http://tinyurl.com/lo5tm

anyone care to post it?

[Edited on July 17, 2006 at 2:05 PM. Reason : ESPN insider]

7/17/2006 2:00:30 PM

how about the poll on the front football page.

http://espn.go.com/

7/17/2006 2:05:53 PM

NC State Wolfpack
LOCATION Raleigh, N.C.
CONFERENCE ACC (Atlantic)
LAST SEASON 7-5 (.583)
CONFERENCE RECORD 3-5 (4th)
OFF. STARTERS RETURNING 5
DEF. STARTERS RETURNING 6
NICKNAME Wolfpack
COLORS Red & White
HOME FIELD Carter-Finley Stadium (60,000)
COACH Chuck Amato (NC State '69)
RECORD AT SCHOOL 46-28 (6 years)
CAREER RECORD 46-28 (6 years)
ASSISTANTS • Todd Stroud (Florida State '85),
Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Line
• Marc Trestman (Minnesota '79),
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
• Steve Dunlap (West Virginia '77),
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers
• Curt Cignetti (West Virginia '82),
Quarterbacks/Recruiting Coordinator
• Dwayne Dixon (Florida '85),
Wide Receivers
• Rick Kravitz (Troy State '77),
Safeties
• Pat Meyer (Colorado State '95),
Offensive Line
• Dick Portee (Eastern Illinois '65),
Running Backs
• Greg Williams (NC State '68),
Cornerbacks
TEAM WINS (last five yrs.) 7-11-8-5-7
FINAL RANK (last five yrs.) 40-8-43-64-36
2005 FINISH Beat USF in Meineke Car Care Bowl.
2006 Schedule | 2005 Results | 2005 Statistics



COACH AND PROGRAM
Chuck Amato is a victim of his own success. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to suggest that he's a victim of his own excess.

It was the former Wolfpack linebacker who convinced the fans of the long underachieving program that they could reach greatness. It was Amato, the former right-hand man under Bobby Bowden at Florida State, who sparked the school's amazing facility upgrade, convincing Pack donors that with an expanded stadium, a new football operations building and other improvements, the Pack could compete for the national championship in a sport where no previous NC State team had ever finished in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll, won more than nine games in a season or played in a major bowl.


Inside the ACC Atlantic
Take an Inside look at the ACC Atlantic with Blue Ribbon's 2006 team reports:
Boston College Eagles (free preview)
Clemson Tigers
Florida State Seminoles
Maryland Terrapins
NC State Wolfpack
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
So whose fault is it that Amato is now being criticized for a six-year record that ranks with the best in NC State history?

His 46 wins in his first six years are more than any previous Wolfpack coach has amassed over the same period. His five bowl trips in six years are matched only by former coach Dick Sheridan, and his four bowl wins are twice as many as any previous Pack coach has ever managed, over any time period. The excitement he has generated has raised season ticket sales from just more than 23,000 at the time of his arrival to nearly 40,000 going into next season.

Amato has produced an 11-win team (two more wins than the school's previous single-season record). He has produced a team that finished No. 12 in the final AP poll (second only to a No. 11 finish in 1974), and he has given NC State the most prestigious bowl victory in its history -- a 2003 Gator Bowl triumph over Notre Dame.

Yet midway through last season, when his smiling face was flashed on the multimillion dollar video scoreboard at Carter-Finley Stadium (a scoreboard built as part of his renovation drive), a large percentage of the soldout stadium lustily booed their barrel-chested coach.

And it wasn't a momentary expression of displeasure. Raleigh's three 24-hour sports talk radio stations buzz with debate about Amato's coaching ability, and on Wolfpack internet message boards, the school's football coach is starting to get the same critical treatment that eventually drove basketball coach Herb Sendek out of town.

So what has Amato done wrong?

The problem seems to be that he hasn't lived up to the lofty standards that he himself instilled in the Wolfpack fan base.

Yeah, he has been very good in his first six years in Raleigh -- arguably as good as the revered Sheridan and clearly better than any other coach in Wolfpack history other than Lou Holtz, who gave the school four excellent seasons in the mid-1970s.

But Amato hasn't been good enough to deliver the national success that he promised. He came close in 2002, when quarterback Philip Rivers led the Pack to 11 wins, a No. 12 national ranking and that glorious New Year's Day victory over mighty Notre Dame. But even that team lost three heartbreaking games late in the season that cost the Pack a shot at a major bowl and a top 10 finish.

Amato's teams are a mediocre 23-25 in ACC play -- giving the anti-Amato crowd a powerful weapon to use against him -- and he has never finished better than fourth in the ACC standings. His coaching staff has been a carousel, attracting and spinning off assistants with dizzying rapidity.

Worst of all is Amato's lousy timing.

The Wolfpack coach owned one of the nation's best offensive teams in 2003, but defensive problems turned Rivers' record-setting senior season into an 8-5 disappointment. A year later, Amato's defensive front jelled and the Pack led the nation in total defense, but breakdowns at quarterback sabotaged the season, leading to a 5-6 finish. Early last season, a defense that boasted four NFL draftees in the front seven -- including No. 1 pick Mario Williams and first-round pick Manny Lawson at the ends -- gave opponents fits. But the offense, still getting erratic play from starting quarterback Jay Davis, couldn't get the job done.

NC State was apparently headed for another disastrous year when Amato salvaged the season. Amato and offensive coordinator Marc Trestman rebuilt the offense in the seven days between a 27-19 loss at Wake Forest and a 21-17 victory over Southern Miss.

Amato finally got tired of the way his offense was constantly sabotaging the fine play of his defense. In the loss to Wake Forest, Wolfpack defenders allowed the Deacons just 225 total yards and 2-of-16 on third-down conversions. But Wake Forest returned two interceptions for touchdowns, providing the margin for the loss that dropped the Pack to 2-4 on the season.

Amato's response was to abandon the pass-oriented attack that had been so effective under Rivers. In its place, he and Trestman installed a conservative, ground-oriented game that emphasized the strength of his young running backs, eliminated the risks of the passing game, and allowed his powerful defense to dominate and win games.

The result was a 5-1 finish that earned Amato his fifth bowl trip in six years, a late-season surge that culminated with a 14-0 victory over USF in the Meineke Car Bowl. The Pack actually averaged less points in the final six games (18.2) than before the offensive change (21.0), but with mistakes down and the offense controlling the ball, the Pack's opponents went from an average of 22.7 points in the first six games to 12.7 in the final six.

The elements of the ground game that helped produce that reversal will be back in place this season. The freshmen running backs that were so productive in 2005 are older and stronger. The offensive line -- if it can avoid injuries -- should be bigger and more experienced. And junior Marcus Stone, who managed the offense so well after replacing Jay Davis at quarterback, should be even more effective in his second year as a starter.

The problem is that Amato's timing is off again. His marvelous defensive front, which overpowered so many opponents in the last two seasons, was broken up by the draft, especially by the early defections of undergraduates Mario Williams, John McCargo and Stephen Tulloch. Once again, just as one side of the ball matures under Amato, the other needs rebuilding.

"Our offense has come a long way," Amato said after his spring game. "Our defense his to grow up."

The combination of a maturing offense and a rebuilding defense ought to be enough to continue the level of success Amato has enjoyed over the last six years. But it doesn't appear to be a formula to give the Pack the level of success Amato has trained his fan base to demand.

7/17/2006 2:07:45 PM

QUARTERBACKS
When Amato signed junior Marcus Stone (6-4, 236) out of Bishop McDevitt High School in Steelton, Pa., the prep All-American was touted as the heir apparent to Philip Rivers. In fact, many close to the Wolfpack program whispered during Stone's redshirt year that he owned a stronger arm than the ACC's all-time leading passer and was a far better runner than the quarterback picked No. 4 in the 2004 NFL draft.

But the doubts surfaced when Stone proved unable to beat out veteran backup Jay Davis for the starting job after Rivers' departure. He did display excellent mobility during his brief appearances as Davis' backup in 2004, but he also appeared hesitant and indecisive -- overly anxious to run with the ball.

Stone didn't start off any better last fall. When he left an early season loss to Clemson with an MCL sprain, his second season appeared to be going down the drain.

Instead, Stone became the Pack's savior.

Well, that's an overstatement. He did return to replace Davis at quarterback after the Wake Forest loss and to finish 5-1 as a starter. But that's not because the former prep star suddenly became an effective passer. It's because Stone emerged as an efficient game manager.

He threw exactly one first-half pass in victories over Southern Miss and Florida State. He finished the season with a modest 1,015 yards in the air, completing just 48.7 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and six interceptions. His best passing game by far -- 247 yards at Boston College -- came in the Pack's one loss during Stone's starting stretch.

But while his numbers weren't impressive, he did show a knack for producing the play NC State needed to win. In his first start, Stone's short touchdown pass to Brian Clark with five minutes to play rallied the Pack from a 17-14 deficit. His short touchdown pass to Anthony Hill late in the third quarter at Florida State proved to be the game-winner in the Pack's upset of the eventual ACC champs.

Amato is hoping that Stone can improve his play in the passing game this season.

"Marcus is better now than when we finished last season," Amato said at the end of spring. "That's the way it should be. He has really taken the approach of putting in the time on his own. With some people, it takes time. But there is no question about who the [starting] quarterback is."

Backup quarterback Daniel Evans (6-2, 191) is the son of former Wolfpack standout Johnny Evans. But the second-generation quarterback was a modestly recruited prospect out of Raleigh's Broughton High School who played exactly six snaps last season, and didn't throw a pass. That's still more experience than Mike Greco (6-3, 220) got during his redshirt season. The difference is that the left-handed Greco was rated one of the nation's top dual-threat quarterbacks at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Florida.

Amato is not sure he'll have the luxury of redshirting his latest recruiting prize -- Justin Burke (6-2, 195), the Gatorade Player of the Year in Kentucky after throwing for 3,789 yards and 62 touchdowns as a senior at Lexington Catholic High.

Remember, he did throw Rivers into the lineup as a freshman.

"We are going to find out what Justin Burke can do," Amato said. "That is why we signed him."

RUNNING BACKS
It's a measure of Amato's success as a recruiter that he could go into last season with four prep All-Americans competing for playing time at tailback. It might even have been too much talent, because it took the Wolfpack coach half a season to realize that his two youngest backs were his best.

NC State's midseason turnaround was directly related to Amato's decision to rebuild his offense around the talents of freshmen tailbacks Andre Brown (6-0, 232) and Toney Baker (5-10, 228).

Baker, the 2004 North Carolina prep player of the year at Ragsdale High School in Jamestown, N.C., actually played more early, rushing for 548 yards and five touchdowns. But after Brown, the 2003 North Carolina prep player of the year at Greenville (N.C.) Rose High (he had to attend prep school in 2004 before entering NC State), burst on the scene with 248 yards rushing in the victory over Southern Miss, there was no doubt as to the Pack's starter.

Brown sealed his status a week later at Florida State when he turned his first carry of the game into a 65-yard touchdown run. He finished that game with 179 yards on the ground and finished the year with 667 yards and six touchdowns. After playing little in the early part of the season, Brown averaged 104 yards in the Pack's final six games.

Both Brown and Baker possess a unique combination of power and speed. It's not farfetched to suggest they are a similar combo to Auburn's celebrated duo of Ronnie Brown and Cadillac Williams.

Amato claimed both were even better in the spring than they were late last season after watching them combine for 172 yards on 19 carries.

"They scare me, because we can't tackle them," he said.

The B&B Boys are so effective that they've run off the competition at tailback. Miami prep star Bobby Washington, who began last year as a starter, left the program. Pennsylvania prep All-American Darrell Blackman moved to wide receiver. Reggie Davis, a big back from Florida who started two games at tailback early in his career, started last spring by moving to fullback, then made an even more radical jump, switching to outside linebacker.

But Amato does have some depth -- and a change of pace -- left at tailback. redshirt freshman Jamelle Eugene (5-10, 202) of Naples, Fla., is an elusive jet who rushed for 105 yards on 16 carries in the spring game.

"He's awfully good," Amato said of the young back. "Don't forget that name."

Davis was slated to be the starting fullback before his switch to linebacker. He could still end up seeing action both ways -- defensive end Mario Williams and defensive tackle John McCargo both played some fullback on goal-line situations last year.

It's more likely, however, that Amato will spend fall practice checking out fullback candidates such as sophomore Octavius Darby (6-2, 256), who is also working at tight end, and junior Pat Bedics (6-0, 249) who sat out last season after transferring from Penn State.

7/17/2006 2:08:26 PM

WIDE RECEIVERS/TIGHT ENDS
It wasn't so long ago that NC State's receiving corps was the envy of the ACC and one of the deepest groups in the country. But Jerricho Cotchery and tight end Sean Burton moved on to the NFL, the talented Richard Washington was dismissed for off-field issues and the graduation of Brian Clark, Tremain Hall, Sterling Hicks and tight end T.J. Williams after last season has left Amato searching for a new crop of receiving targets.

Senior LaMart Barrett (6-1, 190) is the lone proven returnee. The Miami product caught 21 passes for 248 yards last season and has 50 catches for 604 yards in his career, but he's never caught a touchdown pass.

"He's our best pattern runner," Amato said. "He's lending his experience to other people.

Junior John Dunlap (6-2, 210) has more potential than Barrett -- provided he's fully recovered from the ACL injury that ruined his sophomore season. Two years ago, Dunlap looked like a star in the making -- a big, fast athletic wide out and a devastating downfield blocker.

Last year, after ripping up his knee in an offseason basketball game, he caught just four passes for 41 yards. But his spring performance gave Amato hope that Dunlap is regaining the athleticism that he lost after the injury.

"He's healthy, both mentally and physically," Amato said. "He has done some awfully good things this spring."

The Wolfpack coach is also looking for good things from Geron James (6-4, 184), a big receiver from Wilmington, N.C., who caught a touchdown in his first college game. But he injured his shoulder in his second game and missed the rest of the season after undergoing surgery. He received a hardship year from the NCAA and will be a freshman again this season.

"We've felt all along that he might be something special," Amato said.

The same might be said of Kyle Newell (6-5, 223) a redshirt freshman from Bethlehem, Pa. who was recruited as a defensive end by a number of schools. He brings unusual size and strength to the position, demonstrating his skills with a team best four catches for 90 yards in the spring game.

Still, Amato's best hope to find a new homerun hitter at wide receiver is probably junior Darrell Blackman (5-10, 209), who was solid as a running back and superb as a kick returner in his first two years at NC State.

"Darrell has really, really worked hard on the routes and the techniques of running routes," Amato said. "He has seen what it is like to get the ball in the open field and not have to run through 300-pounders. I think he sees how much damage he can do. He has great hands. If we can get him the ball, he is capable of making big plays. He is fast. He can go deep. He can do an abundance of things."

Filling out the new receiving corps are former walk-on Andrew Evans (5-11, 180), the twin brother of the Pack's backup quarterback. Incoming freshmen Darrell Davis (6-5, 195) out of Dade City, Fla., and Jarvis Williams (6-4, 200) out of Orlando were rated as two of the prime receiving prospects in the Sunshine State.

At tight end, junior Anthony Hill (6-6, 272) provides a pretty solid foundation after starting 11 games last season. He was often in a two-tight end set with T.J. Williams, who was regarded as the better receiver. Hill was the better blocking tight end who nevertheless caught 15 passes for 140 yards and one touchdown.

"Anthony Hill can become a very complete tight end," Amato said. "He is tall and he can run and he has good hands. He is a really good blocker. He is 272 pounds, but he sure doesn't look it. He is sleek. If we had five of them like that, we would be real good."

Amato is still scrambling to find a second or third tight end up to line up with and behind Hill. Darby, who will also line up at fullback, was a SuperPrep All-American as a senior at Hollywood, Fla., but he saw limited action last year behind Hill, Williams and senior John Ritcher.

Amato does have another heralded tight end on the roster, but Jonathan Hannah (6-3, 251) will have to sit out this season after transferring from South Carolina.

OFFENSIVE LINE
The seniors on NC State's offensive line were dealing with their third coach in four seasons this spring when Pat Meyer replaced Mike Barry as offensive line coach.

At least Meyer is not a stranger -- he's been the director of strength and conditioning at NC State the last five years. He'll get to enjoy the benefits of his long weight-room work with his new line charges, especially the three seniors slated to start.

That includes all-star candidate Leroy Harris (6-3, 300) at center, who will be starting his fourth straight season. The hometown boy -- he prepped at Raleigh's Southeast High -- led the Pack with 62 knockdown blocks last season. He's so dominant his coaches have invented two new stats to describe some of his plays.

"Leroy could play defense, he is so athletic," Amato said.

The Wolfpack coach thinks his least experienced line starter also has star potential. Massive sophomore Curtis Crouch (6-5, 344) saw considerable action late in his freshman season, starting the Maryland game that NC State had to win to earn a bowl bid.

"We would have liked to have held Curtis out last year, but, boy, he is going to be something special," Amato said.

Fifth-year senior tackles James Newby (6-5, 295) and Jon Holt (6-6, 296) are not likely to make any all-star teams, but both bring experience and proven competence to the job. Newby, from the same small Alabama town that sent Philip Rivers to NC State, has started 18 games, including all 12 last year. Holt has just one start in his career but has been a top reserve the last two seasons.

Junior guard Kalani Heppe (6-3, 300) also has experience after starting five games last season. He would have started more, but he missed three games and never regained his effectiveness after suffering a separated shoulder in the Wake Forest game. He also had to deal with injury problems as a freshman. Heppe was competing for a starting job in preseason practice when he suffered a broken foot.

Amato would hate to see that kind of problem crop up this season. While he's happy about the makeup of his starting line, he's just as concerned about depth behind the front five. Junior Luke Lathan (6-4, 292) is a versatile backup who can play guard or center. But he represents the extent of Amato's proven depth.

Any other bench help will have to come from untested tackles Merci Falaise (6-5, 292), a senior and junior Garrett Kline (6-7, 299) or redshirt freshmen such as center Andy Barbee (6-3, 290), guard Julian Williams (6-5, 292) or tackle Jerrail McCuller (6-7, 342). There's some potential there, but the Pack will be in trouble if any of those youngsters have to see extensive action this season.

7/17/2006 2:08:51 PM

KICKERS
Senior John Deraney (6-4, 224) might be the nation's most valuable kicker.

Last year, the Fayetteville, Ga. product handled every phase of the kicking game for the Pack. He punted (for a 40.1 average), kicked off (85-of-181 career kickoffs have been touchbacks), kicked extra points (62-of-62 for his career) and handled field goal chores.

He was a Groza semifinalist after hitting 15-of-20 field goal attempts last season. That was a big improvement on his 2004 percentage, when he hit 13-of-22 attempts. Deraney's longest field goal was 48 yards. He connected from 53 yards in a one-point victory at Virginia Tech two years ago.

Amato would like to find Deraney some help, somebody to take over at least one of his kicking chores. He has recruited two freshmen kickers. Nathan Franklin (5-11, 160) from Wilmington, N.C., appears to have the slightly better credentials, plus he can punt. Still, Josh Czajkowski (5-10, 185) was an all-state placekicker at West Springfield (Va.) High School and he gives Amato more options.

"We will see how it all shakes out," Amato said. "If one of them can do something good and relieve John of one of his three duties, that would be good. But John has an awfully strong leg."


DEFENSIVE LINE
Amato is faced with the daunting task of replacing the best pair of defensive ends in NC State history. That was made evident on NFL draft day when Mario Williams was picked No. 1 overall by the Houston Texans and his running mate Manny Lawson went No. 22 in the first round to the San Francisco 49ers.

"They did a great job," defensive coordinator Steve Dunlap said. "Nothing is going to replace them."

Williams and Lawson combined for 25 sacks and 48 tackles for loss last season. Senior backup Renaldo Moses added another four sacks and nine tackles for loss. Those three took almost every snap last season.

However, the situation is not totally bleak. Amato does have a number of promising newcomers to vie for playing time at the end. redshirt freshman Willie Young (6-5, 220) has been eagerly awaiting in Raleigh since he signed out of Palm Beach, Fla., two years ago. The former MVP of the Florida-Georgia all-star game, Young spent a year in prep school and another year working out at NC State, waiting for seniors to clear out and trying to add weight to a frame that was barely more than 200 pounds.

Now he's ready to go.

"He has great tools," Amato said. "He can be a real, real, real, real good pass rusher. He can play the run pretty good too."

Amato's original plan was to start Young and junior college All-American Littleton Wright (6-6, 244), another 2005 redshirt, in place of Williams and Lawson. But senior John Amanchukwu (6-4, 283) might change those plans.

"Wu," as he is known at NC State, is a unique physical specimen with a unique background story. A Raleigh native, he originally played at Division II St. Augustine's College. Amato has been trying to find a spot for him since his transfer to NC State in 2004, using him on the offensive line before shifting him to defensive end.

"He is an awfully good athlete," Amato said. "He is one of the fastest guys we have. He has worked hard and shown a lot of leadership qualities."

Amato is convinced that the trio of Young, Wright and "Wu" can help make up for the loss of his two NFL-bound stars.

"Those three can be really good," he said. "We will be fine."

Just to make sure, Amato has moved junior Martrell Brown (6-2, 290), one of his top reserves at defensive tackle the last two seasons, to a backup spot at end. He's also grooming redshirt freshmen Quentin Brown (6-5, 245) for playing time.

There's also a chance that junior Raymond Brooks (6-3, 270), an extremely gifted player who saw considerable action in 2004, will overcome the academic problems that sidelined him last season.

There is less concern in the middle of the line, despite the premature departure of three-year starter John McCargo, who left after his junior season and was picked No. 26 in the first round by the Buffalo Bills.

But Amato got a preview of life without McCargo late last season when the big tackle was hurt and missed the last six games. Junior DeMario Pressley (6-4, 293) and senior Tank Tyler (6-2, 305) had been alternating with McCargo in the two tackle spots anyway. McCargo's absence merely forced them to play a few more snaps -- a change that didn't appear to hurt much as the Pack played its best football down the stretch without McCargo in the lineup.

Pressley, rated the top prospect in North Carolina as a senior in Greensboro, N.C., blossomed last season with 43 tackles, including six for loss. Tyler, the most experienced defender on the team, has 87 career tackles, including 10.5 for loss.

"They did a great job [after McCargo was hurt]," Dunlap said. "DeMario is so athletic that he can line up [at defensive end] at times to make us more physical."

Amato doesn't have a lot of experience behind that duo, but he feels good enough about his young backups to move the battle-tested Brown to end. John Bedics (6-4, 283), whose brother is playing fullback after transferring from Penn State, and Gerald Miller (6-3, 292), both sophomores, have had a taste of action. redshirt freshmen Teddy Larsen (6-2, 265) and Alan-Michael Cash (6-0, 291) will be learning on the job.

7/17/2006 2:09:17 PM

LINEBACKERS
NC State lost a great player when Mario Williams turned pro early. And John McCargo's decision to leave after his junior year was a surprise.

But neither departure was as much of a blow to the Pack's 2006 hopes as the unexpected departure of junior linebacker Stephen Tulloch. The All-ACC middle linebacker, who ended up going in the fourth round of the NFL draft, was expected back to team with junior starter LeRue Rumph (6-2, 225) to provide a solid foundation for the Pack's 2006 defense.

Now Rumph, a converted safety who did an excellent job in his debut season as an outside linebacker -- 61 tackles in the nine games he played before a late-season injury -- will have to anchor what's going to be a painfully inexperienced linebacking corps.

His most experienced compatriot will be senior Pat Lowery (6-1, 242), who has been a top backup for three years, a special teams standout who has played very well when called upon to fill in at linebacker. He recorded 14 tackles against East Carolina in his first career start in 2004 and made seven tackles in a start last season against Wake Forest.

Lowery will inherit Tulloch's job in the middle, hoping to add to his career totals of 102 tackles, including 14.5 for loss.

"Pat Lowery has really taken on a leadership role," Amato said. "I think if you look back on last year's games, he stepped up and did some pretty good things."

Junior Ernest Jones (6-2, 217) is another career backup who hopes to earn a promotion to a starting role. Once rated as a top recruit, Jones has struggled to put on weight and has seen little action in his first two seasons other than special teams -- 14 of his 26 career tackles came on kick coverage.

Senior Reggie Davis (6-0, 246) is the wild card in the linebacking equation. The veteran running back spent most of the spring working at fullback, then shifted to outside linebacker at the last moment.

"Linebacker is a big concern," Amato said. "We talked to Reggie Monday [before the spring game] about taking a look at linebacker. He had a good time there, and on Thursday, he had more tackles in our little half-scrimmage than any other linebackers we had."

Davis then went out and tied for the team lead in tackles in the spring game.

"He's a big, tough, sure-handed player that we can do a lot of things with," Amato said. "He's got some good instincts, but that will be a work in progress."

Amato also has high hopes for redshirt freshmen Avery Vogt (6-2, 225) and Ray Michael (6-0, 224) on the outside, but neither dazzled anybody during spring drills. Junior Guerlin Dervil (6-2, 214) is an impressive physical specimen who came to NC State with little football background and has had a hard time getting on the field.

In the middle, junior James Martin (6-1, 236) is backing up Lowery. Martin made an impressive debut at defensive end as a true freshman in 2003 but missed the entire 2004 season and was hobbled in 2005 after suffering an ACL injury. Now moved to linebacker, the former Pompano Beach, Fla., prep star appears to be healthy and ready to contribute again.

"It's a work in progress," Dunlap said of his linebacking corps. "We've got good players. We're just trying to get them in the right spots. We'll still be shifting guys around in preseason."


DEFENSIVE BACKS
The strength of the NC State defense will shift from the front seven to the secondary this season.

A year ago, the front seven was dominant and the Pack's two defensive ends were the best players on the team. This season, the defensive backfield is deep and talented and the team's two safeties might be NC State's two best players.

Senior rover-back Garland Heath (6-2, 225) and junior free safety Miguel Scott (6-0, 203) were an impressive tandem last season when they combined for 137 tackles, nine pass breakups and six interceptions.

Heath, who first announced his arrival at NC State with an interception against Kansas in the 2003 Tangerine Bowl, had five of those picks, including game-clinching interceptions at Georgia Tech and Florida State. He was also the Pack's special teams player of the year.

Scott missed two games last year with a sprained ankle, but he came back and turned in his best game in the regular-season finale against Maryland.

Backing up Heath and Scott are two superb young prospects -- sophomores J.C. Neal (6-0, 191) and DaJuan Morgan (6-2, 207). Neal tied Reggie Davis as the leading tackler in the spring game after recording eight tackles in 41 snaps last season. Morgan, a former sprint champion in Florida, saw extensive action in '05, recording 46 tackles, including 14 in the victory over Middle Tennessee.

There's just as much depth at cornerback, despite the departure of starter Marcus Hudson. A.J. Davis (5-10, 191), the focus of an intense in-state recruiting battle five years ago, returns for his fifth season after starting 12 games last season. The former prep All-American has 24 career pass breakups and four career interceptions. He was picked as the national defensive player of the week last season after his two picks helped NC State upset Florida State.

Junior Jimmie Sutton (5-11, 181) will replace Hudson at the other starting cornerback spot after serving as the Pack's nickel back in 2005. Sutton is usually listed as Jimmie Sutton III (not because he's third generation, but because he's the third of five brothers all named Jimmie).

"He played an awful lot last year, a ton," Amato said. "He is an athletic young man and a competitor. I think he will do real well out there."

Junior Philip Holloman (5-11, 194) and sophomores Levin Neal (5-10, 191) -- no relation to safety J.C. Neal -- and Jeremy Gray (6-2, 190) will provide depth at the cornerback position. All have ACC-level skills and all three saw a fair amount of action last season.

"We're really deep [in the secondary]," defensive coordinator Steve Dunlap said. "That helps. Last season we played 150 snaps in nickel coverage and 196 snaps in dime -- that means that we had five or six DBs in there almost half the time."

In addition to his holdovers, Amato recruited a strong group of players who could contribute in the secondary, but probably won't have to this season with all the talented, experienced players vying for playing time.


PUNTERS
Placekicker John Deraney has handled the punting chores with competence over the last two seasons, averaging 40.9 yards a kick for 132 attempts.

He's solid on placement, putting 23-of-72 punts inside the 20 last season with just three touchbacks. But he was vulnerable to a strong rush -- two of his kicks were blocked.

There's not another punter on the roster, although placekicking recruit Nathan Franklin, who averaged 39 yards a punt in high school, could provide some help in this area.


SPECIAL TEAMS
Amato's best special teams weapon is running back-turned-wide receiver Darrell Blackman, who led the ACC and finished sixth nationally last season with an average of 29.1 yards on each kickoff return. Blackman is also a threat as a punt returner, finishing third nationally in that department as a freshman in 2004.

Andre Brown was an effective kickoff returner early last season, averaging 21.9 yards a return, but Amato's track record is to use young non-regulars in that position -- especially those seeing limited playing time in scrimmage situations. Several backup defensive backs -- DaJuan Morgan? -- could get a chance to team with Blackman.

The Pack has also been effective in the Amato years (and even before) at mounting a kick rush. In fact, Texas is the only team in college football that has blocked more kicks since 2000 than the 39 that NC State has managed in that time. The challenge there is to replace Manny Lawson, who was a dynamo with seven career blocked kicks to his credit.


BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS
Last spring on NFL draft day, ESPN's commentators had a lot of fun at NC State's expense, wondering how a team with three first-round draft picks could finish 7-5.

Well, the answer is simple. The Pack's three great players all played on a defense that ranked No. 1 and No. 8 nationally the last two years. They were very good. The defensive line was very good. The defense as a whole was very good.

Grading the Wolfpack
Unit Grade
Offense B+
Special teams A-
Defense B+
Intangibles A-
But NC State had problems in other areas. The problem for the Pack has been playing with any consistency. Penalties, turnovers and erratic play at quarterback ruined any chance of contending in the conference or the nation. Late last season, Amato made a switch at quarterback, changed his offensive strategy and the Pack responded by winning five of six games.

It's fair to wonder whether the same tactics will produce the same results this season with a defense that isn't so overpowering. Amato's offense won't be able to play it safe and rely on its talented young runners. Opposing defenses are going to make quarterback Stone prove he can throw effectively enough to prevent them from stacking eight and nine defenders in the box.

The opportunity to contend for the ACC title is clearly there for NC State. The Pack has beaten the eventual ACC champion each of the last two seasons -- both times on the road. But Amato's team has also finished 3-5 in the league in both seasons.

To do better than that this year, the Pack's offense will need to improve more than the defense declines. The improved discipline -- the reduction in penalties and turnovers -- that the team showed late last season will have to continue.

The chance for success is still there for the Pack. It's just that the margin of error is smaller this season than in the past.

For the most comprehensive previews available on all 119 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college football, the 2006 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook, at http://www.blueribbonyearbook.com or call 1-866-805-BALL (2255).

7/17/2006 2:09:38 PM

omg thank you

just finished reading the whole thing

[Edited on July 17, 2006 at 2:42 PM. Reason : anyone know how we are ranked preseason in the ACC?]

7/17/2006 2:39:54 PM

Yeah I just got through now reading it at work.

Thanks a lot for posting that.

7/17/2006 2:41:13 PM

awesome, thanks man.

7/17/2006 2:46:21 PM

yeah, thanks...

but,

Quote :

"The opportunity to contend for the ACC title is clearly there for NC State"

really? that might be a bit of a stretch

7/17/2006 2:49:30 PM

^I think he means we have the talent, we just have to put it together.

Same thing we have all said over the last 3/4 years now.

7/17/2006 2:56:16 PM

Anyone think Stone could actually have a really nice year with simplified passing schemes and a run focused offense?

7/17/2006 2:56:33 PM

I could see a decent amount of TD from some play actions / bootlegs etc but not that many yards / completions

7/17/2006 2:59:00 PM

stone has the ability, he just needs the confidence to make the big plays

7/17/2006 3:00:29 PM

I think a lot depends on the o-line (like usual). if our running game is good, it'll do wonders for the pass. I'd really like to see some "smoke" passes thrown blackman's way, use him sort of like the panthers use smitty. Almost extending the running game w/ short passes.

[Edited on July 17, 2006 at 3:07 PM. Reason : gg on the article.]

7/17/2006 3:03:10 PM

Look.

An OK season will be fine by me.

We as fans are totally sober now and I think we've all given up hope of a quick march to national greatness.

7/17/2006 3:24:20 PM

I think a bowl game will make most happy. And if we have a good enough record to get in the running for a bowl, we usually get a pretty good one b/c we travel well.

7/17/2006 3:26:50 PM

Quote :

"and junior Marcus Stone, who managed the offense so well after replacing Jay Davis at quarterback, should be even more effective in his second year as a starter. "

[Edited on July 17, 2006 at 3:38 PM. Reason : yeah]

7/17/2006 3:38:32 PM

with the touting of stones speed, i would love to see us throw an option in our playbook somewhere

7/17/2006 3:40:03 PM

He's made of glass. It won't happen.

7/17/2006 3:42:48 PM

Quote :

"He's made of glass."

?

7/17/2006 3:43:39 PM

he'll start his slide before he remembers to pitch the ball

7/17/2006 3:49:21 PM

Watch Army football. The QB has to be able to take punishment to make the option work.

Stone hasn't exactly demonstrated this yet.

7/17/2006 3:50:34 PM

^saying he's made of glass implicates that he is always hurt. I agree with what you're trying to say, just not how you're saying it.

[Edited on July 17, 2006 at 3:55 PM. Reason : ^]

7/17/2006 3:55:05 PM

thanks for the post, makes me excited for football season

7/17/2006 4:05:31 PM

go terps

7/17/2006 4:08:22 PM

fuck you, twerps and their fans can go to hell.

7/17/2006 4:23:03 PM

wow that was long, but a good read, thanks for posting that

7/17/2006 4:38:24 PM

WOW! Thanks man that was an excellent read. I feel like I have better insight into our up-coming season.

7/17/2006 4:44:39 PM

Man, that's a pretty good Blue Ribbon report card, makes me excited about next season as well...


Grading the Wolfpack
Unit Grade
Offense B+
Special teams A-
Defense B+
Intangibles A-


Grading the Tar Heels
Unit Grade
Offense C+
Special teams B-
Defense C
Intangibles B


If we don't beat Carolina next year, I think I'm going to kill myself...

7/17/2006 4:48:34 PM

Quote :

"If we don't beat Carolina next year, I think I'm going to kill myself"

7/17/2006 4:50:38 PM

[Edited on July 17, 2006 at 4:54 PM. Reason : sorry, wrong thread]

7/17/2006 4:53:14 PM

UNC's biggest question mark next year is the same as our's - the QB.

7/17/2006 5:04:32 PM

Quote :

""If we don't beat Carolina next year, I think I'm going to kill myself""

Go ahead and buy yourself a rope - I think everyone on this board says this every year. UNC's team is more "equal" to ours this year than in any year back to Phil's freshman year IMO. UNC always seems more ready to play than we are.

7/17/2006 5:21:34 PM

Quote :

"Junior Jimmie Sutton (5-11, 181) will replace Hudson at the other starting cornerback spot after serving as the Pack's nickel back in 2005. Sutton is usually listed as Jimmie Sutton III (not because he's third generation, but because he's the third of five brothers all named Jimmie). "

i bet jimmie sutton loves his parents for that shit.

thanks for posting it.

7/17/2006 5:31:01 PM

There was a boxer that did that to all of his children as well.

I think it was Foreman.

7/17/2006 5:33:21 PM

yes. his daughter is georgetta too i think.

7/17/2006 5:38:03 PM

why havent we poll skewed this espn poll yet?

7/17/2006 6:48:58 PM

^ That's a good question

7/17/2006 7:16:28 PM

what poll

7/17/2006 7:22:09 PM

post it and we'll skew it

Quote :

"how about the poll on the front football page. http://espn.go.com/"

the poll is about michelle wie

[Edited on July 17, 2006 at 7:45 PM. Reason : poll]

7/17/2006 7:43:56 PM

There's not enough heft on that O-Line for a true power running attack. We need 2 more guys that are Curtis Crouch's size in order to really bowl over people. And our defense won't be good enough to keep us in the game when we are scoring 18 ppg this year.

Better hope that Stone has improved.

7/17/2006 8:07:09 PM

http://sports-att.espn.go.com/ncf/index

the poll is on that page. the poll is "Which one of these Atlantic teams will reach the ACC title game?" we've got like 5% of the vote so far.

7/17/2006 9:02:01 PM

who else is ready for a good ole' boston butt kicking?

7/17/2006 9:29:55 PM

BC is going down. we're gonna get revenge for that but whoopin they laid on us last year. too bad i was there to witness it. i did enjoy the city though.

7/17/2006 9:48:52 PM

ah yes, the watering of the field turf

[Edited on July 17, 2006 at 11:44 PM. Reason : damn woman keeps logging in under her name. ugh]

7/17/2006 11:43:33 PM

Is this when we are supposed to do our obligatory "BOAST BOAST BOAST"?

7/17/2006 11:49:57 PM

When will the media learn to stop predicting us to do well??

7/18/2006 8:46:17 AM

I almost want to feel good about our team after reading that.

7/18/2006 9:35:21 AM