ICYMI: UNC Football Spray Paints Duke Locker Room and Practice Field After Win

((ht: heraldsun.com))

Oh geez North Carolina football, can you not act like you've won a game before?

The Tar Heels had much to celebrate this past Saturday. The team beat arch-rival Duke, spoiling the Blue Devils ACC title hopes on Duke's home field. And the win got the Tar Heels bowl eligible.

But it's what happened afterwards which forced UNC head coach Larry Fedora and athletic director Bubba Cunningham to offer a full-fledged apology and offer restitution.

The reason: The Tar Heels spray painted the visitors locker room and practice fields at Duke's football practice facility next to the stadium.

The damage is estimated at over $25,000.

Cunningham and Fedora have spoken to their counterparts at Duke and offered their apologies as well.

Our partners at the ACC Digital Network provide the reason for Saturday's over zealous celebrating:

Duke Found Out That You Can't Stop Johnny Football

The legend of Johnny Football added a new and perhaps final chapter at the Chick-Fil-A Bowl Tuesday night.

In what many (and those of us in the OSG HQ) believe was the final game for Johnny Manziel in a Texas A&M uniform led an Aggie rally with a performance typical of his moniker "Johnny Football"

Texas A&M was trailing Duke 38-17 at halftime then the Aggies got serious.  Manziel led Texas A&M to 35 second half points to lead the Aggies to victory 52-48.

Thanks 12thManTV


Here's sound with Johnny Manziel and his Texas A&M teammates.  You will notice Manziel will not spill the beans when asked about declaring for the NFL draft. Thanks 12thManTV



As Manziel said in that sound bite he felt he was in the zone and wanted this game.  His final stats prove that.

Manziel complete 30 of 38 passes for 382 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 71 yards and scored a touchdown on the ground.

Duke head coach David Cutcliffe has tutored some great NFL quarterbacks and knows a great on when he sees one.  Coach Cutcliffe saw one in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

"He (Manziel )was special.  Just like you knew, he was able to create plays." Cutcliffe said. "One of the touchdowns there early in the second half, you know, looked like we had him down three times.  He's so strong.  I mean, he's really strong. "

So, Wait... Who's Bowl-Eligible...???

The short answer is Minnesota, Duke, Tulane, and Rice...

And, no, this is not some kind of pre-Halloween joke or something...

The HQ has always enjoyed Coach Cut's work at Duke... he gets it... and, thankfully, the Athletic Department has had the patience they're supposed to with a program that is a square peg-round hole when it comes to the sport and the kids you can bring in to the program on a yearly basis...

Everyone likes to talk about "signature wins" and all that stuff... a supposed win where your program moves forward past a point of success and a glass ceiling- on to bigger things...

If you believe in those things, then the win over Virginia Tech yesterday in Blacksburg may have been it. There were entirely too many interceptions thrown by Logan Thomas. The Hokies defense kept the football Devils in check (and downright ineffective) in the second half, but the visitors held on.
((HT: ACCDN))


In the B1G, Minnesota either showed everyone how they're progressing as a team- putting the concerns around head coach Jerry Kill aside for another few days- or they exposed Nebraska for the charade they are as a ranked team...

Probably, the latter if you as the HQ (and Tommie Frazier- who went on another Twitter "toldyaso" rant after the game)...
Here's the Tracy Claeys special...
((HT: BTN))


Tulane knocked off Tulsa 14-7 in C-USA play to improve to 6-2 and stay undefeated in division play. The Green Wave are now bowl eligible for the first time since 2002...

It led to song...as it should have...
((HT: Stephen Segari))


And Rice is also 6-2 after taking care of UTEP 45-7. Taylor McHargue threw 4 TD passes and the Miners are now 1-6 on their own. But the cool moment was when 4'9" walk-on Jayson Carter got his first in-game reps...
Evidence below...
((HT: Rice SID))

What Was Mike London Thinking...??? And The Rest Of The Day In The A-Cee-Cee

((HT: ACC Digital Network))

With a minute or so left in regulation, the HQ was wondering out loud why Virginia head coach Mike London wasn't calling time out to force Virginia tech to kick the game-leading field goal a lot earlier than five seconds left in regulation...

Which Beamer did... and turned the game-leading field goal into the game-winning field goal...
The HQ is still scratching our head over that one...
And Vah Tech is now bowl-eligible for the 20th year in a row...


What was Mike London thinking...???

Any ideas...???

In other news, Georgia toyed with Georgia Tech 42-10 in getting ready for Alabama in the Ess-E-Cee... shocking no one...


Apparently, and for good reason, CPJ was berating his team and could be heard through the metal doors separating his team from the civilized world after the game.

Also, Duke and Miami combined for more than 1,200 yards and 97 points and had three straight possessions end in one play scoring drives- one for Duke that was the length of the field...

Can The Duke/Carolina Basketball Game Top The Football Game? Duke Defeats Carolina 33-30 To Become Bowl Eligible

I don’t think the Duke/North Carolina men’s basketball rivalry can top the football rivalry this year. 

Yes Austin Rivers hit a buzzer beater last February at the Dean Smith Center to win the game for Duke but the men’s basketball team has four NCAA championships and is one of the sports gold standards.

Duke football has been a joke until David Cutcliffe took over five years ago but things have changed in the Bull City.  No one is laughing at the Blue Devils now and for the first time in 18 years Duke is eligible to go to a bowl game and Duke did ah la Austin Rivers from last winter.

With 13 seconds left Duke quarterback Sean Renfree connected with receiver Jamison Crowder for the game winning five yard touchdown to give the Blue Devils at 33-30 win over North Carolina.

It wasn't the prettiest win of the Duke/Carolina series but for the Blue Devils it was perfect.

Here’s the game winner for Duke and the celebration that followed. (Thanks WRAL-TV)

 

Duke quarterback Sean Renfree talks about the game winner (Thanks WRAL-TV)

And post game sound with Duke head coach David Cutcliffe. (Thanks GoDuke.com)

Those of us at the OSG HQ have been openly rooting for David Cutcliffe and his Duke Blue Devils to accomplish the goal of six wins, a winning season and a bowl game.  We salute the Blue Devils and coach Cut for reaching that goal.  We couldn’t be happier for a coach and a group of football players and for the program.

 

Could The Duke Blue Devils Be College Football's "Feel Good" Story Of 2012

If you are looking for a feel good college football story start directing your focus toward Durham, North Carolina where the Duke Blue Devils are close to becoming bowl eligible.

Saturday Duke defeated Wake Forest for the first time since 1999 34-27 to end September 4-1, the Blue Devils best start since 1994 which was the last time Duke went to a bowl game.

Here’s a game report from Bob Holliday of WRAL-TV.

 

And here’s the game highlights. (Thanks goduke.com)

 

Here’s what’s left on Duke’s schedule:

Oct. 6              Virginia

Oct. 13            at Virginia Tech

Oct. 20            North Carolina

Oct. 27            at Florida State

 
Nov. 3            Clemson

Nov. 17           at Georgia Tech

Nov. 24           Miami

Yes it gets tough for the Blue Devils but Duke should be favored against Virginia and Georgia Tech, win those games and Duke is bowl eligible.

Of course Duke would like to pull off a few upsets along the way and the way this team is playing with confidence it would surprise me.

Plus those of us at the OSG HQ are ignoring the “no cheering in the press box” rule and openly pulling for Duke head coach David Cutcliffe.  Coach Cut is one of the classiest in the business.  What he has accomplished at Duke in five years in amazing.  It may not be reflected in the won-loss record but that program has come a long way.