Video: Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier: Notre Dame should join ACC for football, too

South Carolina Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier questioned why Notre Dame was allowed to be treated as a conference by itself getting to sit in on all the College Football Playoff meetings.

Video: Alabama's Nick Saban, A.J. McCarron speak at SEC Media Day

Alabama coach Nick Saban and quarterback A.J. McCarron addressed the media on Day 3 of SEC Media Days. Saban discussed the upcoming season while McCarron shared his thoughts on Johnny Manziel.

Video: Manziel, Clowney on potential Aggies-Gamecocks clash

Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel and South Carolina Gamecocks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney have differing opinions on the outcome of a potential encounter in the backfield.

The numbers behind FSU football's ACC domination

Florida State dominated the ACC last season in football last season. The Seminoles won seven regular-season games and the ACC title.

FSU was really good. Sometimes you don't need advanced stats to tell you the obvious but sometimes they can explain just how good a team was.

The Seminoles led the ACC in yards per play on offense and defense (see chart below). On offense, FSU averaged 6.99 yards per play in nine conference games (including its 21-15 win over Georgia Tech in the ACC title game). The Noles held their conference opponents to just 4.02 YPP (Virginia Tech was only other ACC team with an average of less than 5.0).

The difference between FSU's offensive YPP and defensive YPP was 2.97 (the best difference among ACC teams the six years of data available on CFBstats.com). Clemson was second in the league with 0.68.

Interestingly enough, the five teams with the most conference wins last season had the five best difference in YPP. None of the teams with a negative average differential had a winning record in league play.

N.C. State, 4-4 in the ACC last season and the only team to beat FSU, was the only team with a negative average differential to have at least a .500 league record.

Duke, which went 3-5 in ACC play, had the worst difference in YPP at minus-2.02. The Blue Devils gave up a league-worst 7.07 yards per play in eight conference games. Wake Forest averaged the fewest yards per play on offense with 4.09.

Team	YPP-O	YPP-D	+/-	Wins
FSU	6.99	4.02	2.97	8*
Clemson	6.54	5.86	0.68	7
Georgia Tech	6.35	5.77	0.58	5
UNC	6.29	5.75	0.54	5
Miami	6.52	6.16	0.36	5
Virginia Tech	5.14	4.85	0.29	4
Virginia	4.95	5.20	-0.25	2
N.C. State	5.30	5.87	-0.57	4
Boston College	4.99	5.74	-0.75	1
Maryland	4.40	5.29	-0.89	2
Wake Forest	4.09	5.33	-1.24	3
Duke	5.05	7.07	-2.02	3

Note: *-counts FSU's win over Georgia Tech in the ACC title game.

A closer look at Duke's returning running game

A few ACC beat writers run offseason previews of the upcoming football opponents. I recently helped The Roanoke Times' Virginia Tech beat writer Andy Bitter with the Duke one. Sometime soon, my Duke preview for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Pitt beat writer, Sam Werner, will go live, too.

It's come to my attention that a further explanation of my comments on the running game might be helpful to some. I took the time to give a more detailed explanation in the preview I wrote for Sam, but, seeing as I'm on furlough next week, I'll post said explanation here.

Basically, my theory on Duke's running game is this: until proven otherwise, I’m not expecting a whole lot out of this group.

Now put down the pitchforks and read.

Yes, Jela Duncan, the former three-star recruit out of Mallad Creek, showed flashes last year (532 yards on 99 attempts) that would lead you to believe he will develop into the best Duke running back of the Cutcliffe era. Cutcliffe and his staff are firm believers in the running back-by-committee approach, though, so expect that to continue, as opposed to seeing one feature back emerge (typically, each back will take a turn being the featured back for a series).

The three main rushers—senior Juwan Thompson, redshirt junior Josh Snead, and Duncan, a sophomore—are all back. So is sophomore Shaq Powell, a four-star recruit who couldn't crack the rotation last year but should be in the mix this season. The message boards didn't take too kindly to my suggestion in another preview that, until proven otherwise, I'm not expecting much out of this group, so let me take the time to explain why:

I don't think there's much to be gleamed from season-long averages that factor in games against I-AA opponents and terrible nonconference teams. So, here were Duke's rushing totals against bowl-qualifying teams last year (8-4, postseason ineligible North Carolina and 7-5, postseason ineligible Miami are included):

Date	Opponent	Rushing Yards	Result
9/8/12	Stanford	27	L, 50-13
10/13/12	at Virginia Tech	22	L, 41-20
10/20/12	North Carolina	234	W, 33-30
10/27/12	at Florida State	103	L, 48-7
11/3/12	Clemson	85	L, 56-20
11/17/12	at Georgia Tech	77	L, 42-24
11/24/12	Miami	151	L, 52-45
12/27/12	vs. Cincinnati	200	L, 36-18

I could go back and break down how many rushing yards came in the first half of the Florida State game—it was 31-7 at halftime—but I think the point has been made. I will point out, though, that Miami had the worst rushing defense in the league last season. And that the win over North Carolina was, truly, one of the finest moments in Duke football history.

You can't talk about the running game without mentioning the offensive line, and last year's team featured four returning starters (those same four are all back this year, as well). The unit took several drive-killing false start penalties, with a few holding calls thrown in, at Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech, in particular. If those tendencies don't change, it won't matter who is collecting the handoff in the backfield.

Duke finished 8th in the league last year in rushing offense, snapping a three-year stretch of finishing last in that category. In Cutcliffe's first year, the Blue Devils finished second-to-last. So, forgive me for repeating myself, but until proven otherwise, I'm not expecting much from this group.

Despite a healthy dose of skepticism on the running game, I do expect the Blue Devils to go bowling once again.

- Laura Keeley

- For all the latest Duke news, like Duke NOW on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.

Jela Duncan leads Duke's quartet of returning running backs. Credit: CHUCK LIDDY

ACC releases list of 51 undrafted players getting NFL shots

Greensboro, N.C.—A total of 51 players from Atlantic Coast Conference schools have signed free agent contracts or received invitations to attend free agent camps from teams in the National Football League.
Combined with the 31 ACC players drafted by the NFL, a total of 82 players from ACC schools will head to NFL training camps this year.
When draftees (3) and free agents (10) from Pittsburgh and Syracuse are included, teams which will join the ACC this July 1, the number of players headed to the NFL grows to a total of 95 players.

ACC NFL Free Agent Signees (as of May 9)
Boston College (5)
Nick Clancy                         LB               Atlanta Falcons
Emmett Cleary                  T                  Indianapolis Colts
Jim Noel                               DB              Seattle Seahawks
Chris Pantale                      TE               New York Jets
John Wetzel                       T                  Oakland Raiders

Clemson (6)
Dalton Freeman               C                 New York Jets
Xavier Brewer                   DB              Dallas Cowboys
Spencer Benton               PK               Dallas Cowboys
Tig Willard                           LB               Tennessee Titans
Brandon Ford                    TE               New England Patriots
Jaron Brown                       WR             Arizona Cardinals

Duke (3)
Jackson Anderson           LS                Houston Texans
Tony Foster                        DB              Kansas City Chiefs
Conner Vernon                 WR             Oakland Raiders

Florida State (3)
Anthony McCloud           DT               Minnesota Vikings
Lonnie Pryor                      FB-RB        Jacksonville Jaguars
Rodney Smith                    WR             Minnesota Vikings
   
Georgia Tech (5)
T.J. Barnes                          DT               Jacksonville Jaguars    
Izaan Cross                         DE               Buffalo Bills
Rod Sweeting                    CB               New Orleans Saints
Orwin Smith                       RB               Tampa Bay Buccaneers (invited to free agent camp)
Tyler Morgan                     LS                Carolina Panthers

Maryland (5)
Devonte Campbell          TE               Atlanta Falcons
Darin Drakeford                LB               Kansas City Chiefs
A.J. Francis                          DE-DT        Miami Dolphins
Matt Furstenburg            TE               Baltimore Ravens
Joe Vellano                         DE-DT        New England Patriots

Miami (3)
Dalton Botts                       P                 (Tryouts with Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints)
Ramon Buchanan             LB               Seattle Seahawks
Jeremy Lewis                     OL               Tampa Bay Buccaneers

North Carolina (4)
Casey Barth                        PK               Atlanta Falcons
Jheranie Boyd                   WR             Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Erik Highsmith                   WR             Minnesota Vikings
Kevin Reddick                    LB               New Orleans Saints

NC State (6)
Zach Allen                           G                 Carolina Panthers
Brandan Bishop                S                  Minnesota Vikings
R.J. Mattes                         OL               New England Patriots
Tobais Palmer                    WR             Jacksonville Jaguars
Cameron Wentz               C                 Minnesota Vikings
C.J. Wilson                          CB               Chicago Bears

Pittsburgh (4)
Ray Graham                       RB               Houston Texans
Hubie Graham                   TE               Tamp Bay Buccaneers
Mike Shanahan                 WR             New York Jets
Ryan Turnley                      C                 New York Giants

Syracuse (6)
Lou Alexander                   T                  New Orleans Saints
Zack Chibane                     G                 Buffalo Bills
Dean Goggins                    DE               Atlanta Falcons
Alec Lemon                        WR             Houston Texans
Marcuse Sales                   WR             Atlanta Falcons
Brandon Sharpe          DE           Washington Redskins

Virginia (5)
Paul Freedman                TE               Dallas Cowboys
Steve Greer                       LB               Washington Redskins
Perry Jones                        RB               Baltimore Ravens
Colter Phillips                     TE               Tampa Bay Buccaneers
La’Roy Reynolds               LB               Jacksonville Jaguars

Virginia Tech (5)
Nick Becton                        T                  San Diego Chargers
Marcus Davis                     WR             New York Giants
Antoine Hopkins              DT               Pittsburgh Steelers
Bruce Taylor                       LB               Cincinnati Bengals
Alonzo Tweedy                 LB               New York Giants

Wake Forest (1)
Kenny Okoro                     DB              San Diego Chargers

Tar Heels, Gamecocks to play in Charlotte in '15

North Carolina will play South Carolina to open the 2015 college football season at Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium, a source confirmed to the Observer on Tuesday.

The official announcement of the game -- which will be played Sept. 5, 2015 -- is expected to come at a news conference Thursday morning at the stadium.

The Tar Heels and Gamecocks last played in 2007, a 21-15 victory by South Carolina in Chapel Hill. North Carolina leads the series 34-17-4, but the teams have only played 11 times since South Carolina left the ACC in 1971. The Gamecocks hold a 6-5 advantage during that stretch. They will also open up the 2013 season with a game Aug. 29 at Williams-Brice Stadium. – David Scott

ACC announces schedule for its bowl game tie-ins

2013 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Bowl Schedule
(Chronological Order, All Times Eastern)

Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman
Friday, Dec. 27, 2013              2:30 p.m.         ESPN

Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl (conditional)      
Friday, Dec. 27, 2013              9:30 p.m.         ESPN

Russell Athletic Bowl          
Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013          6:45 p.m.         ESPN

Belk Bowl                            
Saturday, Dec. 28, 2013          3:20 p.m.         ESPN

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl                
Monday, Dec. 30, 2013           3:15 p.m.         ESPN

AdvoCare V100 Bowl          
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013           12:30 p.m.       ESPN

Hyundai Sun Bowl              
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013           2 p.m.              CBS

Chick-fil-A Bowl                  
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2013           8 p.m.              ESPN

Discover Orange Bowl        
Friday, Jan. 3, 2014                 8 p.m.              ESPN

Injured Gamecocks player: School abandoned me

Former South Carolina defensive tackle Stanley Doughty is the key figure in this Atlantic story taking the NCAA to task for not better regulating healthcare for student-athletes.

Specifically, Doughty says he was abandoned by the Gamecocks after NFL doctors discovered he had a spine injury he thinks was suffered during his South Carolina playing days.

Now, he says he is disabled and unable to afford surgery or to return to school to complete his degree.

Another example in the story is former Oklahoma basketball player Kyle Hardrick, who says the Sooners, under then-coach Jeff Capel (now a Duke assistant), pushed him out after he suffered a knee injury, and wouldn't pay for his medical care.

Capel, to his credit, wrote a letter on Hardrick's behalf after Capel had left Oklahoma, but the school declined to declare Hardrick a medical hardship case.

From the Atlantic's story:

Stories like Doughty's and Hardrick's speak to the larger paradox of college sports, wherein players are treated like employees of their institutions—but don't get paid or receive the same benefits as recognized workers. Let's say the athletic director walks through the stands, slips on spilled soda and breaks his leg. Because he is considered an employee of the university, worker's compensation will cover any costs, short and long-term. But if a player 15 feet away breaks his leg on the field, running a play at the coach's request, the school has no legal or financial obligations since he is considered a student-athlete, not an employee.

Few of these stories come to light, and the Atlantic points at that some, and perhaps most, schools treat their athletes' medical needs fairly. But few athletes ask about medical care when they are being recruited, and are left to take the school's word.

An interesting, if long, read, but worth your time.

-- Mike Persinger

Which schools best turned recruits into NFL talent in 2013?

A sports marketing professor at Emory University studied the 2013 NFL draft through the lens of which teams did the best at turning recruiting talent into draft picks.

ACC winners? Florida State, North Carolina and N.C. State.

Tops in the SEC were South Carolina and Vanderbilt. 

There were also rankings for the Big Ten, Pac-12, and an overall ranking.

Interesting look at the power conferences in college football.

Surprised by anything you read?