Atlantic Coast Conference

Sporting News, The, August 21, 1995 by Doug Doughty

The rush of backs is on

With most teams returning a passer who has thrown for at least 1,000 yards in a season, logic would suggest this will be the year of the quarterback. But after taking a closer look at the backfields, it may be more accurate to say this season will be the year of the running back.

A late-season surge enabled Warrick Dunn to become the fifth player in Florida State history to rush for 1,000 yards or more, and that was with fewer than 15 carries per game. Just as hot at the end of the season was North Carolina State freshman Tremayne Stephens, who had four 100-yard games in his last five.

North Carolina running back Leon Johnson, who like Dunn played quarterback in high school, rushed for 805 yards last season after running for 1,012 in 1993, when he was selected the ACC rookie of the year. Johnson platooned with another 1,000-yard rusher (Curtis Johnson) that season, and they split playing time again in '94. Now, Curtis Johnson is gone and Leon Johnson (no relation) is a good bet to pad the Tar Heels' Division I-A record of 23 1,000-yard seasons by running backs.

"It'll be hard on me because I'm used to the rotation of five plays in, five plays out," Johnson says. "I'll have to work on my endurance, so I can stay in there on long drives, (but) it gives me a chance to be a little more involved."

If Johnson gets most of the work at North Carolina, the top 1-2 punch might be the Virginia tailback duo of Kevin Brooks (741 yards) and Tiki Barber (591). And, Rock Preston isn't shabby as Dunn's understudy at Florida State, with an ACC-high 8.6 yards-per-carry average.

Pressure will be felt by the Duke tandem of Matt DeOrio and T.C. White, which combined to rush for 212 yards last season. One or both will be asked to replace Robert Baldwin, the first Duke player since 1972 to lead the conference in rushing.

Pocket changes

There was so much talent at quarterback in the ACC last season, the backups included a former first-team All-ACC selection.

Actually, Mike Thomas made All-ACC as a punter in 1992, but he arrived at North Carolina as one of the most heralded quarterback prospects in the country and has passed for nearly 2,000 yards while backing up Jason Stanicek for most of the last three seasons.

Thomas, a fifth-year senior, will take over as a starter this season, as will Georgia Tech's Donnie Davis, who was injured last year and lost his job to Tommy Luginbill. Davis passed for 1,739 yards and 12 touchdowns in 1993.

One of the backups moved off the depth chart, not up. Virginia's Symmion Willis passed for a school-record 2,347 yards in 1993 but hurt his hamstring last season and lost his job to Mike Groh. After Coach George Welsh asked Willis to move to wide receiver in the offseason, Willis decided to leave the team.

Short relief

In the absence of Scott Milanovich, suspended for the first four games, Maryland's only quarterback with any experience is sophomore Brian Cummings, who did not attempt a pass last season.

Cummings' field time was limited to situations when Maryland went to the wishbone in short-yardage situations, but the Terrapins feel he has the arm for the run-and-shoot. He displayed a 90-mph fastball while pitching for the baseball team last spring.

Milanovich originally was suspended for eight games by the NCAA after it was determined he wagered on six college football and basketball games from 1992 to '94. The suspension was cut in half following an appeal.

Milanovich says he would have had little choice other than to turn pro if the original penalty had stood. After the 1994 season, he had asked an NFL committee to assess his draft prospects, and he was judged to be a third- to seventh-round pick.

Bowl concern

This season, the ACC can be certain of only three teams going to bowls after losing its tiein with the Hall of Fame Bowl (now Outback Bowl), which used to have the fourth choice of ACC teams.

Florida State, still unbeaten in conference play after three seasons as an ACC member, is likely to be a participant in the Bowl Alliance. The Gator Bowl has second choice of ACC teams and the Peach Bowl has third choice, provided the alliance doesn't want two ACC teams. The Carquest Bowl will have the third choice of the Big East team and may wind up having the fourth choice from the ACC.

RELATED ARTICLE: ORDER OF FINISH

1 FLORIDA STATE: Five of the Seminoles' first seven games are at home and a sixth is in Orlando, which should give them plenty of steam for November trips to Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. Although the secondary must be rebuilt, don't look for FSU's record 24-game ACC winning streak to end anytime soon.

2 NORTH CAROLINA STATE: The Wolf-pack have finished second three times in the last four years and helped their credibility with a 28-24 victory over Mississippi State in the Peach Bowl. A balanced offense has fifth-year senior Terry Harvey at quarterback and a rising star in sophomore tailback Tremayne Stephens.

3 NORTH CAROLINA: Check the ratings of ACC recruiting classes over the last five years and the Tar Heels consistently rank second behind Florida State, so they're young but not lacking in talent. Coach Mack Brown says of defensive tackle Marcus Jones, "He's as good a player as there is in America at his position."