Pitt provides pivot point for Pack program (Updated 10am)

'09 Football Editor's Picks51

Make no mistake about it…today’s Wolfpack win over the favorite to win the Big East Championship marked a legitimate turning point for Coach Tom O’Brien and the NC State football program. We posted this previous comment as the game ended, so we were very pleased to see that we were on the same page with Coach O’Brien who said the following in his post game news-conference:

“…I told them the only reason they won was because we now know how to play hard for 60 minutes. We’ve learned how to do that. You can’t underestimate what a huge step that is in the life of a program. Now if I can coach them any better, maybe we’ll win some football games.”

As we discussed earlier in the week on our message boards:

HUGE, HUGE game for TOB and staff. Other than ECU, State has lost to every D-1 team outside the ACC during the TOB era – losses to UCF, USF, Rutgers, South Carolina (twice) and Louisville. 2 wins against ECU, so 2-6 against D1 during TOB era. We need this game, badly.

While we are highlighting some of the pregame ‘accuracy’ we supplied building to the game, how about a fantastically accurate pregame post from our own BJD for review?

For some game highlights and coverage you can click here for ESPN’s post game wrap from Carter-Finley followed by the following highlights from WRAL.

As PackFootball tweeted:

NC State trailed 31-17 with 4:15 left in the third. The last time the Wolfpack won after trailing by 14 in the third was in 2004.

State ended up with an astounding 530 yards of total offense behind the direction of Russell Wilson who threw for over three hundred yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions for the third consecutive game. In the end, Wilson passed for 322 yards and rushed for another 91 yards on 10 carries; none bigger than a 21-yard dash on fourth-and-14 with 13:06 to play in the game. Wilson’s 12 touchdowns in the last three games broke Philip Rivers’ record of 11 touchdowns in 2003 against Duke, Virginia and Florida State; and his 91 rushing yards represent a career high.

Wilson’s leadership was complemented by a breakout performance from Toney Baker who had a fantastic game with 81 rushing yards on 18 carries; a team-high 71 receiving yards on three catches; and two touchdowns. Baker moved passed Rahshon Spikes (1996-99) into 16th place on NC State’s all-time rushing list and is now tied for 11th on the Wolfpack’s touchdown list [with Anthony Barbour (1989-92), Bobby Crumpler (1986-87), and Charlie Young (1971-73)].

While we are throwing out kudos…allow freshman safety, Brandon Bishop to take a bow after he made two huge defensive plays on 2nd and 3rd down of Pitt’s last possession.

Don’t look now…but NC State has won seven of its eight seven regular season games.

Mark Thomas has some good “final thoughts” in this entry that I will supplement with a couple of random items I haven’t seen anywhere in the for profit media:

  • Two defensive players that made some big plays on Saturday that need not to be forgotten are Alan Michael Cash and Terrell Manning. We know what AMC can do; but, it is very nice to see Manning evolving into the play maker we all expected when he committed to the Wolfpack.
  • As you look for more about this game, you should definitely check out this conversation about Tom O’Brien’s reaction to the win.
  • I never understood why EVERY media outlet couldn’t stop harping on ‘wondering’ if NC State could score against FBS opponents? Really? No doubt that things didn’t look good in the FIRST GAME OF THE YEAR against a strong South Carolina team (who just held #4 Ole Miss to 10 points). But, last year DOES MATTER when you return your quarterback, most of your skill players, and an offensive line that is projected to be better than the previous year. All of these questions and concerns were nothing more than media blather because they didn’t have anything else to discuss.
  • NC State is now two games above .500 in a single season for the first time in the Tom O’Brien era. Let’s keep extending that streak!
Photo courtesy of News & Observer/Ethan Hyman

Photo courtesy of News & Observer/Ethan Hyman

N&O Photo Gallery: http://www.newsobserver.com/galleries/gallery/116727.html

N&O First Look: http://www.newsobserver.com/galleries/gallery/116488.html

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'09 Football Editor's Picks

51 Responses to Pitt provides pivot point for Pack program (Updated 10am)

  1. SouthernWolf 09/27/2009 at 12:58 AM #

    or at least a big problem is the long snapper

  2. Greywolf 09/27/2009 at 3:07 AM #

    Anybody notice the mass substitutions on defense depending on down and distance? We were fresh for the 4th quarter stand. The depth being developed can’t hurt the future.

  3. RabidWolf 09/27/2009 at 8:07 AM #

    Great game, great crowd! I wonder if the numbnut sportswriter in Pittsburgh can still say that the crowd was not a factor. On several plays in the 2nd half, the Pitt outside receiver looked at the sidelines and put his hands up like he had no idea what he was supposed to do. The D stepped it up BIG TIME, and RW….well he was just RW. There is a lot of work to do to prep for WF, but I think TOB will have our boys ready. GO PACK!

  4. packalum44 09/27/2009 at 9:43 AM #

    As always, great commentary from the posters here. Can’t say much that wasn’t say so I’ll reiterate a few things.

    TONEY BAKER played liked an ALL AMERICAN!!! Seriously, he played like that guy who was ranked behind Johnathan Stewart and had Pete Carol’s cell # in high school (and an offer). He’s back, even his speed! He looked as fast at Eugene but with way more power and damn he broke some tackles! We need him to improve and be a special player. He’ll play in the NFL, as did his father.

    RUSSELL WILSON….WOW!!! I asked my buddy during the game if he thought Phillip was watching….because even Phillip would have been impressed! Hush about Jacory being better….not yesterday. Wilson was FAST. He outran a wide receiver (I think Jarvis) who was blocking for him on one of his amazing runs. 413 yards of offense! Only one bad throw all game to the wide open receiver in the second quarter, who by the way, may have actually caught it. They only showed one camera angle which was so far away, it seemed to be attached to the RBC center.

    TOM OBRIEN….thank God for your post game interview. I love him. In essence, after the best comeback win since P.R. era, he basically tells the media that we suck….which is right on par.

    Make no mistake about it, due to a weak ACC, this team has potential to be special. But its going to have to be an all out effort, starting at the top, COACHING. And no one knows this more than the boss man himself.

  5. mtblanke 09/27/2009 at 10:28 AM #

    Hmm Russel Wilson is current 2nd in the NCAA in touchdown passes according to ESPN.com stats. He’s also 8th in QB Rating. Pretty amazing seeing as we don’t play in a Texas Tech like spread offense (Potts is #1 in tds).

  6. StateFans 09/27/2009 at 10:54 AM #

    ^ Pretty amazing that our lazy-ass Sports Information Department hasn’t done a thing to promote Russell nationally and event try to get him positioned as a dark horse Heisman candidate.

  7. mtblanke 09/27/2009 at 11:00 AM #

    ^the only knock I have on him is the number of sacks hes taken (11) but really sometimes a sack is just a good play. As far as our Sports information Department … i wouldnt have expected them to start that campaign any sooner than today. His body of work before today (for this year) was pretty unimpressive. A bad showing against USC and 2 2A teams not much to boast about. Have him thrash Wake and Duke and we should be ranked top25 and he’ll get some attention then.

  8. Greywolf 09/27/2009 at 11:08 AM #

    ^ Pretty amazing that our lazy-ass Sports Information Department hasn’t done a thing to promote Russell nationally and event try to get him positioned as a dark horse Heisman candidate.

    After the USC game and 2 FCS wins, who would listen to RW for Heisman hype? Do we need more cheap shots at an already inept SID? I’d be on them like white on rice if they HAD promoted RW nationally.

  9. highstick 09/27/2009 at 11:55 AM #

    Gosh, if you read the forum during the game, the posters were ready to run O’Brien out on a rail and the team would never win another game this year.

    Yep, it was ugly at times, but “the W” is what counts in the end. I’m sure TOB will work on the “flubups” this week including a few coaching issues that just didn’t make sense to me, i.e. the waste of time at the end of the first half. Something was totally strange with that!

  10. Alpha Wolf 09/27/2009 at 12:18 PM #

    I wonder if the numbnut sportswriter in Pittsburgh can still say that the crowd was not a factor. –Rabid

    His response was on Pack Pride last night:

    Carter-Finley was not a factor and like I wrote, was not a very hostile environment – particularly since the only time it ever got remotely loud was late when N.C. State took the lead.

    Everything I wrote about the atmosphere, it was pretty much confirmed.

    Thanks for reading the Post-Gazette,

    Paul

    Maybe, but a Pitt fan told me it was twice as loud as their place. He said at times it reminded him of Happy Valley — which only has more than 40K more fans than CFS.

    State has a great atmosphere, make no mistake about it, but some people think that a so-called “great” atmosphere is possible in an SEC or one of the bigger Big Ten stadiums. No, CFS is not The Shoe or LSU’s Death Valley, but it can and is a living hell for visitors at times.

  11. b 09/27/2009 at 12:56 PM #

    If you ever need to kill time, argue with a reporter that they are wrong about something as subjective as “tough place to play”. Most of them won’t admit they are wrong even in the face of factual evidence. I thought the fans were great, and the new playing surface stood up well to the elements.

    The problem with special teams is a similar problem with the defense, tackling and pursuit angles. Add a kicker that can’t get the ball deep on kickoffs and a kick returner that beats his blockers to the point of attack and you have minus hidden yards.

    This game was only close because of State’s poor start overall and the STs keeping Pitt in good field position most of the day. The comeback coincided with the change in field position. Two missed FG’s and a 20 yard FG at the end of the half due to poor clock management cost the team 10 points. A lot of this is due to playing a lot of younger players who are still developing strength and learning their position, and in part two weeks against lesser talent. These problems, except for the kicker’s leg strength, can be addressed. I won’t be surprised if someone else is handling kickoffs soon.

    Still a damn sight better than last year. Last year’s Big East game in the rain at C-F was devastating. Our coaches have proven they will get the team better as the year progresses, and the schedule is quite manageable from here. Three winnable games before FSU, and VT and Clemson at the point in the year State has shown to play the best. We should be 5-1 going into the bye, dramatically better than the last 2 years.

    Nothing guaranteed of course, but the Pack have a chance to win every game they play.

  12. packplantpath 09/27/2009 at 1:27 PM #

    “Gosh, if you read the forum during the game, the posters were ready to run O’Brien out on a rail and the team would never win another game this year.”

    What forum were you reading? I just looked back through. Sure, there were tons of negative posts, mostly deserved when the team has looked pretty awful for an entire half of football.

    There were a few over the top negative comments around halftime, but mostly the thread I read was good criticism of poor plays. I think everybody realized at that point that as bad as it was, we were still in that game.

  13. blpack 09/27/2009 at 2:26 PM #

    What a great job by the Pack in the second half. I was calling this Correction Saturday as I hoped some wrongs would be righted. Looks like that was the case. I think our team is maturing and getting better. Still have a lot to work on, but we can compete for the division. The crowd was alive last night and definitely was one more thing that Pitt had to contend with in the 4th quarter. Enjoy the big win and let’s get ready to go beat Wake next week.

  14. PackerInRussia 09/27/2009 at 2:36 PM #

    Re: the almost touchdown that was called an incomplete pass.
    They had a good replay angle on TV. It was reeeeeealy close to being a catch. The only thing that gave it away was that when the ball reappears after being hidden under him, you can kind of tell that it’s rolling on the ground and that his hands aren’t under it. It was a great effort though. He managed to get his hands under it, pull it in, but then wasn’t able to maintain possession when he hit the ground. A little more air under the ball and it would have been an easy touchdown. Oh well; good thing we don’t have to play the “what if” game.

  15. GAWolf 09/27/2009 at 2:48 PM #

    Truthfully, I thought the incomplete pass was clearly incomplete. I also participated in the game thread and besides one fellow who went a little overboard with the chicken little syndrome in the first half, I thought it was fair.

  16. RabidWolf 09/27/2009 at 4:41 PM #

    This is HUGE for the future of the program!

    http://northcarolinastate.scout.com/2/903183.html

    NC State landed a big commitment today as Cary (NC) defensive end Fre’Shad Hunter committed to head coach Tom O’Brien following the Wolfpack’s win over Pittsburgh.
    “I just committed to coach O’Brien and NC State,” said Hunter. “It’s something I felt at State this Saturday, and I pulled the trigger. Coach went crazy and I was pumped up. I talked with my mom and she’s excited because I followed my heart.”

    Hunter committed to NC State over offers from LSU, Tennessee, Florida State, Purdue, and South Carolina among others. He is rated a four-star prospect and the No. 18 defensive tackle in the country by Scout.com.

  17. wolfbuff 09/27/2009 at 5:42 PM #

    I’m kind of late to this thread, but one of the most impressive plays I saw last night that nobody has talked about (I don’t think) is Darryl Davis’ block in the end zone on that TD catch by the FB. He totally prevented the corner from coming back and making a play. The corner was so frustrated by the block that he threw D. Davis to the ground. Meanwhile we were busy scoring. Awesome play. You don’t see receivers blocking downfield a lot.

  18. tractor57 09/27/2009 at 6:49 PM #

    I’m also late to the party. Obviously the team wasn’t ready at the opening of the game but as the game progressed you could see the effects of coaching. Not a pretty win but a win.
    True to our history with TOB and the current staff the team is progressing.

    I have tickets at Wake next week and I hope we are ready to play the Deacs.

  19. whitefang 09/27/2009 at 8:11 PM #

    “I’d be on them like white on rice if they HAD promoted RW nationally.”
    Really? Let’s see, Tebow QB rating 170.31, 643 yds, 6 TDS, 1 INT – Wilson QB rating 169.56, 969 yds 12 TDS, 0 INT. Sure Wilson has played SC, Murray State, Gardner-Webb, and Pitt at 3-1, and Tebow has played Charleston Southern, Troy, Tenn, and Kentucky at 4-0.
    Certainly a stronger schedule, but RW isn’t exactly dog sheet. I heard TOB’s quote after the game and I agree. The ACC isn’t the SEC and we ain’t Fla, but I sure as hell wouldn’t be embarrassed with some Wilson promo. It isn’t like he doesn’t deserve it.

  20. howlie 09/27/2009 at 8:21 PM #

    Great, great game. Thanks to all the team and staff.

    Nevertheless, I want to “side” with TOB on our poor play–ESPECIALLY the way we seem to not be ready when the game begins. I’m not sure if it is lack of emotion or ‘brain overload,’ but the team looks lost and in a funk for the first half of the first quarter. Against decent opponents, we start out in a 0-10 hole that we’re trying to overcome for the entire game–because individual players are singlehandedly having ‘brain lapses.’

    DESPITE some glaring miffs, we are one missed block/penalty/dropped pass away from a perfect record. And WHEN we get Special Teams playing at all; and get the overload of penalties eliminated like last year; when we get our dropped passes caught; and when we get 60 minutes of precision, well…

    …then we can have some ‘having turned the corner’ talk.

    It’s time.

  21. wolfonthehill 09/27/2009 at 9:40 PM #

    wolfbuff – Totally agree… and thanks for pointing out who the WR was who absolutely PUNKED the DB on our first score. Don’t care if it resulted in Davis getting body-slammed… he got body-slammed as Gentry crossed the goal line.

    One of the finest jobs of downfield blocking I’ve ever seen… and it’s the little stuff like that that really makes the difference between winning and losing. This team is learning the importance of things like that… and as they learn, they win.

  22. WV Wolf 09/27/2009 at 9:52 PM #

    Nice win by the Pack yesterday, at 31-17 I thought it was over but I’m glad the boys proved me wrong. And as a West Virginia native, beating Pitt is always a good thing. If it hadn’t been raining I think I was supposed to burn a couch. Loved seeing the Wanstache in meltdown mode in the 4th quarter.

    As everyone knows, including TOB, there were a lot of mistakes made and we’re not good enough to keep making those kinds of mistakes and still overcome them. But the good thing is that the kind of mistakes we made are correctable.

    But you can’t teach heart and I thought they showed a lot of that in making the comeback. Props to Russell Wilson, Toney Baker (who I think looks noticeably faster than the first couple of games) and Terrell Manning who all had nice games.

    I watched 4 years of Philip Rivers as well as 4 years of Pat White and it’s hard to get much better at QB than those two guys and Russell Wilson just has something about him as well, his decision making and calm under pressure is really impressive.

  23. packalum44 09/28/2009 at 12:12 AM #

    We beat a good team. There are only 3 teams left on our schedule as good or better than Pittsburgh (Clemson, FL ST, V-Tech). Mark my words, the V-Tech game will be HUGE.

  24. El Lobo Loco! 09/28/2009 at 7:57 AM #

    Woohoo!
    NC State wins, UNX loses and SanDiego wins!
    Hopefully this trend will continue

  25. Classof89 09/28/2009 at 9:20 AM #

    Can someone tell me what the deal was with the two pre-snap illegal procedure penalties when we were punting? I’d never seen such a thing, let alone twice in the same game. Was someone just lining up incorrectly?

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