Week 13
- Thread starter ajoytoy
- Start date
hope all is well with you. i was really surprised at the 11.5 pt spread for state. after winning 2 in a row i think the pack can hang with them. may do a 6 pt tease with cleveland tonight and state plus 17.5. take care
tuesday night
kent +3
under 51
gl out there
lowell...doing well...should be an interesting game...lets see if the pack can continue to cover...gl on that tease..hope you are doing good as well
kent +3
under 51
gl out there
lowell...doing well...should be an interesting game...lets see if the pack can continue to cover...gl on that tease..hope you are doing good as well
I know one northern guy and one southern guy who will be VERY HAPPY if their plays come in this week. Our cards are nearly identical :toast:
Could it be that great minds think alike
:SIB
GL my friend :mj06:
Could it be that great minds think alike
:SIB GL my friend :mj06:
they have done pretty well ats this year...7-2 ATS...not too bad IMO:mj07:
to your question...i dont bet against the pack...:sadwave: kurby
I think the 11 or 11 1/2 is too many points to give. I do like NCST + the points against UNC.
Good luck.
horrible start to the weekend
pool plays:
NCSU
T. Tech
Ark
MD-BB
fade these and you should do fine
back later tonight weekend plays
pool plays:
NCSU
T. Tech
Ark
MD-BB
fade these and you should do fine
back later tonight weekend plays
Weekend Plays:
Weekend Plays:
Playing:
NCSU +11.5
NCSU ML to win 1 unit
Arizona -2.5
Illinois -3
Tenn +3
MD +1.5
Wake -2
Ark -1.5
Clemson -2.5
LSU -3.5
T. Tech +7
gl out there
Weekend Plays:
Playing:
NCSU +11.5
NCSU ML to win 1 unit
Arizona -2.5
Illinois -3
Tenn +3
MD +1.5
Wake -2
Ark -1.5
Clemson -2.5
LSU -3.5
T. Tech +7
gl out there
As a UNC fan I'm obviously biased, but when I saw the line come out at 11 early in the week, I felt like it was too high...for a reason.
I thought it would be around 6-7 and I think Vegas made line higher to get NCSU money.
State healthier and playing a lot better in a rivalry game fighting to go to a bowl....I think Vegas expects a DD win by the Heels. At least I hope so.
I'll play UNC -11 small. Go Heels!
I thought it would be around 6-7 and I think Vegas made line higher to get NCSU money.
State healthier and playing a lot better in a rivalry game fighting to go to a bowl....I think Vegas expects a DD win by the Heels. At least I hope so.
I'll play UNC -11 small. Go Heels!
HAYNES: No. 98 for State?Carolina
HAYNES: No. 98 for State?Carolina
HAYNES: No. 98 for State?Carolina
BY TONY HAYNES
NC State?s players seemed to be grasping at motivational straws a few weeks ago when the Wolfpack was in the midst of a four-game losing streak. The record was 2-6 and few, if any, observers outside the program saw any light at the end of the 2008 tunnel. But inside the walls of the Murphy Football Center, the attitude was different. Head coach Tom O?Brien knew he had a team that was getting better and perhaps just as importantly, a team that was getting healthier.
Following a close loss at Maryland on October 25, O?Brien and staff again made the most of an open date, stressing fundamentals and technique. Practices were crisp, efficient and upbeat.
What was going on here?
Well, it was obvious that the ACC schedule makers had done NC State a favor. Upcoming was a line-up of games against Duke, Wake Forest and North Carolina. For a team that had already defeated East Carolina, why not shoot for something tangible, a mythical state championship of sorts?
A solid 27-17 win at Duke on November 8 was followed by an exciting 21-17 NC State triumph over Wake Forest last weekend.
Now comes the final piece to the in-state puzzle. With a victory at North Carolina (7-3, 3-3) on Saturday, the Wolfpack (4-6, 2-4) would have its North Carolina sweep and in doing so, would set itself up for something that seemed unthinkable a month ago: a chance to play a final regular season game against Miami for the right to become bowl eligible.
?To go through the state and beat all the Division 1-A teams would be quite an accomplishment,? said NC State running back Andre Brown. ?This is a big game for us because if we lose, we can?t go to a bowl game. I want to be around these guys over the holidays because this is a good team and I love the bonding and the unity that we have here.?
Like most high school stars from the state of North Carolina, Brown, a Greenville native, was recruited heavily by NC State and UNC. After picking the Pack, he set his sights on contributing to teams that would have the upper hand over the Tar Heels during his career.
It didn?t quite happen that way.
NC State suffered excruciating losses to its archrival the first two years of Brown?s career, and making matters worse, he got banged up in both games. Last season, the Wolfpack turned the tables on the Tar Heels by taking a thriller at Carter-Finley Stadium, 31-27. But even that win was somewhat bittersweet for Brown, who had a broken foot that caused him to miss most of the 2007 campaign.
As cornerback Jimmy Sutton broke up a pass in the end-zone to preserve NC State?s victory, Brown stood in the Murphy Center tunnel, some 110 yards away.
?It hurt that I wasn?t out there playing,? Brown said. ?I was in the tunnel thinking I?d like to throw on my equipment and get in there for at least one play and do something so I could feel like I was a part of it. It didn?t happen, but I was very happy that we pulled that win out.?
On Saturday starting at noon, Brown will have his chance to throw on his equipment and make a big contribution in what will be the senior?s final State-Carolina game.
Here?s the breakdown...
Limit quick strikes: Two words best describe the Tar Heels this season: BIG PLAYS! In its wins, North Carolina has shown the uncanny ability to score from anywhere on the field and do so in all three phases of the game. UNC is second in the nation in interceptions with 18 and has scored six non-offensive touchdowns.
Linebacker Bruce Carter, a player O?Brien calls ?a freakish individual,? has blocked five kicks including three blocked punts in the same game.
Safety Trimane Goddard owns a league-best total of six interceptions. On offense, receiver Hakeem Nicks is a defense-stretcher and leads the ACC in receiving yards per game (91.1).
In last year?s meeting, NC State generally dominated play at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, but was forced to rally to win because of North Carolina?s big plays. The Tar Heels returned two interceptions for touchdowns, and also scored on a 50-yard option pass from fullback Bobby Rome to receiver Brandon Tate.
The team that has held the upper hand in rushing the football has won 15 of the last 16 games in the series and Saturday?s game will likely continue that trend. After holding Duke and Wake Forest to below 100 yards on the ground the last two weeks, the Wolfpack would improve its chances of winning on Saturday by matching those numbers against the Tar Heels.
Ideally, the Pack would like to stop the run with seven people so that its safeties can concentrate on taking away the deeper portions of the field. Carolina is particularly lethal when it is running the football successfully because it can then open up its play-action passing game and take vertical shots to Nicks and receiver Brooks Foster.
Carolina coach Butch Davis has been playing it coy with his quarterbacks this week, saying that he probably won?t name a starter until game day. With T.J. Yates sidelined by an ankle injury, Cam Sexton has done an admirable job in seven starts, compiling an impressive 132.7 passer efficiency rating. And although UNC has won five of Sexton?s seven starts, the guess here is that Yates, who returned to practice two weeks ago, will get the call on Saturday. Davis and offensive coordinator John Shoop like his big arm, which gives him the ability to make most of the throws necessary to stretch a defense.
Punt protection has got to be a big priority and a concern for NC State in this game. Had he taken the proper angle and stretched out last week, Wake Forest cornerback Alphonso Smith could have easily blocked a pair of Bradley Pierson punts. This week, the Wolfpack must deal with Carter, who has a knack for both creasing punt protections and simply shedding blockers to get his hands on punts.
Balance on Offense: With quarterback Russell Wilson getting better and better each week and a running attack that has averaged better than 150 yards the last four games, Wolfpack offensive coordinator Dana Bible has really been able to balance out his run-to-pass ratio. Over the last four games, NC State has run the football 137 times and passed it 112 times. And that ratio is even closer to 50-50 when you consider the number of called pass plays that ultimately went into the rush column because of Wilson?s running ability.
It?s been the best of both worlds, really.
The Wolfpack offense is staying on the field for more plays and in doing so is helping the defense. It?s rather significant that the Pack owned a 33:15-to-26:45 possession time advantage over Wake Forest since that particular statistic has been the domain of the Deacons in recent years.
And while Wilson has truly become the focal point of the NC State offense, North Carolina?s biggest concern on Saturday might very well be backs Brown and Jamelle Eugene. The Tar Heels were manhandled up front at Maryland last week, giving up 195 rushing yards to the Terps. Last season, Eugene had a career game against Carolina, rushing for 159 yards and three touchdowns.
?The games in which we?ve played well, we?ve played well against the run from a defensive perspective,? Davis said. ?Certainly, Maryland ran the ball well against us and NC State has two great running backs. Both of those kids are as good a runners as we?ve played against this year.?
The ?smash-mouth zone,? that area in the box where a lot of big guys will be leaning on each other, will be interesting to watch on Saturday, especially when the Wolfpack?s improving offensive line locks up with North Carolina?s front seven on defense.
?We?re going to play a great defense,? O?Brien said on Thursday. ?They?re awful big in the middle, they have great speed and size in their linebackers and certainly their secondary is playing well. They?ve created a lot of turnovers; they?ve returned interceptions for touchdowns, so you know it could be the best defense we?ve played this year.?
Wilson?s streak of passes without an interception is now up to 175. Five more, and he breaks Jamie Barnette?s all-time school record. If he can keep the streak alive against a defense that has 18 picks, he will have earned it.
Wolfpack Sports Network coverage of the 98th meeting between NC State and North Carolina begins live from Kenan Stadium at 11 a.m.
HAYNES: No. 98 for State?Carolina
HAYNES: No. 98 for State?Carolina
BY TONY HAYNES
NC State?s players seemed to be grasping at motivational straws a few weeks ago when the Wolfpack was in the midst of a four-game losing streak. The record was 2-6 and few, if any, observers outside the program saw any light at the end of the 2008 tunnel. But inside the walls of the Murphy Football Center, the attitude was different. Head coach Tom O?Brien knew he had a team that was getting better and perhaps just as importantly, a team that was getting healthier.
Following a close loss at Maryland on October 25, O?Brien and staff again made the most of an open date, stressing fundamentals and technique. Practices were crisp, efficient and upbeat.
What was going on here?
Well, it was obvious that the ACC schedule makers had done NC State a favor. Upcoming was a line-up of games against Duke, Wake Forest and North Carolina. For a team that had already defeated East Carolina, why not shoot for something tangible, a mythical state championship of sorts?
A solid 27-17 win at Duke on November 8 was followed by an exciting 21-17 NC State triumph over Wake Forest last weekend.
Now comes the final piece to the in-state puzzle. With a victory at North Carolina (7-3, 3-3) on Saturday, the Wolfpack (4-6, 2-4) would have its North Carolina sweep and in doing so, would set itself up for something that seemed unthinkable a month ago: a chance to play a final regular season game against Miami for the right to become bowl eligible.
?To go through the state and beat all the Division 1-A teams would be quite an accomplishment,? said NC State running back Andre Brown. ?This is a big game for us because if we lose, we can?t go to a bowl game. I want to be around these guys over the holidays because this is a good team and I love the bonding and the unity that we have here.?
Like most high school stars from the state of North Carolina, Brown, a Greenville native, was recruited heavily by NC State and UNC. After picking the Pack, he set his sights on contributing to teams that would have the upper hand over the Tar Heels during his career.
It didn?t quite happen that way.
NC State suffered excruciating losses to its archrival the first two years of Brown?s career, and making matters worse, he got banged up in both games. Last season, the Wolfpack turned the tables on the Tar Heels by taking a thriller at Carter-Finley Stadium, 31-27. But even that win was somewhat bittersweet for Brown, who had a broken foot that caused him to miss most of the 2007 campaign.
As cornerback Jimmy Sutton broke up a pass in the end-zone to preserve NC State?s victory, Brown stood in the Murphy Center tunnel, some 110 yards away.
?It hurt that I wasn?t out there playing,? Brown said. ?I was in the tunnel thinking I?d like to throw on my equipment and get in there for at least one play and do something so I could feel like I was a part of it. It didn?t happen, but I was very happy that we pulled that win out.?
On Saturday starting at noon, Brown will have his chance to throw on his equipment and make a big contribution in what will be the senior?s final State-Carolina game.
Here?s the breakdown...
Limit quick strikes: Two words best describe the Tar Heels this season: BIG PLAYS! In its wins, North Carolina has shown the uncanny ability to score from anywhere on the field and do so in all three phases of the game. UNC is second in the nation in interceptions with 18 and has scored six non-offensive touchdowns.
Linebacker Bruce Carter, a player O?Brien calls ?a freakish individual,? has blocked five kicks including three blocked punts in the same game.
Safety Trimane Goddard owns a league-best total of six interceptions. On offense, receiver Hakeem Nicks is a defense-stretcher and leads the ACC in receiving yards per game (91.1).
In last year?s meeting, NC State generally dominated play at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, but was forced to rally to win because of North Carolina?s big plays. The Tar Heels returned two interceptions for touchdowns, and also scored on a 50-yard option pass from fullback Bobby Rome to receiver Brandon Tate.
The team that has held the upper hand in rushing the football has won 15 of the last 16 games in the series and Saturday?s game will likely continue that trend. After holding Duke and Wake Forest to below 100 yards on the ground the last two weeks, the Wolfpack would improve its chances of winning on Saturday by matching those numbers against the Tar Heels.
Ideally, the Pack would like to stop the run with seven people so that its safeties can concentrate on taking away the deeper portions of the field. Carolina is particularly lethal when it is running the football successfully because it can then open up its play-action passing game and take vertical shots to Nicks and receiver Brooks Foster.
Carolina coach Butch Davis has been playing it coy with his quarterbacks this week, saying that he probably won?t name a starter until game day. With T.J. Yates sidelined by an ankle injury, Cam Sexton has done an admirable job in seven starts, compiling an impressive 132.7 passer efficiency rating. And although UNC has won five of Sexton?s seven starts, the guess here is that Yates, who returned to practice two weeks ago, will get the call on Saturday. Davis and offensive coordinator John Shoop like his big arm, which gives him the ability to make most of the throws necessary to stretch a defense.
Punt protection has got to be a big priority and a concern for NC State in this game. Had he taken the proper angle and stretched out last week, Wake Forest cornerback Alphonso Smith could have easily blocked a pair of Bradley Pierson punts. This week, the Wolfpack must deal with Carter, who has a knack for both creasing punt protections and simply shedding blockers to get his hands on punts.
Balance on Offense: With quarterback Russell Wilson getting better and better each week and a running attack that has averaged better than 150 yards the last four games, Wolfpack offensive coordinator Dana Bible has really been able to balance out his run-to-pass ratio. Over the last four games, NC State has run the football 137 times and passed it 112 times. And that ratio is even closer to 50-50 when you consider the number of called pass plays that ultimately went into the rush column because of Wilson?s running ability.
It?s been the best of both worlds, really.
The Wolfpack offense is staying on the field for more plays and in doing so is helping the defense. It?s rather significant that the Pack owned a 33:15-to-26:45 possession time advantage over Wake Forest since that particular statistic has been the domain of the Deacons in recent years.
And while Wilson has truly become the focal point of the NC State offense, North Carolina?s biggest concern on Saturday might very well be backs Brown and Jamelle Eugene. The Tar Heels were manhandled up front at Maryland last week, giving up 195 rushing yards to the Terps. Last season, Eugene had a career game against Carolina, rushing for 159 yards and three touchdowns.
?The games in which we?ve played well, we?ve played well against the run from a defensive perspective,? Davis said. ?Certainly, Maryland ran the ball well against us and NC State has two great running backs. Both of those kids are as good a runners as we?ve played against this year.?
The ?smash-mouth zone,? that area in the box where a lot of big guys will be leaning on each other, will be interesting to watch on Saturday, especially when the Wolfpack?s improving offensive line locks up with North Carolina?s front seven on defense.
?We?re going to play a great defense,? O?Brien said on Thursday. ?They?re awful big in the middle, they have great speed and size in their linebackers and certainly their secondary is playing well. They?ve created a lot of turnovers; they?ve returned interceptions for touchdowns, so you know it could be the best defense we?ve played this year.?
Wilson?s streak of passes without an interception is now up to 175. Five more, and he breaks Jamie Barnette?s all-time school record. If he can keep the streak alive against a defense that has 18 picks, he will have earned it.
Wolfpack Sports Network coverage of the 98th meeting between NC State and North Carolina begins live from Kenan Stadium at 11 a.m.
