Friday Findings

'11 Football ACC & Other ACC Teams Athletics Directors Big Four Rivals College Football Mark Gottfried Sidney Lowe Tom O'Brien UNC Scandal13

August 12, 2011

NC STATE FOOTBALL

Matt Carter (TheWolfpacker.com)
Thurs. practice report: O’Brien feels good about RB’s

A healthy offensive line and strong running game are two keys to NC State’s success this fall. O’Brien said that after two weeks of practice, fifth-year senior Curtis Underwood, Jr. and junior James Washington are still atop the depth chart at tailback while redshirt sophomore Brandon Barnes and redshirt freshman Tony Creecy are competing for the third spot.

“But that’s after one scrimmage,” O’Brien quickly noted. “We got another one tomorrow and that could change. Those four guys are in the mix. That’s how they are running right now.”

JP Giglio (N&O)
Pack’s Christophe injures knee

N.C. State guard Duran Christophe will be out up to four weeks and possibly the season opener with a knee injury, Wolfpack football coach Tom O’Brien said Thursday.

Austin Johnson (PackPride.com)
O’Brien: Christophe out 3-4 weeks

“Creecy – he played wide receiver in high school – I think he has the best hands of all of [the backs]. That doesn’t mean they don’t have hands, I think all of them can catch the ball but he seems to be much more comfortable catching the ball.”

“I think he’s matured a lot – it goes back to what we just talked about he played some wide receiver in high school so it’s getting used to the position. Especially with pass protection you have to step in and pass protect. A lot of times where Mustafa was ahead is that Mustafa has a great feel, great cutting ability. That was a determining factor last year plus Washington was hurt and all kind of other things going on so that was the decision last year.”

NC State practice, Aug 11 in pictures

NC State’s ‘new’ offense, isn’t really that new

With all the attention focused on Mike Glennon taking over at quarterback, NC State is also breaking in a new group of receivers.

“The receivers will look a little different,” said wide receiver T.J. Graham. “You know receivers are a lot smaller, we’re going to be faster, we’re going to make plays in the open field and stuff like that so just look for that.”

Akula Wolf (BackingthePack.com)
Picking Every Game On The Schedule

Week 10: vs. UNC. Some folks have been quick to note that the law of NC State shit dictates that UNC will win this game with Butch Davis out and the program in chaos. There’s also the issue with Carolina’s talent, which is that they still have a lot of it. We’ve had so much good fortune against Carolina–the last two years especially–that it’s starting to scare me. Probability demands a reversal at some point, and if we’re outplayed the way we were in 2009 and 2010, that’ll come sooner rather than later. Now I’m just stalling because I have no idea what is going to happen in this or any of the last three games. Fuck it, we’ll find some bizarre way to win again.

Hayes Permar (ACCSportsJournal.com)
ACCross The Web, Aug. 12

ACC QBs or Why Are All Those Defensive Backs Smiling?
It’s not news that the ACC is going to be green at quarterback this fall, but here are a couple interesting observations from Doug Doughty. And one thing I hadn’t heard until I read this: Mike Glennon is on the Maxwell Award watch list.

Heather Dinich (ESPN.com)
Rising stars in the ACC

2. D.J. Green, LB, NC State: The true sophomore moved from safety to strongside linebacker during spring practices and earned the starting job heading into summer camp. Last year he was one of the Wolfpack’s top playmakers on special teams, but also played in eight games as a safety. Against Boston College, Green scored a touchdown when he fell on a blocked punt.

Akula Wolf (BackingthePack.com)
APR Scores Just Became A Lot More Important

This is still several years away, and if there was one thing Sidney Lowe took care of at NC State, it was his program’s academic standing. State had an APR of 980 in 2009-10 and the multi-year APR is even better: 985. That’s good enough to put NC State in the 90th percentile within college basketball. So it’s not something Mark Gottfried has to fret about right away, but for Gottfried and coaches everywhere, it’s just one more concern, one more headache.

UNC FALLOUT

Robbi Pickeral (N&O)
UNC football team not disclosing whether Coples to be disciplined

“The sign-out sheet policy is an internal policy that we have, so anything that happens will be an internal issue in how we handle it,’’ Withers said today. “As you guys all know, Quinton was cleared by the NCAA, so that issue goes away. No, what we do is handle anything internally in the family.”

Coples said he filed a sign-out sheet in May when he left campus – a policy instituted during the spring semester to track football players’ whereabouts whenever they leave campus for 24 hours or more. The team instituted the policy after UNC lost Marvin Austin, Robert Quinn and Greg Little for the entire 2010 season after it was determined they had accepted trips and improper, agent-related benefits.

The problem, Coples said Thursday, was that he did not inform the team that he would be attending Austin’s NFL draft party in Washington, D.C.

Brett Friedlander (WilmingtonStarNews)
UNC’s Coples: ‘I did everything the right way’

Speaking publicly for the first time since being cleared by the NCAA, North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples said he was surprised when he heard investigators wanted to talk to him about a post-NFL draft party he attended in Washington D.C.

“I was surprised because I did everything the right way,” Coples said when asked about the highly publicized event at the Tar Heels’ football media day.

Coples surprised by reactions over D.C. trip

UNC defensive end Quinton Coples said he was surprised that his trip to D.C. became such a big deal but knew it was possible.

Aaron Schoonmaker (WRALSportsfan.com)
Former UNC RB Furr transferring to ECU

Former UNC running back Hunter Furr has transferred to East Carolina, WRAL confirmed Thursday afternoon. Furr will be added to the roster tomorrow, but will have to sit a season due to NCAA transfer rules.

Last week, Furr became the first Tar Heel player to transfer following the firing of Butch Davis the week prior. He asked interim head coach Everett Wither for his release on Aug. 3, saying that he was seeking more playing time.

“I feel it’s in the best interest of my football career to transfer and compete for playing time at another institution,” Furr said.

Brett Friedlander (WilmingtonStarNews)
Paige-Moss, incoming freshman Ellerbe expected at practice Friday

North Carolina interim coach Everett Withers provided several player updates at Thursday’s media day press conference.

Speaking for the first time the opening day of practice last Friday because of a self-imposed media blackout, Withers revealed that defensive end Donte Paige-Moss has missed the last few days of practice with an undisclosed medical issue.

Withers said the problem was not related to an injury and that it hoped Paige-Moss will return to the practice field on Friday.

Ken Tysiac (N&O)
UNC will use full 90 days to respond to NCAA

University of North Carolina officials plan to take the full 90 days allotted to them to respond to an NCAA Notice of Allegations charging the school with nine major violations, UNC chancellor Holden Thorp said this afternoon.

Ken Tysiac (N&O)
Thorp has no plans to step down at UNC

Holden Thorp said today that he has no plans to step down as the University of North Carolina’s chancellor and that the UNC system Board of Governors “has been great through this” NCAA investigation of UNC’s football program.

“Carolina is a great research university,” Thorp said. “We’re getting a great class next week coming in. We have great students coming back. We’ll have the faculty continue to make discoveries. Our research grants continue very, very strong, and fund raising continues very, very strong. This is a great, great public university.
“I feel inspired by the way our faculty has responded to the economic crisis, and I’m proud to be their leader.”

Doc (Tarheelfanblog.com)
Taking a Look at the AD Search

Although real, actual football will finally be played in a little over three weeks, the next, most crucial, step in extinguishing the smoldering tire fire that lingers in Chapel Hill is the hiring of a new athletic director. The level of stability in this position has been simply amazing, given that UNC has only had two athletic directors in over 30 years. But the situation in which the new person will find themselves is as crucial of a time in UNC’s athletic history as can be imagined.

About 1.21 Jigawatts

Class of '98, Mechanical Engineer, State fan since arriving on campus and it's been a painful ride ever since. I live by the Law of NC State Fandom, "For every Elation there is an equal and opposite Frustration."

'11 Football ACC & Other ACC Teams Athletics Directors Big Four Rivals College Football Mark Gottfried Sidney Lowe Tom O'Brien UNC Scandal

13 Responses to Friday Findings

  1. Dogbreath 08/12/2011 at 7:40 AM #

    You gotta be able to run that ball up inside the tackles.

  2. tuckerdorm1983 08/12/2011 at 8:32 AM #

    its hard to believe, but three weeks from tomorrow.

  3. packof81 08/12/2011 at 10:44 AM #

    Yeah. I’m about ready for some football.

  4. VaWolf82 08/12/2011 at 10:49 AM #

    It’s been so long since State has had an effective running game, that I’ve forgotten what one looks like.

  5. pack76 08/12/2011 at 10:52 AM #

    3 weeks!!! Bring it on!! Best time of the year!!!

  6. Dogbreath 08/12/2011 at 11:44 AM #

    Just looking forward to lining up in the I, quarterback under center, and running off tackle. We haven’t done that since Sean Berton was destroying linebackers. It’s been all read option delays out of a shotgun, which typically go for -5 yards.

  7. Hungwolf 08/12/2011 at 12:53 PM #

    UNC BOG just released a statement reaffirming its support of Thorpe. Wonder if it as genuine as the support it gave Baddour and Davis last time they met? Still no sign the BOG has any intention of investigating the happenings at the Hill, making any changes, or holding anyone accountable. Feel good story about UNC’s QB in Charlotte Observer, they going to start making heros out of these poor kids and their great leadership seeing UNC through these difficult times. After reading the editorial where the paper basically slams the group of UNC alum attorneys for wanting “public” records, not hard to see the newspaper showing its true Carolina Blue colors. I mean is it really a bad thing when a group wants to know the TRUTH? Seems the newspaper would be helping them, not condeming them, duh?

  8. packof81 08/12/2011 at 1:32 PM #

    “Still no sign the BOG has any intention of investigating the happenings at the Hill, making any changes, or holding anyone accountable.”

    Then they are as crooked and corrupt as Butchie. This thing stinks as high as it goes.

  9. PackerInRussia 08/12/2011 at 1:33 PM #

    “Carolina is a GREAT research university,” Thorp said. “We’re getting a GREAT class next week coming in. We have GREAT students coming back. We’ll have the faculty continue to make discoveries. Our research grants continue very, very strong, and fund raising continues very, very strong. This is a GREAT , GREAT public university.”

    Not real “great” with variation there are we?

  10. sequoyah 08/12/2011 at 2:06 PM #

    ^ sounds like their ‘GREAT’ PR firm told him to repeat that one word as often as possible…if you say it enough it will be true

  11. Hungwolf 08/12/2011 at 2:52 PM #

    How about that TASK Force appointed by the BOG! They did a GREAT JOB and the BOG IGNORED them!

    One Task Force Recomendation: “An Independent Reviews of the compliance and athletic departments!!!!” YES you read that right!!!

    Task Force praised effectiveness of academic support staffs at NCSU and ECU!!!!

    Task Force recomended that schools generate reports to make sure guidelines are met in regards to special admissions.

    Task Force was headed by chancellor from ECU. Reading between the lines it SLAMS Chapel Hill.

    But of course, BOG took no action on Task force recomendations! And what did our beloved Holden Thorpe have to say about the Task Forces Report?
    Holden: “Those are things to consider in the future.”

    SFN should post it for all the world to see: “UNC TASK FORCE RECOMENDS INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF UNC COMPLIANCE AND ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT.”

    This needs to be pushed to make it happen!

    link to article; http://www2.nbc17.com/news/2011/aug/11/7/unc-task-force-calls-accountability-coaches-ar-1291417/

  12. pack76 08/12/2011 at 4:31 PM #

    Yes, this will have to be promoted/pushed by SFN because the media will not do it and we know the idiots at UNX are not going to do anything. The BOG has proven its a rotten as the rest of the bunch over at the hill. Lets push this thing!

  13. Wolfgarden 08/14/2011 at 12:22 PM #

    Are we gonna have any kind of passing this year…I hope so. Iknow we have TJ and I know a good running game may set up the play action. But will O,brien feel comfortable passing the ball with Glennon? He has a strong arm…true enough…will O,brien have confidence in him? Glennon has that Matt Ryan look don’t ya think???

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