In a very impressive bounce-back performance, NC State defeated the Murray State Racers on Saturday by a score of 65-7. The Wolfpack outgained the Racers 484-36.
Russell Wilson completed 15 of 21 attempts for 228 yards, while backup Mike Glennon completed 6 of 7 for 65 yards. Wilson also threw for 4 touchdowns.
The game was over almost as fast as it started, as two early Murray State turnovers were converted into touchdowns. After that, the rout was on.
The Racers, who scored 66 points in their opener, could never get their offense on track. Their only points came in the fourth quarter, on a drive that was aided by several Wolfpack penalties.
NC State played a very impressive game from start to finish, but in the end it's still a victory over an overmatched 1-AA (Football Championship Subdivision) opponent. This week, Gardner-Webb comes to Carter-Finley, in what should be another tuneup leading to a matchup with Pittsburgh, the preseason favorite to win the Big East.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
North Carolina 12, Connecticut 10
It would be tempting to characterize North Carolina's win over Connecticut on Saturday as "luck".
The Heels trailed for almost the entire game. Late in the fourth quarter the scored to tie the score at 10, then they won the game when Connecticut's Dan Ryan held Robert Quinn in the end zone, which is a safety.
Calling it luck, however, would be a mistake. Perhaps it was poetic justice.
On a day when UNC's offense could only muster 10 points, the defense was outstanding. UConn was held to only 196 yards of total offense (124 passing, 74 rushing). Since the defense kept the Heels in the game long enough for the offense to finally come through in the fourth quarter, it's only fitting that the defense was responsible for the winning points.
Unfortunately for the Heels, not everything that happened in the fourth quarter was positive. Tight end Zach Pianalto, who was expected to be one of quarterback TJ Yates' favorite targets this season, scored the game-tying touchdown but injured his foot after the score. He dislocated a bone in his foot, and it is currently unknown how much time he will miss. Pianalto was also injured last season on a play that resulted in a touchdown.
Next week, the Heels welcome the Pirates of East Carolina to Chapel Hill.
The Heels trailed for almost the entire game. Late in the fourth quarter the scored to tie the score at 10, then they won the game when Connecticut's Dan Ryan held Robert Quinn in the end zone, which is a safety.
Calling it luck, however, would be a mistake. Perhaps it was poetic justice.
On a day when UNC's offense could only muster 10 points, the defense was outstanding. UConn was held to only 196 yards of total offense (124 passing, 74 rushing). Since the defense kept the Heels in the game long enough for the offense to finally come through in the fourth quarter, it's only fitting that the defense was responsible for the winning points.
Unfortunately for the Heels, not everything that happened in the fourth quarter was positive. Tight end Zach Pianalto, who was expected to be one of quarterback TJ Yates' favorite targets this season, scored the game-tying touchdown but injured his foot after the score. He dislocated a bone in his foot, and it is currently unknown how much time he will miss. Pianalto was also injured last season on a play that resulted in a touchdown.
Next week, the Heels welcome the Pirates of East Carolina to Chapel Hill.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Hypothetical Blowout?!?!
Well, NC State lost to South Carolina last Thursday. Since it's now Monday, that's not really news.
What is news, however, is that the game was actually much worse than 7-3. I spent the long holiday weekend convinced that there were several positives for NC State, despite the loss. Russell Wilson played well, special teams were pretty good (except for the blocked punt), and the defense played better than I thought they would...or so I thought.
I have since discovered that I was wrong about the defense.
First, Adam Gold of 850 the Buzz said that South Carolina should have scored more points.
Then, in today's News & Observer, NC State beat writer Ken Tysiac chimed in with his own take on a play:
That "questionable" pass interference call that Tysiac references also would have accounted for 7 of Gold's 13 lost points. The only problem is that the call wasn't questionable. The Wolfpack's defensive back was in perfect position, and it is highly unlikely that the South Carolina receiver catches that ball if he doesn't push off first. To say that the call was questionable, or that the called-back touchdown represents "points left on the field" by SC, is to deny that the defender did a great job.
The other six "lost" points came on botched field goal attempts. One was a bad snap that the holder couldn't handle. The other was a missed chip shot from 27 yards. It's not unusual for these things to happen in openers, especially when the kicker is making his college football debut. If South Carolina had been playing some other team, the mistakes would likely have been attributed to the pressure applied by that teams kick-blocking unit.
I'd be willing to bet that both gentlemen would call me crazy if I suggested that if Toney Baker had just held on to the ball, NC State wins 3-0. The hypothesis that South Carolina should have scored more, and NCSU was lucky they didn't, is fine...but pointing out that the only SC scoring drive went only 14 yards is insane.
Good luck to the Gamecocks from here on out. It wasn't pretty, but you did enough to win. Hopefully, your defense is as good as your fans think, since NCSU's offense wasn't able to do much against it.
What is news, however, is that the game was actually much worse than 7-3. I spent the long holiday weekend convinced that there were several positives for NC State, despite the loss. Russell Wilson played well, special teams were pretty good (except for the blocked punt), and the defense played better than I thought they would...or so I thought.
I have since discovered that I was wrong about the defense.
First, Adam Gold of 850 the Buzz said that South Carolina should have scored more points.
I’m not sure who was luckier, South Carolina, considering just how many mistakes the Wolfpack made. Or, State, considering the Gamecocks left at least 13 points on the field in the 1st half!
Then, in today's News & Observer, NC State beat writer Ken Tysiac chimed in with his own take on a play:
But the Wolfpack also benefited from a questionable pass interference call on the offense that wiped out a South Carolina touchdown.
That "questionable" pass interference call that Tysiac references also would have accounted for 7 of Gold's 13 lost points. The only problem is that the call wasn't questionable. The Wolfpack's defensive back was in perfect position, and it is highly unlikely that the South Carolina receiver catches that ball if he doesn't push off first. To say that the call was questionable, or that the called-back touchdown represents "points left on the field" by SC, is to deny that the defender did a great job.
The other six "lost" points came on botched field goal attempts. One was a bad snap that the holder couldn't handle. The other was a missed chip shot from 27 yards. It's not unusual for these things to happen in openers, especially when the kicker is making his college football debut. If South Carolina had been playing some other team, the mistakes would likely have been attributed to the pressure applied by that teams kick-blocking unit.
I'd be willing to bet that both gentlemen would call me crazy if I suggested that if Toney Baker had just held on to the ball, NC State wins 3-0. The hypothesis that South Carolina should have scored more, and NCSU was lucky they didn't, is fine...but pointing out that the only SC scoring drive went only 14 yards is insane.
Good luck to the Gamecocks from here on out. It wasn't pretty, but you did enough to win. Hopefully, your defense is as good as your fans think, since NCSU's offense wasn't able to do much against it.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Like Father, Like Son
As you may already know, South Carolina TE Weslye Saunders announced earlier this week that he was going to talk with his coach, Steve Spurrier.
In today's Charlotte Observer (via The State), there is another quote from good ol' Weslye:
In case you didn't know, Weslye's father is News & Observer columnist Barry Saunders. In today's article about the story, the elder Saunders says:
There are several problems with this whole situation.
Mr. Saunders (the old one) is NOT a journalist. He's a columnist. If he was a journalist (someone whose work is based in fact, rather than fiction), NC State fans wouldn't "hate" him.
Mr. Saunders turned 4 or 5 State fans taunting Chris Paul over the death of his grandfather into an arena-wide chant that he used as the basis of a column ripping Wolfpack fans. He failed to mention the State fans who immediately got the taunting fans to be quiet.
He wrote a column chastising NC State's administration for failing to interview a minority candidate for their head basketball coaching vacancy. I'm only assuming that it was written before Sidney Lowe got the job.
I'm pretty sure he wrote a column stating that the tailgating restrictions put in place after the tragic shooting a few years ago weren't restrictive enough. That ignores the fact that no one involved in that incident was a student at NC State or had a ticket to the game.
Any ill feelings that NC State fans have for Mr. Saunders have been earned.
As for the younger Saunders, I don't really have a lot to say. Unlike his father, he doesn't get to hide behind a keyboard. Young Weslye has to play the game, and has a chance to back up his bravado. He is a very talented player, so he may do it. Or, an NCSU LB may make him eat those words.
The only real problem I have with anything that he said is that he attended high school in Durham, but claims Raleigh as his hometown. Maybe he should mix in a geography class at some point.
I just wouldn't recommend any special dances.
"I'm going to talk to Coach (Steve) Spurrier beforehand and see if he's OK if I get a 15-yard penalty," Saunders said. "Because I'm gonna do some sort of extra celebration if I get a touchdown on the Wolfpack."
In today's Charlotte Observer (via The State), there is another quote from good ol' Weslye:
“A lot of the Wolfpack fans hate my dad, so (there is) a little extra incentive to go out there and do well and show them up a little bit.”
In case you didn't know, Weslye's father is News & Observer columnist Barry Saunders. In today's article about the story, the elder Saunders says:
“I cringed, but I appreciated the quote. I wish someone else on the team had said it. But as a journalist, I appreciate it.”
There are several problems with this whole situation.
Mr. Saunders (the old one) is NOT a journalist. He's a columnist. If he was a journalist (someone whose work is based in fact, rather than fiction), NC State fans wouldn't "hate" him.
Mr. Saunders turned 4 or 5 State fans taunting Chris Paul over the death of his grandfather into an arena-wide chant that he used as the basis of a column ripping Wolfpack fans. He failed to mention the State fans who immediately got the taunting fans to be quiet.
He wrote a column chastising NC State's administration for failing to interview a minority candidate for their head basketball coaching vacancy. I'm only assuming that it was written before Sidney Lowe got the job.
I'm pretty sure he wrote a column stating that the tailgating restrictions put in place after the tragic shooting a few years ago weren't restrictive enough. That ignores the fact that no one involved in that incident was a student at NC State or had a ticket to the game.
Any ill feelings that NC State fans have for Mr. Saunders have been earned.
As for the younger Saunders, I don't really have a lot to say. Unlike his father, he doesn't get to hide behind a keyboard. Young Weslye has to play the game, and has a chance to back up his bravado. He is a very talented player, so he may do it. Or, an NCSU LB may make him eat those words.
The only real problem I have with anything that he said is that he attended high school in Durham, but claims Raleigh as his hometown. Maybe he should mix in a geography class at some point.
I just wouldn't recommend any special dances.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
NC State versus South Carolina
The 2009 college football season gets under way Thursday, in a nationally-televised contest between the South Carolina Gamecocks and the NC State Wolfpack. The game is a rematch of last year's season opener, which saw the Gamecocks win in a rout, 34-0.
I have spent a some time over the last week or so in message board conversations at GamecockAnthem.com, the South Carolina scout.com affiliate. According to most of the fine people there, NCSU shouldn't even bother to take the field. Granted, the people there aren't coaches or players, so there opinions don't matter anymore than mine, but I've never seen a fanbase so convinced that a game is over before it starts.
"johnnyplaid" wrote:
"It should be an easy win for us. We'll probably hold back so as to not give too much away to Georgia, our first real test."
"kickatigerinthearse" wrote:
"Your WR corps is about the 10th best we'll see this season."
It goes on and on.
The most entertaining idea they have come up with is that NC State's offense is not any good. Since South Carolina shut out the Wolfpack, obviously the Wolfpack is no good. Nevermind the firepower that the offense showed down the stretch last season. Forget that Russell Wilson was All-ACC as a redshirt freshman. NC State's offense returns almost everyone from last season, so the most likely occurrence will be that the offense will come out of the gate firing on all cylinders.
I'm not going to suggest that Wilson will only throw one interception. That was a highly unusual event, and isn't likely to repeat. However, Wilson doesn't seem to be the type of QB that is going to make huge mistakes, as some recent NCSU QB's have done. The running game is solid, with a healthy Jemelle Eugene and a rejuvenated Toney Baker. The wide receivers are talented, fast, and experienced.
Most of the time, teams whose lineup is peppered with freshmen and RS-freshmen (or upperclassmen who haven't played a lot) are much better in the last half of the season than they are at the beginning. That's what happened to NCSU last season. Just don't suggest that to a South Carolina fan.
The Gamecocks have (by my non-scientific count) 13 freshmen listed on their two-deep depth chart. 3 RS-FR and 1 true FR will be starting, the other 9 players will be coming off the bench.
South Carolina fans seem to expect that these players will be able to step in and play without any first game jitters. They lost seven players to the NFL draft last year, and will tell you that every player who replaces them is an instant upgrade. They replaced their offensive line coach (among others), and don't expect the line to have any problems adjusting to the new philosophies.
Don't get me wrong. I don't pretend to see things objectively. I do, however, realize that NCSU has some question marks. There are several untested players in the secondary. Audie Cole has to live up to the hype he's been getting at LB, and Dwayne Maddox or Terrell Manning (or both) have to try to fill the gap left by Nate Irving's absence, which will not be easy.
I am very confident in the offense, though. I don't think NC State is going to have problems scoring points against South Carolina. South Carolina has talented players on offense, but they don't have a lot of talented players who have been productive. Their quarterback has had turnover issues (among other issues), and you can't tell if that is solved by preseason scrimmages (right, Daniel Evans?).
To sum up, I think any South Carolina fan expecting anything close to last year's result is in for a rude, rude awakening. This game is a big game for both teams, but it's bigger for NC State. South Carolina is basically playing for 3rd in their division. NC State has its eyes on a bigger prize: a division title, and a chance to win an ACC Championship.
I expect the Wolfpack to win, and I don't think it's going to be a terribly close game.
I have spent a some time over the last week or so in message board conversations at GamecockAnthem.com, the South Carolina scout.com affiliate. According to most of the fine people there, NCSU shouldn't even bother to take the field. Granted, the people there aren't coaches or players, so there opinions don't matter anymore than mine, but I've never seen a fanbase so convinced that a game is over before it starts.
"johnnyplaid" wrote:
"It should be an easy win for us. We'll probably hold back so as to not give too much away to Georgia, our first real test."
"kickatigerinthearse" wrote:
"Your WR corps is about the 10th best we'll see this season."
It goes on and on.
The most entertaining idea they have come up with is that NC State's offense is not any good. Since South Carolina shut out the Wolfpack, obviously the Wolfpack is no good. Nevermind the firepower that the offense showed down the stretch last season. Forget that Russell Wilson was All-ACC as a redshirt freshman. NC State's offense returns almost everyone from last season, so the most likely occurrence will be that the offense will come out of the gate firing on all cylinders.
I'm not going to suggest that Wilson will only throw one interception. That was a highly unusual event, and isn't likely to repeat. However, Wilson doesn't seem to be the type of QB that is going to make huge mistakes, as some recent NCSU QB's have done. The running game is solid, with a healthy Jemelle Eugene and a rejuvenated Toney Baker. The wide receivers are talented, fast, and experienced.
Most of the time, teams whose lineup is peppered with freshmen and RS-freshmen (or upperclassmen who haven't played a lot) are much better in the last half of the season than they are at the beginning. That's what happened to NCSU last season. Just don't suggest that to a South Carolina fan.
The Gamecocks have (by my non-scientific count) 13 freshmen listed on their two-deep depth chart. 3 RS-FR and 1 true FR will be starting, the other 9 players will be coming off the bench.
South Carolina fans seem to expect that these players will be able to step in and play without any first game jitters. They lost seven players to the NFL draft last year, and will tell you that every player who replaces them is an instant upgrade. They replaced their offensive line coach (among others), and don't expect the line to have any problems adjusting to the new philosophies.
Don't get me wrong. I don't pretend to see things objectively. I do, however, realize that NCSU has some question marks. There are several untested players in the secondary. Audie Cole has to live up to the hype he's been getting at LB, and Dwayne Maddox or Terrell Manning (or both) have to try to fill the gap left by Nate Irving's absence, which will not be easy.
I am very confident in the offense, though. I don't think NC State is going to have problems scoring points against South Carolina. South Carolina has talented players on offense, but they don't have a lot of talented players who have been productive. Their quarterback has had turnover issues (among other issues), and you can't tell if that is solved by preseason scrimmages (right, Daniel Evans?).
To sum up, I think any South Carolina fan expecting anything close to last year's result is in for a rude, rude awakening. This game is a big game for both teams, but it's bigger for NC State. South Carolina is basically playing for 3rd in their division. NC State has its eyes on a bigger prize: a division title, and a chance to win an ACC Championship.
I expect the Wolfpack to win, and I don't think it's going to be a terribly close game.
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