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Tag: AP Top 25 College Football Poll

  • AP Top 25 has Oregon back at No. 5 as Miami leads ACC rankings

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    Today’s live updates have ended, but there’s still plenty to catch up on. Read what you missed below, and join us for the next poll drop on Nov. 30.

    The latest AP Top 25 college football poll has Oregon back in the top five and No. 23 Georgia Tech taking the greatest hit in the rankings, falling eight spots.

    Oregon jumped over an idle Mississippi to reach No. 5, thanks to a win over USC that could also boost the Ducks’ College Football Playoff resume. This week marks Oregon’s highest ranking since it was No. 3 in the Oct. 5 poll.

    This week’s rankings also feature five Atlantic Coast Conference teams for the second time this season. Miami moved up a spot to No. 13 and was the highest-ranked of five ACC teams.

    Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M and Georgia remained the top four teams.

    No. 6 Ole Miss was followed by Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and Alabama.

    Find out more about what happened in this week’s Top 25 poll, tell us what the rankings should’ve been and check out the AP’s latest CFP bracket prediction.

    Games to watch next week:

    • No. 3 Texas A&M (11-0) at No. 16 Texas (8-3): The Aggies can clinch a trip to the SEC championship game with a win against their bitter rival, but they face Texas on the Longhorns home turf.
    • No. 4 Georgia (10-1) at No. 23 Georgia Tech (9-2): Georgia Tech can make it more difficult for Georgia to make the SEC title game.
    • No. 1 Ohio St. (11-0) at No. 15 Michigan (9-2): A fifth straight loss to its archrival likely wouldn’t keep Ohio State out of the CFP, but it would crack open the door for Michigan to make the Big Ten title game.
    • No. 13 Miami (9-2) at No. 24 Pittsburgh (8-3): This is a massive game in the ACC title chase. Miami’s chances of making the CFP are on the line.

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  • Georgia, Ole Miss and Oklahoma are up in the AP Top 25, while North Texas is back after decades

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    Today’s live updates have ended, but there’s still plenty to catch up on. Read what you missed below, and join us for the next poll drop on Nov. 23.

    The latest AP Top 25 poll showcases new teams in top spots: Georgia inched up to No. 4, Ole Miss cracked the top five and Oklahoma slid into the top 10 at No. 8.

    Georgia’s move comes thanks to its win over Texas, which dropped to No. 17, and to Oklahoma beating Alabama, which pushed the Crimson Tide down to No. 10.

    Further down in the poll, No. 22 North Texas is ranked for the first time since 1959. That brings the number of Group of Five teams in the Top 25 to three, a first this season. The SEC has nine teams in the rankings, with five in the top 10.

    Ohio State, Indiana and Texas A&M held onto the top three spots for a fifth straight week.

    Oregon and Texas Tech both moved up to tie at No. 6.

    Find out more about what happened in this week’s Top 25 poll, tell us what the rankings should’ve been and follow live updates from The Associated Press below.

    Games next week that could shake up the top 10:

    • No. 6 Oregon (9-1) vs. No. 16 USC (8-2): A loss here is a real blow to the CFP hopes of either team; for USC, it would eliminate any chance at all. The winner boosts its resume for an at-large playoff bid.
    • No. 8 Oklahoma (8-2) vs. No. 23 Missouri (7-3): This is another significant SEC matchup. The Sooners have already won four games against Top 25 opponents and have at-large playoff hopes. Still, they’ll need to guard against a letdown after their victory at Alabama. Mizzou hasn’t yet won a game against a team with a winning record.

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  • 19 teams in the AP Top 25 take new spots as the playoff matchups loom

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    Today’s live updates have ended, but there’s still plenty to catch up on. Read what you missed below, and join us for the next poll drop on Nov. 16.

    A month before the playoff matchups are set and things are unsettled: The latest AP Top 25 college football poll has 19 teams in new spots, including Texas at No. 10.

    The Longhorns, ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll, jumped three spots to return to the top 10 just in time for an SEC showdown at No. 5 Georgia.

    The top five — No. 1 Ohio State, No. 2 Indiana, No. 3 Texas A&M, No. 4 Alabama and No. 5 Georgia — were unchanged. No. 11 Oklahoma was the only other team that stayed put.

    No. 6 Ole Miss swapped spots with No. 7 Oregon, while No. 8 Texas Tech and No. 9 Notre Dame both moved up.

    Find out more about what happened in this week’s Top 25, tell us what the rankings should’ve been and see how the CFP bracket might shake up based on the AP poll.

    Games to watch next week:

    • No. 10 Texas (No. 11 CFP) at No. 5 Georgia (No. 5 CFP): This is the game of the week with huge implications for the SEC title race and playoff seeding. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian says his team is playing its best football of the year — QB Arch Manning certainly is — but so is Georgia.
    • No. 11 Oklahoma (No. 12 CFP) at No. 4 Alabama (No. 4 CFP): Like the Longhorns, the Sooners have a chance to upset the SEC title chase with what would be a huge upset on the road against the Crimson Tide. This once shaped up as a matchup of Heisman-contending QBs, but now Alabama’s Ty Simpson has pulled ahead of John Mateer.
    • No. 9 Notre Dame (No. 10 CFP) at No. 23 Pittsburgh (No. 24 CFP): Notre Dame can’t afford a third loss and hopes to remain in the CFP mix. Pitt would like to get into the discussion, but it lacks a marquee win. This game is that chance.

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  • No. 4 Alabama suspends DB Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. indefinitely after his weekend arrest

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    TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Alabama defensive back Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. has been suspended indefinitely following his arrest over the weekend, coach Kalen DeBoer said Monday.

    Kirkpatrick was arrested Saturday on three counts of reckless endangerment and one count of attempting to elude and speeding. He was released from Tuscaloosa County Jail on a $1,500 bond.

    “Unfortunately, with the information that I have at this time, I talked to Dre, and we need to indefinitely suspend him,” DeBoer said. “He understands there are consequences that come with his actions.”

    Kirkpatrick, a sophomore and son of former Alabama defensive back and NFL veteran Dre Kirkpatrick, has eight tackles, including one for a loss, one pass defense and a forced fumble this season.

    No. 4 Alabama hosts LSU on Saturday.

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  • Big 12 teams see a season high in the AP Top 25, while LSU drops out

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    Today’s live updates have ended, but there’s still plenty to catch up on. Read what you missed below, and join us for the next poll on Nov. 2.

    The top six college football teams in the AP Top 25 remained unchanged this week, but not all was quiet in the rankings: The Big 12 has five teams in the poll for the first time this season, Vanderbilt earned its highest ranking in 88 years and LSU dropped out.

    BYU leads the Big 12 at No. 10, followed by No. 13 Texas Tech, No. 17 Cincinnati, No. 22 Houston and No. 24 Utah.

    No. 9 Vanderbilt and No. 10 Miami — which is tied with BYU — swapped spots, thanks to Vanderbilt’s 17-10 win over then-No. 15 Missouri, its third regular-season win over a ranked opponent.

    LSU’s defeat at the hands of Texas A&M dropped the Tigers out of the rankings despite once polling as high as No. 3 and most recently No. 20.

    No. 1 Ohio State is again followed by Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia and Oregon, though the Hoosiers got six more first-place votes than last week. No. 7 Mississippi and No. 8 Georgia Tech swapped spots.

    See more about what happened in this week’s Top 25 poll, tell us what the rankings should’ve been and follow live updates from The Associated Press below.

    Here are the top games to watch next week:

    • No. 5 Georgia (6-1) vs. Florida (3-4): The World’s Largest Cocktail Party often features great games between these two rivals.
    • No. 9 Vanderbilt (7-1) at No. 20 Texas (6-2): All eyes are on the health of Texas QB Arch Manning. But even if he doesn’t play, the Longhorns’ defense is a rugged test for Diego Pavia and the Commodores.
    • No. 14 Tennessee (6-2) vs. No. 18 Oklahoma (6-2): The high-scoring Volunteers host a Sooners team licking its wounds after losing to Ole Miss. Neither team can afford a third loss if they hope for an SEC title run, much less a playoff berth.
    • No. 17 Cincinnati (7-1) at No. 24 Utah (6-2): Big one here in the crowded Big 12 race. The Bearcats are rolling, but Utah has unveiled a freshman star QB named Byrd Ficklin, who looks fine if he has to start again for the injured Devon Dampier.

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  • No. 11 Clemson tries to stay perfect in ACC play and against Louisville on Saturday night

    No. 11 Clemson tries to stay perfect in ACC play and against Louisville on Saturday night

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    Louisville (5-3, 3-2 ACC) at No. 11 Clemson (6-1, 5-0), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

    BetMGM College Football Odds: Clemson by 10 by 2 1/2.

    Series record: Clemson leads 8-0.

    What’s at stake?

    Clemson has been on a tear since losing its opener to then-No. 1 Georgia, winning six in a row by lopsided margins. The Tigers must keep winning as one of four ACC teams still undefeated in league play to stay on track for a return to the championship game. Louisville had hoped to be in the mix, too, but has lost to ranked opponents in Miami and SMU to fall off the pace.

    Key matchup

    Louisville QB Tyler Shough vs. Clemson’s defensive line. The Tigers have taken advantage of opponents not nearly as offensively skilled as them to open big leads. That’s unlikely to happen with the Cardinals, who are averaging 460 yards and 36 points a game. Clemson needs to get pressure on Shough, the Texas Tech transfer who’s has four 300-yard passing games this season.

    Players to watch

    Louisville: RB Isaac Brown is a freshman who’s run for 649 yards, second only to Heisman Trophy winner and NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, who ran for 960 yards as a freshman in 2015. Brown’s yards are the most nationally among freshmen and his six TDs on the ground are tied for second.

    Clemson: LB Wade Woodaz leads the Tigers with 53 tackles and eight quarterback pressures. He’s also forced three fumbles and is tied for the top with freshman Sammy Brown with 6.5 tackles for loss this season.

    Facts & figures

    Clemson is looking to go 9-0 all-time against the Cardinals. … Louisville has about as balanced an offense as possible this season, running 244 times with 14 TDs and throwing it 246 times for 18 scores. … The Tigers have rushed for at least one touchdown in 57 straight home games, the longest such current streak in the country. … Shough, who is in his seventh year after stops at Oregon and the Red Raiders, has so far thrown for a career-high 2,348 yards and 20 touchdowns. … Clemson passer Cade Klubnik has also had a stellar year this season with a career-high 20 TD throws. … The Tigers have won their past 22 home games played at night. Their last loss was a 51-14 defeat at Death Valley to Florida State in 2013.

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  • Kansas State looks to remain in hunt for a spot in the Big 12 championship game in visit to Houston

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    No. 17 Kansas State (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) at Houston (3-5, 2-3), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Fox)

    BetMGM College Football Odds: Kansas State by 12 1/2.

    Series record: Kansas State leads 1-0

    What’s at stake?

    Kansas State aims to remain in the hunt for a spot in the Big 12 championship game and a chance to make the College Football Playoff. The Wildcats, who have won four straight since opening conference play with a loss to BYU, are looking for their longest winning streak since winning six straight to end the 2016 season and start the 2017 season. Houston is looking to keep its bowl hopes alive after winning last week on a field goal as time expired. The Cougars last won consecutive games in a single season on Nov. 12-19, 2022, and are looking for their first win over a ranked team since beating No. 19 SMU on Oct. 20, 2021.

    Key matchup

    RB DJ Giddens vs. Houston run defense. Giddens has rushed for 945 yards and four touchdowns this season to lead a Kansas State rushing attack, which ranks eighth in the nation averaging 223.3 yards per game. Houston has allowed 100 yards rushing or fewer in four games this season and has surrendered nine rushing touchdowns.

    Players to watch

    Kansas State: DE Brendan Mott has 8 1/2 tackles for loss, including seven sacks, which ranks 11th in the nation. Mott, who has 30 tackles, four quarterback hits and a fumble recovery this season, leads a defense that has allowed an average of 96.8 yards rushing per game.

    Houston: RB J’Marion Burnette rushed for 81 yards in Houston’s win over Utah last week, leading a rushing attack that totaled 228 yards, the most yards rushing for the Cougars in a conference game since they rushed for 261 yards against South Florida on Nov. 6, 2021, as a member of the American Athletic Conference.

    Facts & figures

    Kansas State is ranked 28th nationally averaging 43.6 penalty yards per game. … Houston has committed 12 penalties over its last three games, tied for the best in the nation over that span. … Kansas State QB Avery Johnson has thrown for 1,654 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for 373 yards and four scores this season. … Kansas State is 3-0 in one possession games this season. … Houston DB A.J. Haulcy is fifth nationally with four interceptions this season, including three in the last three games. … WR Joseph Manjack IV has caught a pass in 23 straight games after catching a 28-yard touchdown pass last week against Utah.

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  • No. 3 Oregon introduces QB Dillon Gabriel in opener against Idaho

    No. 3 Oregon introduces QB Dillon Gabriel in opener against Idaho

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    With all the excitement over joining the Big Ten this season, it’s important for the third-ranked Oregon Ducks to be ready for their non-conference opponents, too.

    “You can’t come out sleepwalking. I think that happens from year to year, people just come out sleepwalking and if you fall into that you just dig yourself in a hole,” new Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel said. “So, it’s all about starting fast, dominating the middle eight, and then finishing strong.”

    The Ducks open the season Saturday against Idaho as one of the newest members of the Big Ten. There are lofty expectations for Oregon with Gabriel under center.

    The sixth-year senior joins the Ducks after two seasons at Oklahoma. Last year, he threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns, with just six interceptions. He also ran for 12 touchdowns, second most nationally among QBs.

    Idaho also has a new quarterback in Jack Layne — an Oregon native — after last year’s starter Gevani McCoy transferred to Oregon State. Layne, a redshirt sophomore, started in one game last season, throwing for 275 yards and six touchdowns.

    The Vandals were picked to finish third in the conference in both the Big Sky coaches and medial polls. They’ll certainly be challenged by the Ducks, who are 44 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

    Oregon coach Dan Lanning said it doesn’t matter the opponent, the Ducks’ focus is always on improving in all facets of the game.

    “We know that we want to set the bar for us: What’s our bar? What’s our standard? What do we want it to look like? And being self-aware enough that you can go attack the things that you have to improve,” Lanning said. “And regardless of who you’re playing, when you’re playing, we always talk about our biggest opponent is Oregon, right? We have to go play or do the best to be the best version of Oregon that we can be.”

    TV trouble

    An apparent carriage dispute between Comcast and the FOX/Big Ten Network may mean that the games involving Big Ten’s four new West Coast teams won’t be available to Comcast viewers — at least for now.

    According to a statement from a league spokesperson: “As the one distribution partner that declined to expand along with us, Comcast Xfinity viewers in many areas will not have access to live broadcasts of the highly anticipated inaugural B1G season games for Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.”

    Comcast said in a statement that it is sensitive to the impact on Xfinity customers and hopes for a fair agreement with Fox and the Big Ten Network.

    Starting center

    Lanning wasn’t going to reveal Oregon’s starting center against Idaho. Among those in contention for the job during fall camp were Iapani Laloulu and Charlie Pickard.

    The Ducks need to replace Jackson Powers-Johnson, last season’s Rimington Trophy winner who was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders in the second round of the NFL draft.

    Laloulu started for the Ducks in the Fiesta Bowl while Pickard is a former walk-on whose dad went to Oregon.

    “We’ll send out the group that we think has done the best in fall camp to start the game. But I think for us to think long-term we have to be able to prepare and have multiple guys play at multiple positions,” Lanning said.

    A look back

    Oregon finished last season 12-2, with a loss to rival Washington in the final Pac-12 championship game before capping the season with a 45-6 drubbing of Liberty in the Fiesta Bowl. Oregon’s offense averaged 531.4 yards and 44.2 points per game, second nationally in both categories.

    Idaho, which plays in the Big Sky, went 9-4 last season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs before losing to Albany, 30-22.

    In addition to losing McCoy to the Beavers, wide receivers Hayden Hatten and Jermaine Jackson both went to the NFL. Six other starters for the Vandals went to the transfer portal.

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  • No. 3 Oregon opens first season in the Big Ten with home game against Idaho

    No. 3 Oregon opens first season in the Big Ten with home game against Idaho

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    Idaho at No. 3 Oregon, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (BTN)

    BetMGM College Football Odds: Oregon by 44 1/2.

    Series record: Oregon leads 52-3-4.

    WHAT’S AT STAKE?

    The Oregon Ducks are looking for a comfortable win before the big games arrive in their inaugural Big Ten season that is filled with hopes of a deep playoff run. Quarterback Bo Nix is now in the NFL, replaced by Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel. Idaho is picked to finish third in the Big Sky after a 9-4 season that included a run to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs.

    KEY MATCHUP

    Facing an Oregon offense that last season averaged 531.4 yards and 44.2 points per game, Idaho’s defense will be tested. The Vandals ranked 14th nationally among FCS teams in yards allowed (306.8). All four of Idaho’s starting defensive lineman return from last season.

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Idaho: QB Idaho Jack Layne takes over after last year’s starter Gevani McCoy transferred to Oregon State. Layne, a redshirt sophomore, started in one game last season, throwing for 275 yards and six touchdowns.

    Oregon: Gabriel. All eyes will be on the sixth-year senior and Heisman Trophy hopeful. Last year, he threw for 3,660 yards and 30 touchdowns, with just six interceptions. He also ran for 12 touchdowns, second most nationally among QBs.

    FACTS & FIGURES

    The Ducks’ preseason ranking is their highest since 2014. … Idaho starts the season with four of its first five games on the road. After the Ducks, the Vandals visit Wyoming. … Oregon has won 19 straight home openers and 32 straight against nonconference foes in Eugene. … Idaho kick returner Abraham Williams, a Weber State transfer, has five 100-yard return touchdowns in his career, one short of the NCAA record. … Oregon was one of just three teams in the nation last season to rank in the top 10 for both scoring offense (44.2 points per game) and scoring defense (16.5 points per game). … The last time the two teams met was in 2004. Oregon won 48-10 at home.

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  • No. 17 Oklahoma State opens with two-time defending FCS champ South Dakota State

    No. 17 Oklahoma State opens with two-time defending FCS champ South Dakota State

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    South Dakota State at No. 17 Oklahoma State, Saturday, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN+)

    BetMGM College Football Odds: Oklahoma State by 9 1/2.

    Series record: First meeting.

    WHAT’S AT STAKE?

    Two teams with high expectations meet for the first time. Coach Jimmy Rogers hopes to lead South Dakota State to a third straight Championship Subdivision title and his Jackrabbits haven’t lost a game in nearly two years. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy is entering his 20th season with the Cowboys. They return all but one starter from a team that won 10 games last season. The Cowboys are expected to contend for a Big 12 title and a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. The Cowboys are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball while the Jackrabbits return just three starters on offense and five starters on defense.

    KEY MATCHUP

    Oklahoma State RB Ollie Gordon vs. South Dakota State linebacker Adam Bock. Gordon ran for 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns last season and won the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back. Bock, an FCS All-American with 344 career tackles, anchors a stingy defense that limited opponents to 88.1 yards rushing per game in 2022 and 89.6 yards in 2023.

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Oklahoma State: WR Brennan Presley, a preseason All-Big 12 pick, caught 101 passes for 991 yards and six touchdowns last season. Look for QB Alan Bowman to target Presley and fellow wideout Rashod Owens (63 receptions, 895 yards, five scores) early and often if the Jackrabbits bottle up Gordon.

    South Dakota State: QB Mark Gronowski threw for 3,058 yards and accounted for 37 total touchdowns to win the Walter Payton Award as the top FCS player. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound senior is 37-3 as a starter and led FCS quarterbacks in passing efficiency (179.67).

    FACTS & FIGURES

    FCS No. 1 South Dakota State has won 29 straight games and two national titles since losing to Iowa by four points in the 2022 season opener. … The Jackrabbits averaged 37 points and 450 yards per game last season. … South Dakota State’s defense limited opponents to 9.3 points and 257 total yards per game last season. … The Cowboys return seven offensive linemen with a combined 200 career starts, including preseason All-Big 12 picks Dalton Cooper (49 career starts) and Joe Michalski (23 career starts).

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  • No. 6 Ole Miss opens against Furman with highest preseason ranking since 1970

    No. 6 Ole Miss opens against Furman with highest preseason ranking since 1970

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    Furman at No. 6 Mississippi, Saturday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+/SEC+)

    BetMGM College Football Odds: Ole Miss by 42 1/2.

    Series record: Furman leads 1-0.

    WHAT’S AT STAKE?

    The Rebels are coming off their first 11-win season and aiming high again, this time for the newly expanded College Football Playoff. They’re enjoying the program’s highest preseason ranking since 1970. Furman is coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons and won the 2023 Southern Conference championship. The Paladins return only seven starters, though.

    KEY MATCHUP

    An Ole Miss defense that stocked up in the transfer portal against an offense that lost its starting quarterback, top running back and the four offensive linemen who played the most snaps. The Ole Miss transfer group includes former Texas A&M defensive lineman Walter Nolan, ex-Florida defensive end Princely Umanmielen, former Alabama cornerback Trey Amos and Arkansas transfer linebacker Chris Paul Jr.

    PLAYERS TO WATCH

    Furman: All-SoCon bandit Luke Clark had 53 tackles last season and led the team with six sacks. He’s picked to repeat for all-conference honors.

    Ole Miss: RBs Ulysses Bentley IV and Henry Parrish Jr. will get their chances to shine with star Quinshon Judkins now at Ohio State. Bentley ran for 540 yards last season while Parrish returns for his second stint at Ole Miss after leading the Miami Hurricanes in rushing each of the past two seasons. Miami of Ohio transfer Rashad Amos was a 1,000-yard rusher last season.

    FACTS & FIGURES

    An Ole Miss win would mark No. 300 on the field at Vaught-Hemingway, not counting victories that were later vacated by the NCAA. … The Rebels are 21-2 at home since 2021, with two 7-0 seasons. … Furman finished last season ranked in the top seven in the FCS polls, its highest final ranking since 2005. … A Furman defense that ranked 11th in the FCS allowing just 18.2 points per game returns only four of its top 15 tacklers. … Furman won the only previous meeting 7-2 on Nov. 14, 1924, in Greenville, South Carolina.

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  • Clemson looks to regain championship form after last season’s struggles, early schedule is stacked

    Clemson looks to regain championship form after last season’s struggles, early schedule is stacked

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    CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson coach Dabo Swinney told anybody who’d listen to buy stock in his team last fall after the Tigers won five straight games after early struggles.

    It won’t take long to see if Swinney’s latest bit of braggadocio has legs. For now, Swinney likes how his team has handled business heading into a season where they hope to once more contend for the Atlantic Coast Conference championship and the College Football Playoff.

    Swinney said his guys have shown chemistry, leadership and accountability to understand and not repeat the mistakes that got them off to a 4-4 start and eliminated their title hopes.

    “All those things, they all check the boxes,” Swinney said. “Now, we got to get out on the field, got to put the work in, get better and find a way to win some games on the field.”

    Clemson’s season will likely again be defined its first few weeks. The 14th-ranked Tigers open in Atlanta against No. 1 Georgia, the national champions in 2021 and 2022. Three weeks later, Clemson hosts No. 24 North Carolina State and two weeks after that the Tigers go to No. 10 Florida State.

    Win them all and Swinney looks like a genius chasing another national title. Lose them all and questions about Swinney’s stewardship will continue to grow, like a year ago when a call from “Tyler from Spartanburg” on Swinney’s radio show touched off a loud defense of his program and perhaps sparked the team’s closing rally.

    Swinney boiled it all down to poor decisions and turnovers that Clemson reduced during its last five wins. The Tigers were causing the mistakes down the stretch instead of making them and Swinney hopes that’s the way it will go early.

    Klubnik’s growth

    Quarterback Cade Klubnik was a focal point of miscues and poor choices in his first full season as a starter. Along with 12 interceptions, he had a costly fumble in an overtime loss to Florida State and failed on fourth down — trying to make something happen on his own — in an overtime loss at Miami.

    Klubnik thinks his second season as a starter and in offensive coordinator Garrett Riley’s system will play dividends.

    “Less interceptions, less sacks, being able to make big-time plays with either my legs or throwing the ball downfield,” he said.

    Deep core of receivers

    The buzz of the offseason has been about the influx of young receivers or injured players at that position coming back healthy. The result could be the deepest group of wideouts at Clemson since the days of Mike Williams, Tee Higgins and Justyn Ross had the school referred to as “Wide Receiver U.”

    Bryant Wesco and T.J. Moore are the newcomers, fast, strong and able to stretch the field. Adam Randall appears healed from a broken hand.

    Tyler Brown, a freshman who led the team in catches and receiving yards last year, had nagging injuries of his own through the season. And Antonio Williams, a freshman breakout player two years ago, played only five games due to ankle and foot injuries.

    All look healthy and productive.

    Defensive stand

    The Tigers had one of the country’s top defenses, allowing 288.2 yards a game, ranking eighth in the nation. Expect that to continue this season with Barrett Carter back at linebacker and a stacked line led by ends Peter Woods and T.J. Parker.

    Clemson will miss first-round NFL cornerback Nate Wiggins, but have sophomore safety Khalil Barnes leading the secondary.

    Kicking game

    Last year, Swinney called Jonathan Weitz at the beach to return to school when kicker Robert Gunn struggled. He is hopeful Gunn, who continued kicking off after Weitz returned, has put his field-goal struggles aside. The Tigers have added Nolan Hauser, a freshman considered the nation’s No. 1 kicking prospect.

    The schedule

    Besides facing three ranked teams in the first six weeks, the Tigers have a home game in October against Virginia and coach Tony Elliott, who was co-offensive coordinator on both of Swinney’s national title teams, a Nov. 2 game against Louisville and the regular-season closer against rival South Carolina at home Nov. 30.

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  • No. 24 NC State keeps posting 8- and 9-win years. Coach Dave Doeren is chasing a breakthrough moment

    No. 24 NC State keeps posting 8- and 9-win years. Coach Dave Doeren is chasing a breakthrough moment

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    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina State keeps putting together successful seasons that flirt with accomplishing even more. That has coach Dave Doeren firmly entrenched with a winning program yet invigorated by the thought of what else could be within reach.

    There have been four straight seasons with eight or nine wins, bringing the 24th-ranked Wolfpack to the verge of its second 10-win season ever and first since 2002. And if N.C. State can do that, it could have Doeren’s squad challenging for the Atlantic Coast Conference title.

    “What we did last year and the year before and the year before is good,” Doeren said. “Winning nine games is good. We don’t want to be good, we want to be the best at what we do. These guys understand that.”

    Doeren is entering his 12th season after becoming the program’s all-time winningest coach last season. He’s been chasing the program’s first ACC title since 1979, and this year’s team is picked to finish fourth in the expanded 17-team league.

    N.C. State returns roughly half its offensive and defensive starters, but also added a veteran class from the transfer portal that includes a new starting quarterback in Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina.

    The season comes amid a wild run of success for Wolfpack athletics: men’s basketball winning its first ACC title since 1987 and then reaching its first Final Four since 1983, women’s basketball reaching its first Final Four since 1998, and baseball returning to the College World Series.

    Doeren’s team would love to add to that list.

    “The buzz has been buzzing. Our fan base has been electric,” defensive end Davin Vann said. “I wouldn’t really call it pressure, but we’re enjoying the energy they’re bringing.”

    The new QB

    This is the second straight season that the Wolfpack will start the season looking to a transfer to lead the offense. Last year it was Virginia graduate transfer Brennan Armstrong. Now it’s McCall, a a sixth-year graduate with more than 10,000 career passing yards.

    “It’s refreshing to be in a new spot,” said McCall, who has shown a knack for avoiding mistakes. He threw 77 touchdown passes with just eight interceptions from 2020-22.

    “He’s got great touch on the football, his game-management skills, his clock management and everything — he’s a vet,” Doeren said. “And he’s a great fit for our program.”

    Top threat

    KC Concepcion grew into a starring role for the Wolfpack in the team’s second-half surge last season. The sophomore enters this year as N.C. State’s top weapon.

    Concepcion had 71 catches for 839 yards with 10 touchdowns, and he also ran for 320 yards. He closed last year with three straight games of seven catches.

    Next defensive steps

    The defense has been reliable for the Wolfpack in recent years, ranking in the top 30 nationally in scoring (20.8) and total defense (332.1).

    But that unit has multiple departed starters, notably Payton Wilson — The Associated Press league defensive player of the year, the Butkus Award winner as the nation’s top linebacker and the Bednarik Award for the nation’s top overall defensive player.

    “Just with Tony Gibson being defensive coordinator, I feel like we’re always going to have a high-caliber defense,” cornerback Aydan White said.

    Bolstered experience

    N.C. State ranked 18th nationally in 247Sports’ transfer classes, with newcomers that included a proven runner in Duke back Jordan Waters, receiver help in Ohio State’s Noah Rogers and a veteran center in Notre Dame’s Zeke Correll (31 starts).

    The Wolfpack brought in more than 40 new players this year.

    The schedule

    N.C. State opens at home against Western Carolina on Aug. 29 before playing a marquee nonconference game against No. 15 Tennessee in Charlotte on Sept. 7.

    The ACC schedule begins at No. 14 Clemson (Sept. 21), while two of the three new league schools appear on the slate with a trip to California (Oct. 19) and a visit from Stanford (Nov. 2). N.C. State faces Duke in its home finale (Nov. 9) and visits rival North Carolina on Nov. 30.

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