Yardbarker

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans. You can find him on Twitter/X and Threads at @ericsmithling and at Bluesky at @ericsmithling.bsky.social.

EXPERTISE:

NFL, College Football, NBA, Men's and Women's College Basketball, NHL

Does Pete Carroll deserve the mantra of 'quarterback guru'?

Carroll's success with quarterbacks dates back to his USC days when Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart won the Heisman Trophy under his watch.

A sheep in wolf's clothing? Penn State looks to prove it's legit

Despite having a perfect record through five games for the second year in a row, No. 10 Penn State should temper expectations against No. 5 Michigan.

Questionable fourth-down decisions put NFL coaches in spotlight

The football world is questioning some questionable decisions made my NFL coaches in Week 5.

Southern hospitality: Bengals in line for warm welcome in road matchup vs. Saints

Saints head coach Dennis Allen addressed the potential for a warm welcome for the Bengals this coming Sunday and challenged Saints fans to show where their allegiance lies.

Watch: Davante Adams shoves cameraman following loss to Chiefs

Davante Adams took his frustrations out on a cameraman following the Las Vegas Raiders' fourth loss of the season.

Watch: Raiders lose Monday night's game when receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow collide

The Oakland Raiders' last chance to pull off a road win against the Kansas City Chiefs went up in smoke when receivers Davante Adams and Hunter Renfrow collided on a fourth-and-one play.

Texans' Dameon Pierce rewards fantasy owners with stellar play

Rookie running back Dameon Pierce was a sleeper pick in fantasy drafts this season, but he's waking people up after a remarkable performance Sunday.

Open season: the Saints take down another flock of birds

In a storyline that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud, the New Orleans Saints took on a flock of birds on Sunday and won.

Taysom Hill sparks Saints offense

Hill accounted for four touchdowns in Sunday's win.

Nick Saban breaks down final play against Texas A&M

Alabama prevented A&M from scoring a go-ahead touchdown and Saban took fans through the film on the decisive play.

Will Matt Rhule's dismissal start fire sale for Panthers?

Will the Panthers look to stockpile draft picks as they look to move forward with a new coach in 2023?

LSU's special teams continue to be riddle for Brian Kelly

Through six games, the problems seen early in the season from LSU's special teams are looking less like a bug and more like a feature.

Panthers head coach Matt Rhule on the verge of being fired?

Matt Rhule's may be down to his final day as Carolina Panthers head coach.

Horrible roughing-the-passer call mars ending of Bucs-Falcons

A huge call late in Sunday's game between the Bucs and Falcons saw one referee go beyond protecting the leagues' players, doing more to hurt the league's image than anything else.

Marcedes Lewis makes history with touchdown catch for Packers

Aaron Rodgers has thrown a lot of touchdowns in his NFL career. One he threw on Sunday produced an incredible bit of trivia.

Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher roasted for final play in loss to Alabama

Nick Saban shut the book on the so-called rivalry as Fisher's offense flamed out thanks to a dubious play-call in the final seconds.

Despite Mel Tucker's struggles at Michigan State, he isn't going anywhere

Despite the struggles, Mel Tucker's 10-year, $95M fully-guaranteed contract all but guarantees he'll remain in charge for the foreseeable future.

Watch: North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with 'Mahomes-esque' touchdown throw

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is already a star to fans of the Tar Heels, but if he continues making plays such as the one he made against Miami (FL), he'll soon be a name all college football fans know.

Brian Robinson set to make NFL debut 42 days after being shot

 After returning to practice this week, Washington Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. is set to make his NFL debut, per a report from ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Nebraska snaps 10-game losing streak in one-possession games with win Friday night

It's been a long time coming for Nebraska, but they finally found themselves on the right side of a one-possession game as they won Friday night on the road against Rutgers.

Tennessee travels to Baton Rouge for first time since crushing 2010 defeat

No. 8 Tennessee travels to Death Valley in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to face No. 25 LSU Saturday, and it will mark the Volunteers' first trip to Baton Rouge since a wild ending in 2010 that saw LSU by scoring a touchdown on an untimed down.

HC Brian Kelly makes $1 million commitment to LSU athletic fund

LSU football coach Brian Kelly is finding his footing on the field with the Tigers, who have won four in a row. The program's announcement Friday that

Richard Sherman calls out Russell Wilson's performance

Former All-Pro cornerback Richard Sherman, providing postgame analysis for Prime Video, laid into Broncos quarterback and former teammate Russell Wilson following another poor performance in the team's 12-9 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts.