Former CFB coach talks Uiagalelei & ‘what really caught my eye’ in Clemson-NC State game

On Sirius XM’s show Full Ride, former college football head coach Rick Neuheisel spoke about the environment at Death Valley on Saturday night during fifth-ranked Clemson’s 30-20 victory over then-No. 10 NC State. “It felt like Clemson energy at the …

On Sirius XM’s show Full Ride, former college football head coach Rick Neuheisel spoke about the environment at Death Valley on Saturday night during fifth-ranked Clemson’s 30-20 victory over then-No. 10 NC State.

“It felt like Clemson energy at the stadium there in Death Valley, it felt like it was rocking, people were back to feeling the way they felt during that unbelievable six-year playoff run,” said Neuheisel, who served as the head coach at Colorado (1995-98), Washington (1999-2002) and UCLA (2008-11).

Neuheisel also commented on DJ Uiagalelei and his improvement in his second season as Clemson’s starting quarterback.

Uiagalelei connected on 21 of his 30 pass attempts against the Wolfpack, throwing for 209 yards and a score while also rushing for a career-high 73 yards and two touchdowns.

“DJ Uiagalelei, he is certainly getting better,” Neuheisel said. “21-for-30, 209 yards and a touchdown. But most importantly, kept the ball away from North Carolina State, and he also had 73 yards rushing and a couple touchdowns with his legs. When he is on all cylinders, this team looks like they’ve looked in the past.”

Neuheisel, though, pointed to the other side of the ball — specifically how Clemson’s defense consistently got after NC State quarterback Devin Leary — as what got his attention the most during the win over the Wolfpack.

“What really caught my eye the other night was the pass rush,” he said. “What we know about Clemson is they’ve had an unbelievable run of defensive (line) guys, and they were hunting — and that was without Bryan Bresee the other night.”

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Joe Neuheisel, son of former college football coach Rick Neuheisel, wins Arizona Amateur Championship

Joe Neuheisel is making a name for himself.

Joe Neuheisel is making a name for himself.

The son of Rick Neuheisel, who was the head coach of the college football programs at Colorado, Washington and UCLA, won the 98th Arizona Amateur Championship with a 2-and-1 victory over Camden Braidech at Desert Mountain Club’s Outlaw Course in Scottsdale, Arizona, on Saturday.

Neuheisel made four straight birdies from the eighth hole through the 11th, and then won the 12th to take a 5-up lead, before claiming the championship on the 17th hole.

“It’s a dream week, a lot of fun, a lot of golf, but everyone who knows me knows you can’t get me off the golf course, so it was as good as it gets,” said Neuheisel.

Rick Neuheisel grew up in nearby Tempe, Arizona, before playing quarterback at UCLA. Son Joe, 25, played his college golf for the Bruins as well as Boise State.

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Former CFB coach on Clemson’s offense: ‘It’s bizarro world’

On “Full Ride” on SiriusXM on Friday, a couple of national radio personalities discussed Clemson and its sputtering offense ahead of Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. game against No. 23 Pittsburgh. Chris Childers and Rick Neuheisel weighed in on the Tigers’ …

On “Full Ride” on SiriusXM on Friday, a couple of national radio personalities discussed Clemson and its sputtering offense ahead of Saturday’s 3:30 p.m. game against No. 23 Pittsburgh.

Chris Childers and Rick Neuheisel weighed in on the Tigers’ attack, which ranks 113th nationally in points per game (20.5), 85th in rushing yards per game (142.0), tied for 107th in passing yards per game (180.3) and 115th in total yards per game (322.3).

Clemson (4-2, 3-1 ACC) is a three-point underdog against Pitt (5-1, 2-0) in the contest at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

“It is crazy,” Childers said. “We’ve had a weird year. Alabama’s lost, Ohio State’s lost, Oklahoma looked brutal offensively at the beginning of the season. A lot of the haves look suspect – nobody quite like Clemson, though. Clemson’s the one that, yeah, they’re 4-2. But Alabama’s still in the playoff picture, Ohio State’s in the playoff picture. Clemson, we’re wondering, like are they going to be good enough to win the Atlantic, can they get to the finish line?

“They have no offense. They are averaging 20 points per game. That is incredibly inflated by the 49-3 score they had in Week 2 against South Carolina State. Their other results: 10-3 against Georgia, 19-13 against BC, 17-14 against Syracuse, 14-8 against Georgia Tech. They’re finding ways to win because of Brent Venables and the defense. They find themselves, against a Pittsburgh team with a good offense, a 3-point underdog. How crazy is that as we’re getting closer to Halloween?”

Neuheisel — the former UCLA, Washington and Colorado head coach — talked about the disparity between Pitt’s offense and Clemson’s, and pointed out some of the teams that are ranked below the Tigers in total offense right now.

“Pitt averages 533 yards a game. They’re fourth in the country,” he said. “Kenny Pickett is quietly climbing the list and could be in the Heisman conversation here before long, especially if he has a big win over this Clemson team who’s still playing good defense. Brent Venables is still putting on a good product.

“But the facts of the matter are Clemson has been woeful. They’re 322 yards a game of offense. That’s it. You know who’s right below them? Kansas. Who’s below them? Illinois, Vanderbilt, I mean, Bowling Green, Rice, UNLV, UMass, UConn, Navy, Colorado, ULM, Southern Miss and New Mexico. They are down in the basement, and it’s bizarro world. Tony Elliott trying to craft a way out. The bye week didn’t give them any respite. They come back and score 17 against Syracuse. But, they are still finding a way to win.”

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21 people that can ruffle the feathers of every Oregon Ducks fan

There are just people that know what buttons to push for instant irritation. Here’s a list of those that do just that for most Duck fans.

For one reason or another, there are just certain people in this world that can push your buttons to cause instant irritation. For Oregon Duck fans, that list can be lengthy, and sometimes it’s through no fault of their own.

Whether if it’s just having that ability to defeat Oregon on a yearly basis, saying something derogatory towards the Ducks, or leaving them high and dry for their supposed “dream job,” a select group of people will forever be on the ****-list for Oregon fans.

This is a list of 20 people or entities that can put any Duck fan in a bad mood right away just by mentioning them. And while this list is in no particular order, we will mention first those that have really drawn the ire of every Oregon Duck fan young and old.

Jerry Palm: Notre Dame won’t join a conference ‘anytime soon’

Maybe put the brakes on Notre Dame joining a conference?

The recent revelation of the proposed expanded College Football Playoff set off discussion on a variety of topics. Perhaps the most notable was the longtime debate over Notre Dame’s continued independence after the four byes in the bracket were reserved for conference champions.

ESPN personality Paul Finebaum was among those who called for the Irish to bite the bullet and join a conference permanently. Former college coach Rick Neuheisel took it a step further and speculated that Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, who had a hand in constructing the expanded playoff, privately hopes this will lead to full-time ACC membership for the Irish.

However, Jerry Palm of CBS Sports has a different take. In an appearance during the first hour of Finebaum’s show Tuesday, Notre Dame inevitably came up at the 24:50 mark. Asked by Finebaum if the Irish joining a conference was a possibility, Palm said he doesn’t see it happening anytime soon. Also asked why the Irish won’t join a conference, he said that independence is part of the Irish’s culture and that it will take more than the proposed expanded playoff structure for them to give in.

Palm also mentioned the TV deal that makes the ACC the only conference Notre Dame can join through 2036 should it choose to do so. Based on the Irish’s future opponent schedule, the thought of them becoming a full-time ACC member should be perished at the moment. There are a lot of programs lining up for the opportunity to play the Irish merely because of the money and exposure it creates for them. Imagine how many more would be able to do that if the Irish weren’t locked into playing five ACC teams a year through 2037.

Former head coach believes Notre Dame football is headed to joining ACC

Could this really happen???

The list of names that believe with the recently proposed new College Football Playoff format will force Notre Dame to join a conference continues to grow. As we are all still digesting the 12-team expansion, first four getting a bye and the remaining top seeds getting to host a first-round matchup.

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There’s obviously a lot to like about the new format, but for Notre Dame, there are a few issues. Former Colorado, Washington and UCLA head coach Rick Neuheisel joined Dan Patrick and discussed the issues surrounding the Irish and the potential new format.

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The former coach thinks that the 2020 season could be a jumping point for Notre Dame to join the ACC.

You can’t look at last years, the one-off time int he ACC, and say that was unsuccessful for Notre Dame. That was absolutely a great year for Notre Dame and the fact that they were in that league, I think help them get to a place where they were going to be part of the College Football Playoff.

Neuheisel believes that Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick “secretly is hoping” that this could push the Irish to joining the ACC on a full-time basis.

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Could this be the case? I might be, but this new format is still years away from starting. There is plenty of time for Notre Dame to kick the tires of joining the ACC or continuing to stay as an independent.