Friday Farrago

September 16, 2011

NC STATE FOOTBALL

Ryan Tice (TheWolfpacker.com)
Game slowing for Mike Glennon

The most noticeable thing for Glennon between his first two college starts was how the game began to slow down against Wake Forest, although the ACC opponents offered a stiffer test than Liberty, members of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

“I think Wake Forest is probably more athletic than Liberty but I felt the speed, for me, seemed slower,” he said. “With them being faster guys and the game feeling slower to me, that is always a good thing. I think it will continue to slow down as we progress.”

Ryan Tice (TheWolfpacker.com)
Q&A: Tom O’Brien talks receivers and more

T.J., Tobais, and Mike Glennon were all in the same recruiting class, although you had to wait a while to get them all on the field at the same time, but what did you envision when you knew that they could be your future passing game?

I think that T.J. and Mike hit it off from the day they came to camp. It’s one of those things that T.J. finally found somebody who could throw the ball longer then he run to catch it. They’ve been looking forward to this opportunity and certainly Tobais has a lot of speed, he was a running back in high school so he’s still learning the wide out position. As we said earlier, it was a little different look, instead of the big, powerful guys at wideout, we’ve got some little speedier guys right now so that’s where we are.

JP GIGLIO (N&O)
Pack’s Grant dismissed from football team

GoPack.com
Gottfried Prepares For Military Appreciation Day Jump

Gottfried will be teamed with Army Sergeant First Class Mike Elliott, the Rangers’ Group parachute team leader, who has over 9,000 solo jumps and over 3,000 tandem jumps to his credit. Elliott has twice jumped with President George H. Bush and also with actor Dennis Haysbert and NBA legend Karl Malone.

On Thursday morning, Elliott put Gottfried through a 45-minute pre-jump training at the Murphy Center, instructing the Wolfpack coach on the features of the safety equipment and parachute; on the proper way to exit the plane; what to do and not to do during the jump and landing procedure.

GoPack.com
Football Players Visit Elementary School

Three members of the Wolfpack football squad took some time this afternoon to visit with fourth and fifth graders at Kingswood Elementary School in Cary. Audie Cole, Curtis Underwood and Wayne Crawford talked to the young people about the importance of sportsmanship and teamwork at an assembly in the school’s gym.

Following the assembly, the students will write essays about what they learned. They will be judged on content, writing style, organization and creativity by representatives of the university’s English Department.

GoPack.com
Thursday Football Notebook

Matt Carter (TheWolfpacker.com)
Wolfpack commitments in action

MULTIMEDIA/PODCAST

Inside Wolfpack Sports

In today’s episode, Don Shea visits with Quarterback Mike Glennon after practice.

Ryan Tice (TheWolfpacker.com)
The Wolfpacker Podcast: South Alabama preview

In the newest installment of The Wolfpacker Podcast, editor Matt Carter joins host Ryan Tice to give a quick scouting report on safety commit Josh Sessoms from Bailey (N.C.) Southern Nash High and preview two possible official visitors for the South Alabama contest. We also recap what went wrong in the loss to Wake Forest and preview Saturday’s tilt with the Jaguars from South Alabama. In addition, editor Jacey Zembal joins The Wolfpacker Podcast to wrap up with a game of over/under.

Riddick and Reynolds
R&R Podcast: Episode 18

Episode 18 is just your typical Riddick & Reynolds Podcast episode: a discussion about our men’s basketball coach skydiving into Carter-Finley, Chuck discussing Rocky Mountain Oysters and the second installment of The Sniff Ratings.

Oh, and we do say a few words here or there about the Wake Forest debacle.

ACC FOOTBALL

Al Featherston (ACCSportsJournal)
Saturday Is ACC’s Chance To Shine

Brett Friedlander (starnewsonline.com)
What the other guys are saying

ACC EXPANSION TALK

CAULTON TUDOR (N&O)
Texas, ACC a good fit

It’s not out of the question that the school could stay put and use its clout to reinvent the Big 12 by helping to recruit from Conference USA and maybe the SEC. The Longhorns could go to the Pac-10 or take advantage of a lucrative television network and become an independent, like Notre Dame.

According to the report out of Austin, talks between Texas and the ACC have yet to reach a mature stage. But the overall uncertainty has reportedly led to action by at least one ACC school. The Palm Beach Post reported Tuesday that Florida State has formed an exploratory committee to evaluate its conference options, including a possible move to the SEC.

Brett Friedlander (starnewsonline.com)
Relax, Texas is just using the ACC as leverage

Is anybody out there really buying this Texas to the ACC malarkey?

It’s an intriguing possibility, for sure, especially from a football standpoint.

And as card-carrying traditionalist, I’m all for any idea that will help keep the league’s base intact – even if it means expanding the definition of “Atlantic Coast” 1,200 miles to the Lone Star State.

UNC FALLOUT

ROBBI PICKERAL (N&O)
NCAA’s follow-up visit over at UNC

NCAA personnel visited North Carolina (2-0) to conduct follow-up work related to the investigation of the football program.

The NCAA was not in town Thursday, team spokesman Kevin Best said.

Details of the reasons for the visit were not disclosed, and Best referred all other questions to the NCAA. In an email Wednesday, NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said that in order to protect the integrity of an investigation, the NCAA cannot comment on an inquiry.

North Carolina officials are preparing a response to NCAA allegations of nine major violations in the football program involving impermissible benefits and academic fraud.

The school’s written response to those allegations – which university officials have said they will make public – is due Monday.

ROBBI PICKERAL (N&O)
UNC expecting ‘full allotment of players’ for Virginia game

NCAA FOOTBALL

Andrea Adelson (ESPN.com)
Boise State gets three years’ probation

The Boise State football program will be docked nine scholarships over a three-year period, and the athletic department must serve three years’ probation as a result of widespread rules violations, the NCAA announced Tuesday.

Boise State had already self-imposed the probationary period in the wake of violations involving more than 75 prospects and student-athletes across five different sports. The NCAA added six scholarship reductions in football to the three the school had already taken away and cited the school for “lack of institutional control.”

ACC BASKETBALL

Dan Wiederer (Fayetteville Observer)

Final farewell: My Five Favorite Players to Interview

Final farewell: The Five Best Tobacco Road Players I covered

Final Farewell: Three of the Stupidest Things I Wrote

Final Farewell: Three of the Smarter Things I Wrote

MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

MARTHA QUILLIN (N&O)
Kinston to bid Indians team adieu

With a cold front bearing down, it was the end of summer. With the Kinston Indians in the third game of the Mills Cup Championship Series, it was nearly the end of baseball season. With no new team in sight for Grainger Stadium, it felt like the end of an era.

The K-Tribe took to the field Thursday night in the third game of the best-of-five series tied one-to-one with the Frederick Keys of Maryland. It was bittersweet for the team and its fans; by Saturday, the Indians could be the 2011 Carolina League champions, their last championship in Kinston.

However the series ends, when it’s over, the Indians will leave for their new home at Five County Stadium in Zebulon.

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 Big Four Rivals College Basketball College Football Football Recruiting Mark Gottfried Multimedia Pro Sports UNC Scandal

55 Responses to Friday Farrago

  1. TruthBKnown Returns 09/16/2011 at 2:17 PM #

    All I’m saying is at least wait until THIS season is over before passing judgment on the man. We’re finally positioning ourselves for some success. I remember what we had when TOB arrived. We are so much better than we were then it’s not even funny.

    I’m nervous about this season. But I also know that we seem to always start slow and improve as the season passes. The first game was a head-scratcher, as was the first half of the Wake game. But it’s entirely possible we’ve gotten our act together and will play better going forward. If that’s the case, I can forgive TOB for the Wake loss.

    I’m a little nervous that we can’t expect much this year. I hope the team proves me wrong on that. But at the very least, let’s wait and find out for sure if the wheels have come off the wagon before running around like Chicken Little.

  2. Ed89 09/16/2011 at 2:18 PM #

    I think TOB’s most damning statistic is 0-11 vs. Atlantic division teams on the road. Blind squirrel anyone?? We’re due, right??? You will never be a “great” team if you can’t win on the road. If we would have won just one (Clemson or Maryland – take your pick, we should have won BOTH) away game last year, we would have been playing in Charlotte, but I digress. Those are the differences between good teams and great teams, and the differences between good coaches and great coaches.

    My other issue is now at Year 5, we have a tough time naming one stellar TOB recruit…(please don’t say Bryan after last week). The players (Wilson and Irving) he rode last year to the 9-4 season were both CTC’s recruits.

    Again, I don’t mean to sound like I’m bashing, but facts IS facts, and TOB has not proven to be a great coach yet. He does generally recruits good kids, and he runs a clean program. I respect that…and I have enjoyed his record the last 4 years vs. the Cheaters.

    (Edit by NCStatePride: I added the emphasis to the top line. This is an oustanding response, Ed.)

  3. runwiththepack 09/16/2011 at 2:35 PM #

    Coach Tom has had 2 good seasons in 3, when considering what he had to work with when hired.
    His first season was written off as a loss. Vince Lombardi couldn’t have saved that season. I don’t count Coach’s first season when he has what we had for a team.
    season 2 was reasonably successful. If RW had NOT gone down with a knee injury in the Rutgers bowl, we would have held our lead and won that game. The second year is too early to expect more of Coach than merely progress. And we saw progress and a bowl.
    Season 3 was the mother of all injury seasons. Still, it was a disastrous season that is on Coach’s record. If anyone wants to fault Coach for that, well then fine. Whatever. What a nightmare season.
    Season 4 was as good of a season as we have had in 20 years. ‘Nuf said.

    Looking just at W-L records without context isn’t justified in this situation. Yet, with each passing year, there is less credit or blame that Coach can’t take for himself. And the general trajectory is upwards, for anyone who has their eyes open. A week doesn’t constitute a trajectory.

  4. NCStatePride 09/16/2011 at 2:35 PM #

    Here are the facts:

    Tom O’Brien’s record: 26-26 overall and 14-18. Those are FACTS. They are in the books and recorded. O’Brien has finished 1 season as a ranked program. Ok, so did Amato and O’Cain, and not in their first season with a team completely not their own, either.

    Look, swf, I’m not trying to say O’Brien is a bad head coach, I’m just saying that the FACTS are that O’Brien still has something to prove and being in a state where you have something to prove and starting the season how NC State has started, it’s not unreasonable to at least understand why others are so frustrated at O’Brien. If you have all the faith in the world in him, cool. But you have to understand that your faith is just that.

    The only facts are that O’Brien, overall, is a successful coach (101-71) that has only had one season that people would consider a spectacular success with a decent bowl bid and a competitive team in our division. He has something to prove in terms of being “a successful NC State Head Coach”.

  5. swfncsu 09/16/2011 at 2:44 PM #

    I concede to you that he is not yet the great one that we collectively drool over.

    My main point is that from beginning to end (or present), the last three tenures have gone-

    O’Cain- consistently mediocre
    Amato- Hot, hotter, cold (also known as the “3 frigid winters without Rivers”
    O’Brien-consistently mediocre with recent hope for excitement. Losing to WF is ALWAYS embarrassing. However, week 3 is a terrible time to start jumping to conclusions.

    Also, for the sake of facts-
    0-6 (O’Cain)
    3-4 (Amato)
    4-0 and counting (TOB)

    I think we all know what I’m referring to.

  6. swfncsu 09/16/2011 at 2:45 PM #

    Amendment- Terrible time to start jumping to conclusions UNLESS his last year was a fluke and his tenure continues to follow the Norv Turner model.

  7. NCStatePride 09/16/2011 at 2:51 PM #

    Name for me anyone out there that is seriously saying “O’Brien should be fired at the end of this season because he lost to Wake Forest.” (I’m sure there is some wacko somewhere, but I haven’t seen anyone personally making this claim.) I’ve seen a lot of people saying things akin to “Losing to Wake may signal that O’Brien just can’t get it done and at the end of this season, we may need to evaluate where he’s at”, but that is a far, far cry from jumping the ship. Jumping to the conclusion that someone who is 26-26 going into game three of his fifth season should have their performance evaluated isn’t much of a stretch.

  8. TruthBKnown Returns 09/16/2011 at 2:52 PM #

    I don’t get all the animosity toward a coach in his rebuilding years (years 1-3, and arguably longer). No coach is going to walk into a program and win in year one. Nobody will. It’s silly to hold any coach to that ridiculous standard. (Unless the coach walked into a great situation, already loaded with great players and depth…)

    Rebuilding in progress, year four was a solid year. And was tantalizingly close to being a PHENOMENAL year. Year five, we’re 1-1.

    If TOB’s years 5, 6 and 7 are as bad as his years 1, 2, and 3, then you would have a point.

  9. Plz2BStateFan 09/16/2011 at 2:59 PM #

    Ha

    If year 5, 6, 7 are like 1, 2, 3…..

    god help us all.

  10. NCStatePride 09/16/2011 at 3:05 PM #

    “If TOB’s years 5, 6 and 7 are as bad as his years 1, 2, and 3, then you would have a point.”

    Are you even reading the things I’m typing or do you just see someone not gushing over TOB and instantly assume I’m “attacking” him?

    How do you figure stating “he’s done mediocre and desires evaluation at the end of year 5” the same thing as “ripping TOB a new one”? I mean, seriously, what dream world do you live in where someone can perform below standards, regardless of what came before them, and not even be evaluated 5 years into their job? You guys keep saying that those three years shouldn’t count against him… they aren’t. If they were, there would be a lot more people saying “fire him now”. As it is, I don’t see ANYONE saying “he sucked in years 1-3 so fire him”. What I see are people saying “his results weren’t great in years 1-3, he had a good 4th year, and year 5 is starting out rocky. He deserves some re-evaluation.”

    Again, could you kindly explain to me how stating the facts that TOB hasn’t done “great” is “ripping him a new one”? I sure wish I could only perform well at my job 50% of the time and because my predecessor was worse than that not fear even being evaluated at year’s end.

  11. TruthBKnown Returns 09/16/2011 at 3:11 PM #

    It’s not so much that I’m disagreeing that he hasn’t done great. His .500 record is not a great record.

    It’s that it’s not fair to judge him on these early years. Period. And he has done a great job of turning us around from where we were. How did Dean Smith do in his first three years? How about coach K? Each of those fan bases wanted those guys fired in their early years.

    I’m sure this is coming, so I have to clarify that I’m not saying TOB is the football equivalent of Dean Smith and Coach K. I’m saying, like with their early years, it’s unfair to judge them on the “facts” of their win-loss records.

    I can’t even believe we’re having this conversation after a 9-4 record in year four and a 1-1 record in year five. I suppose coach Gott is a horrible coach if we win 18 games this year, too?

  12. TruthBKnown Returns 09/16/2011 at 3:14 PM #

    If you can’t distinguish between years 1-3 and year 4 or year 5, I don’t really know what to tell you. There is a grace period when a coach should not be judged. Once that has passed, then judge all you want. TOB’s first three years win-loss record should not enter into the conversation.

    No one has come out and said they are calling for TOB’s job. But I think it is implicit that people using his first three years record against him are unhappy with him and want him replaced. Because it is that unreasonable to use his first few years against him.

    Especially when he won nine games in year four.

    Why are we even discussing this?

  13. swfncsu 09/16/2011 at 3:19 PM #

    FACTS-
    3 wins to 5 wins- IMPROVEMENT
    5 wins to 6 wins- IMPROVEMENT
    6 to 5- NOT AN IMPROVEMENT
    5 to 9- SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT
    1-1- WAY TOO FREAKING EARLY TO TELL

    4-0 against the one rival we all love defeating- SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT OVER RECENT PREDECESSORS

    9-win season ties for SECOND in highest win total in our 100-ish year history.

    these are facts.

  14. NCStatePride 09/16/2011 at 3:22 PM #

    Look, this conversation no longer serves a purpose. I was hoping to point out that just because someone doesn’t worship TOB and is suspect of his results does not mean he is saying anything unreasonable; it means he is looking at the results. The results are suspect. They are, sorry. That doesn’t mean people are against Tom or “ripping Tom a new one”, it just means that Tom needs to earn his bones. He started last year, but that can’t be an excuse for not continuing to perform this season. If you have something new to add, feel free. Otherwise, you can always move this conversation over to our message boards.

    (I’m not going to go and delete this conversation between us because some of it is relevant to the blog article, but the back-and-forth is better suited for the forums.)

  15. TruthBKnown Returns 09/16/2011 at 3:32 PM #

    Throwing out years 1-3 is NOT an arbitrary thing. Years 1-3 were rebuilding years. A coach is still playing with the previous coach’s players in those years. He does not have 4th and 5th year players that HE recruited on the team.

    If a coach has success in their early years, more power to them. But when you have a rebuilding project like NC State was after Amato drove us into the ditch, it’s going to take ANY coach time to get them out of that. And those early results should absolutely not be held against them.

    If we’re 2-7 later this year, I will join you in saying THIS is unacceptable. Because this is year five for TOB and we have a weak schedule. A dismal record this year is unacceptable. But it has nothing to do with those 5- and 6-win seasons in TOB’s first three years.

  16. pack44fan 09/16/2011 at 3:55 PM #

    I have never agreed with the argument that a coach needs to get “his” players in before being honestly judged. We had a coach not so long ago who came in after 3 3 and 8 years plus 5 very mediocre years before that and immediately went 8-3. He did so with another coach’s players. He followed coaching legends Monte Kiffin and Tom Reed. Heck, V won a national title with talent brought in by Norm Sloan.

  17. Ashman87 09/16/2011 at 3:57 PM #

    Swfncsu, I think it’s 0-7 for O’Cain, (although I still think that we were robbed in his final game of that series). Pack44, he and O’Brien also have the best % against our archrival.

  18. jljones 09/16/2011 at 4:40 PM #

    Reply to Vegaswolf—No, I have not seen any national championships and very few ACC titles in football but what I have seen is a repeat of the same old tactic of hiring coachs with so/so records or assistant coachs with no proven history. Yes, we have had a few good ones–Earle Edwards did a good job with absolutely no facilities, Lou Holtz did a fantastic job but left because of no commitment from the top, Bo Rein left for LSU for the same reason, Dick Sheridan was good but health problems forced him to retire. What do we have since Sheridan–more of the same below average coachs. If and when we are lucky enough to get a consistant winning coach, we have to make the commitment to him both in salary and facilities—If watching this type of history won’t explain my frustration then you must have the patience of Jobe. All I have to do is look around an see that we are being left behind–Clemson, USC, VA Tech, GA Tech, Maryland, Etc. I want to beat Carolina every year but beating them is hardly a yardstick for a successful program–beating teams on a national scale is the only way to get the recognition needed. To do this requires better coaches and recruits.

  19. john of sparta 09/16/2011 at 4:41 PM #

    since this about TOB and the ACC, until the ACC adds Texas (or Happy Appy)
    so what about a 9 win season? there are only two teams to talk about:
    Miami (death penalty) and Maryland (uniforms). Pack beats Heels. Midshipmen
    beat Cadets. Harvard beats Yale. all are tie-breaker bets for bookies.

  20. TruthBKnown Returns 09/16/2011 at 4:46 PM #

    pack44fan, are you implying that TOB should have been successful with Amato’s leftovers that finished 3-9 the year before he got here?

    I’m having a hard time believing you actually compared TOB’s situation with that of V.

    All I’m saying is, since we had a very good year last year at 9-4, no one should hold years 1-3 against TOB any longer. Last year was the year TOB’s work finally produced results. We had more talent and depth, and we win nine games. From last year, and going forward, his seasonal records can and should be used to measure his job performance.

    It’s ridiculous to bring a coach in to rebuild our trainwreck that we were after CTC, allow him to rebuild for a few years, finally have a pretty great season, and then complain about his overall record while we’re still just 1-1.

    (Edited by NCStatePride: I bolded your key point. Personally, I think it’s wildly inaccurate to say “you did good last year, nothing else matters”, but I understand where you are coming from and hopefully others will at least be able to see what you’re getting at. In other words, you’re claiming that the seat should be cold because O’Brien proved that, at least for last season, he “did well with his team”.)

  21. NCStatePride 09/16/2011 at 5:04 PM #

    I bolded the main point you raised, TBK. I said I didn’t want to continue this back-and-forth because at this time, I think what you think is crystal clear and the counter-points have been communicated back to you. So it seems there are two opinions on TOB. To avoid being unfairly inflammatory, I’ll just call them the “homer” position and the “skeptic” position:

    The Homer: Tom O’Brien had several rough seasons, but in my opinion, he was handed a situation that can not fairly be held against him as an NC State coach. Last season with his own players and his own system, he was able to finish 9-4 and beat West Virginia in the Champs Bowl. This means that he has proven he can win with his own players. We should take things for what they are and move on from there, not from where he started.

    The Skeptic: Tom O’Brien started in a situation similar to dozens of other FBS coaches across the country. Some coaches are given better situations, some are given worse, but that is part of the job. He started off with 3 seasons of mediocre-to-poor performance, including substandard performance on defense which the previous coach did not have an issue with. Moving into the fifth season, Tom O’Brien’s record can not be necessarily held against him, but it also leaves an unknown question as to how good he really is for NC State. So far he has had one season in 4 that ended in success. Due to the fact that his record is “suspect” while being at NC State, he should at least be evaluated on performance on the whole at the end of the season to determine what type of future he has with NC State.

  22. Wulfpack 09/16/2011 at 5:19 PM #

    I guess I’m slightly more to the skeptic side of things as it relates to TOB. Done a pretty good job, but just a few too many WTF losses for my liking, and I really have very little confidence in his D coordinator. If we regress and have a bad year, then the momentum has been stalled. It shouldn’t take 5+ years.

  23. whitefang 09/16/2011 at 5:50 PM #

    Truth is NC State has historically had a mediocre football program. Since I entered there in 75 we have had 8 football coaches if I haven’t missed any. Of those I would say 3 were what I would grade between an A- and a B- , 4 C- to F and TOB so far probably a C+ in my grade book.
    I say all that to say that like any manager evaluates an employee – if I fire someone can I reasonably expect to replace them with someone better? It’s not like TOB is trying to turn an Alabama back into it’s usual top 10 program. He is expected to turn an occasional top 25 program into a regular top 25 with a chance at a top 10 once in a while. He is not there yet nor where i think we should be, but he sure isn’t one of the worst coaches I have seen on our sideline. In fact based on what I’ve seen over the yearsI’ll put up with him for a little while longer before I am ready to change him for a coach unproven at the d1 level. That is the pond we’ll be fishing in after all.

  24. sundropdrinker13 09/16/2011 at 5:55 PM #

    I guess that the years 1-3 of Lowe’s era should be thrown out as well? Bottom line is this is year 5, same as what Lowe’s was, and look what happened to Lowe. Lowe had a fairly bare cupboard when he first came on-board from what I read, and he managed to recruit a bit better. So by your logic TBK, Lowe should still be the head coach. BS on that. After year 5, NO MATTER THE EXCUSES, if the coach has not performed, then they should be gone.

    Every team in football can make the “injury” excuse. Gary Williams in MD recruited horribly, but was a great coach so recruitment was not as needed. TOB has average recruitment, but hasn’t been able to coach them up. That’s a problem that ultimately lands at his feet. If his assistants can’t coach the players up, then TOB needs to get coaches in that can. I believe in loyalty, but loyalty to the school and program come before loyalty to his staff. He was loyal to the program when it came to Wilson, he should be loyal to the program when it comes to his staff.

  25. Vegaswolf 09/16/2011 at 6:17 PM #

    Jl — very sound argument. I simply believe TOB needs more time. The college world is much different than it was in Sheridan’s day, for example. Huge TV contracts, individual networks, facility improvements, etc., all add up to kids getting pulled in multiple directions. Fifteen years ago, the best kids were more likely to stay in state. Now, teams like Oregon and Boise St. and South Florida are on TV every weekend, picking up wins and sneaker deals. There is so much more about a program than its wins and losses. In many cases, I’m not even sure wins is what pulls the best kids in, anyway.

    Point is, programs are built over time. With the facilities Chuck built and the discipline TOB installs, maybe we’ll have that program in five years. You can’t fire a coach after four years or else you set a precedent: “Make us nationally prominent in four years or hit the road.” It’s that sort of mandate that makes coaches cut corners and pull in kids like those over at UNC. If a school backs a coach with money and facilities and lets him do things the right way, success will come. Maybe it won’t be result in a BCS bowl every year, but I think a regular Top 25 ranking is worth shooting for.

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