6/20/2010 8:04:04 PM

didnt know where to put it, but NCAA11 is $20 off today at Dell

6/21/2010 8:38:44 PM

Yahoo story on Nate Irving

Quote :

" N.C. State's Nate Irving admits that he isn't quite the same player who headed into the summer of 2009 as one of the ACC's top linebackers. He isn't quite as fast. He isn't quite as strong. But he's quite a bit more grateful. Irving believes he can take care of the first two issues by the start of the season. He's not about to change the third. Almost exactly one year after he was involved in a car wreck that could have killed him, Irving relishes the chance to get back onto the field. "It just makes you appreciate all the small things," said Irving, a senior who turns 22 on July 12. "Practice and workouts, I didn't think I'd look forward to those types of things. But after having to sit out a year and not be able to participate, it made me appreciate more things everyone else would complain about since they had been taken away from me." Irving missed the 2009 season after suffering a collapsed lung and a compound fracture in his left leg in a one-car accident June 28. A year earlier, he had averaged 8.7 tackles per game and had picked off four passes -- the highest total ever by a North Carolina State linebacker -- to lead the Wolfpack on a late-season surge that resulted in a Papajohns.com Bowl bid. He expects to be back in the lineup for the Wolfpack's season opener against Western Carolina on Sept. 4. Irving returned to the field for the first time since his accident during spring practice. "I can't even put into words how it felt," Irving said. "All I can say is it felt good, but that's an understatement. It felt great to be back out there with my teammates." A year ago, the prospect of Irving rejoining his teammates seemed questionable. Irving was visiting his family's home in Wallace, N.C., last June when he decided to make a late-night return to campus, about 90 miles away. He recalls getting on Interstate 40 and passing an 18-wheeler, but his memory of that night gets hazy from there. Authorities indicated Irving's SUV hit two trees at about 4:40 a.m. after he apparently fell asleep at the wheel in western Johnston County, about 30 miles from Raleigh. A careless driving charge against Irving was dismissed. "I just remember waking up in the hospital with tubes in my chest," Irving said. "I was afraid. I didn't know what happened to me. I just could feel the tubes coming out of my body. ? I was afraid that not only would I not be able to play again, but more so whether I'd be able to walk again." Irving considered himself fortunate that the injury merely ended his season. But that didn't make it any easier to watch as North Carolina State failed to live up to expectations. After being touted as a dark-horse ACC contender, the Wolfpack stumbled to a 5-7 finish and ranked 99th nationally in scoring defense. "That was probably the hardest part of my rehab, just having to sit there and watch as my teammates went through the season they went through, not being able to help them," Irving said. The rest of his rehab wasn't much easier. After being discharged from the hospital, Irving went home for several weeks to allow his injured bones to heal. At that point, Irving had to be extra cautious when he took a shower or walked across his room, just to make sure he didn't cause additional damage to his leg. When he returned to campus in August, he couldn't stress the leg with any type of high-impact activities. He began a jogging program in a therapy pool in October because the water put less stress on his leg. He wore flotation devices to make sure he wouldn't have any impact with the bottom of the pool. Phil Hedrick, North Carolina State's head athletic trainer for football, considered it the equivalent of treading water in a 10-foot swimming pool. By early February, Irving began doing some straight-line jogging exercises. When he could perform those exercises without limping, Irving graduated to some change-of-direction drills. He finally was sprinting again by late February. "He never questioned anything we asked him to do," Hedrick said. "He worked hard at it. Initially when the accident happened, he went into a little bit of a shell, but through the course of time with his body healing and seeing that everything was going to be OK, he got around to his normal jovial self. I'd like to think that's the way he is today." While Irving was able to participate in spring practice, he still has plenty of work ahead of him. He must improve his speed to get back to the point where he was during that 2008 season. He also must build up his body. After weighing up to 249 pounds two seasons ago, Irving currently is at about 235. "I still feel like I've got a long way to go to get where I want to be," Irving said, "first and foremost, with my strength and speed and just my body being used to the demand and impact [football] has." The good news is that Irving didn't have any problem with his leg during spring practice. He now is participating in offseason conditioning and expects to be in peak form by the start of the season. North Carolina State desperately needs Irving at full strength to lead a defense with plenty of question marks. The defensive line will have four new starters, and while the secondary returns two starters, N.C. State ranked 106th nationally in pass efficiency defense last season. "I try to imagine what it will be like running out of the tunnel and making that first tackle in that first game," Irving said. "I try to imagine what it will be like over and over, but I can't grasp the emotions I'll be going through, what I'll be feeling and thinking." NFL scouts are eager to see how Irving responds. The website nfldraftscout.com currently forecasts Irving to go undrafted, but that should change if Irving regains his 2008 form. Irving was rated as a potential middle-round selection before his wreck. "Based on how he played as a freshman and sophomore, I wouldn't have gone as far as saying he was a first-round pick, but he absolutely showed enough instincts and physicality and [skills as a] reliable open-field tackler that the NFL certainly would be watching him," said Rob Rang, a senior draft analyst for nfldraftscout.com. "He remains a player NFL scouts are absolutely watching." Irving realizes what's at stake. He also has a keen understanding that the future isn't promised to anyone. Irving keeps a photo of his mangled SUV on his cell phone and in his room. "It puts everything in perspective," Irving said. "You can be on top one minute, and then anything can be taken away the next. "You have to take advantage of every opportunity you have and take nothing for granted." "

6/22/2010 7:31:59 AM

i really hope we don't suck this year

6/22/2010 8:24:45 AM

gee you might be the only wolfpack fan who thinks that

6/22/2010 8:44:32 AM

you shut your mouth when you're talking to me

6/22/2010 8:49:37 AM

hah

6/22/2010 9:15:51 AM

I don't think any state fan has ever wished that ever......

6/22/2010 10:05:19 AM

ok i'll say it this way...

i hope we're really good.

(i know this may generate serious controversy/discussion)

6/22/2010 10:13:13 AM

i'd like nc state shit to only happen in minor manners

6/22/2010 10:34:01 AM

i'd like nc state shit to only happen in minor manners to unc

6/22/2010 3:00:34 PM

Then it wouldn't be NC State shit, then would it?

Their defense is going to be nasty. The most we can hope for is some TJ Yates shit.

6/22/2010 3:08:02 PM

Russell Wilson didn't think their defense was so nasty the past two years.

6/22/2010 3:31:26 PM

Sadly, the Russell Wilson era will be coming to an end soon.

6/22/2010 3:57:22 PM

How do you see the ACC shaking out next year? Here's my team-by-team prediction of the ACC Atlantic.

Atlantic Division

Boston College
Weber State - W
Kent State - W
Virginia Tech - L
Notre Dame - W
@ NC State - L
@ Florida State - L
Maryland - W
Clemson - L
@ Wake Forest - W
@ Duke - W
Virginia - W
@ Syracuse - W

8-4 (4-4)


Clemson
North Texas - W
Presbyterian - W
@ Auburn - L
Miami - L
@ UNC - W
Maryland - W
Georgia Tech - L
@ Boston College - W
NC State - W
@ Florida State - L
@ Wake Forest - W
South Carolina - L

7-5 (5-3)


Florida State
Samford - W
@ Oklahoma - L
BYU - W
Wake Forest - W
@ Virginia - W
@ Miami - L
Boston College - W
@ NC State - W (this is tough to call b/c both teams enter this game after a bye week. I do like us at home b/c we usually play a whole lot better after the bye, but FSU just has more talent than us.)
UNC - W
Clemson - W
@ Maryland - W
Florida - L

9-3 (7-1)


Maryland
Navy - L
Morgan State - W
@ West Virginia - L
Florida International - W
Duke - W
@ Clemson - L
@ Boston College - L
Wake Forest - L (The Deacs will have a bye week before this game. If not for that I would have been tempted to go with the home team. Grobe is a great coach.)
@ Miami - L
@ Virginia - W
Florida State - L
NC State - L

4-8 (2-6)


NC State
Western Carolina - W
UCF - W (I will be at this game with a couple of UCF guys that I go to med school with & would love to be able to gloat on the way back)
Cincinnati - L
@ Georgia Tech - L
Virginia Tech - L
Boston College - W
@ ECU - W
Florida State - L
@ Clemson - L
Wake Forest - W
@ UNC - W
@ Maryland - W

7-5 (4-4) I'll take it considering where we've been lately. I wouldn't be surprised if we won that UC game though.


Wake Forest
Presbyterian - W
Duke - W
@ Stanford - L
@ Florida State - L
Georgia Tech - L
Navy - W
@ Virginia Tech - L
@ Maryland - W
Boston College - L
@ NC State - L
Clemson - L
@ Vanderbilt - W

5-7 (2-6)


Predicted Atlantic Division Standings:
1) Florida State 9-3 (7-1)
2) Clemson 7-5 (5-3)
3) NC State 7-5 (4-4) (State owns head-to-head tiebreaker over BC)
4) Boston College 8-4 (4-4)
5) Wake Forest 5-7 (2-6) (WF owns head-to-head tiebreaker over UMD)
6) Maryland 4-8 (2-6)

6/23/2010 12:29:22 AM

I agree with your assessment of our season with the exception of the last game where I see us losing to Maryland putting us at 6-6. Expect another good season from Wilson, an O-line that only solidifies towards the second half of the season, and a defense that is a bit more opportunistic but still gives up a lot of points. It won't sting much with the anticipated basketball season following. Very happy that Wilson is coming back for one more year.

6/23/2010 2:00:13 AM

In a way I don't want us to win 8 games so TOB can be out but it would be tragic if we lost more than 4 games with this talent and I think its going to happen.

6/23/2010 2:46:39 AM

I'd like to be more optimistic about our defense but then I remember last year's game against Duke.

6/23/2010 3:57:11 AM

^I also remember the majority of our games over the past 3 years. Just checked... our opponent's scoring average over the last 3 seasons is just over 28 points per game. I hope they get their act together, with our schedule I could easily see a 5 or sub 5 win season.

Hope I'm proven wrong.

[Edited on June 23, 2010 at 7:43 AM. Reason : -]

6/23/2010 7:43:18 AM

Agreed. That Duke game singlehandedly robbed me of any confidence I had in our defense going forward.

But maybe, just maybe a healthy Nate + John Tenuta = decent defense.

6/23/2010 8:56:19 AM

don't forget about Terrell Manning


kid is gonna be a monster

6/23/2010 9:30:05 AM

I keep hearing people talk about the return of Nate and the arrival of new coach John Tenuta, and how our defense will be improved as a result.

But I still think: Nate is just one player - he can't cover the whole field. And Coach Tenuta is just the LB coach - he's not the DC. Hopefully he has significant influence in coach's meetings.

IF Nate can return to his 2008 form, I think our defense against the run can be good. He's still getting back in shape and improving his strength. It may take him a couple games to get back. But even in '08 when we had Nate and RW, we still lost 7 games. If our secondary can't stop anyone, we're fucked. Again.

I think our opponents would be foolish ignore what Duke did and attack our weakest area and throw it 75% of the game. Come to think of it, since GT is a running team, if Nate and our D-line plays decent, we have have a chance against them.

6/23/2010 9:35:06 AM

There were a few games in 08 where we lost b/c Nate and/or Russell weren't in the lineup. Hell I was at the PapaJohns.com Bowl and we would have won it if Russell hadn't been hurt going into the half. Russell threw 1 interception in that entire season, yet our two back up QBs threw 3 iirc in one half of play.

6/23/2010 3:37:58 PM

good radio interview with Coach O'Brien and Nate Irving. Pretty funny actually.

http://www.wralsportsfan.com/ncsu/audio/7836391/

6/23/2010 3:42:22 PM

Its sad. Its almost July and though I am looking forward to football season I am very pessimistic. I just want a little hype just a little.

6/23/2010 6:46:19 PM

you know im comfortable with no hype for once

they will still play the games

6/23/2010 7:03:39 PM

maybe no expectations is a good thing then

6/23/2010 7:47:01 PM

Quote :

" TWO WIN SEASON "

6/23/2010 10:04:51 PM

^if thats the case ill kill myself by the end of it

6/23/2010 10:11:11 PM

Just made my reservations for a hotel in Atlanta for the GT game....getting overly excited now people...it's coming!

6/24/2010 4:43:56 PM

2002 State @ Texas Tech on Sports South right now

6/24/2010 5:07:43 PM

even though im guilty, i just can't believe how apathetic we are. Last year this thread was rockin. I set my clock by it. I made my schedule around when i would be reading it.

Reality and the pain of hype has set it... what an amazing group response. someone should study this.

6/24/2010 5:34:47 PM

Anyone with insider care to post this article?

http://tiny.cc/35ax8

6/24/2010 6:18:17 PM

For ^

Quote :

" What's the best way to gauge top weight rooms around the country? I ended up consulting a group of NFL scouts, college administrators (who had toured many facilities as they tried to get ideas for their own upgrades) and some well-traveled coaches for today's top-10 list. 1. Texas Longhorns: What Jerryworld is to head-turning stadiums, that's what the Al-Rashid Strength Complex has been to college weight rooms. The room, named for Saudi Arabia native and UT graduate Dr. Nasser I. Al-Rashid, is 20,000 square feet and includes a 70-yard turf straight-away for timing and conditioning. More than half of the people I spoke to for this began their list with Texas. 2. LSU Tigers: The Tigers' program has a legacy going back more than 50 years to the days of pioneering strength coach Alvin Roy. LSU's facility (aka "The Complex"), unlike that of a lot of other big-time programs, is for football only. One source praised it for the graphics and coloring of the complex, talking about the great energy of the facility. Another pointed out that the setup is smart in that it also opens up to their indoor facility. 3. Nebraska Cornhuskers: One of the sources I spoke to said he suspects if you spoke to 100 people who had toured the top weight rooms, most would put Nebraska's at No. 1, ticking off a series of reasons for its prime spot: two levels. Spacious. Great equipment. Great flow, from the cardio area to the Olympic area. The setup is only going to get better with former NU star Ndamukong Suh's $2 million donation to the program. 4. Alabama Crimson Tide: An NFL scout who canvasses the SEC named Alabama's as the best weight room he's seen. Like that of Texas and a few others, the Tide's facility is about 20,000 square feet. For more on the Tide's training program, check out this Matt Siracusa story from earlier this month. [+] EnlargeTexas weight room Jim Sigmon/UT AthleticsThis is where the Longhorns go to do work. It's among the best in the land. 5. Oklahoma Sooners: The Sooners' facility was one of the most impressive around when I visited it a few years back, but I'm told it has really been upgraded since former OU star Roy Williams donated to his alma mater for a football-only training space. 6. Florida Gators: Renovated in 2008, the Gators' 25,000-square foot complex is as big as any. It also includes a 50-yard turf area. 7. Notre Dame Fighting Irish: The entire Notre Dame campus is just impressive, and its football hub -- the Gug -- is no different. Check out Pat Forde's piece earlier in the week on ND's program and strength coach. 8. Oregon Ducks: "With all of the effort this school puts on its uniforms, you don't think they wouldn't do everything possible to be state-of-the-art in facilities," said one source who raved about the Ducks' training environment. Earlier this spring, the state approved a plan to step things up even more. 9. Kansas Jayhawks: Hearing about the Jayhawks' setup surprised me. KU spent $8 million on the Anderson Family Strength and Conditioning Center, and the reviews are very favorable. "The size, flooring, flow of the place is just very, very nice," a source said. "It is impressive." It certainly sounds like it, based on this Jim Catalano story: The two-story design of the Anderson Center has an especially effective plyometric-training area: a 20-yard indoor "hill," which consists of a ramp rising from a 37- to a 45-degree grade, plyometric steps that are filled with shredded tire, and a row of stadium-like steps. Inspired by a similar outdoor facility designed by Istvan Javorek, Strength Coach at Johnson County Community College, the area enables the Jayhawks to do resistance training, rehab, and hill training. 10. Pittsburgh Panthers: The Panthers share the sprawling UPMC Sports Performance Center with the Pittsburgh Steelers; the place is almost always touted by anyone who has visited a lot of college strength and conditioning setups."

6/24/2010 6:43:43 PM

facilities

6/24/2010 6:50:24 PM

South Carolina is my darkhorse for the SEC east this year. Loaded on D and they have giants at WR. All comes down to Garcia not being retarded.

6/24/2010 7:20:28 PM

so in reality they arent the darkhouse

6/24/2010 7:26:20 PM

When they are in the same division as Florida and a loaded Georgia and have never won it they are

6/24/2010 7:30:20 PM

So I'm waiting on some NC State shit to happen to this team at this point in the year. It doesn't feel right that something hasn't gone wrong yet. No injuries, transfers, season-ending surgeries, car crashes, etc. There is a court case coming up shortly.

I guess there's still a lot of summer left.

6/25/2010 3:51:41 PM

^My money is on RW getting hurt playing baseball the day after Glennon finally decides to transfer for more playing time. Then just for the heck of it, Brosius becomes academically ineligible after one summer school session.

On the bright side, our QB situation would still be better than UNCs.

6/26/2010 6:39:02 PM

In Imhoff we trust.


that hurt to type

6/27/2010 5:47:49 AM

^^^I think our team is probably bad enough that we don't need our usual supernatural help to fail this year.

6/27/2010 9:51:05 AM

^wrong

6/27/2010 11:17:46 AM

^ No, he's right. Our defense sucks badly enough that we could have everyone healthy/eligible, and we're still going to lose the majority of our games. That's not to say that we still won't have more than our fair share of off-season bullshit to deal with, but that will only enhance how badly we suck and not actually be the root cause of it.

6/27/2010 2:18:58 PM

The only hope I have for our defense is if we can start to run the ball effectively to keep them off the field.

6/27/2010 2:52:14 PM

^the dolphins tried that against Peyton last year, it still didn't work. I'm not very hopeful that our defense will stop anybody

6/27/2010 7:40:40 PM

While I'm not particularly optimistic about the upcoming season, I think it's important to keep things in perspective. The defense doesn't have to all the sudden become impermeable, they just have to make a few more stops each game than they did last season and our offense will take care of the rest.

Quote :

"the dolphins tried that against Peyton last year, it still didn't work."

Lucky for us Peton Manning doesn't play in the ACC.

[Edited on June 27, 2010 at 10:48 PM. Reason : .]

6/27/2010 10:45:36 PM

I think we will be better than most think.

Because I am trying to build unreasonable expectations.

6/27/2010 10:52:54 PM

[old] but HD (ESPN ACC Blog) ranked Russell as the 7th best player in the ACC. I don't put a lot of stock into her opinions, but the comments are absolutely ridiculous.

6/28/2010 8:30:15 AM

^ Heather Dumbbitch is a joke. RW as the 7th best player? I can't see her list so I wonder who she has ahead of him. I'm sure Tyrod Taylor and Jacory Harris are both above RW despite neither being anywhere as capable of a QB as RW. If Wilson played on VT, he'd be #1 on every list. Don't penalize the man just because our defense is garage.

6/28/2010 8:58:24 AM