Bishop Media Sports Network
Sunshine State Heat
By: Robert Craft
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The University of Florida is set to open their regular season against Miami on Saturday at 3 PM at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. It is Billy Napier and Mario Cristoball’s third season at their respective programs.
Though it’s just Week 1, there’s a lot on the line for both teams, particularly with their head coaches. Both Billy and Mario have a lot to prove to fans and athletic departments in their third seasons, with losing records.
For Napier and the Gators, wins are scarce this season, as they face the toughest schedule in the country.
For Cristobal and Miami, the competition gets more manageable after Saturday. Neither coach wants to take a loss right off the bat.
Is the Florida defense strong enough to win tough games like this? They started strong last season but crashed soon after.
The Gators should be better this year, but the Hurricanes are far stronger offensively thanks to former Washington State Cougar Cam Ward.
Ward might be the best quarterback transfer in the 2024 cycle. He has all the tools and experience, and he gets the ball out of his hands in a hurry.
In addition, Oregon State running back Damien Martinez should be a star behind an improved Hurricanes offensive line that should dominate the trenches against the rebuilt Gators front.
On the other side of the ball, Miami’s defensive front is undergoing a bit of an overhaul. They have several talented players that might take time to acclimate.
Florida’s offensive line has been an issue over the last few years. Injuries are the Gator’s biggest problem, but their roster has improved through the transfer portal, and the health concerns are okay as of Week 0.
The Hurricane secondary, like the line, will be good, but it’s counting on a slew of transfers to rise up and perform right away.
Florida needs to get QB Graham Mertz going quickly after he completed 73% of his throws for close to 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns last season.
So, this all comes down to…Which defensive front can be more disruptive?
Miami has the pieces in place to finally win with Mario Cristobal, but The Canes are about to face 2023 Week 3 University of Florida.
That team rose up and rocked defensively in an energy-charged win over Tennessee, and it’s about to happen again in week 1 of 2024.
The Florida defense will hold on in the fourth quarter, and Mertz will be just a bit better than Ward.
Miami is the team playing with more pressure to play well, given the NIL investment that have been made on both sides of the ball.
Florida 31 Miami 27.
This keeps the fans off of Billie‘s back for a few weeks until the gators face Texas A&M at home during week 3.
I think Miami finishes first or second in the ACC and still has a shot at the college football playoffs even with this loss.
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show w Brandon Derrick August 28 2024
Revised Reality
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
A few weeks ago, I did a season preview for Georgia Tech. I said I expect them to lose the season opener against Florida State and struggle to win 6 games and become bowl eligible.
By now, you have to be aware of their upset win in Week 0, beating #10 FSU 24-21.
“It’s definitely a special moment, definitely want to enjoy this one tonight, but like the guys said, it means nothing if we can’t go out next week and handle business,” Tech running back Jamal Haynes said. “We gotta get back (Sunday) got to practice, clean up the details, clean up anything that we made mistakes on and get to work.”
Tech was more physical than the Seminoles. They had a physical run game, which accounted for 190 yards of the 336 yards of total offense. They scored on four of seven drives and were 5-of-9 passing on third downs.
They ranked 120th last season in total defense out of 130 FBS teams. They looked much better in that game and if they can sustain this, they can have a special season.
They have a new defensive coordinator this season, Tyler Santucci. He was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Duke last season. Before that he was the co-DC and LB coach at Texas A&M.
“We talk about putting the extra emphasis on response, how to respond to adversity,” linebacker Kyle Efford said. “We knew after that first drive we had to respond. We can respond negatively or positively. We got on the sidelines and was talking about it, ‘Hey we gotta step up. It’s gonna be on us.’ It was really just that response.”
This win has led to a recruiting win. Two days after the game, four-star defensive lineman Christian Garrett committed to Georgia Tech. The 6’4, 280-pound senior at Prince Avenue Christian was previously committed to Georgia since June and then he backed off that pledge earlier this month.
He is a top 20 defensive lineman in the nation. Garrett had offers from programs like Tech, UGA, Clemson, Florida, Auburn, Miami, Ole Miss and Tennessee.
This is a bit different from when Paul Johnson was the head coach. The players he recruited would have offers from teams like Austin Peay and Gardner-Webb.
I have reexamined their schedule and I think they can get off to a fast start. The next game is home against Georgia State. That should be a blowout win.
The next five games are at Syracuse, VMI, at Louisville, Duke and at North Carolina. The Yellow Jackets should be favored in all of those games. I believe they have a real shot to start the season 7-0. The schedule will get drastically tougher after that.
They will face off against #7 Notre Dame October 19 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Initially, I did not think Tech had a chance in this game but I think they have a chance to win.
Establishing the run game and playing physical gives them a puncher’s chance in every game.
The final games are at Virginia Tech, #19 Miami, #22 NC State and at #1 UGA. My new assessment of GT is they can win nine games as a best-case scenario. Realistically, I think they go 8-4 and that is a very good season.
Camden County Wildcats Coach’s Show w Travis Roland August 27 2024
Sugary Canes
By: Charlie Moon
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Gimme two chains and a big ole pimp hat – a big green one with a thick black stripe around the brim. Sounds like a garb-laden recipe for great football. I get it. We’re in a new era of youth sports. Bat-flipping and TD chains are a way of pigskin normalcy. But the Canes are king when it comes to all swag, no substance.
I really try not to be Mr. Hyperbole, but I think the Canes might be the most disappointing college football team of the last twenty years.
Consider this. From 1983 to 2003, the Hurricanes won more than 10 games, 14 times. All 5 of the Canes’ national titles were won during that same time span.
And since then?…..just one 10-plus win season.
Seeing that, I nearly spit out my iced coffee.
Their schedule slots several slippery slopes.
The Canes get ACC favorite FSU at home and don’t even have to play the #2 squad Clemson Tigers. Those playoff chances hinge heavily on the Canes opening week trip to Gainesville. They also have roadies at Cal and GA Tech.
Word around Coral Gables is the U will get back to its natural born identity, the run game. Last year, Miami ranked 10th in average yards/carry of Power 5 teams. Sweet, but the Canes want to add more sugar.
The Georgia Bulldogs have been known as “Running Back U” for a couple decades, but before that Miami was right there. Coral Gables was hot-n-heavy with studs like Alonzo Highsmith, Willis McGahee and Edgerrin James.
For all the flamboyant flamingo flying of guys like Michael Irvin and Bennie Blades, it was the rushing game that sweetened the Canes.
There’s probably more upside to the Miami RB room than any other ACC squad. 2023 leading rusher Henry Parrish left for Lane Kiffin’s Rebels, but the Canes got what I think will be one of the top ACC transfers in Oregon State’s Junior Damian Martinez.
In his first two years, he tallied 2,167 yds and 6.4 yards/carry. AJ Allen and Mark Fletcher add depth and both would probably start for many Top 20 teams.
The O-line returns most of its bulk but will be led by Indiana transfer center and 2023 All Big 10er, Zach Rivers.
Leading wideout Xavier Restepo brings back his 85 catches. The rest of the wideout room is good, but not great.
But the biggest reason Canes Nation sees sunshine is QB transfer Cam Ward from Washington State.
Most of the country may have rarely, if ever, seen Ward play. Let’s face it. If it wasn’t for Phil Knight’s checkbook, the only thing college football fans would respect out of the northwest would be the occasional bark of the Huskies, certainly not the Cougars.
But I believe Cam Ward will be THE #1 most valuable ACC transfer and a sleeper for the country’s top role. He’s got it all with his legs and his arm. Once he improved his progression reading, he became lethal. The 3-year Apple State man has thrown for over 11,500 yards with 92 TDs and 25 INTs.
Honestly, I don’t even know where to start with the Canes defense. We’re in the age of the transfer portal. But, the Canes have a possible 12 transfer starters, it would be like predicting how many flamingos will be in the next Miami Vice flick.
The biggest wildcard for Miami is HC Mario “Can’t Get Right” Christobal. I’m sure he’s a smart guy. You don’t reach that level without being smart.
But that doesn’t mean your brain won’t freeze when the lights come on. With a 3-point lead against GA Tech last year, who had no time outs, what do you do?
Obviously, you run the ball, right? Wrong! They ran it…and fumbled. GA Tech scored a few plays later. It could be forgotten, but Christobal did something similar when he was at Oregon.
In the end, I really think this is finally the year that the Canes get back to national prominence. Not saying they’re a sneaky top 4 or 5 team, but I do think they’re a sneaky shot to reach the expanded playoff.
Much weighs on Cam Ward. I think he’s a Heisman dark horse Top 5. Damian Martinez is a dark horse Doak Walker winner. It’ll come down to the defensive transfers and a coach who has a history of going brain dead.
Life In Death Valley
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
People have seen the Clemson Tigers coming back down to earth after their historic run with Head Coach Dabo Swinney the last few years. The Tigers have had at least three losses in each of the last three years.
Swinney has been extremely vocal about his opposition to the current state of college football with the transfer portal and NIL running rampant, but at the end of the day, Clemson keeps winning!
Last season, the Tigers began the 2023 season 4-4 with losses to Duke, Florida State, Miami, and NC State. It was at that point that Dabo Swinney said that if Clemson was a stock, you should buy big. Boy was he right.
The Tigers rattled off five straight victories including a victory over Kentucky in the Gator Bowl to finish 9-4. While that mark still is sub-par in Clemson, the impressive finish to 2023 cannot be overlooked.
Swinney, again, has been against the evolution of the transfer portal and had dug his heels in the sand with the lack of transfers that Clemson has brought in the last half-decade.
That being said, this year Clemson may not need a ton of new talent into South Carolina with the Tigers returning 14 starters from last year’s squad.
One of the most impactful returners for the Tigers is quarterback Cade Klubnik. Klubnik took the full reigns of the offense last year after three impressive games as a true freshman in 2022.
Last year, Klubnik threw for over 2,800 yards, but did make some critical mistakes in the first half of the season leading to the 4-4 start. That being said, Klubnik grew up in front of Tiger fans’ eyes taking control and led the team to the aforementioned five game season-ending winning streak.
The offense seems to be in a good place with Offensive Coordinator Garrett Riley and Klubnik both in year two as the “full-go” along with an upgraded receivers room and a heavily experienced offensive line.
The Tigers defense took a hit in the offseason with five NFL Draft picks and losing all four starting D-Linemen. Swinney and 3rd year Defensive Coordinator Wes Goodwin dove deep into the recruiting trail to bring in pass rushers and return two Freshman All-Americans in TJ Parker and Peter Woods.
While last year’s 9-4 mark snapped the streak of 12 consecutive seasons of 10+ wins, folks around the Tiger program believe this could just be a bump in the road and the Tigers continue to help lead the ACC.
The Tigers have won the ACC in seven of the last nine seasons, and look to continue that trend in 2024, but it will be a tough road to do so.
Clemson will have to come out of the gate swinging with the 2024 season opener coming in Atlanta for the Chic-Fil-A Kickoff against the Georgia Bulldogs. In addition to the Bulldogs in a “neutral” site game, the Tigers track to an ACC Title is a tough one.
Clemson draws NC State, Florida State, Virginia Tech on their league schedule with the matchup against the Seminoles and Hokies coming on the road.
While the schedule isn’t necessarily in favor of Clemson, I think this is a year that is manageable for the Tigers to get back into prominence in the ACC, and into the expanded College Football Playoff.
And who knows, even if the Tigers don’t take home the ACC crown, maybe a first-round playoff game finds its way to Death Valley and Memorial Stadium.
Jason Bishop Show August 22 2024
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show w Brandon Derrick August 21
Rule Change
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
As the NFL preseason wraps up, the effects of several new rules are becoming clearer, with the revamped kickoff alignment being one of the biggest talking points.
Kickoffs, which had been fading in importance, are making a strong comeback. This preseason, 78% of kickoffs have been returned, compared to just 22% during the 2023 regular season.
The league’s effort to make kickoffs a strategic play again has also led to a big drop in touchbacks, now down to 19% from 73% last year. The average starting field position after a kickoff has improved too, moving up to the 28.3-yard line, a nice jump from 23.9 yards in the 2023 preseason.
This rise in returns has led to more exciting plays, with 11 kickoffs returned for at least 40 yards, almost double the number from last year at this point.
However, some teams are still opting for the safety of touchbacks, and we’ve seen a 10% increase in kickoffs landing in the end zone between Weeks 1 and 2 of the preseason.
About two-thirds of kickoffs have hit the “landing zone” between the 20-yard line and the goal line, showing that teams are trying out different approaches under the new rules. But with touchbacks now spotted at the 30-yard line, there’s some debate about whether teams will stick with this more cautious approach once the regular season kicks off.
Another interesting shift is how involved kickers have become in the action. They’re making tackles a lot more often than before.
Last season, kickers were credited with a tackle roughly once every 15 games, but this preseason, they’re averaging a tackle every four games. This shows how kickoffs are becoming more dynamic again, with some coaches even using their starters on special teams to take advantage of this renewed importance.
The new kickoff rule isn’t the only change this season. The NFL has also introduced a penalty for hip-drop tackles, which has sparked a lot of debate. Despite concerns about how it would be enforced, no flags have been thrown for it so far in the preseason. The rule is aimed at the most obvious cases, where a player drops their hips and body weight onto the runner’s legs to bring them down.
If a player stays on the ground or on their feet while using a similar technique, it’s still considered a legal tackle. The NFL seems to be taking a similar approach to how they enforce the helmet rule, with penalties likely coming after the game during reviews instead of during live play.
Besides these major changes, the NFL has also made some quieter adjustments to its replay system. Replay officials can now review two new situations: whether a passer was down by contact or out of bounds before throwing the ball, and whether the game clock expired before the snap.
These additions fit with the league’s cautious approach to expanding replay, where they focus on fixing obvious mistakes without reviewing everything.
The league has also made changes to player safety with the expanded use of Guardian Caps during training camps and preseason practices.
These foam pads, which attach to the outside of helmets, are now mandatory for more positions, except quarterbacks and specialists.
The NFL also allows players to wear helmets that offer equal or better protection than Guardian Caps during practices and games, leading to more players switching to those models. Some players are still opting to wear Guardian Caps during preseason games.
With just one week left in the preseason, we’re already seeing the impact of these new rules, especially with kickoffs.
Teams are testing out different strategies, and the 2024 season could bring a lot more special teams action, with more returns and big plays than in recent years.
But whether these trends continue into the regular season depends on how teams decide to balance the risks and rewards of the new rule changes.
I can’t wait to find out!
Camden County Wildcats Coach’s Show w Travis Roland August 20
