O'Brien says Pack 'got better' in scrimmage

The touch of a smile on the face of N.C. State football coach Tom O'Brien may have been a tipoff Saturday.

After a Wolfpack scrimmage at Carter-Finley Stadium, O'Brien sounded generally pleased, saying, "I think we got better today. A lot of guys got better and individually improved.

"We played faster today, I think, on a lot of levels and that's what we were looking for. I'm happy with the progress we made this Saturday from last Saturday."

Again, there were no individual statistics released from the controlled scrimmage. O'Brien said the overall totals were: 38 rushes for 26 net yards; 23-of-48 passing for 234 yards for four interceptions and two touchdowns; 12 tackles for a loss for 47 yards; seven sacks for 34 yards.

The Pack was two-for-three on field goals, converting from 44 and 42 yards and missed a 42-yarder.

O'Brien said he was not concerned about the rushing total, noting the tackles for losses accounted for a chunk of the lost yardage and adding, "It's all about who's rushing and when they're rushing."

O'Brien didn't mention a lot of names but noted freshman wide receiver Hakeem Flowers "stood out" in the scrimmage and made some plays. He said backup quarterback Tyler Brosius was getting better and taken some good strides forward."

O'Brien praised the play of the offensive line, saying, "As a whole it's performed at a better level than they have at any point since we've been here." He said quarterback Mike Glennon has not been sacked much, even though there have been 19 sacks in the two scrimmages.

O'Brien noted there had been a lot of changes among the front seven defensively during the spring, adding, "We're not anywhere close to being set with any type of rotation -- it's a lot of guys fighting for jobs."

Asked to name a couple of players who have been surprises in the spring, O'Brien mentioned defensive end Forrest West and defensive tackle A.J. Ferguson.

O'Brien, with another smile, said he heard assistant coach Jon Tenuta "say something good" on the field today about linebacker Rickey Dowdy today -- a rarity. More seriously O'Brien said of Dowdy, a junior, "He needs to step up and play for us. It's his time to play."

O'Brien said there were no injuries at today's scrimmage.

-Chip Alexander