Atlantic
Boston Coll
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Clemson
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St
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Maryland
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NC State
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Wake Forest
Coastal
Duke
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Georgia
Tech |
Miami
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North
Carolina |
Virginia
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Virginia
Tech
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2008 CFN All-ACC Team
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2008 CFN Preseason All-ACC Team
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2007 ACC Lookback/Recaps
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2008 ACC Early Lookbacks/Recaps
Boston
College
CFN Preseason Prediction: 9-3 Final
Record: 9-5
Why to get excited:
Four starters are back from last year’s
offensive line. Anthony Castonzo, Matt
Tennant, Thomas Claiborne, and Rich
Lapham give the Eagles the ingredients
of an old-school BC front wall
that’ll blow opponents off the ball.
After having some uncharacteristic
problems on the ground, Montel Harris
and Josh Haden will be ready to roll as
they enter their second season with the
program.
Why to be grouchy: The quarterback situation remains unsettled. Alright, so everyone on the
Heights got a little spoiled when Matt
Ryan was around, but this really could
become a problem. While he was only a
redshirt freshman, Dominique Davis
failed to impress as a passer after
Chris Crane broke his collarbone. Over
the final four games, he was picked off
four times and completed just 45% of his
attempts.
The number one thing to work on is:
Reducing the number of turnovers. Boston
College was No. 2 in the country in
takeaways, but that was offset by an
offense that gave the ball away an
ACC-high 33 times. The Eagles must do a
better job of protecting the ball, which
will put the onus on Davis to grow up
quickly in all phases of the position.
Biggest offensive loss:
G Clif Ramsey
Biggest defensive loss: DT B.J. Raji
Best returning offensive player:
T Anthony Castonzo, Jr.
Best returning defensive player:
LB Mark Herzlich, Sr.
Clemson
CFN Preseason Prediction: 10-2
Final Record: 7-6
Why to get excited: He’s back. He’s gone. He’s back. After deliberating for weeks and
driving the locals batty, dynamite RB
C.J. Spiller finally decided to spend
2009 as the centerpiece of the Tiger
offense. After losing QB Cullen Harper,
RB James Davis, and WR Aaron Kelly,
Clemson could ill-afford to lose another
offensive part to the NFL. Spiller is
the type of difference-maker who’ll help
either Willy Korn or Kyle Parker make a
smoother transition into the role of
starting quarterback.
Why to be grouchy:
Until proven otherwise, the offensive
line is a work-in-progress. This unit
bears most of the responsibility for
last year’s struggles on offense,
allowing way too many sacks and
routinely getting manhandled at the
point of attack. The encouraging news is
that everyone, headed by C Thomas
Austin, is back for another season.
However, if this group doesn’t make a
quantum leap forward, the young
quarterbacks will suffer and Spiller
will rue the day he didn’t take the
money and run.
The number one thing to work on is:
Sacks. With the speed and young talent
on this defense, 14 sacks in 13 games is
hard to comprehend. No individual had
more than two, which makes the year that
the secondary had even more incredible.
The Tigers have to find a way to turn
loose the likes of Ricky Sapp, Da’Quan
Bowers, and Kevin Alexander or else that
lack of pressure will eventually catch
up to the rest of the defense.
Biggest offensive loss:
WR Aaron Kelly
Biggest defensive loss: S Michael
Hamlin
Best returning offensive player:
RB C.J. Spiller, Sr.
Best returning defensive player:
LB Kavell Conner, Sr.
Duke
CFN Preseason Prediction: 1-11 Final
Record: 4-8
Why to get excited:
David Cutcliffe is back for his second
season on the sidelines. In fact, he
stepped up his commitment to the Blue
Devils last month by extending his
current contract through 2015. Under the
new staff, Duke showed marked
improvement in all three phases of the
game and at the turnstiles. Another year
with Cutcliffe and his staff bodes well
for the direction o the program as it
looks to make the long climb to
respectability and bowl eligibility.
Why to be grouchy:
Even with all of the improvements, the
offense is still among the worst in the
ACC. The Blue Devils ranked 11th
in scoring and 10th in total
offense, getting absolutely no help from
the ground game. Now, they’ll be looking
to turn the corner without all-league WR
Eron Riley and three of last year’s best
blockers.
The number one thing to work on is:
Improve on running plays…offensively and
defensively. The Blue Devils were next
to last in the ACC at running the ball
and stopping the run, a trend that
gradually needs to be reversed in
Durham. Duke is hoping that Re’quan
Boyette can return from a knee injury to
help prop up the offense, while a
veteran D-line can help slow down
opposing rushing attacks.
Biggest offensive loss: WR
Eron Riley
Biggest defensive loss: LB
Michael Tauiliili
Best returning offensive player:
QB Thaddeus Lewis, Sr.
Best returning defensive player:
DT Vince Oghobaase, Sr.
Florida
State
CFN Preseason Prediction: 7-5 Final
Record: 9-4
Why to get excited:
That frighteningly inexperienced
offensive line from 2008 is going to be
a year older. And presumably a year
better. The ‘Noles started three true
freshmen and a pair of sophomores, and
lived to tell about it. In fact, pups
like LT Andrew Datko and RG David
Spurlock grew exponentially from the
beginning of the year. That’s sweet
music to QB Christian Ponder and RB
Jermaine Thomas, who also lettered as
underclassmen.
Why to be grouchy:
The defense is taking a hit. Yeah,
there’s never a shortage a blue-chippers
in Tallahassee, but Mickey Andrews might
have to break a sweat getting this unit
ready in September. Sack leader Everette
Brown is off to the NFL. Top linebackers
Derek Nicholson and Toddrick Verdell
have graduated. Three-quarters of the
secondary is gone. The sky isn’t
falling, but Florida State could be a
little more vulnerable than usual.
The number one thing to work on is:
The passing game. The Seminoles are
counting on Ponder to go through a
growth spurt as a passer. There were
glimpses, but after pasting Western
Carolina and Chattanooga, the offense
had far more picks than touchdown
throws. The goal is to achieve a better
degree of balance to go along with an
improved ground game.
Biggest offensive loss:
RB Antone Smith
Biggest defensive loss: DE
Everette Brown
Best returning offensive player:
G Rodney Hudson, Jr.
Best returning defensive player:
LB Dekoda Watson, Sr.
Georgia
Tech
CFN Preseason Prediction: 6-6 Final
Record: 9-4
Why to get excited:
Paul Johnson’s option attack will be
even better in Year 2. If the Yellow
Jackets can finish No. 4 in the country
in rushing with Chan Gailey’s players,
imagine what they’ll do with a full
season in the system behind them.
ACC-leading rushing Jonathan Dwyer and
his dynamite complement Roddy Jones are
back after averaging more than seven
yards a carry between them. If QB Josh
Nesbitt can make the necessary strides
at quarterback, this offense has the
potential to roll through opposing
defenses.
Why to be grouchy:
The defense must replace three All-ACC
linemen. Michael Johnson, Vance Walker,
and Darryl Richard are all gone from one
of the nation’s best front walls of last
season, creating a vacuum that needs to
be filled. Tech will build around DE
Derrick Morgan, and hope that some of
its younger players are ready to fill
the gaps, especially on the inside.
The number one thing to work on is: Holding on to the ball. The fastest way to take the
air out of a time-consuming drive is to
put the ball on the ground in the other
team’s territory. Georgia Tech coughed
it up a whopping 20 times in 2008,
topped nationally by only Army.
Biggest offensive loss:
T Andrew Gardner
Biggest defensive loss: DT Vance
Walker
Best returning offensive player:
RB Jonathan Dwyer, Jr.
Best returning defensive player:
S Morgan Burnett, Jr.
Maryland
CFN Preseason Prediction: 6-6 Final
Record:
8-5
Recap: College football’s version
of the human genome project, the
Terrapins were almost impossible to
figure out on a week-to-week basis. The
same Maryland team that couldn’t get
past Middle Tennessee State and was
blanked by Virginia went 4-1 against
ranked teams, including wins over Cal
and Wake Forest. Until dropping three of
their final four games, the Terps were
driving toward a program-first Atlantic
Division title. They wrapped up the
rollercoaster ride with a 42-35 win over
Nevada in the Humanitarian Bowl.
Offensive Player of the Year:
RB Da’Rel Scott
Defensive Player of the Year:
LB Alex Wujciak
Biggest Surprise: Upsetting Cal on
Sept. 13. The Bears were ranked and the
Terps were coming off an unforgivable
loss in Murfreesboro. So what happens?
Maryland jumps out to a big lead and
holds on for a 35-27 victory, which was
the first indication that this was going
to be a strange season in College Park.
Biggest Disappointment: The stretch
run. Once November rolled around, the
Terps were in the Atlantic Division
driver’s seat, but were unable to handle
the position. They bottomed out on Nov.
22 in a nationally-televised flop at the
hands of Florida State. Maryland was
gutted 37-3, ending its dominance at
Byrd Stadium and any hopes of playing
for an ACC championship.
Looking Ahead: If Maryland can plug
holes on both lines, it’ll be back in
the divisional hunt again in 2009.
Wujciak is back to anchor the defense
and the backfield returns intact. The
combination of Scott and Davin Meggett
at running back gives the Terps a couple
of talented runners who are capable of
carrying the load.
Miami
CFN Preseason Prediction: 7-5 Final
Record: 7-6
Why to get excited:
Everyone is a year older. After using a
gaggle of freshmen and sophomores on
last year’s 7-6 team, the ‘Canes believe
they’re ready to bust out and win their
first ACC championship. Miami won’t
suffer any serious losses from a year
ago, which is why all signs are pointing
to improvement on both sides of the
ball. If true freshman QB Jacory Harris
has a good offseason, there’ll be no
containing the optimism around the
program.
Why to be grouchy:
What if Harris isn’t ready? Youth can be
exciting, but it can also be scary as
hell. Although Harris certainly showed
flashes in his first season out of high
school, he’s still an unpolished passer
with plenty to learn about the position.
And now that Robert Marve is
transferring, depth will be a problem at
the most important position on the
field.
The number one thing to work on is: Interceptions. The offense needs to cut down on them
and the defense has to create more. The
gap between these two figures was a
staggering minus 16 last fall, which was
directly attributable to the
inexperience under center and to a
defense that had a nation’s-low four
picks.
Biggest offensive loss:
T Reggie Youngblood
Biggest defensive loss: LB Glenn
Cook
Best returning offensive player:
RB Graig Cooper, Jr.
Best returning defensive player:
LB Sean Spence, Soph.
North
Carolina
CFN Preseason Prediction: 6-6 Final
Record: 8-5
Why to get excited:
The defense should be outstanding. Only
two starters, LB Mark Paschal and S
Trimane Goddard, are gone from an
athletic unit that showed lots promise a
year ago. The defensive line returns
completely intact. The linebackers are
young and fast. And the secondary has
playmakers Kendric Burney and Deunta
Williams at cornerback and safety,
respectively. This group has the talent
to make a quantum leap from 2008.
Why to be grouchy:
There could be a power outage on
offense. The Tar Heels had problems
scoring when all-star WR Hakeem Nicks
was carving up ACC defensive backfields
on deep patterns. Now that he’s left
early for the NFL Draft, Carolina is a
little light on playmakers. QB T.J.
Yates and RB Shaun Draughn are nice
players, but no one is scheming to
specifically stop either one.
The number one thing to work on is:
Improving the running the game.
Everyone, from Yates to the defense,
will benefit if the Tar Heels can get
more production on the ground. Carolina
was 89th nationally in
rushing offense, while averaging only
3.5 yards a carry. Losing Calvin Darity
and Garrett Reynolds from the right side
of the line won’t make this goal any
easier to reach.
Biggest offensive loss:
WR Hakeem Nicks
Biggest defensive loss: S Trimane
Goddard
Best returning offensive player:
RB Shaun Draughn, Jr.
Best returning defensive player:
DT Marvin Austin, Jr.
NC State
CFN Preseason Prediction: 6-6 Final
Record: 6-7
Why to get excited:
QB Russell Wilson is on the verge of
something special. He’s a unique talent,
who proved throughout his redshirt
freshman season that he’s capable of
carrying this program with his arm and
his feet. The Pack’s bowl game was a
microcosm of his value to the school. In
the first half, Wilson accounted for 230
yards and no turnovers as State schooled
Rutgers, 17-6. After he got hurt,
however, the Pack was outscored 23-6 and
threw three picks in a painful loss.
Why to be grouchy:
Wilson is fragile. It’s not always easy
when so much hinges on the health of a
single player, especially when he’s
prone to injury, takes a lot of hits,
and is only 5-11 and 190 pounds. When
Wilson is doing his thing, NC State can
beat anyone in the ACC. Anyone. When
he’s not 100%, however, the Wolfpack
offense is a mess. Last season, for
instance, passers not named Wilson threw
just three touchdowns and 13 picks.
The number one thing to work on is:
Pass defense. No team in the ACC yielded
more passing yards, touchdown throws, or
a higher completion percentage than the
Wolfpack. While it did intercept a bunch
of passes, receivers were allowed to get
behind the secondary way too often. All
but S J.C. Neal are back in Raleigh.
Time will tell if that’s a blessing or a
curse.
Biggest offensive loss:
RB Andre Brown
Biggest defensive loss: LB Robbie
Leonard
Best returning offensive player:
QB Russell Wilson, Soph.
Best returning defensive player:
LB Nate Irving, Jr.
Virginia
CFN Preseason Prediction: 7-5 Final
Record: 5-7
Why to get excited:
Throwing the ball on the Cavaliers will
be a weekly chore. Virginia has a feisty
secondary, led by corners Ras-I Dowling
and Vic Hall, and a pass rush that’ll
keep quarterbacks from getting cozy in
the pocket. Up front, Nick Jenkins and
Nate Collins will get a push from the
nose, and redshirt freshman DE Matt
Conrath has the tools to blossom into
Chris Long light.
Why to be grouchy:
Where will the offense come from? Gone
from a unit that finished last in the
ACC in total and scoring offense are the
program’s best running back, wide
receiver, tight end, and offensive
lineman. Although QB Jameel Sewell and
RB Mikell Simpson are expected back from
suspension and injury, respectively, the
Cavaliers have the ingredients of an
offense that’ll attempt a ton of field
goals in 2009.
The number one thing to work on is: The offense. Offensive coordinator Mike Groh was
fired in December and replaced by Gregg
Brandon, who’ll be asked to perform
miracles this fall. The Cavaliers
executed poorly in all facets, and were
particularly inept on third down. Over
the second half of 2008, Virginia
averaged a mere 15 points a game, which
has to change if a winning record is
possible.
Biggest offensive loss:
T Eugene Monroe
Biggest defensive loss: LB Clint
Sintim
Best returning offensive player:
RB Mikell Simpson, Sr.
Best returning defensive player:
CB Ras-I Dowling, Jr.
Virginia
Tech
CFN Preseason Prediction: 9-3 Final
Record: 10-4
Why to get excited:
Many of the key parts from the team that
won the ACC and the Orange Bowl return.
The Hokies were pointing to 2009 as
their next really big season, but now
that they’ve won back-to-back league
titles, expectations will be soaring.
Even after losing DE Orion Martin and CB
Victor Harris, the defense will be fine,
and the offense should benefit from
being forced to use so many young kids
last fall.
Why to be grouchy:
The offense will be better, but how much
better? QB Tyrod Taylor still needs to
show he can beat defenses with more than
just his quick feet and open field
moves. His receivers are extremely raw,
and his pass protection remains a giant
question mark. Remember, this Tech team
was 103rd nationally in total
offense and last in the ACC in sacks
allowed, despite attempting the second
fewest number of passes.
The number one thing to work on is:
The passing game. No, the Hokies won’t
be deviating from their usual blueprint
of defense, special teams, and the
running game, but even a hint of a
passing threat makes the offense less
predictable. Just to put things in
perspective, Navy matched Tech’s six
touchdown passes in 2008. The situation
should improve now that freshmen
receivers Jarrett Boykin, Danny Coale,
and Dyrell Roberts have a season in the
vault.
Biggest offensive loss:
C Ryan Shuman
Biggest defensive loss: CB Victor
Harris
Best returning offensive player:
RB Darren Evans, Soph.
Best returning defensive player:
DE Jason Worilds, Jr.
Wake
Forest
CFN Preseason Prediction: 8-4
Final Record: 8-5
Why to get excited:
Wake boasts one of the best backfields
in the conference. At quarterback, Riley
Skinner returns for his fourth year as
the starter, literally making him the
senior member of the league’s hurlers.
The ground game has three backs capable
of carrying the load. After being slowed
by injuries, Josh Adams is poised to
recapture the form that made him the
2007 ACC Rookie of the Year. Behind
Adams is redshirt freshman Brandon
Pendergrass, who led the team in
rushing, and EagleBank Bowl hero Kevin
Harris.
Why to be grouchy:
The defense is losing some of the
brightest stars to ever play for Wake
Forest. LB Aaron Curry and CB Alphonso
Smith were All-America type talents,
annually typifying how far this program
has grown in recent years. They’ll be
sorely missed, but so will the other
five senior starters, who are out of
eligibility and leave behind big holes
to be filled.
The number one thing to work on is:
The offensive line. After doing a
miserable job in 2008, it’s incumbent
upon this group to do an immediate
about-face. Not a single letterwinner
will be lost and former starter Chris
DeGeare is working back from academic
suspension, so there is hope. If Wake
Forest doesn’t block better, it cannot
win the ACC. It’s really that simple.
Biggest offensive loss:
WR D.J. Boldin
Biggest defensive loss: CB
Alphonso Smith
Best returning offensive player:
RB Josh Adams, Jr.
Best returning defensive player:
NG Boo Robinson, Sr.
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2008 ACC Early Lookbacks/Recaps