10/7 thru 10/9 (NCSU @ UNC)

[ajoytoy]

YTD: 39-37-1 (+4.27)


THE game is at -10.5 and 54....initial leans are UNC and definitely the Under...gonna wait till later in the week to finalize ....hopefully the lines will rise :142lmao: ...will have writeup later in the week

initial leans:
UVA -16
OK -6.5
Michigan -4
Indiana +11
Pitt -14 :scared
Bowling Green -13.5
Stanford +4.5
Cal +7.5
VT -4.5
Purdue -10.5

any and all feedback is appreciated

glta this weekend!

toy

 

[Lost Hillbilly]

UNC is showing signs of life...Kinda Like NC St. tough, tough defense.

Like Cal, +10 MC
S. Carolina -17, 4-1 ATS
LA Tech +24.5
Syracuse +19.5

I R a Hokie, was at the WVU game...should have beat them 35-7, still haven't proved they can score in the RED ZONE!! Plus, 135 yards in penalties...stearing clear from Wake at home.

 

[ajoytoy]

UNC is showing signs of life...Kinda Like NC St. tough, tough defense.

Like Cal, +10 MC
S. Carolina -17, 4-1 ATS
LA Tech +24.5
Syracuse +19.5

I R a Hokie, was at the WVU game...should have beat them 35-7, still haven't proved they can score in the RED ZONE!! Plus, 135 yards in penalties...stearing clear from Wake at home.

Packs offense came alive in the 2nd half of the Wake game...the question is will they maintain it...they have Maryland the following week....hope they are not "looking ahead"....this is normally a pretty big game, so i do not forsee that...

Wake/VT is gonna be a great game with Randell and Randolph as the QB's

 

[wox11]

keep an eye on wisconsin line ~ im hoping the public will drive it up even more :scared also the under in that game!!


gl this week :clap:

 

[ajoytoy]

keep an eye on wisconsin line ~ im hoping the public will drive it up even more :scared also the under in that game!!


gl this week :clap:

should be interesting to see how OSU responds after the loss...its dropped down to 3.5 already...gl on your plays as well wox

 

[ajoytoy]

Tony's Take: Wake Up Call
Davis leads big second half rally.

Oct. 2, 2004

By Tony Haynes

Raleigh, N.C. - It was a hot, sticky October afternoon when NC State hosted Wake Forest at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday. The climate, hardly autumnal, was certainly not what anyone would describe as ideal sleeping weather. But according to Wolfpack head coach Chuck Amato, his team and its fans were in a deep slumber as the feisty Deacons built a 14-0 lead through the first half. But not long after the two teams returned to the field in the second half, the alarm clock went off.

It sounded with a resounding roar when wide receiver Sterling Hicks took a pass from Jay Davis and zigzagged his way down the right sideline and stretched his 6-2 frame into the end zone, completing a 57-yard touchdown pass. From there, the game, NC State's offense and the outlook of its season took a dramatic turn. Not only was the Pack awake, it was alive and well. Scoring 21 unanswered points in an amazing third quarter, NC State went on to post a 27-21 victory in overtime when T.A. McLendon scored from eight yards out in the extra period.

Rushing for a season best 139 yards on 30 carries, McLendon often bullied the Wake Forest defense for four quarters. But the real story was Davis, a player whose spot on the bench was seemingly on the verge of becoming permanent. Although he was NC State's starting quarterback in the first four games, Davis appeared to be losing ground to redshirt freshman Marcus Stone, who played the entire second half at Virginia Tech last week and most of the first half against Wake on Saturday.

But Stone was also walking the tightrope after throwing an interception that was turned into a touchdown by Wake's Marcus McGruder late in the first quarter.

But following his connection with Hicks, Davis became a different player. Just like that, the body language of the entire NC State offense changed. The receivers, who had seen very few balls come their way over the previous three games, suddenly had a reason to run crisp routes and get open. And the offensive line, which was bolstered by some maximum protection packages with two tight ends in the second half, gave its quarterback the time he needed to start making plays.

The rest, they say, is history.

"The whole offense really started clicking in the second half; the offensive line the running backs and the receivers," said Davis, who finished 18-of-24 for 244 yards and a touchdown. "It was just an accumulation of all of all of those things just coming together as an offensive unit and playing well."

Davis is being modest. He is the one who had to make it happen in a game the Wolfpack had to have. Having already dropped a decision to Ohio State a few weeks ago at Carter-Finley, NC State couldn't afford another loss at home this early in the season.

So the guy who had often looked so shaky and tentative over the last three weeks found himself a phone booth at halftime and came back looking more like Philip Rivers, only with a different number. In the third quarter alone, Davis completed 9-of-12 throws for 170 yards. One of those hook ups was a 58-yard strike to Tramain Hall on third and 32. I need not remind anyone that there's no such thing as a third and 32 play in the playbook.

"It was a great route by Tramain," said Davis. "They were in a cover four. Our back took away the flat defender, Tramain bended it, caught the ball and took it up the field. He did what Tramain Hall does: he made a big play."

One play later, McLendon bolted into the end zone to tie the score at 14-14.

Following a second straight Wake Forest three and out, Davis guided another scoring drive, this time in 11 plays over 66 yards to give NC State its first lead of the day.

Just like that, the Wolfpack had gone on top and found itself a quarterback in the process.

"It shows you a little about his character," Amato said. "A normal kid would go over on the sideline and say, `that's it, I'm done. I'm number two for the rest of the year.' He knows the offense. He had to stop pushing the ball and throw it like he did in the second half."

Thanks to Davis, NC State converted 7-of-14 third downs on Saturday. Coming into the game, the Wolfpack had converted only 28 percent of its third downs through the first three games. Of course, it didn't hurt that the Pack averaged 9.4 yards on first downs in the second half after being held to just 2.8 yards on first down plays in the first two quarters.

Still, Wake didn't fold and forced the overtime. Following a missed field goal by the Deacons, a kick that plunked off the left upright, the Pack turned the extra period over to McLendon. Following runs of 11, 4 and two yards, the junior was asked to get the ball in the middle of the field for a potential game-winning field goal attempt by John Deraney.

But on third and four from the eight, McLendon had other ideas.

"Jay came in the huddle and said we just need to get the ball in the middle of the field," McLendon said. "The whole time I was like, `middle of the field?' I just saw it open up. The offensive line did a great job getting off the ball and I just saw daylight from there."

McLendon's 31st career rushing touchdown, a figure that ranks third in school history, set off a wild celebration in the end zone and the stands. By this time, everyone in west Raleigh was very much awake.

"I was underneath the pile and I can say that was the hardest hit I took all day," McLendon joked. "It didn't really matter at that point because I knew we had just won the game...and what a game it was."

Especially after the alarm sounded.

 

[ajoytoy]

Wolfpack Cracks Top 25
NC State ranked 25th in Coaches Poll.


Oct. 4, 2004

Not only did a third quarter explosion fuel a 27-21 overtime victory over Wake Forest on Saturday, the comeback also put NC State into this week's new ESPN/USA Today College Football Poll. The Wolfpack, 3-1 overall and 2-0 in the ACC, is ranked 25th in this week's coaches poll. Trailing 14-0 at halftime, the Pack stormed back to down the Deacons, 27-21. Along with its national ranking, NC State is also ranked No. 2 in the nation in total defense (193.8 ypg.) and No. 1 in pass defense.

The Wolfpack will travel to Chapel Hill to face North Carolina next Saturday night at 6:05. The game can be seen live on Time Warner Cable digital channel 213.

 

[Blackman]

Good luck Toy --- got a few of the same leans, I think Pitt looks like a nice play this weekend.

 

[Irish]

GL toy
Like the UVA, Stanford and Purdue games. I'm leaning on the Gophers though! Best of luck to you.

Cheers
Irish

 

[ajoytoy]

some good ole Heels Humor

some good ole Heels Humor

Q. How do you keep a North Carolina Tarheel out of your yard?
> > A. Put up goal posts.
> >
> > Q. Where do you go in North Carlina in case of a tornado?
> > A. To the Kenan Stadium- they never get a touchdown there.
> >
> > Q. What do you call a North Carolina Tarheel with an ACC football
> > Championship ring?
> > A. A thief.
> >
> > Q. What's the difference between the North Carolina Tarheels and a
> dollar bill?
> > A. You can still get four quarters out of a dollar.
> >
> > Q. How many North Carolina Tarheels does it take to win an ACC!
> Football championship?
> > A. Nobody knows and we may never find out.
> >
> > Q. What do you call 47 people sitting around a TV watching the ACC Football Championship?
> > A. The North Carolina Tarheels.
> >
> > Q. What do the North Carolina Tarheels and possums have in
common?
> > A. Both play dead at home and get killed on the road.
> >
> > Q. How can you tell when the North Carolina Tarheels are going
to run the football?
> A. The back leaves the huddle with tears in his eyes.
> >
> > Q What's the difference between the North Carolina Tarheels and
the
> > Taliban?
> > A. The Taliban has a running game.
> >
> > Q. What do the North Carolina Tarheels and Billy Graham have in
>common?
> > A. They both can make 60,000 people stand up and yell "Jesus
>Christ."


:142lmao: :142lmao: :142lmao:

 

[Hokie Fan]

Ajoy
Always like your NC state looks
I just think Texas is due..
Mac Brown needs this one
5 straight years of the top recruiting classes has to pay off
Also like Minny and V tech (Homer play)

 

[ajoytoy]

Edwards, Wolfpack Turn Attention to UNC
NC State's starting cornerback is from Chapel Hill.


Oct. 4, 2004

By Tony Haynes

Raleigh, N.C. - NC State cornerback Dovonte Edwards has lined up against some of the best and speediest wide receivers in the ACC. But he considers that to be a piece of cake compared to what it was like roaming the halls of Chapel Hill High School his senior year after he had committed to NC State. Needless to say, Edwards received more than his fair share of ribbing after turning his back on the hometown team in order to join the Wolfpack. Edwards will be back home this Saturday night when he and his Pack (3-1, 2-0) teammates clash with North Carolina (2-3, 1-2).

"I'm from Chapel Hill and have a lot of friends there who will be rooting for UNC," Edwards said. "They want me to do well, but this game has a lot of significance because I am from Chapel Hill and I had an opportunity to go there. It was between NC State and UNC. I picked a rival school."

And what did many of his classmates say when Edwards made his choice?

"They thought I was a cop out," he said. "But they're my friends so they understood my situation. They're behind me 100 percent. They want me to do well, but they want UNC to win."

Edwards, a two-sport start at Chapel Hill High, wanted to try his hand at playing both football and basketball in college. As it turns out, NC State was the school that promised him the opportunity to do both his freshman season.

"North Carolina coach [Carl] Torbush said he wanted me to wait until my sophomore year to try my hand at basketball," Edwards recalled. "Not only that, I was coming in as a wide receiver and Philip Rivers was a hot shot sophomore quarterback. I wanted to catch some of his passes."

In fact, Edwards' most memorable play as a wide receiver came his freshman year in a game against the Tar Heels. Getting open on a post pattern, Edwards grabbed a Rivers pass deep in the end zone and proceeded to collide with the goal post.

"I've seen it a lot and in the four years I've been here, I've heard about it a lot," Edwards said with a giggle. "I watch the game sometimes. It brings back some laughs."

Edwards says just a small handful of his high school classmates went to NC State, while the others chose UNC. Even his parents had to convert from being Carolina fans after he picked NC State.

Speaking of conversions, Edwards spent a half season on the basketball team his first year before fully focusing his attention on football. Between his sophomore and junior years, he was moved to cornerback. Wolfpack head coach Chuck Amato says Edwards' background as a wide receiver and basketball player has helped him to become a solid corner.

"I think he's almost a natural as a corner because he was such a good basketball player," Amato said. "To play basketball, especially on defense, you have to bend your knees, move your feet and move your hips; he's really got good hips. When the ball is in the air he plays it like a receiver as opposed to a defensive back. He has a natural way of moving to the football. He's gotten better and better at the technique of bump and run."

This week, Edwards will be hearing it again from some of his friends just the way he did back in those days at Chapel High when his decision to attend the rival school some 30 miles away was met with dismay. But in the end, he figures to have the last word.

"A lot has changed since then," Edwards said. "You never know; if I was at UNC, I'd probably be playing basketball or maybe punting the ball."

 

[ajoytoy]

N.C. State Monday Morning Quarterback



By AL FEATHERSTON : The Herald-Sun
afeatherston@heraldsun.com
Oct 3, 2004 : 6:41 pm ET

N.C. State 3-1, 2-0 ACC

Beat Wake Forest 27-21, OT

REWIND

N.C. State survived a major scare, rallying from a 14-0 halftime deficit to edge Wake Forest at Carter-Finley Stadium. A big second half by junior quarterback Jay Davis provided the passing game the Pack needed to balance the powerful running of tailback T.A. McLendon.

LOOK AHEAD

N.C. State travels to Chapel Hill on Saturday to face rival North Carolina in a 6:05 p.m. game. The Pack has won three of the last four in the series, including two in a row in Kenan Stadium. The Tar Heels appear to be struggling after back-to-back losses to ranked opponents, but UNC's offense poses a major threat to the Pack's top-rated defense.

COMMENTARY

N.C. State added another piece to a championship puzzle Saturday against Wake Forest -- and that piece brings another important piece to the table.

The Pack had proved in its first three games that its defense -- ranked No. 2 nationally in total defense (a fraction of a yard behind No. 1 Wisconsin) -- is good enough to make Chuck Amato's team a contender in the ACC. And in tailback T.A. McLendon, backed by a pair of talented freshmen, the Pack clearly has a championship-quality ground game. Throw in a good kicking game, a solid offensive line and a schedule that brings the two toughest ACC contenders to Raleigh, and N.C. State could reasonably dream of making a run at its first ACC title since Lou Holtz was walking the sidelines at Carter-Finley Stadium.

There was just one missing ingredient in that fantasy ... a huge one.

Up till halftime of Saturday's game at Wake Forest, N.C. State's quarterback play was not nearly good enough to make the Pack ACC contenders. Heck, the way junior Jay Davis and freshmen Marcus Stone were playing, N.C. State would be lucky to continue its recent string of fourth-place ACC finishes.

"We went in at halftime," Wolfpack offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone said, "and I told them, 'Hey, I ain't calling anything different. Guys are open and it's your job to complete balls.' "

Whether that piece of advice helped or not, Davis finally found his footing as a quarterback in the second half against the Deacons. His first second-half throw went for a 57-yard touchdown. He ended up hitting 15 of 18 passes for 225 yards in the second half -- and that doesn't count the 40-yard touchdown pass to Richard Washington that was called back by a holding penalty.

Davis downplayed his performance, noting that his half-opening touchdown pass was an "easy throw" that Sterling Hicks converted into a huge play. But that's an important point. N.C. State has a pack of gifted receivers, but they weren't able to work their magic while Davis and Stone were underperforming.

That's why Davis' emergence is so important. It unlocks two pieces to the championship puzzle -- strong quarterback play and production from the receivers. When Davis is hitting his receivers, it allows game-breakers such as Hicks, Washington, Tramain Hall, Brian Clark and tight end T.J. Williams to exhibit their skills.

Those aren't quite the last two pieces in N.C. State's championship puzzle -- the Pack will have to cut its penalties and improve its turnover ratio if it wants to stay on the field with the big boys -- but if Davis' breakthrough is real and not just a one-game illusion, then the Wolfpack is getting much closer to contending status.

NOTES

N.C. State cracked the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll this week, coming in at No. 25. ... The Pack defense is allowing 193.8 yards a game, just behind the 193.2 allowed by Wisconsin. Those are the only two teams allowing an average of fewer than 200 yards a game. The Pack still is No. 1 in pass defense, No. 2 (behind Miami) in pass efficiency defense, No. 20 in scoring defense and No. 24 in rushing defense. ... McLendon cracked the 2,000-yard career rushing mark with his 139 yards against Wake Forest. He ranks No. 9 in Pack history with 2,035 yards and No. 3 with 31 rushing touchdowns. ... Senior tackle Chris Colmer started his 40th career game Saturday, most on the team. Center Jed Paulsen has the team's longest uninterrupted streak of 25 straight starts. ... Wake Forest's Ryan Plackemeier edged John Deraney in the punting duel, averaging 46.9 yards on eight kicks, compared with Deraney's average of 43.8 on five kicks.

 

[ajoytoy]

Just how good is the Pack?

By NED BARNETT, Staff Writer

RALEIGH -- N.C. State's football team is ranked in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll -- at 25th -- and not ranked in The Associated Press media poll.
That seems about right for a now-you-see-them, now-you-don't football power.

When it comes to being good, the Wolfpack is and isn't.

State is second in the nation in defense and second in penalties. The Pack is 3-1 and could be 1-3 but for a Virginia Tech kick that sailed a foot wide and a third-and-31 pass that gained 58 yards and set up a touchdown Saturday against Wake Forest.

"You know what? We could be 1-3, we could be 4-0 or anything in between," State coach Chuck Amato said Monday. "But we're 3-1 and happy to be there. If we can win seven more like that, we'll take 'em right now. It is so difficult to win anymore. I don't care who you're playing."

State pounded Virginia Tech for 10 sacks but had only one against Wake Forest. State has held three teams to fewer than 200 total yards, but the secondary hasn't intercepted a pass in a month and the defense has yet to score.

On offense, quarterback Jay Davis has been hapless and exceptional. Redshirt freshman Marcus Stone vacillates between being the one to turn to and the one who turns it over.

State is good, bad, ranked, not ranked. It's all true.

The ambivalence extends to the future. This State team may be backing into an excellent year, or it may be about to trip over itself.

The answer may come as soon as this Saturday in Chapel Hill. North Carolina is the opposite of State -- good offense, weak defense. The outcome won't turn on which weakness is less so. It will be decided by which strength is for real.

UNC's Darian Durant will be the best combination quarterback the Pack has faced this season. He can run and throw, and he has the experience to handle a swarming Pack attack.

Durant and the emotion of a rivalry game will test the vaunted red-and-white brick wall. No doubt Carolina coaches will learn from Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe and his braintrust. They found holes in the Pack defense and ran through them.

Coming into the Wake game, State had given up only 35 first downs. Wake ran for 11 yards on its first play and 13 on its third. State tightened in the second half, but the Deacons finished with 202 yards rushing, averaging 4.8 per carry.

State came back from a 14-0, first-half deficit to win 27-21 in overtime. The Pack, particularly Davis and tireless tailback T.A. McLendon, showed grit by coming back, but the win was not without worries.

State, a team that relies on its defense, again let an opponent move back into winning range in the fourth quarter. Virginia Tech missed a late field goal that would have won it, but Wake scored a touchdown to tie the score, 21-21. State, an 11-point favorite, was taken into overtime by a team that hadn't won at Carter-Finley Stadium in Stone's lifetime.

Even Wake players had differing opinions of State's defense.

Wake running back Chris Barclay, who ran for 84 yards on 20 carries, said State's defense was fast and big but hardly invincible.

"They're good. They fly around," he said, "but I feel we were able to do everything we came in with. We just came up short at the end."

Barclay wouldn't grant State's defense credit for stopping his team in the second half and in overtime.

"I felt like Wake Forest beat Wake Forest," he said after the Deacons' second overtime loss of the season. "I've been hearing about their defense this and their defense that, and I'm tired of hearing it. They have some specimens out there, but they're not Superman. We just need to play four quarters like it's the fourth quarter."

Wake's backup quarterback, redshirt freshman Ben Mauk, had a different view. The former Mr. Football of Ohio ran for 22 yards on three carries and completed six of his eight passes for 47 yards. However cool Mauk looked on the field, he felt the heat of State's defense.

"They're intimidating on paper and on film and even more intimidating when you get out there and see how big they are," Mauk said.

Two were Mario Williams at 6 feet 7 and 291 pounds and Manny Lawson at 6-5 and 220 pounds.

"With guys like [Nos.] 9 and 91 coming at you, it really forces you to make decisions faster," he said.

Now, that big rush and State's big start are forcing the Wolfpack to face a question: Will this team be really good or really uneven?

The answer starts Saturday.

 

[ajoytoy]

Dascenzo: World of difference between Pack, Heels

By FRANK DASCENZO : The Herald-Sun
fdascenzo@heraldsun.com
Oct 4, 2004 : 11:45 pm ET

The contrast is obvious. Chuck Amato and John Bunting are rivals, coaching rival football programs in a state where passion is almost always higher in another sport. It's played indoors with a round, instead of oblong, ball.

But right now it doesn't matter. Amato and Bunting will shake hands on Saturday night at Kenan Stadium, then try to outcoach each other when N.C. State (3-1) and UNC (2-3) attempt to entertain us in a football game that clearly favors Amato's kids.

The two are different, for sure. Bunting loves his alma mater, UNC. Amato gets emotional when you talk of the past at his alma mater, N.C. State -- such as the white shoes defense, of which Amato was a big part in 1967 when the No. 3-ranked Wolfpack went to snowy Penn State and came home with its first loss of the season. Mention Earle Edwards and Amato will appreciate it.

Bunting played for Bill Dooley and was a hard-hitting linebacker way before he became an even harder-hitting one with the Philadelphia Eagles. Bunting remembers when Oxford shirts and narrow neckties and 1:30 kickoffs at soldout Kenan Stadium were the norm in Chapel Hill.

The two looked quite suited for their current positions. Amato went home to his alma mater in 2000 to bring spirit and toughness and passion into the building Wolfpack program. My, how his university has surrounded him with impressive building blocks. The Murphy Center is gorgeous and the new media center is certain to be when it is completed for the 2005 season.

Herb Sendek was ACC coach of the year in men's basketball last season, but Amato is amazingly more popular with Wolfpack Clubbers despite not finishing above fourth place in four seasons in the ACC.

Bunting arrived a bit differently, a second choice for the Tar Heels' coaching position in 2001. But he inherited the Kenan Football Center, which Mack Brown, now at Texas, saw constructed. Yes, it's magnificent, especially the Charlie Justice Hall of Honor.

Walk into the Murphy Center or the Kenan Center and you may as well be inside a college football museum. Edwards and Dooley never had these luxuries, but their eras didn't demand of them as much as today's high-tech world of win-as-often-as-you-can-so-the-television-networks-love-you.

UNC begged Roy Williams to come home from Kansas to coach basketball. Bunting knows the Heels, in football, wanted Frank Beamer first.

After three seasons and five games, Bunting is in trouble -- for obvious reasons. His teams are 15-27, 8-19 ACC and there are empty seats at home games. Nowadays, teams that once figured the Heels to be a loss on their schedule now figure them to be an automatic win. Defensively, Bunting's teams have been awful since his first season, when Julius Peppers wore light blue before departing for the Carolina Panthers.

After a season-opening win over William & Mary, Bunting's defense watched Virginia score touchdowns on its first seven possessions on its way to a humiliating 56-24 rout of the Tar Heels on Sept. 11.

Perhaps there is no more damaging a number during Bunting's tenure than those eight ACC wins, five of which came in his first season. Rams Club members are calling each other asking who Bunting's replacement will be. UNC heads most lists of schools expected to have a coaching vacancy late next month.

But even through the depression of the Bunting era, he remains a popular figure, especially with some media types, several of whom attended UNC's famous journalism school.

Meanwhile Amato, with four bowl showings, two wins over Florida State and a 3-1 edge in the series with the Heels, hardly can be labeled a media favorite. Media types mimic his high-pitch voice and cringe when Amato refers to them as "You people." And some television personalities still refer to him as "Chuck the Chest."

Still, Amato's numbers are much more impressive than Bunting's -- 37-18, 19-15 in the ACC in four seasons and four games.

Unlike UNC, games in Carter-Finley Stadium are sold out. And Amato's team this season couldn't be more entertaining, what with a narrow loss to Ohio State and an overtime win over Wake Forest sandwiched between a brilliant defensive performance in a one-point win at Virginia Tech.

UNC fans are jealous of the Wolfpack's defense, which has limited four opponents to 59 points while the still-troubled Tar Heels have allowed 145 points in five games. If it's any consolation, last year's UNC team, which began 0-5, had allowed 209 points through its first five games.

The contrast is obvious. Bunting is standing on shaky soil and Amato, even in red shoes, isn't.

 

[ajoytoy]

Fantastic finishes way of life for Pack

Conservative offense, strong defense formula producing close games

KEN TYSIAC

Raleigh Bureau


RALEIGH - N.C. State has overhauled its football game plan since last season.

Coach Chuck Amato wants to win with aggressive defense, superior special teams and a conservative offense. A year ago, the Wolfpack counted on quarterback Philip Rivers' breathtaking passing skills to offset a suspect defense.

The only constant from 2003 to 2004 is butterflies, the kind that upset players' stomachs as fans sit on the edge of their seats. Treated to a glut of scoring in 2003, N.C. State fans saw six of their team's last eight games last season decided by eight or fewer points.

That 75 percent pace has continued this season, with three of four games within that eight-point margin. On Sept. 25, N.C. State won 17-16 when Virginia Tech's Brandon Pace missed a 43-yard field goal on the final play.

On Saturday, the Wolfpack nipped Wake Forest 27-21 in overtime on an 8-yard touchdown run by T.A. McLendon.

"Did you see that tablet I threw in my mouth there in the fourth quarter, that nitroglycerin tablet?" Amato said Monday.

Amato might be partly to blame for turning Carter-Finley Stadium into a defibrillator salesman's dream. After losing 22-14 to Ohio State on Sept. 18, he began talking about using the Buckeyes as a model for N.C. State with Rivers departed to the NFL.

Ohio State used a stout defense and special teams, with five Mike Nugent field goals, to beat the Wolfpack. That seemed a logical formula for N.C. State to follow.

N.C. State's defense is ranked second in the nation at 193.8 yards per game, and the Wolfpack leads Division I-A with 33 blocked kicks since 2000.

"That's (Amato's) vision of what he wants this program to be," said defensive coordinator Reggie Herring. "It's always been a goal of his, even though the offense obviously overshadowed the defense last year."

Copying Ohio State can be hazardous to one's health. The Buckeyes have had 16 games decided by seven or fewer points since 2002.

Ohio State has won 14, including a 44-38 three-overtime thriller against the Wolfpack last season. But the Buckeyes fell from No. 6 to No. 18 in The Associated Press' poll after losing 33-27 in overtime Saturday against Northwestern.

N.C. State tight end T.J. Williams admitted that playing in tight games gets players nervous.

"It's kind of teeth-chattering when you're that close," he said.

Cornerback Dovonte Edwards said N.C. State's ability to conquer those nerves has been a plus the past two weeks. He said playing in close games last season helped the Wolfpack develop poise.

As N.C. State (3-1, 2-0 ACC) prepares to visit North Carolina (2-3, 1-2) on Saturday, Amato is just happy to be winning.

"We could be 1-3," Amato said. "We could be 4-0, or anything in between. But we're 3-1 and happy to be there. If we can win seven more games like that, we'll take them right now."

Notes

? Wisconsin (193.2 yards per game) nosed ahead of N.C. State in the Division I-A total defense rankings. The Wolfpack remains first in pass defense at 92.3 yards per game.? N.C. State center Jed Paulsen lost 13 pounds after playing 85 snaps against Wake Forest. Offensive tackle John McKeon lost eight pounds.

? Starting rover safety Andre Maddox is N.C. State's biggest injury concern. He is questionable with a strained hamstring.

Cardiac Pack

Nine of N.C. State's past 12 games have been decided by eight or fewer points. It is 5-4 in those games:


DATE SCORE RECAP
Oct. 4, 2003 Georgia Tech 29, N.C. State 21 Philip Rivers TD pass in closing seconds makes score respectable.
Oct. 11, 2003 N.C. State 31, Connecticut 24 Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay's 56-yard INT return wins it with 5 seconds left.
Oct. 16, 2003 N.C. State 17, Clemson 15 Clemson's Tony Elliott drops two-point conversion pass in 4th quarter.
Oct. 25, 2003 N.C. State 28, Duke 21 Blue Devils' late rally falls short in coach Ted Roof's debut.
Nov. 15, 2003 Fla. State 50, N.C. State 44, 2OT Three fumbles, missed extra point haunt N.C. State.
Nov. 22, 2003 Maryland 26, N.C. State 24 T.A. McLendon's fumble leads to Nick Novak's winning field goal.
Sept. 18, 2004 Ohio State 22, N.C. State 14 After 4th-quarter TD, N.C. State can't secure onside kick.
Sept. 25, 2004 N.C. State 17, Virginia Tech 16 Brandon Pace misses 43-yard FG attempt on game's final play.
Saturday N.C. State 27, Wake Forest 21, OT McLendon's 8-yard run in OT clinches win after 14-0 halftime deficit.

 

[ajoytoy]

Between the Lines
By Buck Sanders - Inside Carolina
Date: Oct 4, 2004

As predicted, Florida State came away with a win against North Carolina, prevailing on a hot afternoon in Tallahassee, 38-16. As predictable as the result may have been, there were many unpredictable moments, both good and bad, for the Tar Heels.

After being brutalized by Louisville last week, the game in Tallahassee had all the markings of a potentially embarrassing defeat for the Tar Heels. But the effort there by the Tar Heels can?t escape notice.
?Our kids played hard, our kids worked hard in a week of practice,? head coach John Bunting said following the game. ?I couldn't ask for them to do any more, except we just keep coaching them so they can really respond.?

Defense

Looking back over the last two seasons and a half, there have been a considerable number of times when the Tar Heels looked lost and confused on defense. Against FSU, it almost seemed as though the defense knew what they were trying to accomplish, attempted to execute their plan, but just came up short against a superior team.

Obviously, there were breakdowns on defense. Most noticeably, the breakdowns occurred in the running game, punctuated by FSU tailback Leon Washington?s two long gains, a 53-yarder and a 43-yarder. Those two runs accounted for 96 of the Seminoles? 248 yards of rushing.

There were mistakes against FSU?s passing game as well, as Wyatt Sexton completed 20-of-31 pass attempts. Sexton tossed three touchdown passes and looked poised under center most of the afternoon. Lionell Green did record a pick against Sexton, his first interception as a Tar Heel.

On the plus side, the UNC defense allowed FSU to convert only five of fourteen third-down plays. While the Tar Heel defense isn?t ever going to be confused with the Carolina Panthers, they also had better pressure on the FSU quarterback than they have had against any other opponent this year, save perhaps Georgia Tech.

It won?t show up in the stat sheet, but it appeared that the youthful front four of the UNC defense showed a toughness--an attitude--that has been lacking in many previous games. The best illustration of that toughness might have come on a mistake by the defense, when Kyndraus Guy jumped off sides and drew a flag, knocking an FSU offensive lineman flat on his back. It was a mistake, no doubt, but one born of aggressiveness.

The attitude of some of UNC?s younger players may be on the verge of becoming contagious. Tommy Davis, a junior who has not lit up the stat sheet in any of his previous starts at defensive end, had the best game of his career. He recorded a sack against FSU backup quarterback Drew Weatherford, had three tackles for loss, and notched seven tackles. In his first four starts of this year, Davis had only 14 tackles total.

There is a danger in making sweeping generalizations about any team based on their play in one game. This particularly holds true for this Tar Heel team, who could follow up what was a good effort against the Seminoles by reverting to past patterns next week against NC State. However, you get the feeling that the UNC defense is beginning to show signs of life.

Offense

The Florida State defense, it should be noted, is one of the best defenses in college football. The Tar Heel offense moved the ball well against this stellar defense, but demonstrated again two flaws that show up in virtually every contest.

In the first half, it appeared that the Tar Heels would go into the locker room down only 14-6, but Darian Durant tossed an interception while still on the UNC side of the fifty. The turnover resulted in another FSU touchdown, giving the Seminoles a 21-6 cushion at the half. The untimely turnover has been a consistent flaw in the Tar Heel offense.

The offense could have made the score look even more respectable at half, if not for their second most consistent flaw ? a perplexing inability to score in the red zone.

The Tar Heels? second possession is an apt illustration of their seeming aversion to the opponent?s end zone. Florida State had marched the ball 81 yards on 11 plays to take a 7-0 lead. North Carolina, fueled by some hard running by Jacque Lewis, and a 31-yard completion to Jarwarski Pollock, had first and goal at the FSU four-yard line. Two runs by Chad Scott resulted in only one net yard, and an incomplete pass from Durant to Adarius Bowman brought Connor Barth out on the field for a chip-shot field goal.

On three more occasions the Tar Heels would enter the FSU red zone, and came away with a total of six points on those possessions.

It may sound odd to be critical of an offense that gained a total of 363 yards against a defense that was only yielding 261 yards-per-game prior to this contest. But for a Tar Heel team desperately in need of wins, they have to find a way to get better in the red zone.

Special Team and Turnovers

Two special team miscues marred the Tar Heel performance on this unit. A poorly executed squib-kick following the first Tar Heel field goal gave the Seminoles possession on their own 33-yard line, their best field position following a Tar Heel score all day.

A blocked punt late in the fourth quarter didn?t add to FSU?s side of the scoreboard, but the Tar Heels can ill afford to add blocked punts to their repertoire of special team snafus.

The interception tossed by Durant late in the second quarter was, as noted above, a costly one. The Heels fumbled twice, but managed to cover their mistakes there, recovering them both.

Lionell Green?s first career interception evened the turnover battle, and most Tar Heel fans would quickly settle for a wash in every game in this area.

Barth was reliable in his place-kicking duties, and showed the ability to get kickoffs deep ? making the squib-kick call even more perplexing.

Next Week

UNC faces a formidable challenge against the Wolfpack. The Tar Heels hosts a confident NC State team that has pulled off two close wins in a row, recently triumphing over Wake Forest, 27-21, in overtime.

T.A. McClendon is showing the form he displayed as a true freshman, and NCSU brings the toughest defense statistically in Div. I-A to Kenan Stadium.

 

[mw]

I'm not sure you picked the right time to finally go against the Tigers. We all know about Bowden's problems motivating his teams, but if Clemson shows up (for a change) they could easily win this ballgame.

Six of the last 9 and 9 of the last 17 lined Clemson games have landed 17 or more points from the spread, and Clemson has totally dominated UVA at the line of scrimmage every year since Groh arrived at UVA, so a win is quite conceivable. However, because of poor playcalling and Groh's halftime adjustments (I used to laugh at Groh for saying he'll be "playing chess while the other coaches are playing checkers", but sadly it's true when it comes to Bowden), Clemson has left a lot on the table, and the games have been close -- UVA by 2 in '01, UVA by 5 in '02, and CU by 3 last year.

I think the best way to handle this game is a moneyline play on Clemson at +750, coupled with a play on UVA for the second half. If Clemson's down at the half, the Tigers will quit; if they're up Groh will do something to close the gap. Either way, I see UVA covering the second half line, making that a much safer bet than laying the 16.5 or 17.

 

[hawkeye]

Thats more than enough- great info on this game-great job--I like the under-gl

 

[ajoytoy]

Thats more than enough- great info on this game-great job--I like the under-gl

:142lmao: ...sorry...get a little carried away when we have a "big" game