Can anyone in this half of the conference challenge Florida State or will the Conference Championship game be a mere formality, with the winner just happy to be there?
2014 NCAA Football Season: ACC Coastal Preview
Duke Blue Devils
Mouths may still be hanging open from the surprise of the Blue Devils winning the division last season. The offense looks to be in good shape with seven starters back, although losing tight end Braxton Deaver to a torn ACL last week will hurt. Several productive receiving options remain on the roster for quarterback Anthony Boone, including standout Jamison Crowder. The Blue Devils used four running backs last season, and with leading rusher Jela Duncan having been dismissed, that’s looking like a smart choice. They’ve got viable, experienced guys who can step in. Three players are back from a tough and skilled offensive line.
Last year’s defense struggled at time, but they had an impressive 18 interceptions as well. Not surprisingly, the secondary looks to be the strongest unit of the defense this season, with all three starting safeties returning and to sophomore cornerbacks who saw time last season. Both linebackers (Duke runs a 4-2-5 defense) are seniors and returning starters as well. The front four is where the questions are, as just one starter returns from a line that had issues at times last season.
As a whole, Duke may have one of the best special teams units in the country, with talent and experience at kicker and punter as well as in the return units.
Prediction: The Coastal is there for the taking, and Duke has as good a chance as anyone. They don’t face Clemson, Louisville, OR Florida State; their toughest game looks to be against Miami and it’s a home game for the Blue Devils. I think they’ll finish 8-4 and that will be enough to repeat as Coastal champs.
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
New quarterback Justin Thomas is reportedly the kind of dynamic runner that coach Paul Johnson likes to have at the helm. He’s got a fairly experienced group of pass-catchers available, but they’ll need to be more consistent than they have been to date. The backfield is short on experience but not on raw talent. At both positions, someone will have to step up. There’s been a fair amount of turnover on the offensive line as well.
There’s a lot of uncertainty up front for the defense. Three-quarters of last year’s defensive line needs to be replaced (end Jabari Hunt-Days started last season, but at linebacker) and that unit struggled at times last season. Senior linebacker Quayshawn Nealy returns, and there’s a fair amount of experience in the defensive backfield. Having a year under their belts in coordinator Ted Roof’s system should help the defense as a whole.
The kicking and punting games could both stand to be more consistent. Junior Jamal Golden is a good return man.
Prediction: It seems like this team should be at the point where they’re beyond the 5- to 7-win range, but I can’t see it this year. Their schedule could be worse, but I think 5-7 is about where they’ll finish.
Miami Hurricanes
Every preview magazine and website I look at seems to have something different written about Miami’s candidates at quarterback. Ryan Williams is out of the race for now with an injury, but he should be available at some point during the season if need be. Transfer Jake Heaps (Kansas) and freshman Brad Kaaya are the names I see mentioned most often, but who knows what will happen by Labor Day? Whoever the quarterback is, he’ll have some decent targets. Tight end Clive Walford is the only returning starter in the receiving group, but there are several wideouts who contributed at times last season. The ground game should be solid, with junior Duke Johnson returning from the broken ankle he suffered against Florida State last November.
The defense looks to be in good but not outstanding shape. The right side of the line has to be replaced, and the candidates are all fairly green. At linebacker, senior Denzel Perryman moves to the middle spot. Perryman had 108 tackles last year and will lead a unit without tons of experience. The secondary should be strong, with three starters returning. Junior Tracy Howard led the ‘Canes with four interceptions a year ago.
Freshman Stacy Coley was the only FBS player to score touchdowns via rushing, receiving, kick return, and punt return in 2013. Needless to say, the return game is in good shape. Punter Pat O’Donnell is gone, and it’s possible kicker Matt Goudis will punt as well.
Prediction: I think Duke wins the head-to-head matchup, edging Miami for the Coastal title despite both finishing 8-4.
North Carolina Tar Heels
Quarterback Marquise Williams started UNC’s last five games in 2013, and won four of them. Common sense tells you he would be the starting QB this season, but freshman Brad Trubisky has by all accounts challenged Williams capably in camp. Head coach Larry Fedora has not named a starter, and he has gone with a multi-quarterback system in the past. It wouldn’t be surprising to see each player get some snaps, at least early in the season. Three starting receivers are back, including Quinshad Davis, who had 10 touchdowns a year ago. Keep an eye on Ryan Switzer, a dynamic return man who could play a bigger role on offense this season. First-round draft pick Eric Ebron will be missed at the tight end spot. Several talented running backs are on the roster, but there are questions on the offensive line, where a new center and left tackle need to step up.
The defense looks to be in reasonably good shape as well, with seven starters returning. They averaged a respectable 22.4 points allowed last season, a big improvement over 2012. The secondary is young, with just one senior on the two-deep, but has guys who have played well when called upon. There are several returning starters in the front seven, and one of them, senior Norkeithus Otis, is definitely a guy to keep an eye on. Otis is coming off a 7.5-sack season. The second year in this 4-2-5 defense should be better than the first.
The punting and kicking games should both be solid, and the return game is above-average. Ryan Switzer returned five punts for touchdowns last season.
Prediction: In a wide-open Coastal division, it’s possible UNC could pull a 2013 Duke and surprise everybody, but I think that’s a long shot. (Then again, I would have said Duke had no chance a year ago, so…) The Tar heels have a rough schedule though, with road games at Notre Dame, Miami, Duke, and Clemson. I think 7-5 is a more realistic finish.
Pitt Panthers
Head coach Paul Chryst named Chad Voytik his starting quarterback earlier this week. Voytik, a sophomore, played sparingly last season in a backup role. His top target, fellow sophomore Tyler Boyd, led all freshman in receiving last season with 1,174 yards and seven touchdowns. There isn’t tons of experience on the roster beyond Boyd, but someone will have to step up as a second receiving option. Junior tight end J.P. Holtz, a returning starter, is one possibility. At running back, senior starter Isaac Bennett returns, paired with sophomore James Conner. Conner rushed for 229 yards against Bowling Green in the Little Caesars Bowl last winter. The offensive line has four starters back, but that unit struggled at times last year.
Five starters return from what was a good defense in 2013, but tackle Aaron Donald is not one of them, having been drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the first round last spring. Just one starter returns in the front four, but those guys had anywhere from one to three years to watch and learn from Donald- Pitt fans should hope they took advantage of it. The Panthers had just 25 sacks last year and should be aiming to add a few to that number. Two senior returning starters bookend the linebacker position, and senior safety Ray Vinopal will lead the secondary. Vinopal finished 2013 with 83 tackles and three interceptions.
The kicking game should be in good shape. A redshirt freshman replaces Matt Yoklic at punter.
Prediction: Pitt will finish somewhere in the middle of the pack in the division. 6-6.
Virginia Cavaliers
The Cavaliers are certainly hoping that Year Two under offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild goes better than Year One did. Quarterback David Watford is still on the roster, but the coaching staff has handed the reins to sophomore Greyson Lambert. There’s some experience in the receiving group, but both returning starters are still just sophomores, and tight end Jake McGee transferred to Florida. The ground game is in good hands with senior Kevin Parks, a starter last year, and sophomore Taquan Mizzell. Two experienced offensive linemen are gone and need to be replaced; how well their replacements perform could have a lot to do with how the offense goes. Can the running game do an adequate job of taking pressure off of the passing game andan inexperienced quarterback?
The questions on the defense are mainly about the front four, where half of the line needs to be replaced. Defensive end Eli Harold, now a junior, is a quick, talented pass-rusher who performed quite well as a sophomore and racked up 8.5 sacks. Two starting linebackers return, both of them seniors, and there’s loads of experience and depth in the secondary. Senior safety Anthony Harris snagged eight interceptions lasts season, the most in the country. As a team, the Virginia defense had 21 takeaways, up from 12 in 2012. They key will be to build on last year’s improvement to support an offensive that will likely have shaky moments.
Kicking and punting could prove important this season. Fortunate for the Cavaliers, they have returning starters at both positions.
Prediction: A lot will depend on how quickly the offense comes together. The schedule is rough, with UCLA visiting in the season opener and conference games at Duke, Florida State, and Virginia Tech. I’d love to see these guys get to .500, but I can’t see them finish above 4-8.
Virginia Tech Hokies
Texas Tech transfer Michael Brewer and senior Mark Leal continue to battle it out for the starting quarterback job, with sophomore Brenden Motley somewhere in the mix as well. Three receivers with a substantial number of catches last season will be available to whichever quarterback gets the nod, and there are some experienced tight ends on the roster as well. Junior Ryan Malleck returns from a shoulder injury that kept him out all of last season, and sophomore Kalvin Cline was impressive as a freshman. The run game should be substantially better after being sub-par a year ago, with several healthy and promising backs on the roster. There are three new starters on the offensive line, but all three have started at times. That unit is on coach number three in as many years, so growing pains early on wouldn’t be surprising.
There are some big gaps on the defense, where just one starter returns in the front seven. The guys who are there are fast and athletic, and by all accounts should fill the shoes of the departed starters well. Defensive tackle Luther Maddy, the sole returning starter, chose to come back for his senior season despite the likelihood of being drafted. The linebacking corps will feature three new starters, all of them upperclassmen, and all four starters return in the backfield. The Hokies have produced very good defensive backs in the past, and this year’s team doesn’t look be an exception.
Virginia Tech struggled mightily in the kicking game last season, and head coach Frank Beamer is waiting to choose from among three potential kickers for 2014.
Prediction: I’m going to be conservative and say 7-5.
Predicted Order of Finish:
1. Duke
2. Miami
3. Virginia Tech
4. North Carolina
5. Pitt
6. Georgia Tech
7. Virginia
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