lol the Louisville game after the second time we turned it over at their 10 yard line was the first time my dad had ever seen me completely erupt... say the f-word etc. I remember him looking at me and saying, "I didn't know you had it in you" lol, was also the first time i'd drank with my dad.

I just saw the topic in the lounge about "student LEgal services" and the first thing that popped into my head was god I hope d-line does well this year and we can attempt to stop the run.

[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 11:44 AM. Reason : .]

8/6/2008 11:30:25 AM

^ Yeah, I was so pissed that play I threw my sunglasses to the ground and they busted into about 5 different pieces. It was the hardest hit I saw all season.

8/6/2008 11:35:47 AM

^ i remember some sort of crazy play where marcus stone caught the ball but then ran laterally to the right across the field for some reason (might not have been stone), and some linebacker was chasing him or something and one of our OL just nailed the guy and his helmet flew off.

that was the hardest hit I saw all season.

and it was sick.

8/6/2008 11:43:07 AM

^
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7V_Ok8x4v8

dunlap caught the ball and stone and crouch laid the smack down.

[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 11:46 AM. Reason : ]

8/6/2008 11:45:49 AM

There were actually 2 huge blocks during the play with Marcus Stone throwing one of them. It was during the Louisville game.

8/6/2008 11:46:32 AM

^^^ What ^^, ^ said. It was probably the most entertaining 1-yard gain I've ever seen.

It's kind of sad when your offense has the two biggest hits of the season.

[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 11:51 AM. Reason : ^'s]

8/6/2008 11:50:51 AM

That was a funny play b/c we only gained like 1 yard.

8/6/2008 11:51:08 AM

@pttyndalhahahaha, yes, that's the one

i think i felt sorry for that guy for like a split second, and then thought, "that...was awesome"

completely unrelated - anyone remember the game against southern miss @ CF (the one where brown went of for 249) when somebody punted, but the whistle blew for some reason and the play was dead and the ref back where the return man was DIDN'T MOVE AN INCH and caught the punt one handed?

That was the craziest thing I have ever seen.

Quote :

"It's kind of sad when your offense has the two biggest hits of the season."

[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 11:53 AM. Reason : .]

8/6/2008 11:51:56 AM

Yeah I remember that game. Everyone applauded the ref and after he threw the ball to the ball boy, he turned around and smiled at the student section. The student section was nuts as we were making our comeback. Everyone was jumping up and down on the bleachers to help make more noise. Brown had 248 yards, but could have broken the record had one of our o-linemen not been called for a stupid penalty.

8/6/2008 11:55:36 AM

This is still one of my favorites, despite the fact that Stone is playing QB. He scrambles out of the pocket, he's just tyring to get as many yards as possible before going OB. Meets FSU defender, they exchange hits, defender goes down, Stone stays up and is like, "wtf? u call that a hit?":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikhrCDF7pv8&feature=related

8/6/2008 11:56:12 AM

^^that was a fun game, indeed

the one i'm really looking forward to this year is vs. FSU on a thursday night.

CF is gonna be rockin'

[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 11:57 AM. Reason : ^'s]

8/6/2008 11:56:56 AM

haha in the 1 yard play can you imagine being the LB that has the helmet land in your hands?

[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 12:04 PM. Reason : .]

8/6/2008 12:03:27 PM

http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/ncsu/story/1166625.html

NCSU's Archer to keep it simple

Mike Archer couldn't have picked a worse start or finish for 2007.
On the first play from scrimmage in Archer's debut as N.C. State's defensive coordinator, Central Florida running back Kevin Smith raced 80 yards -- untouched -- for a touchdown.

"I went, 'Wow, this is a great way to start this defensive campaign,' " Archer said. "People weren't even in the stands and we were down 7-0."

Then, with bowl eligibility on the line at the end of last season, N.C. State was clobbered 37-0 at home by Maryland.

"I have no idea what happened," Archer said. "If I knew, I wouldn't be coaching right now. I'd be a sports psychologist charging some exorbitant fee."

The progress between the stunning start and disappointing end encourages Archer as the Wolfpack toils through the early days of preseason practice. After starting 1-5, N.C. State regrouped after its open date to win four in a row and get into bowl contention.

Though the Wolfpack finished 5-7 and missed the postseason in coach Tom O'Brien's opening season, Archer observed an improved attitude that carried over into the offseason. Immediately after the Maryland loss, the coaches began getting reports that players were streaming to the weight room and making big strides.

Archer said changes made at the open date -- which included demotions of underperforming veterans -- proved to the players that the staff wouldn't tolerate mediocrity.

The subsequent winning streak built camaraderie.

"We're much further ahead, night and day, from where we were a year ago, as far as the football team being a team," O'Brien said.

Defensively, N.C. State is proceeding along the same path it traveled in the second half of 2007, even though the overall numbers from 2007 are troubling.

Nobody in the ACC forced fewer turnovers last season than N.C. State's 16.

The Wolfpack ranked last in the ACC in rushing defense and 11th in total defense and scoring defense.

But during the midseason open date, simplification of the defensive schemes led to improvement. The staff limited its calls to just a few fronts and coverages under the theory that the defense would move faster if players were certain of their assignments.

"We're going to do it simple," he said. "We're going to do it well. And we're going to do it fast."

In terms of personnel, N.C. State enters 2008 with some pleasant surprises and some questions. After a quiet 2007 season, Antoine Holmes moved from end to tackle and has bulked up to 285 pounds.

Along with fellow senior Alan-Michael Cash, Holmes gives N.C. State a starting duo at tackle that Archer said should be as good as any in the ACC.

Senior strong safety J.C. Neal and right cornerback Jeremy Gray are showing leadership in the secondary, and Archer is encouraged by the emergence of Nate Irving at weak-side linebacker.

In addition to last season's improvements, those players have a nationally televised, Thursday night opener on Aug. 28 at South Carolina to motivate them.

"There's a sense of excitement," Archer said. "It's a very young team. I think that's good because they don't have a lot of bad habits to break."

8/6/2008 12:06:45 PM

Not trying to sound overly optimistic, but I really think we're going to have the best D-Line in the league this season. Cash is a beast, Young is a freak, and Kuhn and Holmes are as solid as they come. Not too sure about the LBs or our safeties, but the D-line should be nasty.

8/6/2008 12:33:28 PM

I think Clemson and FSU would have to disagree.

8/6/2008 1:13:18 PM

Looks like Donald Bowens is injured:

Quote :

"During Tuesday’s practice, starting wide receiver Donald Bowens was wearing a jersey with a red cross signifying an injured player. O’Brien declined to say whether Bowens was injured and said he won’t talk about injuries until the season starts."

FUCK!

8/6/2008 1:29:40 PM

could just be a pulled muscle or something, maybe, please?

8/6/2008 1:33:53 PM

I hope so, later in the article TOB said he would inform the media if there is a season ending injury, so it can't be too serious.

8/6/2008 1:46:19 PM

its not serious enough to comment on.

8/6/2008 1:46:19 PM

Please no second season of going through the NC State injury curse.

8/6/2008 1:50:25 PM

^3rd season if you include basketball

8/6/2008 4:02:39 PM

Thanks for posting that NANDO article BM ... i was just about to post that.

http://northcarolinastate.scout.com/a.z?s=178&p=2&c=775684

Irving: 'I Have To Lead'

RALEIGH, N.C. -- NC State must replace three starters at linebacker after losing seniors LeRue Rumph, James Martin, and Ernest Jones. There isn't much experience at the position and plenty of youth, but several of the players possess major upside.

The returnee who could be poised to have the biggest year is redshirt sophomore Nate Irving, a key to the Wolfpack's late-season turnaround in 2007.

A native of Wallace, North Carolina, Irving enrolled at NC State in 2006 after a stellar career at Wallace-Rose Hill High School, one of the top football programs in the state. An all-conference, all-state, and Shrine Bowl selection, Irving recorded 110 tackles, six forced fumbles, three sacks, an interception, and 12 all-purpose touchdowns during his senior campaign.

Because of the Wolfpack's depth at linebacker, Irving was able to redshirt and improve as a player.

"I improved on my fundamentals a lot that year," he said. "I worked on my footwork and using my hands more as a linebacker. The big thing was it helped me get stronger in the weight room."

As a redshirt freshman, Irving started slowly, totaling 14 tackles and two tackles for a loss over the first six games of the season. He battled a nagging ankle injury that forced him to miss the Wofford game, and NC State was starting three seniors at linebacker. Following the FSU game, the Wolfpack had a bye week and the coaching staff tinkered with the lineup and the players put in extra work on fundamentals. It seemed to really pay off for Irving.
"It was an opportunity."

In the next game against East Carolina, he tallied five tackles in just 23 snaps. That effort led to Irving earning the first start of his career the following week versus Virginia, and he didn't disappoint. In the victory, Irving's six tackles and two tackles for a loss were instrumental, and he used those back-to-back efforts to springboard a great individual finish to the season.

"He's worked really hard, and he's done a great job," NC State head coach Tom O'Brien said of Irving after the Virginia win. "He's got a good feel for the game. He's got a good knack in pass defense too of finding zones, bodying people up... I think he's a young guy that is learning each and every week out there and he really did give us a good boost on Saturday. On the show the other night, we had a couple of clips of him on back-to-back-to-back plays making plays for us. I think he's a kid that is getting a little better each and every week."

"It was an opportunity," said Irving. "I feel it was God-given and I want to thank him for it, but it was an opportunity for me to show that I can play. It showed that the coaches trust me."

Over the final six games, which included four starts, Irving tallied 38 tackles and five tackles for a loss. He ended the year with 52 tackles and seven tackles for a loss, finishing seventh and third respectively on the team in those two categories despite playing limited snaps for much of the season.

Throughout the course of each game, Irving would flash the big-play potential that some feel he can bring on a consistent basis in 2008.

"I always thought I could play good, but I know I can play better," he said. "I don't think about the plays I make... I'm always thinking about the plays I don't make but know I can make."

At 6-foot-1 and 227 pounds, he has good size, above-average quickness, and outstanding instincts. Irving's ability to shed blocks and make plays at or behind the line of scrimmage is a big asset for the Wolfpack.

“Nate is a very smart football player," said linebackers coach Andy McCollum. "He sees things so well."
"He sees things so well."

If he continues to progress he should be the Pack's leader at linebacker. This spring he emerged as a leader.

"In the spring, I feel I improved overall as a linebacker," said Irving. "I kept improving on my fundamentals, and I made even more plays. I also started to become more of a leader. I have to lead. I have the most experience so I have to show the young guys what to do and how to do it."

NC State signed a stellar linebacker class in 2008, and three of those signees, Dwayne Maddox, Sterling Lucas, and William Beasley, are competing for playing time. Maddox enrolled in the spring so he has a head start on the others, but Lucas and Beasley are flashing the potential that made them big-time recruits.

"They can play," Irving stated. "I've seen some promise. You can tell they are getting better every day at every practice."

The trio will add depth to a linebacker unit that includes Irving, senior strongside linebacker Robbie Leonard, junior middle linebacker Ray Michel, sophomore weakside linebacker Thomas Barnes, sophomore strongside linebacker John Ware, and redshirt freshman strongside linebacker Audie Cole. If NC State's defense is going to improve this season, Irving will be a major factor. He has the potential to be an All-ACC performer at some point in his career, but don't ask him about individual goals. His only focus is the team's defense and winning football games.

"I'm just looking at the defense as a whole," he said. "I think the defense is going to break out and have a big year. I'm not thinking about what I will do individually. My individual goals are to be a leader as a linebacker and help our team reach our team goals. We want to win more games... a lot more games.

Nate Irving is ready!

8/6/2008 4:21:54 PM

Quote :

"I'm not thinking about what I will do individually. My individual goals are to be a leader as a linebacker and help our team reach our team goals."

That's the kind of thing I love to hear from our players. Well said, Nate, well said. I can't help but think these type of comments are stemming from TOB's coaching style and team philosophy. Hot damn I love Wolfpack football!

8/6/2008 4:54:49 PM

yeah man, no shit...i agree 100% / i thought that was a fantastic read about Nate Irving. got me pumped up.

Wolfpack preps for first scrimmage

8/6/2008 5:01:59 PM

ANYONE KNOW WHAT HAPPENED???

8/6/2008 8:39:00 PM

Czajkowski was 4 for 4 on FG's

Glennon took about double the pass attempts of the other QBs(coaches wanted to see what he had?). He and Wilson each had an INT. Maybe it was their fault or receivers bobbling it or running wrong routes.

Toney Baker/Anthony Hill/Geron James still rocovering



[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 9:03 PM. Reason : a]

8/6/2008 8:45:39 PM

http://northcarolinastate.scout.com/a.z?s=178&p=2&c=776453

8/6/2008 9:20:44 PM

Daniel Evans 4 of 7 for 40 yards
Russell Wilson 3 of 6 for 20 yards and one interception
Harrison Beck 5 of 6 for 111 yards
Mike Glennon 9 of 13 for 101 yards and one interception
Justin Burke 3 of 6 for 52 yards


Jarvis Williams 5 catches for 52 yards
Jay Smith 3 catches for 40 yards
Andrew Evans 3 catches for 36 yards


Jamelle Eugene 8 carries for 22 yards
Andre Brown 9 carries for 36 yards
Curtis Underwood had 12 carries for 57 yards
Toney Baker did not play


Josh Czajkowski 4 of 4 FG's, 32, 44, 32, 37
Bradley Pierson 1 of 1, 36 yards


none of the stats denote whether a player was going against the 1st team D, 2nd team D, etc. The INT's don't explain whether it was a pass into coverage, a tipped ball, a miss by the WR, etc. Honestly the most important stat (to me) is the FGs by czajkowski. i think the O will catch up with the D. it does seem like beck through the ball downfield the most (18.5 ypa!), but it could've been vs the 2nd team. who knows.

[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 9:30 PM. Reason : .]

8/6/2008 9:24:33 PM

i hope wilson improves on his stats

8/6/2008 10:19:37 PM

21 - DeAndre Morgan




Position: Cornerback
Class: Redshirt Sophomore
Height: 5-10
Weight: 170
Hometown: Riviera Beach, Fla. (Suncoast)

In 2007: One of just two redshirt freshman starters for the Wolfpack defense in 2007, he got the nod for the Louisville contest and started the rest of the season (he did not start on Senior Day versus Maryland) ... In for 517 snaps for the season, including a high of 91 in the win over Virginia ... Also played 13 special teams snaps in that contest ... Tallied a season-high six tackles (all first hits or solo stops) versus Louisville, he also blocked a field goal versus the Cardinals ... Tallied five PBUs in the overtime win at Miami, including a pair in the endzone on the final drive of regulation to send the game into overtime ... In for 127 special teams snaps for the season ... Had 31 tackles for the season, only two were assisted ... Started in the defensive backfield alongside his older brother, DaJuan, who was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in April.

In 2006: Redshirted the season at defensive back.

Prep: A three-year starter who grabbed four interceptions as a junior and averaged 11.8 yards a carry as a running back ... Gained 480 yards on the ground and had five touchdowns as a junior ... Earned a Rivals.com rank of 35th in the nation among cornerbacks ... Three-star prospect according to both Rivals.com and Scout.com ... Broke his arm in the first game of his senior season and missed six games ... Played at Suncoast under coach Jimmie Bell ... Enrolled in the first-year college program ... Born 2/5/88.

[Edited on August 6, 2008 at 11:50 PM. Reason : .]

8/6/2008 11:49:45 PM

^will need to step up this season along with jeremy gray. They're the only two at CB that really have any experience

8/6/2008 11:52:33 PM

22

8/7/2008 12:31:26 AM

TOB said the scrimmage was "sloppy" today

8/7/2008 2:42:09 AM

^Yeah he did, but he said a lot more than that...

http://northcarolinastate.scout.com/2/776453.html

Quote :

"It seemed like pretty good days for Harrison Beck and Mike Glennon? I don't know that. We have to wait and go back and look. Statistics are statistics and when you play yourself you don't know who is in there and who is doing what. We lend some credence to it but it's not a catch-all, end-all. My comment is it was pretty sloppy. I think we had nine offensive penalties which was no good. Some of those stats wouldn't be there because we don't mark penalties off. It makes it easy for them to keep the ball going when you set it down and keep going. The same thing on defense. Even though we stopped the run a little better, we still have to run the ball a little better on offense. We stopped I think a good part, we still missed too many tackles. We've got to get that taken care of. Have fumbles and turnovers been a problem in camp? We fumbled the ball a couple of times today. The defense hit the ball and knocked it out which is good. It's positive for them. It's not good for the offense. I think the main culprits have been the wide receivers. Did Toney Baker play today? No. He's not going to hit for a while. Thoughts on Josh Czajkowski kicking: He kicked the ball solid today. We got him in some situations. His bugaboo in the spring was over 40 yards. He had a lot of pretty long kicks today and they were solid. They were good, good kicks. They weren't just eeking over the crossbar. I think he had a good day kicking. He's been practicing well and kicking well. Thoughts on offensive line's performance: When you look at the running stats, you still got to be able to block people a little better and be able to run the ball a little better. That's still a work in progress. Once again, it's the first effort out of the box. We're still in school, we still have to take exams next Monday and Tuesday. This isn't like a normal camp. We're kind of feeling our way through this thing right now. Did you like the physical play on the offensive and defensive lines? Yes. We hit pretty good. There was a lot of solid contact there. I think we were a little sluggish, a little tired, but there was effort. "

8/7/2008 8:19:11 AM

.

[Edited on August 7, 2008 at 8:29 AM. Reason : shit, sorry. missed that someone already posted stats]

8/7/2008 8:26:01 AM

^^ no shit, I was there for the interview

[Edited on August 7, 2008 at 8:32 AM. Reason : ]

8/7/2008 8:31:03 AM

I was just posting it up for folks who weren't there to read, didn't intend any negative connotation. I realize it was ~2am when u posted, probably didn't want to go into too much detail at that point.

8/7/2008 8:34:12 AM

he looked tired.

...probably disappointed. But they got time to get it together and clean it up before SC. Running game needs work.

8/7/2008 8:35:51 AM

Realistically, anyone who expects this to be a breakout year for our team will be sorely disappointed. It's okay to expect improvement and I think we'll see that. TOB has already mentioned that we have improved over last year. Bottom line is that we still aren't anywhere close to where we want to be and it's going to take time. We should shoot for 6-6 as a realistic goal. Of course you shoot for a national title every year but anything better than .500 and a little bowl game will be a really nice surprise to me.

8/7/2008 10:05:18 AM

I just want to go to a bowl game

There will definitely be improvement this year, imo. But I think next year is going to be the big year when we will get to shine (i hope!)

8/7/2008 10:13:22 AM

^^That's exactly how I feel about it. I'm trying to be realistic. 6-6 and I would be jumping for joy. Bowl game (even a crappy one) and I'll be beside myself. That being said, I'm still a hopeless optimist being that I'm a Wolfpack fan, despite what my brain says. I also have total faith in TOB and where he's going to take the program.

8/7/2008 10:21:20 AM

Quote :

"no shit, I was there for the interview"

no one cares that you were there ... if you are going to post content or tid bits about what was said then go into both sides of the story.

there was a lot more content than "it was sloppy"
thanks spydyrwyr for posting the read.

that being said, bwn?

[Edited on August 7, 2008 at 10:31 AM. Reason : sdf]

8/7/2008 10:29:45 AM

that was more like a "no shit" with a slight laugh attached...because he did have alot more to say, not a smart ass "yeah bitch, I was there" thing. But, as noted by spydyrwyr, it was 2am and I didn't feel like typing up all the stats we had (and didn't bother to check if the other guys posted their stuff), so I went with the teaser

8/7/2008 10:37:51 AM

OldBlueChair, im just giving you shit. thats my job, im a moderator.

8/7/2008 10:39:35 AM

Quote :

"FAILED E-GAME ATTEMPT"

8/7/2008 10:41:52 AM

sorry, i saw a little side boob in one of her pictures and couldnt resist.

8/7/2008 10:42:51 AM

Realistic goals for this year should include getting to a bowl game, beating the teams that we should be able to beat in UNC, Duke, ECU, W&M, BC, Miami, and not finishing last in the Atlantic Division.

What lower tier bowl game do you want us to go to? Here's a list of the ACC bowl games which includes who picks first, where it's located and the stadium, the opposing or team or conference (noted exception for the Orange Bowl) and their pick, and the payout.

1) FedEx Orange Bowl - Miami Gardens, Florida - Dolphin Stadium - BCS - $17,000,000
2) Chick-fil-A Bowl - Atlanta, Georgia - Georgia Dome - SEC 3/4/5 - $3,250,000
3) Konica Minolta Gator Bowl - Jacksonville, Florida - Jacksonville Municipal Stadium - Big 12 3 / Big East 1 / Notre Dame - $2,500,000
4) Champs Sports Bowl - Orlando, Florida - Citrus Bowl - Big Ten 4/5 - $2,250,000
5) Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl - Nashville, Tennessee - LP Field - SEC 6/7/8 / Navy - $1,600,000
6) Meineke Car Care Bowl - Charlotte, North Carolina - Bank of America Stadium - Big East 3 - $750,000
7) Emerald Bowl - San Francisco, California - AT&T Park - Pac-10 4/5 - $850,000
8) Roady's Humanitarian Bowl - Boise, Idaho - Bronco Stadium - WAC 1 (note this will be the final year the ACC competes in the Humanitarian Bowl) - $750,000
9) Congressional Bowl - Washington, DC - Nationals Park - Navy - $1,000,000

8/7/2008 10:46:34 AM

...no one cares if you like to give shit

Now spydyrwyr knows what I meant...and I will be sure to PM him directly with info from now on

I hope Baker can work his way back pretty quick & we can stay relatively healthy for the season.

8/7/2008 10:48:41 AM

so you never answered gunzz's question...

bwn?

8/7/2008 10:50:45 AM

hahaha. no, but you did.

8/7/2008 10:53:16 AM