Facing Defensive Turnover, NC State’s Relying on Darryl Cato-Bishop to Be a Disruptive Force

Last season’s juniors are now this season’s seniors, and with that comes extra responsibility and expectations. In the ACC, while there were plenty of players selected in the NFL Draft, the conference still returns a strong group of seniors — many of whom are set to make a strong impact in their final seasons of eligibility.

Over these few weeks, we’re going team-by-team in the ACC to identify the “standout senior” that’s key to his respective squad, and why he’s so important. Think we should’ve featured another player, though? Feel free to weigh in with your own thoughts in the comments.

NC State Wolfpack: Darryl Cato-Bishop, DE

For the Wolfpack defense, the secondary has been the unit’s crown jewel in recent years, rightly or wrongly — something that’s about to change. As the team’s best coverage men like David Amerson and Earl Wolff depart, it’s an opportunity for the team to take a new focus not seen much since Mario Williams roamed the defensive line. We’re of course talking about an individual pass-rush guided by one standout defender. Enter: Cato-Bishop, the senior who could change all that.

After missing the first two games last season (rough outings for State, which went 1-1), Cato-Bishop returned in the third contest against South Alabama, and made his presence felt immediately. Leading a strong pass-rush, he racked up 1.5 sacks while pressuring Jaguars’ quarterbacks into quick throws and effectively shutting down the run game. Though the stat line doesn’t necessarily pop for the rest of the year, he still managed to record over a half-sack per game in the ensuing nine regular season contests, and make major strides in stuffing the run, too. But of course, there’s certainly room for improvement for Cato-Bishop, especially in terms of getting after the quarterback.

In 13 games, 455 passes were attempted against the Wolfpack, a group that at times took advantage of the fact (33 sacks as a team) and at others, did not (still allowed 249 passing yards per game). That’s where having an elite pass-rusher comes in, as the players on this version of NC State may not realize. When David Amerson was in the defensive backfield in 2011, teams tried to gameplan around him while others tested him. After watching a full season of game tape, teams realized how to challenge Amerson, and as a result, he got burned more often. Cato-Bishop, on the other hand, doesn’t the same gaudy film going into his final season, which can actually be a bonus for him.

Typically, the senior DE is characterized as “lacking athleticism,” but now’s as good a time as any to change that. At 278 pounds and 6’4″, he’s got the size to cause major havoc, but needs to increase his speed off the line (currently running a 40-yard dash around 4.89 seconds). If he can trim off 10 pounds and increase that speed, the only element left is just getting your hands into plays. Last year, he only deflected one pass all season, while forcing zero fumbles. NC State doesn’t need Cato-Bishop to be an all-world defender. But he has the opportunity in front of him to have a breakout senior season if he chooses to do so. For a team searching for a defensive identity, the Wolfpack’s waiting to see if he rises to the occasion.

Previously: Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Maryland, Miami

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Monday through Friday each week, we compile the best links on ACC football from around the web.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

ACC Season-Ending Rivalry Games: Not New, Not Hard, Not Created in a Vacuum (BC Interruption)

If the ACC is going to move towards every program having a season-ending rivalry game, the youngbloods Pitt and Syracuse are also going to need a dancing partner. On Monday, ESPN’s Heather Dinich weighed in on Pitt and Syracuse’s need for a rivalry game to end the season. Many silly things were said that largely ignores the entirety of Syracuse and Boston College football history…

Doeren Takes Different Rivalry Approach Than Fedora (WRAL Sports)

If the history of football coach hirings and firings at the University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University holds, second-year Tar Heel coach Larry Fedora and new Wolfpack hire Dave Doeren will meet six or seven times as representatives at opposite ends of the Triangle. Exactly how the styles of the two will differ – or perhaps parallel – won’t become completely clear for at least a season or two…

Doc Five: Players Who Could Keep Johnny Manziel From Another Heisman — No. 4 Jameis Winston (Dr. Saturday)

Before you get too worked up… The last six Heisman Trophy winners have come out of the blue to win. Some were entirely off the radar (Johnny Manziel, Cam Newton). Others were coming off solid seasons but weren’t considered Heisman contenders. HeismanPundit.com does a very good preseason watch list every year, and none of the last six winners were in the preseason top 10…

Something to Prove: Clemson Wide Receiver Sammy Watkins (SI.com)

Only a year removed from a dazzling freshman campaign in which he made 82 catches for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns, Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins entered the 2012 season with lofty expectations. Yet the 2011 All-America regressed in his second year, both on and off the field. Watkins was arrested on drug-related charges in May 2012 and was subsequently suspended for the Tigers’ first two games…

Detroit Lions Likely to Start College Football Bowl Game (SB Nation)

@McMurphyESPN: Detroit Lions expected to start new bowl in 2014, likely B1G vs. ACC, at Ford Field sources told @ESPN. Would eliminate Little Caesars Bowl; Bowl tie-in redistribution season has produced its strangest result yet. Fun thing about college football bowl games: they can be commissioned and administered by anybody with money. They were originally started in the name of tourism and now lumber onward in the name of branding…

Remember the Name: Swinney Says DE Kevin Dodd Has Made “Amazing Progress” (Orange and White)

Kevin Dodd. Remember the name, and get back to Dabo Swinney after the 2013 season and he’ll tell you more. “Kevin Dodd’s progress in one year is amazing,” Swinney said recently during a wrap-up of Clemson’s spring practice. “Nobody has even asked me about Dodd, but after this season everybody’s going to be asking me about Dodd. I promise you”…

10 Greatest Clemson Tigers (Since 1967) (Athlon Sports)

10. Brian Dawkins, S, 1992-95: Dawkins didn’t fully blossom until his professional career, which ended in his retirement after the 2011 season. Before his potential Pro Football Hall of Fame career for 16 years in the NFL, Dawkins was productive safety for two coaches (Ken Hatfield and Tommy West) at Clemson. A three-year starter, Dawkins was a second-team All-ACC selection as a sophomore and junior…

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Monday through Friday each week, we compile the best links on ACC football from around the web.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

ACC Network May Stall Over Rights Issues (Sports Business Journal)

Don’t expect an ACC-branded TV channel to be launched any time soon. The biggest problem so far is a rights issue. ESPN needs to control the conference’s syndicated rights to launch a channel. But those rights are tied up until 2027 through deals with Raycom and Fox Sports Net. “There’s no way an ACC network co-exists with a syndicated model,” said Chris Bevilacqua, a media consultant…

ACC Considers Permanent Late-Season Rivals for All Teams (BC Interruption)

According to CBSSports.com’s Jeremy Fowler, the ACC is considering creating permanent rivalry games for all of its football teams on the last weekend of the regular season starting in 2014. What a cool idea. It’s amazing that no one has ever thought of this before. Six programs currently have long-standing rivalry games played on the final weekend of the regular season…

Winning the Future (Tomahawk Nation)

Last week, ACC athletic directors, coaches and Commissioner John Swofford gathered at the Ritz-Carlton Resort in Amelia Island for the league’s annual spring meetings, where they discussed a range of topics. Last year’s drama is no more. A grant-of-rights agreement passed last month has fortified the league. Stability has replaced volatility. Along with stability has come a dramatic change in how the ACC is perceived…

Clemson-Pittsburgh Unlikely “Rivals” in New ACC Football Landscape (Orange and White)

Perhaps more so than any school involved in ACC shuffling and expansion, Pittsburgh arrives in the ACC with few, if any, longstanding football rivalries. The ACC has positioned the Panthers as advantageously as possible, adding them to the Coastal Division roster, where they’ll play former Big East opponents Virginia Tech and Miami each season…

Duke’s Football Recruiting Ploy is Telling Kids They Can Be Just Like Eli Manning (USA Today)

Duke football head coach David Cutcliffe really wants Millard West (Neb.) defensive end Harrison Phillips, a three-star recruit according to Rivals.com, to come to Durham. In an effort to entice Phillips to commit, Cutcliffe is promising that he can grow up to be just like one of his former players, current New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning, and also drive Aston Martins and ride in helicopters (bottom right)…

Brandon Mitchell Transfers to NC State (SB Nation)

Former Arkansas quarterback Brandon Mitchell announced Monday that he will enroll at N.C. State, according to Joe Schad. As a graduate transfer, he is eligible to play in 2013 and he has one year of eligibility remaining. Mitchell found himself stuck behind Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson on the depth chart during his three seasons with the Razorbacks. After losing Arkansas’ quarterback competition this spring, he decided to move on…

Syracuse Football: Greatest Orange QB; Or, Who the Hell Cares? (Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician)

It’s my fault. I’m the one that threw in the following line for a column last week: When the best quarterback in program history, a player who will have jersey retired this fall, someone who led the program to its last great heights, says THAT, there’s something wrong here. The BEST quarterback in program history. A bold statement inconspicuously thrown into a reference about Donovan McNabb…

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Miami QB Stephen Morris Showed Off in Spurts in 2012; Can He Put it All Together as a Senior?

As schools’ academic years are virtually wrapped up, last season’s juniors are now this season’s seniors, and with that comes extra responsibility and expectations. In the ACC, while there were plenty of players selected in the NFL Draft, the conference still returns a strong group of seniors — many of whom are set to make a strong impact in their final seasons of eligibility.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be going team-by-team in the ACC to identify the “standout senior” that’s key to his respective squad, and why he’s so important. Think we should’ve featured another player, though? Feel free to weigh in with your own thoughts in the comments.

Miami Hurricanes: Stephen Morris, QB

Stephen Morris showed some real glimmers of brilliance in 2012, and a lot of that led to ‘Canes victories. Unfortunately though, he just couldn’t deliver on that potential with consistency (not entirely his fault, of course). In games in which Morris threw for over 300 yards, Miami was 4-0. But in contests where he failed to reach that mark (and actually failed to pass for more than 223 yards in any of them), they were just 3-5. So while we did mention the failures weren’t entirely his fault, it’s kind of tough to sidestep the fact that his team’s success was largely tied to his. Even with star running back Duke Johnson returning for what may end up being a Heisman-worthy campaign, Miami will still largely rely on Morris’s arm most of all.

Morris’s 2012 season was largely deemed a success because he delivered on expectations in a way his predecessor, Jacory Harris, just never showed any ability to. And to a point, this makes sense. In his first season as a full-time starter, Morris managed a three-to-one TD:INT ratio, completed 58 percent of his passes and threw for nearly 3,400 yards. But as we brought up earlier, some games were better than others. In the four games (all wins) in which he threw for over 300 yards, his stat line read: 93-of-158 (58.9 percent) for 1,784 yards, 13 touchdowns and two interceptions. So for the other eight, he’s only got 1,600 yards, eight TDs and five picks on 57.8 percent passing. While the latter three figures there provide some cause for alarm, I think it’s worth taking a good look at the accuracy figure, though. Despite a decidedly less productive eight games, his accuracy barely fell at all. If he’s improving upon that accuracy this offseason, that production drop-off becomes a lot less steep when it’s simply dipping from 63-percent completions to 62.

So despite all the lofty accolades that will be pushed Johnson’s way, it really is Morris that keeps this motor running for the ‘Canes on offense. The question for 2013 now, is whether he can deliver more games like last year’s against NC State, when he threw for an ACC-record 566 yards. While that ceiling may be a tough one to meet with any frequency, it’s an effort like that which should motivate Morris toward a breakout senior season. He’s obviously got the skillset to be one of the conference’s best passers. Now he just needs to find a way to harness that over a full season. As more and more observers start believing in the ‘Canes heading into the fall, I’m tempted to buy in as well.

Previously: Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Maryland

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Monday through Friday each week, we compile the best links on ACC football from around the web.

Monday, May 20, 2013

ACC Considering Permanent Late-Season Rivals for All Teams (CBSSports.com)

The ACC is considering the creation of permanent rivalry games for all of its football teams on the last weekend of the regular season starting in 2014, according to several sources. The league could announce an expanded “rivals week” lineup soon, according to one membership source, while North Carolina-NC State is considered a possible matchup. Six teams currently have annual rivals on the last weekend of the season…

ACC-Bound Pitt Finds Itself Without Natural Football Rivals (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review)
The ACC offers Pitt many benefits that the Big East lacked. But for its first few years in the new conference — maybe longer — Pitt will have no natural rivals in football. No teams for fans to hate. No annual games against Notre Dame. No more mocking the opponent by singing its state song, as Pitt players did in 2007 after famously upsetting West Virginia, 13-9. You want a rival, Pitt fans?…

Why an Eight-Game ACC Schedule Makes Sense, But Doesn’t Work for Boston College Long-Term (BC Interruption)

At the ACC’s spring meetings, the league’s football coaches unanimously supported sticking with an eight-game conference slate. And while athletic directors, not coaches, have the final say, it doesn’t appear as though there is much movement towards moving back to a nine-game conference slate. The rationale for this is pretty straight-forward…

Can Clemson Win the BCS Title? (ESPN)

Since their national championship victory over Nebraska in the 1982 Orange Bowl, the Clemson Tigers have fielded many strong clubs but have never claimed the top spot in an AP or BCS weekly ranking. The Tigers are not likely to change that trend at the beginning of the 2013 season, as ESPN Insider Phil Steele projects Clemson to place No. 11 in the preseason top 25 and Mark Schlabach has them rated No. 12 in his latest top 25 ranking…

ACC Out to Shed its Reputation as a Weak Conference (SI.com)

SEC football stinks. See how easy that is to say? It’s wrong, of course. The facts don’t back up that statement at all. I could write it 1,000 times, but no rational person would believe it. Now let’s try another one. ACC football stinks. I’m willing to wager that many of you believe me. According to Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher and Clemson’s Dabo Swinney, some of you are inclined to believe that statement…

Sammy Watkins Enters ’13 as ACC, National Receiver to Beat (Orange and White)

Flying under the radar – with teammate Tajh Boyd shouldering the Heisman talk this season this season – probably isn’t the worst thing in the world for Sammy Watkins going into a big junior season. In 2012, the Fort Myers, Fla. product missed almost a third of the season due to suspension and injury, but still managed to set the Clemson single-game receiving record (202, vs. Wake Forest) and averaged 78.6 yards per game…

Q&A: FSU Football Coach Fisher (Tampa Bay Times)

Coming off an ACC championship and a 12-2 season, Florida State football coach Jimbo Fisher spoke with optimism about the season ahead during a summer booster-tour appearance in town Sunday. “The only thing we didn’t win was the national championship. We’re on the verge. It’s going to happen,” Fisher told about 125 fans. “We’re going to get there. We have too many good players…

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Monday through Friday each week, we compile the best links on ACC football from around the web.

Friday, May 17, 2013

ACC’s John Swofford to ‘Protect’ Teams From FSU’s Title-Game Financial Woes (Orlando Sentinel)

ACC commissioner John Swofford wants Florida State to be the last school in his conference to struggle with finances coming out of the ACC’s football championship game. As part of a nearly 30-minute conversation with reporters Thursday morning at the conclusion of the ACC spring meetings, Swofford said he wanted to “protect” his member schools from experiencing the types of financial loses that FSU saw in December…

ACC Wraps Meetings With Eye on Future (ESPN’s ACC Blog)

The ACC spring meetings wrapped up quietly Thursday morning and with little fanfare. Commissioner John Swofford sure was happy about that. With little in the way of announcements or realignment drama, Swofford was able to look forward to the opportunities that await his league, now that the grant of rights has been signed and the full future 15-member contingent was in place here…

Florida State Coach: No Limits on Two-Sport Star (USA Today)

What Jameis Winston did this spring at Florida State was one thing. While competing for the starting quarterback position during spring football, Winston also played in a part-time capacity for the Seminoles’ eighth-ranked baseball team. FSU football coach Jimbo Fisher described it as, “testing the waters”…

The Countdown: 45 Days Until the ACC (Cardiac Hill)

SEC owns the ACC, recently and historically: Every year since 1958, the trio of Florida State, Georgia Tech, and Clemson have battled against their SEC in-state rivals (Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, respectively). And it has been a mixed bag of results. While Clemson has for the most part owned South Carolina (65-41-4), these past four seasons notwithstanding, FSU (21-34-2) and GT (39-63-5) have not had such success…

5 Greatest Moments in Louisville Cardinal Football History (Athlon Sports)

5. Beating Memphis State (1990): In front of the largest crowd in Cardinal Stadium history, Louisville holds on to defeat Memphis State, 19-17, when sophomore free safety Ray Buchanan blocks a field goal with 1:31 remaining. The Cards had held a 19-7 lead but gave it up and then needed Buchanan’s heroics to overcome a Browning Nagle interception in the game’s waning moments…

2013: The Year of the Linebacker at Georgia Tech (From the Rumble Seat)

Going into last season, we knew that the secondary would be the major strength of Tech’s defense, and possibly the whole team. Having only lost one key member (Rod Sweeting) and returning the other 3 of their 4 starters (Thomas, Young, Johnson), it would follow that they’d be the best again this year, right? Wrong. Going into this fall, there’s a new sheriff in town for our defense — the linebackers…

Clifton Richardson to Leave Virginia Football Program (Washington Post)

One of the deepest positions on Virginia’s football roster suffered some attrition Thursday. Coach Mike London announced junior running back Clifton Richardson has been granted a release from his scholarship and will leave the program. Richardson had an injury-plagued sophomore campaign in 2012 but was in the mix for playing time in the backfield next season along with classmates Kevin Parks and Khalek Shepherd…

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Monday through Friday each week, we compile the best links on ACC football from around the web.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Expanded ACC Tackles Scheduling Issues (Tallahassee Democrat)

With the additions of Pittsburgh and Syracuse this year, Louisville in 2014 and Notre Dame in all sports besides football, the topic of scheduling is a little trickier than usual at the ACC’s annual spring meetings.In football, of course, those issues are compounded by the fact that every conference is trying to position itself best for the looming four-team college playoff…

How Commissioner John Swofford Brought Stability to the ACC (SI.com)

The man who started and finished the most chaotic reorganization in the history of major college sports lounged for just a moment in a squishy chair on Tuesday. But for his sport coat, John Swofford looked every bit like most of the vacationers who frequent this secluded beachside resort. Even though he’s working this week, he wore the ruddy-cheeked smile of a man who left his cares at home…

On-Field Results Don’t Come Close to Matching Potential for ACC (CBSSports.com)

he argument can be made: The ACC has never been healthier. Don’t snicker, smile or dismiss. The ACC’s power brokers certainly aren’t at the conference’s spring meetings. “[The ACC's] success going to be realized in the coming years,” Miami AD Blake James said. Not exactly propaganda, as Bob Stoops would put it, but there is a quiet confidence here that football will get better…

Notre Dame and AD Jack Swarbrick a Factor in Optimism at ACC Meetings (Orlando Sentinel)

The buzz is back at the ACC spring meetings. All indications are after a tumultuous stretch, all is well with the ACC. A recently agreed upon conference grant of rights media deal helps explain the laughter and apparent euphoria that has filled the Ritz-Carlton’s halls since ACC leaders gathered Monday morning. So has the presence of one particular school, it seems…

ACC Coaches Want Vote in College Football Playoff (AL.com)

ACC coaches – who are in Amelia Island, Fla., for the conference’s spring meetings - are for the coaches’ poll being part of process used by the selection committee to determine the four teams in the College Football Playoff. Duke coach David Cutcliffe told ESPN.com on Wednesday the group is also in favor of every coach having a vote and to make those votes public…

Florida State & Georgia May Face Off in 2016 Chick-fil-a Kickoff Game (FBSchedules.com)

The Florida State Seminoles and the Georgia Bulldogs could face off in the 2016 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, according to a report by The Orlando Sentinel. FSU athletics director Randy Spetman first revealed that he was talking with Georgia about a future football match-up at FSU’s Spring game in April…

Big Ten’s Delany on Realignment: “Schools on the Perimeter Haven’t Held Together” (Mr. SEC)

With the Big Ten holding meetings in Chicago this week, microphones and cameras have been thrust into the face of commissioner Jim Delany.  Matt Hayes of The Sporting News relates Delany’s reaction to the question of why it’s been important for the Big Ten to add schools located in contiguous states: “You look at those on the outside (of conferences), and things don’t always hold together. Schools on the perimeter haven’t held together…

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