Russell’s Turn

'09 Football29

The yelling had not even started to subside just a couple of hours after the Wolfpack’s big win over North Carolina when one of our authors was looking to next year with the a thread titled – “Cross Your Fingers That Baker and Wilson Stay”

Well, over the weekend we highlighted Toney Baker’s big award and discussed his potential return to the Wolfpack for the 2010 season. So, it is only fair to lead this morning with the Wolfpack’s other big personnel question mark for 2010 – Russell Wilson.

The ACC Sports Journal features the potential impact of Wilson decision on Mike Glennon in today’s version of their “Wolfpack Insider”.

Life without Russell Wilson is something N.C. State fans would rather not give much thought to, but it’s certainly weighing on the mind of Wolfpack coach Tom O’Brien.

Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2006, Wilson more fits the prototype of a baseball player at 5-11 than an NFL quarterback. There is a belief that baseball is his primary love, as well. Thus, many people at NCSU, maybe even including O’Brien, think Wilson will opt for the national pastime after he’s drafted again next summer.

O’Brien said last week on his radio show that he doesn’t expect a decision from Wilson until after the baseball season. The determining factor may be how high Wilson is taken in the 2010 MLB Draft.

What if Wilson returns?

The Cardiac Pack Blog had a nice feature on Wilson’s pocket presence vs scrambling that is worth checking out here.

But for those of you who still believe the Wolfpack would be better off with Russell running around, take a look at some numbers. I am aware Russell missed time due to injury during the 2008 season, but even if you project his numbers for those games based on what he did the rest of the year it doesn’t add up.

[snip]

Russell’s numbers improved in every category other than interceptions. And to expect the same performance last year regarding interceptions was somewhat absurd. Turnovers happen in football.

And even with the fact that Russell ran less, he still netted 260 yards rushing, gaining an average of 21 yards per contest. In 2008 he only netted 388 (even though it felt like a lot more) yards with a little more than 35 yards per game. So all you people arguing that Russell should have run more this year are making your point based on 14 yards per game. Is that really worth the increased chance of injury?

We like to provide you a centralized place to click through to as much information related to a core topic as possible. With that said, this recent blog entry kind of hits on a lot of items facing the Wolfpack’s football program.

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'09 Football

29 Responses to Russell’s Turn

  1. Thinkpack17 12/07/2009 at 10:33 AM #

    Interesting rushing stat.

  2. Sam92 12/07/2009 at 10:43 AM #

    am i the only one here who hopes russell does opt for baseball so that glennon gets a shot?

    also, any word on recruiting? (I may also be the only one here who thinks wolfpack basketball is a lost cause and am starved for football news)

  3. packplantpath 12/07/2009 at 11:02 AM #

    Why would we hope that Russel leaves? If Glennon gets a shot next year, it should be because he beats out RW for the spot, not because he matriculated into the starting role. That would be good news.

    What little I’ve seen glennon play, he has a nice pass. But, he still seems kinda fragile looking to me. Why hasn’t he bulked up a bit more? Is he 200lbs yet?

    EDIT: according to gopack.com he is 211 lbs. That long frame makes him look skinnier.

  4. Alpha Wolf 12/07/2009 at 11:06 AM #

    Glennon not having a lot of bulk is interesting, but then again, he might just be the type that stays thin thanks to his genetics.

    Lord knows I used to be that way…I could eat anything and as much of it as I liked, work out until I was a pile of sore and still not gain a lot of weight. Endurance, toughness, sure. Later in life, well, if I stare too long at a sandwich I gain half a pound

  5. Thinkpack17 12/07/2009 at 11:06 AM #

    I really take the football news here to heart, and the word was our window to really compete for the title would come next year. If that is the case I think I would rather have a Jr. Wilson in there.

  6. sergeant slaughter 12/07/2009 at 11:24 AM #

    I just worry that if Russel stays, then Glennon will decide to transfer. Esp if russell decides to stay and play out his remaining career.
    That would in turn mean glennon would only get 1yr to start after Russell leaves. A top recruit QB would deff leave in that situation. and it would leave NCSU with nothing in turn.

    I say start Glennon next year and get ready for a special year in 2yrs at most.

  7. Alpha Wolf 12/07/2009 at 11:33 AM #

    Glennon is a pure pocket passer with limited mobility. Any chance of his success hinges completely on the OL in front of him, and while ours might be very talented, they will be quite young and inexperienced.

  8. highstick 12/07/2009 at 11:38 AM #

    I just don’t see how he’s gonna get that baseball star to rise high enough. Someone enlighten me!

  9. choppack1 12/07/2009 at 12:00 PM #

    Russel Wilson is the kind of QB that wins championships. I would have loved it if Glennon could beat him out, but I’m just not seeing Glennon throwing for 35 TDs next year.

    Russell Wilson is easily the second best QB I’ve seen since I was following NC State closely. While there has only been 1 NFL player since then, I can only think of 5-6 years in the last 20 where our QBs haven’t been solid.

    I’m in no hurry to end the Russell Wilson era.

  10. GAWolf 12/07/2009 at 12:31 PM #

    You cant just look at stats when discussing the impact of Wilson’s rushing last year versus this year. If he scrambles for half as many yards but twice as many first downs, the other numbers mean very little. I havent looked to see if the numbers support it, but last year he seemed more likely to salvage drives when given the freedom to scramble for the first in clutch situations after the original plan fell apart in front of him.

  11. GApack04 12/07/2009 at 12:39 PM #

    Hard to root for your best player to leave school early for an unproven kid to take his place. Glennon still needs time and the OL needs time. If RW blows up in baseball he will be drafted high enough for a financial impact. RW already was a solid prospect coming out of HS and if he has a good year someone will draft him. Baseball drafts are such a crap shoot anyway teams will gamble with someone with just 1 great year.

  12. foz 12/07/2009 at 12:48 PM #

    I’m going to (selfishly) hope for RW to return for football, but remain optimistic that Glennon will fill is sufficiently should that not happen.

  13. choppack1 12/07/2009 at 1:16 PM #

    GAWolf – I think he was a better qb this year. Last year, he did some very good things w/ his feet and some good things w/ his arm. This year, he became a better QB.

    teams had lots of film on him this year…so I don’t think he was going to be able to run all over the place. USC provided a blue print of how a team can defend him…

    To see how he’s grown as a QB, I think you need to look at his TD pass total this year. I also think that most people don’t know how close RW came to having a fantastic year…he put so many balls right on the mark only to have them dropped this year.

  14. bradleyb123 12/07/2009 at 1:49 PM #

    ^^^ “also, any word on recruiting? (I may also be the only one here who thinks wolfpack basketball is a lost cause and am starved for football news)”

    First of all, the basketball team is 6-1 with a semi-quality win against Marquette in a true road game that ended Marquette’s 24-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents.

    But it is also ironic that you would say basketball is a lost cause just after asking about recruiting. Have you followed basketball recruiting by any chance?

  15. Lunatic Fringe 12/07/2009 at 2:01 PM #

    “Perhaps deep down inside, O’Brien is hoping that Wilson opts to sign with a big league team, leaving Glennon as the man under center for the next three seasons.”

    -shakes head- Really? Why in the world would we (fans or coaches) want a proven commodity to leave for an unproven commodity?

    I do not even understand the logic to this type of statement. Yes, I read comments above about why Russell leaving would be good for team, but there is no way the losing best player on team and clear leader is a good thing.

    -sarcasm- I am anxiously awaiting the ACC Journal’s article on Kyle Parker –sarcasm-

    I do find it interesting that most media outlets, especially those in the ACC region, are always quick to point out that Russell Wilson can leave for baseball, but don’t spend nearly as much time around others like Kyle Parker.

    I just have to wonder if “ACCSports Staff” is just tired of watching Russell Wilson suit up for NC State. At this point in their respective baseball careers, Kyle Parker is considered a better prospect in baseball.

  16. packplantpath 12/07/2009 at 2:07 PM #

    “And just to let you know, Sid won about 40% of his conference games in his third season, compared with 25% for Tom O’Brien.”

    How many times do people have to point out that this is among the most moronic arguments ever made on the internet before we quit seeing it?

    TOB has lost a lot of his shine in my eyes, but that doesn’t make the argument any better. This is a football thread. Go have your Sidney Lowegasm on a basketball thread. I’m quite happy with the basketball results so far this year, but lets see if they keep it up before anointing Lowe the chosen one.

  17. Oldwolf 12/07/2009 at 2:14 PM #

    wanting RW to leave so that Glennon can have 3 years to play makes about as much sense as wanting Rivers to go pro early so that Jay Davis could get a good start !

    I am hoping that Glennon is the real deal and can get it done, but RW is a proven value and I am hoping that he stays for 2 more years!!!

  18. Sw0rdf1sh 12/07/2009 at 3:22 PM #

    RW’s rushing stats were only calculated last year from end zone to end zone….if we calculated all the zigging and zagging from sideline to sideline it would have been triple.

    I saw Glennon this Friday down here at Wrightsville Beach (Tower 7) having dinner with what looked to be a date. I asked him briefly how the shoulder was doing before their meal and he said it was fine and he would be ready to go next year. He looked great to me and seemed to have put on weight (relatively) the past few months.

    Whatever happens next year I’m sure Glennon will see more time behind center again in the early games, as well as Proctor hopefulling getting in the mix some. I’m guessing RW won’t be at the Spring Game so there should be plenty of action for the guys then.

  19. bradleyb123 12/07/2009 at 3:36 PM #

    ^^^ “How many times do people have to point out that this is among the most moronic arguments ever made on the internet before we quit seeing it?”

    Maybe someone should actually PROVE it’s a moronic argument first. It isn’t. It’s apples and apples.

    And since you called me out for making a basketball comment on a football thread, if you care to check, you’ll see I was responding to a comment about the basketball team. If people don’t want basketball comments here, maybe they shouldn’t make back-handed comments about the basketball team here.

    And to the mods: Someone just said what I wrote was a “moronic argument”, which IMO is the same thing as calling me a moron (since I was the one making the argument). I call that a personal attack. If you let this comment stand with no response at all, it will add to the image that anti-Sidney posters here can get away with murder, while pro-Sidney posters get called out for anything remotely resembling a personal attack.

  20. bradleyb123 12/07/2009 at 3:40 PM #

    btw, PackPlantPath. I can tell I stepped on your toes. I guess people like you don’t like it when someone points out the inconsistency in your support of our fine coaches. I’m not having a “Sidney Lowegasm” as you put it. I just fight for his fair chance to prove himself. It’s funny how people defend TOB to the death, while crucifying Sidney. But when you look at what they’ve both done, it’s not all that much different. (Unless you want it to be, at which time you label an opposing argument as “moronic”.) I like TOB. I hope he stays at NC State until he decides to retire. I just believe in giving Sid a fair shake, too.

    The only glaring difference between TOB and Sid is that TOB is unbeaten against Carolina. But beating Carolina in football is not exactly the achievement that beating them in basketball would be, is it?

  21. packplantpath 12/07/2009 at 4:36 PM #

    Apples to apples? Really? This has been hashed out numerous times and apparently nobody ever reads those threads. Do we mention the inherent advantages of small team sizes in basketball for turning around a team quickly? Do we forget the horrible lost classes chuck left here? Basketball had it’s own problems, but those could be remedied much faster.

    Or do we look at simple track records?

    Based on his record, TOB is at worst an average to slightly above average coach. That speaks for itself. I too, after this year, have my doubts about TOB & Co. But, based on his results in the past, I have hope he is capable of turning it around. Hope that is dwindling, but not yet completely gone. Next year will determine for me how much hope I have left.

    Lowe has been given a fair chance. In fact, he has been given the opportunity of his lifetime. By what credentials should he have been hired in the first place? Being willing to work for Lee Fowler is not a resume builder.

    He was an unknown when it comes to being a head coach at the college level. Because of all these things, I will openly admit that the standards I hold each coach to are different, and believe it or not, I expected far more out of TOB than I have seen and his standard was higher than Lowe’s. If Lowe had any background indicating he can get it done at this level, I would be willing to give him a pass for a few more years, barring a complete meltdown. In fact, as I said earlier, I’m quite pleased with the results so far this year and we have exceeded my expectations. I’m not convinced yet, but I’ve been pleased that we have beaten the teams we should have and pray that this season Lowe gives me some reason to hope.

    These are all reason that comparing the track record of Lowe and TOB over the last 3 years and extrapolating their coaching ability from it is stupid. Don’t forget, with TOB we have an entire career to evaluate. It’s that career that provides that little spark of hope that maybe he can do it. With Lowe?

    What it comes down to is hope. Hope that they can get it done. With TOB, fans have a reason to hope since he has been successful before. I think that hope is dwindling for everybody. With Lowe, I see nowhere to get that hope except a recruiting class that isn’t on campus yet. Recruiting isn’t my thing, so maybe that explains it, but stars don’t tell me much until I’m shown that he can coach them.

  22. VaWolf82 12/07/2009 at 5:09 PM #

    The only glaring difference between TOB and Sid is that TOB is unbeaten against Carolina.

    It’s statements like this that cause people to call your arguments moronic.

  23. papackman 12/07/2009 at 5:14 PM #

    I would love to see RW return next year. I can’t understand why MG didn’t get more snaps under center this year when we blew out Murry State and Gardner Webb. Another TOB short coming IMO. I’m more worried about the coaching personel that is returning next year. We have no DQ and the OQ (may God bless him) is questionable!!

  24. VaWolf82 12/07/2009 at 5:17 PM #

    Someone just said what I wrote was a “moronic argument”, which IMO is the same thing as calling me a moron (since I was the one making the argument).

    It’s not the same thing at all. Even smart people sometimes say stupid things.

    Stay on the topic of this entry. Off topic comments are likely to be deleted…especially ones like bradley’s which served no purpose other than disrupt this entry.

  25. bradleyb123 12/07/2009 at 5:51 PM #

    just slap Sidney in the face. THAT’S disruptive. And I have to respond to it.

    The comment you responded to was not a slap in the face and you didn’t have to respond. But you did and it sidetracked the entire conversation. Let’s just move on. There will be plenty of BB discussion over the next four months.

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