Monday Musings

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August 29, 2011

NC STATE FOOTBALL

COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: 5 DAYS!!!

Bob Sutton (ACCSports.com)
Countdown To Kickoff: N.C. State

Sammy Baton (Fayetteville Observer)
N.C. State’s Mike Glennon ready for Pack spotlight

Matt Carter (TheWolfpacker.com)
Niklas Sade relished chance to kick right away

Some freshmen may shy away from jumping right into the pressures of major college football, preferring to ease themselves in, but not NC State rookie kicker Niklas Sade.

That’s a good thing for the Wolfpack, too, since Sade almost has to be the kicker for State this fall.

“That was the main thing I was looking at for schools,” Sade admitted. “Even Nebraska, I was looking for schools that I had a chance to start as a freshman. It was just a perfect opportunity for me. That’s what I wanted.”

Nebraska was where Sade had committed to kick for during the summer before his senior season, but the product of Wakefield High in Raleigh, N.C., decided over the holidays last winter that he would rather stay closer to home.

Heather Dinich (ESPN.com)
Summer summary: NC State

Dan Wiederer (Fayetteville Observer)
College football preview: Big 5 (ECU, Duke, North Carolina, N.C. State & Wake Forest)

N.C. State

The star: The Wolfpack defense returns eight starters and will be sparked by senior middle linebacker Audie Cole, a laid-back kid off the field who plays with a nasty edge on it. Flanked by fellow linebacker Terrell Manning, a Scotland High School alum, Cole will be one of State’s emotional tone-setters. He had 86 tackles a year ago and should replace departed linebacker Nate Irving as the defense’s most reliable playmaker.

The question mark: Mike Glennon. When coach Tom O’Brien cut ties with still-eligible star quarterback Russell Wilson, it was due in big part to his loyalty to Glennon. Now the 6-foot-6 signal caller gets his chance to reward O’Brien’s confidence. Because of the strange nature of Wilson’s exit, Glennon’s performance will be heavily scrutinized. It doesn’t help that State’s top two receivers from a year ago – Owen Spencer and Jarvis Williams – are also gone. What should help Glennon build confidence, however, is the Wolfpack’s patsy schedule in the first three weeks.

The magic number: 10/29. Given the makeup of the schedule, the Wolfpack could be 6-1 or even 7-0 heading to play at Florida State on Oct. 29. But that road game with the Seminoles begins a brutal five-week closing stretch that also includes a trip to Boston College and home games against North Carolina, Clemson and Maryland.

You should know: Tight end George Bryan, who had 35 catches for 369 yards and three TDs last season, is being touted as a potential All-American. . The Wolfpack will likely break in freshmen at both kicker (Niklas Sade) and punter (Wil Baumann). .. The Wolfpack has been the ACC’s least-penalized team in each of the past two seasons.

ACC FOOTBALL

JP Giglio (N&O)
ACC seeks respect with spotlight games

News and Observer
ACC overview for the upcoming season

Edward G. Robinson (N&O)
Kuechly miles above ACC class

George Bryan
N.C. State, 6-5, 265, R-Sr., TE

N.C. State quarterback Mike Glennon will certainly look for his big target, considering Bryan’s combination of size, speed and hands. As a secondary target last season, he grabbed 35 catches for 369 yards and three touchdowns. Bryan has 13 career TDs and earned first-team All-ACC honors for the second season in a row, only the third Wolfpack tight end in school history to accomplish that. For the third consecutive season, he was named to the preseason Mackey Award list for the nation’s top tight end.

Sammy Batten (Fayetteville Observer)
College football preview: In-State Quarterbacks

Dan Wiederer (Fayetteville Observer)
College football preview: ACC

NCAA FOOTBALL

Fayetteville Observer
College football preview: The nation

THE WILSON WATCH

PETE THAMEL (NY Times)
Wilson, Wisconsin eye title run

MULTIMEDIA/PODCASTS

Opening STATEment: Episode 7

DAY 23

With the final scrimmage of the preseason in the rearview, the Wolfpack pushes forward to the season-opening tilt against Liberty. Opening STATEment’s three subjects have all earned their way into the rotation in varying degrees, thanks to their hard work during the last three weeks.

This week, Gentry, Haynes, and Norman give fans an update on their progression, and the transitions they’ve had to make now that classes are underway.

R&R Podcast: Jimmy V Remembrance Episode feat. Whittenburg and Myers

With the Jimmy V Celebrity Golf Classic teeing off this Sunday, I was afforded the rare opportunity to bring Ernie Myers and Dereck Whittenburg on for a special podcast episode to share some memories of Jim Valvano. And trust me folks, they did not disappoint.

The two State stars shared some great stories, including a tale from Whitt of how V might’ve humorously blown his chance at landing Shaquielle O’Neal while on the recruiting trail.

We also touch on the untimely passing of Lorenzo Charles and what he meant to Myers and Whitt during their playing days and long after.

If you only listen to one podcast from our small-but-rapidly-growing library, make it THIS one. Trust me.

The ACCSports.com Podcast, Aug. 26

Joe Ovies, afternoon cohost on 99.9 The Fan in Raleigh, and Jim Young have returned with another edition of the ACCSports.com Podcast.
Among the topics they discussed:

• Their failed attempts to fake excitement over the release of the ACC hoops schedules.
• Why Duke’s expensive trip aboard isn’t really that extravagant.
• Their thoughts on the latest Miami developments and on criticism of Charles Robinson’s Yahoo! Sports piece.
• Tornado, earthquake, hurricane … is it all just setting the stage for Duke to make a bowl game this season?
• And will Jim and Joe’s ACC fantasy league actually happen this fall?

The ACCSports.com Recruiting Podcast, Aug. 26

The ACCSports.com Recruiting Podcast is all about the Wolfpack this week, as we talk about N.C. State recruiting with Matt Cater of The Wolfpacker and James Henderson of Pack Pride.
Among the topics we discussed with Carter and Henderson on this podcast:

• Why hasn’t N.C. State landed many big names in its 2012 football recruiting class?
• Who are some of the sleepers the Wolfpack signed that have gone on to big careers in Raleigh?
• Which recruits and current true freshmen do they think could be the next under the radar stars for N.C. State?
• Why is it so difficult to keep top in-state recruits from leaving North Carolina?
• What effect does Torian Graham’s decommitment have on N.C. State’s 2012 hoops recruiting class?
• And what other prospects are the Mark Gottfried and his staff pursuing?

UNC FALLOUT

Aaron Schoonmaker (WRALSportsfan.com)
UNC football adds three walk-ons, Hunter to transfer

Sophomore defensive back Josh Hunter said that he will transfer. Hunter played in eight games as a redshirt freshman and entered camp as the team’s fourth free safety.

Hunter becomes the fourth UNC player, and third on the defense, to transfer since the firing of head coach Butch Davis in late July. Junior cornerback Mywan Jackson and sophomore defensive tackle Brandon Willis also have left the program.

Tar Heel Fan (Tarheelfanblog.com)
Implication and Insinuation

As for what the N&O is up to with these articles is anyone’s guess. I am not saying Kane or anyone else shouldn’t be digging but both these articles have stopped short of making any substantive assertions of how this is connected to the NCAA issues. Either Kane doesn’t have it nailed down or he is completely unwilling to go all the way in terms of connecting the dots. Bear in mind, none of this matters if UNC is not in NCAA trouble and all I see at this point is Kane throwing information out there content to let others renovate the molehill. As it stands right now, the actions of one professor and at worst poor vetting by the College of Arts and Sciences is not an NCAA violation. It does sort of fall into that same category with the head football coach hiring a member of the academic support staff. There is nothing inherently wrong with it according to the rules but for the sake of avoiding any unintended consequences, it is probably best to steer clear.

THE U-NIVERSE

Yahoo Sports
Shalala: Scandal has ‘been quite painful for me’

Associated Press
Harris expects to play in opener

Associated Press
Golden: Miami Still Deciding Football Eligibility

Associated Press
AP Source: Miami Awaiting Eligibility Decisions

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 Teams College Football Football Recruiting Multimedia UNC Scandal

11 Responses to Monday Musings

  1. LRM 08/29/2011 at 7:38 AM #

    Dan Wiederer:
    “The question mark: Mike Glennon. When coach Tom O’Brien cut ties with still-eligible star quarterback Russell Wilson, it was due in big part to his loyalty to Glennon. Now the 6-foot-6 signal caller gets his chance to reward O’Brien’s confidence. Because of the strange nature of Wilson’s exit, Glennon’s performance will be heavily scrutinized. It doesn’t help that State’s top two receivers from a year ago – Owen Spencer and Jarvis Williams – are also gone. What should help Glennon build confidence, however, is the Wolfpack’s patsy schedule in the first three weeks.”

    Wiederer echoes my biggest concern.

  2. VaWolf82 08/29/2011 at 9:34 AM #

    Glennon is the key to the season. There are alot of other ways (besides Glennon) for the season to head south. But there is no way for State to have a successful season without a productive QB.

  3. 1.21 Jigawatts 08/29/2011 at 9:56 AM #

    ^Jay Davis, Marcus Stone, Mike Greco, Daniel Evans, Harrison Beck, and Justin Burke all agree.

  4. logarithm 08/29/2011 at 10:47 AM #

    “There is nothing inherently wrong with it according to the rules but for the sake of avoiding any unintended consequences, it is probably best to steer clear.”

    Seems I remember something from our own past about not breaking the letter of the rule, per se, but breaking the spirit of the rule. Didn’t seem to earn us any slack from the authorities back then.

  5. travelwolf 08/29/2011 at 12:02 PM #

    The N&O’s prediction of:

    N.C. State 8-4, 4-4

    Probably isn’t far off… perhaps we’ll win one more game. My fellow Wolfpackers have evidently forgotten that we (as most teams) seem to lose 1 or 2 games a year which we should win. I’ll take an 8-4 season with a win over UNC. Next year, though, I believe we’ll do much better.

  6. packhammer 08/29/2011 at 1:15 PM #

    Depth chart has been posted. Christophe is ready to go. Chandler at 6’6″ 340 is behind Mattes. That is a large fellow. I am most interested in seeing him play.

    http://northcarolinastate.scout.com/2/1100220.html

  7. Hungwolf 08/29/2011 at 1:32 PM #

    I think Glennon will be fine. With his height we should expect more looks down field before going to his dump off back. TE should get more looks. Glennon will not have to scramble around to see down field like Wilson did.

  8. phillypacker 08/29/2011 at 1:56 PM #

    A few roster questions and comments:

    1. Check out lowly regarded Art Norman, #2 on depth chat at DE
    2. Is Overgard that good that he can keep Rob Crisp from starting? Is Crisp a slow developer?
    3. Who is Tyrell Burris? Are we that thin at Boundary Corner or is Burris that good? Am I right in remembering C.J. Wilson being burned like toast in the last year or so or was that just in nightmare 2008?
    4. Ditto with Ryan Cheek and Michael Peek at WLB and SLB and Dean Haynes backing up Wolff at FS. Are these good signs or bad?
    5. When will Rashard Smith return? OR was he bested by other CBs? He is returning punts, I think.
    6. Sterling Lucas, Ricky Dowdy off the 2-deep at LB?
    7. Creecy is a redshirt? Brandon Barnes a bust?

  9. Greywolf 08/29/2011 at 10:01 PM #

    Peek and Burriss are true freshmen. I’m going with it’s good sign, too good to red shirt. Burriss’s 4.4 speed can’t hurt. Peek is a an Audie Cole type player — LB, FB and QB in HS. Cheek is 6-1, 240. Good size for a MLB.

    Go to gopack.com and follow your nose to the roster for details on any player. Just click on the name. BTW you can sort by clicking on heading.

  10. Greywolf 08/29/2011 at 10:05 PM #

    Sterling Lucas out for the season – will have surgery for same injury Toney Baker and Colby Jackson had.

  11. wolfonthehill 08/29/2011 at 10:33 PM #

    The offensive line is the key to the season. If they give Glennon time, he’ll be absolutely fine… if they don’t, he’s going to throw a ton of picks, get hurt, or both.

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