The First 100
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Frederica Knights defeated Bulloch Academy 35-20 recently to move to 5-3 on the season. As a result, the Knights coach Brandon Derrick reached the 100-win plateau in his career. After talking to Coach Derrick, I’m getting the feeling it’s just the start.
I’ve had the pleasure of watching him coach and mentor young men since he came to Glynn Academy as the Offensive Coordinator a dozen or so years ago. He coached my son Preston Delaney as the quarterbacks coach and OC at Glynn. And trust me, Preston absolutely loves the guy. I sat down with Coach last week and had a great conversation.
Brandon told me that while, yes, he was the Head Coach at Frederica he was really in the “kid business”. His real job was getting those young men ready and prepared for life.
He said, “Once you get on the Frederica Family Bus, you’re on it from now on and everyone is welcome”. He told me that sometimes the bus ride can be bumpy with a lot of hard work and some tribulations. But he added that there is a standard at Frederica to be held to and that requires kids to work every day to get a little better at football and life. He said that sometimes holding on to that standard can be tough and you learn more when you lose. But you get better.
Derrick spoke of the early days at McMinn Central in Tennessee where he was the Head Coach from 2006-2008. He took them from a 3-7 record to back-to-back 9-2 seasons. From there it was on to Glynn Academy and finally to Frederica.
The Frederica Coach spoke of the special teams at Frederica and included the 2018 squad with the great Jaylen Simpson. The 2020 state runner up squad and the 2021 team nicknamed the “mean 19”. Yes they only had 19 players!
I put him on the spot and asked who were the top 5 kids he had coached and he immediately told me that they were Jordan Jackson from McMinn, James Dean and Joe Nathan Alford at Glynn. Jaylen Simpson and Jordan Triplett from Frederica. That’s a great top 5!
We went on to talk about all the great high-quality players and kids he has had on the Frederica Bus. Names like Patrick Brunson, Jayshawn Sheffield, Harry Veal, Isiah Jackson and Michael Tindle. The list went on with Will Counts, Deke Jernigan, Josh Meadows, Thomas Veal, Garrett Squire, Brice Riley and Sam Norris. All great players and young men.
What struck me as I left his office was that we hadn’t really talked about the great games, wins and losses. We had mostly talked about the kids.
Brandon Derrick is indeed in the “kids business” and that’s a great big bus he’s driving. The Frederica Academy Knights, players, coaches and fans are very lucky to have him.
Congrats on the first hundred coach!
In The ATL
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The High School Football regular season is almost over.
Let’s take a look at how the top teams in metro Atlanta are doing before they head into the playoffs. I’m going to start with 6A.
#1 Grayson: The Rams (8-0) beat Rockdale County 58-10 last week. The defending 6A state champions are led by backup junior quarterback David “Deuce” Smith.
Four-star senior QB and UNC commit Travis Burgess suffered a season ending knee injury in the third game of the season.
“Hearing him go down, it was sad at one point,” Smith said. “Then it was excited like, ‘Your time is now,’ then it’s nervous butterflies, like, ‘Oh, shoot, it’s a big game coming up.”
In the Rockdale game, Smith threw five touchdown passes in the first half. Jovanni Watts returned a punt 52 yards for a touchdown. Jonathan Stafford had three catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
Next: 10/24 vs. South Gwinnett (5-2)
#2 Buford: The Wolves (7-0) beat Dacula 58-7 last week.
Dayton Raiola, the younger brother of Nebraska quarterback Dylan Raiola, was 9-of-11 passing for 184 yards and four touchdowns, two to Torre Costin.
D.J. McCoy rushed for 92 yards. Deion Miller had seven solo tackles.
Next: Friday at Central Gwinnett (3-3)
#3 Carrolton: The Trojans (8-0) made it to the state championship game in 2024.
Last week they beat Chapel Hill 56-7.
Rontre Welch returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown and caught a 46-yard TD pass a few minutes later.
Jay Hagan returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown.
C.J. Cypher was 9-of-9 passing for 180 yards and three touchdowns. Mason Holtzclaw was 8-of-11 passing for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Next: Friday vs. East Coweta (1-6)
#5 McEachern: The Indians (7-0) used to be an elite program and they have returned back to that in 2025.
Last week, they beat Pebblebrook 51-14. McEachern led 34-0 in the first half. Calvin Pittman was 8-of-9 passing for 165 yards and three touchdowns, and Coby Pittman was 5-of-8 for 83 yards and a touchdown.
Jacorey Shockley had five receptions for 106 yards and two touchdowns. Next: Friday at
#10 Hillgrove (7-0)
Now let’s take a look at 5A.
#1 Hughes: The Panthers (7-0) had a bye last week.
They lost the 5A state championship game last season to Milton. The closest game they had this season was a 13-point win over the #6 team in 6A, Douglas County.
Next: Friday vs. #10 Northgate (7-0)
#3 Gainesville: The Red Elephants (7-1) beat #5 Milton last week, 28-16.
Nigel Newkirk rushed for 166 yards and three touchdowns on 16 carries.
Kharim Hughley was 12-of-19 passing for 117 yards and a touchdown. Marshall Leonard, Kadin Fossung and Jamarion Matthews combined for five tackles for losses.
Next: Friday vs. Chattahoochee (1-6)
#6 Roswell: Last week, the Hornets (6-1) beat Chattahoochee 57-13.
Trey Smith was 19-of-21 passing for 195 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown on five carries.
Dre Cousey had five receptions for 98 yards and two touchdowns.
Next: Friday vs. Lanier (5-3)
Now we will take a look at 4A.
#1 Creekside (8-0): The Seminoles made history in their game last Friday.
They beat Drew 91-0, which is the widest victory margin in a GHSA game since 1967.
They did not score an offensive touchdown in the second half.
The closest game they had this season was a 20-point win over Rome in the season opener.
Next: 10/24 at Jackson-Atlanta (6-2)
Bedeviled
By: Jason Bishop
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Week nine of the high school football season was full of unexpected outcomes and the playoff picture beginning to solidify.
The Brunswick High Pirates looked as if they may coast to another region title in region 1-5A. However, the Statesboro Blue Devils had other plans hosting the Pirates at home at Womack Field.
BHS entered the game at 6-1 and they were undefeated in the region. The Pirates’ lone loss came way back in week 1 to the Camden County Wildcats. Statesboro entered the game tied for second place in the region with their lone region loss to Glynn Academy and 4-2 overall.
The Blue Devils got up early 14-0. Brunswick battled back in the second half and held a 21-20 late. However, the Blue Devils took a 26-21 lead and sealed the game with a late safety for the 28-21 final.
The win for Statesboro gives them an inside track for their first region title since 2005; they won the state title that year.
There is no better rivalry in GISA than Frederica Academy and Bulloch Academy. The Knights and Gators renewed their rivalry with Bulloch Academy a significant favorite to win the game. That did not matter to the Knights.
In this rivalry you can throw all records and stats out the window and Frederica showed us why.
The Knights Head Coach Brandon Derrick was fresh off his 100th career win the week before against the Robert Toombs Christian Academy Crusaders.
The underdog Knights beat Bulloch handily 35-20 in the ‘Bloody Marsh’ on St. Simons.
With the win Frederica improved to 5-3 on the season and 1-0 in region play. It also makes them the favorite to win their win, which comprises of Frederica, Bulloch, Pinewood and St. Andrews.
For Bulloch Academy it was their second loss of the season and made them 6-2 overall.
The MCA Buccaneers came into their game against the Bryan County Redskins having lost four of their last five games and needing a win just to stay in the playoff picture.
The Bucs lone two wins coming into the game were against the Islands and Claxton, not exactly state title contenders.
MCA had lost a heartbreaker to Jenkins County the week before 7-0 in a region tilt. Against Bryan County they turned the tables, this time winning the game 7-0.
The loss for Bryan County more than likely eliminated them from being able to make the playoffs.
The win kept slim hopes alive for MCA in Region 3-A Division 2 as far as making the playoffs. The Bucs have games against Metter, Savannah and Portal remaining. More than likely, The Bucs must win out to get into the playoffs.
Down in Kingsland the Camden County Wildcats continued to struggle in region play. The Cats hosted the Lowndes County Vikings at Chris Gilman Stadium and were downed by the undefeated Vikings, 35-14.
Lowndes has a pretty firm grasp on winning Region 1-6A. Their final two games are both on the road with Richmond Hill and then against rival Valdosta.
Meanwhile for Camden, not making the playoffs is beginning to look like the reality. The Wildcats are 5-3 and 0-3 in the region. The Cats started 5-0 but have now lost three straight, all region games. Those losses include Valdosta, Richmond Hill and Lowndes.
Camden has Colquitt and Tift left on the schedule.
Historically, two region wins will get you in the playoffs in this region. That would not be the case for Camden. The Wildcats need to win out and have Colquitt drop their last game to Richmond Hill for a #4 seed.
Not My Fault
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Arch Manning was supposed to be the next big thing. The next great quarterback in the Manning line, the guy who would bring Texas football back to the national stage, and the face of college football’s new generation.
I even wrote a glowing article about him for this publication just over a month ago. But here we are, five games into the 2025 season, and the story looks a lot different than anyone expected.
Texas is 3-2, the playoff dream is already slipping, and the most famous name in college football is taking more heat than ever.
The numbers tell part of the story. Manning has completed around 60 percent of his passes for 1,158 yards with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also leading the team in rushing, which says a lot about both his toughness and the chaos around him.
He’s made some highlight plays that remind everyone why he was so hyped, but he’s also made too many risky throws. That mix of brilliance and inconsistency has defined his first real run as QB1.
The spotlight has been brutal. Every pass, every expression, every misstep gets analyzed like it’s a presidential debate.
Steve Sarkisian even joked about reporters breaking down Manning’s body language. One SEC coach summed it up perfectly: “He throws a bad pass; he’s the worst quarterback in the world. He throws a good pass, he’s gonna win the Heisman.” It’s impossible to live up to that kind of pressure.
And when you look closer, it’s easy to see why things are rough. Manning is a first-year starter in the SEC behind an offensive line that has struggled badly.
Texas has allowed pressure on over 40 percent of dropbacks, which ranks near the bottom nationally.
In the loss to Florida, he was sacked six times and hit on more than half of his throws. No quarterback thrives in those conditions.
The help around him hasn’t been great either. Texas lost its top tackle and top wide receiver to the NFL, and injuries in the backfield have killed the run game.
The wideouts who were supposed to step up haven’t delivered. So, Manning has been trying to do too much, forcing throws because he doesn’t have many safe options.
Of course, not all of the issues are on the team.
Manning’s footwork has been inconsistent, and he’s been holding the ball too long. His average time to throw is over three seconds, one of the slowest in college football. That’s a dangerous habit behind a weak line.
He’s also missed some easy completions that should be automatic in Sarkisian’s offense. These are things that come with inexperience, but they add up fast.
The coaching hasn’t exactly made life easier.
Sarkisian keeps dialing up deep passing plays that take time to develop, even though his line can’t protect and his young quarterback needs simpler reads. Manning’s average target is 12 yards downfield, which is one of the highest in the country.
The problem is, Texas barely throws short passes. They have fewer quick throws than almost any major program. Instead of building confidence with short routes and screens, they keep asking Manning to go for big plays that often blow up before they start.
What’s getting lost in all the noise is that Arch Manning is still learning, and he’s doing it under more pressure than almost anyone in college football history.
Coaches and teammates say he’s handled it all with maturity and toughness. The problem isn’t that he’s failed to live up to the hype. It’s that no one could live up to the hype that followed his name.
Even the best Mannings had growing pains. Peyton threw 11 interceptions as a freshman. Eli didn’t become a star until his third year. Arch is just going through his version of that, only every moment is broadcast to the world.
The truth is, Arch Manning isn’t broken. He’s just in a tough spot. Texas needs a lot more help up front and a smarter game plan.
He’ll get better as the season goes on, but he was never going to be a miracle worker overnight.
Arch Manning will be fine. He’s talented, tough, and learning how to lead through fire.
Maybe the real story isn’t that he fell short, but that the expectations were never fair in the first place.
Category 5
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Mario Cristobal started his celebration by posing for a photo with his family in front of the scoreboard at Doak Campbell Stadium — reading Miami 28 FSU 22.
The Hurricanes head coach continued by hugging athletic director Dan Radakovich — “That was big,” Radakovich yelled — then waving his arms to pump up the roaring visitors’ section.
Before he could walk into the locker room, he needed one more piece to commemorate the triumph: one of the printed signs that read “Back-to-Back State Champs!”
After The U’s latest victory , it’s time to start taking his Canes seriously as national championship contenders.
The state championship claim is undeniable and notable enough on its own. In the past four games, No. 3 Miami (5-0, 1-0 ACC) has beaten Florida, South Florida, Florida State and Bethune-Cookman (FCS).
It’s the first time the Hurricanes have beaten the Gators and Seminoles in back-to-back years since 2001-04. That means something in this state.
For the first time in two decades, the goal of a national championship finally feels attainable at The U.
For years fans were asking “is Miami back?” After many false-start moments and fool’s gold rosters. They flashed (rising to No. 2 in 2017 and were battling for a Playoff spot last season. Those dreams faded alongside the turnover chain.
This year, life feels different.
Miami defeated the nation’s No. 9 team (Notre Dame), No. 18 team (Florida) and No. 19 team (Florida State), based on recruiting ratings.
Plus, USF, a team that’s good enough to contend for a College Football Playoff appearance. Maybe it’s not the best resume in the country, maybe it doesn’t deserve a #1 overall ranking-but it’s impressive.
If there’s any questionable talent, it’s Cristobal. His failure to kneel out a win over Georgia Tech in 2023 and the blown 21-0 lead at Syracuse remain stains on his resume.
Focusing on those past blunders dims the progress he and his program have made.
Cristobal built a power program the way you’d expect a former offensive lineman: from the inside out.
His lines are excellent; the Hurricanes have allowed only six sacks through five games while, on the other side of the ball, Bain and Akheem Mesidor harass opposing QBs.
The run game and defense are strong. The passing attack, we learned Saturday, is more than capable.
The fact that Miami had to find a different way to win a rivalry game is encouraging for the Hurricanes’ season-long trajectory. They’ll need to beat different teams in different ways if they’re going to earn their first ACC championship, especially if they’re to compete for their first national title since 2001.
Those possibilities seemed feasible at Doak, especially this year. On a weekend that saw Penn State No. 7 and No. 9 Texas fall to unranked and untalented opponents.
Previous Miami teams would have turtled down the stretch as Florida State reeled off 19 consecutive points in the fourth quarter.
Miami’s past two decades have featured too many penalties and game-losing mistakes (do you remember the blocked extra point against the Seminoles in 2016?).
This time around, Miami didn’t panic. Cristobal didn’t pump his fist or clap triumphantly when his offense picked up a time-draining fourth down with three minutes left.
The Hurricanes calmly corralled the last onside kick to seal the win and, of course, kneeled out the clock.
They looked like a team that rightfully expects to win because Cristobal has built a high-end roster with an experienced quarterback and a program that no longer beats itself, even in the biggest moments against the biggest rivals.
And now with Cristobal’s second consecutive state championship secured, it’s time to start envisioning more for the program.
Playoff Run?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Atlanta Falcons are 2-2 and had a bye week in Week 5.
Their next game is a Monday Night Football Game at home against Buffalo on October 13th. The Falcons have not made the playoffs in the last seven years. The question is are they good enough to end that streak?
“It was great to get a win going into the bye week,” tight end Kyle Pitts said. “Week 5 byes aren’t the best. But it’s all good, going into it with a win. We just hope that the continuity will stay high. We’ll definitely link together as offense during this (bye week). Just go to next week and get ready for prime time.”
Atlanta is in their second season under head coach Raheem Morris. Last year they were 8-9. As you know, they paid a lot of money to free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins going into the 2024 season. He signed a four-year $180 million contract, with $100 million guaranteed.
After making this move, they surprised the football world by drafting Michael Penix with the 8th pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Cousins started the season hot and led the Falcons to 6-3 to start the season.
Then he started playing worse during their losing streak. He led the league with 16 interceptions and he was tied for the league lead in fumbles. That led to Cousins getting benched after Week 15.
I think a quarterback controversy might be brewing this season. Penix has been the starter but he played poorly in a 30-0 Week 3 loss at Carolina. Penix was benched for Cousins in the fourth quarter of that game.
Penix also played poorly in the Week 2 win at Minnesota, 22-6. He passed for 135 yards with 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. I believe if he plays poorly against the Bills Penix will be benched.
Atlanta has done some self-scouting during the bye week.
“Getting those guys going and trying to find ways and different things that we can get going,” Morris said. “All of those guys up front being in different positions and trying to get those guys aligned at different things so we could dictate terms a little bit better.”
The Falcons are also working on their run defense ahead of their Week 6 matchup with Buffalo. The Bills have Josh Allen and James Cook to deal with. Cook is ranked second in the league in rushing with 450 yards and 5 TD’s.
The Falcons gave up 147 yards and 6.7 yards per carry in their last outing against Washington. Running back Chris Rodriquez got loose for a 48-yard gain.
“Yeah, so really the one big run, the 48-yarder, is the one that can really crush it,” Morris said. “You can never say ‘except for’ in this game. But, if you can get rid of that run, you don’t feel terrible about it, especially with a quarterback run game. … Well, (that) can really tilt that thing.”
The Falcons have to play the AFC East and NFC West this season. Buffalo is the only good AFC East team so they should be favored against the Jets, Patriots and Dolphins.
The Cardinals are the worst team in the NFC East. The Rams are one of the best teams in the league. The games against San Francisco and Seattle could go either way.
Tampa Bay is the best team in the division and the next game against them will be on the road. I don’t think the Falcons will make the playoffs this season.
The New Skipper?
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Braves began a process that hasn’t happened in 15 years…a search for a new manager. The organization recently announced that Braves Manager Brian Snitker will be changing roles by coming out of the dugout and moving into an advisory role in the front office beginning in 2026.
The Braves-lifer took over the Braves managerial job in the interim in 2016 after Fredi Gonzalez was fired, then named full-time head man for the 2017 season and moves to the advisory role next year which will be the 50th season in the Braves organization.
The Braves haven’t had to do a full managerial search since 2010 when the club hired Fredi Gonzalez to lead the chop. Now the question swirling around the ATL is “who comes next?”
The manager’s job is vastly different than what even Snit was hired to do in 2016 that also comes along with a demand for alignment from Derek Schiller (Braves Owner), Alex Anthopolous (GM) and through the organization.
The other piece that I pray that is still part of the process (but honestly am skeptical if it is) is finding someone that aligns with the “Braves Way” that was coined by legendary manager Bobby Cox and GM John Schuerholz that held the Braves organization to a higher standard than most teams.
There are a couple of different camps on potential replacements. Some in Braves Country would love to see a more “old school” true baseball man to lead the organization, and if they have a tie to the organization even better.
Names like Bruce Bochy, who is a legendary manager for the Giants and recently parted ways with the Rangers is back on the market.
Bob Melvin (who took over in San Francisco for Bochy) was let go by the Giants just days before the Snitker announcement came down the pipe.
Walt Weiss is also one that has come up consistently when the rumors were swirling over the past few years. Weiss was Snitker’s bench coach that has managerial experience with the Rockies and a former Braves infielder.
Finally, John Gibbons has been looking for a new job and has connections to the front office after being hired by Alex Anthopolous for the Blue Jays when “AA” was the top baseball executive north of the border.
Some other folks are looking for a “young buck” that is all into the analytics and the “new age baseball” minds. One of the top names in this category was Skip Schumaker, who was hired on Friday to lead the Texas Rangers and take over for Bruce Bochy in the dugout in Arlington.
There are dozens of former player names that have come up in conversation, and realistically we could list them all, but in reality, they are all the same. Baseball is more than a laptop, but we’ll save that soapbox for another day.
To me, while I’m a baseball purist and an “old school” baseball thinker and would be far more on that side if I had to choose, I believe that there are a couple of happy mediums.
From the time the word came out that there was a vacancy in the Braves dugout, the first name that came to my mind was Mark DeRosa.
DeRosa has been an analyst on MLB Network after his long playing career, and while he doesn’t have full-time managerial experience at the MLB Level, he has been a wildly successful coach and manager with USA Baseball including the manager for the last two World Baseball Classic teams that represented the American team.
Someone like DeRosa that leans more to the old school mindset while also being able to use the data and analytics to support the baseball minds.
Names like DeRosa, Craig Albernaz, Michael Young fit this role, and would be where my searching mind goes first, but we will see where the combination of Schiller, Anthopolous and the rest of the front office go to.
Contenders Only
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Jacksonville Jaguars are 3-1, and that is not something a lot of people saw coming after last year’s mess of a season.
Just a few months ago this was a 4-13 team that looked lost. Now they’ve knocked off the San Francisco 49ers 26-21, and the big question is whether this start is the real deal or just an early season tease.
What stood out against San Francisco is how complete the win was.
The defense, under new coordinator Anthony Campanile, is playing with swagger. They already have more takeaways in four games than all of last season, and they held one of the toughest offenses in football to just one touchdown in three trips to the red zone. That does not happen by accident.
On offense, the Jaguars are still figuring things out under Liam Coen, but they are starting to look dangerous. The run game has been steady, piling up over 150 yards against the 49ers. Travis Etienne keeps finding room to run, and that all goes back to the offensive line.
A year ago, that group was a punchline. Now they are the backbone of this team.
The line has allowed just three sacks through four games. Last year by this point, Trevor Lawrence had already been sacked 13 times. On Sunday, he wasn’t touched once. Zero sacks, zero hits.
That is unheard of against a 49ers front that usually lives in the backfield.
The Jags front office deserves a ton credit for rebuilding that unit and adding depth. Even when starters went down, the backups have stepped in and the offense hasn’t missed a beat.
Lawrence did not put up crazy numbers to be sure, but you could see how comfortable he was. He controlled the game, made smart decisions, and spread the ball around.
Second year wideout Brian Thomas Jr. had his best game yet. Brenton Strange chipped in as a do-everything tight end, and special teams made big plays with Bhayshul Tuten’s kick return and Parker Washington’s punt return. It was a full team effort.
The defense has its own standouts. Devin Lloyd looks like a man on a mission in a contract year, and Dennis Gardeck has been one of those hidden gems who makes plays all over the place.
Even with injuries to Travon Walker, Anton Harrison, and Eric Murray during the game, they held strong. Stopping San Francisco in the red zone was the difference in the game.
Now, it’s not all sunshine. The Jaguars are still way too sloppy with penalties.
They’ve been flagged more than any team in the league so far, and the offensive line has been guilty of too many false starts and holding calls.
Third down has also been a problem, with too many drives stalling out because they’re playing behind the sticks. Those are things that have to get cleaned up if they want to hang with the big boys.
So, are the Jaguars for real? At this point, it sure feels like it.
The defense is creating turnovers, the run game is consistent, the offensive line is dominating, and Lawrence looks like he has full control of the offense. This isn’t the same old Jags that collapsed when things got tough.
This team looks tougher, deeper, and more confident.
The real measuring stick comes next Monday night when the defending AFC champion Chiefs come into Duval.
If Jacksonville can handle the stage, clean up the mistakes, and keep winning at the line of scrimmage, then this 3-1 start might not be just smoke and mirrors.
It’s the sign that the Jaguars might finally be a team to take seriously.
A Little Too Much Buzz?
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Georgia Tech has started the college football season 5-0. That is impressive because most people did not predict this would happen. The Yellow Jackets beat Wake Forest (2-2) over the weekend, 30-29 in overtime. They dropped one spot in the AP Poll to #17.
“I’m extremely excited to win the football game,” head coach Brent Key said. “We’ve got two weeks now to deal with those things.”
It is tough to win games, especially against conference opponents. The two games Wake Forest has won were against Kennesaw State and Western Carolina. The Demon Deacons barely beat KSU in the season opener, 10-9.
We have to now ask, is Georgia Tech a legitimate contender to win the ACC and make the College Football Playoffs?
My answer is no and I have to use this Wake Forest game as an example. I know Tech was on the road but they trailed 20-3 early in the second half. The Yellow Jackets looked sluggish on both sides of the ball and let an inferior team dominate them for most of the game. I could argue that they showed toughness by coming back to win the game.
There was a blown offsides call against Georgia Tech with 1:50 left in the game and Wake Forest had the ball on third down. Quarterback Robby Ashford threw an incomplete pass, thinking he had a free play. That causes the Deacons to punt the ball with a three-point lead.
Wake Forest coach Jake Dickert told reporters Ashford “did what he’s trained to do, and that’s take a shot because he doesn’t know if it’s offside or not.”
An ACC spokesperson told the Associated Press that offside should have been called on the play. If officials had made the correct call, then Wake would have gained a first down with the penalty yards. Tech had no timeouts left, so the Demon Deacons could have secured the victory by running out the clock.
“I think there’s something special about this team, not even looking in the future, just the present with that just happened,” quarterback Haynes King said. “To overcome that, on the road, it’s just the maturity that we have. The trust that we have, players to players and coaches to players.”
Tech has a bye week coming up. Their next game is on October 11th at home against Virginia Tech (2-3). The Hokies lost to Old Dominion 45-26, so this should be an easy win for the Yellow Jackets.
The rest of the season they should be favored against everyone except for #12 Georgia. After Va Tech they play at Duke, Syracuse, at NC State, at Boston College, Pitt and UGA. I think they will lose at least one conference game. I also expect them to lose to Georgia.
If Tech advances to the ACC Championship Game, they will probably play #3 Miami or #18 Florida State. Both of those teams are more talented, so I would expect them to beat the Jackets.
If Georgia Tech can get to nine or ten wins, that will be considered a good season. They were 7-6 last year so that is a major improvement.
Time To Step Up
By: Cameron Miller
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The Jacksonville Jaguars are just three weeks into the 2025 season, but their 2–1 record already tells us a story of grit, growth, and some lingering inconsistencies.
After an offseason that came with a good bit of change, with new head coach Liam Coen leaving Tampa Bay to take over the reins in Jacksonville following their disastrous 4–13 disappointment from last year.
The Jaguars have shown signs of a team that is ready to contend again in the AFC South. At the same time, they’ve also revealed enough cracks to remind fans and players that the climb back to potential playoff form might not be as simple as some had hoped.
The brightest development has been the resurgence of the running game.
After a slow season last year former 1st round pick Travis Etienne has picked up right where he left off a year ago as Jacksonville’s most reliable offensive weapon.
Through three weeks, he’s delivered explosive plays on the ground and in the passing game, including a game-clinching touchdown against Houston in Week 3. His blend of speed and vision has given the Jaguars the ability to control the tempo of games and avoid leaning too heavily on the passing game when things bog down.
Another player, who in my opinion, has come out of the gates headfirst is this year’s 4th round pick, Bhayshul Tuten. With the unexpected emergence of Tuten the Jags were able to make a big decision which was to trade former 3rd round pick, running back Tank Bigsby to the Eagles.
On defense, linebacker Foye Oluokun has been the tone-setter. He’s not only piling up tackles but also forcing turnovers, including an interception and a fumble recovery that swung the opener against Carolina. The pass rush, led by Travon Walker and Josh Allen, has also produced steady pressure, helping the defense notch three or more sacks in two of the first three games.
When this group is flying around, Jacksonville looks like the tough, opportunistic defense Coen envisioned.
Another key thing that needs to be recognized is through the first 3 weeks of the season this Jaguars defense is leading the NFL with 7 total interceptions.
The Wide receiver room is unfortunately beginning with their fair share of struggles. Even though they haven’t come out guns blazing like some may have hoped, they have still provided flashes of what we could start to see consistently in the near future.
Wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. has shown his big-play potential with deep catches, while wide receiver / cornerback Travis Hunter has been tested early and hasn’t shied away from the challenge. Their development will be key in determining just how far this roster can go in 2025.
Still, the season so far has been far from flawless. The most glaring issue remains Trevor Lawrence’s inconsistency.
While he’s shown poise and accuracy at times including three touchdown passes in the narrow Week 2 loss at Cincinnati, turnovers have been a recurring problem. Lawrence has already thrown multiple interceptions in a game, and those miscues have stalled drives and flipped momentum, but you can’t blame all of the passing issues on Lawrence being that the Jaguars have one of the highest drop rates in the entire league. For a team still learning to close out tough contests, ball security will be critical.
Penalties have also haunted the Jaguars. They were penalized 11 times in the opener and were flagged for a costly pass interference in Cincinnati that helped extend the Bengals’ game-winning drive. Discipline has been a theme since training camp, and it’s clear the team is still trying to iron out the details for Coen’s new system.
Another concern for the Jags is their efficiency in the red zone. Jacksonville has been able to consistently move the ball between the 20s but seem to have to often fall short and settle for field goals rather than touchdowns and like we all know when you’re in a competitive game against a quality opponent, leaving points on the board could be the difference between a playoff push and another mediocre season.
At 2–1, Jacksonville finds themselves in 2nd place in the AFC South, behind only the Indianapolis Colts. The surprisingly near elite level of play from Daniel Jones is seeming to make a division that looks winnable into an increasingly competitive fight.
Texans remain dangerous with their young core, while Tennessee also can’t be overlooked.
For the Jaguars to stay ahead, they’ll need Lawrence to stabilize his play and really start to establish the passing game, the offensive line needs to hold up against elite fronts so this run game can keep driving full steam, and the defense to continue generating turnovers at the high level they are currently.
The early weeks have at least proven this to us, the Jaguars under Liam Coen are more resilient than they were a year ago.
In 2024, close games hardly ended competitively. In 2025, Jacksonville has already shown they can hang in and finish the job, like they showed in the grind-it-out win over Houston. That kind of toughness was missing last year and could be the foundation of something bigger under Coen.
The next stretch of the schedule will test the Jaguars’ growth.
Matchups against San Francisco and Kansas City will serve as true measuring sticks for a team still trying to establish its identity.
Win one of those, and Jacksonville will prove that they belong back in the AFC playoff conversation.
For now, a 2–1 start gives us real hope that progress is being made.
The Jaguars have weapons on offense, they have playmakers on defense, and maybe most importantly they have a belief that wasn’t always there last season.
If they can clean up the mistakes, Jacksonville has the foundation to potentially be a contender once again.
