The result of N.C. State's laugher against Murray State wasn't the most important outcome for the Wolfpack on Saturday.
When a 5-year-old plays in the sandbox with a 2-year-old, he ought to be able to bully his way into playing with any toy he wants, and that's what N.C. State did in a 65-7 rout of the Racers. The real issue for the Wolfpack was whether the South Carolina defense that bullied N.C. State in a 7-3, season-opening win was for real.
That same South Carolina team lost 41-37 to Georgia on Saturday evening. So forget the company line that the Gamecocks have one of the SEC's best defenses.
Until N.C. State proves otherwise against a capable opponent, its problems on offense in the opener can't be dismissed. The Gamecocks sacked N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson six times.
They sacked Georgia quarterback Joe Cox twice, and Cox isn't nearly as mobile as Wilson. Keep in mind, South Caraolina was playing against the same Georgia offense that generated just 10 points against Oklahoma State - which then gave up 45 points in a loss to Houston.
Georgia did score once on a kickoff return against South Carolina, and its total offense of 308 yards was a modest amount considering the amount of points it scored against the Gamecocks.
And South Carolina's ability to score against the Bulldogs makes it appear that N.C. State's defense - which allowed only a 14-yard scoring drive by the Gamecocks - is stouter than expected.
But N.C. State, which plays another overmatched opponent this week in Gardner-Webb, still has real questions on offense that can't be answered until the Sept. 26 game against Pittsburgh.
Ken Tysiac
Monday, September 14, 2009
Gamecocks' results troubling for N.C. State
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11 comments:
What a mindless, pointless article
First game jitters, that is all. Tysiac knows you just cannot make comparisons like that.....circumstances change from week to week. TOB has proven he can make the necessary adjustments as the season progresses. I predict an 8-4 season for State.
This article makes no sense.
how is this not a half glass full, half empty situation? state's defense is currently fourth overall in the nation. the offense is struggling. offensively s.c.'s results are "troubling," but defensively, it's reason to be excited for state's season.
I've read this three times and I still don't understand how SC's game Saturday night represents any sort of trouble for NCSU that we didn't already know.
No doubt the Pack still has to prove they can move the ball on a Div 1 team, but they did lose their starting left tackle early in the SC game, and others on offense had a bad day. Based on last year, with most returning, the offense should not be an issue for the Pack. With Pitt and others coming, there will be plenty of opportunities to prove their worth.
Hey Tysiac: the Wolfpack and their fans have moved on from the South Carolina game. Maybe you should do the same.
I think if the offense struggled to put up 20 points against Murray St. we would have reason to be concerned. That was not the case. As a previous poster pointed out, this offense had no problems scoring points last year. Granted we've lost Anthony Hill and Andre Brown but the receivers are all back and the O-line depth is much improved.
P.S. James Washington will be a star by the end of the season.
When there's no news there to start with, generate your own!
What? Gamecocks results troubling for NCSU...how about an article critical of UNC's win against an average UCONN team by a late penalty in the end zone resulting in a safety. Is that result troubling? Tysiac does his job well. Constant small digs at the other NC ACC teams while making sure UNC articles are more positive. NCSU is not a powerhouse program , but they will be ok. Same for UNC.
Tysiac has never written a positive comment about UNC. He has promoted the Wuffies all year. Someone needs to get their facts straight. A win against a cookie company is nothing to brag about. Maybe you should note that UCONN had the 6 rated defense last year and returned 9 starters.
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