PINEHURST (AP) ó North Carolina State and rival North Carolina are sorting through some injuries to key players.
For N.C. State, coach Tom OíBrien said cornerback Jarvis Byrd will miss the season after injuring a ligament in his knee. OíBrien said the projected starter hurt his knee on July 20 and will have surgery within the next 10 days, though he wouldnít specify which knee was hurt. The redshirt sophomore missed the 2010 season after he hurt his other knee in 2009.
In addition, OíBrien said running back Mustafa Greene wonít return until October because of a foot injury.
As for the Tar Heels, coach Butch Davis said tailback Ryan Houston will start preseason camp with no-contact drills as he recovers from surgery for a fractured shoulder blade suffered in the spring game. Houston missed the first five games amid the NCAAís ongoing investigation of the program before he was cleared to return, but he decided to redshirt.
Bounceback Tigers?: Clemson coach Dabo Swinney won a lot of fans when he led the Tigers to the ACC championship game two years ago. But they struggled last season to a 6-7 record with one of the leagueís weakest scoring offenses.
ěTheyíve had a little bit of a glance at the penthouse and theyíve had a good smell of the outhouse in two years,î Swinney said. ěTheyíve seen both extremes. I donít think thereís any question which one they like better. People are a little nicer to you, they talk better to you, girls like you more, people back home are a little kinder to you, the people at church smile at you more ó thereís a lot of things that come with winning.î
Mumís the word: Paul Johnson isnít saying whether he wants his bosses at Georgia Tech to appeal the NCAAís decision to penalize the program for rules violations.
Georgia Tech was placed on four years of probation, fined $100,000 and stripped of its final three games in 2009 ó including its ACC title game win over Clemson and its Orange Bowl appearance ó for using an ineligible player.
Johnson declined to say whether it is a fair punishment. ěThey donít ask me. It is what it is, and you just move forward and you go on.î
Good hands: Montel Harris makes Boston College coach Frank Spaziani feel safe during games ó and apparently, after them, too. The Eaglesí star running back and ACC preseason player of the year also has a black belt in karate.
ěLet me say this. After games, especially losses, I leave the field with him, if youíll notice ó not a state trooper or anything,î Spaziani quipped. ěAnd I wear his helmet.î
Told that Harris sometimes mixes it up with BCís defensive linemen, Spaziani said dryly: ěThatís unnerving.î
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AP Sports Writer Joedy McCreary contributed to this report.
The Associated Press
07/25/11 19:08