Home
Up

MD : 17                                                                                                  Clemson : 30

“Don’t let the final score fool you, this one was ugly.”

By Bob W.

Overall:  Looking back when Heyward-Bey dropped that first pass, we should have figured out what was going to happen.  When he dropped his second one, I should have known we probably weren’t going to win.  But when he dropped his third one I was looking up to heaven and wondering if the rapture was finally upon us.  You can debate every single position and every single coach on our staff and make a case for if they are doing their job well enough, but the one thing…THE ABSOULTE ONE THING we can count on, is Darrius Heyward-Bey.  So when he dropped that first one, we should have all seen the writing on the wall. 

And as I wrote that last sentence, I must admit, I never really thought about that before, but could this be the first time anyone has said anything even remotely negative about HeyBey?  I know it’s the first time I have.  Previously the worst thing I’ve written about him may have been that one time when I called him “good” instead of “awesome”.  Usually when we aren’t praising him we are saying something like “Why can’t Steffy/Turner throw the ball more to our all World WR Darrius Heyward-Bey?”.  But today you have to lump him in with the rest.  He looked awfully mortal.

I thought we were going to give the Tigers a game on Saturday.  I had a bad feeling, but that bad feeling was no different from the one I have going into every Maryland game.  When they missed their first field goal attempt I thought we had a chance, when we took a 3-0 lead my hopes only grew, and as Clemson fumbled the ball away after the kick, I was pretty excited.  But I don’t know what it is about this season, but whenever something goes wrong, things seem to implode on itself and a downward spiral ensues.  And as Clemson recovered the fumble, something in the back of my mind said “UH OH!”. 

That voice in my head turned out to be correct.  Maryland could not stop the Clemson run.  We could not catch the Maryland pass.  Clemson threw up 20 points in the second quarter and though we scored late, the outcome was never really in doubt. 

What’s it all Mean:  What’s this mean, hmmm where to begin.  First there will be no shot at the Atlantic Division title (mathematically, since you could debate if we ever really did have a shot).  There will be no respectable bowl game in our future, and in all seriousness, there may not be any bowl game in our future.  We are now 4-4 with 4 to play.  We have @UNC remaining, then #2 BC comes to town, then we finish on the road verses FSU and NC State.  We HAVE to win 2 of them.  I think our best chances are against UNC and NC State, even if they are on the road.  And since UNC is a must win, that means our season could all but end on November 3^rd.  DAMN YOU COIN FLIP OCTOBER!!   

Game Highlights:  I’m going to take this section in a different direction this week.  There really weren’t many on the field highlights, so I’m going to go with the half time show.  I must say the Band showed up today, even if the football team didn’t.  That was the loudest crowd response the band has ever gotten in my opinion, and that is saying a lot considering how quite it was during the 2^nd quarter.  The Thriller dance was funny and mesmorizing, and the pictures my sister took from the upper deck were also pretty cool.  Good job band, no scratch that, GREAT JOB band.  If every halftime show is that amusing from here on out, I may never pee again!

Game Lowlights:  I’ve touched on it before, and I can’t fully explain it, but when Clemson fumbled the ball, and we turned it right back over, you kind of had a feeling that we squandered the game.  Sure we could have rallied, I mean we were leading 3-0 when it happened, but you could just feel the wind being sucked out of 50,000 fans that very second.

MVP:  My MVP is again Erin Henderson.  I feel that I have fallen into an MVP trap where whenever no one on offense shows up, I go with the leading tackler, but I swear, I looked everywhere for an MVP and I couldn’t find anyone worthy.  Erin had 15 tackles.  I hate giving the MVP to a defensive player when we couldn’t stop the run all night, but I just feel without Erin Henderson it would have even been worse.

For honorable mention, Yikes, let me think.  Dave Philistin had 12 tackles and I never call his name, so what the hell, Philistin gets the honorable mention.   

Random Thought-  My wife watches this show called “Bridezilla”.  The idea is that they follow these crazy women around leading up to their wedding day.  What I don’t get though is what are the grooms thinking.  If your wife (or wife to be) comes up to you and says “Oh by the way our wedding is going to be on a reality TV show.  The show is called Bridezilla, and the idea is that they follow around women who are complete control freaks, yet can’t handle pressure or adversity, and emotional blow-ups ensue.”.  I mean aren’t those basically the exact opposite characteristics you want for someone you are going to spend the rest of your life with?  At what point does your brain raise a red flag?  

Around the ACC:

Game of the Week

Boston College 14  Virginia Tech 10- Matt Ryan hit Andre Callender with 11 seconds left to shock the Hokies as well as all of Blacksburg on this Thursday night thriller.  Ryan who’s Eagles are now 7-0, may not have won the Heisman Trophy on that play, but he did probably punch his ticket to at least be in the room.  Also look for this one to be replayed in Jacksonville in about a month. 

Wake 37  North Carolina 10- Boy I hope this is the UNC team that shows up on November 3^rd, because we HAVE to win that one.    

NC State 29 UVA 24- What the hell, where was Howie Long’s boy for this one?  NC State got 347 yards and 2 TD’s from Daniel Evans to cling to their bowl eligibility.  UVA on the other hand is blowing what is probably their only chance ever to win the Coastal Division.  The BC-VaTech rematch is looking more and more probable.. 

FSU 25  Duke 6-  FSU needs Duke to break a two game losing streak for them?  Come on, fire Bowden already, even I can’t take this mediocrity from FSU and I hate them!