CHAPEL HILL — Some tailbacks set goals of reaching 1,000 yards. Or carrying the ball 20 times a game. Or making the all-conference team.

But this season, North Carolina running back Ryan Houston's aim is a little more simple.

"I just want to get in the end zone a couple of times, for real,'' said the sophomore from Matthews. "I want my whole name to be up there,'' he added, pointing to the massive Kenan Stadium videoboard.

Northwest Whitfield (Ga.) County High athlete Dean Haynes, who attended camp at N.C. State earlier this summer, has committed to the Wolfpack.

Haynes plays quarterback and cornerback for his high school team and is expected to play cornerback for N.C. State. He is about 6-foot and 180 pounds.

"He’s just got a good knack for the football,” said Northwest Whitfield defensive backs coach Steve Summers. “He’s got great feet, a really good understanding of the game and what people are trying to do.”

The statistics showed strong performances for Harrison Beck and Mike Glennon during N.C. State’s first preseason scrimmage, but coach Tom O’Brien warned against judging the quarterback race on statistics.

Beck started four games last season and is trying to win back his job, and was 5-for-6 for 111 yards in the intrasquad scrimmage Wednesday evening at Carter-Finley Stadium. Glennon, a freshman who’s also competing with Daniel Evans, Russell Wilson and Justin Burke for the starting job, was 9-for-13 for 101 yards and one interception.

Miami's freshmen class is ranked No. 1 in the country, for whatever that's worth, at least it was when all the players were assumed to be eligible.

Eight are missing from practice, according to the Palm Beach Post, although the really good ones joined the program in January.

The Canes will be fine, second-season coach Randy Shannon says:

"You know what I tell everybody? You can only concern yourself with the guys that show up. The guys that don't, we're going to support, try to get them through the process and, in the long run, they're going to be part of Miami."

For a team missing seven starters on defense, its leading rusher and top four receivers, an awful lot is expected of Virginia Tech. That is both a testament to Virginia Tech and Frank Beamer and an indication of how bad the Coastal Division could be.

Receivers, like linebackers, are a dime-a-dozen in football. They can be replaced. Running backs take a little more effort. Kenny Lewis is ahead of his rehab schedule from shoulder surgery. Lewis rushed for 205 yards and four scores in 2007, making him the leading returner at running back since Branden Ore was banished.

Lewis and junior Jahre Cheeseman are considered the front-runners for the No. 1 spot with Darren Evans, Garner's Josh Oglesby and super frosh Ryan Williams chasing.

The smart money is on Williams but Beamer has never been afraid to rotate multiple backs.

Virginia's football team has lost enough this offseason — Chris Long, Jameel Sewell, Jeffrey Fitzgerald — but the Cavaliers may have lucked into a new kicker.

Yannick Reyering, an All-ACC soccer player for the Cavaliers, exhausted his futbol eligibility but not his football eligibility. A knee injury has given Reyering second thoughts about his Major League Soccer career, at least a postponement while he gives American football a kick.

UVa won five games by two or fewer points in 2007 in part because of the excellent work of departed kicker Chris Gould. The Hoos could use a break after losing Sewell and Fitzgerald to academics. Reyering, who's 24, might just be that break.

Before Greensboro engraves "Clemson" on the ACC championship trophy, the Tigers need to sort out who will actually block for James Davis, C.J. Spiller and Cullen Harper.

Clemson lists center Thomas Austin as the only returning starter from last season's offensive line. There's plenty of work for the unit to do between now and Aug. 30. They'll have to get digging without left guard David Smith, who has a dislocated toe, according to The State.

Davis and Spiller don't need much help but any team with championship aspirations needs to be strong up front. The good news is after the Alabama opener, the group gets The Citadel and S.C. State in a three-week span, sandwiched between a visit from N.C. State, which ranked 12th in the ACC against the run last season.

Florida State already has its next head coach on the payroll, the Seminoles are just waiting for the current one, at the age of 78, to officially shut it down (as opposed to delegating all the work to his staff and remaining nominally in charge).

Andrew Carter of the Orlando Sentinel talked with Bobby Bowden about consecutive 7-6 records and when (if?) the coach will know enough is enough and to turn it over to Jimbo Fisher.

"I hate to say if we don't do this, I'm leaving," Bowden said. "You know, you hate to say that. But yet, how many more [7-6 seasons] can you stand? I can't stand hardly anymore."

CHAPEL HILL — On many college football teams, the seniors take on the biggest leadership roles.

After all, they've been there the longest, paid their dues, usually played the most.

But with only 11 seniors on North Carolina's squad this season, the underclassmen are taking on a louder voice at practice, in the locker room and in the classroom.

Update (2 p.m.): Looks like Raycom got the message. They have taken the release down from their web site.

StateFansNation discovered Raycom's press release about their television schedule for the 2008-09 ACC basketball schedule.

That's great, except the ACC hasn't released the schedules yet. Ooops. Raycom's mistake is our gain. We still don't have all the dates — but you can find the ACC-only opponents here —  but this is a start.

Also note, the later start time, 8 p.m., for the "early" weekday games, which used to start at 7 p.m.

Raycom's since removed schedule is after the jump.