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Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
ACC Media Days: Boston College's Bill O'Brien Slams NCAA Chaos
Boston College head coach Bill O'Brien offered a candid take on the current state of college football during ACC Football Kickoff, contrasting it sharply with the structure of the NFL."They keep comparing it to the NFL," O'Brien said. "It's not the NFL. The NFL has a CBA, there's a union, there's an enforcement body over it. There's structure to the NFL. There's 32 teams. This is the wild, wild west."O'Brien believes change is coming-but slowly. "I think you wash it all away, I really do," he said. "In the NFL, as you guys know, there's a legal tampering period before free agency… maybe down the road there's something like that for college football. I don't know that."He added, "I'm really focused on Boston College. But I do think over the course of time, over the next four, five years it can hopefully be regulated a little bit better." Boston College went 7-6 last year but struggled down the stretch, losing five of its last eight games including a bowl defeat to year's schedule offers some relief. Between October 11 and the finale at Syracuse, BC makes only one road trip-to Louisville. Matchups against Clemson, Notre Dame, and SMU will be tough, but all are at modest roster upgrades and a history of six- and seven-win seasons, another bowl trip feels within reach. Related: Boston College Football Preview 2025: You Know Exactly What the Eagles Will Do © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
ACC Media Days: Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney Fires Back at Doubters
Clemson coach Dabo Swinney addressed criticism surrounding his program's recent success during ACC Football Kickoff. He firmly stood by the Tigers' record."Every single player who's come through Clemson since I got here in February 2009 has left with a championship, ACC or national," Swinney said. "That's not opinion, that's fact. The narratives can say what they want."Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Clemson faces an early challenge. The Tigers open at Georgia Tech, then host LSU, the other "Death Valley Tigers," in a key matchup at Memorial Stadium. That game will likely set the tone for what promises to be a season full of ups and downs. After LSU, Clemson has home games against Syracuse, SMU, and a talented Duke squad. Florida State, expected to improve, also visits Death Valley. Importantly, Clemson avoids some traditional ACC powerhouses like Miami, NC State, Pitt, and Virginia Tech. That should help their playoff push. Still, the schedule isn't without challenges. Road trips to Louisville and South Carolina late in the season add pressure. Plus, with only one home game in the first month, Clemson will need to start strong. While some losses seem likely, Clemson looks positioned to make the College Football Playoff once again. Even if the Tigers don't win the ACC title, their path to the postseason is clearer than in recent years. Related: Clemson Football Preview 2025: Tigers Season Prediction, Win Total Projection, Top Players Related: 5 Transfer Quarterbacks Who Could Impact the College Football Playoff in 2025 © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Justin Wilcox still frustrated by Cal football's close losses: ‘Those are difficult'
In putting together a 6-7 record for the second consecutive season last year, Cal went 2-5 in games decided by one score. The Bears endured one particularly painful stretch in which they lost four straight games by a combined nine points. On Tuesday, when a reporter at the ACC Football Kickoff event in Charlotte, N.C., asked Cal head coach Justin Wilcox about the Bears' struggles in tight games in 2024 and how they plan to remedy that issue in '25, Wilcox had a ready response. 'You didn't need to remind me, but I know the stat, yeah,' said Wilcox, who's entering his ninth season leading the Bears. 'Those are difficult, frustrating losses. We had plenty of opportunities to win those games. 'I wish it was as simple as, well, we need to do this one drill or address this one position or fix this one problem. It's not that simple.' Wilcox then listed several components, from coaching and schematics to class schedules and admissions to 'support from every level of our institution. … I could name 50 things that can help us.' The Bears will need help from either new players or ones who haven't had major roles in their time at Cal. From last season, the Bears lost their starting quarterback (Fernando Mendoza, transferred to Indiana), top two running backs (Jaivian Thomas, transferred to UCLA; Jaydn Ott, transferred to Oklahoma), top wide receiver Nyziah Hunter (transferred to Nebraska), top tight end (Jack Endries, transferred to Texas), top tackler (Teddye Buchanan, fourth-round pick by Baltimore) and top interceptor (Nohl Williams, third-round pick by Kansas City). One man expected to provide a lot of help to Wilcox and the entire team is Ron Rivera, the former Cal and Chicago Bears linebacker and longtime NFL head coach who was named the football program's general manager in March. Wilcox said he and Rivera 'get to talk about anything and everything that has to do with Cal football. … He's a Cal Bear through and through, and he will tell you that. He will carry that flag.' Who will carry the flag as Cal's starting quarterback for its opener at Oregon State on Aug. 30 remains uncertain. The competition centers on Devin Brown, who spent the past three seasons as a backup at Ohio State, and heralded freshman Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, the left-hander from Hawaii who committed to Cal but signed with Oregon, then quickly transferred from Eugene to Berkeley. Redshirt freshman EJ Caminong is also in the mix, Wilcox said, but the fact that Cal brought Brown and Sagapolutele to Charlotte would lead you to believe they're the top two candidates. 'The history of the quarterback position at Cal is long with Aaron Rodgers and Jared Goff,' Brown said. 'The list goes on and on.' Brown then went on about making the transition from the Buckeyes to the Bears. 'The biggest thing was building relationships on and off the field,' Brown said. 'The O-line had to be able to trust that they could be my friend off the field. They're not going to want to block for somebody that they don't like, right?' This will be the third straight year in which the Bears begin preseason camp with their starting QB uncertain. In 2023, Sam Jackson V and Ben Finley were the top candidates. They alternated as starters for the first five games before Mendoza took the job. Last year, Mendoza held off Chandler Rogers to remain QB1. 'We feel like this team at each position is probably as competitive or more competitive than any team we've had in our tenure there, so that's a good thing,' Wilcox said. 'The goal is to bring in as many good players as we possibly can who fit us, who fit Cal, and let the competition sort the depth chart out.' Briefly: Cal also brought defensive lineman Aidan Keanaaina and linebacker Cade Uluave to Charlotte. In an interview on the ACC Network, Wilcox hinted that Uluave might get playing time beyond his duties on defense. Uluave was both a linebacker and running back at Mountain Ridge High in Utah and he returned four kickoffs. … Brown wore No. 33, not the typical quarterback number, at OSU as a tribute to Pro Football Hall of Fame QB Sammy Baugh. Brown is wearing No. 13 at Cal as running back Dean-Taylor Chapman has No. 33. Brown jokingly said that Chapman 'is being a little stingy, but I wanted (No. 33), so we'll see what happens.'
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
ACC Media Days: Carson Beck Explains Why He Left Georgia For Miami
Carson Beck didn't leave Georgia because of drama. He left because he felt it was simply at ACC Football Kickoff on Tuesday, the new Miami quarterback gave his most direct answer yet about why he transferred out of Athens after two seasons leading one of college football's most dominant programs. "Everything has a shelf life, and I think the shelf life there [at Georgia] was over, and it was just time to start something new, to get into a new program, to start a new chapter of my life, my career," Beck told guiding Georgia to a national title appearance in 2023 and posting strong numbers in 2024, Beck had no shortage of options. But he said his choice came down to football fit - and future opportunity. "I think the biggest thing for me, obviously, was the offensive fit," Beck said. "As a quarterback, the OC, the scheme, the talent and guys that you're going to have around you is huge to the success and ultimately, the future not just as a quarterback, but of me. This is my future and I think this decision is one of the better decisions I've made." Beck's production speaks for itself. In 2023, he completed 72.4% of his passes for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns, and only six interceptions. His 2024 season was more of a rollercoaster - 64.7% completion, 3,485 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 12 picks - but still good enough to make him one of the top signal-callers on the he'll try to elevate the Hurricanes and reshape his legacy - starting in Week 1 against Notre Dame. Related: Carson Beck Brushes Off Pressure of Following Cam Ward at Miami Related: 5 Must-Watch College Football Games in August 2025 © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Carson Beck Brushes Off Pressure of Following Cam Ward at Miami
Carson Beck has been here before - stepping into the spotlight, following big shoes, and answering big at Miami, Beck was asked at ACC Football Kickoff on Tuesday whether he feels any pressure taking over after Cam Ward, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft and left behind a season full of highlights and answer was calm and direct."No, not really. Obviously his success is undeniable. Obviously I don't really know him very well. I've been able to meet him a couple times, but obviously very -- I don't want to say proud. I don't know the kid. But what he was able to do is undeniable." Beck isn't downplaying Ward's impact. But he also isn't making it bigger than it needs to be - because he's done this before."The last school I was at I followed up the two-time national champion, so I didn't really feel any pressure there. It's a game; I've played football my whole life. I've played quarterback since I was seven years old, and it's something that I love to do and I've got a lot of good talent around me and really good coaches in position to not only help me not only achieve my goals, but be really successful."That kind of perspective is why Miami brought him in. After leading Georgia to a College Football Playoff berth last year, Beck transferred to the Hurricanes for a fresh start - and a chance to elevate a team coming off a strong 2024 season."Again, really just looking forward to the opportunity, and again, have the opportunity to go out and play football again. I haven't done it in a while, so looking forward to it."He sounds ready. Miami fans are hoping that feeling carries into the fall. Related: 2025 Miami Football Schedule: Best & Worst Scenarios, Season Prediction Related: 5 Underrated College Football Transfers Who Could Shine in 2025 © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
