Into the Abyss: WF Webrun Preview

'11 Football41

Once more unto the breach, dear friends…

State makes its earlier-than-we’d-like biennial voyage into the abyss known as Winston-Salem tomorrow.

TV: ESPN3.com or RSN (Fox Sports South/Carolinas, locally)
Announcers (Awful Announcing): Rich Waltz, Keith Jones, Jenn Hildreth

Why an abyss? LRM explains:

Win in Winston-Salem. We’ve won exactly once in Winston since 1995, and that was a decade ago, with the Great Philip Rivers (2001). Our games against Wake Forest at BB&T Field have been some of our worst; in my freshman year in 1997, we lost on a Thursday night when we failed to convert on a fourth-and-goal late in the game; in 1999, a few weeks after winning in Austin, we were taken behind the woodshed; in 2003, we were caught looking ahead to Columbus the following week; in 2005, 2007, and 2009 we were simply outcoached and outplayed. None of us seem to understand why we play so horribly at BB&T, considering it’s kind of like a smaller version of Kenan whenever State plays there.

TOB doesn’t like going into the abyss in Week 2 anymore than LRM (Backing the Pack):

North Carolina State coach Tom O’Brien sent a not-so-subtle message to the ACC office in his press conference when he pointed out that the Wolfpack will “for the fifth time go on the road for an (ACC) opener.” NC State opens its league schedule Saturday at Wake Forest. In O’Brien’s five seasons in Raleigh, no other team in the league has opened ACC play every season on the road. By the way, in 2006, the last time the Wolfpack played their first league game at home, they played Boston College, coached by…Tom O’Brien.

GoPack.com:

When it faces off against Wake Forest (0-1) for the 105th time on Saturday afternoon, NC State (1-0) will be trying to end what has become a Groves Stadium curse over the last decade. In an irritating streak that began in 2003, the Wolfpack has dropped five straight games to the Deacons in Winston-Salem.

…

“They’ve just played better than us,” State head coach Tom O’Brien said succinctly.

To put things in perspective, a fellow by the name of Philip Rivers was a sophomore quarterback the last time the Wolfpack left Winston-Salem with a win. The year was 2001 and current Pack tight end George Bryan was 12 years old.

WakeForestSports.cstv.com:

The Deacons are coming off a heartbreaking 36-29 overtime loss at Syracuse on Thursday, Sept. 1. Wake Forest led by 15 points with 11 minutes remaining in the game, but the Deacons could not maintain the lead after hitting a field goal to go up 29-14 at the 11:02 mark of the fourth quarter.

Deacon starting quarterback Tanner Price left the game just before the field goal with a knee injury, which proved to be a momentum changer. Price was 18-of-31 for 289 yards and three touchdowns before leaving.

Chris Givens caught seven passes for a career-high 170 yards and two touchdowns. Michael Campanaro set new career-highs with seven catches for 80 yards and a touchdown.

Jimmy Newman tied a career high with three field goals, though his miss from 33 yards in the first quarter snapped his school-record streak of 12 consecutive field goals made.

Lenox Rawlings calls this a “crossroads game” (Winston-Salem Journal):

The major crossroads game this weekend will unfold in Winston-Salem. The humongous new video board will not work — technical difficulties, please hold — but Wake Forest and N.C. State will keep score anyway.

Just like opening week, the clock will run for 60 minutes. Wake Forest held a 15-point lead through the 48th minute at Syracuse but went haywire after quarterback Tanner Price hurt a knee. Despite the overtime loss, Coach Jim Grobe doubts that the Deacons will wallow in replays.

“I worry more about a really quality N.C. State team than I do about our psyche,” Grobe said.

Caulton Tudor talks about Curtis Underwood’s second chance (News & Observer).

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41 Responses to Into the Abyss: WF Webrun Preview

  1. Hungwolf 09/09/2011 at 12:25 PM #

    Debbie Yow needs to kick Swofford with a spiked heel right in his baby blue ass!!! Swofford and his Carolina crooniees been sticking it to us in bball and football scheduling for years. I believe we’ve played Duke (worst team record wise in ACC football) the least since the ACC went to 12 teams. This is first year since Swofford was commish that we open with back to back conference home games in babll. 5 years of opening on the road is inexcusable especially considering how much early games set the tone in players confidence for the entire year in college football. Then people wonder why state fans are so open to leaving the ACC!

  2. travelwolf 09/09/2011 at 12:47 PM #

    I never like it when we play a well-coached team right after a heart-breaking loss. I wish they’d won at Syracuse.

  3. JSRy2k 09/09/2011 at 1:26 PM #

    Underwood article is a good read, should give you an appreciation for our new RB coach and respect for the way Curtis has re-applied himself.

  4. codebrown 09/09/2011 at 1:30 PM #

    No way in hell that we win this game.

  5. Khan 09/09/2011 at 1:39 PM #

    Unfortunately, I think we lose this one quite comfortably.

  6. blpack 09/09/2011 at 1:56 PM #

    Hopefully things change this weekend in W-S. A couple plays will make a ton of diff. Pack by 6.

  7. Deucepeters 09/09/2011 at 1:59 PM #

    The negativity and paranoia on this site knows no bounds. Have a little confidence, people. Wake only beat Vanderbilt, Presbyterian and Duke last year. State is a better team. End of discussion. Buck the trend. There’s no such thing as mumbo jumbo curses. It only affects you if you believe it to be true. Sack up. Jeebus.

  8. Deucepeters 09/09/2011 at 2:05 PM #

    One more thing: Refuse to Accept the Status Quo

  9. JSRy2k 09/09/2011 at 2:19 PM #

    Reasons we can have hope for ACC breakthrough on the road this year, at least @ Wake and @ BC:
    1. We soundly beat both Wake & BC last year.
    2. TOB broke through a miserable drought @ GA Tech last year in resounding fashion. (yes, Chuck won in Atlanta in 2005, but that game was won on the back of our defense with a very fortunate slant route to Brian Clark from an awful QB which turned into an 80-yd TD.)
    3. TOB has broken through vs. UNC (home & away)
    4. Losses @ Wake & BC two years ago were w/ a terrible defense.
    5. Losses @ Wake & BC four years ago were in TOB’s first year, w/ Daniel Evans at QB and an injury-decimated roster.

  10. patientwuf 09/09/2011 at 2:55 PM #

    Deuce

    I don’t think its negativity or paranoia, we’ve layed some many rotten eggs in Winston that is starting to get nauseating. However, let me say that I am very hopeful about our chances of winning.(Just like JSRy2k)
    A fools hope maybe but it’s hope.

    Our offense has to control the ball longer and our defense has to get off the field on 3rd downs.

  11. Wulfpack 09/09/2011 at 3:09 PM #

    History has shown that history does matter. Hopefully we buck the trend tomorrow.

    It doesn’t bother me that we always seem to open ACC play on the road. Who cares? It all evens out in the end.

  12. packof81 09/09/2011 at 3:10 PM #

    Our luck has to turn around sometime. Why not on Saturday? I’m going out on a limb and predict we win by a narrow margin, say a field goal.

  13. old13 09/09/2011 at 3:39 PM #

    IMHO the ACC commish should be someone with absolutely NO previous connection to the conference or any ACC school (as should be about half of the currently extremely biased BOG!!!)

    “One more thing: Refuse to Accept the Status Quo” – AGREED!!

    “It doesn’t bother me that we always seem to open ACC play on the road. Who cares? It all evens out in the end.” – DISAGREE as it has to do with MO for the season.

    31-17 Pack! (Based on the second half of the Liberty game.)

  14. nav 09/09/2011 at 4:17 PM #

    I’m in north myrtle with basic cable this weekend. Doubt I can catch it on TV here. Any good places to watch around cherry grove.

  15. TruthBKnown Returns 09/09/2011 at 4:38 PM #

    No way in hell that we lose this game.

  16. TruthBKnown Returns 09/09/2011 at 4:38 PM #

    Fortunately, I think we win this one quite comfortably.

  17. TruthBKnown Returns 09/09/2011 at 4:39 PM #

    Wake blows. Syracuse blows. Price lobbed up passes that our secondary will eat for lunch. If he even plays. If he doesn’t play, it’s not even a game. We’ll win by 35 like we did last year.

    I believe Liberty is better than Wake. Seriously.

  18. 61Packer 09/09/2011 at 5:13 PM #

    We win comfortably or by 35? Pass those smokes around………

  19. TruthBKnown Returns 09/09/2011 at 5:14 PM #

    Without Price, we win by 35.

    With Price, we win by 10-14 (maybe more).

  20. redcanine 09/09/2011 at 5:35 PM #

    We have too many playmakers on defense for Wake deal with. The Deac’s D can’t knock an old lady down. State wins by 7+.

    Note: TJ Graham continues to rack up yardage on special teams.

  21. tuckerdorm1983 09/09/2011 at 7:27 PM #

    tj takes it to the house at least once or they kick it out of bounds. I would kick it out of bounds if I was wake.

    By the way, I would like to see a couple of reverses and fake reverses for TJ every game. If he gets around the corner he is gone.

  22. bTHEredterror 09/09/2011 at 9:01 PM #

    Thinking we will lose to WF, is not negativity. I think we will lose to them because Grobe and Co. are excellent coaches and will find a way to score on us while throwing some things at Glennon that he hasn’t seen before. They are adept at winning with less talent, that we are more talented is not at issue. In the long run, we will be better for it, because frankly we won’t see another coaching staff as solid except maybe FSU and Maryland.

    Is this to say I think we have no chance? Of course not, if we can run the ball as effectively all game as the second half last week we can cause some problems to their game plan. It won’t be a walkthrough in any event. I look for our TEs to open up the passing game for the WRs who BETTER step up. 24-21 Wake.

  23. TruthBKnown Returns 09/09/2011 at 9:58 PM #

    Wake throws misdirection at you and does well with it, until other teams figure them out. I think other teams have figured them out. Then the talent differential takes over. Kind of like Liberty, every first down they rushed to the line to get a play off without a huddle. That threw us for a loop for a couple of possessions. But then we settled down and the talent differential took over. I fully expect that to be the case tomorrow. Our defense will win this one for us. And if our offense is clicking, it will be lights out for the Deacs.

  24. TheCOWDOG 09/09/2011 at 10:00 PM #

    In support of bTr, I brought this over from the forums.

    If you have ever read anything about how I generally feel about game film…forget it, at least one that involves Grobe coached teams.

    Specifically, I hope Archer and Tenuta pulled out that 2009 game for the DEs
    ( Reiskamp, in particular. )

    If Tenuta viewed it, he will have seen how Grobe brilliantly exploited Archer’s D in the flats on 3rd down blitzes.

    If our DEs don’t get out to the shallow flats where they’re supposed to be, Harris, Pendergrass and Campanaro will kill us on 3rd and mediums.

    Not to be overlooked, ever, on a Wake club, are the ball hawking abilities of the deep secondary. Inexperience with those types of safeties should be a concern, especially Quarles back there at 6’3″.

    Ideally, State manages a couple hundred rushing yards and simply controls the football and clock.

    This will be a very challenging game for State. They all will be, but this away game can be a greater catalyst than harbinger of the future.

  25. NCStatePride 09/09/2011 at 10:19 PM #

    Those of you saying “I think we lose this one” with any certainty need to step away from the pseudo-statistics of “we haven’t won in Winston-Salem in XX years” and look at the actual facts. The FACT is that Wake Forest’s success depends on their quarterback having open looks. They have no run game. They have very, very little defense. They have an incredibly vulnerable offensive line (ESPECIALLY their center).

    If NC State loses tomorrow, then I would argue they lost against a team even less qualified than Liberty. I don’t have a problem saying Liberty last week could have taken Wake Forest this week.

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