Tuesday Items

-- Some Randy Shannon press conference notes:

Shannon didn't sound very optimistic about having Kyle Wright under center Saturday against N.C. State despite his return from his ankle injury. Shannon said Wright was back out "practicing a little" on Sunday when the team regrouped after three days off. He said Wright "moved around" and will do some indoor drill work this week. Shannon said Wright "needed to complete a practice" if he was going to play Saturday. My sources told me last week Wright would be out this week and would not return until the Virginia game. I don't expect him to play this week. Look for Kirby Freeman to be the starter.

Good news for us if that's accurate.

-- Also:

Cornerback Randy Phillips didn't seem too impressed with North Carolina State receiver Donald Bowens, who caught 11 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns in last week's upset of Virginia. He shared ACC player of the week honors with Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan. But after watching film, Phillips said it was more of the Virginia secondary making mistakes. Phillips then implied that it wasn't a "Darnell Jenkins 200 yards," meaning Jenkins usually earns his yards.

How Phillips could come to that conclusion, I do not know, as Jenkins has never had a 200-yard game in his career.

-- The News & Record's Rob Daniels clarifies the rule regarding that bizarre Darrell Blackman play:

When an offensive player -- a quarterback, running back or wide receiver operating from scrimmage -- loses the ball and covers it in the end zone, a safety is awarded to the defense. So why isn't that the deal with the dropped punt?

The answer has to do with "impetus," the principle that explains why the ball is where it is. On a play from scrimmage, the impetus is the burden of the offensive team because a play begins under the assumption that the offense is in control. But a punt, if not cleanly handled, falls to the ground because of where it has come from -- namely the sky and that thing called gravity. The impetus is not with the receiver but with the kicking team until the receiver catches and firmly secures the ball. Any loss of possession thereafter is a fumble.

[snip]

The Wolfpack's Darrell Blackman muffed a ball into the end zone, picked it up and successfully ran back out. What if he had failed to cross back into the field of play, you ask?

"He can field the ball, run and get tackled back there (in the end zone) and it's still a touchback," said Doug Rhoads, the ACC's supervisor of officials.

-- Because I just know you were wondering, "what was the Red team's turnover rate?"

        eFG%    TO%    OR%  Off_Eff
Red     54.5   35.6   40.0    99.3
White   45.6   18.7   26.9    88.1

-- Storming The Floor previews Wolfpack hoops here. They have optimistically pegged us at #12. Eric Byrnes Tries Hard (it's true!) previews and ranks the bottom half of the ACC's point guards. No Quentin Thomas to be seen, so I can only assume he will be somewhere in the top half.

-- Bobby Hurley and Greg Paulus--no comparison, right? You'd be surprised.

-- I didn't realize what a difficult concept this TOB thing was.

Dumb coach of the year award goes to Tom O'Brien of NC State. You voluntarily left BC to go to NC State. You went from Matt Ryan to some kid named Daniel Evans. Idiot.

Yes, sometime last December, Tom O'Brien said to himself, he said, "self, I am going to give up the culmination of my professional life's work and take a job at this other place, not because there are a number of off-field factors under my consideration, but merely because I am daft."

-- Wow. [Update: the original video was taken down, but it's since been re-uploaded.]