The Tuesday 12
Posted by Wayne Hunt on November 24, 2009
Thanksgiving is upon us and football season’s harvest is beginning to bear fruit. In the meantime, the hardwood and hoops have once again joined forces to provide basketball fans with a cornucopia of roundball classics. This week’s Thanksgiving-themed edition of The Tuesday 12 hopes to find readers stuffed with turkey, embraced by loved ones and thankful for the many blessings God has bestowed on us.
Happy Thanksgiving!
A Bountiful Harvest
East Carolina fans are giving thanks for Dwayne Harris after a sparkling performance vs. UAB Saturday. Not only did Harris grab eight passes for 108 yards, the senior wide receiver scored three touchdowns to lead ECU to a 37-21 win over the Blazers.
ECU's Dwayne Harris on the move
After first quarter touchdown catches of 23 and 39 yards, Harris exploded with a 99-yard kick return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, giving him 254 all-purpose yards on the day.
The last touchdown was his third kickoff return for a score this season, breaking the school’s career and single-season records. He also became the first Pirate with two TD catches in a quarter since 2004.
If The First Thanksgiving Had Turned Out Like This
The Massachusetts’ pilgrims invited two Indian helpers to share in their Thanksgiving after a bountiful harvest that kicked off a holiday tradition that’s lasted 400 years. If those first Indian guests had treated their hosts the way North Carolina’s Defense treated Boston College’s offense Saturday, the tradition would have likely been squashed right then and there.
Holding BC to 198 total yards, the Tar Heels forced six Eagle turnovers and sacked BC quarterbacks three times. Defensive tackle Cam Thomas (Eagle Springs, NC/North Moore HS) scored on a 20-yard fumble return in the first quarter, a feat that was duplicated two plays later when Kendric Burney (Jacksonville, NC/Southwest Onslow HS) returned an interception 30 yards for his second defensive touchdown in as many weeks.
Safety Deunta Williams (Jacksonville, NC/White Oak HS) picked off three passes to push his team-leading interception total to six on the season while safety Melvin Williams added another interception.
Colonial Names Persevere
Nolan Smith returned from an NCAA-mandated two-game suspension and looked thankful for a chance of redemption. The junior point guard led Duke to wins over Charlotte and Radford last week, averaging 22.0 points, 6.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 56 percent from the field. Smith hit six of 10 3-pointers in the contests and was named the ACC’s Player of the Week.
Tracy Smith posted his second and third double doubles on the season in leading North Carolina State to wins over Akron, Austin-Peay and Auburn. The Wolfpack captured the Glenn Wilkes Classic in Daytona Beach, Fl. to run their record to 4-0 on the season while Smith took home tournament MVP honors.
Against Auburn, Smith’s loose-ball rebound and put back of a Julius Mays 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left sealed the win and the tournament title. In the title game, Smith grabbed 15 rebounds to go along with 11 points and averaged 15.6 points and 11 rebounds as the Pack captured wins on three consecutive nights.
Home – Not Just for the Holidays
Shamari Spears started a promising collegiate career at Boston College by averaging 7.1 points and 4.6 rebounds as a true freshman in the 2006-2007 season. The following year, Spears played nearly 27 minutes per game, started 17 times and averaged 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds before getting into coach Al Skinner’s doghouse late in his sophomore season.
Spears, a native of Salisbury, NC, transferred to Charlotte and sat out last season under NCAA transfer rules. Last week, Spears scored 20 points in a 101-50 loss to Duke and followed that performance with a 28 point, six rebound night in an 88-74 win over Yale. On the season, Spears is averaging a team-high 23.7 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 60 percent from the floor and 85.7 percent from the charity stripe.
Through the Woods We Go
Pfeiffer College’s Chris Woods (Thomasville, NC/Thomasville HS) was named the Conference Carolinas Player of the Week after averaging 25 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for the Division II Falcons. Woods’ week included a career high 34 points to go along with 10 rebounds in a 97-78 win over USC-Aiken.
A Triumphant Field
Danielle Forword scored the game-winning goal with 11.7 seconds left as the third-ranked University of North Carolina field hockey team upset previously unbeaten Maryland, the top-ranked team in the nation, capturing the NCAA field hockey championship.
With the game tied 2-2. Forword, a senior from East London, South Africa, scored her 17th goal of the season on a penalty corner to give the Tar Heels their second national title in three seasons and their sixth overall crown.
Posted in The Tuesday 12 | Tagged: Cam Thomas, Charlotte 49ers, Chris Woods, Danielle Forword, Deunta Williams, Duke, Dwayne Harris, East Carolina, Kendric Burney, Melvin Williams, N.C. State, Nolan Smith, North Carolina, Pfeiffer College, Shamari Spears, Tracy Smith, UNC field hocket | Leave a Comment »
The Tuesday 12
Posted by Wayne Hunt on November 17, 2009
Last week, college football began to wind down while college basketball tipped off in full fashion with every North Carolina-based Division I school starting their seasons. While most Tobacco Road schools struggled on the gridiron, the Big Four started the college hoops season unbeaten. A title streak continued in Boone and a losing streak ended in Raleigh. November can keep even the heartiest of sports appetites full. This week’s edition of The Tuesday 12 fills a sports plate from all over The Old North State.
Single Handed
As 9th-ranked Duke entered the season without their starting point guard, Nolan Smith and highly touted freshman, Mason Plumlee, all eyes were on Kyle Singler, the ACC’s preseason player of the year. In home wins over N.C. Greensboro and Coastal Carolina, Singler didn’t disappoint.
In a 96-62 win over the Spartans on Friday night, Singler led all scorers with 20 points while logging 38 minutes. On Monday night against Coastal Carolina, Singler was even better. The 6-8 forward led all scorers (23) and rebounders (11) while playing another 36 minutes in a 74-49 win over the Chanticleers.
Double Trouble
After Wake Forest’s first two games, forward Al-Farouq Aminu is averaging a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds per game, numbers good enough to make him the first ACC Player of the Week for the 2009-2010 season.
Aminu opened the season with 25 points and 13 rebounds vs. Oral Roberts and then had nine rebounds to go with 23 points in an 89-59 road win vs. East Carolina.
Three’s Company
In a rare Sunday night game, East Carolina got a trio of outstanding performances to rout Tulsa and hang onto their lead in the Conference USA East Division.
Leading the charge for the Pirates (6-4, 5-1) was Patrick Pinkney (Fayetteville, NC/Pine Forest HS) who completed 20 of 29 throws for 275 yards and two touchdowns.
One of those scoring throws was a 37-yarder to sophomore Darryl Freeney. That catch was one of eight receptions Freeney had on the day to go with a career-high 152 yards receiving.
Pinkney also connected through the air on a 12-yard touchdown pass to senior running back Dominique Lindsay (Charlotte, NC/Independence HS). Lindsay’s touchdown catch was trumped by a career-high 172 yards rushing on 31 carries.
Providing good company to their three offensive stars was the ECU Defense. ECU entered the fourth quarter with a 23-17 lead and got three defensive touchdowns in the decisive quarter to pull away for the 44-17 victory. The Pirates had interception returns of 42 and 57 yards and then added a 50-yard fumble recovery and return for the final three scores of the night.
Four Runner
Kendric Burney (Jacksonville, NC/Southwest Onslow) intercepted three Jacory Harris passes to lead North Carolina to an upset win over No. 12 Miami at Kenan Stadium on Saturday. Burney’s three picks give him four on the season. In tallying three picks, Burney amassed 171 interception return yards which broke a 29-year old ACC single game record.
One of Burney’s interceptions was a 77-yard touchdown return, his second career interception return for a touchdown. Burney now has a school-record 317 interception return yards for his career.
Fifth Element
Seventh-ranked Appalachian State entered their game against No.6 Elon Saturday as a slight underdog, according to the polls. The Mountaineers, who have won three of the last four FCS national titles, jumped all over the visiting Phoenix, taking a 21-0 first quarter lead enroute to their fifth straight Southern Conference championship.
The win pushed ASU past Elon in the FCS polls as they replaced the Phoenix at No.6 while Elon dropped to No.10 in rankings released Monday.
Lucky Seven
After posting their seventh straight shutout, the University of North Carolina’s third-ranked women’s soccer team advanced to the NCAA women’s soccer Sweet 16.
North Carolina opened NCAA tournament play with a 1-0 win over High Point University, champions of the Big South conference. In round two, UNC dropped the 25th-ranked Georgia Bulldogs by a 4-0 score to move into the Sweet 16 for the 28th consecutive year.
The Tar Heels move on to take on a Maryland team they beat twice in a three day span during the second and third games of their streak.
Dressed to the Nines
In a 42-23 loss to Clemson on Saturday, North Carolina State at least got a record-setting performance from Jarvis Williams, a junior wide receiver from Orlando. Williams caught two Russell Wilson touchdown passes, giving him nine touchdown receptions on the season. The nine scores are the most for a receiver in a Wolfpack uniform since Jerricho Cotchery’s 10 scoring receptions in 2003 and are the sixth-most in school history.
Ten Commandments
When Scott Cherry was named the new coach at High Point University, he promised that the Panthers would look like a different team than the one that averaged less than 65 points per game last season. The book on Cherry is that he commands his players to play hard and fast.
One of his commandments is that if the shot’s there – take it. In a season-opening 104-72 win over UNC-Pembroke, Nick Barbour made certain he followed his coach’s orders, making 10-of-11 shots from 3-point range (and 13-of-18 overall) en route to a game-high 38 points in 28 minutes.
Baker’s Dozen
The Baker’s dozen for the Carolina Hurricanes is the 13 different NHL teams they lost to during a franchise-record 14-game losing streak that was halted Sunday night with a 5-4 OT/shootout win over the Minnesota Wild.
The Hurricanes dropped a pair of 4-3 OT games to the New York Islanders during their streak. Those two losses were among the four OT losses in Carolina’s slide, which began with a 5-2 road loss to Tampa Bay on October 10th.
In their streak-breaking win over the Wild, Carolina blew a three-goal lead on two separate occasions and needed a Jussi Jokinen backhander to open the shootout period to prevail for the fourth straight time at home against Minnesota.
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The Carolina Sports Guy Week 10 NFL Picks
Posted by Wayne Hunt on November 14, 2009
There are many signs a football team is about to begin the search for a new coach. In fact even the most casual fan could pick out the correct answer to this multiple choice question:
The biggest sign an NFL team is looking for a new coach is:
A) The head coach allegedly beats up an assistant coach in training camp, the police are called in, an investigation goes on for months, rumors start swirling about said coach’s violent and abusive past and then he goes on national TV on game day and announces that the only time he has ever hit a woman is one time when he caught his ex-wife cheating on him.
B) The owner, not pleased with the team’s direction, decides that it would be wise to hire a consultant to come in and help his head coach through a scoring drought, calls a retirement home in Minnesota, asks if he can borrow their Bingo caller, brings said Bingo caller into town and a couple of weeks later has his GM tell the head coach that he is stripped of play-calling duties because the Bingo caller will now call plays and he’s pretty sure G-52 is a winner.
C) The owner invites two fans who are longtime season-ticket holders to his office to talk about the state of the team, tells them he’s sickened by the team’s performance, assures the two fans that he will make changes, fires the GM, then denies he fired the GM and finally has to listen to the head coach explain to the media that he really hasn’t been practicing his players that hard.
D) All of the above
The NFL coaching carousel is a rite of passage. Everyone that follows the sport knows that a coach’s job hinges on his won-loss record. But football folks also know that a marginally good coach can balance good seasons with bad seasons if he doesn’t go around making a mockery of his organization (see answer A) or if the owner hasn’t lost a complete sense of rationale (see answers B & C).
For the Carolina Panthers, John Fox has been the epitome of a marginally good coach who has balanced bad seasons with enough good seasons and high moments to keep his job.
Consider this: In 2002, Fox took over a 1-15 team and went 7-9 in his first season. Without a doubt, Fox was an infusion of freshness and his rookie season culminated in one of the biggest about faces in NFL history. Of course, Fox and the Panthers benefited from playing a last-place schedule thanks to their dismal campaign in 2001.
In his second year at the helm, Fox guided the Panthers to a surprising NFC Championship and a berth in the Super Bowl where they lost to the New England Patriots.
Playing a division-champion’s schedule following their 11-5 season in ‘03, the Panthers started 1-7 in 2004 before salvaging a 7-9 season.
In 2005 the Panthers, based on the previous season’s sub-.500 record, were awarded with a middle-of-the-road strength of schedule and parlayed that into an 11-5 record and their second playoff appearance under Fox.
A 7-9 record in 2007 followed an 8-8 season in 2006. Last season, the Panthers again won the NFC South under Fox and have seen their division-champion’s schedule turn into a 3-5 start in 2009.
Sunday, the Panthers were on the verge of the season’s biggest upset, having dominated unbeaten New Orleans in the first half. Suddenly, a 4-4 start seemed a reality. Then Fox happened. Or at least Fox and his coaching staff, for whom he is ultimately responsible, happened.
During the first half, the Saints had six possessions where they were faced with having to gain three to seven yards on third down. Once, they ran a swing pass to the right flat. On another occasion they went deep to Reggie Bush covered by Chris Gamble on the sideline. Four times they threw slants or short outs to the right side.
Trailing 17-6 during the first drive of the second half, the Saints faced a 3rd-and-3 at their own 27. The Panthers lined up eight in the box with man-to-man coverage on the outside and a lone safety deep.
I knew the Saints were looking for the quick slant. The guy pouring drinks at The Corner Bar knew the quick slant was coming. The three blind men playing the blues in front of The Superdome knew the quick slant was there. The Panthers had no clue.
The result: Brees hits Devery Henderson with a quick slant to the right, he slips behind the safety on the route and turns it into a 63-yard gain. On the next play Pierre Thomas scores on a 10-yard run and the extra point cut the lead to 17-13.
Later in the third quarter, after the Panthers pushed the lead to seven, the Saints had a 3rd-and-5 from their own 46. Guess what? They send Robert Meachem on a medium slant route on the right side which he turns into a 54-yard catch and run for a game-tying score.
At some point the Panthers should have anticipated the Saints were going to run a variation of a quick slant, isolating a Panther defender – likely Gamble – in one-on-one coverage.Yet, as the game wore on, the Saints continued to run that play and the Panthers made no changes to their defense to stop it.
Although turnovers doomed the Panthers chance to rally once the Saints took the lead, it was poor management of game situations that landed the Panthers behind the proverbial eight-ball. John Fox gets praise for being a player’s coach and is reportedly very calm under pressure. As for X’s and O’s he’s only marginally good and a record like that will eventually come back to haunt an NFL coach.
Last week The Carolina Sports Guy was John Fox-like with a marginal 5-6-1 record against the spread. But the Panthers, who I guaranteed would beat the spread, made me a winner against my guest prognosticator, Ted Prestwood.
Ted, who was bandwagonning the Ravens D, forgot that Joe Flacco and the Ravens’ offense were only marginally good.
Now on to The Carolina Sports Guy’s Week 10 NFL picks:
(Home team in CAPS).
Patriots (+3) over COLTS
Underdog pick of the week – Brady and Pats beat the spread and stop the winning streak
Remember last week when I said forget the Saints, the Colts are the best team in the league? I told you they would handle the Texans with ease. Well, I was only partially right. They handled the Texans. It wasn’t easy. And they still look like the best team after the Saints had to come from behind again to beat the Panthers.
Anyone who thinks this streak the Colts have got going isn’t driving Belichick and Brady crazy is well – crazy. Expect a classic Patriot scoring clinic as the Colts fall from the rank of the unbeatens.
Broncos (-3) over REDSKINS
All I needed last week to have a winning record was for the Broncos to cover the spread against the Steelers. What I didn’t need was for Kyle Orton to triple his interception total for the season. He has now thrown four picks on the year. I’ll go out on a limb and say that if he throws four picks vs. Washington, the Broncos still win.
Lions (+16.5) over VIKINGS
This is the NFL. I don’t care how bad you are, you should beat a 16.5-point spread. Even if you’ve only won once in the past two seasons, you beat a 16.5-point spread. Until the Lions are booted out of the league, I’ll take them and a 16.5-point spread.
Saints (-13) over RAMS
Remember when the Rams were what the Saints are now and the Saints were what the Rams are now?
Doesn’t it seem like yesterday when the Rams were The Greatest Show on Turf and Saints’ fans wore bags over their face. I guess change is inevitable.
JETS (-7) over Jaguars
The Jets are 4-4 but have outscored their opponents by 43 points. The Jags are 4-4 and have been outscored by 41 points. With numbers like that, take the home team.
Bengals (+7) over STEELERS
The Steelers continue to bait me. Last week I swore the Broncos would halt their win streak. This week the Steelers are at home against the Bengals and laying a touchdown. A smart man would take the Steelers knowing that the Bengals, even at 6-2, are still the Bengals. Call me crazy but I think the striped cats beat the spread even if they leave Pittsburgh in second place.
Bills (+7) over TITANS
Did you really think I was going to take the Bengals and seven over a 6-2 Pittsburgh team and not take the Bills and seven over a 2-6 Tennessee team? This is the first of three games in this week’s “I bet a Jon and Kate Marathon would out rate this game category.”
PANTHERS (+1.5) over Falcons
For the third straight week I’m picking the Panthers to beat the spread. The other two weeks they were getting double digit points. I’m not sure why – maybe it’s the measly 1.5 points, but I don’t feel as confident this week.
DOLPHINS (-10) over Buccaneers
The Bucs stopped their season-long losing streak last week against the Packers. At this point, I don’t think a win over the Packers is a good measurement of success. The Dolphins should run the ball at will against Tampa Bay and at home they should cover the spread.
Chiefs (+2) over RAIDERS
This game would have been relevant ten years ago. This is the second leg of the “I bet a Jon and Kate Marathon would out rate this game category.”
CARDINALS (-8) over Seahawks
Arizona won by 24 in Seattle in week 6. Seattle counts wins over St. Louis and Detroit among their three victories. Those two facts alone should equal a double digit Cardinals’ win.
Eagles (+1.5) over CHARGERS
Can you believe these two teams are a combined 10-6 and neither team in those 16 games has a 100-yard rusher? The return of Brian Westbrook adds another dimension for the Eagles as they beat the spread on the road.
Ravens (-10) over BROWNS
This game closes out the “I bet a Jon and Kate Marathon would out rate this game category” trifecta for the week. And it’s a Monday night affair. I bet someone in the NFL scheduling department got fired over this one.
The Carolina Sports Guy Guest Pick of the Week by Ted Prestwood
Cowboys (-3) over PACKERS
For the second straight week I’ve given my pal Ted the opportunity to pick against my Underdog pick of the week and for the second straight Sunday he takes a favorite giving a measly three points.
Last week his smugness bit him squarely on the back side as the Bengals waxed the Ravens. This week he takes the Cowboys laying a field goal against a Packers team that just lost as 9-point favorites to winless Tampa Bay.
Thanks for playing, Ted.
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The Tuesday 12
Posted by Wayne Hunt on November 11, 2009
The smell of fall fairs has faded fast into November, a month where we salute those that have fought for our country and give thanks for the things that are plentiful and good in our lives. In North Carolina, the first full week of November brought elections, the beginning of the NBA and college basketball seasons and the end of baseball. November also landed us squarely in the heart of the college football schedule. So fittingly, this week’s edition of The Tuesday 12 celebrates all things pigskin with twelve outstanding gridiron performances.
For the Record – Elon’s solid 1-2 punch
Elon’s Terrell Hudgins (Rocky Mount, NC/Rocky Mount HS) entered Saturday’s game vs. Western Carolina needing 35 yards receiving to break NFL Hall-of-Famer Jerry Rice’s Division I FCS (Football Championship Series) record for career receiving yards. On the first play of the game, Hudgins hauled in a 44-yard pass from QB Scott Riddle to move into first on the all-time list. He finished with 153 yards on eight catches including a 2-yard TD reception in the second quarter.
Earlier this season Hudgins broke Rice’s career record for receptions and has now caught more passes than any player in Division I history (including Football Bowl Series, formerly Division I-A or Football Championship Series, formerly Division I-AA).
Hudgins record-breaking performance was matched by teammate Brandon Newsome who ran for 143 yards on 16 carries and scored four touchdowns in a 42-17 Phoenix win.
On the Defensive
North Carolina defensive end Robert Quinn is in the midst of an All-American season and Saturday may have been his coming out party. Against Duke, Quinn spearheaded a Tar Heel defense that limited the Blue Devils to 12 yards rushing (including minus-21 yards from their running backs) and 113 yards through the air.
Quinn finished with seven tackles, including three sacks and another 1.5 tackles for loss. For good measure, he also added a forced fumble, six quarterback hurries and one pass deflection. Through nine games the sophomore lineman has 15.5 tackles for loss which ranks fifth nationally and has 10 sacks, sixth-most in the nation. Quinn has also forced four fumbles this year.
East Carolina LB Jeremy Chambliss and DB Van Eskridge did their best to help ECU to a second straight upset of Virginia Tech. Although the Conference USA East-leading Pirates didn’t win, the senior defenders gave valiant efforts that helped hold the Hokies to 16 points (nearly 15 points below their season average) and 137 yards passing.
Chambliss had 10 tackles, including one sack, to go along with three tackles for loss. Eskridge (Shelby NC/Shelby HS) added 11 tackles and a forced fumble while breaking up two Tyrod Taylor passes.
Running Wild
Ryan Houston (Charlotte, NC/Butler) has been the short yardage go-to-guy for North Carolina all season. When Shaun Draughn went down with a season-ending injury on the first play of the game, Houston became the feature back. The junior running back must have liked his new found role as he amassed 164 yards on 37 carries and added another 15 yards receiving on three receptions.
All-Around Good Guy
Freshman quarterback Seth Adams completed 17 of 22 throws for 225 yards and a touchdown while rushing for three more touchdowns in Greensboro College’s 42-20 win over Methodist College. The Pride signal caller only carried the ball five times for Greensboro but scored from three yards out in the first, followed by a four yard scamper to the end zone in the third quarter. Early in the fourth quarter, Adams plunged in from a yard out to cap a 10-play, 64-yard drive.With his performance, Adams (Burlington, NC/Williams) won the USA South Rookie of the Week award for the second time this season.
Feast or Famine
N.C. State Wolfpack fans were treated to the highs and lows of stardom through three quarters of their 38-31 win over Maryland. QB Russell Wilson tossed three touchdown passes and rushed for another in the first three periods. But, Wilson was also intercepted three times and had one of those returned 70 yards for Maryland’s second score of the game in the first quarter. Wilson finished with 343 yards passing on the day.
Bound for Playoff Glory
In 2007, the inaugural season for Braves football, UNC-Pembroke made their debut in the NCAA’s Division II as one of twelve Independent programs in the country. A 9-1 campaign in their second season of competition opened eyes in the Division II world. A road upset of 24th-ranked Fayetteville State University to open the 2009 campaign signaled that the Braves had truly arrived.
After finishing off a second straight 9-1 season with a 42-14 win over North Greenville, UNC-Pembroke jumped up four spots in the national polls and are now ranked No.15 in the nation by the D2football.com Media Poll. In a six-game winning streak (including the last four on the road) to cap the season, the Braves outscored their opponents 232-43.
UNC-Pembroke enters the Division II playoffs for the first time as the fifth seed in Super Region 2 where they will take on Arkansas Tech, currently ranked No.22 in the country. On the season the Braves are led by sophomore running back Travis Daniels (Washington, NC/Washington High), who has gained 980 yards rushing while scoring 10 touchdowns, and junior quarterback Cory Smith (Indian Trail, NC/Sun Valley HS) who has thrown for 1,662 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Joining UNC-Pembroke in the Division II playoffs will be Fayetteville State University, champions of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). The Broncos, sporting an 8-3 record after an 0-2 start on the season, will travel to California, Pennsylvania to battle third-seeded California University of Pennsylvania in Super Regional 1. The winner will move on to face second-seeded Shippensburg University.
FSU is led by senior linebacker Marcos Esquivel who has 98 tackles on the season including 7.5 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss. Esquivel also has two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and has blocked a kick this season.
Game of the Week
The Southern Conference Championship and an automatic berth in the NCAA Division I FCS (Football Championship Series) playoffs are on the line Saturday when the No.6 Elon Phoenix travel to Boone to take on the seventh-ranked Appalachian State Mountaineers. The Phoenix, despite coming into the game as the higher ranked squad, make the trek west as the upstart underdog, David battling the FCS-Goliath, ASU.
Both squads enter the game unbeaten in SoCon play. ASU has won four straight Southern Conference titles and carries an 18-game conference win streak into the matchup. Meanwhile, Elon has won six straight games overall and look to capture their first-ever Southern Conference title as well as assure themselves of the first Division I playoff appearance in school history.
The game will feature a slew of record breakers and will highlight the two top passers in Southern Conference history. ASU’s Armanti Edwards enters the game with 9,324 yards passing while Elon’s Scott Riddle (Ramseur, NC/Eastern Randolph) has thrown for 9,234 yards in his stellar career. Riddle is also the SoCon’s all-time leader in completions (822) and his 75 touchdown throws leads Edwards’ 72 scoring strikes atop the career list. Both players enter the game with a career completion percentage of 65.4 pct.
ASU has won 13 straight meetings with Elon including a 24-16 win last November. Appalachian enters the game ranked no.1 in scoring offense and total offense while Elon is second in both categories. Defensively, Elon seems to have the upper edge. The Phoenix are no.1 in the SoCon in scoring defense (12 points per game), rushing defense (77.1 yards per game), passing defense (131.1 ypg) and total defense (208.2) while ASU is fourth in the conference in scoring, passing and total defense and fifth in the league against the run.
The Carolina Sports Guy prediction for this game:
Elon 26 Appalachian St. 24
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Week 9 NFL Picks
Posted by Wayne Hunt on November 6, 2009
My friend Ted and I play a betting game called “Under the Sun.” Basically, the premise is this: we will bet on anything under the sun, which is kind of strange considering a large number of games we bet on occur at night. But, calling it “Under the Moon” would be too cozy and quaint and we’d risk losing serious man points for such language. Of course, using “quaint” in a column about handicapping this week’s NFL games is also an automatic deduction of man points.
When it comes to handicapping games, neither Ted or myself are very adept at picking winners. At least not consistently, which is why money rarely changes hands despite the fact we make multiple bets each week. Now would be a good time to tell you we could never make it betting on games in Vegas and it’s a good think I’ve got this column to support me financially, except for the fact I write this column for free. But, I digress.
Occasionally, we have a payout that is the mother of all payouts such as The Great Steak Bet last spring, a guaranteed payoff for the winning bettor. The Great Steak Bet, not to be confused with the food court favorite The Great Steak & Potato Company, works like this: the bet placed transcends money. It’s about bragging rights. About protecting your turf. It’s about rivalries. Intense, gut-wrenching rivalries. In a bet like The Great Steak Bet, the loser is subjected to some type of embarrassing ritual that will absolutely tear out his insides.
Our Great Steak Bet was actually part of another rare bet – The Patriot Missile Bet. The Patriot Missile Bet is a long-range bet made, at the very least, one full sports season ahead of the actual game date. For example, The Great Steak/Patriot Missile Bet of 2009 was originally made on June 16, 2008. Earlier that day, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington and Danny Green withdrew from the 2008 NBA draft and announced their return for one more season at the University of North Carolina.
On that same day, I gave Ted the NCAA field and guaranteed the Tar Heels would leave the Final Four in Detroit as the 2009 National Champions. My reward for The Great Steak/Patriot Missile bet 293 days later: a fat, juicy steak grilled to charcoal perfection and the satisfaction of one more year of bragging rights in the UNC/Duke rivalry.
My pal, Ted getting ready to pay off the 2009 Great Steak Bet
Like Saturday’s UNC-Duke football game, Week 9 of the NFL season features a couple of big rivalries but is also marked by the Dubious Double Digit Point Spread Bet. The Triple D Bet, despite its name, isn’t sexy. In fact, when it comes to the NFL, sportsbooks and bettors hate the Triple D, the Ugly Betty of NFL bets. This year the NFL is full of horrible teams and betting lines have skyrocketed. This week is no different as four games have a Triple D spread, including The Carolina Sports Guy’s Underdog Pick of the Week.
(Home teams in CAPS).
Panthers (+13) over SAINTS
Underdog pick of the week – Panthers not only beat the spread but win outright.
Last week I picked the Panthers, sacked with the Triple D spread as 10-point road dogs to Arizona, to win outright. By Sunday night, I looked like a genius. Louisiana-native Jake Delhomme has never lost to the Saints in his home state and is 8-2 overall vs. New Orleans as a starter. The Panthers may be hampered by the loss of fullbacks Brad Hoover and Tony Fiammetta to injuries, but if they can find someone to open holes for DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, they can run on a Saints defense that has given up an average of 150 yards per game the last two weeks.
COLTS (-9) over Texans
Forget the Saints, the Colts are the best team in the NFL. They’ve won 16 of 17 games dating back to last year. Their only loss was an OT game in which they didn’t touch the ball offensively in sudden death OT. The loss of safety Bob Sanders and cornerback Marlin Jackson who were placed on IR this week, caused me to waver on picking the Colts to cover the spread in this one. But, I’m not sold on the Texans who own wins over Tennessee, Oakland and Buffalo.
FALCONS (-10) over Redskins
If the Falcons can manage 13 points, they should cover because the Redskins offense – well, they stink. Jason Campbell complained that the ‘Skins tried to trade him prior to the April draft. Other league GM’s are complaining they had to waste their time telling Daniel Snyder no.
Packers (-9) over BUCCANEERS
How dysfunctional is Tampa Bay? They fired Jon Gruden in the off-season. They hired a coach, Raheem Morris who was promoted to defensive coordinator only days before that. They canned their offensive coordinator – during training camp. And now, after an 0-7 start, they are going old school with their old orange uniforms. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didnt they once go winless wearing that garb? Who says that history repeats itself?
Cardinals (+3) over BEARS
Arizona was embarrassed last week by the Panthers. Meanwhile the Bears were playing a team, the Browns, that are an embarrassment to the entire league. The Bears lose this matchup for the simple reason that this week will be a tough adjustment from playing collegiate-level talent last week.
PATRIOTS (-10) over Dolphins
The Dolphins needed 299 return yards and two 100+ yard kickoff returns last week to beat the Jets. This week on the road against a New England team averaging nearly 35 points per game at home and coming off a bye week, Ginn should at least get lots of kickoff return attempts.
JAGS (-6) over Chiefs
The Chiefs are last in their division. And they play in the same division as the Raiders. I repeat. The Chiefs are last in their division. And they play in the same division as the Raiders.
Lions (+10) over SEAHAWKS
This has to be one of the least appealing games the NFL has seen since the Jags-Chiefs game above.
Titans (+4) over 49ERS
Typically, taking a 1-7 squad going to the West Coast and getting only four points is a recipe for disaster. Against the Niners, I’ll take my chances. At one time, matching Alex Smith vs. Vince Young would have had the NFL folks drooling. Watching these guys now is like watching paint dry. Hey, at least JaMarcus Russell isn’t playing in this game.
Chargers (+4) over GIANTS
There’s no way the Giants can lose again, can they? Oakland has won two games. Anything can happen in this league.
EAGLES (-3) over Cowboys
These two bitter rivals can produce great games. They can also produce a 44-6 laugher like the Eagles runaway win over the Cowboys in the season finale last season with a Dallas playoff spot up for grabs. It looks like Roy Williams is the second coming of Terrell Owens. And that’s not a compliment.
BRONCOS (+3) over Steelers
Color me foolish, but I truly believe in the Broncos. Even after they looked lost against the Ravens last week. The Steelers seem to have righted the ship but I still like the Broncos and the points at Mile High. At the very least, an Eagles/Cowboys Sunday night game followed by the Steelers/Broncos on MNF is a great way to wrap up a week of otherwise ho-hum games for the NFL fan.
The Carolina Sports Guy Guest Pick of the Week by Ted Prestwood
Ravens (-3) over BENGALS
Who better to fill the slot as the first guest prognosticator than my gambling buddy, Ted. About this game Ted says, “the Ravens D is back on track and Cincy is overrated. Ravens win by a TD.”
Posted in NFL Picks | 1 Comment »
The Carolina Sports Guy is now on Twitter and Facebook
Posted by Wayne Hunt on November 4, 2009
You can now follow The Carolina Sports Guy on Twitter and Facebook
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The Tuesday 12
Posted by Wayne Hunt on November 3, 2009
On November 21, 1789 North Carolina ratified the Constitution to become the twelfth State of the Union of what would eventually become the United States of America. To honor The Old North State’s status as the twelfth state, every Tuesday The Carolina Sports Guy will unveil 12 teams, names or events that marked the most recent sports week in North Carolina.
Ghosts & Goblins
What better way to kick off the Halloween edition of The Tuesday Twelve than talking about the Duke Blue Devils football program. Resurrected by 2nd-year coach David Cutcliffe, the Blue Devils are on a three-game win streak – the likes of which haven’t been seen in Durham since Steve Spurrier took his Fun ‘N Gun attack to The Swamp in 1989.
If the ghost of The Old Ball Coach isn’t enough for ACC opponents, how about the ghost of the original quarterbacking Big Ben. Following his 343-yard performance vs. the Virginia Cavaliers Saturday, Thaddeus Lewis became the first Duke QB to ever record four 2,000 yard passing seasons. Lewis is on pace to eclipse Ben Bennett’s Duke career passing mark which was set from 1980-1983 under Spurrier’s watchful eye as Duke’s then-offensive coordinator.
Orange Crush Flames out in Blacksburg
When Virginia Tech trotted out their new orange jerseys vs. Butch Davis’ North Carolina Tar Heels Thursday night for their annual “Orange Effect” game, the 13th-ranked Hokies didn’t expect to be blindsided by a fast and fierce defense that would hold the Hokies to 95 yards rushing, 25 of which came on the game’s first play.
After the game, Quan Sturdivant, an Oakboro, NC native was caught on camera consoling Tech’s freshman running back, Ryan Williams. It was Williams’ fumble two minutes earlier that led to Casey Barth’s 21-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. Afterwards, Williams sat alone and dejected on the VT sideline until Sturdivant, who had a team-high seven tackles in the game, gave the speedy freshman some encouraging words.
Scary, scary stuff
After a 3-1 start, the North Carolina State Wolfpack have dropped four straight games and have seen their defense shredded in ACC play. The Pack has given up 1,928 yards of total offense in dropping to 0-4 in the conference. Last week they gave up 555 yards in a 45-42 loss at Florida State on Halloween, a slashing that would have even made Michael Myers proud. Before being drummed by the Seminoles, State had given up a combined 820 yards passing and eight scores in the air against Wake Forest’s Riley Skinner and Duke’s Lewis. To compound their problems, they then allowed Boston College’s Montell Harris to romp for 264 yards on the ground and a school-record five rushing touchdowns in a 52-20 road loss.
The Charlotte Bobcats kicked off the 2009-2010 NBA season in horrific fashion. In a 92-59 loss to the Boston Celtics in their season-opener, the Bobcats set a dubious team record for fewest points in a game. On the night, the Bobcats shot 31% from the field and missed all ten of their three-point field goal attempts. They even finished a Shaq-like 13-25 (52%) from the charity stripe.
Best Costumes
Nominations go out to:
N.C. State’s Russell Wilson and Toney Baker as Batman and Robin:
Despite the defensive woes of the Pack defense, Wilson and Baker had outstanding performances for State on the offensive side of the ball. Wilson threw for 349 yards and tossed five touchdowns while Baker rushed for 112 yards, his second career 100-yard game and first since a 2006 loss at Clemson.
Baker entered N.C. State as the all-time leading rusher in North Carolina high school history with 10,231 yards, the third highest total in national high school history. After only playing one game the past two seasons due to multiple knee injuries, Baker is beginning to show some of the explosiveness that once made him one of N.C. State’s highest profile recruits.
Carolina Panthers DE JuliusPeppers as Superman:
In Carolina’s 34-21 win over the NFC West-leading Arizona Cardinals Sunday, no one stood out more than the Panthers’ Peppers. Peppers spent the day hurrying future Hall-of-Fame QB Kurt Warner, never allowing the Arizona signal-caller to get the potent Cardinals offense into high gear. A freakishly athletic play in the second quarter in which Peppers fought off a cut block from Arizona’s Mike Gandy, leapt into the air to snag a Warner swing pass and then floated into the end zone for a pick-six proved Peppers worthy of the Superman moniker. Superman later recorded a game-clinching sack and forced fumble of Warner that sent the Panthers back to Charlotte as upset winners.
Florida Gators linebacker Brandon Spikes as Pokemon:
Spikes, a former high school star at Shelby’s Crest Senior High School, played the role of Pokemon (pronounced poke-E-mon for The Carolina Sports Guy readers) to perfection with his eye-gouging antics against Georgia running back Washaun Ealey. Spikes, who was the number one rated overall prospect in North Carolina coming out of high school, is a 2008 First Team All-American linebacker and is expected to be one of the top linebacker prospects in the 2010 NFL Draft. Pokemon has been suspended for the first half of Florida’s game Saturday against Vanderbilt.
Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace as The Lone Ranger:
In the Bobcats come-from-behind 79-68 victory over the New Jersey Nets, Wallace looked like The Lone Ranger reigning in rogue bad guys in the Old West. In a 24-point, 20-rebound performance against the Nets, Wallace logged 44:30 of playing time, ten minutes more than the next closest Bobcat. In addition to his game-high 24 points, Wallace collected one more rebound than the rest of the Bobcat starters combined.
And the Best Costume Award goes to:
Appalachian State University QB Armanti Edwards as The King:
The ASU senior signal caller would be the top pick in every Division 1 fantasy football draft. But his 461 yards of total offense and six touchdowns in Appalachian’s 52-27 rout over Furman were no fantasy. After passing for 355 yards and rushing for another 106 yards, Edwards became the first player in Division 1 history (including FCS and FBS teams) to account for more than 9,000 yards passing and 4,000 yards rushing in a career.
Posted in The Tuesday 12 | 3 Comments »
The Carolina Sports Guy kicks off brand new web site
Posted by Wayne Hunt on November 3, 2009
Welcome to carolinasportsguy.com, the virtual home of Wayne Hunt, who fashions himself as The Carolina Sports Guy. The Carolina Sports Guy strives to be the most up to-date source for sports in North Carolina. A lifelong love of sports and the state of North Carolina fuels my desire to keep readers informed about The Old North State and its place in the sports universe.
The Carolina Sports Guy will provide continuous coverage of pro sports in North Carolina, home of the Carolina Panthers, Charlotte Bobcats and Carolina Hurricanes. In addition, The Carolina Sports Guy will follow collegiate sports on all levels and will also occasionally venture into the world of high school sports.
The Carolina Sports Guy is always looking for the next story angle involving North Carolina-based teams or natives of the Tar Heel state. I look forward to reader involvement and hope my readers will pitch story ideas as well as leave comments and feedback for carolinasportsguy.com.
Happy Reading!
Wayne
Posted in About The Carolina Sports Guy | 1 Comment »
