Week 6

[ajoytoy]

6-5 (+0.84) last weekend

YTD: 33-26-1 (+5.47)

Faves: 14-13
Dogs: 14-8-1
Totals: 1-0
Parlays/Teasers: 3-2
ACC Plays: 8-5
Pool Plays: 11-9
Best Bets: 2-3

pool plays finally had a good weekend...squeaked out a profit with the dogs for me continuing to hit and the high faves continuing to disappoint:nono:

Initial leans for this week:
S. Miss
Marshall
Miss St.
LSU
T. Tech
Vandy
Utah
UNC/Miami Over 41.5
PSU
ECU
Gamecocks
Baylor
Oregon


Plays for this week:
Wolfpack +10.5 (-101) :shrug:
Purdue +11 (+105)
Wake Forest +17 (-110)
Washington +21 (-113)
Tenn -3 (+101)
Texas -5 (-104)

glta this week

 

[ballsweat]

Don't forget about Wash

Don't forget about Wash

getting 23 against SC

 

[ajoytoy]

Amato, Pack Bracing for FSU Visit

Amato, Pack Bracing for FSU Visit

By Tony Haynes

Raleigh, N.C. ? No one knows better than Chuck Amato what kind of dazzling speed, talent and athleticism will be coming this way on Thursday night. For most of the 18 years he spent as an assistant coach under Florida State?s Bobby Bowden, the current NC State head coach had the opportunity to coach some of college football?s most awesome players.

And although FSU no longer overwhelms ACC opponents the way it once did in the early and mid-90s, the overall talent quotient in Tallahassee hasn?t really waned that much.

?Every year they have one of the top five recruiting classes in America,? Amato said. ?And you know what? They coach those kids hard. They always have, they always will and that comes from Coach Bowden. He has that twinkle in his eye, but they know how hard he wants them to coach those players. They keep winning.?

They have won to the tune of 164 victories since 1990, five more than any other Division one school over that period, a stretch that has included a pair of national titles. Since joining the ACC 14 years ago, Florida State has captured 12 league crowns.

Needless to say, a victory over the Seminoles every now and then is worthy of a ?feather in the cap? for most schools. Interestingly, no program north of Miami has collected as many feathers as NC State, which has split its last eight games with the ?Noles.

Clearly, Florida State?s biggest rivals are Miami and Florida. However, if that list had room for one more team, it might be very well be the Wolfpack. For there to be a rivalry, one team must first demonstrate an ability to compete with another year in and year out. The Pack has done that, going 3-3 against Florida State since Amato extricated himself from the safe haven of the FSU umbilical chord to take over at NC State in 2000.

Amato knows Florida State?s practice routines. He has a good idea of the things Bowden is talking about in his daily staff meetings. He has a good grasp of the type of strategies the Seminoles like to employ.

But he also scoffs at the notion that his intimate knowledge of the FSU program has given him an edge in these matchups. Amato also insists that the Pack?s recent success in the series will mean nothing when the two teams face off again Thursday night (7:45) at Carter-Finley Stadium.

?You know what? That goes both ways because they know me too,? Amato said. ?It sure didn?t help that first time we played them up here seven years ago when they took our pants down in front of 50,000 people and spanked us.?


To be precise, that spanking in the woodshed resulted in a 52-14 Florida State victory. Then a freshman quarterback, NC State?s Philip Rivers took more hits than a tackling dummy that night. It was perhaps the only time during his amazing career that Rivers actually looked dazed, defeated and confused.

Since that night, however, the Wolfpack has recovered to win three of the last five meetings, including two in Tallahassee. FSU, which joined the ACC in 1992, had not lost at home to a league team until Rivers guided a Pack victory at Doak Campbell Stadium in 2001. NC State then repeated the feat last year, holding the Seminoles to just 227 yards of total offense in a 20-15 triumph.

Those story lines were too good for ESPN to pass up. On Thursday, the all sports network?s announcers Chris Fowler and Kirk Herbstreit will no doubt chronicle the Amato-Bowden connection and the competitiveness of this series.

Amato wishes he had the ability to bottle whatever magic the Pack has produced in recent years and unleash it again on Thursday night. But after doing hours of film study on this year?s Florida State team and carefully breaking down the strengths and weaknesses of his own club, he realizes that what happened in 2001, 2002 and last year won?t ? in the words of Humphrey Bogart ? ?amount to a hill of beans? on Thursday.


?What?s happened in the past is history,? Amato said on Monday. ?There are two new teams playing this year.?

Two new teams that are seemingly at a crossroads.

Florida State?s 3-1 record was built on close wins over Miami and Troy, victories that preceded a 27-20 defeat to Clemson at home. In its most recent outing nine days ago, the Seminoles used Rice as scout team fodder, stomping the Owls 55-7.

On that same day, NC State was 46 seconds away from falling to 1-3 before Daniel Evans pulled of heroics not normally reserved for quarterbacks making their first college start. Needing only 41 of those seconds to drive the Wolfpack 72 yards, Evans hit receiver John Dunlap with a game-saving scoring pass that stunned Boston College.

Packs fans left Carter-Finley Stadium in a celebratory mood that night, not wanting to even ponder their team?s plight had Evans not pulled off the improbable finish.

?He won that game in 46 seconds and that will always be remembered,? Amato said. ?But the game was 60 minutes long. He was so sharp in those plays. He did a lot of things that went unnoticed in the other parts of the game, but it was his first start. To play the No. 20 team in the country and stick in there the way he did was really good. We?ve been building on that and we?ll see what happens.?

Boston College was good, but nothing Evans has seen to this point will match the dizzying quickness and speed he and his offensive teammates will encounter on Thursday.

?We?ll be tested this week in a lot of areas because we?re going to play the fastest, strongest and quickest defensive line we?ve faced to this point,? said Amato. ?That?s all seven, not just the front four.?

And no one knows that any better than he does.

Blackman Update: Out since injuring his right knee on the opening kick off at Southern Mississippi on September 16, NC State receiver/kick returner Darrell Blackman is working his way back to health. His status for the Florida State game is still uncertain.

?It?s probably going to be a game day decision,? Amato said. ?I hope it?s as good as the decision was last week with A.J. [Davis]. We didn?t know about A.J. until the last minute. It?s one of those things.?

After missing most of the first three games with a pulled hamstring, cornerback A.J. Davis played well in his return against Boston College.

The Pack will be short one outside linebacker on Thursday night. James Martin is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery on a wrist injury he sustained against B.C.

 

[Cie]

GL this week. I am on Tenn, and leaning the same way on a couple more. I hope that's a good thing:weed:

 

[Irish]

Go get em Toy!

Cheers
Irish

 

[ajoytoy]

Gary Hahn's Scouting Report: Florida State

Gary Hahn's Scouting Report: Florida State

NC STATE (2-2, 1-0) vs. No. 17 FLORIDA STATE (3-1, 1-1)



DATE: Thursday, October 5, 2006



TIME: Kickoff: 7:47 p.m. (EDT) at Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC (57,583)



RADIO: Wolfpack Sports Network: 6:30 p.m. (EDT)



TELEVISION: ESPN

OPPONENT?Of Florida State?s three victories this season, only the last one was easy. Due in part to a sputtering rushing game, the Seminoles had close calls with Miami and Troy and lost at home to Clemson. However, against hapless Rice on September 23rd, FSU was able to run the ball at will. The result was a lopsided 55-7 victory in Tallahassee.

Freshman Antone Smith rushed for 137 yards and two touchdowns while veteran Lorenzo Booker added 115 yards and a score. Florida State ran for 287 of its 500 total yards. That was nearly double the 148 rushing yards it recorded in its first three games. The ?Noles also took advantage of a motivated Greg Carr.

FSU rolled up 280 yards offense by halftime and led 26-7 at the break after Carr hauled in an 18-yard touchdown pass from Drew Weatherford. The 6-6 sophomore wide receiver also caught a 57-yard TD strike in the fourth quarter from back-up quarterback, Xavier Lee.

Carr, who was not a factor during limited action in Florida State's 27-20 loss to Clemson, grabbed five passes for 107 yards and his downfield blocks helped spring two other long gains.

When the ?Noles can run enough to keep the defense honest and Carr is focused, FSU?s offense is very dangerous.

Weatherford, who last year led all freshmen in passing yards (3,208) and passing touchdowns (18), is completing 61 percent of his throws this season for nearly 180 yards a game. However, that?s far from the ACC lead in passing or total offense. Also, Weatherford has thrown nearly as many interceptions (2) as touchdowns (3).

Backing up Weatherford is Lee. The redshirt sophomore saw limited action in 7 games in 2005 and has completed 5-of-12 passes this season without an interception for 111 yards and a touchdown. Lee was ranked the nation?s top dual threat quarterback as a high school senior in 2003.

Protecting that duo is an offensive line that contains three first-year starters. Guard Cory Niblock (6-4, 307, Sr.) is the only third-year starter up front. That inexperience could be a reason for the ?Noles rushing woes. Opponents have also registered 9 sacks.

As usual, FSU has a stable of talented, speedy receivers, but Carr has game-breaking potential. As a freshman last season, he led the ACC in touchdown receptions (9) and topped all Florida State receivers in yards per catch (20.6). This season, Carr has 9 receptions--three for touchdowns.

De?Cody Fagg (6-3, 214, Jr.) leads the ?Noles in receiving with 15 catches for 189 yards while redshirt senior Chris Davis (9 catches) is the only other wideout to grab a TD pass. An exciting and talented newcomer is tight end Brandon Warren (6-2, 230). The true freshman has 10 receptions for 121 yards.

Thanks to its success on the ground against Rice, the Seminoles are averaging 109 rushing yards a game. Antone Smith (5-9, 188, So.), rated as the top high school runningback in the nation in 2004, leads FSU?s ground attack with 203 yards, 2 touchdowns and a 5.3 yard per carry average. Next, veteran Lorenzo Booker (5-11, 195) has 175 yards and a score. He has also caught 10 passes.

When the Seminoles get close to the goal line they give the ball to Joe Surratt. The 254 pound junior fullback leads the team with 5 touchdowns. Surratt is one reason FSU is so good in the red zone. Florida State is No. 2 in the ACC in red zone offense, scoring 14-of-15 times inside their opponents 20-yard line including 10 touchdowns.

While the offense has had some problems rushing this season, the FSU defense has had no trouble against the run. The ?Noles are No. 4 in the ACC in rushing defense, holding opponents to a paltry 73 yards a game.

The defensive line is anchored by redshirt junior Andre Fluellen (6-4, 286) one of three second-year starters up front. The Sporting News ranked Fluellen as the sixth-best defensive tackle in the nation. However, the line took a hit when JUCO transfer, Paul Griffin, the starting nose guard, suffered a season-ending knee injury in the win over Troy.

Buster Davis (5-10, 246), one of only two senior starters on defense, is the ?Noles leading tackler. The middle linebacker has 35 stops including 2 sacks. Outside linebacker, Geno Hayes (6-2, 211) has also played well and leads the team in tackles for loss (6).

True freshman linebacker, Marcus Ball, who had 10 tackles against Troy, will miss the rest of the season after tearing a knee ligament against Rice. The knee injury to starting strong safety Anthony Houllis will likely keep him out of the lineup for the rest of the season, too. However, that?s not the only bad news for the ?Noles. The secondary will be without its best cover corner against NC State. Redshirt sophomore Tony Carter will be out two to four weeks after spraining his left knee against Rice. Sophomore Michael Ray Garvin will replace him.

FSU will be breaking in a new starter at the other cornerback position. According to published reports redshirt freshman Jamie Robinson will start in place of junior J.R. Bryant who started the last 10 games.

Usually very strong, the Seminoles kicking game is near the bottom of the ACC in net punting (33.4), kickoff returns (16.0) and punt returns (5.2). Garvin and Booker are the primary kick returners while Davis is the only FSU player with significant punt return experience.

Sophomore Graham Gano has dropped 8 of his 17 punts inside the 20-yard line and is averaging 37.8 yards per attempt. Gary Cismesia, a junior, has been very accurate converting on 6 of 7 field goal attempts, including a 53-yarder.



NOTES: A Wolfpack win would give NC State its fourth victory over the Seminoles in the last 6 meetings...FSU is allowing 181 passing yards a game, but opponents have thrown for only 3 touchdowns...NC State has allowed only one touchdown pass this season...The Wolfpack is No.2 in the ACC in sacks with 12...FSU has 7 quarterback sacks...The Wolfpack had only one turnover in its victory over then No. 20 Boston College. State is last in the ACC in turnover margin (-7) and has lost the football an ACC-leading 11 times...Opponents have scored 27 points off Wolfpack turnovers, accounting for 36 percent of the total points allowed by NC State this season...Andre Brown needs 53 rushing yards for 1,000 in his career....Wolfpack kicker, John Deraney, has never missed an extra point kick in his college career (71-71) and drilled a career-long 54 yard field goal at Southern Miss... Wolfpack linebacker, Pat Lowry, is averaging 9.8 tackles a game to lead the ACC...Defensive end, Raymond Brooks, is No.10 in the ACC in tackles for loss (5)...In 10 of the Pack?s 14 home losses under Chuck Amato, the score was decided by single digits... Redshirt sophomore Daniel Evans will start his second college game at quarterback for the Wolfpack. He was 15-31-1 passing for 179 yards and the game-winning 34-yard touchdown pass to John Dunlap...The Pack has allowed only 6 sacks, fifth-best in the ACC.



INJURIES--NC State: WR Darrell Blackman-Questionable, MCL sprain; LB James Martin-Out, wrist surgery. Florida State ?NG Paul Griffin-Out, knee; SS Anthony Houllis-Out, knee; LB Marcus Ball-Out, knee; CB Tony Carter-Out, knee sprain

 

[mw]

Call me crazy, but I really like the Goats at Miami this week.

Also, have to back my Tigers this week.

 

[ajoytoy]

Call me crazy, but I really like the Goats at Miami this week.

Also, have to back my Tigers this week.

i'll call you crazy, but gl...not touching that side...Your Tigers should win, but the Deacs are atop in the ACC:scared ...but they have only played Duke

 

[ajoytoy]

Wednesday Night Tease:

Marshall +3.5/Under 50.5 (+100)

glta

 

[ajoytoy]

1-0 (+1.00) on the week

1-0 (+1.00) on the week

Final Plays for this week:
Wolfpack +10.5 (-101)
Purdue +11 (+105)
Wake Forest +17 (-110)
Washington +21 (-113)
Tenn -3 (+101)
Texas -5 (-104)
Houston -16.5 (-105)
Baylor +5 (+100)
Michigan -15 (-105)
NCSU ML +400 (.25 to win 1 unit)

Pool Plays:
Houston
Baylor
Wake Forest
Michigan BB

see ya'll next week and GO PACK!!!

 

[treynolds]

Good Luck toy
ive got a bad feeling that ncst is going to find a way not to cover tonight though. I havnt played the game yet but a man could make a fortune playing against fsu in these situations.