Closer to kickoff #1Pack1Goal

'13 Football27

On Wednesday, NC State’s football players will learn the identity of the starting quarterback to take the field when the 2013 football season kicks off on Saturday.

Brandon Mitchell and Pete Thomas will find out which one will be N.C. State’s starting quarterback on Wednesday. The rest of us will have to wait until just before kickoff of the Wolfpack’s season opener against Louisiana Tech on Saturday.

“We’ve talked with all of the quarterbacks about where they stand and what they need to work on,” coach Dave Doeren said Monday at his first regular weekly press conference. “There isn’t a magical count that we’ve talked about with those guys or first play or anything like that yet.

“By the end of the practice Wednesday I think there will be a real firm grasp on those guys parts. I’ve told both of them that they need to be ready to be our guy … to be ready when their name is called. They’re both excited. I think they know in a 12-game season that’s a good possibility.”

I could be mistaken, but – along with the Starnewsonline – I have a hard time believing that Brandon Mitchell is not the first quarterback to take the field for the Wolfpack in 2013. Nonetheless

The reality, however, is that the battle has already been decided. And in many ways, it was over before it ever really began.

Doeren made that abundantly clear after spring practice when, unconvinced that either Thomas or fellow holdover Manny Stocker was ready to run his up-tempo spread offense, he went out and recruited a fifth-year free agent who he felt was.

Mitchell was an appealing choice because of his experience, his dual-threat ability and the fact that, having already received his undergraduate degree from Arkansas, he was able to play right away without having to sit out a season under NCAA transfer rules.

Though it’s uncertain what, if anything, Mitchell was promised before deciding to attend State, it’s a fair assumption that he didn’t come here to be a backup for his final year of college eligibility. He could just as easily have done that by staying with the Razorbacks.

As long as the athletic 6-foot-3, 239-pound Louisiana native was able to learn the playbook quickly and gain the trust of his new teammates, the foregone conclusion was that the Wolfpack’s starting quarterback job was his for the taking.

In other personnel developments (click here for some key updates), AJ Ferguson will miss the Wolfpack’s first two games of the season due to a suspension for violating University policy, so he is not on the depth chart released yesterday for the Louisiana Tech game. After spring practice Ferguson was listed as a backup to returning starters T.Y. McGill and Thomas Teal. Instead of Ferguson, you will note the presence of Carlos Gray (So) and Monty Nelson (Fr).

A few other notes of interest from the depth chart:

(1) Despite all of the preseason talk of MJ Salahuddin’s emergence, he is listed as a co-starters at weakside linebacker with Brandon Pittman.
(2) Mike Rose and Darryl Cato-Bishop are listed as co-starters at a defensive end.
(3) As expected, JUCO transfer Quinton Schooley is listed as the starter at center and Joe Thuney has been moved to the starter at right guard in order to get the ‘best five’ offensive linemen on the field at the same time.
(4) True freshman Patrick Roane makes an appearance as back-up at left tackle further underscoring our lack of depth on the offensive line.
(5) I am surprised to NOT see the name Travares Copeland (WR) or Cameron Fordham (OL) on the two deeps.

In case you missed it yesterday, Sports Illustrated has projected Coach Doeren’s first installment of NC State football to go bowling in December. In that same entry we commented that, “The national football previews that I have seen over the summer almost unanimously project Dave Doeren’s first installment of NC State Football to be generally ‘middle of the road’ in the national picture – consistently projected to be ‘rated’ somewhere between the #52 and #67 team in the county.” As another example, Athlon rated the Wolfpack #54 in their pre-season work:

NC State athletic director Debbie Yow has already said she expects 2013 to be a rebuilding season, but Doeren won quickly at NIU with a roster he inherited from another coach. The offense will have to run the ball more effectively, and Thomas will have to learn a new scheme. The defense should be able to carry the mail, especially with the first four games at home, as the team adjusts to the new staff. Don’t expect State to be a significant factor in the ACC Atlantic Division race, but there is enough talent on the roster to return to a bowl game for the fourth straight season.

If you aren’t feeling the excitement for this weekend quite yet, the following video will start to get you going!

About StateFans

'StateFansNation' is the shared profile used by any/all of the dozen or so authors that contribute to the blog. You may not always agree with us, but you will have little doubt about where we stand on most issues. Please follow us on Twitter and FaceBook

'13 Football

27 Responses to Closer to kickoff #1Pack1Goal

  1. JohnGalt78 08/27/2013 at 7:15 AM #

    Perfect weekend headed our way beginning Thursday at 6:00 when Cocks pound Holes. And who among us doesn’t like the prospect of that? 😉 And, of course, a Wolfpack victory.

  2. Wufpacker 08/27/2013 at 8:33 AM #

    ^ Heh.

  3. Greywolf 08/27/2013 at 10:19 AM #

    I can’t find the depth chart that is being referred to but over on Rivals,The Wolfpacker, this depth chart

    http://ncstate.rivals.com/cdepthtext.asp

    has Deylan Buntyn in Ferguson’s place spot. Regarding Copeland, he and others may be nicked up. Rashard Smith isn’t on the depth chart either. This depth chart is for a twin back set, not a spread which we are running.

    Edit note: The depth chart link has been fixed. Smith and Hegedas are at one WR slot.

  4. bill.onthebeach 08/27/2013 at 10:49 AM #

    .. I’m betting that Mr. Dog will know who our starting QB no later than Wednesday night…..

  5. Wolfgarden 08/27/2013 at 11:59 AM #

    Yes an orange county u loss will be be sweet….but please LT put up 51.5 points per game last year on average. Their offense has not changed much….They played some tough teams also. Our defense will be suspect…we need to keep the ball, run for first downs. This does not seem to fit Doeren profile or the SEC QB whom he brought in that will play. maybe we can outshoot them…oh and make no mistake I love the Pack

  6. Deacon Blues 08/27/2013 at 2:38 PM #

    ^ What you talkin bout Willis?

  7. Greywolf 08/27/2013 at 3:22 PM #

    LaTech: Returning starters: 7 (3 offense, 4 defense)

    Pu-leeze, State is favored on LaTech’s own web page.

    “…we need to keep the ball, run for first downs. …doesn’t fit Doeren’s profile” WTF does THAT mean?

    It’s better to keep quiet and have people think…

  8. PackFamily 08/27/2013 at 3:22 PM #

    Wolfgarden, I agree they may still be a tough team and our guys should prepare for them accordingly. However, there are plenty of examples of teams who lose a coach with a hyper-focus on one area (offensive production) and nearly completely lose that ability the following year. A good example is Louisville after losing Petrino. They had the same QB return, but they were a shell of their former self.

    Skip is on record saying they will be focusing less on an up-tempo style and more on clock management. And nothing in his long history suggests otherwise.

    Our D is our strong point as far as we can see going into the season. Your suggestion is for us to play to not lose. We’ve tried that ad naseum . Doesn’t work.

    My suggestion is to follow the advice of Mike Tyson “Everybody’s got a plan until they get punched in the mouth”. That statement has more wisdom than I would like to give him credit for.

  9. Virginia Wolf 08/27/2013 at 4:57 PM #

    Yeah, I like that philosophy! Punch ’em in the mouth and then let them try and control the clock. Go Pack! Can’t wait until Saturday. Hopefully, we get a unx loss on Thursday and that would be a perfect start to the season. Already getting nervous!!!!

  10. PackFamily 08/27/2013 at 4:59 PM #

    In general, i will be rooting hard for the ACC to do well out of conference. If/when CU rolls us, i will root for them (or any other ACC team) to make it all the way.

  11. choppack1 08/27/2013 at 7:22 PM #

    Looking forward to the game Saturday and the beginning of the last true college football season.

  12. vtpackfan 08/27/2013 at 9:18 PM #

    Zach Gentry starting a MLB- should he start 40 yards off the LOS and start running in when the other team breaks their huddle?

  13. compsciwolf 08/28/2013 at 11:14 AM #

    Since the forums are dead, going to post this here. The NYTimes is running a series looking at ESPN and how they control so much of college football. In this installment, they looked at the rise of Louisville and how it was tied to ESPN. I also learned that Louisville is essentially a giant commuter school (although it sounds like that has changed a bit in recent years).

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/26/sports/at-louisville-an-athletic-boom-made-for-and-by-tv.html?hp

  14. old13 08/28/2013 at 1:01 PM #

    What with the obvious questions surrounding various positions (QB, S, LB, OL), what the O will look like, etc., Saturday’s game should be most interesting. I have no great expectations for this season. Based on DD’s record prior to NCSU as both HC and an assistant, however, I do have a degree of hope that the team will at least play hard and to its full potential.

    I liked TOB but came to the conclusion that he was very too “vanilla” in his approach to running the program, recruiting being an obvious weakness of his. But the one thing that really upset me often was his consistent inability to manage game time, especially in the last 2-3 minutes of a half. Too many time he either intentionally or ineptly let the clock run down when additional plays could and should have been run. That IMO is inexcusable for a D1 HC!

    I’ll also mention that there’s been some recent talk of concerns about DD’s demeanor resembling that of TOB and HWSNBN! Ridiculous! When DD was first hired, I saw several video/TV clips of him during games at NIU in which he was enthusiastic with the players and very much into the game, AND TOTALLY ENGAGED WITH HIS STAFF AND PLAYERS. Now I don’t expect him to behave like a Jimmy V. And I don’t mind a more reserved coach either in press conferences or in games as long as they do their job. In fact, I think such an approach can have a positive impact on the staff and players in pressure situations. After all, it’s player performance, not coach demeanor, that wins games!

    Go Pack!

  15. TheCOWDOG 08/28/2013 at 2:38 PM #

    They will average a guaranteed 30.7 ppg, or better.
    Doeren has pierced ears…that’s a grand resemblance to those other 2, Old13.

    Nope on the starting QB, Beachbum Bill. However, intuition is strongly suggesting Mitchell, and a sh*tfull of running. That, I know, is nothing bold in prediction to you guys.

  16. bill.onthebeach 08/28/2013 at 3:01 PM #

    ^Mr. Dog…It’s Wednesday….. but it ain’t dark yet… you’ll know before ‘bedtime’ I am sure…

  17. Greywolf 08/28/2013 at 4:25 PM #

    What Old13 said.

    And it doesn’t matter which QB starts, Matt Canada will play both of them and DD will happily go along with him. Being an ex DC, Doeren knows preparing for 2 styles of QB play — one more run, the other more pass — means less preparation for either style.

    IMNSHO when Mitchell is in the game we will see more Oregon style of play, i.e., more wide open, When Thomas is in we will see more Wisconsin style of play but not entirely. The ‘Wisconsin’ we’ll see will be the Wisconsin that put a whipping on Nebraska. If there really is a God, we’ll be as successful.

    Doeren’s demeanor resembles HWSNBM in a mostly superficial way and his resemblance to TOB is the best of TOB. David Doeren was born in Kansas but he resembles a North Carolina country boy. And he won’t be the last country boy who has fooled some ‘slicker’ into underestimating him.

    Go Pack!

  18. Wolfgarden 08/28/2013 at 5:22 PM #

    Geywolf:

    I want to apologize to you and any I might have offended. I was just trying to be real as a Pack die hard fan for more than 30 years. I believe in the line (14) for us to win. I was just trying to say lets not let that lull us into a false sense of security…Skip has done well in the past and LT played very well against some big name schools…TX A&M for one. Again I love the PACK and I look for a win just as the rest of us do. Our D though weakened should still be tough so lets punch em in mouth with that and let the game begin!!!

  19. Greywolf 08/28/2013 at 6:16 PM #

    Wolfgarden:

    While not necessary, apology acknowledged. In return I apologize for my snarky response to your comments.

    Sonny Dykes was lured away from Louisiana Tech because he was highly successful. His replacement has been moderately successful. TOB was fired because he was somewhat moderately successful. His replacement was highly successful at NIU. IMO LaTech did not have better athletes than NC State, they had better coaching. I believe in our football team and our coaches and I think we will prevail over most any team Skip Holtz coaches.

    No team can safely overlook an opponent. Just ask Michigan. Or for that matter FSU, Clemson, UNx, teams we have upset in recent years. I certainly don’t take LT lightly.

  20. TheCOWDOG 08/28/2013 at 6:31 PM #

    ^

    🙂

  21. TheCOWDOG 08/28/2013 at 6:44 PM #

    What I am thinkin’ right this second is, for a basketball school, y’all know more about football.

  22. Gowolves 08/28/2013 at 8:51 PM #

    This may be obvious to some but my opinion on how the opening game and the season for that matter is the line play.

    This is especially true for the offensive line. If the line can understand the assignments and hit them quickly then the offense will be successful. This will allow average players play above their ceiling.

    On defense they can hide some of the lack of knowledge due to the natural reactions of the play in front of them. Obviously that can’t last. They will need to eventually understand their assignments. So a little a room for error is acceptable in the first game. Once there is tape that will no longer be the case. For me I am going to watch the line play on both sides. That to me is a true sign that the players are getting the new schemes.

  23. Prowling Woofie 08/28/2013 at 10:14 PM #

    If our D guys will wrap up the ball-carrier/receiver on contact and not go for the highlight reel hit, I’ll be happy…

    Just tackle, dad gummit !!!!

  24. Greywolf 08/28/2013 at 10:41 PM #

    Gowolves:

    Understanding assignments is not usually the problem on defense, it’s speed and athletic ability. I’ve heard/read that we are the 2nd fastest team in the conference. Without going into detail I am satisfied we have speed and athletic ability in our #1 D. I have some concern about speed and athletic ability with our backup safeties but not their understanding of the defense.

    Our outside LBs have speed and athletic ability. Our Mike LBs have been playing that position for at least 4 years at the college level.

    Prowling Woofie:

    I’m with you on the wrap up after the hit but “going for the highlight reel hit has not been our problem, however, jumping the route going for the INT has been.

    Making the open field tackle after the catch is far more difficult than it looks like from the bleachers. Successful open field tackles are the result of athletic ability, technique and practice, not the failed attempt of a highlight reel hit and far more difficult than “just tackling.”

    Spread offenses are designed to create one on one confrontations for that very reason. Good backs and receivers often get big gains from one on one situations.

  25. JohnGalt78 08/29/2013 at 8:13 AM #

    Go COCKS!

1 2

Leave a Reply