Thursday, Nov. 13, 2008

Practice report: Venables declines to discuss Clemson job

News of the day

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables declined to comment when asked by ESPN.com about reports that he had met with athletics director Terry Don Phillips on Tuesday evening to discuss Clemson’s coaching vacancy.

Venables was not made available to Oklahoma’s media Wednesday, as Tuesday was the only scheduled interview availability because the Sooners are on a bye week.

Interim Tigers coach Dabo Swinney said he does not concern himself with such reports because those matters are out of his control.

“News flash, that’s just part of it,” Swinney said. “You have a coaching change in the middle of the season, you’re going to have all kinds of stuff. Heck, you have that when there is no coaching change. What’s different? It’s just another year.”

“My job is Terry Don hired me to go coach this football team. And he has a job he has to do, and that’s go and evaluate and hire the best guy for this job.”

Stock rising

Senior long snapper Charles Roediger. Roediger’s fumble recovery against Florida State marked his entry into the spotlight — which is a good thing when you’re a specialist. He was supposed to lose the job to scholarship freshman Matt Skinner this fall, but the walk-on from Advance, N.C., has been perfect from an operational standpoint.

Stock falling

Can the defense as a whole qualify? Coordinator Vic Koenning said it was the first time in recent memory the coaching staff failed to select a top player for its game. “We didn’t feel like anybody was special,” he said. “None of our guys on the defensive staff pounded the table for anybody. I don’t think they didn’t play hard. ... We just got exposed, some positions got exposed.”

Quotable

“He’s getting to where he doesn’t (care) about anything, and that’s the way you need to play the position. I think early on, he was too worried about what people thought. You can’t play that position that way.”

— quarterbacks coach and former Furman quarterback Billy Napier, on senior quarterback Cullen Harper

Injury report

Sophomore left tackle Chris Hairston returned to practice after sitting out the past two days with a concussion. “He looked good, so that was a nice shot in the arm for us,” Swinney said.

Extra points

The school announced Wednesday that all current and former military personnel, including the National Guard and reserve units, would be granted two tickets to Saturday’s game by showing military identification at a specific gate. ... The team has agreed to take part in registration with the National Bone Marrow Donor Registry, wherein each member has four mouth swabs taken so their marrow type can be put on file. The idea was pitched to interim coach Dabo Swinney by senior receiver Aaron Kelly’s roommate. ... Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski sent a letter to Clemson’s athletics department, addressed to fans, thanking them for the show of support that has been expressed since receiver Clarence Megwa suffered a potentially career-ending broken leg late in the game two weeks ago.

Scouting report

Duke senior cornerback Jabari Marshall needs 114 yards to set the ACC’s career kickoff return yardage record, a dubious mark reflective of just how many scores the Blue Devils have given up in recent years. One more throwaway stat: Duke has lost all nine coin tosses this season.

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