Week 12 (NCSU @ Wake)

[ajoytoy]

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Gary Hahn's Scouting Report: Wake Forest

NC STATE (5-5, 3-3) at WAKE FOREST (6-4, 4-3)



DATE: Saturday, November 17, 2007



TIME: Kickoff: 4:00 p.m. (EST) at BB&T Field, Winston-Salem, NC (31,500)



RADIO: Wolfpack Sports Network. Airtime: 3:00 p.m. (EST)



TELEVISION: Raycom/Lincoln Financial Sports (ACC Network)



OPPONENT?Tommy Bowden called Saturday?s 44-10 rout of Wake Forest at Memorial Stadium the team?s best performance in his nine seasons as Clemson?s football coach. He?s probably right.



Senior linebacker Nick Watkins led an inspired defense with 14 tackles. Quarterback Cullen Harper threw for three touchdowns and ran for one, and Mark Buchholz kicked three field goals as Clemson (8-2, 5-2) won its fourth straight game to set up a showdown with Boston College for the ACC Atlantic Division championship.

Suffocating defensive pressure that included 5 sacks kept Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner off balance. He completed 21 of 30 passes with one interception, but the Deacons mounted only one drive that led to a touchdown. That score came late in the first quarter on a Josh Adam?s 2-yard run. By halftime, Clemson had a commanding 27-7 lead.

The Tigers also won the special teams battle. Buchholz had field goals of 46, 48 and 52 yards after going two for eight beyond 40 yards the first nine games.

Wake's Kenny Moore returned a punt 55 yards to set up Sam Swank's 52-yard field goal, and Kevin Marion returned six kicks for 130 yards. But C.J. Spiller returned a kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown to give the Tigers a 34-10 third quarter lead after Wake's field goal.

Even with tailback James Davis and Spiller held to a combined 116 rushing yards, Harper had time to throw. Aaron Kelly hauled in 10 of Harper?s passes for 93 yards and two touchdowns and Tyler Grisham caught nine for 100 and a TD. For the Deacons, Moore led the way with 5 receptions for 62 yards.

Clemson outgained Wake Forest 411 yards to 287 and scored all four times it had the ball in the Red Zone. The Deacons were flagged for 8 penalties for 62 yards and ran for only 83 yards. Obviously, falling behind early limited the Wake Forest ground game.

The Deacons are defined by their toughness, unity and their ability to overcome adversity. They are bowl eligible, but have lost two straight after winning six consecutive games.



Injuries on the offensive line have become a problem for Wake Forest. Starting tackle Joe Birdsong is doubtful for the NC State game while top reserve Matt Brim (a starter in ?04 and ?05 at guard) continues to battle ankle and knee injuries. However, the Deacons still possess depth and experience up front.



Senior Louis Frazier (6-4, 315), who was a starter at guard in ?06, has moved to left tackle. There is also talent and experience on the right side. Center, Steve Justice, is a third-year starter who is one of the best in the ACC and both right guard Chris DeGeare (6-4, 362, Jr.) and tackle Jeff Griffin (6-3, 298, RSo.) are second-year starters.



The Deacons lead the ACC in time of possession (31:52). They run the ball 59 percent of the time and average 143 yards a game with a combination of deception and power. Redshirt freshman Josh Adams (6-0, 180) and redshirt senior Micah Andrews (5-10, 212) handle the inside running game. They have accounted for 72 percent of the Deacs rushing yards.



Adams is No.4 in the ACC with 692 yards, 7 touchdowns and 4.2 yards per carry average. He?s also a good receiver with 24 catches for an average of 11.4 yards.



However, the most dangerous man in the Wake Forest lineup is Moore. The veteran wide receiver with outstanding speed leads the ACC with 70 catches, averages 78 receiving yards a game and he can hurt you on the ground, too. Moore averages 8.1 yards per carry and has 3 rushing touchdowns.



Also a great return specialist, Moore is the only player in the nation this season to have run for more than 100 yards in a game (116 vs. Nebraska), record 100 receiving yards in a game(126 vs. BC) and return a punt for a touchdown (55 yards vs. Army).



Obviously, Moore is Skinner?s favorite target, but there are others who contribute in the passing game.

Tight end, John Tereshinski, is the team?s No.2 receiver with 25 catches while junior Chip Brinkman (19 catches) and Kevin Marion, one of the ACC?s fastest players, (11.5 ypc.) are also threats to make plays.



Wake Forest usually does not beat itself. The Deacs have a plus-6 turnover margin and they find unconventional ways to score. They lead the ACC with nine touchdowns by special teams or defense and have scored 84 points off turnovers this year.



The leader is cornerback Alphonso Smith. The third-year starter tied ACC records with his 3rd interception return for a touchdown this year and the fourth of his career on September 22nd against Maryland. Outside linebacker Aaron Curry has also returned two interceptions for touchdowns this season.



Defensively, the Wake Forest front-seven is extremely experienced. Three, third-year starters anchor the line. Tackle Zach Stukes, a redshirt senior, is tied for the ACC lead with three fumble recoveries while end

Jeremy Thompson is fifth in the league with 6.5 sacks.



Curry, who has defensive back speed, and Stanley Arnoux are the standouts of the linebacker corps. Curry

has picked off three passes and recorded a team-leading 9.5 tackles for loss.



In the secondary, the big hitter is safety Chip Vaughn (6-2, 220). The redshirt junior is the Deacs leading tackler (93) and has broken up a team-leading 9 passes. With the exception of Smith, who returned an interception for a TD against NC State in ?05, everyone else in the secondary is a first-year starter.



Wake Forest is ninth in the ACC in pass defense (227 ypg.) and has allowed a league-high 17 touchdown passes.



The kicking game is pretty solid. Redshirt junior, Sam Swank (6-2, 206) was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award. His 52-yard field goal against Clemson was his second this season from 50-yards or more. During his career he?s 9-of-12 from that distance.



In last year?s game against NC State, Swank kicked 3 field goals of 50 or more yards.



As a punter Swank has a respectable 40.1 yard average, but the Deacons average net punt of 34.1 yards is in the bottom fourth of the league.



Marion is one of the most dangerous kickoff returners in the nation. His 30.6 yard average is No.2 in the ACC. Against UNC, Marion returned a kick 98 yards for a touchdown.



Moore is an outstanding punt returner. His 11.9 yard average trails only Virginia Tech?s Eddie Royal and the Wolfpack?s Darrell Blackman.



NOTES: Saturday?s game marks the 101st meeting between Wake Forest and NC State...The Deacons are the Wolfpack?s most frequent football rival...Wake Forest has won 3 of the last 4 games in its series with NC State, but the Deacons have won in Raleigh only once since 1984. That was last year?s 25-23 win at Carter-Finley Stadium ...Each of the last four games in the series have been decided by 6 points or less...During State?s 4-game winning streak, the Wolfpack has either won or broken even in turnover margin in each game...The Wolfpack has held 3 of its last 4 opponents to less than 100 yards rushing...NC State has 7 interceptions in its last 3 games and has forced 9 turnovers during its four-game winning streak...Also, during the winning streak, State has held opponents to 21.8 points a game, about 5 points under its season average...Darrell Blackman is No.3 in the ACC in all-purpose yards (135.2) and is the league?s No.2 punt returner (13.7)...Jamelle Eugene, who rushed for 159 yards and 3 touchdowns last week against UNC, is ninth in the ACC in rushing (60.4 ypg.) this week. Eugene has rushed for more than 100 yards in 3 of his last 5 games, averaging nearly 105 yards a game during that span. Eugene has gained 557 all-purpose yards in the last 4 games while averaging 74 snaps...Defensive end Willie Young ranks 6th in the ACC in tackles for loss (12.5)...In the Wolfpack?s last 4 games, Daniel Evans has averaged 279 passing yards with 7 touchdowns and 4 interceptions...State?s improving pass rush is reflected in its sack numbers. During the 4-game winning streak, the Wolfpack has recorded 14 quarterback sacks...Linebacker Ernest Jones leads the Pack in tackles, averaging 9.5 stops a game...Safety DaJuan Morgan who has recorded 34 tackles in his last 3 games is the Pack?s ?Disrupter.? He leads the team with 13 pass break-ups. His brother, cornerback DeAndre Morgan, broke up 5 passes at Miami, including two in the end zone... NC State has scored in 149 consecutive games, the fourth-longest streak in ACC history...The Pack is 7-4 in overtime games...NC State has thrown an ACC-high 19 interceptions this year...Eleven Wolfpack starters have missed a total of 36 combined games this season due to injury. State will be seeking its first five game winning streak since 2002 and its first four-game ACC winning streak in five years...Wake Forest has held 6 of its 10 opponents to less than 100 yards rushing.

INJURIES--NC State: DT John Bedics (concussion) ?questionable; SS Javon Walker (knee)-out; FB Ced Hickman (shoulder)-probable; OT Julian Williams (knee) ?probable; TB Andre Brown (fractured foot)-out; RB Toney Baker (knee)--out for season; TE Anthony Hill (knee)-out for season; FB John Kane (concussion)-out for season; TE Rashad Phillips (rehab from auto accident)-out for season. Wake Forest: OT Joe Birdsong (ankle)-doubtful; OT/OG Matt Brim (ankle)-probable.

-0-

 

[ajoytoy]

great streak the Pack has going right now...Deacs off of 2 losses in a row...Pack has the momentum, but this will be the toughest team they will face in the second half of the season...a win guarantees no losing season this year and a possible bowl invite...biased, but think the Pack has a good chance to cover/win...Eugune status will be of huge concern...pool plays were horrible last week...will be back in a while with pool plays....gl out there

 

[ajoytoy]

Pool Plays:
Missouri -7
Wisconsin -14
Tulsa -14.5
Clemson -7 (Best bet)

first time not having one dog in the plays...:shrug:

 

[ajoytoy]

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BY TONY HAYNES



Raleigh, N.C. ? Dick Sheridan returned to his old stomping grounds last weekend and again helped NC State win a football game. The former Wolfpack coach did his part by winning the coin toss before the Pack went out and toppled North Carolina.



Sheridan?s appearance was, at it turned out, somewhat symbolic since no NC State team has won four ACC games consecutively since his last squad reeled off four straight league wins back in 1992.



On Saturday, coach Tom O?Brien?s first NC State team will have a chance to duplicate that feat when the Wolfpack (5-5, 3-3) travels to Winston-Salem for a 4:00 p.m. meeting with Wake Forest?s reigning ACC champs.



The Pack has won four in a row overall after dropping five of its first six, an unlikely turnaround that ranks as one of the most dramatic in NC State football history. Nearly as unlikely, the Deacons (6-4, 4-3) have dropped back-to-back games including a 44-10 thrashing at the hands of Clemson last week.



At any point during the first half of the season, who really would have imagined that NC State would be the hotter of the two teams coming into this contest?



?In his league you have to be pretty good to win four in a row,? said Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe. ?I think with NC State, it causes them to gain a lot of confidence and I think that?s the biggest thing when you?ve won a few games. We had won six in a row at one time and they?ve won four in a row right now, and I know that when that happens you?re certainly playing pretty well. But the real advantage is that your kids have a lot of confidence.?



During its streak, the Wolfpack has mastered the art of the takeaway, while also reducing the number of turnovers it has given its opponents. The Pack has a plus-four turnover margin since starting its hot stretch with a victory at East Carolina in week seven. Grobe and his Deacons understand the value of turnover ratio better than anyone since their incredible run to the ACC title a year ago was built on an opportunistic defense and an offense that rarely made mistakes.



In that regard, the Deacons are still up to their old tricks this season. Wake is No. 2 in the league in turnover margin (plus-6) and ranks No. 1 in the category of non-offensive touchdowns with nine.



?We work really on trying to force turnovers and teaching the kids what to do once they do turn the ball over,? Grobe said. ?But I think every team does that. I don?t think there are any teams out there that don?t practice trying to get the ball turned over. I think it?s just circumstance; we?ve had guys in the position to make plays.?



Wake Forest has returned five interceptions for touchdowns, two returned fumbles, one kick off return for a score and a punt return to the end zone. Corner Alphonso Smith has five career touchdowns on interception returns, including three this year.



The Deacons have gone from being a team that would beat people because of its deceptive offense to one that is now good enough to win because it has better than average personnel and quality depth.



To be sure, the Wake Forest offense is still unorthodox. The Wolfpack will again see plenty of misdirection, reverses and ball-faking on Saturday. But since coaches tend to be copy-cats, other programs NC State has faced this year have begun to implement some of the schemes that have worked so well for Grobe?s teams.



"That is the only good thing right now, is so many people [have duplicated it]? O?Brien said. ?When you have success and have success, and do a great job like Jim Grobe has done at Wake Forest, people have come in and emulated what they are doing. Weekly, you see a little bit here and there of what they are doing or what they have stolen from Wake Forest. It isn't altogether new. It's like when you go back talking about playing Wofford in the execution. People do some of the stuff, but they don't execute it with the same speed or precision that Wake Forest does."



Wake tailback and Cary native Josh Adams is averaging 4.6 yards per carry, while cagy quarterback Riley Skinner has completed 72.8 percent of his passes. Last week at Clemson, however, Skinner was either running for his life or lying on his backside against a Clemson pass rush that produced six sacks. The Deacons are banged up on the offensive line and don?t expect tackle Joe Birdsong to play Saturday.



?What hurts us more than anything is the depth issue,? Grobe said. ?It?s not that we can?t put five guys out on the field that we can win with but having enough quality depth guys that have been in the fire before that can go in and help you out. It?s tough. We?re playing against such good defensive football teams right now that lack of depth in the offensive line is a problem.?



NC State?s offensive line, on the other hand, is coming off perhaps its best game. The Wolfpack pounded the Tar Heels up front last week, turning tailback Jamelle Eugene loose for 159 yards on 32 carries. Even freshman runner Curtis Underwood got in on the act, averaging 8.8 yards on just four carries.



Eugene?s success has been stunning during the Pack winning streak. The Naples, Florida sophomore, who started the season playing behind Toney Baker and Andre Brown, has done everything asked of him since filling the void left by his injured teammates. Eugene?s rushing average of 105 yards per game the last four weeks only tells a part of the story. He?s also caught 20 passes and provided reliable pass protection against blitzing linebackers and safeties.



?I?m finally glad he?s gotten his chance,? said NC State linebacker Ernest Jones. ?I?ve been telling guys I went to school with in high school for years about Jamelle Eugene. I?ve seen him do things in scrimmages that I?ve never seen on TV before. I?m glad he?s finally getting a chance to showcase his talent as well as help the team.?



After allowing Miami to rush for better than 300 yards two weeks ago, the NC State defense also tightened things up against UNC, yielding only 12 yards on the ground to the Tar Heels.



Of course, Wake Forest will test that improvement with its quirky blocking angles and deceptive running plays that come from all angles. And the Deacons won?t be lacking for motivation after losing two games in a row.



?They?re a very well-coached team,? said Wolfpack center Luke Lathan. ?It was no fluke that they won the ACC championship last year. They?re disciplined, they?re well-coached and they don?t quit. Sometimes you see players on some teams that take a play or two off. Wake doesn?t do that. Their philosophy is to come at you every play and every second. They?re hard workers.?



Wake Forest ? NC State: In a series that dates back to 1895, NC State owns a 60-34-6 advantage. The Wolfpack has played Wake Forest more than any other team (100 times). The Deacons have won three of the last four games, including four of the last five at Groves Stadium.



Kicking Game: Keep an eye on the kick off and punt return teams on Saturday. WFU is second in the ACC and 15th in the nation in kick off return average (24.1). The Wolfpack?s Darrell Blackman averages 14.7 yards per punt return, a figure that is No.1 in the ACC.