Quote :

"Oh well, anything that motivates Wilson to keep smoking ACC defenses is okay in my book."

you mean like a lion perhaps?

you are welcome packnation



[Edited on May 22, 2010 at 10:56 PM. Reason : ]

5/21/2010 1:29:07 PM

Not so sure VT should be parents weekend:
1.) That's a game that many people would go to anyway, no trouble trying to fill the seats
2.) IF we could come in to that game 3-1, I would think that would be a night game = even more students hammered drunk.

I think BC would be a better Parents and Family, b/c besides the whole TOB factor (which isn't that big of a deal anymore) this isn't a very intriguing game.


And WF is really the only option for Homecoming. 3 of our last 5 games are on the road and the other home game is Thursday night v FSU

5/21/2010 1:29:37 PM

^agreed. BC would be a better option.

5/21/2010 1:43:33 PM

^^+1

it shouldnt be VT, FSU, or Cincinnati. those will attract enough attention on their own. i feel like wake will be an important game because its toward the end of the season (hopefully by then we wont be fighting to get back to 500 like the last...however many seasons [6??]) and also because its an in state rival.

but boston college...who cares? the only thing that makes this game important in my mind is the fact that its an acc game

5/21/2010 1:50:50 PM

^^^ if you really think we are going to be 3-1 at that point you are delusional. We will be lucky to be 6-6 next season. Lets get on to basketball!

5/21/2010 6:24:31 PM

I agree to an extent, but who knows. I sure as hell didn't expect us to be as bad defensively as we were last year.

If Tenuta fixes some things and if Nate rounds back into predator form, we could be surprisingly decent.

5/21/2010 6:41:30 PM

or we could feasibly just boise everyone off the field with our offense.

5/21/2010 7:09:58 PM

Undefeated National Champions.

Mark my words.

5/21/2010 7:26:39 PM

Quote :

"Undefeated National Champions. Mark my words."

[Edited on May 22, 2010 at 7:17 AM. Reason : tbdv]

5/22/2010 7:17:04 AM

byrd

5/22/2010 12:34:53 PM

that darn Nu'Keese

5/22/2010 2:34:32 PM

Let me remind everyone what happened the last time BC was the parents weekend game:



[Edited on May 22, 2010 at 5:22 PM. Reason : .]

5/22/2010 5:20:09 PM

i was at the game after this one (fsu) where evans did that again. somebody had a sign that said

"daniel evans for heisman"

and then we lost 7 straight.

5/22/2010 10:10:30 PM

People keep ragging on our horrible defense from last season like they don't know that we had 4 or 5 guys playing out of position in that backfield because Irving got hurt. I'll admit, they sucked there....

But now we have everyone resituated back into roles and positions that they know and are comfortable with. Our defense will be waaaaaaaaaaay better than it was last season, and that much improvement will make it slightly above average, but very workable with our offense.

5/23/2010 1:09:49 AM

I agree that we have the potential do be decent. But last year just ripped all the hype from the fan base.

5/23/2010 1:42:27 AM

I do think our defense will be better. I think our linebackers will be a strength and our secondary will be improved, but not exactly a "shut-down" secondary, however. I don't have a guess about our line though.

5/23/2010 1:50:38 AM

nate irving will certainly help a lot. even if he isnt as dominant as he was before the wreck. (he is also at a different position than two seasons ago) and we should actually have depth in the secondary. those things combined with the fact that tenuta may actually teach these boys how to WRAP UP should make a big difference.

5/24/2010 1:04:45 AM

Yeah, I'm excited about Tenuta. And while Nate may not be as good as he was, (who knows, he might, or possibly better) it's his instincts that will help improve our defense as a whole.

5/24/2010 2:48:41 AM

Besides the linebackers, who was playing out of position? The corners and safeties still played their roles - I don't see how the secondary was affected by the loss of Irving in terms of personnel.

I don't see how the D is going to be "waaaay better than last season". It will be one year more experienced, but at best, I see it being only as good as it was last year. Nate will definitely be a boost and will help make some key stops, but he's only one player; he can't play in the secondary too.

I think our line will be decent - not as solid as last year's veteran squad. Young and Cash will be tough to replace. But all the guys we have coming back at least have experience.

I think the ends will be solid: 5th year seniors Michael Lemon and Audi Augustin. Throw in the transfer Akinniyi with some redshirt freshmen and we've got some good depth. The tackles consist of Marcus Kuhn, J.R. Sweezy (assuming he doesn't get kicked off), Nathan Mageo, and true soph. Brian Slay.

If Lemon can continue to shine and Augustin can bring the pressure on the other side, and the tackles can do their best to plug up the middle, our line should have enough depth and experience to actually be decent.

5/24/2010 10:14:57 AM

Quote :

"Besides the linebackers, who was playing out of position? The corners and safeties still played their roles - I don't see how the secondary was affected by the loss of Irving in terms of personnel."

The secondary wasn't affected by the loss of Irving, but there was a constant shuffle of people at the back four positions caused by various injuries and performance. Clem Johnson, Rashard Smith, CJ Wilson off my head were in and out with injuries. You had true freshman playing one position one week and another one another week. You can go back on Gopack and check how the four starters varied almost weekly throughout the season.

5/24/2010 11:09:31 AM

http://www.sportsbybrooks.com/nukeese-byrd-issue-denials-nc-state-responds-28407

regardless of if they stole the shirts or not, what absolute morons.

Quote :

" Kaluum Williams: “Yo, we’re in the store man ...” Jarvis Byrd: (looking into camera) “Go steal the bish (bitch) shirt.” Kaluum Williams: “Yo, we’re in the store, we’re in Wal-Mart …” Jarvis Byrd: “Late night shift.” Kaluum Williams: “Late night shift, it’s 12 O’Clock.” Few seconds later… Jarvis Byrd: “Hey where the t-shirts at?” Kaluum Williams: “They’re over here son.” Jarvis Byrd: “You sure?” Kaluum Williams: “Yeah.” Byrd rips open t-shirt package while looking around. Kaalum Williams: “Come on I’ll pay for that man.” Jarvis Byrd: “No man.” Kaalum Williams: “Yes man.” Jarvis Byrd: “No.” Kaalum Williams: (looking into camera) “We’re not stealing ladies so don’t go telling coach on us.” Nu’Keese Richardson: “We’re just borrowing that sh–, my nigga gonna return that sh–.” Jarvis Byrd: (laughs as he puts on t-shirt.) Nu’Keese Richardson: (laughing) “I guess not, f— it nigga.” "

[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 11:19 AM. Reason : .]

5/24/2010 11:16:27 AM

^^ I certainly see no way in hell that they could get worse.....our corners had to play back because they had to keep everything in front of them and the safeties...i dont see how our linebackers could be that bad again, so i see us not getting burnt as bad on the short yardage passes like the Duke game...

5/24/2010 11:38:47 AM

Wasn't Byrd going to redshirt this year to rehab his knee?

5/24/2010 11:41:12 AM

^^^ i don't think they're morons. If they weren't football players and of african descent nothing would ever come of it. It'd be another youtube with about 10 views.

and they would have never made it out of the store. Walmart has some serious security and you know as well as today's monday, that they would've trained every camera on those three.

[Edited on May 24, 2010 at 12:33 PM. Reason : walmart disclaimer]

5/24/2010 12:31:35 PM

^^ yes, he injured it in the UNC game last year. Pretty big blow to an already thin and inexperienced secondary. Not to mention Morgan isn't coming back for his RS senior year. Not that he even played that much last year, but his presence alone would help to fill in for injured players. Now we may have to rely on walk-ons.

5/24/2010 12:47:51 PM

So Russel didn't make any of Phil Steele's 4 pre-season all-acc teams, but cfn.com ranked him as the best qb in the league:

http://northcarolinastate.scout.com/2/972161.html

5/24/2010 1:28:37 PM

^^
wasnt that the play where the unc reciever threw down byrd and then started taunting while he was laying there unable to move?


fuck unc

5/24/2010 1:43:28 PM

^^LOL at Shaun Draughn being the 4th best tailback in the ACC, and they should be institutionalized for putting Spencer as the 12th best receiver in the conference.

5/24/2010 1:54:02 PM

Correction: Spencer was ranked 11th. Nonetheless, after leading the country in yards per catch in the season prior, it's hard to fathom not being ranked at least in the top 10 of your conference.

5/24/2010 2:06:12 PM

Quote :

"CAN NOT WAIT"

5/24/2010 4:14:56 PM

Little @ #3 seems like a stretch too, no way you can put him in front of Spencer, especially not compared with what both have done over the same time period.

5/24/2010 4:47:14 PM

It just seems like no one has any journalistic integrity anymore, or maybe they just aren't very good journalists. Journalists used to have to do research to support their claims. I mean stats alone would put Spencer ahead of Little, and probably in the top 3 in the conference. I believe our receiving corps (including TEs) will be one of if not the best in the ACC. It may not have a bunch of guys rated 4 and 5 stars coming out of high school, but they have a ton of experience and have proven themselves against ACC competition. Also couple the fact that they'll have a capable QB throwing them the ball, whether that be Glennon or Wilson, and they as a unit have the potential to put up monstrous numbers. Hopefully we can find a running game to help them out.

5/24/2010 4:52:00 PM

Quote :

"...after leading the country in yards per catch in the season prior, it's hard to fathom not being ranked at least in the top 10 of your conference."

Agreed

5/24/2010 5:02:05 PM

I think the secondary was affected by Irving being out. If I recall, and this may have been because of more than just Irving, we had some guys from our secondary coming down into the linebacker positions (or vice versa). Our backs and linebackers were changing from game to game, and I read several artile on gopack.com last season about the backs being unsure of how to handle routes and stuff, and that inexperience causing them to give up some bonehead plays. We had our defensive players playing in positions they weren't used to because our bench apparently sucked, and it was causing all sorts of growing pains because they had to learn where they fit in the system at their new positions.

5/24/2010 5:03:42 PM

He caught 30 passes

5/24/2010 5:04:57 PM

^^^^ Don't forget Imhoff

5/24/2010 7:12:45 PM

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/sports/thetoydepartment/2010/05/postspring_acc_football_predic.html

Quote :

"Post-spring ACC football predictions: Atlantic Division 1.) Florida State HEADLINER: Christian Ponder, quarterback The junior, who missed the last four games of Florida State’s 2009 season with a shoulder injury, will lead the Seminoles’ offense in his third season as the starting quarterback in Tallahassee. TOP NEWCOMER: Christian Jones, linebacker A massive linebacker with off-the-charts strength and agility, Jones will provide needed help to a defense that finished last in the ACC in yards per game. BOTTOM LINE While many programs struggle after changing coaches, expect Florida State’s transition from Bobby Bowden to be seamless when former head-coach-in-waiting Jimbo Fisher takes over. The Seminoles return all five starters on the offensive line and just enough athleticism on defense to win the Atlantic. 2.) Clemson HEADLINER: Da’Quan Bowers, defensive end The No. 1 overall high school football prospect in 2008, Bowers has the size and speed to terrorize opposing quarterbacks in the backfield. TOP NEWCOMER: Josh Watson, defensive tackle After spending a year at Hargrave (Va.) Military Academy, Watson could make an immediate impact on the Tigers’ front line. BOTTOM LINE Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker is considering giving up his remaining years of college football eligibility in favor of the MLB draft. If he returns to Clemson, expect the Tigers to be Florida State’s main competition for the Atlantic title. 3.) Boston College HEADLINER: Mark Herzlich, linebacker Herzlich was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2008, but missed the entire 2009 season while undergoing treatment for bone cancer. Incredibly, the heavy hitter plans to return to the field in 2010. TOP NEWCOMER: Shakim Phillips, wide receiver A thick receiver with massive hands, Phillips isn't afraid of running routes over the middle of the field. BOTTOM LINE With quarterback Dave Shinskie and running back Montel Harris leading the offense and linebackers Herzlich and Luke Kuechly anchoring the defense, the Eagles have the star players needed to make some noise in the ACC. The biggest question mark is whether they have the athletes across the board to stay with Florida State and Clemson. 4.) Maryland HEADLINER: Torrey Smith, wide receiver Torrey Smith burst onto the scene in 2009 with 61 receptions and more than 1,300 return yards. Even more so than running back Da’Rel Scott, Smith is the Terps’ most dangerous offensive playmaker. TOP NEWCOMER: David Mackall, defensive end Despite receiving interest from several other programs during his prep season at Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy, Mackall, a freak athlete with tremendous upside, decided to stay with Maryland and ultimately signed his letter of intent to play for the Terps. BOTTOM LINE All indications out of College Park are that Maryland has a renewed focus after suffering through its worse season under Ralph Friedgen. Quarterback Jamarr Robinson will bring change to the Terps’ offense, and the defense appears to be much more athletic under second-year coordinator Don Brown. Still, Maryland is one year away from really challenging for the top spot in the Atlantic. 5.) Wake Forest HEADLINER: Marshall Williams, wide receiver Although Williams will mainly be used in the Deacons’ passing attack, expect the speedy slot receiver to also get carries in Jim Grobe’s new option-style offense. TOP NEWCOMER: A.J. Marshall, defensive backs One of the nation’s top cornerbacks, Marshall brings 4.45 speed to Winston-Salem. He could start immediately on Wake’s special teams units and may see time in the secondary. BOTTOM LINE While Wake Forest has several offensive playmakers, the biggest question is whether new quarterback Skylar Jones can get the ball to them. The defense won’t be terrible, but it will be up to Wake Forest’s offense to win games in 2010. 6.) North Carolina State HEADLINER: Russell Wilson, quarterback Like Clemson quarterback Kyle Parker, there is speculation that Wilson may give up football depending on where he is picked in the MLB draft. If he returns to Raleigh, however, Wilson will once again bring great playmaking ability to the Wolfpack offense. TOP NEWCOMER: Robert Crisp, offensive line Among the nation’s Top 20 overall players and arguably the best lineman in the class, Crisp is Tom O’Brien’s biggest pickup at N.C. State. The 6-foot-7, 300-pound lineman could get significant playing time as a true freshman if he improves his pass protection. BOTTOM LINE It isn’t spring practice in Raleigh without disciplinary issues for the Wolfpack. This time, four players, including star tight end George Bryan, were arrested on misdemeanor drug charges at the end of the spring. N.C. State has some nice pieces in place, and quarterback Mike Glennon is a serviceable backup if Wilson leaves the team, but this program continually struggles to put it all together and win enough games to be competitive in the ACC. "

I was disappointed reading this, thinking that since it was posted on the ESPN ACC blog and seemed like it was from a credible news source it would be legit...then this was posted at the bottom:

Quote :

"• Matt Berger is a two-week intern at The Baltimore Sun. A senior at Gilman, Berger played volleyball and basketball for the Greyhounds and has served as sports editor for the school newspaper. He will attend Tufts University in the fall."

5/25/2010 9:54:07 AM

^ ha ha an intern. There are people on TWW with more sports credentials than that guy.

5/25/2010 10:20:40 AM

until we can actually seriously compete in football, there is no reason to pick us pre-season anything above near the bottom.

it is legitimate to say, "ncstate football just cant put it together"

thats fine. hopefully someday soon we will, but until then lets just keep pushing UNC's shit in.

5/25/2010 10:25:48 AM

yeah, the guy actually isn't too far off with that assessment.

Until the D proves it can keep teams from getting 30+ my expectations are tempered.

5/25/2010 11:12:08 AM

I wasn't expecting number 1 or anything, but damn our offense alone should put us over a Maryland team that won 2 games last year. Maybe 4th

5/25/2010 11:42:14 AM

we should be above Maryland and Wake. I think some home-state bias plays a part in it as well, seeing how it came from Baltimore.

5/25/2010 11:49:36 AM

^^Our offense alone? I think we've proven through experience that a good offense and a crappy defense or a good defense and a crappy offense both yield shitty results. It takes both to be competitive. I think I'd rather have average offense and defense than have one unit be good and the other terrible.

[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 11:55 AM. Reason : ]

5/25/2010 11:55:15 AM

so is bryan done?

5/25/2010 12:08:15 PM

No. The only one that might be is Sweezy.

5/25/2010 12:31:00 PM

^^^ He said that we are better than Maryland, that hardly constitutes being competitive in the ACC.

IMO too many people ITT are afraid to give us any credit because we expected so much last year and we were let down. Do I see us being a 10 win team? No, but I don't see us being a 2 win either. There is a middle ground.

3 of the 7 losses last year were decided by < 7 points. The return of Irving and a year of experience for our young secondary will do a lot for our defense.



[Edited on May 25, 2010 at 12:38 PM. Reason : ^]

5/25/2010 12:36:50 PM

Heather Dinich predicts a 7 win season at best. Based on that analysis i predict an undefeated national title.

5/27/2010 2:55:43 AM

http://www.accsports.com/articles/201005257876/spring-football-review-nc-state.php

Quote :

"Spring Football Review: NC State Secondary, Line Concerns Plague Defense RALEIGH — The annual theme for N.C. State’s spring football practice is “Back to Basics,” which made a heck of a lot of sense this time around. Nowhere was that the case more than in the defensive secondary, where the Wolfpack returns a pair of starters from a unit that was discombobulated and ineffective last fall, and where all eight players on the depth chart were either freshmen or sophomores. Spring games offer only so much definitive evidence, but at times they can be quite revealing. The Red and White units in State’s spring game surrendered 644 yards to quarterbacks Mike Glennon and Daniel Imhoff. Most came in the first half, when there was no running clock. It would have been worse, otherwise. Returning secondary starter C.J. Wilson said the group’s performance “wasn’t indicative of how we progressed this spring.” Wolfpack coach Tom O’Brien, though, somewhat disagreed. “I think they picked off some balls we haven’t gotten in the past,” the coach said. “I think, once again, who’s bad and what’s the matchup, and who’s good? I think it’s something we have to evaluate. Certainly, we know we have to do some things better. I’d say they tackled better today, so that’s an improvement.” The thing was, only one of the three picks was what knowledgeable observers would view as a quality play, and that was by junior boundary corner Jordan Monk. Earlier, Monk was beaten badly on a touchdown from Glennon to wideout Jay Smith, and Monk often wasn’t around receivers when easy passes sailed into their hands, especially in the first half. Yet Monk is in the mix to get on the field, not a toss-away walk-on, even though O’Brien insisted that many of the team’s key players didn’t participate in the game (though Gary Grant was the only DB who didn’t see any action). Still, O’Brien’s words made one wonder: Can he speak highly of the interceptions with any credibility while diffusing the criticism of the unit’s overall play? You see, Monk wasn’t alone. Wilson had some issues, as did Rashard Smith, a part-time starter overcoming injuries. Another projected starter, safety Brandan Bishop, struggled, too. This bunch has the most room for growth of anybody in the program, but it’s doubtful they’ll ever be able to overcome a potentially mediocre pass rush, especially given that the defensive line must replace all four starters. Considering that Russell Wilson wasn’t even dressed for the spring game because of his baseball double duty, it’s realistic to figure the passing numbers would have been even greater with a QB who has passed for 48 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions in two seasons, as opposed to Imhoff, who will be third-string in August and never has taken a college snap. “We still have good guys up there,” C.J. Wilson said about the front line. “And we have great linebackers. But it really comes down to us working as a team and us DBs getting our reads right. If we can do that, we will be OK.” If not, State could give up a ton of points this fall. On offense, if the Wolfpack can generate a decent and consistent ground attack, it will relieve some pressure from its talented quarterbacks. With the defense still suspect, the offense must give it time to rest. Hence, the need for a quality running game. Redshirt freshman Travis Leggett shocked everyone by running for 129 yards in the spring game. He wasn’t even listed on the pre-game sheet noting whom to watch. Brandon Barnes, who didn’t participate in the spring game, is the team’s leading returning tailback, with 93 yards rushing. James Washington and Curtis Underwood have potential, but they need legitimate holes to run through to be effective. The offensive line is a source of concern for State fans because of its youth. Granted, position coach Don Horton and O’Brien have reputations for building excellent offensive lines, so there is reason for optimism, but it might be best to put off those hopes for another 12 months. Perhaps that combination of youth and inexperience up front and in the backfield was why there was little evidence of a ground attack in the spring game. The staff chose to pass the ball on 23 of the first 31 plays, with Glennon under center commanding the first-team offense. Glennon, who is more the prototype signal-caller O’Brien recruited to Boston College, already had posted huge numbers in two prior spring scrimmages, so wouldn’t it stand to reason that the staff would want to apply some pressure to the offensive line? One school of thought was that the staff wanted to give the secondary more game-action work. OK, that was possible, and it wouldn’t have been unwise. But the secondary also will be aided by a running game that can eat minutes from the clock, thus putting less pressure on a young defense to save an inconsistent offense. Even O’Brien wondered aloud if Leggett’s 129 yards were more on the defense. “It’s something we have to go back and investigate and evaluate,” he said. And if Glennon ends up under center instead of Wilson, the need for a conventional ground game will increase further. At least Wilson can scramble and turn nothing into big gains. That can move the chains and extend a unit’s stay on the field — and leave the defense on the bench, where it can rest. One of the biggest stories of the spring, meanwhile, was that linebacker Nate Irving, State’s heat-seeking missile who missed last season after sustaining injuries in a car accident, was back and learning to play a new position. He is now the team’s middle linebacker. An asset in the Pack’s pass coverage two years ago, Irving picked off a team-leading four passes, returning one for a touchdown. He corrupted opponents’ running and short-passing plans. He even stepped back to cover mid-range passing routes quite effectively. To regard Irving as multi-purpose would be an understatement. But he’s human and is coming back from an ugly set of ailments. Couple that with playing a new position, and Irving certainly isn’t yet the player fans admired in 2008. “Nate’s rusty,” O’Brien said after the spring game. “He’s learning a new position, and he’s certainly not back to where he was a year ago, but he’s certainly further along than (tailback) Toney Baker was at this point last year. “If we can get him in the weight room — and he should get there faster — he should be a much better conditioned player by the time August rolls around. Then when he gets to make every practice and stay out there, he should become a much better player.” As for Irving’s mentality? Having a second chance is a good thing, especially after breaking a leg, separating a shoulder, cracking a rib and suffering a collapsed lung. “I am just so thankful that I am here, able to play a game I love,” Irving said. “Yeah, I guess I am still rusty. It takes a while, especially after what I’ve been through. But being back here with my guys and playing football again, I am fortunate.” "

the guy pretty much just dooks on us the whole time

5/27/2010 9:54:08 AM

Quote :

" discombobulated and ineffective "

5/27/2010 10:11:21 AM

seriously, why do you feel the need to copy/past entire articles, even though you post the link?

5/27/2010 11:06:35 AM