Teams are strangers

CORAL GABLES, Fla. --- A few things have changed since Atlantic Coast Conference "rivals" Clemson and Miami last renewed acquaintances.

That tends to happen when four years pass between meetings.

When these teams last met on Sept. 17, 2005, Miami quarterback Jacory Harris was in 10th grade, Clemson standout C.J. Spiller was coming off a 318-yard, four-touchdown effort for Union County High in north Florida and getting recruited by the Hurricanes, Randy Shannon was Miami's defensive coordinator and Tigers coach Dabo Swinney was working with Clemson's wide receivers.

So now, 1,498 days later, the Tigers (3-3, 2-2 ACC) will visit the eighth-ranked Hurricanes (5-1, 2-1) on Saturday afternoon, a critical game for both teams in the conference title chase. Of course, that doesn't mean either side knows a whole lot about the other.

"I don't know if it can be a rivalry," said Miami senior left tackle Jason Fox, who'll start his team-best 43rd career game. "I've never played them."

Strange as that sounds for teams in the same conference, it's not entirely uncommon nowadays.

In the 12-team ACC, all schools play eight league games. Five are against divisional rivals, one against a "primary crossover opponent" from the other division -- for Miami, it's Florida State; for Clemson, it's Georgia Tech -- and two rotating nondivisional opponents.

"To be honest with you, I looked at the schedule a while ago and said, 'Dang, Clemson,'" Miami left guard Orlando Franklin said. "Got to worry about them. I've never played them before, but I've watched their games and they've got a two-deep for D-line and linebackers. That means they won't be tired."

Clemson does have 16 players from the talent-rich state of Florida on its roster, with Miami safety Randy Phillips having ties to at least two of them. He and Tigers wide receiver Jacoby Ford essentially grew up together in Palm Beach County, and Phillips played host to Spiller on his recruiting visit to Coral Gables four years ago.