virginia Tech.

VIRGINIA TECH

2003 Record: 8-5 (Lost to California in Insight Bowl) Coach: Frank Beamer

OUTLOOK: QB Bryan Randall will not have to split time with Marcus Vick this season after Vick was thrown off the team after several problems with the law. Randall is not only the team's leading returning passer, but he also is the lading rusher coming back to Blacksburg. Only three other starters from 2003 will christen the team's entrance into the ACC. Graduation has robbed the Hokies' defense of a lot of talent, most notably CB DeAngelo Hall. DE Jim Davis will be asked to disrupt offenses with his ability to penetrate. Beamer will need help from his vaunted special teams play to help out a defense that is a year or two away from being a force again.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Virginia Tech has gone to a bowl game in its last 11 seasons.

SCHEDULE: The Hokies open against USC and end at Miami, but will have a relatively easy schedule in between.

WAKE FOREST

2003 Record: 5-7

Coach: Jim Grobe

OUTLOOK: The Demon Deacons will have to deal with a young, inexperienced offense in 2004. Only three seniors are projected to be in the starting lineup, the same amount as sophomores. Juniors QB Cory Randolph and TB Chris Barclay be expected to spearhead a rushing attack that averaged more than 203 ypg. Randolph will be expected to be more consistent as a passer after throwing 10 interceptions and eight touchdowns. His favorite target is Jason Anderson, who caught six touchdowns in 2003. The defense must improve after giving up 454 ypg. The unit does return eight starters from last season, but that is of little comfort with last season's totals.

IN CASE YOU DIDN'T KNOW: Wake Forest has gone 54 years without having four consecutive five-win seasons.

SCHEDULE: The Deacons will open the season at Clemson and have home games with Virginia Tech and Florida State before a trip to Miami late in the season.