Kind of bored at work so I thought I would pose a question I've been thinking about to those more knowledgeable. It seems like Oklahoma, TCU, and Southern Cal under the Riley brothers have had unreal offenses but very very poor defenses. Same is true of just about all pure air raid teams (I know the Riley version is not pure Air Raid and is better at power runs). It makes me wonder if there is something about those schemes that lends itself to teams not being ready to face other offenses. If the Riley system is at its core very simple, with just a handful of plays out of lots of formations, is the defense ill prepared to face a different more complex offense? Does facing so much passing in practice make them soft against the run? Does the defense know the offense can almost score at will so they lack intensity? I've always felt like our defenses played best under Dabo when our offense was clicking. The two units seem to feed off each other's success.

I'm not expecting us to have a major problem with the defensive talent we have. But, you become good at what you practice, hopefully there isn't something inherent in seeing this system daily that leads to poor defensive play.

Realizing there’s a long way to go yet, but Rivals as of today for ACC team’s recruiting rankings: FSU 9, Clemson 10, UNC 13, Miami 16, Ga Tech 22 and Pitt 24….others.. Duke 28, Va Tech 33, Wake 40, Syra 48, NC State 53, BC 59 and UVA 61. Oh yeah, football factory in Columbia #39.

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Tre Williams and Myles Oliver probably won't be able to participate in camp, Dabo just said.

Williams underwent shoulder surgery in the spring and has had a great summer, but they're trying to play the long game to get both of his shoulders healthy.

Said best-case is a return midway through camp, but odds favor them returning during the season.

Oliver had season-ending shoulder surgery last August.

This dude is a 26 year old 8th year senior! I’m more impressed than anything else!

https://ncstate.rivals.com/news/nc-state-gets-late-addition-with-bradley-rozner

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All three are featured in this piece from Adam Gorney this morning ...

Thanks!

Gilgo Beach murders: New York State Police, FBI impound evidence from South Carolina​

By: Audrey Conklin & Chris Eberhart - FOX News

CHESTER, South Carolina – An infamous cold case involving an alleged serial killer led the FBI and New York State Police (NYSP) more than 700 miles away from the crime scene to South Carolina, where more evidence was confiscated.

A Chevy Avalanche connected to suspected Long Island serial killer Rex Heuermann was covered in a tarp and strapped to the back of a NYSP tow truck that rolled into the impound lot of the Chester County Sheriff's Office during Tuesday afternoon's press conference in South Carolina.

Heuermann, a Long Island, New York, resident who allegedly killed at least three of the four victims dubbed the "Gilgo Four," planned to retire near his brother in Chester, South Carolina, according to neighbors.

The 59-year-old Heuermann, a married father of two and an architect working in Manhattan, pleaded not guilty to six counts of murder – first- and second-degree murder for each victim – and is a prime suspect in a fourth victim's death.



Neighbors in South Carolina told Fox News Digital during the press conference that they saw FBI agents near the Chester properties owned by Heuermann and his brother, Craig.

The FBI did not respond to questions from Fox News Digital about the search.

Heuermann and his brother's properties are barely visible from the unpaved road that runs past the homes, which are covered with no-trespassing signs.

Craig Heuermann's front gate has two signs: one that reads, "Keep out/No trespassing," and another that reads, "No Warrant/No Entry."

A neighbor who has lived across the street from Craig since 2020 said he's a quiet guy who is rarely seen outside on his property, where his dogs are often barking. The neighbor described having few, but always pleasant, interactions with Craig.

The neighbor said that, upon moving in, Craig said he had one rule: "don't cut the grass on Sunday."

A different neighbor previously told Fox News Digital that Craig hit him once because of cutting the grass on a Sunday.

Two other neighbors said Tuesday that Craig cut someone’s boat in half, and one neighbor said he can see half the boat from the pond in his backyard.

A neighbor described seeing police driving out of the neighborhood on Friday, which was when Rex Heuermann was arrested, and said he wondered what was happening. He also said he saw Craig Heuermann's truck being towed from his private property and that Craig began driving a car instead of his truck over the weekend.

The Chester County Sheriff's Office did not release any new information during the short press conference Tuesday, but officials said they continue to work closely with the Gilgo Beach Task Force established by Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney when he took office in 2022.

The murder charges are for the deaths of Melissa Barthelemy, Megan Waterman and Amber Costello, whose bodies were found on Gilgo Beach, along a parkway on the southern shore of Long Island, in December 2010.

Tierney said Friday that more charges could be filed as investigators continue to work to connect Heuermann to the first "Gilgo Four" victim, Maureen Brainard-Barnes, who was 25 when she disappeared in 2007.

By April 2011, the remains of six more people were found in the same area.

The search for missing escort Shannan Gilbert, 24, led police to the horrifying discoveries. All the victims were sex workers, according to authorities.

The suspect was tied to the crimes through DNA evidence and cellphone data. Heuermann allegedly called at least one victim's family after her death and taunted them, according to court documents.

The murders have remained unsolved for more than a decade and have been the source of documentaries like "The Killing Season," which debuted in 2017, a Netflix show in 2020 and a book.

During his lone season as offensive coordinator at UCF, Lindsey guided an offense that ranked 26th nationally in scoring (34.4 ppg), 11th in total offense (480.6 ypg), and eighth in rushing offense (236.1 ypg). The Knights’ rushed for 200 or more yards in nine games in 2022 and their 33 rushing TDs led the AAC and tied for 10th nationally.


Looks like Mac made really good hire for his OC in December. Guy runs a balance offense and rushed for over 230yds a game last year at UCF. Think they will score alot of points against Uof defense and have changed my mind a little about that game. If UNC does not turn it over on offense think they will win if their defense does not fall apart like it did in the Belk bowl. Defense will have to ready for anything as Uof will throw the book at them.

It'd be ashamed to have Kirby dethrone the GOAT 🐐. Sending special prayers that Alabama dominates the SEC, not UGA.

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I'm not sure how many have the expanded package to see the other schools sites, but for the price it's quite the bargain...i especially enjoy Oklahoma's because i want Venables to do well and they have two writers Thune and Drumm, who claim everyone in the country wants to go to Okie until they commit elsewhere, and then it was always a last minute NIL deal or family influence that was involved...they do put out a lot of information, though...not sure how much is real or if they are just full of shit, but it's entertaining...i do think Okie is going to be on a recruiting roll starting this afternoon...it will be interesting to see...

Was that a day where things just felt completely uneasy? Carolina had some players on that team. Looking back it just looks like they were a team that was determined to empty the tank that day. Anything stand out about that game?

I’m heading down to Statesboro and thought I’d grab a late lunch, can anybody make any recommendations? TIA

I am of the opinion that pass interference has become similar to holding in how it is officiated in college football. Teams just do it so much that the officials are now only calling super obvious penalties.

Teams have adapted to spread offenses and developed techniques to both avoid penalties (defense) and get penalties called (similar to the flop in basketball).

Ohio State is a great example of using techniques to hide interference and defensive holding. I still burn thinking about their defensive backs with a hand locked into the shoulder pads if Clemson's receivers - positioned so the official was shielded from seeing. I finally rationalized that it wasn't the fault of the officials - they are trying to keep up with elite athletes and have to stay far upfield to be in any position at all to make a call.

Wake is a great example of using technique to gain holding and interference calls. If the Clemson defender was holding, they would adjust their route and angle their bodies so the official could see. They also flipped with minimal contact by the defender. If you will recall, Dabo and staff had the defensive backs practice with boxing gloves to cut down on grabbing.

When Grisham came onboard, I was hoping he would bring NFL experience on counter techniques to prevent holding. I have come to the conclusion that a good portion of the problem was the offense itself and funneling everything to the outside. The schemes to get separation at the line of scrimmage were too simplistic.

The boxing gloves obviously didn't work. Clemson needed "sticky" corners that can run stride for stride with receivers. They also needed to be physical and chuck the receivers (legally) at the line of scrimmage to throw timing off. I believe this has been addressed through recruiting. Allocating more scholarships to defensive backs was part of that. I hope Reed is teaching Ohio State defensive techniques.

Change needed to come at the top: the defensive and offensive coordinators. I hope the Riley "mesh" helps the receivers get initial separation and prevent the defensive backs from getting the positioning necessary to hide holding. On the other side, I hope Wes is strategic in using Nickel and Dime packages. The Venables system with all the great cat and mouse play calling was vulnerable to change of pace. Inside the ACC, Clemson just has better athletes across the board and can just let players make plays (like UGA).

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Jeremy Pruitt cited George Floyd and Alabama cash in Tennessee NCAA investigation​

By: Adam Sparks - Knoxville News Sentinel

Former Tennessee football coach Jeremy Pruitt fought NCAA allegations to the end and lost, but now his words from the case have surfaced.

Documents obtained by Knox News through open records requests reveal what Pruitt told investigators in the early days of the NCAA probe in January 2021 and his response to allegations in November 2022.

When asked whether he violated NCAA rules, Pruitt referenced George Floyd, COVID and mental health. He also said players’ moms accused him of things he didn’t do in order to protect their sons from sanctions.

Pruitt was given a six-year show-cause penalty Friday for his part in the recruiting scandal that included 18 highest-level violations and 200 individual infractions. Seven of his former UT assistant coaches and staff members also received multi-year show-cause orders.

A show-cause penalty means a university cannot hire a coach or recruiter without being subjected to penalties during the length of the ban unless the NCAA signs off. Pruitt's show-cause is an effective ban. It includes a 100% suspension for the first year of employment should an NCAA school hire in him in any athletics position.

Pruitt declined a Knox News interview request when reached by phone after the NCAA decision Friday. But his words in the case file say quite a bit.

Here are notable items from Pruitt’s interview with investigators and his formal response to allegations, neither of which had been made public.

George Floyd on Pruitt’s mind when he paid player’s mom​

Pruitt said he thought about racial inequity and the high-profile killings of Black people when he gave a player’s mother $300 in a Chick-fil-A bag.

It was August 2020 during the COVID shutdown.

Pruitt said a player’s mother showed up in the parking lot outside the UT football complex in tears because of financial hardship. She told him she had nowhere else to turn for money to pay her bills.

Pruitt admitted giving her the cash from his car, where he typically stored it.

He told investigators that he felt sorry for her because of the financial strain caused by the COVID shutdown and that UT’s Student Assistance Fund, which is used for student-athletes with hardships, was tapped out.

And Pruitt said his privilege, her race and social unrest were on his mind.

“Then you throw in George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, okay, so you sit there as a white man and you see all of this going on and you can see these kids suffering,” Pruitt said.

“… (It’s) pitiful when you sit in a room and you hear grown men, and I’m talking about our coaches too, when they talk about growing up and the circumstances that they’ve been under, because it’s hard for a white man to understand, right.”

Pruitt defended his actions to investigators for giving the mother $300.

"I would do it again because I don't think it's breaking the rules (based on what would've been available through UT’s Student Assistance Fund if not for the pandemic)," Pruitt said. "I don't know about y'all, but I've got little kids, and I hope one of these days when I'm dead and gone that somebody does the right thing for them."

Pruitt thought moms turned on him to protect sons​

Mothers of former UT players told investigators that Pruitt gave them four-figure payouts. But they only did that after the NCAA granted their sons limited immunity, meaning they could retain their eligibility in exchange for cooperating with investigators.

In Pruitt’s response, his lawyer called the mothers “self-interested parents” who took part in “eligibility-driven interviews.”

One of the moms got $300 in the Chick-fil-A bag but claimed to also have received $3,000 to pay medical bills. Pruitt admitted to the prior but denied the latter.

A mom of a different player said Pruitt gave her $6,000 for a down payment on a vehicle, but he denied it.

Neither mother said much in their first interview. But they implicated Pruitt in later interviews and produced corroborating evidence. Pruitt argued that they only said what investigators wanted to hear in order to keep their sons eligible.

Both players transferred to others schools and played immediately.

Pruitt carried wads of cash at Alabama​

Bank records showed that Pruitt and assistant coach Brian Niedermeyer made large cash withdrawals on dates surrounding all-expenses-paid recruiting visits and alleged payments to recruits, players and their families.

Both said that didn’t mean anything because it’s normal for them to have large amounts of cash on hand.Pruitt cited his bank records to show that his cash-driven lifestyle dates back to his time at Alabama.

As UT coach from 2018-20, Pruitt and his wife made 75 four-figure or five-figure cash withdrawals from their bank account, the report said. He earned $3.8 million annually.

As Alabama defensive coordinator from 2016-17, the Pruitts made 40 four-figure or five-figure withdrawals. He earned $1 million in 2016 and $1.3 million in 2017.

Pruitt accused the NCAA of cherry-picking a few large withdrawals as evidence that he paid players. But the NCAA also considered testimony, text messages, phone records and other evidence to corroborate the allegations.

Pruitt admitted to paying two players in dire need​

Pruitt said he violated NCAA rules for the first time in his 16-year college coaching career when he gave money to players in dire situations during the COVID shutdown.

One player was living alone in a dorm, and Pruitt was concerned about his mental health.

Pruitt said he drove the player around Knoxville to give him some company. But the player started talking about things that made no sense, so Pruitt called UT athletics' medical staff for assistance.

When the player said he didn’t have much to eat, Pruitt said he gave him $100.

“And I told him, I said, ‘If you need anything else, you call me,’ ” Pruitt told investigators.

Pruitt said he also helped another player who didn’t have diapers or formula for his baby. He said he gave that player $150.

Pruitt said he reported both violations to Adam Tate, UT’s assistant athletics director for compliance. But, according to Pruitt’s response, investigators never followed up on that fact. Still, Pruitt conceded that both were violations.

Pruitt said he’d been penalized enough already​

Pruitt agreed that he should be punished, albeit to a lesser degree. He said he was guilty of minor violations, but he would accept accountability for others who committed serious violations under his watch without his knowledge.

Pruitt’s response called his coaches and staff members “bad actors,” who should bear the brunt of the punishment.

Pruitt offered to self-impose a one-year show-cause penalty. But he also argued that being fired for cause, forfeiting a $12 million buyout and not being hired by another school for the past two seasons should be considered ample punishment.

Mario Cristobal and Miami.

This is what he said at Big 12 Media days:

“There’s lots of ways you can be 6-7, none of its any good. Right? But, had we been, had we gotten blown out by a Middle Tenessee. Had we gotten beat by a Florida State 45-3, the conversation is probably a little different.”

Not sure I get his logic here.

Thoughts?

Next week we are taking our bi-annual minor league summer road trip. Heading to Montgomery, Biloxi, New Orleans (day trip), Pensacola (Okaloosa Island), and Birmingham.
Need food recs and sites to see.
Never been to Dreamland BBQ. Good or no?
Best lunch spot in New Orleans for local food? Gumbo and Beignets

MyPillow lost $100 million from “attacks by box stores, the shopping networks, the shopping channels, all of them did cancel culture on us.”

To lose 100m he must have gone very woke

View all 500+ Cutter & Buck Clemson apparel HERE.

View all 450+ officially-licensed CLEMSON apparel/gear items ON SALE HERE.

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This podcast is a good listen that sheds a light into the authenticity of Dabo. Cliff notes are that Damon West is a former felon and meth addict that got clean and now uses his testimony as a speaker. Dabo launched him by doing Dabo things.
If you do listen I will warn you that the language is colorful and humor can be offensive if you are sensitive to such things.
Hope the link works. If not, someone please help me out!

Anybody know anything about this place in Starr, SC? Seems like it is a hunting lodge maybe. Interested bc there's an interesting (to me at least) wine pairing dinner being held there by Sullivan's in Anderson. So if anyone knows anything about the place, would love to hear your thoughts.

tia