Author: Gary Butts

When you draft a quarterback first overall, the natural tendency is to think about what he’s going to do for years to come.  Panthers head coach Frank Reich is old enough to know that it will likely include some parts that won’t be as fondly remembered.  Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is young enough to know that it’s too soon to […]

 Michael Soroka‘s third promotion to Atlanta this season in his comeback from two Achilles tendon injuries has led to more health concerns for the right-hander  Tyler O’Neill and Nolan Gorman hit two-run homers to spoil Soroka’s return to Atlanta and the St. Louis Cardinals held on to beat the Braves 10-6 on Tuesday night.  Braves manager Brian Snitker said Soroka […]

Clemson fell 16 spots in the latest Associated Press Top 25.  That’s a drop from No. 9 to No. 25 this week after a 28-7 loss at Duke on Labor Day.  The Tigers committed multiple critical turnovers and had defensive lapses in the stunning defeat in Durham, where Clemson was a 13-point favorite.  In the ACC, Florida State rounds out […]

Furman Paladins Head Coach Clay Hendrix opened his press conference Tuesday by saying not a single one of his players even received a walk-on offer at South Carolina. However, he still believes they can compete against the Gamecocks in Columbia on Saturday.  On the other side, South Carolina’s trying to bounce back after a disappointing game-one loss to then No. […]

For questions or comments concerning The Martin Visual Performance Computer Rankings, contact Stelan Martin at [email protected].

First Mike Elko rebuilt Duke’s competitive edge.  Then its confidence.  And now, a game into his second season, he’s led the Blue Devils to their biggest win in years: a shocking upset of ninth-ranked and preseason Atlantic Coast Conference favorite Clemson.  Riley Leonard broke loose from a tackler and sprinted to the open for a 44-yard touchdown that highlighted Duke’s […]

Furman is ranked sixth in the first Stats Perform Top 25 Poll of the regular season, which was released today. The Paladins, 45-10 winners over Tennessee Tech in Thursday’s 2023 season opener, are the top-ranked Southern Conference team, two spots ahead of No. 8 Samford.  Mercer is 20th, giving the SoCon three teams in the poll. Reigning national champion South […]

Clemson University announced former righthander Carson Spiers made his Major League Baseball debut with the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.  Spiers became the sixth former Tiger to play in an MLB game with the Reds and first since 2022. He also became the 69th former Tiger to play in a Major League game, seventh in 2023. Spiers is also the second […]