Jeff Gravley
WRAL anchor Jeff Gravley is from Oxford and has covered sports in the Triangle since 1985.
By Jeff Gravley
Nov 4, 2008
If you had to vote today, who would be your pick for first team All-ACC quarterback? What about the second team?
There are a lot of inexperienced signal callers in the league this year. According to the ACC, 12 quarterbacks made their career debuts as starters at Boston College, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State and Virginia.
Only Marc Verica of Virginia is in the ACC's top six in passing yards per game. The sophomore checks in at 190.1 per game.
Five of the top six statistical leaders are upperclassmen. To be ranked, a player must have played in 75% of the games.
Wake Forest junior Riley Skinner is averaging 197 yards passing. It leads the ACC but ranks 54th in the country. Duke junior Thaddeus Lewis is second at 194 yards per game and he leads the conference in touchdown passes with 12.
Preseason player of the year, Cullen Harper of Clemson, has thrown for 192 yards per game but his 11 interceptions overshadow the 7 touchdowns. Harper
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By Jeff Gravley
Oct 8, 2008
Sometimes we'll be sitting around the office when all of a sudden, someone will punch up a college fight song through their computer speakers. It's our way to create some atmosphere in the office and liven up the place.
There's nothing like hearing the fight songs live and this weekend I will get to hear one of my favorites when Notre Dame comes to Chapel Hill. You don't have to like the school to like the song. I know to most of the Golden Dome haters, the Notre Dame fight song sounds like nails on a chalkboard. To me it spells tradition.
Back in 1993, I covered North Carolina's win over Southern Cal. It was a great Tar Heel win that gave me my first chance to hear the familiar Fight On tune of USC. Goose bumps man, goose bumps.
Another in my top flight of fight songs is Michigan's Hail to the Victors. They play it a thousand times per game...win or lose. In 2001,
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By Jeff Gravley
Oct 2, 2008
Saturday night before NC State played South Florida, I bumped into San Diego Chargers scout Darrell Moody. He said the group of head football coaches at Duke, North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest is as strong as he can remember.
That goes back a long time.
Moody played at NC State from 1968-70 and was in college coaching for 28 years. His coaching tour included NC State, LSU, Appalachian State, Tulane and North Carolina.
I'll toss out a few thoughts on the Big 4 coaches and welcome your responses.
Jim Grobe, Wake Forest
You have to start off with Grobe since he's the longest tenured at one Big Four school. He also has an ACC championship ring. Nuff said. Other schools have floated boat loads of money to lure Grobe from the Deacs. It hasn't worked. What does that say about the man and his views? He is 15-5 against Duke, State and North Carolina.
Butch Davis, North
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