N.C. State's Carter injures knee

N.C. State tight end Mario Carter will have knee surgery this week and will miss at least the season opener against South Carolina, coach Tom O’Brien said Tuesday.

Carter, a redshirt freshman, was third on the depth chart behind George Bryan and Matt Kushner. Carter also missed his senior season at Charlotte Independence High because of a knee injury.

O’Brien also announced that freshman offensive lineman Denzelle Good will miss the season after reinjuring his shoulder. O’Brien said it was likely Good would have redshirted even if he had been healthy.

Byers tops scrimmage stats. Safety and Vance High graduate Justin Byers, with two of the team’s three interceptions, was one of the standouts of Tuesday night’s scrimmage.

Audi Augustin made two tackles for loss and blocked a field goal attempt, and Terrell Manning blocked a punt and returned it for a touchdown.

Chris Ward punted four times for an average of 42 yards, and Josh Czajkowski made a 37-yard field goal but missed a 43-yard kick. Linebacker Audie Cole led the team with nine tackles.

Russell Wilson and Mike Glennon combined to go 20-for-40 for 232 yards with one touchdown pass. DeAndre Morgan had the other interception for the defense.

O'Brien extends hand. O’Brien plans to have his team participate in a pregame handshake with South Carolina before the Sept. 3 opener if Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier agrees.

In order to promote sportsmanship, the American Football Coaches Association and NCAA are urging schools to hold a pregame handshake for their entire teams on the opening week of the season.

“Seeing where I’m on the ethics committee and that’s where it came from, we’ll do it,” O’Brien said. “. . .I haven’t talked to South Carolina, but we’ll line up before the game and see if they do, and shake hands.”

Ken Tysiac