Tom Talks

Talent and poise prevail. Packers beat Panthers.

    Talent and experience prevailed. Packers fell behind 13-0, but always retained their poise. Panthers imploded with interceptions, fumbles and mistakes in coverage. Carolina had some great individual plays. But Packers were cohesive and confident and just too good. They beat the Panthers 30-23.

  Carolina had enough moments, however, to keep fans coming back. Cam Newton threw three picks, but he also threw some pretty passes. As the game wound down, he stepped up to the Carolina 20 and hit Steve Smith in stride on the Green Bay 25. Not sure the Panthers have ever had a guy who could do that.

     Newton made mistakes, forcing the ball to Steve Smith. But the gifts and the skills are all there. We'll see them, along with the mistakes, every week. Again he threw for more than 400 yards.

 

 

 

Painful third quarter for Carolina Panthers

    Long quarter, especially if you're a Panther fan. Panthers led 13-7 at the half. Third quarter was so long you can't remember the Panthers ever being in front. Packers lead 23-13.

     Cam Newton was intercepted twice in the quarter, and Steve Smith lost a fumble.

      Packers scored every time they had the ball.

Damn

    The passing Panthers.  When have you ever said that? When have you thought it. Cam Newton is 7 of 9 for 93 yards. Panthers lead Green Bay 7-0, have the ball on the Green Bay 11.

   

Texas to the ACC? Please make it so.

    I love the Texas to the ACC rumor. I'd love it more if it were true. Texas would be an absolute coup for the conference.

     The ACC could tap into all those TV-watching Texas markets. And while the conference was adding fans, it could add drama.

    Rick Barnes, the N.C. native, would bring his Longhorn basketball team to Durham and Chapel Hill. Mack Brown, the former North Carolina coach, would bring his Longhorn football team to Virgina Tech.

     And anybody who has ever been to Austin will find a way to make the road trip with their team or with somebody else's.

     I don't know how valid the rumor is. If the Big 12 breaks up, Texas will have to go somwhere and the ACC would provide a nice place to land. A priority for Texas, of course, will be to bring the Longhorn Network with it. Not sure how that will work.

     The biggest challenge for Texas will be this: Can Mack Brown finally beat Florida State?

     

 

 

 

 

Spontaneous pre-game patriotism

   Nice scene in Glendale, Ariz., hotel lobby. Walked in as anthem was performed before Chicago-Atlanta game. People in the lobby -- most -- stopped and watched and listened.

    Here's a lobby across the street from University of Phoenix Stadium. There's a bloody Mary station, and fans, many of them in jerseys, are drinking before they head to the Arizona-Carolina game. It's hectic, kind of fast.

    And, I'd say, 75% of the fans here stopped doing what they were doing and stood a little straighter.

    Made you feel good. 

Can't pick against the Packers

    I make my NFL picks every week in Sunday's paper. Since there's a game tonight, I probably ought to make my pick now.

     New Orleans looked torn and frayed by the end of the 2010 season. Running backs were injured, the defense was shoddy and the Saints lost in the playoffs to lowly Seattle.

     But the running game, which was so good two seasons ago, is back. The Saints made some dazzling off-season acquisitions. They're geared up and ready to go.

     They go to Green Bay to play the Super Bowl champion Packers, the only team confident enough to disdain player-led off-season workouts. They were tired.

    The Packers are healthier than they were late last season. 

    You want to pick against them?

    Have at it.

     I can't find a reason to.

     Green Bay 33, New Orleans 28. 

 

 

Is Jon Beason back for the Carolina Panthers?

   Most encouraging news all week for Panther fans: Jon Beason was in uniform at practice Wednesday, looking quick and excited, and going through drills.

     Fellow linebacker Thomas Davis has been outstanding. Be interesting to see he and Beason play with and off of each other Sunday in Arizona.

      I asked Cam Newton a question about Steve Smith. Before he answered he theatrically looked past the lockers on his right, Kealoha Pilares and then Legedu Naanee, to Smith's locker. Smith wasn't there.

     Smith was too quick and precise for defensive backs at Wednesday's practice. I know that he thinks he gets open every play. But he really was open almost every play. Captain Munnerlyn made a nice recovery on one, however, to strip the ball out of Smith's hands.

     Rookie defensive tackle Sione Fua almost certainly will start as long as he's a Panther. He looks too much like Panther coach Ron Rivera not to.

      

 

 

   

Bad news Baylor Bears

   No wonder teams from Baylor lose. Baylor doesn't want Texas A&M to leave the Big 12. So it has threatened legal action and set up a website where put-upon fans can complain.

    So if Baylor were dating a woman, and the woman liked the SEC better, would Baylor sue for alienation of affection?

    What kind of message do the Bears send their athletes? 

    Always give 110%.

    If that doesn't work, threaten to sue.

   

Carolina Panthers bring Piggy back

   The Panthers made a good, and obvious, move Monday, bringing back Geoff Hangartner. Hangartner, who played for the Panthers from 2005-08, was cut Saturday by Buffalo.

     I suspect he starts at right guard for Carolina Sunday against Arizona.

     Hangartner is a smart guy -- offensive linemen tend to be -- and a tough guy and he doesn't make a lot of mistakes. Plus, he already has a nickname. Teammates have called him "Piggy" since he was a rookie.

     He fit the line and the locker room before he signed as a free agent with the Bills, and he'll fit now. He's is the most important of Carolina's post-waiver signings.

     Right guard was depleted with injuries to Geoff Schwartz and then Garry Williams.

 

South Carolina 56, East Carolina 37

    South Carolina beat East Carolina 56-37.

    Pirates were up 17-0, but the Gamecocks stopped making mistakes and East Carolina began to.

     The ECU offense is fine but the defense is porous. Pirates didn't help by turning the ball over five times, losing four fumbles and throwing an interception. Four of the turnovers came in the second half. 

      South Carolina's Marcus Lattimore rushed 23 times for 112 yards and three touchdowns.

      The Gamecocks also scored on a 25-yard fumble return and a 68-yard punt return.

       The Gamecocks passed for only 131 yards. But truth is, whatever they had to do, whatever they needed to accomplish, they were able to.

       East Carolina quarterback Dominique Davis had moments. The quick-hitch passing game for awhile worked beautifully. Davis made good decisions, completing 37 of 56 passes, with one late interception, for 260 yards.

     His primary target was Lance Lewis of Concord, who caught 13 passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns.

    A phenomenal receiver, Lewis led the Concord Spiders to state championships in football and basketball.