Midseason Reports
Midseason
All-America Teams
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C-USA
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WAC
- 2006 CFN
Midseason All-America Teams
Offensive Player of the Midseason
Matt Ryan, QB Boston College
Defensive Player of the Midseason
Chris Long, DE Virginia
Ten best ACC players in the first half of the season
1. Matt Ryan, QB Boston College
2. Tashard Choice, RB Georgia Tech
3.
Chris Long, DE
Virginia
4. Durrell Mapp, LB North Carolina
5. Kenny Phillips, S Miami
6. DeJuan Tribble, CB Boston College
7. Hilee Taylor, DE North Carolina
8. Jamie Silva, LB Boston College
9. Vince Hall, LB Virginia Tech
10. Darrell Blackman, WR/KR NC State
Biggest
Surprise
– Wake Forest
is still good
2006 really wasn't a fluke. The foundation put in place by Jim
Grobe last year with a phenomenal run to an ACC title, and now
it keeps on going with nice wins over Florida State and
Maryland, and an improved defense that's been a rock against the
run. While winning the Atlantic might be too tough with a loss
to Boston College and Clemson coming up, this is still a bowl
team that'll make plenty of ACC noise..
Biggest
Disappointment –
(tie) Miami and
Florida State ... again
Big coaching changes for both teams were supposed to make a big
difference, and it was supposed to be a beginning of a resurgent
season for each. Miami is inconsistent yet again, showing how
good it could be against Texas A&M, and going into the tank
against Oklahoma and North Carolina, while Florida State still
has no running game and finally, after roughly three years, the
quarterback situation might be settled.
The ACC
Champion will be ...
Virginia Tech over Boston College
The Hokies and Eagles will play on October 25th in Blacksburg,
and will likely meet again for the whole ball of wax. The Hokie
defense remains dominant, while the offense is doing just enough
to get by. BC is fantastic, but it hasn't been impressive
against mediocre teams, and still has to go on the road to play
Virginia Tech, Maryland and Clemson, along with home games
against Florida State and Miami.
Best Game of
the First Half
East
Carolina 34 ... North Carolina 31 ...
Sept. 8
ECU PK Ben Hartman missed three field
goals, but he nailed a 39-yard shot with
no time left on the clock to beat North
Carolina. The two teams were in a
shootout for three quarters, with
Patrick Pinkney throwing three touchdown
passes for East Carolina and UNC getting
a huge day from Brandon Tate, but
Hartman's field goal were the only
points in the fourth. Pinkney connected
with Chris Johnson on touchdown passes
from 78 and 24 yards out, and Johnson
added a four-yard touchdown run, while
Tate caught touchdown.
Second Best Game –
Wake Forest 31
... Maryland 24 OT, Sept. 22
Third Best Game –
Duke 20 ...
Northwestern 14, Sept. 15
Worst Game of
the First Half
Virginia Tech 44 ... William & Mary 3, Sept. 22
Virginia Tech rolled out a 27-point first quarter on two Jud Dunleavy field goals, short runs from Branden Ore and Kenny Lewis,
and a 49-yard interception return for a touchdown from Brandon
Flowers. Just to add to the early blowout, Eddie Roay took a punt 60
yards for an early third quarter touchdown, and Ore scored on a
34-yard pass play. Tech outgained William & Mary 133 yards to five,
allowing just a 22-yard Brian Pate field goal.
Coach of the
Midseason
–
Jeff Jagodzinski, Boston College
While Coach Jags inherited a heater of a team with the veteran
leadership to bridge the coaching gap, he's done a great job of
making the Eagles one of the nation's most complete teams with
the nation's number one run defense, and a strong offense that
can do a little of everything. Tom O'Brien might have been
great, but he didn't get BC in the national title hunt.
Player
who'll step up in the second half
–
Sean Glennon, QB Virginia Tech
Tyrod Taylor is a special player who'll end up making the Hokie
offense shine, but with a great defense and the usual Hokie
special teams, all the offense needs is someone who can be a
decent game manager. After getting benched, Glennon should be
just solid enough to win an ACC title with.
Best performance so far -
Virginia Tech LBs Vince Hall and Xavier
Adibi combined to make 21 tackles and
three tackles for loss in the October win over
Clemson.
Top Freshman – North Carolina QB T.J. Yates
The Tar Heel quarterback from the start, he's shown flashes of
brilliance to go along with all the freshman mistakes. After
seven games, he has ten touchdown passes and ten interceptions,
throwing four against South Florida, and he has only thrown one
touchdown pass in the last four games, after starting off the
year throwing three in each of his first three games, but he
appears to be a player to build around for the next four years.
Coach who needs to have a big second half – Clemson's
Tommy Bowden
Tiger fans want Clemson to become a major player in the national
title hunt, but outside of an opening day win over Florida
State, there hasn't been another impressive win, losing two
straight to Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech. Anything less than a
nine-win season, with a bowl win and a win over South Carolina,
might be enough to make a change.
Player who needs to have a big second half –
Xavier Lee, QB Florida State
The Seminole offense has been turned over to Lee, who has
struggled with his passing consistency, but has shown off the
running skills that scares the heck out of defenses. If Florida
State is going to be strong in the second half of the year,
it'll only come with Lee's emergence.
Best remaining conference game – Boston College at
Virginia Tech, Oct. 25
If you're a fan of rushing yards, look elsewhere. The two
defenses should put on a great show with the whole world
watching. If BC wins this, then it'll be time to start thinking
national title.
Team Mid-Season MVPs & Predictions
Atlantic
Boston College – QB Matt Ryan
predicted wins: Florida State, at Maryland, at Clemson,
Miami
predicted losses: at Virginia Tech
predicted record: 11-1
Clemson – LB Nick Watkins
predicted wins: Central Michigan, at Duke, Wake Forest
predicted losses: at Maryland, Boston College, at South
Carolina
predicted record: 7-5
Florida State – LB Derek Nicholson
predicted wins: Miami, Duke, Maryland
predicted losses: at Boston College, at Virginia Tech, at
Florida
predicted record: 7-5
Maryland – LB Erin Henderson
predicted wins: Virginia, Clemson, at North Carolina, at
NC State
predicted losses: Boston College, at Florida State
predicted record: 8-4
NC State – WR/KR Darrell Blackman
predicted wins: None
predicted losses: at East Carolina, Virginia, at Miami,
North Carolina, at Wake Forest, Maryland
predicted record: 1-11
Wake Forest – CB Alphonso Smith
predicted wins: at Navy, North Carolina, NC State, at
Vanderbilt
predicted losses: at Virginia, at Clemson
predicted record:
8-4
Coastal
Duke – QB Thaddeus Lewis
predicted wins: None
predicted losses: at Florida State, Clemson, Georgia
Tech, at Notre Dame, North Carolina
predicted record: 1-11
Georgia Tech – RB Tashard Choice
predicted wins:
at Army, Virginia Tech, at Duke, North Carolina, Georgia
predicted losses: None
predicted record: 9-3
Miami – S Kenny Phillips
predicted wins:
NC State, Virginia
predicted losses: at Florida State, at Virginia Tech,
Boston College
predicted record: 6-6
North Carolina – LB Durrell Mapp
predicted wins: at NC State, Duke
predicted losses: at Wake Forest, Maryland, at Georgia
Tech
predicted record: 4-8
Virginia – DE Chris Long
predicted wins: at NC State, Wake Forest
predicted losses: at Maryland, at Miami, Virginia Tech
predicted record: 8-4
Virginia Tech – LBs Vince Hall and Xavier Adibi
predicted wins: Boston College, Florida State, Miami, at
Virginia
predicted losses: at Georgia Tech
predicted record: 10-2
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