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MD : 13                                              North Carolina: 16

                         “I Surrender.”

By Bob W.

 Overall:  I’m not a quitter, but the writing is on the wall.  We are not going to reach the post season.  I’m not France here.  If I were, I’d have given up after the West Virigina game and taken Steve Slaton around campus so that he could get some nice photo op’s of his newly conquered land, but we are just spent.  We have fought a good fight, and though the record is not going to be there, we should be proud of the 2007 season.  Things going into this year were pretty thin when we lost Jared Gaither and Donny Wood, and not to mention Josh Portis.  Those are three big names.  But I wasn’t worried.  And I shouldn’t have been.  We had the athletes to over come the adversity, but man did I under estimate the adversity. 

Forgive the pun, but we are but a shell of the team we were on August 6^th and it is being shown every Saturday.  It is depressing because the Rutgers game showed everyone what this team is capable of, the Ga. Tech win showed that we could still compete, but each one of those wins came with a steep price.  There really is no American equivilant for this analogy because we are awesome, but it is like the English after the Battle of Bunker Hill.  They reported the victory to the King, but when the King saw the causalities from the battle he told his general “A couple more “victories” like this and the war will be lost.”.  And that is basically what happened to the Terps.  In fact things are so bad now, that I hear the State Police are going to put in a Helo-pad on top of the field house since they are getting tired of landing on the grass.   

The North Carolina game was ugly.  It did not look like any team that had been playing together since the start of fall practice.  It looked almost like a spring game.  The hallmark of the Ralph Friedgen era is our ability to play better as the season wears on.  But this is too much.  It isn’t Ralph’s fault, it isn’t Turner or Steffy’s faults.  It’s just one of those things, you just have to chalk it up to bad luck. 

 What’s it all Mean:  It means our season is basically over.  We now need to win 2 of the last 3 and THEN hope things fall into place.  After watching that game Saturday, and then watching FSU, and NC State play, we most likely are not going to win any of the remaining games and we are seriously looking at the darkest hour since Friedgen took the helm.  The temptation is going to be there, and many are going to call for heads, but I honestly believe Friedgen shouldn’t be taking any criticism for this.  The only off season debate should be about Chris Cosh, and that debate should be whether or not to fire him on November 25^th, or 26^th.   You can talk all you want about the Offensive line, but what has been the defenses excuse the last 2 years?  We have the talent.   

 Game Highlights:  The highlight of the game was forcing UNC to punt the ball away with 3:12 left in the game and only a 3 point lead.  When we were able to get the ball back, it was the first time all day that I actually let myself day dream about winning this one.  It was a great story just waiting to be written.  Chris Turner was going to lead the team down the field, ala UVA and either Ball or Lattimore was going to punch in the go ahead score with just a few seconds left to erase the previous 59:30 minutes.  Unfortunately most of that highlight is imaginary. 

Game Lowlights:  Third and 2.  I’m just saying, Lance Ball is averaging 4.6 yards a carry on the day.  We still have TO’s and time.  But 2 incomplete passes later and the game is over.  And now the lowlight of the lowlight.  Turner’s game ending pass.  If you throw that ball inbounds anything can possibly happen.  If you throw that ball out of bounds, there is ZERO chance of anything happening.  That was a “remote breaker” play, you know where you can’t help but chuck the remote as hard as you can at something.  But luckily for Turner he is only a Sophomore and luckily for my remote, it was only the couch cushin. 

MVP:  No one really stands out, but I’m going to go with Lance Ball.  It seems to me that when one of our RB’s struggles, the other has a good game.  Maybe it is their styles, but whatever it was Ball was clearly the go to guy on this day.  Ball had 15 carries for 69 yards.   

For honorable mention, I’m going to go with Kevin Barnes.  I haven’t called his name all year, but since he did go to Kristin’s alma mater, I guess I’ll throw him a bone.  Kevin did have an INT and also registered 6 tackles and included one assist for a 3 yard loss.  I look for Barnes to have a great Senior Season next year.      

Random Thought-  What is up with the Ipod Nano commercial where the indy rocker comes on and sings that catchy song, and meanwhile all the people jump out from behind her until there is a whole room full of dancing people?  Sure the commercial gets your attention, but if you’re a guy, isn’t the first thing you want to know when you hear that chicks voice, what she looks like?  But you can’t make it out on the stupid tiny Nano, and isn’t the whole point of the product that you can watch stuff on it?!?  It’s like watching TV while drunk, “I think that chick is hot, she sounds hot, but I can’t quite make out her face?”.  I know, I have way to much free time on my hands. 

Around the ACC:

 Game of the Week

 Florida State 27 Boston College 17- Thank you FSU for now giving us absolutely nothing left to get excited for the rest of the season.  You all suck! Matt Ryan threw 3 interceptions (if you looked at the last one real close you can actually see not a football, but a tiny Heisman award being picked by the FSU guy and carried into the end zone).  

Virginia 17  Wake Forest 16- If the Wahoo’s didn’t fall on their face against NC State and Wyoming, I’d bet the house they’d signed a deal with the devil because they just keep squeaking out win after win by the slimiest margins.   

NC State 19 Miami 16- I was really hoping that NC State would be ineligible for a bowl game by the time we showed up in Raliegh, now it looks as though the exact opposite is going to happen.  Miami continues to perplex me.   

Clemson 47  Duke 10-  Good news everybody!!  We are still better than Duke.  Meanwhile Clemson continues to keep it’s hopes alive of back dooring the ACC Championship game.  

Virginia Tech 27 Georgia Tech 3- In the battle of the Tech’s, VT comes out on top.  Va Tech and UVA to end the year is looking like a mighty big game.  My money is on the Hokies, but I just wish it was on them last Thursday night.