ACC Football Week #1 Preview and Notes |
GAME PREVIEWS
Saturday, September 1 North Carolina (0-1, 0-0) at Maryland (0-0, 0-0) ABC, Noon Byrd Stadium (48,055) THE GAME: North Carolina has held the upper hand recently in the series between these two long-time rivals ... the Tar Heels got 130 yards rushing from Wiilie Parker to post a 13-10 win last year in Chapel Hill ... last year's win was the ninth for UNC in their last 11 games against the Terps ... overall, UNC leads the rivalry 35-27-1 ... Maryland has won two of the last three meetings in College Park, including a 45-7 victory in 1999. THE COACHES: John Bunting is 0-1 in his first season at UNC and 38-15 in five years overall ... Ralph Friedgen, a 1969 Maryland graduate, will be making his debut as a head coach at the collegiate level. GAME NOTES: UNC opened the season last Saturday with a 41-27 defeat at Oklahoma ... freshman backup quarterback Damien Durrant accounted for 191 yards of total offense in the second half completing 12 of 26 passes for 152 yards and two TDs and rushing four times for 39 yards ... for the first time since 1893, UNC will open the season with three straight road games while Maryland opens with three straight games in Byrd Stadium ... QB Ronald Curry is second on the UNC's career total offense yardage list with 5,044 yards and third in passing with 4,056 yards ... WR Kory Bailey is ninth on the school's all-time reception list with 98 catches ... QB Shaun Hill get the nod as Maryland's starting QB after throwing for 778 yards and six TDS while starting three games in 2000 ... 5-9 redshirt sophomore Bruce Perry will succeed LaMont Jordan - the school's all-time leading rusher with 4,147 yards - at tailback for the Terps ... redshirted a year ago, Perry averaged 6.5 yards per carry (30 for 195 yards) in 1999 ... Terp punter Brooks Barnard was second in the ACC and fourth nationally with a 44.7 per punt average ... Maryland senior Aaron Thompson is a three-year starter with 33 career starts at OLB ... Thompson was fifth on the team in 2000 with 81 tackles, including nine TFLs and 6.5 QB sacks; has 279 tackles in his career including 35 TFLs and 11 QB sacks. Saturday, September 1 UCF (0-0) at #19 Clemson (0-0, 0-0) 1:00 p.m. Memorial Stadium (82,000) THE GAME: Clemson brings up the curtain on its 106th season when the 19th-ranked Tigers host UCF in Memorial Stadium ... this will be the first meeting between the two schools ... the Tigers are 79-18-8 in season openers over the years. THE COACHES: Mike Kruczek is 20-13 in this first three years at UCF ... Tommy Bowden is 15-9 in his first two years at Clemson and 33-13 in four seasons overall. GAME NOTES: Clemson is 208-81-7 (.715) all-time in Memorial Stadium ... Tiger head coach Tommy Bowden must replace 12 starters from last year's 9-3 team, including two-time All-America LB Keith Adams, All-ACC safety Robert Carswell and WR Rod Gardner, who were all named finalists or semifinalists for national awards ... Clemson's offense is directed by senior QB Woodrow Dantzler who finished third in the ACC in passing and fifth in total offense (239.8) a year ago ... Dantzler set the ACC single season for most yards rushing by a quarterback (947) a year ago ... Clemson's Travis Zachery, a Doak Walker Award nominee, was second in the ACC in rushing a year ago with 1,012 yards and 13 touchdowns ... Zachery enters his senior season fifth among school career rushing yardage leaders with 2,482 yards ... senior center Kyle Young, a two-time Academic All-American,and OG Will Merritt are listed on the 2001 Lombardi Award watch list while LB Chad Carson was named to the Butkus watch list ... Carson was second in the ACC and fourth nationally a year ago in tackles per game (13.3) ... UCF returns 12 starters including sophomore QB Ryan Schneider who was 5-2 as a starter ... Schneider finished tied for 9th nationally in passing efficiency as a freshman last year. Saturday, September 1 Richmond (0-0) at Virginia (0-1, 0-0) 4:30 p.m. Scott Stadium (61,500) THE GAME: Virginia and Richmond renew their intra-state rivalry when the two teams meet for the 28th time in a rivalry that started in 1893 ... the Cavaliers have won the last five meetings, including last year's 34-6 decision, and lead the series 23-2-2 ... UVa has shut out the Spiders in 19 of the previous 26 meetings, outscoring the Spiders 831-71 along the way ... the Cavaliers are 19-1-1 against Richmond in Charlottesville ... the Spiders' last win in the series was a 19-7 decision in 1946. THE COACHES: Jim Reid is 39-29-1 in six years at Richmond and 75-58-3 in 12 seasons overall ... Al Groh is 0-1 in his first season at UVa and 26-41 in seven years overall ... Groh was 3-0 against Richmond while the head coach at Wake Forest (1981-86). GAME NOTES: Virginia has won 10 straight games against Division I-AA opponents ... the Cavaliers are 45-21-4 in Scott Stadium openers ... Virginia, which opened the season Saturday with a 26-17 loss at Wisconsin, is one of only 10 schools nationally without a losing season since at least 1986 ... UVa TB Antwoine Womack ran for 18 yards on seven carries against Wisconsin before leaving with a sprained ankle ... Womack is 14th among Virginia career rushing leaders with 1,962 yards ... Cavalier junior TB Arlen Harris tied a career-high with 79 yards on 15 carries ... Matt Schaub made his first collegiate start at QB against the Badgers, completing three of 10 passes for 24 yards ... sophomore QB Bryson Spinner came off the bench completing 10 of 22 passes for 154 yards and two TDs ... junior WR Billy McMullen caught three passes for 62 yards and one TD against Wisconsin and moved into 17th place among school career receiving yardage leaders with 1,086 yards ... Richmond, coming off a 10-3 season, is 9-1 in their last 10 season openers. Saturday, September 1 #5 Florida State (0-0, 0-0) at Duke (0-0, 0-0) 6:00 p.m. Wallace Wade Stadium (33,941) THE GAME: Both fifth-ranked Florida State and Duke will be looking to kick off the 2001 campaign on a positive note when the two teams tangle for the 10th time ... Florida State has won each of the previous nine meetings between the two teams ... a year ago Chris Weinke threw for a school-record 536 yards and five TDs as FSU topped the visiting Blue Devils 63-14. THE COACHES: Bobby Bowden is 242-55-4 in his 26th season at Florida State and 315-87-4 in 36 years overall ... Carl Franks is 3-19 in his first two seasons at Duke. GAME NOTES: FSU begins the 2001 season as the only program in college football history that has finished among the Top Five in the AP poll for 14 consecutive years ... former walk-on Atrews Bell had at least one catch in 13 straight games for the Noles; scored 10 touchdowns on 37 receptions a year ago ... FSU is 70-2 against league foes since joining the ACC in 1992 ... freshman Chris Rix replaces Heisman Trophy winner Chris Weinke at quarterback for FSU while Duke signal caller D. Bryant threw for 1,022 yards over his last five starts of the 2000 season ... FSU has totaled 500 total offense yards or more in 10 of its last 11 games ... Seminole LBs Bradley Jennings and Kendyll Pope are included on the pre-season Butkus Award watch list ... Jennings, OT Brett Williams and DT Darnell Dockett are also listed on the Lombardi Award watch list ... Duke's Chris Douglas did not start a game last year as a freshman, but still led the team in rushing with 503 yards ... Douglas led all freshmen nationally in all-purpose yardage (131.1) ... Mike Hart returns at tight end for Duke after earning second-team All-ACC honors a year ago ... LB Ryan Fowler led Duke in tackles (87), tackles for losses (13) and QB sacks (6.5) as a freshman last season. Saturday, September 1 The Citadel (0-0) at #10 Georgia Tech (1-0, 0-0) 6:00 p.m. Bobby Dodd Stadium (46,000) THE GAME: Tenth-ranked Georgia Tech returns to the friendly confines of Bobby Dodd Stadium to host Southern Conference foe The Citadel in the home opener for the Yellow Jackets ... Tech has won all nine games in the series, which dates back to 1912 ... the last time the two schools met was a 51-12 Yellow Jacket win in 1987. THE COACHES: Ellis Johnson is 5-6 in his second year at The Citadel ... George O'Leary is 46-28 in seven years at Georgia Tech. GAME NOTES: Georgia Tech opened their season with a 13-7 win over Syracuse Saturday in the Kickoff Classic ... Tech plackicker Luke Manget extended his consecutive PAT streak to 92 straight and needs only two more to surpass the ACC mark of 93 set by Maryland's Jess Atkinson (1981-84) ... Georgia Tech has won 15 of its last 17 home games ... Tech WR Kelly Campbell caught 10 passes against Syracuse for 193 yards ... Campbell is now Tech's all-time leader in receiving yardage (2,392) and is second in career receptions (149) ... Campbell jumped from 25th to 14th on the ACC's all-time receiving yardage list ... Joe Burns ran for a game-high 113 yards and one TD on a career-high 34 carries against Syracuse ... Burns, Tech's leading rusher last season (908 yards), is 14th on the school's career rushing list with 1,582 yards ... Georgia Tech QB George Godsey completed 15 of 26 passes for 224 yards in the season opener ... Godsey is sixth on Tech's career passing yardage list with 3,276 yards ... the Yellow Jacket defense limited Syracuse to 242 yards of total offense, marking the fewest yards allowed by a Tech defense in 68 games dating back to 20-19 loss to Arizona on Sept. 9, 1995. Saturday, September 1 Wake Forest (0-0, 0-0) at East Carolina (0-0) 7:00 p.m. Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (43,000) THE GAME: Jim Grobe will make his ACC coaching debut Saturday night when his Demon Deacons travel to Greenville, N.C., to take on Conference USA foe East Carolina in the season opener for both teams ... the Pirates posted a come-from-behind 25-24 win in 1997 and lead the series 2-1. THE COACHES: Jim Grobe, who was 33-33-1 in six seasons at Ohio University, will be making his head coaching debut at Wake Forest ... Steve Logan is 59-44 in nine years at East Carolina. GAME NOTES: Wake Forest returns 47 letter-winners, including 19 starters from last year's 2-9 team that had one of the nation's youngest rosters ... WR Ira Williams led the Deacs in receptions a year ago with 45 and has had at least two receptions in 11 straight games ... sophomore Anthony Young started five games at QB a year ago and led all ACC freshmen in rushing with 455 yards ... junior QB James McPherson started the final three games a year ago; threw for a team-high 1,324 yards with three TDs ... junior TB Tarance Williams led the Deacs in rushing a year ago with 661 yardscored seven TDs over the last four games of last season ... John Stone enters his senior season ranked 20th on the ACC's all-time kickoff return yardage list with 1,318 yards ... East Carolina returns 16 starters from last year's 8-4 team ... Pirate QB David Garrard threw for 2,332 yards and 19 TDs a year ago and is the school's career total offense leader with 7,140 yards ... Garrard is second among ECU career passing leaders with 6,782 yards ACC Pre-Season Predictions For the 10th straight year, Florida State was selected to win the ACC football crown by media representatives attending the annual ACC Football Kickoff at the Wild Dunes resort on July 22-24. The predicted conference standings are as follows: Pre-Season Predictions 1. Florida State (64) 624 2. Georgia Tech (5) 554 3. Clemson (1) 492 4. NC State 402 5. Virginia 315 6. North Carolina 299 7. Maryland 248 8. Wake Forest 123 9. Duke 93 Bowden 4th on all-time win list Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden, with 315 wins in 25 years, is fourth on the all-time Division I-A win list ... Alabama's Bear Bryant is the all-time winningest coach with 323 career wins. Coaching Victoroies 1. Paul "Bear" Bryant 323 2. Joe Paterno 322 3. Glenn "Pop" Warner 319 4. Bobby Bowden 315 5. Amos Alonzo Stagg 314 Noles, Cavs on win list Florida State and Virginia are two of only 10 teams in the nation to have posted .500 -or-better records since 1986 ... the Seminoles enter the 2001 season with 24 consecutive .500-or-better seasons while the Cavaliers are tied with Syracuse for ninth at 14 years. Non-Losing Season Streak School Last Losing Season No. 1. Nebraska 1961 39 2. Michigan 1967 33 3. Brigham Young 1973 27 4. Florida State 1976 24 Washington 1976 24 6. Florida 1979 21 7. Texas A&M 1982 18 8. Marshall 1983 17 9. Virginia 1986 14 Syracuse 1986 14 Six ACC players are listed on the Butkus pre-season watch list. The Butkus Award is presented to the nation's top linebacker. The ACC nominees are as follows Butkus Watch List Chad Carson, Clemson Levar Fisher, NC State Bradley Jennings, Florida State Kendyll Pope, Florida State Aaron Thompson, Maryland Recardo Wimbush, Georgia Tech Eight ACC players are listed on the Lombardi pre-season watch list. The Lombardi Award is presented to the nation's top lineman - offense or defense. Lombardi Watch List Darnell Dockett, Florida State Levar Fisher, NC State Greg Gathers, Georgia Tech Bradley Jennings, Florida State Will Merritt, Clemson Julius Peppers, North Carolina Brett Williams, Florida State Kyle Young, Clemson Two ACC players are listed on the Outland pre-season watch list. The Outland Trophy is awarded to the top interior lineman in college football They are as follows Outland Trophy Watch List Kyle Young, Clemson Brett Williams, Florida State Two ACC players are listed on the Lou Groza pre-season watch list. The Groza Award is presented to the top placekicker in college football. The ACC nominees are as follows Groza Award Watch List Luke Manget, Georgia Tech Jeff Reed, North Carolina Three ACC players are listed on the Biletnikoff pre-season watch list. The Biletnikoff Award is presented to the nation's top receiver. The ACC nominees are as follows Biletnikoff Watch List Atrews Bell, Florida State Anquan Boldin, Florida State Kelly Campbell, Georgia Tech Two ACC players are listed on the Doak Walker pre-season watch list. The Doak Walker Award is presented to the nation's top running back. Doak Walker Watch List Ray Robinson, NC State Travis Zachery, Clemson ACC CAREER CHARTS Career QB Rushing Leaders Player, School Years Yards 1. Mike Dunn, Duke 1975-78 1,939 2. Larry Russell, WF 1969-71 1,923 3. Joe Hamilton, GaT 1996-99 1,758 4. Steve Fuller, Clem. 1975-78 1,665 5. Woodrow Dantzler, Clm. 1998-** 1,611 6. Shawn Moore, UVa 1987-90 1,268 7. Johnny Evans, NCS 1974-77 1,259 8. Nealon Greene, Clem. 1994-97 1,024 9. Gayle Bomar, UNC 1967-68 1,024 10. Shawn Jones, GaT 1989-92 855 11. Charlie Ward, FSU 1989-93 843 Career Receiving Yardage Leaders Player, School Years Yards 1. Peter Warrick, FSU 1996-99 3,517 2. Torry Holt, NCS 1995-98 3,379 3. Clarkston Hines, Duke 1986-89 3,318 4. Ricky Proehl, WF 1986-89 2,949 5. Jermaine Lewis, Md. 1992-95 2,932 6. E.G. Green, FSU 1994-97 2,920 7. Desmond Clark, WF 1995-98 2,834 8. Terry Smith, Clem. 1990-93 2,508 9. Herman Moore, UVa 1988-90 2,504 10. Corey Holliday, UNC 1990-93 2,447 11. John Ford, UVa 1984,86-88 2,399 12. Kelly Campbell, GT 1998-** 2,392
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