OUR LEAGUE: Shannon revitalizes Miami’s recruiting on home front

Scattershooting around the ACC, while second-guessing myself concerning Miami coach Randy Shannon ...

When the Hurricanes fired Larry Coker and replaced him with defensive coordinator Randy Shannon, this columnist wasn’t convinced it was a good hire. Well, I’m beginning to think I was wrong.

Shannon has done a good job in his second year and has revitalized the Hurricanes’ recruiting in South Florida. He’s a Miami guy, born and raised in a tough part of the city, and can relate to a lot of the kids he’s recruiting.

Shannon signed 13 players from that area in the last recruiting class, and many of them have made an immediate impact. Eight of them were from the loaded state champion Northwestern High School team.

The ’Canes host Virginia Tech tonight (ESPN) in a big Coastal Division game, and while the focus is on the game, the Miami administration is going to have to make a move to protect their interests in Shannon.

It’s time to give the guy a contract extension.

“I couldn’t be more pleased,” said Miami AD Kirby Hocutt. “When you look at the progress that has been made with the young on this team, the future is bright. Randy has a plan. He’s not sitting back there and acting off the cuff. His plan is to build the program for longevity and long-term success and he’ll follow that plan.”

So far, it’s working. Considered to be on the coaching hot seat a month ago after a 2-3 start and coming off a 5-7 first year, Shannon has turned things around to 6-3.

Shannon’s original contract was a four-year deal at about $1 million a year. He could get a lot more elsewhere if Miami doesn’t take care of business.

Tiger tales

Clemson is one of the four ACC teams currently not bowl eligible, and at 4-5 overall, must win two of its last three against Duke, UVa and South Carolina to make it to postseason.

Florida State put it on the Tigers pretty good last week in a 41-27 outcome.

“They just outplayed us,” said interim Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. “They were more physical. They played harder. We had way too many missed assignments. We did not match their energy, and that’s what was most disappointing.”

The Tigers have been a huge disappointment, falling from a No. 9 national ranking and favorites to win the ACC, to a four-win season at the moment.

“I have not seen quit at all from these guys,” Swinney said. “In fact, the seniors have been really, really good. I have no concerns at all about our seniors.”

Now, Clemson has the same record as Duke (4-5), this week’s opponent. It will be the first time in a month that Clemson hasn’t faced a nationally ranked foe.

“I sure hope Duke’s not in the Top 10,” Swinney said.

Nope, but the Blue Devils aren’t the Duke of old, either.

Got the message

N.C. State defensive coordinator Mike Archer, who formerly worked briefly for George Welsh at Virginia, pushed the right buttons to get his Wolfpack fired up last week for the Duke game.

Archer’s defense was ranked dead last in the ACC in several defensive categories and let his team know it in a not so subtle message.

“Coach told us we were at the bottom of the pole,” said N.C. State linebacker Ray Michel. “He said we’re the laughingstock of the ACC. That made me furious. I was upset to hear that.”

The Wolfies beat Duke 27-17, even though the defense still gave up 25 first downs and 411 yards of total offense.

Good bye

Virginia coach Al Groh said during Wednesday’s ACC teleconference that the bye week should help his team.

“The last six weeks have been a very intense time for our team,” Groh said of the Cavs bouncing back from a 1-3 start, then ripping off four straight upsets before losing the last two games. “Players had to fight every game. Most of those games came down to the fourth quarter. They were physical games, wearing games. It’s as much mentally as physically a nice respite for our team.”

Groh said he will use the bye week to work on several phases of Virginia’s game for the stretch run, including getting off to faster starts offensively and the running game.

UVa hosts Clemson on Nov. 22 before finishing the regular season at Virginia Tech on Nov. 29.

Looking ahead

Here’s the scenarios that would allow UVa and Virginia Tech to win the Coastal Division crown:

Cavaliers: must win the final two games and get one loss from UNC and two losses from Miami.

Hokies: Win the next three weeks, starting with tonight’s game at Miami.

Quote of the week

Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski, on one of his messages to his team before the Eagles beat Notre Dame:

“In our first team meeting this week, I asked our guys ‘How many guys got recruited and visited and were offered by Notre Dame?’ And there were no hands that went up. I told those guys that they might not be good enough to get recruited by Notre Dame, but they’re sure damn good enough to play at Boston College.”

Quote of the week II

During his weekly luncheon at Fox Sports Grill in Atlanta, Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson was asked if he was bothered by North Carolina throwing the ball with less than four minutes to play and the Tar Heels up by a 28-7 count:

“I can only coach one team at a time, but they’re in our division, and we will see them again.”

Stat of the week

The ACC has eight of its teams bowl eligible already, and Virginia needs only one win to become bowl eligible.

Color me

North Carolina and Wake Forest donned throwback jerseys — or at least throwback colors — in last weekend’s games, and it worked out just fine as both teams won.

The Tar Heels wore navy blue jerseys dating back to the Eisenhower Administration. The last time UNC wore navy blue jerseys was in the early 1960s under Jim Hickey. Carolina used to wear the dark jerseys in the late ’50s under coach Jim Tatum.

New Carolina coach Butch Davis said the jerseys will be worn on special occasions, putting to rest fears of fans that liked the traditional colors.

“At this school, we will always wear Carolina blue,” Davis said. “There will never be a question about the color of the uniform. Maybe once a year we’ll have a little diversity. The recruits love it and the players love it. It probably also makes Nike happy that they can sell some extra jerseys.”

UNC wore navy blue pants against Rutgers earlier this season and won that game, too.

Meanwhile, Wake Forest wore gold jerseys for the first time since the university moved from its original site near Raleigh over to Winston-Salem, back in the 1950s. The Deacs triumphed over the Cavaliers, but the jerseys may not have played much of a role.

Volunteered?

Ever since Phil Fulmer was fired by Tennessee, there has been speculation that the Vols will come after Wake coach Jim Grobe or UNC coach Butch Davis.

But what about Duke coach David Cutcliffe, who was the offensive mind behind some of Tennessee’s best offenses during his two stays there under Fulmer?

The first-year Blue Devils coach met with his family Tuesday morning and told them he wasn’t leaving Durham.

“There’s no concern,” said Duke player Greg Akinbiyi. “Coach Cutcliffe is a man of his word. I believe him when he says it’s not a concern.”

Cutcliffe felt that it would appropriate to announce his intentions because opposing coaches were calling Duke’s 26 recruits and telling them that Cutcliffe was going to UT.

“Those guys got our kids on the phone and were telling them that it was a done deal,” Cutcliffe complained. “Shoot, if I’m recruiting against us, I’m going to use it, too.”

Short yardage ...

...When Maryland lost at Virginia Tech last Thursday night, it was the Terps’ worst running performance in eight seasons under Ralph Friedgen (minus 12 yards rushing). ... Florida State will be pulling out its all-black uniforms when it hosts Boston College this Saturday. It will be only the third time the Seminoles have worn the unis, dating back to 2006. ... “Really, we’re doing it for Nike,” Bobby Bowden said. “Nike wants us to do it.” ... Boston College, by the way, lost fullback James McCluskey to a broken fibula in the Notre Dame game and is out for the rest of the season. ... It was the second straight week that BC lost a starter, with wide receiver Clarence Megwa suffering a broken leg against Clemson the previous week. As a tribute to his fallen teammate, linebacker Mark Herzlich wore a Lone Ranger looking eye black around his eyes. ... We knew that Georgia Tech would strongly emphasize the running game out of its option attack, but the Jackets have run the ball 79 percent of the time this season. Coach Paul Johnson said it’s more out of necessity than scheme because his team has not yet learned to adequately protect the passer.

The picks

Last week: 4-2. To date: 55-22. Tonight: Virginia Tech 27, Miami 24; Florida State 26, Boston College 19; North Carolina 30, Maryland 14; Wake Forest 27, N.C. State 20; Clemson 24, Duke 20.