October 12, 2011
NC STATE FOOTBALL
Akula Wolf (BackingthePack.com)
Mike Archer Forgot How To Coordinate Again
As the defense struggles to stop anybody with a pulse (though I don’t love their odds against a team of zombies either), it’s no surprise that Mike Archer is back in the crosshairs. I hope he was able to kick back a bit in 2010, maybe have a few of those drinks with tiny umbrellas in them. Because now he is the problem again. It’s just like 2009 except without all the losing to Duke.
I decided to take a look at Archer’s track record as a defensive coordinator since I couldn’t remember much beyond the fact that he wasn’t very impressive at Kentucky. But in fairness, how many guys are impressive at Kentucky?
The Sports Xchange (PackPride.com)
TSX: Defense Needs To Adjust Quicker
LOOKING GOOD: S Earl Wolff was involved in probably too many defensive stops in the first half in the defensive backfield. He helped the secondary regroup in the second half after a rough start to Saturday’s game against Central Michigan. By the end, he was credited with a team-high 11 tackles.
STILL NEEDS WORK: A Wolfpack defense that seemed to make some strides still has the tendency to be beaten for big plays. One of those came in the form of a 77-yard rushing touchdown surrendered against Central Michigan. The Wolfpack will work on its discipline on defense to establish more consistency and also address playing angles better in the defensive backfield so that some of the big gainers can be reduced.
Pack Pride Staff (PackPride.com)
Glennon Continues To Emerge
He is already tied for the eighth-best single season mark in touchdowns in school history. Only Philip Rivers, Jamie Barnette and Russell Wilson have ever thrown more TDs for the Pack in a season than Glennon has thrown thus far in 2011. In fact, he is on pace to surpass the statistics posted by both Rivers and Wilson in their first season as a starter.
Not only has Glennon been productive, he has also steadily improved throughout the course of the season. In the last two games, NC State has yielded just three sacks, and only one was on Glennon.
UNC FALLOUT
KEN TYSIAC (N&O)
Davis phone records sought
Erin Summers (WRALSportsfan.com)
Davis’ personal phone records subpoenaed
The documents requested in the subpoena are:
• Copies of all phone records provided to the University of North Carolina or its agents or representatives at any time in connection with the NCAA investigation.
• Copies of all phone records, including “personal†phone records, that reflect phone usage in any way related to his job at the University of North Carolina
• Copies of all records of all phone bills, including “personal†phone bills, that were paid with funds provided pursuant to Section V of Davis’ contract with the University of North Carolina.
Davis must appear in court with the documents requested at 10 a.m. on Oct. 21 or forward copies of all items prior to that date.
WRALSportsfan.com
Letter and Subpoena to Butch Davis
WRALSportsfan.com
10/11: Clarification on requests
Tar Heel Fan (Tarheelfanblog.com)
Media Would Like to See Butch Davis’ 216 Phone Records
UNC never had the records for review themselves nor did anyone on staff at UNC see them effectively isolating the records from any public access claims. The one bugaboo in all of this is Davis said he would release the records to the media but a few days later was fired by Chancllor Holden Thorp. In short, the way the review was handled, the fact UNC said the records were clean without showing the records and Davis getting fired shortly after he said he would released them thus stopping their release is a Golden Corral buffet for the ABC Conspiracy Monster that lives in an abandoned warehouse just off the NC State campus.
ACC FOOTBALL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Clemson’s Boyd back at work
Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd said he has been cleared to practice despite a strained hip he injured against Boston College that appeared more severe than it turned out.
Boyd sat out Monday’s workout as he recovered from the hard hit by Eagles defensive end Max Holloway during last week’s 36-14 Tigers victory. Coach Dabo Swinney said Boyd will get all the work with starters as the eighth-ranked Tigers (6-0, 3-0) prepare to take on Maryland this Saturday.
Boyd said Tuesday he’s not sore, although he experiences some stiffness in his left hip if he sits too long.
MULTIMEDIA/PODCASTS
Riddick and Reynolds
R&R Podcast: Episode 22
Well, we knew Chuck would have to return to Florida…I just hate it was this soon.
After just three short episodes of enjoying Chuck Amato’s presence at Amedeo’s, he’s heading back to Florida and we’ll be back to Skyping with him for the remainder of the season. But fret not; his final appearance is a great one and definitely worth a listen in the first segment.
A special guest joins us in segment #2: Jim Young of the ACC Sports Journal stops by and sits in on the Sniff Ratings. We also talk a little bit about who are the most surprising and most disappointing teams in the ACC, and conclude with some basketball talk as the season is just around the corner.
The ACCSports.com Podcast, Oct. 12
In the wake of the latest alignment flare-up, thanks in large part to Gene DeFilippo’s recent comments, Jim Young extended an olive branch to Mark Ennis, co-manage of the Big East Coast Bias blog, inviting him to appear on the ACCSports.com Podcast.
Among the topics they discussed:
• Does Ennis hate the ACC?
• Is John Swofford treated differently than other conference commissioners by the media and if so, why?
• How should we interpret Gene DeFilippo’s comments to the Boston Globe?
• What steps is the Big East taking to reshape itself? And why isn’t it more interested in ECU?
• Why, exactly, did the Big East add non-football playing schools Marquette and DePaul back in 2005?
• Can all the realignment chaos somehow be connected to ESPN analyst Craig James?
CONFERENCE EXPANSION
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Boston College AD apologizes for ACC expansion comments
Boston College Athletic Director Gene DeFilippo has apologized to the presidents and ADs of the Atlantic Coast Conference for saying in a newspaper interview that ESPN told the league to add Pittsburgh and Syracuse.
Boston College released DeFilippo’s short letter on Tuesday. In it, he apologizes for “any negative effects caused by my recent interview with a Boston Globe reporter.”
He adds that he “spoke inappropriately and erroneously regarding ESPN’s role in conference expansion.”
Last month, Syracuse and Pitt announced they will leave the Big East to join the ACC, pushing membership in that conference to 14 and leaving the Big East scrambling to replace two of its oldest members.
In the Boston Globe article, DeFilippo said: “We always keep our television partners close to us. You don’t get extra money for basketball. It’s 85 percent football money. TV – ESPN – is the one who told us what to do. This was football; it had nothing to do with basketball.”
NCAA FOOTBALL
JOSH KENDALL (THESTATE.COM)
South Carolina AD dismisses Garcia
Six weeks ago, it looked like Stephen Garcia might lead South Carolina to a historic football season and, along the way, break most of the Gamecocks’ major career passing records.
Tuesday, Garcia was packing up his Columbia house and preparing to head back to his hometown of Tampa, Fla., having been dismissed from the football team by athletic director Eric Hyman.
Garcia, who survived five suspensions from the team prior to this season, was kicked off after failing a random substance test on Oct. 4, two sources close to the quarterback told The State.
“He kind of made his own bed, and this is the culmination of some of those earlier mistakes,” said Gary Garcia, Stephen Garcia’s father. “He’s upset that he’s not finishing what he came here to do and that’s win an SEC championship, but he also is maybe kind of relieved to get a little bit out of the eye of the storm and take a breath of fresh air.”
