Football

Bryant Wesco Jr. breakdown

By: Griffin Jones

Bryant Wesco Jr. is a sophomore wide receiver for the Clemson Tigers. Coming off an incredible high school career with 109 catches, 1,903 yards, and 29 touchdowns, he followed it up with a great freshman season with the Tigers. Recording 41 catches, 708 yards, and 5 touchdowns.

Coming into his sophomore year, he was seen as a superstar by many people around the country, seen as a major part of the three headed monster of the elite Clemson receiving room. Surrounded by a top 5 roster along with two other preseason All-ACC receivers, he was expected to thrive.

In the first game of the season, Clemson faced number nine ranked LSU, Wesco tracked in 4 receptions for 66 yards almost getting in the endzone in the second quarter and making a miraculous catch in the third quarter in a Clemson loss.

Coming off a disappointing loss Clemson faced a weak Troy team, with seven minutes left in the second quarter, Clemson was trailing 16-0 and Wesco hadn’t recorded a catch. In the final three quarters Bryant hauled in seven catches for 118 yards and 2 touchdowns in a comeback victory for the Tigers.

The following week versus the Yellow Jackets, Wesco had 7 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown within this was a huge 73 yard slant to the house to keep Clemson in the game in an eventual 21-24. The next week home vs Syracuse was not much of a game as the Tigers lost 34-21, although they took a L Wesco still had 6 catches for 79 yards hauling in 2 touchdowns.

The following week, the Tigers faced a horrible UNC team in which they destroyed, due to this Wesco was taken out of the game early only getting 2 catches for 42 yards. In a game versus Boston College, he bounced back with 5 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown including an incredible touchdown catch in a 41-10 win. However, in the most recent game versus SMU Bryant Wesco was returning punts as he has all year and was hit low, flipping him on his neck and tragically ending his great start to the season early. His final stats being 31 receptions for 537 yards for 6 touchdowns.

My thoughts on football this weekend

By: Milling Galloway

What a great weekend to sit on our butts and watch some football.

There were a ton of great games and great moments in college and the NFL. I will just go ahead and name some of my top players. Justin Fields is the best quarterback in the NFL right now. He was electric and somehow lost. Plays that in the past he would never have made, he did. I will also have to say Aaron Rodgers is still that guy. My next great take is that Josh Allen is seriously going to win the MVP again. He played the best fourth quarter of all time.

On the college level, Clemson and South Carolina both looked terrible. While teams like FSU and USF are balling out right now. Byrum Brown is a man among little boys, the way he is killing it right now.

The main takeaway we could talk about is that the Cowboys’ letting Micah Parsons leave was a horrible idea. He is the best defensive player in the league. Dak was also pretty good, making great plays. The Eagles are very good, so the Cowboys ’ loss wasn’t terrible.

Taking things back to college, let’s look at Bryce Underwood. He only had around 140 passing yards and didn’t play great. He is only a true freeshmen, so I wouldn’t freak out. His arm talent is amazing. Justice Haynes is the best player on that team. If they can’t find a pass game, it’s gonna be a long year for the Wolverines. John Mateer and that Oklahoma offense looks strong. He has been really solid and made great throws. Although I don’t think they have really faced a challenge yet. Michigan is not amazing. Football in general looked great this weekend. I am excited to see what happens going forward. The Clemson and Georgia Tech game is going to be a great one. This upcoming weekend. Also, Carolina and Vandy will be rocking. Some exciting things are coming this next week.

Clemson vs LSU Postgame Breakdown

By: Griffin Jones

On Saturday August 30th, 2025 the number 8 ranked LSU Tigers traveled to Memorial Stadium to take on the number 4 ranked Clemson Tigers in a highly anticipated matchup. There was an unbelievable amount of hype coming into this game as this was the first time the 2 teams faced off since January 13th, 2019 where LSU topped Clemson 42-25 in the National Championship. While the two teams have played formerly, LSU leading 4-1, this was the first game inside of either team’s stadium which are both labeled as “Death Valley”. The high rankings along with the possible revenge lead fans to call this game the battle to be the “Real Death Valley”.

Coming into the game the spread was Clemson favored by -4.5 as they returned 81% of their offensive talent and 75% of their defensive talent, this combined with a great offseason and a home field advantage led many to believe this was Clemson’s game to win. LSU however returned 65% of offensive production and 59% of defensive production losing much of their offensive line and receiving core. However, using the transfer portal LSU was able to instantly replace their positions of need with equal or similar talent.

Despite both teams returning diverse numbers of talent, they each came into the season labeled to have a top five skilled rosters in the country. All of this skill along with a Heisman hopeful quarterback on each team excited some to the point where they were saying this would be the “Game of the Year”.

Entering the game LSU players were greeted by 80,000+ Clemson fans who were starving for a big win. A 7:30 kickoff time only fed into the excitement of the roaring fans. Clemson won the coin toss and decided to defer and the game was under way.

The first play from scrimmage LSU’s star sophomore running back Caden Durham shook off a tackle and ran for a gain of 24 yards leaving them just shy of Clemson territory. The Tigers gained 1 more first down getting to the Clemson 40 but after that stalled, leaving out at a 3 & 11. As this was the biggest play of the game at this point the fans were deafening during a huge third down on the first drive. This caused Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to call a timeout due to the screams. The rest of the first half was filled with many unsuccessful with LSU’s offense looking superior throughout. Despite this, Clemson’s lead in the turnover battle along with a strong drive in the second quarter helped them head into the half with a 10-3 lead over LSU.

However, this lead would be short lived as LSU’s dominance of time of possession, Clemson’s inability to establish the run game, and an interception thrown in the second half turned things LSU’s way. As they tied the game 10-10 with a Caden Durham touchdown and took the lead with a 1on1 endzone ball to 6 ‘7 receiver Trey’dez Green. Once LSU claimed the lead they never let it go, despite Clemson’s best effort on their final drive they came up just short of forcing overtime. As Klubnik was pressured into a poor throw on 4th down from LSU’s 15 with just under a minute left.

I believe that these are two playoff teams who have a lot of potential this year if they reach their full ability. Although Clemson lost, I think Troy will help them get some confidence and hopefully bounce back in the future and figure things out in what seems like a strong ACC this year.

South Carolina v Virginia Tech Preview

By: Benson Elmore

On Sunday, August 31, The Gamecocks travel to Mercedes Benz stadium to play the Virginia Tech Hokies, so here is a breakdown of how I think this game will end up going.

In this game, Carolina is the heavy favorite here by seven and a half points, which I think is pretty valid. I think that Carolina’s offense will be very hard to stop with Heisman candidate Lanorris Sellers, stud wide receivers Nyck Harbor and Mazeo Bennet, and new transfer Rahsul Faison. Also defensive studs like sophomore Dylan Stewart, Jalon Killgore, and Brandon Cisse are going to give Virginia Tech a very hard time moving the ball.

With Mercedez Benz stadium being closer to South Carolina then Virginia, I think that more Carolina fans will be in attendance than Virginia tech. I think the energy will not be as high as a normal college football game, since the location is at a neutral site, and I do not think that this game will be entertaining at all if you are a Virginia Tech Hokies fan. I seriously think that Carolina is going to light Virginia Tech’s defense up and I do not think that Virginia Tech will move the ball well against Carolina either.

Now, a little bit about why Carolina’s stud QB Lanorris Sellers could win the Heisman this year. Lanorris Sellers has a real shot at winning the Heisman this year. He’s got everything you need like crazy arm strength, fast legs, and the ability to make big plays when it counts. Sellers can make all the throws, but what sets him apart is how he moves in the pocket, avoiding pressure and creating chances out of nowhere. He’s a dual-threat QB, so defenses can’t just focus on one thing. If he keeps putting up big numbers and leads his team to wins, he could definitely be in the mix for the Heisman this season. He’s got the tools to be special.

NFL Super Bowl Prediction

By: Henry Jones

After a long summer break off of cranking out entertaining blogs for everyone in the digital media class, I have had time to refresh my thoughts on my ground breaking sports takes. Which means I am ready to drop more predictions on major sports events such as the Super Bowl. My first prediction of the year is a bold one. Normally I would show bias and say that the Arizona Cardinals (my favorite team) would be taking home the hardware this year, but new year new me. I do believe Cardinals have a good chance at winning the division, the offense just isn’t fully there yet. Now, there are many teams I feel have a shot at the Super Bowl this year. One is the winners of last year, the Philadelphia Eagles. They are still a very strong team despite losing key pieces on defense. Another team, as always, is the Kansas City Chiefs. In my opinion, any team with Patrick Mahomes at the helm is a Super Bowl contender cause he is a straight dog. A negative about this team is Travis Kelce recently getting engaged to that witch, Taylor Swift. Whenever they started dating she stole all his talent and turned him into some hermit crab. Finally, I truly believe that the New York Jets have a real shot this year at the Super Bowl. They have two up and coming offensive linemen and two stud running backs. Also with the addition of Justin Fields they have very solid quarterback play that they haven’t had in multiple years. In conclusion, with the adding of all these new, young pieces, I’d be willing to bet the life of Milling Galloway that the Jets will be taking home the gold this year. This is easy money.

Prize Picks lines I would always choose if my life depended on it!

By Milling Galloway

Prize Picks is one of the best and worst ways to make money. If you’re a genius like me, you would understand how to make that bread. There are always some lines that are destined to hit. LaNorris Sellers is my number one. Every single time he hits. He can run and throw. I would not take the passing touchdowns, but everything else is golden. He’s just a beast, so unless Vegas changes the lines, I would always put over.

My next guy is Jahmyr Gibbs. He is truly one of a kind. His speed and athleticism just stand out compared to other backs in the league. Receiving yards and rushing yards hit with this guy. There is nothing he can not do. My third stud on the list has to be Lamine Yamal. He does not always hit on goals, but he rips shots. He loves to cut on that left foot and take a chance. Defenders can not find an answer for the 18-year-old wonder kid. Even though the lines might be set high, he finds a way to shoot and shoot more. He is third because other lines, he is not always fully consistent. My next guy has to be the best quarterback in the NFL. Justin ‘Him’ Fields. What a beast. This dude is always making highlight plays and beating Vegas. He can throw and take off, and run. He is very consistent, and it shows. Now that he is a Jet and is the main guy, he will cause some havoc this year for sure. I see a big year ahead of him. With my last choice I will have to say John Rahm. The guy is a dumpster fire waiting to fail. The only time he did ok was one tournament. Everytime he plays PGA he can’t do anything right. When he is playing on LIV I would not risk it. When he gets in front of the big stage he is destined to fail.

Best Madden of all time

By: Bryce Hanson

Now last time I talked about 2K being my favorite game, but a close second is Madden. It’s a NFL football game with a bunch of fun different game modes to play. Obviously the best Madden of all time would have the most fun game modes. But this time I want do it differently. I’m going to cut straight to the point, which is why I think Madden 20 is the Best Madden of all time.

First, I have to tell you what the best part of this game was, The Face of the Franchise. This game mode was started in Madden 20, and will forever be my favorite game mode ever. It’s basically like NBA 2K’s mycareer, but with a better way to make your player better. Another game mode that was started by this game was Super Star K.O. This game mode is where you draft 3 players who have an X-Factor and you play someone online who did the same thing. When you beat them you move on and draft another player, and this cycle continues until you enter the Championship Round and you try to win the championship. X-Factor was another thing started by this game. It is given to players that literally have an X-Factor about them. It’s basically like a power up for a player that has entered the zone. Next, I can tell you that the music in this game actually made it better, and it’s not artists who people have heard of either. Songs like No Name, Move the Chains, and Time flies actually blessed th people’s ears who listened to them and the created such a sense of Nostalgia, which you know by now that I love the nostalgic feel. Lastly, I would just say this game was so good because it was during quarantine and the NFL was at a good place. Where the teams were still kind of fair and balanced. Overall Madden was probably the best Madden of all time, because it was the start of something new in Madden. It took it from a boring football game to putting a spin on football overall. The nostalgia I feel from this game also makes me love it even more.

Carolina Panthers End of the Season Review

by: Knox Buxton

The Carolina Panthers won their season finale 44-38 in overtime against the Atlanta Falcons. I enjoyed watching the game and I was happy with the way Bryce Young performed to end the season. Young passed for 251 yards and 3 touchdowns, he also rushed for 24 yards and 2 touchdowns. He made the jump from being labeled as one of the biggest busts during the beginning of this season to being 1st among Quarterbacks in total touchdowns in weeks 16-18. Bryce Young also had a top 10 passer rating and no turnovers in the final 3 weeks.

The Panthers main problem to end this season was their defense. Losing Derrick Brown and Shaq Thompson hurt the defense a lot to start the season and it didn’t get any better at the end when Jaycee Horn went out for the last week. Horn was really the only good part of the defense this season because he was the only one to get selected to participate in the pro bowl. I think if the Panthers can build up the defense this offseason and add an elite wide receiver to pair with Bryce Young, they could definitely make a run and surprise a lot of people next season. If I was the General Manager of the Carolina Panthers, I would look to add Tee Higgins or Garrett Wilson if we could get one of them for the right price. I would also go out and draft the best defensive players available in the draft and make sure the players on the defense that got hurt are good to go to start next season. The Panthers have the 8th pick in this year’s draft and there are a lot of ways it could go when it comes to making their selection but ultimately, I think it will need to be a defensive player. Their defense finished at the bottom of the league in pretty much every category, but I don’t think it should be super hard to fix. In conclusion, even though Carolina finished with a 5-12 record, I think the future is bright and Bryce Young is the guy for them.

Who Will Win the CFP?

By: Henry Jones

This year, with the introduction of the twelve team playoffs, the race to the beloved National Championship is more exciting than ever. The favorites to win right now are Oregon and Ohio State. They each have a sixteen percent chance to win. While this isn’t very high, it adds a sense of suspense between the race. Other teams like Clemson, Arizona State, and SMU are seen as dark horses to make a run. This new playoff format is almost comparable to College Basketball during March Madness. Meaning that any team has a chance to upset anybody because all of these teams have very strong teams. A team I am looking forward to making it all the way to the chip are the Boise State Broncos. With their stud running back, Ashton Jeanty, and their strong fanbase I believe they have a chance to go all the way. The only doubt I have is whenever they go against an extremely strong defense such as Oregon or Georgia. Each team has a very elite run defense and it will be interesting to see how Boise State’s run heavy offense performs against us. Another thing that may prove to be a problem is their quarterback. Maddox Madsen is a very mid level quarterback who piggybacks off of Jeanty all season long. Another matchup I will be waiting to watch is Arizona State versus Penn State. Penn State is one of the most overrated teams every year and I will be watching to see how they try to stop Arizona State’s breakout star running back Cam Skatebbo. To end, in my opinion I think that if Carson Beck stays out of the quarterback position and their stud sophomore backup stays in the game, there is no team that will beat a locked in Georgia team.

By: Owen Meyers

American football is more than just a game—it’s a symbol of strength, strategy, and teamwork. From Friday night lights in high school to the roar of NFL stadiums, football captures the heart of America like no other sport.

One reason football stands out is the life lessons it teaches. Teamwork is everything. No one player, no matter how talented, can win a game alone. The offensive line protects the quarterback, the running backs rely on blocks, and every player depends on their teammates to succeed. Football also teaches discipline and hard work. Players spend hours training, practicing plays, and learning from mistakes to improve every week. It’s about pushing through challenges and showing resilience when things get tough.

What makes football even more special is the strategy involved. It’s not just about brute strength—it’s like a chess game on the field. Coaches plan every play, deciding when to pass, run, or go for it on fourth down. Defenses study their opponents, figuring out how to shut down the best players. Quarterbacks have to read the defense and adjust on the fly. It’s a mental battle as much as a physical one, and the smartest teams often come out on top.

Football also brings people together. Whether it’s families cheering in the stands, friends gathered around the TV for the Super Bowl, or teammates bonding in the locker room, the sport creates connections. It’s about community, tradition, and passion.

In the end, football is more than just touchdowns and tackles. It’s about learning to work hard, think ahead, and trust your team. Millions of people sit down to watch football every weekend in the fall season. Millions of people put money on the games and it is the spark to their day. From the tailgates to that comfy couch, at your house, football is loved and admired. Football teaches valuable lessons like having grit and how to be an honorable man or woman. That’s why football isn’t just a sport—it’s the best sport in America.