Tuesday Tidbits

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September 6, 2011

NC STATE FOOTBALL

J.P. GIGLIO (N&O)
O’Brien happy with Pack’s win

N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien was generally pleased with his team’s 43-21 win over Liberty on Saturday.

The fifth-year coach was not entirely thrilled with how the Wolfpack won, but he’s not going to argue with the result.

“That’s still the key,” O’Brien said Monday. “After looking at college football this past weekend, some of the things that went on, you have to be happy with the victory.”

Associated Press
N.C. State Turns Focus To Wake Forest, ACC Opener

Next up during North Carolina State’s manageable September: A visit to the Atlantic Coast Conference’s worst team from 2010.

The Wolfpack face an early season schedule that seems ideal for bringing along new starter Mike Glennon. During the first month, they face two Championship Subdivision teams and two major-conference programs that missed the postseason last year.

It’s even possible they already cleared their toughest pre-October obstacle when they pulled away in the opener to beat a pesky Liberty team that has won or shared the past four Big South Conference titles.

Sammy Batten (Fayetteville Observer)
Wolfpack line takes another hit with loss of Thomas Teal

The N.C. State Wolfpack is already running short of interior defensive linemen just one game into the 2011 season.

Redshirt freshman Thomas Teal is expected to be out four to six weeks after suffering a broken bone in his foot during last Saturday’s 43-21 season opening win against Liberty. Teal moved up to the No. 2 spot behind starting defensive tackle Brian Slay when senior J.R. Sweezy suffered the very same foot injury three weeks ago.

“It’s the same injury, the same basic spot and the same doctor,” N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien said Monday.

PackPride.com
Depth Chart: NC State vs. Wake Forest

MULTIMEDIA/PODCASTS

Akula Wolf (BackingthePack.com)
Highlights From Saturday’s Win Over Liberty

ESPN posted a bunch of clips from Saturday’s win, and there’s a link to complete game if you’re so inclined. Here are a few of those clips.

GoPack.com
Watch The Tom O’Brien TV Show (Video)

In this week’s episode, Head football coach Tom O’Brien breaks down NC State’s victory over Liberty with host Tony Haynes. Mark Thomas visits with the Gentry brothers and previews the Pack’s next game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

PackPride.com
Weekly PC: George Bryan & Earl Wolff (Audio/Quotes)

PackPride.com
Weekly PC: Tom O’Brien (Audio/Quotes)

How did the offensive line grade out?

“They graded out much better after the first quarter. I don’t think they played well at all in the first quarter. This is not an excuse, but you go from blocking a four-down line to a three-down line and it causes communication problems. Our communication wasn’t good for a while. Once we started communicating better up front a lot of guys weren’t running free and we were putting hats on people.”

WRALSportsfan.com
O’Brien said the team settled down in the second half

NCSU head coach Tom O’Brien said offensively, after the first half the team settled down a little bit and ran the ball much better.

WRALSportsfan.com
Bryan said the team started slow but finished well

NCSU’s George Bryan said he thought the team started slow but they just had to work the kinks out and they finished better.

WRALSportsfan.com
Wolff knows they’ll see a more experienced Wake team

NCSU’s Earl Wolff said they know they are going against a more experienced group at Wake this Saturday.

ACC FOOTBALL

Brett Friedlander (starnewsonline.com)
FIFTH QUARTER: Young QBs, preseason favorites off to fast start

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I actually missed him at the game today, but I was hopeful he would be here today because he helped build this football team. For him to be here today would be an honor for me. Those old ball coaches are hard to keep away from a good ballgame.” UNC interim coach Everett Withers on his predecessor, Butch Davis

Brett Friedlander (starnewsonline.com)
ACC REPORT CARD: For starters, it could have been better

N.C. State, B-: Far too much emphasis is going to be placed on the performance of first-time starting QB Mike Glennon, which is somewhat understandable under the circumstances. But how Glennon’s stats stack up against his predecessor – and current Wisconsin signal-caller Russell Wilson – have absolutely bearing in this grade. All things being equal, the Wolfpack came into the game knowing that it’s young offense needed time to gel and that its defense would carry it through the early part of its schedule. And that’s exactly what happened Saturday. The defense, led by Brian Slay and D.J. Green forced seven turnovers, recorded four sacks and scored a touchdown, special teams also contributed to the scoring thanks to an 82-yard punt return, and the offense got an unexpected 114-yard effort from RB Curtis Underwood Jr. As for Glennon, he went 18 of 31 for 156 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. No, it didn’t compare to Wilson, and no, it won’t win the young QB any praise. But it’s what was realistically to be expected. And on this night, that was good enough.

UNC FALLOUT

Daily Update (StatefansNation)
John Blake recruiting violations? (Santa Prong finally here?)

LUKE DECOCK (N&O)
Withers made bad call to give Davis game ball

Given everything that has transpired the past two months, a public gesture honoring Davis struck a sour note. And since that sort of collective obliviousness contributed to getting Davis fired, not to mention the resignation of a department chair, seeing it continue from the football program has to rankle Thorp. Attempts to reach the chancellor for comment Monday were unsuccessful.

Withers could have lined up behind the chancellor, and he wouldn’t have to hand him a game ball to do it. Silence would have sufficed.

Instead, by singling out Davis, he lined up behind the ex-coach and the disgruntled boosters who apparently harbored Davis in their luxury suites Saturday. If Withers wants to be the next head coach, he might have picked the wrong friends.

Dan Wiederer (Fayetteville Observer)
Butch Davis’ shadow still hanging over Tar Heels

How in the world should we sort this out, this strange saga that continues to twist the North Carolina football program into a state of confusion?

Factually, the Butch Davis era will go into the record books with the following time stamp: 2006-2011. But right now, as we record this season’s events, should that be considered past tense? Sure doesn’t seem like it.

The Tar Heels opened their season Saturday at Kenan Stadium and blasted James Madison, 42-10. They did so with a cast of Davis’ recruits who dominated in front of a reserved crowd of 57,000 fans, many of whom wish Davis was still strolling the sidelines.

And then came this awkward twist: Davis actually attended the blowout, sequestered inside a Blue Zone luxury suite. Here was the estranged coach, fired July 27, standing near a window in the massive $70 million Center for Excellence he helped build, watching the players he recruited and the coaches he hired as they put on a clinic.

Translated one way, it was Davis showing undying support for his former team. Interpreted another, it was a defiant tongue-out, nose-thumbing gesture at the powers that be who pulled the plug on him.
Heck, the only way the current UNC coach, Everett Withers, could explain Davis’ attendance was to simplify it in a way that ignored the overt complexity of this saga.

“An old ball coach is hard to keep away from a good ball game,” Withers said with a smile and a shrug.

ACC BASKETBALL

Luke DeCock (N&O)
Wake’s Terrell leaves school after DWI arrest

J.T. Terrell is leaving the Wake Forest basketball team and withdrawing from school after an impaired-driving arrest, the school announced today.

Terrell, who was second on the team in scoring as a freshman, averaging 11.1 points per game, was arrested at 3 a.m. Saturday and charged with driving while impaired, his lawyer said in Wake Forest’s official statement.

“Due to circumstances surrounding his arrest, along with other recent indicators, it is obvious to J.T. and his family that J.T. suffers from a serious medical condition which requires immediate attention,” Terrell’s attorney, Mike Grace, said in the statement.

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."

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20 Responses to Tuesday Tidbits

  1. tractor57 09/06/2011 at 7:38 AM #

    Overall I would give the performance against Liberty a slightly lower grade but I’m not ready to write off the season yet. It is hard to judge the team’s progress after one game and especially playing a team like Liberty that is FCS but with a pretty good record of late.

    The game ball for Butch Davis is absolutely tone deaf – period. If for no other reason than it will fan the flames of some boosters against Thorpe. Simply amazing – pass the popcorn please. The more this saga twists and turns the better the train wreck.

  2. Alpha Wolf 09/06/2011 at 8:21 AM #

    Seemed to me that nearly every player from Liberty is either a transfer from a major FBS program and/or an All-American. They have some talent and they have a unique system that presented some issues for a team playing their first game.

    The important thing is that State improved during the game and exerted physical and tactical dominance to come away with a victory that looks easier on the scoreboard than it actually was. In other words, this was no repeat of the Marshall games from many years ago when the Pack barely won in a controversial manner. Instead, it got its act together and won well.

    This weekend is going to be tough, fellows, especially with a green defensive with new faces and others in new places on the field. Look for a battle against the Chop Blockers.

  3. patientwuf 09/06/2011 at 9:30 AM #

    Good points Alpha.

    Overall my view from the cheapseats is that Liberty was very well prepared for Saturday’s game. As a matter of fact, we were out coached for most of the game. Liberty’s offensive execution was excellent. Our defense did well to hold that offense to 1 touchdown. Our DB’s and LB’s are game changers. Our DLine will be okay. We need to get guys healthy.

    Our offensive execution needs to improve, from the oline all the way to the offensive coordinator. Even TOB seemed a upset over our playcalling in the first half and he stated that we(coaches) put to me much stress on Glennon and I agree. I really expected to see more screens and dump downs to wide receivers but that didn’t happen. Rashard Smith and Tobias Palmer need to touch the ball more. Short passes to those two can go for big yards.

    I think everyone agrees that this weekend is going to be tough, but we can win. There were some positives from Saturday night.

  4. packof81 09/06/2011 at 9:52 AM #

    So when a Wake Forest player gets caught driving drunk, he leaves the team and withdraws from the school. When a Carolina player rolls his SUV with alcohol on his breath, a UNC cop launders the incident.

  5. JasonP 09/06/2011 at 10:00 AM #

    After watching several games this weekend and seeing how other teams came out of the gate ready to play, I started wondering what in world was going on during State’s spring and summer practices. Is it that our schemes are that complicated and players can’t keep up? Is the talent level that poor? Why does it always seem that it takes the team a few quarters, and maybe a few games to warm up?

    Some posters have commented on how O’Brien’s game plan was kept vanilla. Well, shouldn’t this team have complete mastery over those vanilla plays? For a coach that has historically built teams around a punishing O-line, that vanilla should be our bread and butter. As a fan, I’m not panicking – I fully expected a 7-5 season this year even with a soft schedule. I just expected that in a coach’s 5th year, with athletes (no matter the stars) that are accustomed to the system, the team would come out and at least have most cylinders firing. This weekend’s game is going to be tough, and could be quite an initiation for some of our less experienced D-linemen with these cut-blocks WF has mastered. I hope the coaches have this team ready for Saturday from the starting whistle instead of waiting for a half before waking up.

  6. Alpha Wolf 09/06/2011 at 10:38 AM #

    I wouldn’t panic after a slow start. It’s way too soon to do that. It’s not like we lost to Richmond or something, and there’s plenty of time for O’Brien and company to coach ’em up and get the boys ready for Wake.

  7. NCStatePride 09/06/2011 at 10:45 AM #

    Suggesting that we aren’t “that bad” by making a reference to Duke isn’t making me feel better. For now, I’m just in WTF mode over what to expect Saturday. I am scared s***less after last Saturday, but as O’Brien said, after some of the other games last weekend, at least we won.

  8. Hungwolf 09/06/2011 at 10:52 AM #

    Liberty was a good tune up for us. Glennon will improve with time, the o-line will get better. Defense is solid, although I worry about the interior of our d-line. Kicking game needs to grow up quick.

    As far as UNC-Cheat, Withers guaranteed he will not be the coach after this season by giving the game ball to Davis. Davis proved what Miami and Browns fans have alwasy said about him, that he is a classless jerk. A fired coach showing up to watch his former team its first game without him, play is unheard of in Division 1 football. Don’t see how the current staff can hold onto recruits or recruit at all, they can’t honestly tell a recruit they will be here to caoch them?

  9. rtpack24 09/06/2011 at 10:53 AM #

    All of these broken bones in the feet! Is it the shoes?

  10. STLPack01 09/06/2011 at 11:14 AM #

    I think everybody is overreacting about the Liberty game. I think Wake will be a tough test (it always is when we go to W-S) but we will provail. I also think that Liberty is a better ball club than Wake and would beat them 8/10 times.

  11. packhammer 09/06/2011 at 11:43 AM #

    They gave the game ball to Butch Davis. Ha, now that is a good one. What, it is not a joke?

  12. 61Packer 09/06/2011 at 11:53 AM #

    I’m thrilled that Withers was kept on as UNC’s HC and gave Saturday’s game ball to BMFD. It just proves that whenever you have a coaching scandal going on, it’s best to cut your losses immediately, clear out the entire staff, and start over.

    As far as our season is concerned, it’s starting to look to me like the proverbial picture of a woman who looks like a princess from one angle but looks like a witch from another. I see two clear-cut wins ahead, South Alabama and Central Michigan. The Wake game is pivotal, and I just don’t have a good feeling about it right now. Lose that one, and I can’t see us as a favorite in any of our remaining games except the SA and CM contests.

    Yeah, we’re really SEC material…….

  13. Greywolf 09/06/2011 at 12:07 PM #

    Based on comments made by some of the coaches, Bible for sure, in pre-season the coaches are coaching positions, i.e., the entire group of players in that position. This would IMO have an initial impact on the readiness of the depth chart players to perform. The other side of the coin is that ALL players get a good look and this philosophy will tend to pay off when injuries occur. Also as word gets out to recruits this could positively impact recruiting. An incoming freshman knows he will get coaching and an opportunity to compete for either a starting position or a place on the 2-deep.

    Were we in the talent position of some other schools, perhaps a different philosophy would result in a team better prepared on opening day.

    Our “pocket” passing game is better for a 6′-7″ QB like like Glennon than it is for a “rolling pocket” passer like Renner. Both styles have their advantages. Regardless, I don’t expect 7 forced turnovers by our defense every game nor do I expect to see our offense struggle every game. Wake will still have to beat us, not count on us beating ourselves.

  14. JVM4PACK 09/06/2011 at 12:19 PM #

    Anyone know what channel RSN would be in central NC?

  15. LRM 09/06/2011 at 12:52 PM #

    It should be Fox Sports South.

  16. wolfbuff 09/06/2011 at 3:32 PM #

    TOB’s comments dating back to practices in August strike me as odd. Before this year, he has been more straightforward with his comments. We all remember the “we’re not a very good team” after the win over Pitt. I’m wondering if he thinks that more encouraging words are what this team needs to build their confidence. Can’t put my finger on it, but I just don’t think he’s telling us what he really thinks this year.

  17. NCStatePride 09/06/2011 at 3:44 PM #

    I completely agree with that comment, wolfbuff. After the game Saturday, O’Brien put that positive spin on things by saying something along the lines of ‘After looking around at other games on Saturday, at least we won and that’s something positive.’ I was kind of shocked at that response, especially given his frank nature. I’ve come to admire his never-satisfied attitude. I wasn’t thrilled with his post-Pitt remarks, especially since they were RIGHT AFTER the game (come on, man, you can’t even give the players one night of celebration?) but it goes into the team attitude.

    My theory (nothing more, nothing less), is that the attitude of the “past regime” was the cause of O’Brien’s brutally honest rhetoric of the past. He had to get rid of that “swagger” mentality. Now that it’s his program with his players doing things his way, the harsh hand of discipline may not be as necessary after victories.

  18. pack44fan 09/06/2011 at 5:21 PM #

    I think he is trying to put a “positive” spin on things due to the RW situation, just an opinion. I think he is trying to deflect any criticism or heat from the media and fans, which is what he should do.

  19. BureauOfMines 09/06/2011 at 6:44 PM #

    Yeah, Butchie was the guest of some well to do boosters in their premium box. Maybe they want to take care of him so that he can be reinstated after they get shed of Thorpe. Unreal.

  20. gtspack 09/06/2011 at 7:11 PM #

    Damn I miss Butch. I hope last Saturday was a wake up call, but TOB teams seem to get better and better as the season goes on. That’s why I love our schedule this year.

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