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College-Football Notebook: ACC tells State call was bad
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Published: November 19, 2009
ACC
■ N.C. State athletics officials said yesterday that the ACC office has told them that a disputed call in last week's game against Clemson should have been reversed in the Wolfpack's favor.
Doug Rhoads, the ACC's coordinator of football officials, told Coach Tom O'Brien that the challenge O'Brien made on a play at the State 22-yard line with 8:25 left in the third quarter should have resulted in a fumble recovery for State.
Clemson led 24-14 at the time and won 43-23. The game officials ruled the play dead after a Clemson player's knee hit the ground, a ruling upheld by the replay booth.
Mike Finn, the ACC's associate commissioner for football communications, said yesterday that the problem was in the replay process and that the conference will handle disciplinary action internally with the replay crew.
■ Kendric Burney's three interceptions last week against Miami developed in North Carolina's practices.
Burney wants to get his hands on every pass in practice.
He and Coach Butch Davis will playfully predict how many passes he'll touch each day.
"We'll have a little side bet," Davis said. "He'll say, ‘I'm getting 10 today' or ‘I'm getting eight or 12' or whatever."
And who usually comes out on top?
"He does," Davis said, breaking into a smile.
"I'm trying to set the bar high enough that he can't win."
■ Owen Spencer, an N.C. State receiver, revealed his secret for getting open so often on long pass plays.
"I run real fast," he said.
■ Maryland is going nowhere this season, but has hope for the future in Jamarr Robinson, a sophomore from Charlotte.
He started at quarterback last week for the first time in his career, replacing injured Chris Turner, and rushed for 129 yards.
Robinson's yardage was the most for any Maryland back this season. He became the first Maryland quarterback to rush for 100 yards in a game since 2001, when Shaun Hill did it against Duke.
"I did all right," he said. "I didn't do anything spectacular. We didn't win, so I didn't do enough."
■ The ACC championship game could be a rematch of one of the conference's top games of the season.
Georgia Tech already has a spot in the game after clinching the Coastal Division title, and Clemson can clinch the Atlantic Division.
When the teams played in Atlanta on Sept. 10, Georgia Tech surged to a 24-0 lead. Clemson stormed back to go in front 27-24, but Georgia Tech had one late touchdown left in its tank for a 30-27 decision.
■ Duke's Thaddeus Lewis has been named one of five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, an honor presented annually to the nation's top senior quarterback. The other finalists are Dan LeFevour (Central Michigan), Colt McCoy (Texas), Zac Robinson (Oklahoma State) and Tim Tebow (Florida).
Lewis holds Duke career records for offensive yards (9,300), completions (829), attempts (1,425), touchdown passes (63), touchdown responsibility (71), touchdown-to-interception ratio (1.66-to-1) and total offensive plays (1,772).
He is just one of three players in ACC history to throw for 2,000 or more yards in all four seasons, and ranks second in ACC history in career passes, third in completions, fifth in passing touchdowns, sixth in passing yards and ninth in total offense.
The winner will be presented the Golden Arm Award on Dec. 11 in Baltimore.
Other
■ Mike MacIntyre, Duke's defensive coordinator, and Mark Speir, Appalachian State's defensive-ends coach and recruiting coordinator, yesterday were named assistant coaches of the year in their respective divisions by the American Football Coaches Association.
MacIntyre's defense ranks sixth in the ACC and 41st in the nation in total defense (342.8 ypg allowed).
For the first time in 15 seasons, Duke held three consecutive ACC opponents (Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina) to fewer than 20 points.
Speir is in his seventh season at ASU and has coached the running backs (2003-04), defensive line (2005-08) and defensive ends (2009-).
He has been the recruiting coordinator since 2004, and four of his former players -- ends Jason Hunter, Marques Murrell and Gary Tharrington and tackle Anthony Williams -- have combined for All-America recognition five times.
Winners are selected based on coaching ability, team and player success, community service, volunteerism and participation in AFCA activities and events.
■ Bobby Bowden, the embattled Florida State coach, has a high-profile alumnus on his side -- Gov. Charlie Crist.
Crist said yesterday that Bowden has been great for the school and that Bowden, 80, deserves respect. Some of Bowden's critics have called on him to retire at the end of the season.
Florida State is 5-5 and needs to win at least one more game to qualify for a bowl.
Bowden's 387 wins are second to Penn State's Joe Paterno among major college coaches.
Crist and Bowden appeared together at a news conference promoting the National Child Identification Program created by the American Football Coaches Association.
■ Kentucky could be without its most potent offensive weapon, wide receiver/quarterback Randall Cobb, when it plays Georgia on Saturday. Coach Rich Brooks said that Cobb is questionable at best because of a bruised shoulder. Cobb did not finish practice yesterday and if he does play, there's a chance he would be limited.
Cobb is Kentucky's second-leading rusher with 396 yards and seven touchdowns out of the wildcat formation. He also leads the team with 32 catches for 384 yards and four scores.
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