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Mark Stoops on the list of possible head coaches at North Carolina

Athlon is in the prognostication business, and their latest is a list of potential successors to Butch Davis at UNC in 2012. Check the line-up of possibles for the new Tar Heel head coach and you'll find FSU's Defensive Coordinator. At least Mark isn't on the top of that list, which includes USF's Skip Holtz and V-Tech's veteran DC, Bud Foster.

The addition of legendary loose cannon Mike Leach doesn't exactly lend credibility to the list (yeah, Leach in Chapel Hill -- that'll be the day). But get used to seeing Stoops name floated for any number of head coaching jobs. The bittersweet reality is, the better his defense plays, the faster he's outta here.

Maybe it's better not to have an indoor practice facility than to have the one UGA recently dedicated

Another team the Noles recruit against has beaten FSU to the punch with an indoor practice facility. But somewhere this one went strangely off track.

In 1999, The University of Georgia Athletic Board authorized design and construction of a building with a full-size football field that could be used for track and other sports. The photo above shows what they got (maybe a committee got involved?).

Instead of a practice facility, it's more of a place where the team can do walk-throughs. The 20 yards of artificial turf can be split in two with a curtain, allowing the offense and defense separate practice space.

At least Mark Richt has a nice view from his office (that's where the photo was taken).

Apparently Georgia's plan morphed into an all-purpose facility, including coaches offices, weight room, and more meeting rooms than most hotel conference facilities.

It's a different approach to what FSU has blueprints for, and may suit Georgia just fine. But then Athens doesn't have thunder boomers rolling in off the gulf almost every afternoon from August til mid-season.

Here are more pics of the new Dawg house.

E.J. Manuel at ACC Media Days: “I’m a little more vocal than Ponder was”

One of the most sought-after players by the media at ACC Media Days, E.J. speaks like a seasoned team leader. Compare his poise and maturity to the video below. It's from 2007 when Manuel attended the Elite 11 camp.

Eight weeks to get your game face on

The debt crisis is playing out like the Titanic bearing down on a 15-story iceberg. A massive heat dome is making much of the nation feel like lobsters on full boil. But FSU and Oklahoma fans don't have time for such trivial matters. Message boards are filling up with trash talk and we're-gonna-walk-ALL-OVER-YOU!!! swagger. So if it's possible to throw more fuel on the fire, here's a video reminder of the carnage to come on September 17.

TomRob kicks off his 2011 previews with a look at Louisiana Monroe

ULM Warhawks
2010 Record: 5-7 (4-4, Sun Belt)

OFFENSE

Scheme:  Todd Berry came to ULM much maligned after his awful tenure at Army. His pro-style passing attack did not work at West Point, but year one in Monroe was actually pretty successful for this offense. The good news is that ULM was good at moving the ball through the air. The bad news is that they could not run very well. Berry is hoping stealing some elements from Oregon (think no-huddle, up-tempo) will jumpstart the running game. Expect to see a little of everything from this offense—zone-read option, “air raid” passing, one back, no huddle, etc. 

Quarterbacks:  Much like Jimbo Fisher did when he took over the FSU offense, Berry came in and demoted a returning, senior QB in favor of a promising, yet green youngster. Unlike Christian Ponder, ULM’s Kolton Browning had never seen the field and was an unproven freshman. All he did was provide one of the best seasons by any QB in ULM history (okay, maybe that isn’t saying a lot), and not just by a freshman. Browning (2,552 yards, 62%, 18 TDs, 12 interceptions, 385 yds rushing, 4 TDs) led the Sun Belt in completion percentage, tied a school record with 8 straight 200-yard passing games, and put up the second most total offense in ULM history. Not too shabby for a guy who had never played a down of college ball. Browning should only get better.

Running Backs:  Leading rusher Frank Goodin has graduated, but his paltry 438 yards should not be that hard to replace. ULM has three contenders for the position. Sophomore Jyruss Edwards (375 yards, 4.5 average, 4 TDs, 14 receptions, 70 yds) led the team in yards per carry and got 4 starts last year. He should at least match Goodin’s production, if not exceed it. Classmate Centarius Donald exited spring as the backup and he did get 21 carries last year, but many people watching the program think former Arkansas transfer Mitchell Bailey might be Edwards’ main competition. At minimum, Bailey is a bigger back (6-0, 224) who will likely get touches in certain packages. 

Wide Receivers:  The strength of the offense, if it is not Browning, lies here. The Warhawks return 4 players who caught at least 33 passes and should field one of the best pass-catching units in the Sun Belt. 

At WR, ULM has four good options in senior Luther Ambrose, sophomore Tavarese Maye, senior Anthony McCall, and junior Brett Leonard. Ambrose (65 receptions, 752 yds, 6 TDs) is a small guy, but catches everything and is good in the open field. Maye (43 recs, 505 yds, 3 TDs) and McCall (33 recs, 479 yds, 2 TDs) provide a bit more size and McCall is a big-play threat. Leonard (33 recs, 377 yds, 3 TDs) has a nice blend of size and speed. Junior Zarrell Sanders and sophomore Je’Ron Hamm can provide depth and Hamm has the best size (6-3, 214) of the corps so don’t be surprised to see him in on some jump balls.

ULM Coach Todd Berry believes maturity on both sides will make it a good game Sept. 3

In his final thoughts from our exclusive conversation with Lousiana Monroe Coach Todd Berry, we asked what he's telling his team and what kind of game he expects when the Warhawks come to Doak for the season opener.

"We've been focused on Florida State. We practiced against Florida State (simulated) because it's our first game...I've talked to our players not in terms of winning and losing, but just going out and playing to the best that we're capable of playing. This group has responded real well to that. The one thing I know this group won't do is they're not gonna quit. We were down 17 last year against Western Kentucky in the fourth quarter and came back and won it. So they'll keep fighting and scratching. They've learned over the last year that if they play together, take ownership in the team, and just play hard that good things end up happening. And I'd like to think that because of the maturity that both teams have coming back, that it'll be a well played game."

Getting real with Leonard Hamilton: It's "virtually impossible" to pay players

FSU basketball Coach Leonard Hamilton surfaced this week to tell ESPN.com's Andy Katz: "I've always thought it's virtually impossible to have a pay-for-play system that would not include every sport. How can you justify not including track or tennis or golf? How could you consider a fair and equitable system, and not include every sport? Everyone always only mentions basketball and football. But that would almost be unconstitutional."

"The people driving this conversation as I see it are not people on the ground," Hamilton told the worldwide sports leader. "They're not intimately involved in the conversation."

And how about women's sports? Coach Ham made the point that paying men but not female athletes, whether a Title IX violation or not, would be a good bet to be challenged in court.

And with a stroke of a pen Sean Gilmartin's an instant millionaire

Congrats to former Nole Sean Gilmartin for getting a deal done quickly so he can start his minor league career this season instead of allowing his agent to draw things out. Not that Sean missed out on a big payday from Atlanta.

The Braves first pick, and 28th overall in the June draft, signed a contract for $1,134,000 million on Friday. Next stop Orlando and the Braves complex where he starts a throwing program.

“I couldn’t be more happy,” Gilmartin told the Atlanta Journal-Constituion. “My intent was to get drafted this year and play as quickly as possible and get myself affiliated with minor league baseball, get a feel for it, so I have a better idea going into next year what to expect and how to handle myself."

Braves director of scouting Tony DeMacio said that Gilmartin is expected to "move fast through our system.”

It's not the first time Gilmartin's seen a major league contract. He was drafted by San Diego in the 31st round of the 2008 draft, but turned down the Padres to pitch for the Noles.

Opponent Watch: Get this guy on your radar early, before ACC fans learn the hard way

If Wake Forest is going to rebound from its two year slump and become an ACC title contender again, it will be with a Florida kid at the helm. Freshman Kevin Sousa is reportedly on the Winston-Salem campus and getting to know his new teammates while working out in preparation for fall practice.

Watch the video and see why some analysts compare him to Tyrod Taylor -- though Sousa is bigger and can abuse defenders instead of executing a safe slide. He also has a howitzer of an arm and plenty of speed. We got the impression of a slightly shorter E.J. Manuel, though Sousa may still be growing.

It's the same video that caught the eyes of coaches from Michigan, Miami and bigger name schools than Wake Forest. In fact, Sousa committed to the Wolverines before a late switch to the Deacons.

But how much of a shot does he have at playing time in his first year?

All the 2011 previews tout Tanner Price as Wake's starting QB, and the analysts -- as well as his coaches -- expect big improvements over last year's rocky debut. Price took a lot of hits while passing for 1,349 yards and seven touchdowns against 8 interceptions. Behind him is junior Ted Stachitas, whose claim to fame is succeeding Tim Tebow at Nease High School.

Price and Stachitas should also have the advantage of playing behind an offensive line that won't get them killed (only one starter lost from 2010), as well as giving them more time to actually get a pass off. And besides, Deacs Coach Jim Grobe is notorious for redshirting freshmen, no matter how many recruiting stars they boast.

So three-star Kevin Sousa has virtually zero chance of deviling the Noles when they travel to Winston-Salem on October 8th, right?

Don't bet your Bowden-autographed souvenirs. If Deacs QB Coach Tommy Elrod can begin to shape Sousa's raw talent, the youngster might leave Grobe no option but to play him. If not by the FSU game, likely by late season, when Wake fans need to see rays of hope for the future.

One person who expects him to play is Sousa himself. He sent the following Tebow-like vow to Wake beat writer Dan Collins (full story here):

“From the moment I step foot on campus, my goal is to work harder then any other QB to ever put on a Wake Forest jersey. God has blessed me with this great opportunity and I am going to make those that have helped me on this journey, my family, Coach (Anthony) Paradiso, my coaching staff, my teammates, the student body, the faculty and the entire Wake Forest alumni proud..."

Confidence, talent, and the smarts to qualify at Wake. They all add up to future trouble for FSU and the ACC. Especially if the Deacs can build a strong supporting cast around Sousa, like the one that teamed with Riley Skinner to win a league title not that many years ago.

A Garnet & Golden oldie with Bobby, plus two more Nole Nuggets

No one can say Bobby didn't get on the refs once in awhile. Like this blast from the past: a weird moment with Bowden spitting nails as Erin Andrews eavesdrops on his rant at the ref. And then there was the old coach's halftime remedy for all those holding calls. Pure Nole-stalgia.

FSU a surprise #6. Rivals compiled a list of the teams that recruited best between 2002-2011, and Florida State came in at number six. Pretty impressive, though most of us know FSU had more than its share of bluechippers who dropped out, or were kicked out, sooner than later.

Another branch on the coaching tree. Derrick Alexander (1992-94) is the latest in a growing list of former Noles who've become head coaches. Alexander, a DE on FSU's '93 national champs, takes over at Bishop McLaughlin high school near Brooksville. Coach 'em up, Derrick.