Yardbarker: Cullen Harper

Last season's memorable Clemson game

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:03:49 -0500

Former Clemson coach Tommy Bowden sure set himself up for trouble last season. There he was, heading into the Maryland game. Eager for his team to make a statement, Bowden said that the Terps were going to be a "test" for his team and a counter to those who contended the Tigers weren't playing physical football. Clemson had been manhandled by Alabama in its opener and had won three in a row against less-than-stellar foes heading into the Maryland game. Clemson looked ...

Point-Counterpoint: Jackets' precision vs. Clemson's fresh start

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:37:41 -0500

Programming note: As always on Thursday nights, we be live-bloggin'. Tiger-Yellow Jacket chat kicks with the game at 7:30 p.m. Eastern. Your snark is requested. Point: Georgia Tech is approaching the singularity. Contrary to what you might remember, the Jackets didn't shred every defense they faced in their triple option/flexbone debut: Through the first 10 games last year, Tech was averaging a pedestrian 23 points, including a 10-7 clunker of a win with 79 yards rushing against migh...

NCAA Wagering: Clemson QB Battle Looms

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:47:00 -0500

One of the most unique position battles to watch for college football gamblers when fall camp begins is the quarterback derby at Clemson. Last year the Tigers were a preseason Top 10 team with national title aspirations, but inconsistent quarterback play from Cullen Harper and Willy Korn was a big factor in Clemson finishing 7-6 and costing coach Tommy Bowden his job. This year the Tigers are a pretty sizable long shot at 40/1 on Bodog to win the ...

Bills Still Exploring Options At Quarterback

Sat, 02 May 2009 09:28:39 -0500

The Bills aren't done exploring options at quarterback, signing Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper to a rookie free agent tryout. The 6-4, 220-pounder...

Bills Still Exploring Options At Quarterback

Fri, 01 May 2009 23:43:42 -0500

The Bills aren't done exploring options at quarterback, signing Clemson quarterback Cullen Harper to a rookie free agent tryout. The 6-4, 220-pounder...

2009 NFL Draft Prospects: Cullen Harper, QB, Clemson

Mon, 23 Feb 2009 18:36:01 -0500

Cullen Harper, QB, Height: Weight: 220 Positives: Has prototypical QB size. Is very accurate. Throws a very catchable ball and can throw it on the run. Showed good toughness in college. Good football IQ. I can see upside in Harper. Negatives: Was supposed to be one of the top ...

Gator Bowl: Clemson vs. Nebraska

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:04:14 -0500

It is being reported that later today, the representatives of the Gator Bowl will announce that the Clemson Tigers are playing the Nebraska Cornhuskers in the January 1st bowl. The Tigers finished up their 2008 regular season 7-5, with a 4-4 conference record. They won the last 3 games of the year by an average of 17 points. Standing in Clemson's way is a Nebraska Cornhusker team that is starting to regain their strength of old, with an 8-4 season, including a 5-3 record in the tough B...

View of the ACC: Week 7

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:53:45 -0500

A slow weekend in the ACC was rocked by a "fired" coach, an Irish defeat, and an uprising in Charlottesville.

NFL Draft Stock Report 5.0

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:03:30 -0500

Stock Rising: Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma Gresham's play against the Longhorns, 5 catches for 90 yards and a TD, is just one more solid performance Stock Rising: Nic Moore, WR, Toledo Moore lit up the Michigan Wolverines, snagging 20 receptions for over 160 yards. Stock Falling: Greg Middleton, DE, Indiana Middleton has been a disappointment this year, as he only has 1 sack through 7 games, compared to 16 last year. Stock Falling: Cullen Harper, QB, Clemson Harper, pre-sea...

A True Test

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 23:50:52 -0500

Clemson came very, very close, but they just couldn't beat the Terps. You could see the frustration on the faces of Clemson fans as soon as Cullen Harper came up short on a QB sneak. I pitied them for a few brief moments before I realized that my team was going to win today. I can understand their frustration - Clemson probably should've won today. They had more offense and more consistent defense. However, they coughed the ball up three times, and that won't win you anythin...

Reality Check - Terps Going to Death Valley

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 21:37:38 -0500

Don't get me wrong, I love to celebrate wins. I think it's great that we're 3-1, and that's really the best we could've hoped for in the first four weeks of our schedule. I think it's great that we just put up 51 points on Eastern Michigan. I think it's great that every College Park resident gets 12 free toppings on their pizza at Papa John's. But just look on the schedule: Next up, Clemson. I hope that name makes you wince. For more, click the link...

TSP's College Football Conference Previews: # 4 ACC

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:15:36 -0500

We are on to the second week of our BCS conference previews. Today we take a look at our #4 ranked conference, the ACC.

Projected Finish
Atlantic Division
1. Clemson
2. Florida State
3. Wake Forest
4. Maryland
5. Boston College
6. NC State

Coastal Division
1. Virginia Tech
2. North Carolina
3. Miami
4. Georgia Tech
5. Virginia
6. Duke

Off the Radar Team
Butch Davis enters his second season at the helm in Chapel Hill. North Carolina experienced a number of growing pains in 2007 and finished just 4-8. The expectations will be pretty average again for the Tarheels, but a few factors could lead to a surprisingly good season. First, Davis has more depth this season than last. We like the way Davis recruits, and he'll have two classes in the program this season. Along with the added depth, UNC returns 17 of 22 starters. These young players showed flashes last year and will be much more confident. The final reason we like this team is that they play an extremely favorable schedule in a weak division.

Best Chance for the Heisman
The best chance for a trip to NYC will likely come from the Clemson trio of quarterback Cullen Harper or running backs James Davis and CJ Spiller. One of these three should really shine this season, and Harper is the most likely candidate. He has the one of the best receivers in the conference (senior Aaron Kelly) and can throw to either of his filthy running backs out of the backfield. Plus, teams will gameplan against the run, creating even more opportunities for Harper.

Bold Predictions

This might not seem bold, but Clemson will win the conference. The reason we are listing it here is because we still feel Bowden is a bad coach, but he has too much talent and the conference is too weak for him not to succeed.
Wake Forest will continue to compete for an ACC Championship. If Clemson slips up, Jim Grobe's team will be right there.
The only team that won't be in the hunt for the Coastal Division crown will be Duke. The other five teams all have question marks, but could find a way to Tampa Bay.
Florida State will make a move away from senior quarterback Drew Weatherford. They pretty much have to if the offense wants to produce. We hope to see true freshman E.J. Manuel gets some snaps this year.

TSP College Football Conference Preview Schedule
Monday August 11th: Big East
Thursday August 15: Pac 10
Thursday August 21st: Big 10
Monday August 25th: Big 12
Thursday August 28th: SEC

Walker Sports ACC Preview:Atlantic Division

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:34:28 -0500

College football season is just over 50 days away, and I cannot wait. While traditionally Saturday is a Rugby day in Walker-Sports land, even rugby takes a back seat to college football. Walker-Sports originates in ACC territory and lives and breathes ACC football, yes the conference is now 10 years removed from their glory days, but better days are coming, and as out of conference scheduling picks up for many schools the ACC will soon be flexing their muscles for all the NCAA to see once again. So saddle up, make yourself a pull pork sandwich, pour yourself a shot of Southern Comfort (or a glass of Merlot if you're at a UVA game) and get ready to watch to some ACC football the way it was meant to be. Tough and gritty with a wide open race to the finish. ACC Preseason Preview Atlantic Division Clemson Tigers: There is no doubt that the Clemson Tigers are the cream of the crop when it comes to ACC football, they may even be among the elites in the NCAA. However, there is one small problem. They are the Clemson Tigers, their coach is Tommy Bowden and we have all heard this story before and it always has the same sad ending. The Tigers are stacked with talent Cullen Harper at QB is a stud who completes a high percentage of his passes. At tailback Clemson has arguably the best two tailbacks in the ACC with James Davis and C.J. Spiller. On the defensive side Clemson is returning eight starters and will look to use their speed to apply pressure to opposing teams and knock them off their game plan early. The biggest problem Clemson will face will be keeping focus and finishing what they started. Too often Bowden's crew has been the most talented team in the ACC, but not the most disciplined team and the result is another, 8-4 season; great if you're Duke, but a waste if you were thinking BCS in the preseason. Let's hope they don't do the same this year. Record: 10-1 Key Games: Alabama, Florida State, Florida State Seminoles: Okay, so this was a tough one, and I'll be the first to admit that the 'Noles got the nod because of who they are and prior reputation, but nonetheless they made it into the second spot. Drew Weatherford has been in college since about 1990 it feels like. By now he has to be the most experienced QB in the NCAA, and that will be a big help. Weatherford was aided by the addition of Jimbo fisher as an offensive coordinator last year, and he will look to build on that previous success. The biggest asset for Florida State is a weak schedule. They open with four consecutive home games. Matter of fact the 'Noles won't leave the state of Florida till mid October. This means Florida State has a good chance to rack up some quality wins at home and that could go a long way in an average ACC conference. Record: 8-4 Key Games: Colorado, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Wake forest Demon Deacons: Wake is in the middle of their greatest run in school history. While the coffers don't have the talent they once had two seasons ago, they still have enough to get the job done. That means they will be .500 at the very least and with a little bit of luck they can jump into the second spot in the Atlantic Division. The bulk of their success will depend on if they can move the all on offense. Last year the Demon Deacons were routinely out gained and it cost them. Record: 7-5 Key Games: Clemson, Virginia, Boston College Maryland Terrapins: The Terps have struggled the past few seasons. The bulk of their problems have resulted from inconsistency at the quarterback position. Despite the instability the Terps are a tough out especially for ACC opponents. Ralph Friedgen seems to get his teams to play just well enough to keep his job. That means the Terps will be playing spoiler to a couple of ACC opponents. I would like to say that dropping WVU from the schedule would help Maryland this season, but adding Cal is no cakewalk. Look for the Terps to upset some ACC's teams bid for a title, just hope it's not yours. Record 6-6 Key Games: Cal, Boston College, Wake forest Boston College Eagles:B The honeymoon is over for Coach Jagodzinski and company. Last year Jags was a first year coach and he feasted on the fruits of Tom O'Brian's labor, mainly his grooming of QB Matt Ryan. Now Ryan along with a load of other talent is gone, and the Eagles are ready to return to earth. BC is only returning 10 starters meaning they will be very inexperienced and that leads to mistakes and close loses. As usual BC will be solid on both lines, but they just won't have enough fire power to be in the mix. This will be one Boston team that does not bring home a championship. Record 5-7 Key Games: UCF, North Carolina, Wake forest North Carolina State Wolfpack: Tom O'Brian is a hell of a coach, and he will be put to the test with this NC State team. They lost 10 starters from a 5-7 team, and they only have freshmen to replace them. Combine that with a brutal non-conference schedule and you can bet the Pack will slide before they are ready to climb again. But hang in there NC State supporters, this year may be rough but positive results will be coming down the pike very soon. Record: 3-9 Key Games: Wake forest, East Carolina