NC State Wolfpack

By Tony Haynes

Prior to the 2000 football season, it appeared that the ACC career rushing record held by former NC State running back Ted Brown for the last 22-years was in serious jeopardy. Coming in, Maryland's LaMont Jordan needed 1,376 yards this fall to surpass Brown, but a slow September may have doomed his chances.

Despite putting together a 114-yard rushing performance against Florida State on September 28, Jordan will still need 1,074 yards in his last seven games to overtake Brown, meaning he'll have to average just over 153 yards per game for the rest of the season.

Fully aware of Jordan's importance to the Maryland offense, Terp opponents are loading up on the run, a trend that will certainly continue for the rest of the season. One thing that is working in Jordan's favor is a history of getting stronger as the season goes along. The 5-11, 220 pound bruiser rumbled for 1,101 yards in Maryland's final six games last season, and capped it off with a school record 306-yard explosion in the season finale vs. Virginia.

Speaking of running, Clemson quarterback Woodrow Dantzler has a very realistic chance of running-and passing-his was into the NCAA record books. No quarterback in the history of college football has rushed for over 1,000 yards and passed for more than 2,000 in the same season. Dantzler, however, has a shot. Through five games this year, the 5'11, 200 pound junior has 629 yards on the ground and 865 yards through the air. The NC State defense will certainly have its hands full when it visits Death Valley on Saturday. Along with being extremely elusive in the open field, Dantzler is also strong enough to run out of arm tackles.

Interestingly, most of Dantzler's yards come as the result of designed running plays. In other words, he's very much like an old single-wing tailback who just happens to be a competent passer. If Dantzler keeps it up, he'll be the man to beat for ACC Player of the Year honors.

A four-time ACC Coach of the Year is catching heat from his own fans these days. The fact that George Welsh has guided Virginia to 13 consecutive seasons of seven or more wins no longer impresses many UVA supporters, who have become antsy over Virginia's 3-2 start. Some folks have short memories, while others apparently haven't been around long enough to fully appreciate what Welsh has done in Charlottesville.

Having lived about an hour south of Hooville for the first 14-years of my life, I can vividly remember the days when Virginia football was a wasteland of futility. In the ten-years prior to Welsh's arrival in 1982, the Cavaliers averaged a measly three wins per-season, a stretch that included just one winning campaign.

In the 18-years since, Welsh has posted a .622 winning percentage in route to becoming the winningest coach in ACC history. Given the circumstances surrounding the job he inherited, Welsh has arguably been as good as any coach in the country. But perhaps he's now become a victim of his own success.

After being named ACC Rookie of the Week in four successive weeks, NC State quarterback Philip Rivers has seen his streak come to an end. But that's only because the Wolfpack was off last weekend. On second thought, I wonder if a player can be recognized for having a good week of practice? Rivers looked pretty good when I stopped by the practice field last Thursday. The guy gets my vote.