Ranking The ACC Offenses

Nov 24, 2012; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Maryland Terrapins wide receiver Stefon Diggs should help the Terps improve among ACC offenses. The Tar Heels defeated the Maryland Terrapins 45-38 at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

8. Maryland Terrapins

Maryland had a historically-bad season on offense in 2012, finishing last in the nation. Quarterback after quarterback went down with injury. Four signal-callers suffered season-ending injuries before the Terps trotted out freshman linebacker Shawn Petty to take snaps. Not good.

Thankfully for Maryland, oft-injured quarterback CJ Brown is healthy and will start for the Terps barring another setback. Brown is as good on the ground as he is through the air. Offensive coordinator Mike Locksley was unable to deploy his read option last year due to injuries. With Brown back in the fold, another wrinkle to this previously stagnant offense.

Brown will have a number of weapons to get the ball to his fall. Sophomore Brandon Ross emerged as a reliable ball-carrier late last year, tallying two 100-yard games in the final four weeks of the season. The native of Newark, Delaware has elite speed and has been displaying it throughout an outstanding spring camp.

Lining up at wide out may be the best overall player in the conference in Stefon Diggs. The former blue chip recruit living up with the hype as a freshman catching 54 passes for 848 yards (remember, he played the majority of the season with third and fourth string quarterbacks). Diggs scored six touchdowns receiving, two on kick returns and one as a quarterback. Former New Mexico and Iowa Western Community College standout Deon Long will be a fine complement to Diggs.

The main concern for the Terrapins is up front. Last season, the play on the offensive line was spotty at best. Outside of sophomore Mike Madaras, the line is in flux and likely won’t be decided until August.

9. North Carolina State Wolfpack

North Carolina State finally has the proper chefs cooking the feast down in Raleigh.

After six years of mixed results from Tom O’Brien, the NC State went out and reunited a couple of excited and highly sought-after candidates to coach their team. Dave Doeren took Northern Illinois to their first BCS Bowl Game last year. Offensive coordinator Matt Canada, known and recognized for developing young quarterbacks, coached under Doeren at NIU before bolting to Wisconsin in ’12. Now the two are being trusted to take the Wolfpack offense places it wasn’t able to go under previous regimes.

Doeren and Canada are returning only five starters, but do have a couple capable players, starting with Colorado State transfer Pete Thomas. Thomas started 21 games over two seasons with the Rams throwing for over 4,300 yards. He and sophomore Manny Stocker will compete for the starting job throughout the rest of the summer.

Thomas and/or Stocker will have a couple trustworthy playmakers at wide receiver, featuring junior Bryan Underwood. The 5’9 receiver is quick, sure-handed and a silky-smooth route runner catching 10 touchdowns last year. He will make whatever quarterback is throwing passes look good this fall.

Regardless of who wins the quarterback job, NC State will deploy an offense centered around their running game. NIU ranked 12th nationally in rushing last season.  UW ranked 13th. These coaches want to run the ball. Two experienced backs, sophomore Shadrach Thornton and junior Tony Creecy, will split carries as they did a year ago. Neither back had a particular good 2012, but a renewed focus on the running game could do wonders for their production.

Only problem is that their interior of their offensive line will have to be rebuilt. Both guards and the center are gone from graduation. The trio of Duran Christophe, Joe Thuney and Alex Barr will need to jell quickly for the sake of the offense’s success.

10. Duke Blue Devils

Nov 24, 2012; Durham, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jamison Crowder (3) runs past Miami Hurricanes defensive lineman Dequan Ivery (66) during the first half at Wallace Wade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Dolejs-USA TODAY Sports

Last season, Duke finally snapped its 18-year Bowl drought. That feat will be tough to accomplish with quarterback Sean Renfree and wide receiver Conner Vernon, one of the most prolific tandems in Blue Devil history, now in the NFL. Junior quarterback Anthony Boone will assume starting duties in Durham this fall, with very limited playing experience. Boone went 18 for 31 for 212 yards and four touchdowns in his only start last year; a 42-17 win over Virginia.

Aiding Boone will be wide receiver Jamison Crowder. The junior tied Vernon with 1,074 receiving yards last year while snagging eight touchdowns. Outside of that, receiving depth is pretty limited. The projected starter opposite of Crowder is converted safety Brandon Braxton. While super athletic, the transition from offense to defense is easier said than done.

Duke returns four of five starters along the offensive line, who will be counted on to keep Boone upright.

11. Virginia Tech Hokies

I really want to put Virginia Tech higher on this year’s list, but after such a disaster in the spring game, I couldn’t in good conscience do so.

A seven-win season last year prompted wholesale changes on the offensive side of the ball. A new offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach and offensive line coach were all hired. The result was a nine-point performance in the spring Maroon and Orange game from the starting offense. While head coach Frank Beamer stated that only part of the new offense had been installed, concern is certainly growing in Blacksburg.

Two-year starter Logan Thomas saw his NFL stock drop immensely in 2012. Considered a potential first-round draftee before last season, Thomas returned for his senior year recognizing he needed another year in college to work on his accuracy and consistency.

If Thomas is aiming to return to his 2011 form, he won’t have much experience at receiver to help him out. Sophomore flanker Dmitri Knowles is the only returning player with more than two catches in 2012. The projected starter opposite of Knowles, DJ Coles, is coming off back-to-back season-ending knee injuries and his level of his contributions have to be considered questionable.

Starting running back JC Coleman flashed some ability to close 2012, but also has been underwhelming at times. Coleman’s only 100-yard game in ’12 came against Duke, which fields one of the most porous defenses in college football.

12. Virginia Cavaliers

Mike London juggled quarterbacks throughout 2012. The fourth year head coach may not be afforded the same opportunity this year. Michael Rocco transfered to Richmond to play for his Uncle and former Alabama transfer Phillip Sims has left school due to academic reasons. Redshirt sophomore David Watford rises to the top of the depth chart by default and will likely start for Virginia. Watford is a dual threat at quarterback that while talented, may need some time to develop. This year might be a little rough for Watford, but the future is bright at that position if he can progress.

Running back Perry Jones’ departure hurts the Cavaliers in the passing game as well as the running game. Jones caught 129 balls in his career and 49 last year and losing him is a hit to the pass game. Junior Kevin Parks will take over as the full-time at running back replacing Jones. Returning starters junior Darius Jennings and senior Tim Smith will start at the wide receiver spot once again for Virginia. Along with fellow juniors Dominique Terrell, EJ Scott and tight end Jake McGee, Virginia has pretty decent receivers. What they lack is experience.

13a & b. Boston College & Pitt

I couldn’t decide with team will have a worst offense this year, so I decided to let them share the bottom spot. In fairness, Boston College and Pitt both do have bright spots on their offenses. Unfortunately, both teams also have their fair share of holes on their offenses. The Eagles Chase Rettig and Alex Amidon are a dynamic combination, setting school records in receptions (78) and yards (1,210) last year. Rettig is a three-year starter and will have his fair shot to repeat that success.

Whoever ends up throwing passes in Pittsburgh, whether it is junior Trey Anderson or Rutgers transfer Tom Savage, will have a very good receiver at his disposal in Devin Street. The senior caught 73 passes for 975 yards and five touchdowns last year, and that was with Tino Sunseri throwing the ball. He has a chance to have a big season if he can find any continuity on offense.

Outside of those several outlying playmakers, both these teams have a bare cupboard and will likely rank near the bottom of the conference in many offensive statistical categories.