The Sports Xchange
NCAAF Team Report – North Carolina State – INSIDE SLANT
The N.C. State Wolfpack is taking the blame for their mishaps, and there’s a long list to examine. The key, though, is finding a way through the mess and gaining something from the experience at the Miami Hurricanes.
“You have to learn from it,” safety Earl Wolff said. “If you don’t learn from it, it will continue to happen. … A lot of us know what we messed up on. We’ve got to fix it.”
With a home game against undefeated Florida State next on the docket, it figures to draw the Wolfpack’s attention.
Florida State is bound to present a whole new list of challenges, particularly with a defense that has been stingy and an offense that might be more explosive than the ones the Wolfpack has faltered against.
It’s clear, though, that the Wolfpack is mostly perturbed with itself. Coach Tom O’Brien said there must be an internal drive from each team member to not commit the same mistakes again.
“We lost a game,” O’Brien said. “There isn’t anybody in the locker room, with all due respect to Miami, that thinks we got beat. We lost.”
Now, the Wolfpack doesn’t want it to be a lost cause.
“Certainly defensively there are some things we have to get corrected,” O’Brien said.
———————————————–
NCAAF Team Report – North Carolina State – NOTES, QUOTES
–The Wolfpack went into prolonged meetings to try to sort out the loss at Miami. That included a players-called session to discuss some of the shortcomings.
There was another reason for the extended meeting. The Wolfpack returned from Miami with several new significant ailments, not to mention a tired team after a grueling outing in humid conditions. Coach Tom O’Brien said it’s important that the team has players with fresh legs for the matchup with a speedy Florida State team.
–N.C. State is 2-0 at home this year and it had great success at home during the latter half of the 2011 season with a victory against rival North Carolina, an upset of eventual ACC champion Clemson and a sterling comeback in the regular-season finale against Maryland. So the stage is set for a visit from unbeaten Florida State.
“Playing at home, a great crowd,” S Earl Wolff said. “I wouldn’t ask to be anywhere else.”
–N.C. State gained more balance in its offense by conducting 46 rushing plays compared to 42 passing plays in the game against Miami. The success of RB Tony Creecy and RB Shadrach Thornton had something to do with a strong number of rushing plays. “Whether we can continue to be at the 200-(yard) number (for team rushing) I don’t know,” coach Tom O’Brien said. “But hopefully we can get to the 150 mark consistently the rest of the year.”
SERIES HISTORY: Florida State leads N.C. State 22-10. Last year’s 34-0 victory for Florida State was the fourth triumph for the Seminoles in the last five meetings overall. However, N.C. State has won four of the last six times when facing a ranked Florida State team.
SCOUTING THE OFFENSE: The Wolfpack likes what it has done with the rushing attack, perhaps finding a solid 1-2 punch in that department with RB Tony Creecy and RB Shadrach Thornton, who’s coming off his debut in ACC play with the game at Miami. The larger issue continues to be an evolving offensive line, with players bouncing around to various spots on the front because of an onslaught of injuries. The lineup on the line for the Florida State game is expected to be the Wolfpack’s fourth variation in six games. OG Cam Fordham, a redshirt sophomore, is pegged to make his first career start, lining up at right guard.
SCOUTING THE DEFENSE: The Wolfpack has some bruised egos on this unit after Miami collected 652 yards of total offense. The repairs need to take place across the board and an inexperienced group of linebackers can’t get up to speed soon enough for the Wolfpack. There was plenty of finger-pointing at the secondary after the loss to Miami, and at times it has come down to players being out of position trying to make spectacular plays rather than focusing on their specific assignments. The defensive front needs to do a better job finishing plays if it puts pressure on the opposing quarterback.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “We get great vibes from the crowd, it’s a great place to play. … The 12th man will have a lot to do with this one.” — Coach Tom O’Brien, on playing at home against preseason ACC favorite and undefeated Florida State, which has lost in three of its last five trips to Raleigh.
———————————————–
NCAAF Team Report – North Carolina State – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
THIS WEEK’S GAME: Florida State at N.C. State, Oct. 6 — The Wolfpack tries to recover from its setback at Miami by playing a school from Florida for the second week in a row. Florida State is ranked as high as No. 3 nationally, marking the highest ranked team to visit N.C. State in coach Tom O’Brien’s six seasons. The Wolfpack is 5-4 at home against ranked foes under O’Brien.
KEYS TO THE GAME: N.C. State’s secondary will have to prove it can shut down top-notch receivers as the Seminoles boast quite a few of them. The Wolfpack will want to keep churning out yards in its rushing attack on offense because keeping the ball away from Florida State will be the best setup for N.C. State. This will mark Florida State’s first game of the season out of its home state and so subduing the Wolfpack early would be one way to keep the crowd’s impact to a minimum.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
QB Mike Glennon — He went above the 300-yard mark in passing for the first time this season in the loss to Miami. He’s a two-year starter, yet the only setback via a shutout for the Wolfpack during that span came in last year’s game against Florida State. Glennon threw for a career-low (as a starter) 130 yards in that game.
WR Bryan Underwood — Six of his receptions this year have resulted in touchdown plays. He’ll aim for a school record against Florida State because if he makes a touchdown catch, it will mark the sixth game in a row that he does so.
CB David Amerson — It will be interesting to see if he can bounce back from a disturbing outing at Miami when he seemed to be targeted. He was responsible for some of the big-yardage gains and scoring plays against the Wolfpack.
ROSTER REPORT
–OL Zach Allen won’t play against Florida State because of an undisclosed injury. He had been the mainstay at right guard — startng each game at that position — on an offensive line that has had numerous position changes. An apparent lower-leg injury was so swollen after the Miami game that it was going to be several days before a further determination on the extent of the injury would be available.
–OL Duran Christophe, a redshirt junior, made his first start of the season when he was at left guard for the game at Miami. He started in all except one game last year.
–OT Rob Crisp hasn’t played since the opener as he has been sidelined with a lower-back injury.
====
———————————————–
