Friday Farrago

NC STATE FOOTBALL

GoPack.com
Thursday Football Notebook

NC STATE VS. MARYLAND
In the 100+year gridiron series between NC State and Maryland, the overall record stands just where it did when the series started: all tied up. The all-time series, which dates back to 1909, has resulted in 32 wins for the Wolfpack, 32 wins for the Terrapins and four ties.

In recent history, the series has been a little more lopsided, with the Terrapins taking eight of the last 12 contests.

DIRTY BYRD
Byrd Stadium has not been a friendly destination for the NC State Wolfpack in recent years. State has not won a game on Maryland’s home field since Oct. 16, 2004 and has dropped five of the last six contests there.

In Raleigh, the Pack has won three of the last four.

CLOSE CALLS
In the 21st century, the games between NC State and Maryland have been close ones. Of the last 12 contests between the two teams, four of which the Wolfpack has won, 10 have been decided by 10 points or fewer. Four of those 10 games have been decided by four or less points and nine by less than 10 points.

Last season, the Pack won by 15 points, but had to score 42 unanswered points in the second half to gain the victory in the largest comeback in school history.

Ryan Tice (TheWolfpacker.com)
Tom O’Brien talks bye week philosophy, Maryland

How much do they try to hide the ways they use wide receiver Stefon Diggs and how concerned are you with him?

We’re really concerned with him. I think he’s the Sammy Watkins of this year in the conference. You’re going to have to kick the ball to him on kickoffs and punts because he’s the only guy back there. He’s going to catch it and we have to do a great job of coverage team. Then, they play him in the backfield, they play him at the inside slot, they play him on the outside, they play him all over on offense. Once again, it’s trying to figure it out. Each week is a little bit different on how they’re going to do things, so we have to be able to adjust and understand where he is.

Ryan Tice (TheWolfpacker.com)
Duran Christophe serving up protection, sandwiches

In addition to serving up quality protection for quarterback Mike Glennon, Christophe has been operating a deli in the Avent Ferry shopping center near campus with his wife, Lisette.

The Christophes, who also have a young son, opened NYC deli earlier this year and have a menu board with sandwiches named after Wolfpack greats, such as Mario Williams and Philip Rivers.

“I think it’s been about eight months now,” he said. “My wife is opportunistic. She’s smart, so when she says, ‘jump,’ I ask, ‘how high?’

“It’s New York style sandwiches with corned beef and pastrami, New York style bread and cheese.”

Christophe joked that he had a bunk bed set up in the restaurant this summer because he was spending so much time inside the deli. However, with football season and class in session, he’s had to step back a little bit and allow his wife to run things. He still helps when he can and dines on his favorite sandwich, which is not on the menu, at least not yet.

“I just put all the meats on one piece of bread with some mayonnaise and mustard,” he laughed. “That’s not on the menu, I’ve got to come out of the pocket to pay for that one.”

PackPride.com
IR: Crisp, Wallace, Washington Probable

UMTerps.com
Terps make final preparations for NC State

NC State is coming off its bye week and defeated then-No. 3 Florida State, 17-16, in its last game. Glennon ranks third in the ACC with 280.2 passing yards per game and has a number of talented receivers around him. Quinton Payton ranks seventh in the conference in receiving yards per game (83.3), while Bryan Underwood is second in the league with seven receiving touchdowns.

Maryland, though, has been tough against the pass lately. Opposing quarterbacks have completed just 40.2 percent of their passes the last two games, and the Terps rank second in the league in passing defense on the year, having surrendered just 183.2 yards per game.

In the fourth quarter, Maryland’s defense has been particularly tough in helping pull out several close victories. Opponents have totaled just 70 total rushing yards in the fourth quarter in six games, and Maryland has dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for 50:02 compared to 39:58 for the opponents.

A similar performance this Saturday could be vital if history is a guide: of the last 12 contests between the teams, 10 have been decided by 10 points or fewer.

All time, the series is tied, 32-32-4, though the Terps have owned the upper hand in the series in College Park, having won three straight and five of the last six.

ACC Sportsmanship Week: ACC Football is celebrating Sportsmanship Week throughout the ACC this week, which features initiatives designed to promote good sportsmanship for all of the league’s fall sports, its teams, coaches and fans. Maryland and NC State will participate in a pre-game handshake to promote sportsmanship.

College Football News
CFN’s Take: NC State vs. Maryland

Why NC State Might Win: Yeah, there have been exceptions, such as the opener with Tennessee and Week 5 in Miami, but the Wolfpack defense has held up well for the better part of the year. Maryland doesn’t figure to change the trend. The Terrapins harbor the youngest—and statistically poorest—attack in the ACC, averaging just 267 yards and 22 points per game. While the rookies, like QB Perry Hills and WR Stefon Diggs, are growing weekly, they remain a relative liability. And the O-line is not helping. Assertive NC State will look to rattle the young quarterback, mixing its looks, and turning loose outside linebackers Rickey Dowdy and Rodman Noel.

Why Maryland Might Win: The Wolfpack defense has been good. The one hailing from College Park has been a notch better. The Terps have been blue-collar and stout all year, ranking in the top 20 nationally in run defense, pass defense, sacks and total D, despite spending way too much time on the field. If NC State and Tom O’Brien had only hopes of establishing the, it won’t happen at Byrd Stadium. Maryland is allowing just 2.6 yards per carry, gumming up running lanes with DE Joe Vellano and linebackers Darin Drakeford and Demetrius Hartsfield. And stationary QB Mike Glennon will not get the time he needs to check down and locate an open receiver.

What Will Happen: Big game. Toss-up game. In a battle of 4-2 teams that’ll be dictated by the defenses, it’ll come down to which quarterback can make clutch plays in the final 20 minutes. Advantage NC State. Glennon has not been perfect this fall, but he is a gifted fifth-year senior, who proved two weeks ago that he can rally his team at pivotal points in the game. After trading sacks, turnovers and salty defensive plays, it’ll be Glennon to clutch WR Bryan Underwood once again to help StatNorth Caroe escape with another close, edge-of-the-seat victory.

CFN Prediction: NC State 28 … Maryland 20

ACC FOOTBALL

Heather Dinich (ESPN)
ACC predictions: Week 8

NC State 17, Maryland 14: Odds are we won’t see much of a running game from either team, as Maryland’s has been nonexistent this year and the Terps’ defense is good enough to stifle whatever attempt the Wolfpack will make. The difference will be at quarterback, where Mike Glennon has the edge, but the Pack will have to find a way to limit freshman phenom Stefon Diggs at receiver and in the return game.

North Carolina 45, Duke 28: This is less an indictment of Duke and more a vote of confidence in the Tar Heels as the best team in the division. UNC is rolling, and its offensive line is a major reason. Giovani Bernard will go up and down the field on the Blue Devils as UNC wins the battle up front.

Andrea Adelson (ESPN)
What to watch in the ACC: Week 8

3. How does NC State respond after a bye? This is our first chance to see the Wolfpack since their 17-16 upset of then-No. 3 Florida State two weeks ago. So what can we expect? Their opponent, Maryland, is the only undefeated team in ACC play and has one of the best defenses in the nation. So there is no overstating how important this game is in the Atlantic race. NC State is 4-2 under Tom O’Brien after a bye. The results have been decided by an average of only nine points per game.

7. Run games to watch, Part III. Will Maryland be able to solve its rushing woes against NC State? The Terps are one of the worst teams in the nation when it comes to running the football, averaging 71.3 yards per game and a paltry 1.9 yards per carry. They are on pace to set program lows in the modern era for average rushing yards per game and average yards per carry. The current program-low is 81.3 rushing yards per game and 2.2 yards per carry, set in 1966. The last time Maryland failed to average more than 100 yards rushing per game was in 1997 (88.5 ypg). (Note: the Maryland stats record book goes back to 1947.)

Andrew Jones (FoxSportsCarolinas)
ACC Capsules: Week 8

N.C. State (4-2, 1-1) at Maryland (4-2, 2-0)

Where: College Park, MD, Byrd Stadium (54,100)
When: 3:30 p.m.
The blitz: N.C. State got a week off after beating then-unbeaten Florida State in a very impressive comeback. Coach Tom O’Brien said he wouldn’t let the victory get to his players’ heads, and if he achieved that the Wolfpack should emerge with a narrow victory. But, State’s problems play into Maryland’s hands: It allows too many sacks; turns the ball over; and has penalty issues on offense. The Terrapins are very good defensively and consistent. Joe Vellano and company will make enough plays and give the offense some short fields.
Pick: Maryland, 20-16.

North Carolina (5-2, 2-1) at Duke (5-2, 2-1)

Where: Durham, NC, Wallace Wade Stadium (33,941)
When: 7 p.m.
The blitz: With the many storylines that will accompany this rare night game between these rivals, it will really come down to one thing: Can Duke stop UNC tailback Giovani Bernard? If so, the Devils have a great chance of winning. If not, and Bernard runs for a bunch of yards, like he has in the only two games this season UNC intently made him the offensive focal point (he gained 262 yards versus Virginia Tech and 177 at Miami in the last two games), Carolina will roll.
Pick: UNC, 44-23.

NC STATE BASKETBALL

Ryan Fagan (Sporting News)
College basketball countdown: No. 9 N.C. State Wolfpack

REASONS TO BELIEVE

An abundance of confidence. There’s an almost unhealthy amount of optimism surrounding the Wolfpack program. With a solid base of returning players and an excellent recruiting class, N.C. State was on sleeper lists for the 2012-13 season—and that was before the team’s stunning run to the Sweet 16 as a No. 11 seed. Now, the Wolfpack have moved from an ACC sleeper to an ACC favorite. There is more talent on this team than any N.C. State squad in recent memory.

REASONS TO WORRY

New leaders must emerge. C.J. Williams and Alex Johnson weren’t primary scorers for the Wolfpack, but the two seniors played a huge leadership role in Mark Gottfried’s first season. Replacing that won’t be easy. The four returning starters—Brown, Scott Wood, Leslie and Richard Howell—have to step up in that department, which includes practice and other off-court activities.

Little in reserve. There isn’t much depth on the roster. N.C. State’s starting lineup stacks up with almost anyone in the country, but foul trouble or injury issues could cause serious damage to short- and long-term goals. If bigs Thomas de Thaey and Jordan Vandenberg show significant progress, that would be a big boost.

Handling the pressure. Will the Wolfpack respond well to high expectations? The team’s veterans never have been anything but underdogs in big games, and the freshmen are quickly learning about the fervor of the rabid N.C. State fan base.

BOTTOM LINE

There is, without a doubt, reason for the optimism surrounding N.C. State, especially now that Purvis, a consensus top-15 recruit, was cleared by the NCAA. Purvis joins the four returning starters to give the Wolfpack the best starting five in the ACC. The Wolfpack are legitimate contenders for their first conference title since 1989 and a top seed in the NCAA Tournament—though the lack of depth could be an issue.

ACC BASKETBALL

Jim Young (accsports.com)
ACC Operation Basketball Notebook

Dawkins’ Basketball Sabbatical

As announced earlier this month, Andre Dawkins is taking a big step back from Duke basketball for this season. Though he was initially expected to redshirt this season — meaning he would remain fully committed to the program throughout the season — Dawkins is instead scaling back his basketball involvement even further.

He won’t be responsible for attending practices and other programs with the basketball team, leaving him more time to deal with personal issues, including his sister’s 2009 death.

Though he’s stepped away from the gym, Dawkins still keeps in touch with his teammates.

“He was one of my best friends on the team last year, so I talk to him all the time,” senior guard Seth Curry said. “He’s in a few of my classes so I still talk to him. I’m sure it’s tough on him, but he’s just trying to handle his stuff off the court — just handle what he has to do first.”

“It’s tough not being around the gym and around the team like he has been his whole life. It’s a whole different type of atmosphere and a different type of thing he’s going through.”

Dawkins is expected to return to the team next season.

Jim Young (accsports.com)
ACC Operation Basketball Notebook, Part 2

In Search Of Fewer Fouls

With 124 fouls a season ago, N.C. State forward Richard Howell may have developed a bit of an unflattering reputation.

This season, he’ll try to change that perception— even if it requires desperate measures.

“I’ve kidded around a lot,” Howell said. “I feel like if I cut my beard off or something, I may not get as many fouls called.”

The beard appears to be safe for now, though.

Howell has worked on trimming fat instead of facial hair, and he said he can feel a huge difference already in terms of stamina.

That change could help eliminate fouls late in games.

“A lot of fouls do come with fatigue,” Howell said. “You get tired. You start reaching a lot. But with the way that we’re training, I feel like we shouldn’t even get tired.”

Of course, not all of Howell’s fouls came late in contests. He said many of them could be attributed to an over-aggressive mentality.

“Just me thinking, ‘My hands are quick enough to just take the ball and just get in there and get out,’” Howell said. “I feel like that’s a mentality that you grow out of. It’s a growing stage.”

Whatever the cause, Howell acknowledged that staying out of foul trouble will be a major focus for him as N.C. State looks to build on its success from a year ago.

“I’ve really gotta stay out of foul trouble and got to make a lot more foul shouts than I did last year,” Howell said. “That’s one of the huge parts that maybe could’ve put us in a better position.”

Andrew Jones (FoxSportsCarolinas)
Plenty of optimism at ACC Media Day

Of course, the Tar Heels and Blue Devils are expected to challenge for the league crown, and their players expect to win it. But so does NC State. The Wolfpack were picked to finish first by the coaches Monday and the media chose the same on Wednesday.

The Pack have a terrific core to their lineup, notably point guard Lorenzo Brown and forward C.J. Leslie, whom the media tabbed as the preseason Player of the Year. But NC State hasn’t been part of a regular season title since 1989. Leslie doesn’t care.

“We have higher expectations,” said Leslie, who was a key figure in last March’s run to the Sweet 16. “We want to win a championship. We want to go further in the NCAA. We’re proud to be one of those teams, but we’re not happy with it; we can do better.”

[snip]

Florida State coach Leonard Hamilton was a proud man talking about his team’s ACC Tournament championship last March. The residual effect has been significant in recruiting and credibility outside of the league’s region. It’s also been big within the boundaries of the Seminoles’ locker room.

Instead of having the players believe it can happen, they’ve now seen it for their own eyes. With Ian Miller, Okaro White and possible Player of the Year candidate Michael Snaer leading a freshman class that’s already causing a stir in Tallahassee, they see no reason they can’t win the regular season title.

“He’s probably accurate,” Hamilton said, referring to Snaer’s comments about the freshmen and the Seminoles’ potential. “I think now our system’s in place and we have guys now that are a little more capable of doing things, of attacking more than we did in the past.

“I think it’s a sign that our incoming kids are a little more skilled, and the mere fact that three of our freshman perimeter players have all been to prep school, they are a little older and little more mature.”

Ryan Fagan (Sporting News)
College basketball countdown: No. 13 North Carolina Tar Heels

REASONS TO BELIEVE

The shooting guards. There isn’t a team in the country with more depth or experience at the position. Coach Roy Williams must be creative to get them all on the floor, but each of the four—senior Dexter Strickland, juniors Leslie McDonald and Reggie Bullock and sophomore P.J. Hairston—offers something different. Strickland, an excellent defender, can run the point for short stretches. At 6-7, Bullock can defend most forwards, and Hairston, a streaky shooter, spent the summer adding strength so he can handle small forwards, too. McDonald, an excellent shooter, missed last season with an ACL injury but is 100 percent now.

James Michael McAdoo. Despite a modest freshman season buried in the nation’s most talented frontcourt, McAdoo still was thought of as a potential top-10 pick in the 2012 NBA draft. This season, he’s expected to be the star. He’ll play significant minutes and will be the clear-cut focus of UNC’s low-post offense. With his soft touch around the basket and knack for converting offensive putbacks, there’s every reason to expect an All-American season from McAdoo.

A breakout candidate. With an abundance of shots suddenly available, Bullock—who did everything asked of him last season—could score upwards of 14 points per game. He has the ability to be much more than just a designated 3-point shooter.

REASONS TO WORRY

Lack of frontcourt experience. There is plenty of talent, but after McAdoo, who averaged 15.6 minutes per game last season, the only other two returning forwards were bit players in 2011-12—Desmond Hubert averaged 4.9 minutes, Jackson Simmons 1.8. From there, the Heels will rely heavily on a group of freshmen. Joel James is a 6-10, 260-pound man-child, but Brice Johnson (6-9, 187) must bulk up. J.P. Tokoto can throw down dunks, but at 6-5 he is more of a wing than an inside player.

A freshman point guard. Marcus Paige is one of the top five point guards in the Class of ‘12, but he sustained a stress fracture in his foot this spring and this is a position where experience is a huge plus. The Heels need Paige healthy because they’re counting on his scoring. The other options are Strickland—who tore his ACL in January and will likely be hobbled at the start of the schedule—and Luke Davis, a transfer from Gardner-Webb.

Improved competition. Duke and Florida State again will be near the top of the conference, but N.C. State, Maryland and Miami could all be significantly improved. That ever-present target on the Carolina uniforms will make nearly every ACC game a challenge for the Heels.

BOTTOM LINE

With so many newcomers filling big roles—and a couple returning from significant injuries—there will be hiccups. But if everyone buys in, this could be another good Carolina team.

Ryan Fagan (Sporting News)
FSU’s Michael Snaer talks the talk, promises to walk the walk

On not being selected ACC preseason player of the year (N.C. State’s C.J. Leslie got the nod): “If the coaches think that, I’m cool. I’m chilling. They can have that. We’ll see when it comes down to it and we step on the court. We’ll see who the toughest player is and the best player in the league. We’ll see who makes the difference, the biggest impact toward their team. We’ll see which team is at the top even though people don’t expect them to be. That’s all I’m saying: We’ll see. I can’t keep saying things over and over. We’ll just have to wait and see now. I could be full of hot air, for all you know. Talk is cheap. I could say this and be all, whatever, during the season. Talk is cheap. Give it to him.”

On FSU being picked outside the top three in the ACC: “Since I’ve been there, people have been saying all kinds of things, and we’ve been proving otherwise. I really don’t care.”

On FSU’s defensive mindset: “Teams may have all the talent in the world, but they come and play us and it’s a different story. You’re not going to do all that. All we have to do is score 70 points to beat you. … Any team that plays us, if you beat us, you’re not going home to celebrate. You’re going home to lick your wounds because you know we brought it.”

On why the offense will be better: “We don’t have to hide people. The system we had last year, we ran a play almost every time down. We had to hide certain guys who couldn’t do certain things. We had to go to (Bernard James’) left every time because he didn’t feel comfortable going to his right hand. We had to make sure (Deividas Dulkys) was shooting spot-up 3s because he wasn’t going to drive that well. We had to set a screen for Luke (Loucks) to get into the paint, where Ian, one-on-one, can get there any time he wants.”

NCAA

Bruce Pascoe (Sporting News)
College basketball countdown: No. 8 Arizona Wildcats

REASONS TO BELIEVE

No more “death by inches.” A frustrated Sean Miller repeated that phrase last season while playing 6-7 Jesse Perry at center, 6-6 Solomon Hill at power forward and 6-3 Kyle Fogg at small forward. But he took care of that by assembling a powerhouse recruiting class that includes three prized big men: Kaleb Tarczewski, Grant Jerrett and Brandon Ashley. All three have somewhat complementary games: Tarczewski is a surprisingly mobile 7-footer with a true back-to-the basket game, Jerrett is an inside-outside power forward with a strong 3-point shot and Ashley is a prototypical long and athletic four man who can create mismatches. Their presence, plus the return of shot-blocking sophomore Angelo Chol, should allow the Wildcats to play Hill at a more natural small forward spot, where he’ll rely on shooting and passing as much as creating mismatches inside.

REASONS TO WORRY

Point guards. Neither Lyons nor junior Jordin Mayes is a true point guard, and both have obstacles to overcome: Lyons must adjust quickly to a new team while Mayes is coming off an injury-plagued season.

Perimeter shooting. The 6-10 Jerrett might be as good as any of the team’s 3-point shooters. That’s good … and bad.

Old habits. Distrustful of past big men, the Wildcats haven’t fed the post like Miller hopes they will now. “It’s important for us to know that throwing it in there is a good thing,” Miller says.

BOTTOM LINE

Once the NBA Draft lured Derrick Williams off Arizona’s 2011 Elite Eight team, the Wildcats were exposed as a program still rebuilding from recruiting damage created by years of coaching instability. But the upward arc this time is no mirage: Arizona has quality depth, going 10 deep, thanks to four years of Miller’s recruiting. Provided the Wildcats can mesh five newcomers with five returnees in the rotation, they could approach their 2011 success.

Jeff Goodman (CBSSports.com)
Dexter Strickland gives N.C. State fans bulletin board material

First, we’ll go with the bulletin-board material provided to Mark Gottfried’s N.C. State squad — which has been picked by both coaches and media as the preseason favorite to win the league.

“They talk those guys up every single far and we beat them every single year,” Strickland said. “They are the least of our worries. Beat us one year and then they can talk smack. Until then, you can’t put them in the mix.”

Terrific stuff. I may just move down this way for the year because it’s going to be incredibly entertaining — both on and off the court. The last time all three — UNC, Duke and N.C. State — were all at this level was back in the late 1980’s when Jim Valvano was in Raleigh.

Strickland wasn’t done, though.

I asked him whether he still thought about how everything might have been different last season if Kendall Marshall and he had been on the court for the NCAA tournament — and John Henson had been healthy as well.

“All the time,” he said. “I’ll be honest. If nobody got hurt, you might as well have given us the trophy. Nobody had the ability to stop us.”

NC STATE ATHLETICS

GoPack.com
Volleyball Hosts Boston College in Pink Match Friday, Maryland Saturday

NC State’s volleyball team (17-3, 7-2) returns home from a four-match road trip for back-to-back matches against Boston College on Friday and Maryland on Saturday. Friday’s contest is the annual Kay Yow Pink Match, which raises money for the cancer fund named for the legendary women’s basketball coach, who also coach volleyball and slow-pitch softball early in her NC State career.

Boston College (4-5, 10-11) vs. NC State (17-3, 7-2)
Friday | 7 p.m. | Reynolds Coliseum
Series record: Boston College leads, 8-6
Last meeting: NC State won 3-1 in Raleigh in 2011.

Maryland (2-7, 10-10) vs. NC State (17-3, 7-2)
Saturday | 5 p.m. | Reynolds Coliseum
Series record: Maryland leads, 44-19
Last meeting: NC State won 3-1 in Raleigh in 2011.

NC State’s 2012 Results
Overall: 17-3; Home: 12-1; Away: 3-2; Neutral: 2-0.

UP NEXT
The Wolfpack plays four of its next six matches on the road, making a trip to Winston-Salem next Friday to face Wake Forest in a contest that will be broadcast live on ESPN3. The Wolfpack beat the Demon Deacons 3-0 earlier this season in Reynolds Coliseum.

On Oct. 27, the Wolfpack will travel to Durham, N.C, to face Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Earlier this year, the Pack ended a 21-match losing streak to the Blue Devils with a 3-1 victory in Reynolds Coliseum.