Latest news with #ACCChampionship
Miami Herald
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Florida State Football Preview 2025: The Seminoles Hit the Refresh Button
What happened to Florida State? This isn't actually all that program got caught in an all-time bad break perfect storm at the end of 2023 to miss out on the CFP, made worse by a 63-3 Orange Bowl loss to a Georgia team that could've put up 80+ if it tried, and …Because there wasn't enough horrible luck for that Seminole team, it was the last year of the four-team the hits just kept onnnnnnnn coming. X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN Florida State Offense BreakdownFlorida State Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to SeasonAfter suffering the most brutal of gut punches, Florida State seemingly had a good enough team returning to quickly get back on track. Fully motivated, it all instantly fell apart after a last-second loss to Georgia Tech in Ireland. From there, the bad vibes never went away. Oh, and 2024 Florida State played a way harder schedule than it did the year 2023 team was great, starting with a dominant win over Jayden Daniels and a strong LSU team in the opener, but lost in history was how FSU slipped by Clemson because Dabo's 19th-string kicker biffed the game-winning field goal try in regulation. Also forgotten was that the LSU win and the ACC Championship victory over Louisville were the two victories over teams that won ten games. In all, the 2023 team played seven games in the regular season against teams that went bowling. The 2024 team played 11 - Charleston Southern was the lone outlier - including five that won ten games or more. Three of those were against CFP teams, and one was against a Notre Dame squad that played for the national doesn't mean Florida State should've lost to Boston College by 15, or to North Carolina by 24, or to Florida 20, all at home. And now this becomes a wildly interesting experiment. From 12-1, to 1-11, to almost completely starting over, at least with the starters, FSU is loaded with upperclassmen, it's totally reliant on new guys, and that might be exactly what the program should be between 11 to 15 new starters for the opener against Alabama who weren't part of the 2023 fun or the 2024 pity party. Getting Gus Malzahn as the offensive coordinator was a coup, there's a new defensive coordinator, and overall, the refresh should get everything going again. It might be one of those Mike Tyson "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth" things with Alabama to kick things off, but there's talent, along with decent depth on the way to a bowl. Remember, FSU has only been to three or those since there's an expanded playoff this time around, just in case head coach Mike Norvell makes it three double-digit winning seasons in four years. But that only happens if he gets a lot more out of his … Florida State Offense BreakdownFlorida State Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Clemson head coach Erik Bakich on the Tigers not being done in the transfer portal
Clemson baseball's early postseason exit was a bitter pill to swallow, but head coach Erik Bakich is already shifting focus to what comes next — and he's not wasting any time. After another disappointing finish in regional play, Bakich is using the extra time to aggressively reshape his roster through the transfer portal. The Tigers won 45 games and reached the ACC Championship, but a crushing late-inning loss to West Virginia followed by a lopsided defeat to Kentucky ended their season short of expectations. 'We are fully aware that we took a step back in the month of June,' Bakich said Tuesday on SportsTalk with Phil Kornblut. 'That is all that really matters, and we had nothing to hang our hat on for success this season… So for us, we are heads down and instead of talking about it, we are going to be about it.' Since his arrival in 2022, Bakich has made it clear the standard at Clemson is a return to Omaha. After coming close in 2024 with a Super Regional run, the 2025 season marked a step back — and Bakich is determined to fix that quickly. So far, he's added seven players through the portal, including five hitters aimed at addressing offensive inconsistency and two arms to bolster the pitching staff. One of the first portal pickups was Ariston Veasey, a hard-throwing righty from Alabama, followed by Catawba transfer Hayden Simmerson. Still, Bakich says they're far from done. 'Our coaching staff has been on a mission to find some high-impact dudes, and we are still looking,' he said. 'Trying to find one or two more pitchers… Clemson is looking, and we want an absolute dude.' Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.
Hindustan Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
LeBron James praises Cooper Flagg ahead of NBA Draft, calls Duke star ‘amazing'
Cooper Flagg is the player to watch out for at the NBA Draft on Wednesday night. The Maine resident, who is the projected No. 1 pick in the draft, has grabbed attention after a phenomenal performance for Duke in college basketball. The 6-foot-9 is expected to go to the Dallas Mavericks, The Guardian reported. If chosen, Flagg will be the second-youngest No. 1 pick in history, just behind LeBron James, as per ESPN. File photo of Cooper Flagg(AP) The 18-year-old became the first player in 25 years to tally 100 assists, 500 points and 30 blocks in a single ACC regular season. His performance helped the Blue Devils reach the ACC Championship as well as the Final Four, The Guardian reported. The outlet also added that Cooper Flagg has managed to avoid the animosity associated with many Duke players, such as JJ Redick and Grayson Allen. Also read: Cooper Flagg girlfriend: Is Duke star dating Lola Ressler? LeBron James praises Cooper Flagg In the latest episode of the Mind the Game podcast, LeBron James said Cooper Flagg was 'going to be amazing,' ESPN reported. 'A guy that can do so many different things out on the floor. Can play with the ball, can play without the ball. His jump shot is going to continue to get better. Super athletic, quick second jump," he added. Comparing his situation with Cooper Flagg, LeBron James admitted that the Maine freshman would join a team with Hall of Fame guys like Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving, a benefit James himself did not get. The NBA legend said that Cooper Flagg could benefit from being in the company of such established players who could help him chart out his own path in the team. Cooper Flagg's pre-NBA Draft photoshoot Ahead of the NBA Draft, Cooper and his Duke teammates Khaman Maluach and Kon Kneuppel participated in a photoshoot. A video shared by the NBA featured some light-hearted moments between the three players. FAQs: Why is Cooper Flagg so famous? His performance for Duke in college basketball catapulted him into the public eye. Will Cooper Flagg be the youngest NBA player? No, he will be the second-youngest. LeBron James was the youngest NBA pick. Why does Cooper Flag wear 32? The forward wears a jersey with the number 32 because his mother wore the same number while playing basketball in high school
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
NC State Football Preview 2025: Can Dave Doeren and the Wolfpack Finally Win 10 Games?
Seriously? SMU played for the ACC Championship last season?The ACC didn't have a football championship until 2005, but NC State has the dubious negative of being one of two current ACC teams - Cal and Stanford don't count yet - that hasn't played in the title the other team that hasn't played for the championship, is relatively new, joining the ACC in 2013. NC State has been in the conference since 1953, and hasn't won an ACC title since 1979. X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN NC State Offense BreakdownNC State Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to SeasonEven weirder, the school first started playing college football in 1892, and it still has just one double-digit winning season, going 11-3 in is one-for-one as a double-digit winning ACC program continues to be solid under Dave Doeren, with a team and schedule that were both good enough to have produced something fantastic. Instead, injuries were an issue, the lines struggled, and …There's a positive in all of this. The fundamentals of the NC State football program are strong. Doeren hasn't stopped being a great college football coach. The lumps taken last year should pay off with a more experienced team, and with a great young group of reserves waiting in the wings. And the schedule isn't that bad - several Big Ten and SEC schools could only dream of having a slate like the Wolfpack will one play here and there is what it's all about, but four of the seven losses were by one score, a fifth against Duke was tight into the final few minutes, and the two others against Tennessee and Clemson were blowouts against College Football Playoff teams. But again, if SMU was able to figure it out and put together a special season, NC State can do it, too. It's way overdue to catch the right breaks, with four nine-win seasons and two eight-win campaigns in the last eight years. And it should be good enough to create its own good even if it would be nice for NC State to do a little more, over the 12 years under Doeren, assume eight or nine wins are coming, and you'll probably be right. NC State Offense BreakdownNC State Defense BreakdownSeason Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
USA Today
18-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
A true freshman the secret to life after Phil Mafah? Fox Sport thinks so
A true freshman the secret to life after Phil Mafah? Fox Sport thinks so The Tigers are returning the most production of any team in college football. But the one area where Clemson suffered the most after the 2024-25 season is at the running back position. Phil Mafah was a certified dog at tailback, but now he's a Dallas Cowboy after being selected 239th overall in the seventh round in the 2025 NFL draft. Behind Mafah's team-leading 1,115 yards and eight rushing touchdowns, only quarterback Cade Klubnik rushed for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. So, who can Dabo Swinney find to replace Mafah? Clemson football in 2025- Who replaces Phil Mafah? Most likely, the rushing production will be by committee. The leading running back behind Mafah was Jay Haynes, but he tore his ACL against SMU in the ACC Championship. He will most likely return by the start of the season, but at what capacity? That leaves Keith Adams Jr., David Eziomume, Jarvis Green, wideout-turned-RB Adam Randall, and finally, true freshman Gideon Davidson. And while Davidson might be a freshman, don't be surprised to see him as a major piece in the Tigers' rushing game next season. Randall started with the first-team offense in the spring game ahead of Davidson, but the early enrollee showcased his skills, too, especially in the passing game. Gideon Davidson a top 10 impact freshman With all the uncertainty at RB, Fox Sports college football and basketball writer Michael Cohen believes that's all Gideon needs to get his foot in the door. As an RB in high school, the 94-rated four-star (per 247Sports) eclipsed 1,000 all four years he played for the Liberty Christian Academy Bulldogs. In his final two seasons, he broke 2,000 yards, including an out-of-this-world junior campaign: 2,716 yards, 43 touchdowns, and 12.9 yards per carry. National recruiting analyst Brian Dohn had this to say about the Virginia native: "[Davidson is a] patient runner with vision and knows how to set up blocks. Quick feet with stop-start ability. Accelerates well through the hole. Has speed to finish runs. Best suited to run between tackles. Body control to make subtle cuts at second level. Difficult to arm tackle. Shows cut-back ability. instinctual runner can make defenders miss in hole. Solid pass catcher who lines up wide… Can be early contributor in high-level college program." Gideon is only one of two non-five-star recruits on Cohen's list. Defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart at USC is the other four-star. The rest of the list includes the No. 1 prospect from the 2025 class, Michiagan's five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, Oregon wide receiver Dakorian Moore, cornerback Devin Sanchez from Ohio State, offensive tackle David Sanders at Tennessee, Texas' WR Kaliq Lockett, CB from LSU DJ Pickett, Michigan OT Andrew Babaloa, and finally, Linkon Cure, a tight end at Kansas State.
