the old thread was dead. Post requests for ESPN insider article here.

Someone please post the ACC preview blue ribbon articles. Here is the link for the NC State piece.
http://tinyurl.com/3xa4lk

7/23/2007 11:33:13 AM

Team preview: NC State
Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook

Updated: July 20, 2007
Email
Print
Editor's Note: ESPN Insider has teamed with Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook to provide a comprehensive look at all 119 Division I-A teams. To order the complete 2007 edition of Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook, visit http://www.blueribbonyearbook.com or call 1-866-805-BALL (2255).


(All information as of June 20, 2007)

North Carolina State Wolfpack
LOCATION Raleigh, N.C.
CONFERENCE ACC (Atlantic)
LAST SEASON 3-9 (.250)
CONFERENCE RECORD 2-6 (6th)
OFF. STARTERS RETURNING 8
DEF. STARTERS RETURNING 5
NICKNAME Wolfpack
COLORS Red & White
HOME FIELD Carter-Finley Stadium (57,500)
HEAD COACH Tom O'Brien (Navy '71)
RECORD AT SCHOOL First year
CAREER RECORD 75-45 (10 years)
ASSISTANTS • Dana Bible (Cincinnati '76), Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks/Wide receivers • Mike Archer (Miami '76), Defensive coordinator • Jerry Petercuskie (Boston College '75), Recruiting coordinator/Special teams • Jim Bridge (Wittenberg '92), Tight ends • Don Horton (Wittenberg '82), Offensive line • Andy McCollum (Austin Peay '81), Linebackers • Mike Reed (Boston College '94), Defensive backs • Jason Swepson (Boston College '92), Running backs • Keith Willis (Northeastern '88), Defensive line
TEAM WINS (Last five yrs.) 11-8-5-7-3
FINAL RANK (Last five yrs.) 8-43-64-36-82
2006 FINISH Lost to East Carolina in regular-season finale.
2007 Schedule | 2006 Results | 2006 Stats

COACH AND PROGRAM

The courtship between Tom O'Brien and NC State didn't last long, barely two weeks from the time Chuck Amato was fired until O'Brien was hired.


But, judging from the new coach's reception during his first nine months on the job, it's a marriage that could last a long, long time. The Sporting News rated the hiring of O'Brien, who compiled a 75-45 record during his 10 years as head coach at Boston College, as the best of the 23 Football Bowl Subdivision school coaching hires of the offseason.

Wolfpack fans have clearly embraced the former Marine officer and three-year starter at defensive end for Navy, almost as much as returning hero Sidney Lowe, the point guard who guided NC State to the 1983 NCAA title as a player and took the Pack to the ACC Tournament title game in his first season as head coach.

Of course, it was a fan base that was eager for a more disciplined approach and more on-field success in the post-Philip Rivers era.

Amato, one of Bobby Bowden's top lieutenants at Florida State for 18 years, wore out his welcome at his alma mater not long after Rivers, the record-setting quarterback now with the San Diego Chargers, finished his spectacular career. The Wolfpack had losing seasons in two of the three years after Rivers' departure, ending 2006 on a seven-game losing streak.

That wiped out much of the good will Amato had engendered in taking the Wolfpack to five bowl games in his first six years, providing the spark that ignited more than $100 million improvements to Carter-Finley Stadium and developing nearly two dozen NFL picks, including Rivers and No. 1 overall pick Mario Williams.

But he also rankled alumni, boosters, media and administration with his sunglasses-at-night personality, which included red sneakers during games and three-piece gold suits during recruiting visits. He didn't help himself by saying after a home loss to Akron -- Akron! -- that his team was at a disadvantage because the Zips were allowed to recruit partial academic qualifiers.

After losing back-to-back games to North Carolina and East Carolina to complete the school's worst losing streak since 1959, Amato was let go.

Less than two weeks later, O'Brien was introduced as the 33rd football coach in school history. Promising a more disciplined program, the George Welsh protégé was a welcomed change for the Wolfpack faithful.

During his honeymoon with the school, O'Brien has done nothing but make the right moves.

He brought most of his loyal and devoted staff with him from Boston College, a core of six coaches that helped the Eagles win an NCAA-record eight consecutive bowl games. Most impressively to O'Brien, three of the coaches who came with him to Raleigh are BC graduates He also hired two former head coaches to lead his defense, Mike Archer (LSU) as defensive coordinator and Andy McCollum (Middle Tennessee) as the linebackers coach. It's a staff that has more playing and coaching experience in the NFL than any ACC school other than Georgia Tech.

He signed a very Tom O'Brien kind of recruiting class -- nothing overly flashy, but heavy on the grunt players that he and his staff have been known to turn into NFL prospects. He brought in more than a dozen offensive and defensive linemen.

During spring practice, he opened up every position, made a few structural changes on defense and started instilling the discipline that was lacking under Amato.

"He's a former Marine officer," said junior Daniel Evans, who was the Pack's starting quarterback last year. "We are going to work. We're going to get after it. We are not going to dilly-dally around. He's not going to take any mess. The attitude the new staff brings, I think is great. My teammates, everybody is embracing it."

O'Brien also embraced the school's football history, bringing back two of his predecessors, for advice. And during the weekend of the annual Red & White spring game, O'Brien invited every former NC State player he could track down for a players' reunion similar to the ones Welsh used to have a Virginia. More than 300 of them -- including Williams, St. Louis Rams All-Pro wide receiver Torry Holt and former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher -- came to the reunion, lining the practice field to watch the final workout of the spring.

O'Brien knows he's enjoying a fine honeymoon period with the administration and the fans as he prepares for his first season with the Wolfpack. But there will be some changes. Offensive coordinator Dana Bible, who spent three years as an NC State assistant under Reed in the 1980s, will rely on a more ground-oriented attack to take advantage of the Wolfpack's three capable running backs, juniors Toney Baker and Andre Brown and sophomore Jamelle Eugene. He's already switched the blocking schemes along the offensive line, made more use of the fullback position and put in more plays for a two tight-end lineup.

Defensively, Archer would prefer running a 3-4 system, the same thing he used as a head coach at LSU, as an NFL assistant under Cowher with the Pittsburgh Steelers and most recently as the defensive coordinator at Kentucky. But that will have to wait another recruiting cycle or two.

"Most of my experience has been with the 3-4, just because I have coached it longer than anything else," Archer said. "I think you have to adapt to your personnel. You can't just say we are going to run a 3-4 if you have 4-3 personnel. It isn't fair to the players. I have been around our players, I've watched film from last year and I think right now the recruiting that has gone on has been based on the 4-3. So our base defense will be in some sort of 4-3 configuration."

As successful as he was at BC, O'Brien knows that he will have a great chance of being more successful at NC State, a large public school with more resources, better facilities and a fan base that O'Brien considers the most passionate in the ACC.

"At BC, nine or 10 wins a year was about as good as you could do," O'Brien said. "The sky is the limit here. We're not here to win nine or 10 a year. We're here to win more."

7/23/2007 11:36:21 AM

QUARTERBACKS

Unless O'Brien holds personal grudges -- and that's not really in his nature -- junior Daniel Evans (6-2, 191) will return as the Wolfpack's starting quarterback. Evans took over the job for the Wolfpack's final nine games, beginning with the Wolfpack's Sept. 23 contest against Boston College, then coached by O'Brien. In the final moments of the close game, Evans led the Pack on a 72-yard drive in just 46.5 seconds, culminating in a 34-yard touchdown pass to John Dunlap with just seven seconds to play.

The touchdown pass gave the Wolfpack a 17-15 victory over the No. 20 Eagles. That was followed up by similar last-second heroics the next week against No. 17 Florida State with a 24-20 victory that also ended with Evans throwing a touchdown pass to Dunlap, his third scoring pass of the game.

Unfortunately for Amato and the Wolfpack, Evans struggled with his consistency and the offense faltered at times during a seven-game losing streak to end the season. His numbers for the year were OK -- he completed 53.1 percent of his passes (163-of-307) for 1,843 yards and six touchdowns. He also threw 11 interceptions.

In fairness to Evans, he was never supposed to be in this situation this early in his career. He was a late signee by Amato three years ago, signed to a scholarship after the program was jilted by another quarterback recruit. But he exhibited poise and decision-making abilities that won him the starting job over Marcus Stone, despite Evans' lack of size and college experience.

One of the reasons Amato signed Evans and brought his brother Daniel in as a walk-on wide receiver -- the two are half of a set of quadruplets with sisters Katherine and Quinn -- is that they are part of a Wolfpack football legacy. Their father Johnny was an All-American punter and standout quarterback under Lou Holtz and Bo Rein in the 1970s. Johnny is still closely connected with the program as a color commentator on Wolfpack radio broadcasts.

Evans grew up on the sideline of Wolfpack football games, going step-for-step with his father and brother during radio broadcasts. He always dreamed of becoming the team's starting quarterback and was thrilled when that came true last year, even with the difficulties at the end of the season. While O'Brien didn't choose a starter coming out of the spring, Evans made it clear he expects to be under center when the O'Brien era officially begins on Sept. 1 against UCF.

In the annual Red & White spring game, Evans completed 20 of his 34 passes for 275 yards and three touchdowns, including two in the final three minutes. He clearly exhibited the same poise that he used to beat two Top 20 teams on back-to-back weekends last year.

Throughout the spring, however, Evans was locked in a three-way battle for the starting job, along with sophomore Harrison Beck (6-2, 213) and red-shirt freshman Justin Burke (6-3, 210), who both sat out last season. Beck, a transfer from Nebraska, has the strongest arm of the three and is capable of throwing deep passes down the field. But he completed only two of his 14 passes in the spring game.

Burke, an explosive high school passer from Lexington, Ky., was the prototypical quarterback in former offensive coordinator Marc Trestman's West Coast offense. He had a more difficult time adjusting to new offensive coordinator Dana Bible's system throughout the spring, but he completed 13 of his 24 passes in the spring game and threw a touchdown pass. Burke is the best athlete and perhaps the most athletic of the three quarterback options, but heading into his first season of competition, he will likely have to wait for his chance to earn a spot in the starting lineup.

The Wolfpack also has incoming freshman Russell Wilson (5-11, 191) of Richmond, Va. Wilson guided Richmond's Collegiate School to back-to-back state championships as a junior and senior, throwing for 74 touchdowns and completing nearly 60 percent of his passes those two seasons.

RUNNING BACKS

O'Brien didn't have to make a decision about who would get the majority snaps at running back, mainly because he can use any of his three experienced ball carriers -- juniors Andre Brown (6-0, 232) and Toney Baker (5-10, 225) and sophomore Jamelle Eugene (5-10, 195). All three rushed for more than 100 yards in the Wolfpack's spring football game.

Their performance throughout spring practice made O'Brien recant his promise to use any offensive scheme except the wishbone. Almost.

Brown and Baker are bruisers who are capable of overpowering opponents at the line of scrimmage, then out-running them once they get into the secondary. Eugene is smaller but has a burst of speed he uses the moment he puts his hands on the ball.

Baker was the team's leading rusher last year with 688 yards on 157 carries with six touchdowns. His biggest game of the year was a 174-yard performance against Clemson. Brown was the team's top rusher in seven games in 2006, including a pair of 100-yard rushing performances. He finished second in total rushing yards with 658, just nine yards less than his team-leading 667 rushing yards as a freshman in 2005.

Offensive coordinator Dana Bible figures to use the fullback more often this season, so fifth-year senior Pat Bedics (6-0, 239) and junior John Kane (5-9, 239) will get more opportunity to carry the ball instead of just being a blocker in the backfield.

Bedics started the final three games of last season, but he did not have a single rushing attempt in his 75 plays. Kane, the grandson of NC State 1940s standout Woody Jones, was in on 50 offensive plays without a carry. But he was the team's top special teams tackler with 14 hits in the kicking game. Kane sat out all of spring practice after shoulder surgery but is expected to return to action in the fall.

7/23/2007 11:36:54 AM

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS

The Wolfpack returns its top three pass catchers from last year -- senior wide receivers John Dunlap (6-1, 218), Darrell Blackman (5-10, 205) and tight end Anthony Hill (6-6, 255).

Dunlap, who was in on more plays than anyone except departed offensive tackle James Newby, proved he could be a big-play receiver. He teamed up with quarterback Daniel Evans for two game-winning touchdowns against Top 20 opponents, Boston College and Florida State. In all, he caught 30 passes on the year for 392 yards and four touchdowns.

Blackman, a converted tailback, had 27 catches for 358 yards and two touchdowns in his first full season as a slot receiver. An accomplished return specialist, Blackman was a first-team All-ACC selection as a kickoff and punt returner.

The Wolfpack's third receiver from last year, Lamar Barrett, used up his eligibility, but that paves the way for sophomore Donald Bowens (6-3, 200) to contribute in the passing game. Bowens was the only freshman to start a game and only one of two who saw playing time last year. He was in the starting lineup against Southern Miss, Boston College and Florida State. For the year, he caught 16 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. One of those catches, a 46-yarder, was the Wolfpack's longest completion of the season.

A pair of tall, rangy young receivers, sophomore Jarvis Williams (6-4, 205) and red-shirt freshman Darrell Davis (6-4, 200), hope to make an impact this season. Davis has already made some contributions to the school -- he was a walk-on member of Sidney Lowe's NC State basketball team after the football season ended. Junior Andrew Evans (5-10, 180), the brother of starting quarterback Daniel Evans, has made strides during his career. He came to the program as a walk-on and earned a scholarship before last season. He saw extensive action in the spring game.

A pair of heralded freshmen, Marcus Bond (5-9, 180) and Owen Spencer (6-3, 180), enrolled in school in January to go through spring drills.

At tight end, Hill has started 20 games the last two years and was the Wolfpack's leading receiver with 45 receptions for 478 yards last year. But he's not a deep threat. The longest catch of his career is the 29-yarder he made at Maryland last year, one of only seven catches more than 20 yards he has made among his 61 career receptions. He didn't have a lot of help last year, with sophomore Matt Kushner (6-4, 256) seeing little action throughout the year. This year, however, Hill will get some help from converted quarterback Marcus Stone (6-2, 239), who impressed the coaching staff with his efforts to win a starting job in the spring.

Stone, who started at quarterback in the Wolfpack's first three games last year and six games in 2005, has good hands and a strong work ethic. He opted to move to tight end last year after Evans replaced him under center for the Wolfpack's final nine games. O'Brien expects Stone to be a big contributor when the Wolfpack goes into its double-tight end formation.

"They give us a pretty good combination of two guys who can be in the game at the same time,'' O'Brien said. "What I love about Marcus is his attitude. He has fully embraced the move to tight end. He doesn't care about anything except winning, and that is the kind of player we need here at NC State."

Two new recruits, junior college player R.J. Armstrong (6-2, 250), a late signee from Butler Junior College in El Dorado, Kansas, and George Bryan (6-5, 250) of Wilmington, N.C., will look to contribute to the position as well.

OFFENSIVE LINE

O'Brien began his coaching career as George Welsh's offensive line coach at Navy. He had a similar position when he moved with Welsh to Virginia and continued in that job long after he became the Cavaliers offensive coordinator.

So get this straight -- he aims to own the offensive line of scrimmage.

He brought offensive line coach Don Horton with him from Boston College to install a simplified blocking scheme and a more aggressive attitude that should help the Wolfpack be more effective on the offensive front. O'Brien inherited nearly a ton of weight in his projected starting lineup; he just doesn't know if he has inherited a ton of talent.

"These guys are big enough," O'Brien said in the early days of spring practice. "It's just whether they are good enough. We are trying to determine who are the best five linemen, and once we find who the best five guys are, then we will try to put them in some order of guards, tackles and centers. Then we will work on the second five."

The offensive line has been the biggest problem in the Wolfpack's offense in recent years. Of all the players who Amato recruited to be drafted by the NFL -- 16 since 2004 -- only one, center Leroy Harris, was an offensive lineman. During Amato's tenure, the Wolfpack always had a patchwork line that was frequently decimated by injuries, multiple position switches from the defensive line and a handful of assistant coaching changes. Inconsistencies up front put Rivers replacements Jay Davis, Marcus Stone and Evans in to poor position to make quick decisions and a heavy rush frequently forced them to make bad ones.

While the Wolfpack was primarily a passing team, the lack of a strong offensive line prevented Amato's teams from establishing a strong running attack, except for the record-breaking 2003 season when the Wolfpack won a school-record 11 games.

But O'Brien has some depth to work with. The line might be right-side heavy, with twin mountains in sophomore tackle Jeraill McCuller (6-7, 342) and junior guard Curtis Crouch (6-5, 335). The two monsters are penciled in as the starters, though both need work on their technique and knowledge of the blocking schemes.

Fifth-year senior Luke Lathan (6-4, 292) will return to the starting center position he was supposed to have last year. However, he suffered a concussion in preseason practice and missed the Wolfpack's first four games. He played sparingly in the next four, then started the final four games after starter Harris suffered a late-season injury. He will be backed up by sophomore Andy Barbee (6-3, 303).

The left side won't be as big as the right, but it will be more experienced. Senior Kalani Heppe (6-4, 300) will start at guard and versatile junior Meares Green (6-4, 295) is vying for more playing time. Heppe started in 10 of the Wolfpack's 12 games last year and has a total of 15 career starts. Green might be used more in a utility position, as he was last year, when he played tackle, guard and center. If so, Horton will look to sophomore Julian Williams (6-5, 292), whose skills as a run-blocker might be a better fit for the Wolfpack's ground-oriented offensive attack.

O'Brien is still figuring out where to put the rest of his deep but inexperienced group of offensive linemen, which include senior Yomi Ojo (6-3, 310) and Gary Gregory (6-4, 305) at guards; senior Garrett Kline (6-6, 315) and converted defensive lineman Gerard Miller (6-3, 292).

7/23/2007 11:37:20 AM

KICKERS

The departed John Deraney handled all the kicking duties the last three years for the Wolfpack, and there is no one on the roster with any major college kicking experience. However, Amato left a pair of scholarship kickers behind who sat out last year as red-shirts, Nathan Franklin (6-0, 165) and Josh Czajkowski (5-9, 178).

Both were ranked among the top 20 place-kicker recruits in the country as high school seniors. Franklin was a Shrine Bowl and all-state selection after his senior year at Wilmington, N.C., Hoggard High School. Czajkowski, who scored 106 points in his high school career, was also an all-state selection at West Springfield (Va.) High School. Czajkowski came out of spring practice as the team's top kicker, but competition will continue in the fall for the starting job.

In the spring game, Czajkowski spent time with both teams, kicking six extra points and booting a 40-yard field goal. He also missed a 54-yarder at the end of the first half. Franklin did not kick in the spring game.
DEFENSIVE LINE

The Wolfpack has had four defensive linemen taken on the first day of the NFL Draft the last two years, including first-round picks Mario Williams, Manny Lawson and John McCargo in 2006. Amato, a former defensive line coach at Florida State, always had a knack for finding and developing top-notch players along the defensive front, and he left the position well stocked for O'Brien.

Senior DeMario Pressley (6-3, 295), a versatile defender who can play at tackle or end, could be the Wolfpack's next big thing up front.

Pressley, who started 23 consecutive games as a sophomore and junior, was limited in spring drills after having surgery to repair a wrist injury he suffered against North Carolina in the Wolfpack's next-to-last game. After wearing a cast throughout the spring, he is expected to return at full strength in the fall.

When healthy, Pressley can be a dominant force inside. He teamed with departed All-ACC selection Tank Tyler at tackle last year, plugging up the line of scrimmage and creating problems for opposing quarterbacks in the passing game. He has 14 career tackles for loss and three career sacks.

But he has been through a learning curve with new defensive line coach Keith Willis, a nine-year NFL veteran with the Pittsburgh Steelers, especially because his participation was limited because of the injury.

A pair of sophomores, Alan-Michael Cash (6-1, 291) and Ted Larsen (6-2, 272), filled in at tackle throughout the spring and impressed the new staff with their hard-nosed play. Cash and Pressley will be the starters in the fall, but Larsen and junior John Bedics (6-4, 283) will be part of a rotation that will see similar amounts of action with the starters.

At the ends, seniors Littleton Wright (6-6, 244) and Matrel Brown (6-2, 290) came out of the spring as the starters, but sophomore Willie Young (6-5, 230) was impressive at the end of last season and has all the tools to be a great pass rusher, with long arms, quickness and a nose for the football. He's listed behind Wright going into the fall. Red-shirt freshman Audi Augustin (6-2, 250) was impressive in the spring.

Brown, converted from linebacker to defensive tackle to defensive end in his first four years on campus, returns for his second consecutive year at end. He was the team's best pass rusher last season with a team-high seven sacks and seven quarterback hurries. He also led the team with two fumbles caused and was second with eight tackles for loss.

Wright, a transfer from Lackawanna Junior College who red-shirted the 2005 season, saw his first major college action last year, as a reserve in eight games. He played more as the season went along and he became more comfortable in the lineup, ending the year with a season-high 27 snaps against East Carolina. He was chosen the top junior college defensive end in the nation before he signed with the Wolfpack.

Another Lackawanna product, Antoine Holmes (6-3, 290), will arrive this fall with the hopes of contributing immediately on defense. Holmes is one of two junior college players, along with punter Jeff Ruiz, that O'Brien signed in his first recruiting class.

LINEBACKERS

The big question mark on the defense is whether new linebackers coach Andy McCollum can put together a solid unit from the talent he has on hand. The Wolfpack lost team leader Pat Lowery at middle linebacker and starting outside linebacker Reggie Davis but has a trio of seniors ready to take control of the defense.

LeRue Rumph (6-1, 223) started the Wolfpack's final eight games at the strong-side position and finished the season ranked fifth on the team with 69 tackles. He also started nine games as a sophomore, leading the ACC with three fumble recoveries and amassing 61 total tackles. He has proven he can make plays during a game but will have to step into the unfamiliar role of being a team leader on and off the field if the Wolfpack is going to sustain its defensive tradition under Archer.

Right behind Rumph last season was Ernest Jones (6-2, 225), who had 68 tackles, primarily as a reserve. He's been a monster on special teams for the Wolfpack, recording a team-high 14 tackles in 2005, and is ready to contribute more on defense.

Middle linebacker James Martin II (6-1, 236) hopes to contribute without getting hurt in his final collegiate season. After converting to linebacker from defensive end before last year, he started the team's first four games before suffering a season-ending broken wrist. He also sat out the entire 2004 season after tearing a knee ligament. But, when healthy Martin is a big contributor. He started two games at end as a freshman in 2003, when he recorded 27 tackles and a sack. He also started one game at end as a red-shirt sophomore in 2005.

With more linebackers on the roster than any position other than offensive line, the three experienced seniors will be pushed by a deep group of youngsters who are eager to earn their time on the field. Chief among them are sophomore Ray Michel (6-0, 224) in the middle, red-shirt freshman Nate Irving (6-1, 207) behind Rumph on the strong side and redshirt freshman John Ware (5-11, 210) behind Jones on the weak side.

Michel saw only limited action in his first season: he was in all 12 games, but eight of those appearances were on special teams only. Nine of his 15 tackles on the season came from kick and punt coverage. He made his statement about earning more time on the field by leading the Red team with eight tackles in the annual spring game.

Irving and Ware were also impressive in the spring, with Ware recording seven total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss and Irving recording five tackles.

7/23/2007 11:38:37 AM

DEFENSIVE BACKS

The biggest schematic change Archer made on the defense in the spring was switching from strictly man-to-man coverage in the secondary to a mixture of defense that includes more zone coverage. The Wolfpack created the fewest turnovers in the ACC last year with 12, five fumbles and seven interceptions.

O'Brien's previous team, Boston College, created an ACC-high 37 turnovers, 16 on fumbles and 21 interceptions, using zone coverage. Last season when Archer was the DC at Kentucky, the Wildcats forced 32 turnovers. Only Texas and Louisiana Tech forced more fumbles than Kentucky's 18.

The results of the changes were impressive in the spring game, when the secondary picked off four passes, including one by freshman safety Jimmaul Simmons that was re-turned 100 yards for a touchdown. Several other passes were tipped and could have been intercepted.

"Zone allows you the opportunity to break on the ball and make some plays," O'Brien said. "I think we were able to do that in the spring game. We just need to catch the ones we get our hands on."

Overall, the secondary is the most experienced group of players on the defense, despite the losses of rover Garland Heath and cornerback A.J. Davis. O'Brien and his staff moved several players around during the spring to give the Wolfpack more size in the secondary and will need to go through fall drills before making any decisions about the regular rotation.

Senior Miguel Scott (6-0, 195) enters his third season as the starter at free safety. He has seen action in 33 games the last three years, missing only two games in 2005 because of an ankle injury. His steady play has given the Wolfpack five pass break-ups and two interceptions in his career.

Junior DaJuan Morgan (6-1, 200) is the team's top returning tackler, after notching 82 total stops, even though he made only one start last season. He has broken up six passes in his career and led the team last year with two interceptions. He's one of the team's biggest hitters and could be poised for a breakout season.

Red-shirt freshman Javon Walker (6-0, 188) made a splash in the spring game by intercepting two passes. He will begin fall practices behind Morgan. Junior Robbie Leonard (6-0, 190), who moved over from cornerback, came out of spring behind Scott at the free-safety position. Simmons (6-2, 190), a true freshman, enrolled in school in January from Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy so he could go through spring drills and perhaps earn some early playing time.

Both starting cornerbacks are new, though not exactly inexperienced. Junior Jeremy Gray (6-2, 186) played in all 12 games last year, though he made a bigger impact on special teams than on defense. A state track champion in high school, Gray gives the Wolfpack size and speed in the secondary.

Junior J.C. Neal (6-0, 191) is another big defender who moved over to cornerback after spending all last season as a reserve free safety. Neal got more snaps as the season went along and played his best game in the season finale against East Carolina.

Junior Levin Neal (5-11, 191), no relation to J.C. Neal, enters the fall as Gray's primary backup, while seniors Philip Holloman (5-11, 194) and Jimmie Sutton III (5-11, 181) are listed behind J.C. Neal.

Sutton is the Wolfpack's most experience corner, starting the Pack's final 10 games there last season and serving as a nickel back in 2005. However, he lost his job in the changeover from press to zone coverage in favor of a bigger corner. Holloman also saw action in five games at cornerback last year.

Red-shirt freshman DeAndre Walker (5-10, 166), the younger brother of DaJuan Morgan, could also earn playing time in the secondary.

PUNTERS

The downside to have John Deraney handle all phases of the Wolfpack's kicking game the last three years is that there was no understudy preparing to replace him. He made every punt, every kickoff and every extra point for three years. So O'Brien inherited no scholarship punters in the program and few prospects on the horizon until he got a call from John Matich, who punted for O'Brien in the coach's first three years at Boston College and is still actively playing in the Arena Football League.

Matich had worked with Jeff Ruiz (6-2, 185) as a youngster, and followed his career at Southwestern Community College in Chula Vista, Calif. Ruiz averaged 43.3 yards on 63 punts last season, had 15 punts that went 50 yards or more and landed 23 inside the 20-yard line. He signed with the Wolfpack in February and was scheduled to arrive in the summer to begin working out with his new football teammates. It won't take much for him to exceed Deraney's numbers: the Wolfpack finished 10th in the ACC in both punting average and net punting.

Ruiz will help out in other areas as well -- he's an accomplished first baseman who will join the Wolfpack baseball team next spring.

But if he doesn't win the starting job at punter this fall, special teams coach Jerry Petercuskie could be in for a long year. The only other punter in the program is senior walk-on Jonathan Macrae (6-1, 214). He could turn to freshman place-kicker Nathan Franklin, who averaged 45 yards per punt as a high school senior.

SPECIAL TEAMS

The Wolfpack has a sure thing in senior return specialist Darrell Blackman, who was chosen first team All-ACC for his kickoff and punt return accomplishments.

Blackman has led the ACC in kickoff return average the last three years. He enters his final season as the school's all-time leader in kickoff-return average, at 28.6 yards per return. He also has a career 9.5-yard punt return average.

He has scored three touchdowns on returns, two on kickoffs and one on a punt, which equals his career scoring total as a wide receiver.

Like kicker and punter, the Wolfpack has some questions to answer at a couple of other important positions, particularly long-snapper. William Lee, a four-year starter at long-snapper, graduated with a 4.0 grade-point average and is no longer around for punts, field goals and extra points.

Sophomores Michael Mauer (5-11, 225) and Corey Tedder (6-1, 212) are competing for the open job, with Mauer holding a slight edge coming out of spring drills. Daniel Evans serves as the holder on field goals and extra points.

BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

O'Brien understands he's in the honeymoon period -- every new coach is loved until he loses that first game, whenever it might be. But so far in his tenure, O'Brien has made all the right moves, from reaching out to the former players and head coaches to letting his reserved personality show through during the spring gatherings with boosters to taking his players on community service projects.

Grading the Wolfpack
Unit Grade
Offense B-
Special teams C
Defense B-
Intangibles B+
He scoffs at some early preseason prognostications that had the Wolfpack finishing last in the ACC.

He clearly knows what is important to NC State fans. O'Brien liked telling about how at the spring sports banquet, athletics director Lee Fowler had all the student-athletes who played on teams that beat North Carolina stand up and be recognized. The football players sat on their hands the whole time.

As he made the rounds to the spring booster meetings, O'Brien promised two things -- that his team wouldn't be sitting down at the all-sports banquet next year and that it wouldn't finish last in the ACC's Atlantic Division.

If he follows through on those promises, this honeymoon will last longer than most.


hope you enjoy... sorry if there is formatting crappola in there...

7/23/2007 11:39:51 AM

thanks a lot man. time to print this out and go take and on-the-clock dump.

7/23/2007 12:00:59 PM

yeah, that was a good article. thanks.

7/23/2007 12:37:55 PM

^^ ditto...haha if only the cleaning ladies knew when large NCSU articles get posted on weekdays it would save them alottof work

[Edited on July 23, 2007 at 1:55 PM. Reason : censored]

7/23/2007 1:55:08 PM

The only thing I don't like is taking Sutton out of the starting rotation. He is a solid corner no matter how big he is.

7/23/2007 2:14:34 PM

Quote :

"As successful as he was at BC, O'Brien knows that he will have a great chance of being more successful at NC State, a large public school with more resources, better facilities and a fan base that O'Brien considers the most passionate in the ACC. "At BC, nine or 10 wins a year was about as good as you could do," O'Brien said. "The sky is the limit here. We're not here to win nine or 10 a year. We're here to win more." "

almost brings tears to my eyes... I can't fucking wait....

7/23/2007 3:21:57 PM

Someone want to help me out with this?
http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=2954892&name=rafael_dan&action=upsell&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fespn%2fblog%2findex%3fentryID%3d2954892%26name%3drafael_dan

7/30/2007 11:16:33 PM

tinyurl man

7/30/2007 11:42:08 PM

Yeah because its so hard to click on a long link

7/31/2007 12:39:17 AM

Quote :

"It's about the gloves. The gloves are one of the primary reasons why, assuming the agreements are signed, that welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto will defend his belt against former champ Sugar Shane Mosley on Nov. 10 in New York's Madison Square Garden instead of in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand or Mandalay Bay. Cotto is already a proven attraction in New York, having drawn a record crowd of 20,658 to see his June 9 slugfest with Zab Judah. Mosley is also a popular fighter with many fans in New York, but promoters Top Rank and Golden Boy know that big fights in casinos can generate enormous revenue and they strongly considered Las Vegas for the fight."

7/31/2007 12:42:19 AM

^^i'll be nice because you're relatively new. it's not that it's hard to click on it, it's that makes the window really wide so that many people will have to use the annoying ass horizontal scroll.

7/31/2007 5:30:50 AM

that didn't make my window wide

7/31/2007 7:44:19 AM