TOB – No Clarification on Pack Injuries

Per the N&O writeup, Beck is still listed as the starter for Saturday:

“We don’t know [Wilson’s status],” coach Tom O’Brien said during his weekly news conference Monday. “We’ll have to wait and see. Right now Beck is the starter, and we’re going into the week with him preparing to play.”

My biggest fear was that Evans would somehow end up starting, due to a Beck injury. Thankfully, that doesn’t look to be the case. We all know that Tom O’Brien really wants this win, and right now, my gut says that Russell Wilson will be fine and starts this game.

What about everybody else? Well, that’s as clear as mud:

Along with Wilson, linebacker Nate Irving and left offensive tackle Julian Williams were missing from the depth chart released to the media Monday.

Does that mean anything? Not really – Wilson isn’t on the depth chart, either. I would be surprised if Williams played on Saturday. There is no cause for optimism regarding Nate Irving, either – in fact, we are hearing that Irving is very possibly done for the year. As I understand the “percent rule” for redshirting, Irving would be eligible for a medical redshirt – except that he already sat out his true freshman year. I don’t expect that he would be a candidate for a sixth year medical hardship waiver (Anthony Hill would have a better shot – and we continue to hear squat about his return to the lineup).

About BJD95

1995 NC State graduate, sufferer of Les and MOC during my entire student tenure. An equal-opportunity objective critic and analyst of Wolfpack sports.

'08 Football Tom O'Brien

53 Responses to TOB – No Clarification on Pack Injuries

  1. dbo2874 09/30/2008 at 10:47 AM #

    in summation…….. fucked

  2. Greywolf 09/30/2008 at 11:19 AM #

    I am relieved that your worst nightmare didn’t come true, as well.

    I don’t like to ever be in the position of admiring a UNZ player but compare Cam Sexton to Justin Burke. Justin Burke may have been 10 times worse than Sexton but we/he will never know. The N&O had a very nice article on Sexton this morning. Can’t help wondering how Burke feels right about now.

  3. choppack1 09/30/2008 at 11:33 AM #

    Grey – to give our staff credit – they pretty much encouraged him to leave…they encouraged Beck to leave as well. It’s only fair to the kid if he’s not likely going to be considered for the job. Of course, watching this year, I wonder if he would be a better option than Beck and Evans.

    Sucks about Irving – unfortunately, about par for the course.

  4. senez 09/30/2008 at 11:37 AM #

    Where in the world are you getting the info on Irving? His mother was saying two weeks at most.

  5. BoKnowsNCS71 09/30/2008 at 11:46 AM #

    If Wilson does not play this weekend — After Beck’s third INT — I expect to see our best east/west passer Daniel Evans in the game. He won’t have any interceptions but we’ll never get a first down unless the receiver gets the yards after the catch.

  6. JeremyH 09/30/2008 at 12:17 PM #

    whatever happened to the magic that is the dunlap-evans connection..

  7. Scooter 09/30/2008 at 12:22 PM #

    If Wilson can’t go this weekend, we are in deep trouble. BC ate Captain Interception alive last year. Our offense has got to be able to keep the BC defense from filling the box on every down.

    @Bo — I don’t know… we saw two pick-6s from Captain Incomplete last year against UNC on bubble screens.

  8. SEAT.5.F.2 09/30/2008 at 12:25 PM #

    There was the smurf over in Chapel Hill that let a high ankle sprain shut things down. Not NI, count on it..

    + once he graduates he will need to go pro. He was looking like he could have gone this year if the leauge allowed it.

  9. Daily Update 09/30/2008 at 12:26 PM #

    No way Nate Irving gets a sixth year of eligibility. You have to miss two years to an injury which would mean he would have to had a documented injury his freshman year to gain the 6th year of eligibility.

  10. bradleyb123 09/30/2008 at 12:49 PM #

    “We all know that Tom O’Brien really wants this win, and right now, my gut says that Russell Wilson will be fine and starts this game.”

    I heard from someone (who claimed to have heard from a reputable source) on another blog that Russell Wilson injured his throwing arm during baseball practice.

    For a while, I was optimistically hoping that TOB was playing mind games with BC, and would shock everyone by naming RW the starter at the last minute. But now I believe he may really be injured.

  11. caniac45 09/30/2008 at 1:02 PM #

    The only thing that makes me wonder is that RW looked as if he was throwing completely fine during warmups at the USF slaughtering. A guy in front of me said he was cleared to play but Beck was still getting the start, I have no idea how valid this guys statement was, but it did sound like he knew what he was talking about.

  12. ChiefJoJo 09/30/2008 at 1:11 PM #

    Oh well. BTW, did anyone notice that Clem Johnson appeared against USF in the second half? I thought he was supposed to be done for the season with a broken jaw. At least we got someone back.

  13. rswilli2 09/30/2008 at 1:19 PM #

    The same staff that encouraged Burke to transfer also did the same to Beck. Brilliance on all parts to go into a season with an undersized running quarterback and a kid with no confidence as your two QBs. Beck may be bad, but thank God he didn’t listen to the staff.

  14. Old School Wolf 09/30/2008 at 1:55 PM #

    If a player is injured, TOB puts him immediately on double secret probation. Media is starting to get a little pissy about veil of secrecy but it makes sense to me to protect the player’s status for many reasons. Players want to play, coaches want players to play , and the medical staff rightfully has the last word on when players play. Has TOB put Annabelle on injured reserve ? The SID’s role in getting our story out to reporters is still below par and I’m not complaining about newspaper bias at all. In today’s Greensboro paper the feature article was Duke turnaround, and UNC’s Sexton had a three column article and an action picture. A one column, similar article to N&O write up above about our Pack was included in “notes” along with Elon, Appy State,Charlotte,Connecticut,Washington, and Kansas State up dates by AP. Hopefully feature articles will appear later in the week for us. Winning football is overdue and will cure a lot of coverage problems. Still, there are a lot of great stories on this team besides injuries that our SID should put in reporter’s hands.

  15. old13 09/30/2008 at 2:55 PM #

    ^ What SID!

  16. BoKnowsNCS71 09/30/2008 at 3:41 PM #

    Is this the same TOB who got criticized in the media by a player at BC for not playing hurt?

  17. Sw0rdf1sh 09/30/2008 at 4:01 PM #

    I’m thinking RW is the goto this week. He looked right as rain last week and I thought base on his warmups and him roaming on the sidelines with helmet on that he might play. Of course, after the drubbing and rain, there was no need. A full week later I’m really thinking he is ready.

    It would be nice for Nate to suprise us and return this week, but that is one I’m not banking on.

    I’m hopefull Hill will be back this week.

  18. CStanley 09/30/2008 at 6:11 PM #

    Irving possibly done for the year?

    Jesus.

  19. Greywolf 09/30/2008 at 8:29 PM #

    Chop, I’m with you on the staff offering to help Beck and Burke if they wanted to go. I had just read where Sexton had considered transfering and stayed. Said he loved the school and knew if he did what he was suppose to do, i.e., prepared, he would get his chance. No condemning Burke — and I can see how what said might read that way. Are you sure about TOB encouraging them to leave vs. offering assistance if they choose to leave?

    I wonder how many coaches “encourage” players to leave to free up scollies, assuming it frees up scollies to do so. This is not an area I know a lot about.

  20. Greywolf 09/30/2008 at 8:37 PM #

    Sounds like Annabelle is a real ‘bust’ as an AD but she has her good points.

  21. wufpup76 09/30/2008 at 9:11 PM #

    “I wonder how many coaches “encourage” players to leave to free up scollies, assuming it frees up scollies to do so.”

    John Bunting was all-world at using this technique …

    I sincerely hope we haven’t lost NI – that would be tragic for him and us … He was (is) really having a tremendous season

    I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Russell can play, but if not I recall that Harrison led us on an impressive early TD drive against BC last season before the deluge of turnovers started … If it comes down to Beck starting hopefully we can get an early score/lead, build momentum and hope we can get some defensive pressure this week … I’m optimistic about this game (even w/ the injuries) and feel this one of the truly “winnable” games left on the schedule … It would just be nice to beat BC … f’n a**hats

  22. PackerInRussia 10/01/2008 at 2:39 AM #

    When TOB came here, he said that he follows the Bilichek (I know I didn’t spell that right) method when it comes to injuries. It’s all part of the game and should be used to give your team an advantage when possible. Of course I don’t remember what he said exactly, but it was something along those lines IIRC.

  23. Ismael 10/01/2008 at 6:21 AM #
  24. SEAT.5.F.2 10/01/2008 at 7:22 AM #

    By the time we play Dook seven weeks will have passed since NI injury and 4 games will be left on the schedule. Please look at the bye weeks in the middle of the schedule and realize that we could be getting some key guys back for the home stretch.

  25. choppack1 10/01/2008 at 7:37 AM #

    grey – actually, my thoughts on this are based on TOB’s statements. It sounds like he basically said, “these are our 3 guys – would you like to leave?” It is a very cold thing to say to a college kid, but it at least gives them the chance to avoid losing another year of eligibility. Of course, if Burke had stayed, he would have likely had a shot at playing time.

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