ACC Football Photos Blog

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State practiced in shorts Wednesday, but it would hardly be described as a walk in the park.

The 18th-ranked Seminoles earned a bit of reprieve from the physical pounding, but that did not lessen the intensity. Monday’s season-opener against Miami is fast-approaching, and improving execution – on both sides of the football – is critical to the Seminoles’ success.

“It was a pretty good practice,” Florida State coach Bobby Bowden said at the conclusion of the 2 1/2-hour workout.

It is obviously a pretty big game, even if it doesn’t carry the same weight as those legendary Sunshine State clashes of the 1980s and ’90s. For the third consecutive season, the Hurricanes enter the game unranked.

“It might not have the interest nationally that it did back in the power days, but to the kids it’s just as important,” Bowden said. “You’re playing a state rival. Many of the kids played against each other in high school – they know each other – so for the kids playing against each other it will be big.”

You can tell that the game remains equally important to both the players and coaches.

After hanging 41 points on the Hurricanes last season in a narrow, two-point victory, the Seminoles hope to be even more explosive offensively under third-year coordinator Jimbo Fisher. All signs point to improvement on that side of the football.

“I think our offense is ahead of last year,” Bowden said. “I think our defense is a little behind. The kicking game, of course, is inexperienced. We’ll find out about that in the game.

“I’d say it would be very much like last year with regard to the intangibles, because we haven’t played a game yet. The kids have done everything we’ve asked them to do. It’s just a matter of trying to get better at what we’re doing; trying to execute better.”

That aspect of the game has been the focus, as the Seminoles have implemented significant changes on both sides of the football.

“I’m sure it was less complex last year,” Bowden said of the offense. “We’ve added a lot. This is the third year with this staff and the boys are further along. … The offense is because they’ve got so many boys returning. The defense has still got the kids that haven’t been tested yet and we will not know until we play in a dang ballgame. We might be excellent. We might be lacking.”

Wednesday notes

The Seminoles spent much of the practice correcting mistakes, working in position segments and against scout teams. … Practice culminated with a goal line, passing drill and the first team offense scored on all four plays. Quarterback Christian Ponder chunked TD passes to Jarmon Fortson, Richard Goodman and Rod Owens, then scampered into the end zone for the final score. The lone touchdown from the second unit came on a nifty Chris Thompson run around the corner. … Defensive tackle Kendrick Stewart (knee) returned to the practice field for the first time this week.

www.seminoles.com

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Virginia Tech coming out to Enter Sandman before playing the Miami Hurricanes in 2003.

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Duke-Richmond
September 5

DT Kinney Rucker (foot) — probable
RB Kyle Griswould (leg) — OUT
CB Randez James (hand) — OUT
S Anthony Young-Wiseman (knee) — OUT FOR SEASON

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Thursday, September 3
	South Carolina at NC State 7 p.m. :: XM Radio 190/191 ESPN ACC ISP Sports Radio Network   Game Notes: SC | NCSU
Saturday, September 5
	Jacksonville State at #15/15 Georgia Tech 1 p.m. :: XM Radio 190 ESPN360.com   Game Notes: JSU | GT
	Northeastern at Boston College 2 p.m. :: XM Radio 191 ESPN360.com   Game Notes: NU | BC
	Baylor at Wake Forest 3:30 p.m. :: XM Radio 192 ABC/ESPN2   Game Notes: BU | WF
	Middle Tenneessee at Clemson 6 p.m. :: XM Radio 193 ESPN360.com   Game Notes: MTSU | CU
	The Citadel at #21/20 North Carolina 6 p.m. :: XM Radio 190 ESPN360.com   Game Notes: Cit | UNC
	William & Mary at Virginia 6 p.m. :: XM Radio 141 ESPN360.com   Game Notes: W&M | VA
	Richmond at Duke 7 p.m. :: XM Radio 191 ACC Select on theACC.com   Game Notes: Rich | Duke
	#7/7 Virginia Tech vs. #5/5 Alabama (Georgia Dome) 8 p.m. :: XM Radio 192 ABC   Game Notes: VT | UA
	Maryland at #12/12 California 10 p.m. :: XM Radio 190 ESPN2   Game Notes: MD | CAL
Monday, September 7
	Miami at #18/19 Florida State 8 p.m. :: XM Radio 190/191 ESPN ACC ISP Sports Radio Network   Game Notes: UM | FSU
#xx/yy indicates rankings in the Associated Press poll/USA Today Coaches poll

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ACC INSIDER: N.C.-based colleges face tough matchups http://ow.ly/nQHT

Football Game Notes – Wake Forest vs. Baylor http://ow.ly/nQEn

For Hokies, Tide, it’s tough to turn down national exposure. http://bit.ly/1sZAF5

RT @D1scourse: Terps have new QB: Clay Belton, transferred from Miami (Ohio) & walked on ths week. Will have 2 years of eligibility left

Seminoles notebook: FSU coach Bobby Bowden hopes promotion of walk-on motivates others http://ow.ly/nPXf

UVA Football: Five Questions For Week One: The time has finally come. http://bit.ly/X67Wj

Eagle in Atlanta Season prediction Part III: what will happen http://bit.ly/tX4bg

Is Ferrara ready to be the kicker? http://ow.ly/nJA8

Cone rises up Georgia Tech Jackets’ WR depth chart http://ow.ly/nIBU

On The Warpath: Volume 5 – Rain http://ow.ly/nJtS

Eagles’ Mark Herzlich fights hard to help http://ow.ly/nIuz

Baylor QB to challenge all facets of Wake’s D http://ow.ly/nIm2

Cardinal Fan Captive In ACC Country http://ow.ly/nIlN

Great Gridiron Getaways Trip One: From USC at Ohio State to Nebraska at Virginia Tech http://ow.ly/nIln

All Eyes On Florida State Special Teams Coach Jody Allen http://bit.ly/4F7JNy

Football, fall and footfalls http://ow.ly/nIkT

CBS Sports: Hokies vs. Crimson Tide http://ow.ly/nIjZ

Clemson Football Weekly Press Conference Quotes http://ow.ly/nM9P

Talking South Carolina With Garnet And Black Attack http://ow.ly/nLzn

CJ Spiller, defensive front look to put Clemson Tigers back on radar http://ow.ly/nIjG

Sorry Bama Fans, The Tide Are Over-Hyped http://ow.ly/nIjw

Clemson’s Swinney ready to prove doubters wrong http://ow.ly/nIjo

Thoughts on the Hokies as they get ready to kick off the 2009 season http://ow.ly/nIiz

RT @ZDNetBlogs: NFL forbids play-by-play tweets during games. Good luck with that – http://tinyurl.com/l8ut2y

FSU will start freshman kicker against UM http://ow.ly/nIi9

Professor Pigskin is in, and predicts Gators will NOT win national title http://ow.ly/nIi2

FSU names walk-on Yarborough its starter at left defensive end http://ow.ly/nIh9

Fortune Teller: Predicting The Boston College Football Season http://ow.ly/nLeV

This picture? Again? Hey, they made me http://ow.ly/nIgY

5 Keys for Miami against Florida State http://ow.ly/nIgh

Bracing for the Storm. I’ve picked Wake Forest to lose to Duke. http://bit.ly/184fEa

RT @ACCSports: Virginia Tech RBS untested heading into Bama game: http://bit.ly/hPOpw

Pack ready for a show. N.C. State hopes to make an impact nationally with its season opener against South Carolina http://ow.ly/nIcU

Fear and Loathing* in Carter-Finley http://ow.ly/nIbu

UVa’s Al Groh Has Several Pieces For Successful Season http://ow.ly/nIb0

Florida State Seminoles vs UM Canes-College Football’s Greatest Rivalry-The Year was 1996 http://ow.ly/nIaI

Neutral site? Not a Hokie’s best friend http://ow.ly/nI8Z

Spurrier, O’Brien will stand as opposites on the field Thursday http://ow.ly/nI8O

BOSTON COLLEGE’S BEAT CANCER T-SHIRT http://ow.ly/nI8E

Midweek Notebook: Week One. Bears Preparing for New-Look Maryland Defense http://ow.ly/nI75

Maryland’s Offensive line aiming to prove critics wrong. Inexperienced unit says underdog role should serve them well http://ow.ly/nI6Q

No sleeping on the team plane, Terps http://ow.ly/nJAH

Inside Carolina’s Buck Sanders will conduct roundtable discussion each week w/ former Tar Heels Deems May & Mark Paschal http://bit.ly/CEYvJ

Spurrier success relies on run game http://ow.ly/nI6C

RT @PackTimPeeler: Did you know Steve Spurrier played in Carter Stadium’s second game, back in October, 1966? http://bit.ly/2nbb67

Virginia Tech Notebook: #Hokies to test Tide’s inexperienced front http://ow.ly/nI6t

N.C. State, USC run in similar pack http://ow.ly/nI6f

College football picks: week 1 tipsheet to beat the Vegas odds, part 2 http://ow.ly/nI62

Georgia Tech, Johnson ready to play http://ow.ly/nI5H

Taylor brings speed to Georgia Tech’s defense http://ow.ly/nI5z

Cutcliffe is confident as Duke prepares for opener vs. Richmond. He says Blue Devils have experience in right places http://ow.ly/nI5l

Pack CB Morgan will miss opener #NCSU http://ow.ly/nI4Y

Clemson cans the Anheuser-Busch fan can http://ow.ly/nI4Q

Don’t believe the hype: Here are the most overrated and underrated teams as the college football season begins http://ow.ly/nI4A

N.C. State relishes early national TV exposure. Coach O’Brien says game ‘certainly has energized the Wolfpack Nation’ http://ow.ly/nI4j

Baylor football more self-assured for rematch with Wake Forest http://ow.ly/nI48

Ready or not, it’s Remi time. On Saturday, he’s slated to start at running back for the Bulldogs against No. 21 #UNC http://ow.ly/nI3V

Catch up with ACC Football News Twitter Links http://ow.ly/nIA8

Tar Heels’ hopes depend on QB Yates http://ow.ly/nI38

RT @ACCSports: The Sept. 2 Daily Links are now up on the site: http://bit.ly/nKwuv

One More Day http://bit.ly/11togJ

RT @InsideCarolina: Wednesday’s UNC Links: Today’s Carolina links from around the ‘net http://bit.ly/4DpRH

‘Bloody Tuesdays’ fire up Blue Devils http://ow.ly/nI2K

Paterno is still relevant. More than 40 years later, the coach remains a force at Penn State http://ow.ly/nI2E

Paul Johnson: Team focused on Jacksonville, not others http://ow.ly/nI2r

Who has the toughest road in 2009? 1. Miami Hurricanes, 3. Florida State Seminoles, 6. Virginia Tech Hokies http://ow.ly/nImn

Saban thinks Saturday’s loser should still be in BCS championship discussion http://ow.ly/nI2d

Mac McDonald is trying to distance himself from being just a Virginia guy in an effort to make his radio show a success http://ow.ly/nI23

Prediction and preview for N.C. State from a Gamecock homer http://ow.ly/nIiT

National spotlight on ACC http://ow.ly/nI1J

UNC defense prepared to take on leading role http://ow.ly/nI1t

RT @ACCGridiron: “This Week in ACC Football” eblast starting soon. Weekly news, videos, links to school blogs. Sign up www.representACC.com

Devils ‘punching in’ at practice. Duke wants to end losing ways http://ow.ly/nI1m

RT @ACCSports: UVa preview story is up on the site. As you’d expect, QB performance is the key: http://bit.ly/16FTCU

#WFU Jim Grobe’s Tuesday Football Press Conference Quotes http://ow.ly/nIeH

Softies? Wake Forest offensive line plans reversal #WFU http://ow.ly/nI1a

Get your own ACC Pocket Schedule courtesy of From The Rumble Seat blog http://ow.ly/nIbW

What should we make of Elon’s first game against an ACC opponent? http://ow.ly/nI11

Schools have lots in common. N.C. State, South Carolina share similar, mostly mediocre, football histories http://ow.ly/nIah

NCSU Wolfpack better than UNC Tar Heels – for now http://ow.ly/nI9P

Imagine if Virginia Tech’s coach Beamer had been offered the Tide job http://ow.ly/nI0Q #Hokies

Joe Ovies: ACCross The Web, Sept. 2 http://ow.ly/nI7m

Beamer downplaying big game http://ow.ly/nI0K

RT @hokiesbuzztap: Gobbler Country >> Five Newcomers to Watch in 2009 http://bit.ly/eOlrN

N.C. State students will celebrate the 2009 football season with a pep rally. http://ow.ly/nI0E

RT @gobblercountry: Quality Opening Opponent Makes Saying “Hello” That Much Sweeter http://ow.ly/nI4E

College Football Preview: Virginia Tech Looking For ACC “Three-Peat” http://ow.ly/nI0e

The Short List. I put up with Larry FREAKING Coker for 6 years, I can give Randy Shannon 3 more standing on my head http://ow.ly/nHZE

NCSU football game will pit fans vs. commuters http://ow.ly/nHYN

Maryland vs. California football game preview and prediction http://ow.ly/nHZ4

Notes About 2008 College Football TV Ratings http://ow.ly/nFHD

The ACC: The Almost Competitive Conference? http://bit.ly/LfgwS

Hokies tailbacks untested heading into Bama game http://bit.ly/V4qxN

Q&A: Virginia Tech QB coach Mike O’Cain http://bit.ly/1e1WzQ

Teams that should be given DAS BOOT from D1 football http://bit.ly/2TWCyS

The Sideline Report: College Football Weekly; September 5 http://bit.ly/3ifR0Q

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GREENSBORO, N.C. – Led by a pair of Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks in Florida State’s Chris Weinke and Miami’s Vinny Testaverde, one of the winningest head football coaches in Atlantic Coast Conference history in Clemson’s Danny Ford, and former Terp Kevin Glover, the ACC Wednesday announced its Class of 2009 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game Legends.

The Legends will be honored at this year’s Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game weekend. They will appear at the ACC Coaches and Awards Luncheon at noon on Friday, Dec. 4, and will be honored at the “ACC Night of Legends” held at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay on Friday evening. They will also be recognized during pre-game ceremonies at Raymond James Stadium for the 5th Annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship, which has an 8 p.m. kickoff on Dec. 5 and will be nationally televised by ESPN.

The group of 12 former gridiron standouts from current ACC schools includes three former ACC Players of the Year, seven former All-Americas, nine players who combined for 79 years of professional football experience and 10 who were drafted into the National Football League including two first-round picks and the No. 1 choice in the 1987 draft (Testaverde).

In all, the collection of players and coaches combined to capture two national championships, one NFL World Championship and 15 ACC team titles.

Weinke, who now resides in Austin, Texas, compiled a 32-3 record as the first three-year starter at quarterback for Bobby Bowden, leading the Seminoles to three ACC Football Championships and the 1999 National Championship as FSU downed Virginia Tech in the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) national title contest. Named the 2000 Heisman Trophy winner as the nation’s best college football player, he led the Seminoles to an unprecedented three straight berths in the BCS Championship Game. By the conclusion of his collegiate career in 2000, he had virtually re-written the Florida State record book and still holds no fewer than 26 school marks in passing and total offense, as well as five Atlantic Coast Conference records. In 2003, Weinke was named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Football Team.

Testaverde, who now lives just outside Tampa in Odessa, Fla., became Miami’s first Heisman Trophy winner, claiming the 1986 Trophy. In two seasons as the starting quarterback for the Hurricanes, Testaverde led Miami to a 21-1 record including a 28-16 upset triumph over then-No. 1-ranked Oklahoma in 1986 in the Orange Bowl. That year he was named a consensus All-America and also earned the Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year Awards and the Davey O’Brien Award. The first selection in the 1987 NFL Draft, Testaverde went on to a 21-year career in the National Football League with Tampa Bay, Cleveland, Baltimore, the New York Jets, Dallas, New England and Carolina, throwing for 46,233 yards and 275 touchdown passes.

Ford, who now lives just outside of Clemson in Pendleton, S.C., began his head coaching career as the youngest head coach (30 years old) in Division I football with a win over Ohio State in the 1978 Gator Bowl. Three years later, he led the Tigers to the 1981 national championship and was named National Coach of the Year. In all, Ford compiled five ACC Football Championships in his 11 seasons as head coach of Clemson. His winning percentage of .760 is the third highest in ACC history and he ranks second only to FSU’s Bobby Bowden in most bowl victories while an ACC coach with six. His 96 victories, while Clemson’s head coach, are fourth-best in ACC history. At one stretch his Clemson teams were ranked among the Associated Press’ rankings for 41 consecutive weeks and his Tiger teams earned 18 wins over nationally-ranked opponents.

Joining them are a trio of some of the best running backs in the ACC’s formative years in Billy Barnes (Landis, N.C.), the 1956 ACC Player of the Year from Wake Forest, Jim Bakhtiar (Charlestown, W. Va.) of Virginia, who earned first-team All-America honors in 1957, and Duke’s Bob Pascal (Easton, Md.) of Duke who led the ACC in total offense in 1955 and helped lead the Blue Devils to at least a share of the first three ACC Football Championships.

Three more Legends who earned All-America honors include Boston College standout defensive back Mike Mayock (Newtown Square, Pa.), who was a two-sport standout for the Eagles in football and baseball, Virginia Tech triple threat quarterback Bob Schweickert (Grayslake, Ill.), who was named to the then-prestigious Look Magazine All-America team in 1964, and Glover (Columbia, Md.), a 1984 first-team All-America center and one of the centerpieces to the Terrapins ACC Championship teams in 1983 and 1984.

Glover is in his sixth season with the Terrapins as the school’s first-ever director of character education. He also serves as an academic counselor and a liaison between the team and the NFL, taking care of all dealings regarding scouts and agents.

Completing this year’s impressive Legends class are three more record-setting running backs of the 1970′s and early 80′s in Georgia Tech’s Eddie Lee Ivery (Thomson, Ga.), who set the NCAA single-game rushing standard with 356 yards against Air Force in 1978, NC State’s Willie Burden (Statesboro, Ga.), the 1973 ACC Player of the Year, and North Carolina’s Kelvin Bryant (Tarboro, N. C.), who rushed for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons for the Tar Heels despite playing in only seven games due to injury in 1982.

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BLACKSBURG, Va. – The Virginia Tech football team will open its home schedule with a “White Out” for the second-straight year. The Hokies will wear white uniforms and a special helmet for their 2009 home opener against Marshall University, which will start at 1:30 p.m., on Sept. 12 at Lane Stadium/Worsham Field.

New White Out T-shirts for the game are available to purchase from the University Bookstores. The shirts are also available on line at www.bookstore.vt.edu. The shirts sell for $6 and the proceeds from the sales will go to Herma’s Readers, a non-profit organization that promotes the power of reading and literacy to youngsters during their formative years, grades K-3. The organization is a tribute to Tech coach Frank Beamer’s late mother, Herma Beamer, who taught in Virginia for over 30 years.

In addition, all fans are encouraged to bring a book to be donated to the Herma’s Readers program. Books will be collected in special bins at the gates the day of the game. All books will be donated to elementary schools within the state of Virginia.

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Fans will once again have an opportunity to be a part of every Tar Heel
Sports Network football broadcast with the pregame Mailbag segment.
Beginning right now, Carolina fans can email their questions
to the crew. During Saturday’s pregame–coverage begins at 5 p.m.
across the network–Rick, Jones, Woody and Lee will answer a few of the
best questions.

Please make sure to include your name and hometown and keep those questions coming all season long.

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Greensboro, N.C. — Former North Carolina tailback Kelvin Bryant has been named to the Dr. Pepper ACC Football Championship Game Legends Class of 2009.

The Legends will be honored at this year’s Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game weekend. They will appear at the ACC Coaches and Awards Luncheon at noon on Friday, Dec. 4, and will be honored at the “ACC Night of Legends” held at the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay on Friday evening. They will also be recognized during pre-game ceremonies at Raymond James Stadium for the 5th Annual Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship, which has an 8 p.m. kickoff on Dec. 5 and will be nationally televised by ESPN.

The group of 12 former gridiron standouts from current ACC schools includes three former ACC Players of the Year, seven former All-Americas, nine players who combined for 79 years of professional football experience and 10 who were drafted into the National Football League including two first-round picks and the No. 1 choice in the 1987 draft (Vinnie Testaverde).

In all, the collection of players and coaches combined to capture two national championships, one NFL World Championship and 15 ACC team titles.

Bryant, a native and current resident of Tarboro, N. C., is one of the most talented running backs in ACC history who helped lead North Carolina to the 1980 ACC title. Bryant rushed for over 1,000 yards in three consecutive seasons, despite having a potential monster season in 1981 limited to just seven games due to injury. That year. in less than seven complete games, Bryant rushed for 1,015 yards and 17 touchdowns before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He still holds NCAA records for touchdowns scored in two (11 TDs) and three (15) consecutive games. Another who shared playing time in a crowded backfield with talents such as Amos Lawrence, Ethan Horton and Tyrone Anthony, Bryant still ranks fourth in career rushing at UNC and earned two first-team All-ACC selections. A seventh-round draft choice of the Washington Redskins in the NFL, Bryant instead played three seasons in the USFL with Philadelphia (1983-84) and Baltimore (1985)–rushing for over 4,000 yards in three seasons–before completing his pro career with the Redskins (1986-90).

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Listen Live

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The 2009 edition of the Jim Grobe Show presented by BB&T will debut tonight at 7 p.m. Fans can tune in locally to the hour-long show on 98.1 WBRF-FM, or the live audio stream can be heard for free online.

Coach Grobe and Stan Cotten, the Voice of the Deacons, will
discuss Saturday’s season opener against Baylor and take calls from
listeners.

The Jim Grobe Show can also be heard on-demand via All-Access on WakeForestSports.com.

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