Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Tar Heels still have confidence in Barth

North Carolina coach Butch Davis said Wednesday he “absolutely” still has confidence in kicker Casey Barth (right), despite the fact that the sophomore has missed two field goals from inside 40 yards this season.

But has Barth’s confidence been shaken?

“I don’t know if his confidence has,’’ Davis said. “I know that he’s mad at himself; I think that any kicker would be. Sometimes kickers are like quarterbacks; they’re their own worse critics. They want to be perfect, and I know that he wants to be perfect – he wants to make every kick. When I talk to him about it – like any kicker I’ve had – you talk to him in the context of a golfer that’s putting. You’re sitting there, and as much as you say, ‘We don’t expect you to make 50-footers in golf’, we don’t expect you to make 55-yarders in games very often. You might make some, but the ones … inside of 3 feet you’d like to make ‘em.

“But still, you see guys that do that for a living, and they still miss them. And it boils down to blocking out all the previous kicks, and it’s fundamentals. It’s your approach to the ball, your trust in the snapper, your trust in the holder.”

Barth was connecting consistently in practice Wednesday. Because of injuries, UNC has already changed field goal snappers this season; Barth has made four of his six attempts.

-- Robbi Pickeral

Wake Forest to challenge Pack's secondary

N.C. State's depth chart lists freshman Brandan Bishop and redshirt freshman Earl Wolff as starting safeties.

Wake Forest has Riley Skinner, who's on pace to be the ACC's career completion percentage leader at .675, at quarterback. Marshall Williams of Durham is tied for the ACC lead in receptions per game for the Deacons.

On paper, the Wake Forest passing game seems poised for a big day Saturday when N.C. State visits the Deacons.

"We've had some problems with the secondary, with inexperience and making some mistakes," said N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien. "We'll be holding our breath on Saturday, I'm sure."

O'Brien particularly likes the way Skinner has rallied the Deacons late for game-winning and game-tying drives, respectively, against Stanford and Boston College.

Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe's ability to target certain defenders, which O'Brien said probably originated when he was an assistant coach at Air Force, also concerns the N.C. State staff.

"One thing that Wake Forest does is they're very innovative in how they do things," O'Brien said. "They're very good at exploiting weaknesses."

That's why N.C. State's young defensive backs might face their biggest test yet Saturday.

Ken Tysiac

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Scrap man-to-man vs. Pack, Wilson

If they hadn't already done it, ACC defensive coordinators should be scrapping any plans to play man-to-man coverage against quarterback Russell Wilson after watching film of N.C. State's 38-31 win over Pittsburgh.

Panthers coach Dave Wannstedt said after the game that Wilson had mostly stayed in the pocket for the first three games. Perhaps Pittsburgh used a lot of man-to-man coverages against the Wolfpack because the coaching staff didn't think Wilson would scramble.

Man-to-man defenses can work great against offenses whose quarterbacks never venture out of the pocket. If the cornerbacks and safeties can lock down the receivers on their own, the front seven can devote all its attention to the rushing quarterback and stopping the run.

But man-to-man can be disastrous against a mobile quarterback. With the defensive backs concentrating solely on the receivers, the quarterback can run almost forever if he can escape the pass rush.

That's what happened on fourth-and-14 in the fourth quarter against Pittsburgh, when Wilson got loose for a 21-yard run on what was supposed to be a passing play.

"They were in man coverage and everybody was run off, and (he) was able to take off on the boundary," said N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien. "That was a key scramble of the football game for us."

Taking advantage of Pittsburgh's defensive approach, Wilson rushed for a career-high 91 yards. He said he still will look to pass first instead of running regardless of what the coverage is.

But he's bound to get loose as a runner if defensive backs are devoted solely to downfield coverage responsibilities.

"When people are running with their back toward you, you can get more yards," Wilson said. "It's pretty much as simple as that."

Ken Tysiac

N.C. State's 3-1 start has O'Brien in good humor

While N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien spoke at the Raleigh Sports Club on Sept. 2, a disgruntled fan whispered a protest at the back of the room.

The fan complained that the speech was typical of O'Brien. He was calling O'Brien dull. But the fan wasn't listening closely, and you've got to do that to appreciate O'Brien's dry sense of humor.

His weekly news conference Monday was a good example. O'Brien joked about the snap that center Ted Larsen sailed over quarterback Russell Wilson's head. He said Larsen would be better off rolling the ball back to Wilson, if necessary:

"The guy (Wilson) plays second base. He can pick the ball up and play."

O'Brien joked about a snap earlier this season that also sailed.

"He threw it over (Mike) Glennon's head, which is hard to do," O'Brien said.
Glennon is 6-foot-6.

O'Brien's sarcasm even showed after he discussed a timing error by the officials that caused N.C. State to settle for a field goal at the end of the second quarter Saturday against Pittsburgh. He said ACC officiating coordinator Doug Rhoads acknowledged the mistake, which was made by a Big East crew.

"But what good does it do me now?" O'Brien asked.

Good point, and good line. O'Brien, who's soft-spoken and blunt, doesn't work a banquet crowd the way flamboyant predecessor Chuck Amato did.

But O'Brien does have a sense of humor, and it's probably easier to show it when you're 3-1.

・Although O'Brien made light of them, the two bad snaps by Larsen, who moved to center from defense in the spring of 2008, concern the coach.

"That's two too many," O'Brien said. "He gets hyper sometimes. He gets too excited. The blitz was coming and he just let it go. That's inexperience on his part in never having been a center. In those (highly charged) situations, you deaden it even more."

・O'Brien said quarterback Russell Wilson's performance Saturday (322 passing yards, 91 rushing yards, 4 TD passes) still didn't earn him a grade above 90 percent.

You'd have to be just about perfect, O'Brien said, to grade that highly on his staff's scale. But O'Brien said Wilson's performance against Pittsburgh was as good as any in his career.

"The fourth-and-14 (scramble for a first down) was probably the play that turned the game around for us," O'Brien said. "And that was just Russell being Russell."

Monday, September 28, 2009

Officiating chief admits error from Pack vs. Pitt

A timing error by the officiating crew and a brief malfunction of the instant replay review system combined to cost N.C. State valuable seconds at the end of the second quarter Saturday, Big East officiating coordinator Terry McAulay said Monday.

McAulay said the Big East crew improperly started the clock after a dead-ball false start penalty against N.C. State’s Julian Williams while the ball was at the Pittsburgh 2-yard line. The previous play had been an incomplete pass, so the clock should have remained stopped.

"Unfortunately the referee and the crew made a misstep," McAulay said.

The mistake caused N.C. State to call timeout and then kick a field goal on third down. The Wolfpack, which won 38-31 despite the error, should have had time to go for the end zone on third down before kicking a field goal on fourth down, if necessary.

McAulay said that by rule "egregious" timing errors such as that can be corrected in an instant replay review. But the replay system at Carter-Finley Stadium was malfunctioning and officials were switching to a backup system when the problem occurred.

ACC officiating coordinator Doug Rhoads said the replay glitches occurred shortly before the play in question and were fixed by the second half.

N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien said Rhoads told him Saturday night that a mistake was made.

"But what good does it do me now?" O’Brien said.

McAulay said the play would count against the officials’ grade for the game and the season. On every play, officials receive grades that count toward an overall season score that helps determine whether they are assigned to postseason games.

Although the game was played at an ACC facility, it’s common for an officiating crew from the visiting team’s conference – in this case the Big East - to be assigned to a game.

Ken Tysiac

No lineup changes for Tar Heels after loss

Coming off the first loss of the season and out of the top 25 for the first time, North Carolina's not going to panic.

Tar Heels coach Butch Davis said he won't make any changes for the sake of making changes and the lineup that lost to Georgia Tech remain in tact against Virginia on Saturday.

"We're playing the best players that we've got," Davis said. "The worst thing that we could do is try to do some kind of a magical, hodge-podge."

Davis pointed out again the Heels need to clean up their mistakes on third down, on both sides of the ball, and take better care of the ball. The Heels went 1 of 11 on third-down conversions, compared to 10 of 19 for Georgia Tech.

The three turnovers, compared to none for GT, continued the rudimentary trend that when UNC has a negative turnover margin, it loses. They were minus-3 on Saturday and minus-12 in their five losses in 2008.

-- J.P. Giglio


Virginia impresses Tar Heels' Davis

Virginia's 0-3 with a home loss to a Division I-AA team but the Cavaliers have a fan in UNC coach Butch Davis.

Davis called the Cavaliers a "talented" and "dangerous" football team on Monday. Maybe it's because Davis is 0-2 against UVa as UNC's head coach, or maybe Davis is genuinely impressed.

"Look at the film, don't read the newspapers, don't listen to talk radio, look at the film," Davis said. "The film says this is a talented, good football team."

Virginia's coming off a bye week after opening the season with a 26-14 home loss to Richmond, a 30-14 home loss to Texas Christian and a 37-34 road loss to Southern Miss.

The Hoos are making a rough transition to a spread offense under first-year coordinator Gregg Brandon. They rank last in the ACC in total yards (278.3 yards per game) and scoring (20.7 points per game).

-- J.P. Giglio

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Heels out of AP Top 25

Georgia Tech ran North Carolina out of the AP Top 25 this week with the Jackets' 24-7 win at Atlanta. The Heels, ranked No. 22 last week, only received 2 points in voting this week.

The Yellow Jackets, meanwhile, jumped back into the AP poll, landing at No. 25 .

No other Carolinas team is ranked in the AP writers' poll, but South Carolina is in striking distance with 154 points after knocking off previous No. 4 Ole Miss Thursday night.

In the coaches poll, no Carolinas teams were ranked but South Carolina (92), North Carolina State (8) and North Carolina (7) picked up points. -- Staff and wire reports

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Garcia, Gamecocks go prime time

South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia was bumped, bruised and delighted as the clock approached midnight Thursday, the victory yells still piercing the night around Williams-Brice Stadium.

Asked where the Gamecocks' 16-10 victory over fourth-ranked Misssisippi ranked on the list of South Carolina's most significant football victories, Garcia said, "(It's) probably the biggest win in forever but I don't know all the history. It's the biggest since I've been here by far."

Garcia, a redshirt sophomore, is in his third year at South Carolina so it's fair to say his perspective is rather narrow.

But it was a significant win for a program that needed one. On national television, the Gamecocks shut down Mississippi and quarterback Jevan Snead with a defensive performance that was relentless. Less than two weeks ago, the Gamecocks couldn't stop Georgia and quarterback Joe Cox when they needed to but they put the clamps on Snead.

It was only the second win over a top-five team in the school's history, a fact not lost on Garcia.

"It's huge," he said, nursing sore ribs from having a helmet stuck into them on a quarterback sneak.
"It's the No. 4 team in the country. It was pretty ugly but it was a win and we'll take it."
-- Ron Green Jr.

Gamecocks led 6-3 at the half

The South Carolina Gamecocks are halfway there.

Attempting to beat a top-five team for only the second time in school history, the Gamecocks lead fourth-ranked Mississippi 6-3 at halftime in Williams-Brice Stadium.

South Carolina is 1-31 lifetime against teams ranked in the top five. Its only win came against third-ranked North Carolina 28 years ago in Chapel Hill.

The Gamecocks neutralized Mississippi's offense and star quarterback Jevan Snead but offensive mistakes kept South Carolina from having a larger lead.

Two long offensive drives -- a 12-play, 69-yard drive and a 13-play, 75-yard drive -- produced just two Spencer Lanning field goals after penalties deep in Ole Miss territory stalled potential touchdown drives.

Three return from injuries for Pack

N.C. State starters Jake Vermiglio and Clem Johnson have been cleared to play in Saturday's game against Pittsburgh along with backup running back Jamelle Eugene according to the team injury report released Thursday evening.

Vermiglio, the team's left offensive tackle, has missed the last two games with a lower leg injury. Starting free safety Johnson did not play last week because of an injured thigh.

A knee injury has kept Eugene out of the last two games.

As expected, the Wolfpack will play against Pittsburgh without starting cornerback Rashard Smith (ankle) and wide receiver Owen Spencer (concussion) because of injuries.

Ken Tysiac

Pack has no plan for Glennon vs. Pitt

N.C. State will go into Saturday's game against Pittsburgh without plans to get redshirt freshman backup quarterback Mike Glennon early playing time, coach Tom O'Brien said Thursday.

Glennon played one series in the second quarter of the opener against South Carolina because O'Brien wanted to get him some game experience in case he is needed later in the season.

During N.C. State's blowout victories over Murray State and Gardner-Webb the last two weeks, Glennon also got plenty of snaps. O'Brien said Glennon has enough experience now.

"I think he's done an excellent job," O'Brien said. "Given an opportunity he took advantage of it. Certainly there are some things he understands now that maybe he might not have before, but that's what happens in a game. So it was all very positive from our standpoint, getting him in and getting him as many opportunities as he did."

Glennon is 10-for-13 for 85 yards without a touchdown pass or an interception.

Ken Tysiac

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Duke's Desmond Scott slated to play

DURHAM - Highly ranked and widely recruited freshman running back Desmond Scott will make his first appearance for Duke on Saturday against N.C. Central.

Scott, a Durham Hillside High graduate, impressed the Blue Devils coaching staff as a third-team practice player and has now moved into the second-team rotation.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe said Scott had made major improvements since training camp and earned the playing time. This announcement came during a news conference looking ahead to Saturday's game, which is being billed as the "Bull City Gridiron Classic."

The two teams will meet for the first time in a game hosted by the Devils at Wallace Wade Stadium. An electric atmosphere is expected for the 7 p.m. kickoff.

In addressing the state of his team, Cutcliffe said the Devils (1-2) have not been consistent and as a result are not a "good football team."

"There's plenty to focus on that is positive," he said. "We're focusing on that, but we are at the same time correcting errors. We can't consistently make errors and be as good as we can be."

But it's hard to take too much away from a 44-16 defeat to Kansas, especially when the Devils were unable to convert on third down in the first half.

Cutcliffe said he shoulders some of the the blame for the Devils' lack of consistency and poor game-day output.

In three games, Cutcliffe said, the Devils have not been able to translate what they do in practice to the game.

The Devils hope Scott's performance in practice can carry over to the field. On Tuesday, he worked with the first and second teams in practice and is expected to continue playing throughout the season, Cutcliffe said.

"He's gotten a lot better as a young player," Cutcliffe said. "The biggest reason is his performance at practice. ... He's understanding what we want from him now, working like he's suppose to work."

Scott could help a team that is struggling to run the ball and has had injuries slow down backs Re'quan Boyette and Jay Hollingsworth.

-- Edward G. Robinson III

Q&A with Tom O'Brien

Excerpts from N.C. State football coach Tom O'Brien's Monday news conference previewing Saturday's game against Pittsburgh:

Q: Can you talk about Pittsburgh in terms of their running back? They've had a really good running game with LeSean McCoy the past couple of years, and it looks as though they're continuing doing what they've done now with a different back.

A: Number 28, (Dion) Lewis is actually a true freshman. I guess he went to school in January so he went through spring practice. He's quick. He's small. He hides behind them. They are top three in rushing offense and rushing defense in their conference. And they actually are top three in scoring offense and scoring defense in their conference. So they do a great job of running the ball and stopping the run. The thing that's more worrisome for us is they're No. 1 in not giving up sacks and No. 1 in sacking people in their conference, so they play very solid on defense and they're committed to running the football. They're big, physical guys up front. They really knock you back off the line of scrimmage and then do a great job with their play-action passes from there.

Q: Since the middle of last season, you guys have done a nice job stopping the run. Why do you think that's been?

A: Well, we haven't seen an offensive line like this one (Pittsburgh's). These guys, they've got pro prospects up there. They've got guys that have played three and four years. And I think four of the guys started. They've got a ton of experience and they're committed to running. A lot of the teams, you talk about in the past, haven't been as committed to the run as this Pittsburgh has.

Q: Can you talk about the development of your linebackers and how they've come along the last couple games?

A: Ray Michel has done an excellent job in the middle. He's built upon his experience and knowledge, what he's doing. Audie Cole and Dwayne Maddox are still in development stages. Dwayne's played some last year. I think that's helped him. Audie plays really fast when he knows where he's going. Sometimes when he's not sure, he's kind of hesitant. That's just going to come with time and experience. He made a couple really nice plays in the open field last week, which is what he has to do to play tht position for us. They're two young guys that are learning on the run and working hard to get better.

Q: How has Brandan Bishop looked so far at safety?

A: He looks like a freshman, but he has ability. He's another one of those guys, he's a smart kid. He's football smart and school smart and he doesn't make mistakes. And that's the most important thing right now. He gets lined up and gets in the right spot, and he seems to tackle well, and that's what we're trying to get out of that position.

Q: How has (punter Jeff) Ruiz performed so far?

A: I don't think he kicked the ball really well Saturday night. But I think the previous two games he was fine. He just didn't seem to hit it as good Saturday night. But he works hard at it and he certainly can be a weapon for us. He has a good enough leg.

-- Ken Tysiac

Q&A with Russell Wilson

N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson holds the Division I-A/Football Bowl Subdivision record with 329 consecutive passes without an interception, dating back to a Sept. 13 game last year at Clemson. Wilson set the record in last week’s game against Gardner-Webb.

Here are excerpts from Wilson’s weekly conference with reporters Tuesday morning:

Q: Did you receive any congratulations (on the record) from anybody that was especially noteworthy? Not that Barack Obama would have called, but you know what I’m trying to say?
A: More than anything my teammates. . . .but that was pretty much after the game. During the game they know that I have that instinct to just keep going and not worry about what else is going on. . . .And then Coach O’Brien came up to me and said, “You’ve got to keep it going.” And stuff like that. And I completely agree. I don’t want to just settle for throwing one (interception) on the first pass. It’s important that I keep working hard and focusing on helping out my team whatever way I can.

Q: Did you ever watch Philip Rivers when he was at N.C. State, and what do you know about him as a player?
A: I was sitting on the 50-yard line, I think (for a game against Virginia), and he was on point. I actually sat close enough where I could see him and the way he interacts with his players. He just pushed them and gave them confidence. He came to the sideline, and after he threw a touchdown, he’d come back and, “Let’s throw another one.” That type of attitude. You couldn’t necessarily hear it, but you could just kind of see it. That’s a positive thing. That’s something I always looked up to, something I always have in my mind, always think about. Whenever anybody talks about Philip Rivers, that’s the first thing that comes to my mind.

Q: Have you ever met him?
A: I’ve never met him. I’ve seen him in the distance when he was in the equipment room and I was on the run, but he’s a great player. I would love to meet him some day. I’m sure I will, but he’s a busy guy.

Q: Can you talk about the job Darrell Davis has done for you guys? He already has more catches than he did a year ago. What’s he done to improve?
A: You go to practice, you see it. He’s got a high motor going on. He’s working hard. He’s using his hands well. He’s using his feet, catching the ball well. He’s understanding the offense, understanding where he needs to be. As long as he keeps doing that, he’s going to be a great receiver.

Q: With his height and his frame, does he give you guys a different dimension?
A: We’ve got a lot of tall receivers, a lot of big receivers. We’ve got some of the biggest ones, if not the biggest ones, in the league or across the country, just to be honest with you. That’s a good thing, a positive thing for us, but they can also run really well. They’ve got good stamina and can get up and down the field.

Ken Tysiac

Monday, September 21, 2009

Tudor's Take: Holtz's stock down

If there's an ironic upside for ECU's fans to the team's disappointing performances in a narrow win over Appalachian State and pair of sobering losses at West Virginia and North Carolina, it has to be that Skip Holtz's lamp has dimmed.

Had the Pirates done as some pundits expected and opened 3-0, Holtz by now would be Topic-A among the thousands of disgruntled Virginia who are sizing up Al Groh's office for a new occupant, with more schools in similar situations to soon follow.

While it's likely that Holtz (30-23 in Greenville) is still on Virginia's prospective shopping list, the fan anxiety level is considerably lower than it was at the end of 2008.

To put it another way, had the Pirates finished off Kentucky in last season's Liberty Bowl and won at West Virginia and North Carolina, Holtz by now would have been the first name on every coaching board out there.

Instead, he's caught in the first real crisis of his five seasons at ECU.

The prevailing preseason assumption was that the Pirates would have enough talent and experience to deal with a first-half schedule that included four road games and the back-to-back trips to West Virginia and UNC.

Unless his team can bounce back to beat Central Florida this week in Greenville, Holtz and his team are in direct danger of making the turn 1-5 with a remaining schedule that includes Virginia Tech, Tulsa and Southern Miss.

On paper, the Pirates still have most of what they took into preseason camp — veteran quarterback Patrick Pinkney, top-notch kickers Matt Dodge and Ben Hartman, and a senior-dominated defensive unit.

The parts are still in place to overcome the poor start and make a run at a second straight Conference USA East Division title. But the performance level has been such that the mood within the fan base has changed from urgency about the coach to urgency about the season.

-- Caulton Tudor, (Raleigh) News & Observer

UNC loses long-snapper for season

Junior long-snapper Trevor Stuart tore the ACL in his left knee in the first quarter of UNC's 31-17 win over East Carolina and will miss the rest of the season, the school announced Monday.

Mark House, a junior walk-on from Wilmington, will replace Stuart.

-- J.P. Giglio

Q&A with Tom O'Brien

Excerpts from N.C. State football coach Tom O'Brien's Monday news conference previewing Saturday's game against Pittsburgh:

Q: Can you talk about Pittsburgh in terms of their running back? They’ve had a really good running game with LeSean McCoy the past couple of years, and it looks as though they’re continuing doing what they’ve done now with a different back.
A: Number 28, (Dion) Lewis is actually a true freshman. I guess he went to school in January so he went through spring practice. He’s quick. He’s small. He hides behind them. They are top three in rushing offense and rushing defense in their conference. And they actually are top three in scoring offense and scoring defense in their conference. So they do a great job of running the ball and stopping the run. The thing that’s more worrisome for us is they’re No. 1 in not giving up sacks and No. 1 in sacking people in their conference, so they play very solid on defense and they’re committed to running the football. They’re big, physical guys up front. They really knock you back off the line of scrimmage and then do a great job with their play-action passes from there.

Q: Since the middle of last season, you guys have done a nice job stopping the run. Why do you think that’s been?
A: Well, we haven’t seen an offensive line like this one (Pittsburgh’s). These guys, they’ve got pro prospects up there. They’ve got guys that have played three and four years. And I think four of the guys started. They’ve got a ton of experience and they’re committed to running. A lot of the teams, you talk about in the past, haven’t been as committed to the run as this Pittsburgh has.

Q: Can you talk about the development of your linebackers and how they’ve come along the last couple games?
A: Ray Michel has done an excellent job in the middle. He’s built upon his experience and knowledge, what he’s doing. Audie Cole and Dwayne Maddox are still in development stages. Dwayne’s played some last year. I think that’s helped him. Audie plays really fast when he knows where he’s going. Sometimes when he’s not sure, he’s kind of hesitant. That’s just going to come with time and experience. He made a couple really nice plays in the open field last week, which is what he has to do to play tht position for us. They’re two young guys that are learning on the run and working hard to get better.

Q: How has Brandan Bishop looked so far at safety?
A: He looks like a freshman, but he has ability. He’s another one of those guys, he’s a smart kid. He’s football smart and school smart and he doesn’t make mistakes. And that’s the most important thing right now. He gets lined up and gets in the right spot, and he seems to tackle well, and that’s what we’re trying to get out of that position.

Q: How has (punter Jeff) Ruiz performed so far?
A: I don’t think he kicked the ball really well Saturday night. But I think the previous two games he was fine. He just didn’t seem to hit it as good Saturday night. But he works hard at it and he certainly can be a weapon for us. He has a good enough leg.

Ken Tysiac

Pack's Spencer, Smith out for Pitt

N.C. State starters Owen Spencer at wide receiver and Rashard Smith at cornerback are unlikely to play Saturday against Pittsburgh because of injury.

The Wolfpack’s injury report won’t be released until Thursday, but coach Tom O’Brien indicated during his news conference that Smith and Spencer won’t play.

O’Brien said that since reporters saw Smith on crutches on the sideline last week after he injured an ankle against Gardner-Webb, they can assume he isn’t playing. O’Brien said Spencer went to the hospital with a concussion suffered against Gardner-Webb and won’t be cleared to return by game time.

Junior DeAndre Morgan will replace Smith, and sophomore T.J. Graham is listed as the starter in Spencer’s spot on the depth chart.

Offensive lineman Julian Williams has returned after missing last week’s game with Gardner-Webb with the H1N1 flu. He will start at left guard, and freshman Andrew Wallace will start at left tackle, O’Brien said.

Jake Vermiglio, the regular starting left tackle, has missed the last two games with a leg injury, but O'Brien did not address his status.

Ken Tysiac

Late Hits

North Carolina: The Tar Heels are 3-0 for the first time since 1997. Ah, 1997, that was a good year. Mack Brown was in Chapel Hill, Florida State ruled the ACC, and Riley Skinner was just a freshman.

Southern California: There are only so many things in life you can still count on -- Brett Favre unretiring, Kanye West acting the fool and USC losing a road game to an unranked Pac-10 team.

Fair or not, like the previous conference pitfalls, Saturday's 16-13 loss at Washington will keep the Trojans out of the national title game no matter how good they look in December or how many NFL players they pump out in April.

Miami: Who's happier with The U's unbeaten start and first appearance in the top 10 since 2005: the proud Miami alums in the NFL, formerly embattled coach Randy Shannon or ACC commissioner John Swofford?

That five-year-old lottery ticket just might come home yet for Johnny Swoosh. Amazing what can happen when you have the right quarterback.

Mountain West: Sen. Orrin Hatch can focus on actual politics after the lost weekend by his home-state schools, Utah and Brigham Young.

The Utes had their 16-game winning streak ended by Oregon, a Pac-10 team which opened the season with an embarrassing knockout punch (and a loss to Boise State), while BYU got trounced by Florida State, 54-28. Fifty-four points to an ACC team? On second thought, the Mountain West Conference really does need Congressional intervention.

Is there something in the water?

Every team has health issues, but the concentration of injuries in the Triangle is abnormal.

N.C. State went into Saturday's game without starters at running back, guard, tackle, safety -- not to mention their best defensive player, who is out for the season -- and then lost a receiver and a cornerback in Saturday's win over Gardner-Webb.

Duke caught a beating from Kansas without its best defensive player and a promising young receiver.

UNC handled ECU without its starting center or tight end.

Plus, all three schools have been hit by the swine flu, Duke the hardest. Makes you wonder if it's a coincidence or if the basketball gods really don't like football.

Coachspeak-to-English translation

"If BYU saw that game, they'll say, 'FSU, y'all ain't no good.' "

-- Bobby Bowden on how the Noles rebounded from a 19-9 escape against Jacksonville State last week to beat BYU, 54-28, on Saturday.

Translation: Playing possum works every time. "Y'all think I've won all them games by accident? Hush, Jimbo."

-- J.P. Giglio

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Heels rise two spots in AP poll

North Carolina rose two spots to No. 22 in the weekly Associated Press Top 25 poll.

The Tar Heels are the only Carolinas team to crack the Top 25 in the AP writers poll or USA Today's coaches poll, where the Heels are ranked 18th, up one spot this week. UNC beat East Carolina 31-17 Saturday.

Clemson picked up 11 votes from the writers and South Carolina notched seven votes from the coaches.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Pack QB Wilson sets national record

N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson broke a national record in the third quarter on Saturday night.

Wilson's 13-yard pass to James Washington late in the third quarter gave him 326 consecutive passes without an interception dating back to a game against Clemson on Sept 13 of last year.

The crowd gave a hearty cheer as the video boards at Carter-Finley Stadium announced that Wilson had set the record.

Andre Woodson of Kentucky set the previous Division I-A/Football Bowl Subdivision record of 325 passes without an interception in 2006-07.

N.C. State led Gardner-Webb 38-7 after three quarters.

-- Ken Tysiac

Pack's Wilson breaks national record

N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson broke a national record in the third quarter on Saturday night.

Wilson's 13-yard pass to James Washington late in the third quarter gave him 326 consecutive passes without an interception dating back to a game against Clemson on Sept 13 of last year.

The crowd gave a hearty cheer as the video boards at Carter-Finley Stadium announced that Wilson had set the record.

Andre Woodson of Kentucky set the previous Division I-A/Football Bowl Subdivision record of 325 passes without an interception in 2006-07.

N.C. State led Gardner-Webb 38-7 after three quarters.

Hey, ref! Back judge trips Elon CB

WINSTON-SALEM -- Wake Forest receiver Chris Givens ran straight down the field, unable to shake free from Elon cornerback Karlos Sullivan.

Then the back judge stepped in.

Tommy Pace inadvertently tripped Sullivan just as he reached the end zone Saturday. Both the official and the cornerback sprawled to the turf, just as a suddenly wide-open Givens caught Riley Skinner's 54-yard pass in the end zone untouched.

Pace got up, hustled a few yards and signaled touchdown as Sullivan looked on incredulously, palms pointed to the sky.

Officials are considered part of the field, so Elon could do nothing about it as Wake Forest took a 21-0 lead.

-- Associated Press

Paralyzed Rogers leads Wake Forest on field

WINSTON-SALEM -- Paralyzed former Wake Forest and NBA player Rodney Rogers has been honored before the Demon Deacons' football game against Elon.

Wearing a black Wake Forest jersey, the wheelchair-bound Rogers received a standing ovation as his career highlights were shown. Accompanied by former Wake basketball coach Dave Odom, Rogers was mobbed by the players as they ran onto the field.

The 38-year-old Rogers injured his spinal cord riding a dirt bike in November 2008 and is a quadriplegic. It was his first public appearance at Wake Forest since the accident.

Rogers was the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year in 1993, when he was a first-round pick of the Denver Nuggets. He played 12 seasons in the NBA and won the league's Sixth Man Award in 2000 with the Phoenix Suns.

-- Associated Press

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Canes finally living up to expectations

Ever since Miami entered the ACC in 2004, perception of the conference has suffered because the Hurricanes haven't performed up to the level many expected of an elite national program.

That appears to be changing. Miami coach Randy Shannon, who already was recruiting outstanding talent, has added an offensive coordinator in Mark Whipple who knows how to take advantage of the Hurricanes' speed.

If the season were to end today, quarterback Jacory Harris probably would be the ACC player of the year thanks to marvelous performances in wins over Florida State and Georgia Tech. The Hurricanes still have difficult games at Virginia Tech and North Carolina remaining in the Coastal Division, but they're off to a good head start with two of their most challenging conference games behind them.

Miami's early-season schedule, which started out with Florida State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma in succession, is the most difficult in the ACC. But Harris is playing so much better than Virginia Tech quarterback Tyrod Taylor that the Hokies will need a huge performance by their defense and special teams to win on Sept. 26.

If Heisman-winning quarterback Sam Bradford isn't back from a shoulder injury in time for the Oct. 3 game with Oklahoma, the Sooners shouldn't be nearly as formidable. After that game, the Hurricanes' schedule gets significantly easier.

It's still too soon to say Miami is set to become the national championship contender the ACC has been craving since the Hurricanes entered the conference. But Miami has taken a huge step in that direction with a couple big wins after a great hire by Shannon.

Ken Tysiac

Pack has 2 out with H1N1 flu

N.C. State starting left offensive tackle Julian Williams and reserve wide receiver Jay Smith will miss Saturday’s game with Gardner-Webb because of the H1N1 flu, school sports information director Annabelle Myers said Thursday evening.

The players have been treated according to school protocol, which includes isolating them either in their rooms or at home. Redshirt freshman Andrew Wallace will take Williams’ place in the starting lineup.

Safety Clem Johnson, who has an injured thigh, also is out for the game, according to the school’s injury report. He will be replaced by either freshman Brandan Bishop or sophomore Justin Byers.

Backup halfback Jamelle Eugene (knee) and Jake Vermiglio (leg), who was the starting left offensive tackle before Williams moved there from left guard to take his place, will miss their second straight game with injuries. Defensive end Jeff Rieskamp (hip) and safety Javon Walker (knee) also remain out.

Ken Tysiac

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Tar Heels down 2 starters for up to a month

CHAPEL HILL -- North Carolina's offense will be without two starters for three to four weeks, UNC coach Butch Davis said Wednesday. Center Lowell Dyer (shoulder) and tight end Zack Pianalto (foot) will not play against East Carolina, and both could miss up to a month of the Tar Heels' season.

Davis said the significant injuries won't change UNC's game plan on offense.

"We are, kind of, who we are," Davis said. "We're not going to recreate the wheel in three days of practice. It would be detrimental to deviate and go in a different direction because some guys are injured."

Dyer, a senior, strained a muscle in his right shoulder during a practice drill on Sept. 9 and did not play in UNC's 12-10 win over Connecticut three days later. Dyer practiced in shorts on Tuesday, while his teammates were in full pads. He walked through the drills in the portion of practice that was open to the media.

Pianalto, a junior, dislocated the subtalar joint in his right foot in the fourth quarter of the UConn game. He rolled the side of his foot under his ankle after he jumped to celebrate his game-tying touchdown. Pianalto leads the team with 112 receiving yards after two games.

Ed Barham will replace Pianalto in the starting lineup. Christian Wilson, Barham's backup, also will see action. Another tight end, senior Ryan Taylor, has been out since he sprained the MCL in his right knee in training camp.

Dyer's injury is the latest to affect a depleted offensive line. In the spring, starting left guard Aaron Stahl graduated and decided not to use his final season of eligibility.

Then sophomore guard Kevin Bryant left the program in August for personal reasons, and tackle Carl Gaskins tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in a season-ending injury the first week of training camp.

In addition, left guard Jonathan Cooper sprained his right ankle in the season-opening win over The Citadel. He did not play against UConn but did practice on Tuesday.

"We've lost significant amount of offensive linemen, going back seven or eight months," Davis said. "Our coaches have done a good job to try to settle that group down and focus on fundamentals."

-- J.P. Giglio

Q&A with Dana Bible

N.C. State offensive coordinator Dana Bible discusses some of the team's freshmen and more:

Q: Can you talk about your rookie running backs (James Washington and Brandon Barnes)? Both of them got a shot last week.
A: In both cases it was a chance for them to play in a game situation. The value of that is tremendous. We didn’t back off. They had to work all aspects of the offense from running the football to blocking and protection to catching the football. A running back in this offense is multi-purpose, and it’s a position that a lot is asked of it, and they were excited about their opportunity.

Q: At the tight end position, (freshman) Asa Watson looks like he’s getting some snaps on offense now. What has he shown you that merits that?
A: He did a fine job in camp. He certainly has great energy and he has talent. And he is eager and anxious to do well. Our situation has allowed him to find his way on the field.

Q: How much do you talk to a Jay Smith about having a big chance go right through his hands?
A: We talk to all our players about a term that we use, it’s called GAPs. Game-Altering Plays. We talk about that every week. Often. Coach always preaches to the team and in particular the offense that you don’t know which play it’s going to be, the play that turns the outcome of the game to successful or not. Which is why you have to play every play like it is the game-altering play. So our approach never changes. No matter who the player is, you have to play each play like it is the play that will determine the outcome of the game.

Q: How much progress has your offensive line made from Week One to Week Two?
A: We feel like we’re moving in the right direction. It’s always good to get out that second game and that third game, because often those are the kind of games where you can really make some strides. It’s game speed. You have real evidence out there to build off and teach off, and you have a chance to improve.

Ken Tysiac

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Duke accepts challenge of No. 22 Kansas

DURHAM — The Duke football program has to go back 38 years to recall a road victory over a ranked team.

That victory came on Oct. 2, 1971 when the Blue Devils defeated No. 19-ranked Stanford 9-3 before 61,000 Cardinal fans.

The Devils try to end that drought on Saturday when they face No. 22-ranked Kansas at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.

The Devils have lost 36 consecutive games against ranked opponents, but are approaching this season and this next game with optimism.

Duke coach David Cutcliffe said on Tuesday during a news conference that a well-coached Kansas team presents an opportunity and a challenge.

The Jayhawks have one of the nation's most explosive offenses, run by one of the most versatile quarterbacks in senior Todd Reesing.

Kansas has put up 1,123 total yards of offense in games against Northern Colorado and UTEP.

Still, Cutcliffe said the Devils need to worry less about the Jayhawks and more about themselves .

"Our responsibility is to bring a good football team to this game," he said. "They haven't really played a team that's played well yet. And I hope we are that team. We're not a guarantee by any means. That's our challenge is to be that good team."

-- Edward G. Robinson III

Wilson says brace doesn't slow him

Quarterback Russell Wilson's knee brace was a topic of debate among N.C. State fans after he was sacked six times in the 7-3, season-opening loss to South Carolina.

Fans wondered why Wilson, who was so elusive while earning first-team All-ACC honors last season, didn't have any big rushing gains and couldn't avoid South Carolina's defenders more easily.

Wilson now wears a brace on his right knee after suffering a torn posterior cruciate ligament that didn't require surgery in the Papajohns.com Bowl. So fans wondered:

- Is the brace slowing him down?

- Is he focused more on finding receivers downfield now and more reluctant to turn on the jets?

- Were South Carolina's defenders just extremely fast?

During his weekly news conference Tuesday, Wilson said that if he's heard any of those questions, they've gone in one ear and out the other. He said he's still fast with the brace on.

"It doesn't slow me down," Wilson said. "I've been wearing it for a while now, so I'm used to it and everything. I don't even think about it."

Wilson didn't scramble much in Saturday's win over Murray State. But he did show a burst of speed one time as he ran toward the N.C. State sideline for a 12-yard gain in that game.

"I know my speed," he said, smiling. "I know that I can still run. Plenty fast."

Coach Tom O'Brien is taking Wilson's word for it.

"He says it doesn't (slow him down)," O'Brien said. "I have to trust him."

Ken Tysiac

Monday, September 14, 2009

Heels' Pianalto might play vs. ECU

X-rays have revealed that North Carolina tight end Zack Pianalto's injured right foot is not fractured, and there is a chance that he will play Saturday against East Carolina, the school revealed Monday morning.

Pianalto suffered a subtalar dislocation of his foot during North Carolina's 12-10 win Saturday at Connecticut.

After scoring the game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter, Pianalto jumped and landed awkwardly on a defender's foot.

North Carolina also has learned the game time for its Sept. 26 game at Georgia Tech. The game will start at noon.

J.P. Giglio and Ken Tysiac

Gamecocks' results troubling for N.C. State

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

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Cutcliffe says there is no QB controversy

Duke coach David Cutcliffe wants to be clear: There is noquarterback controversy stemming from his decision to pull starting quarterback Thaddeus Lewis and replace him with backup Sean Renfree on Saturday in the Blue Devils' 35-19 victory over Army.

"[Duke] is not that kind of team [to have a quarterback controversy], we just have so much improving to do, and so much to look at:what we're doing; what's not quite right," Cutcliffe said.

Lewis, a senior who has served as a starter for three seasons, completed 5 of 16 pass attempts for 60 yards and a touchdown before he was replaced in the third quarter by the redshirt freshman Renfree.

He completed 7 of 8 pass attempts for 106 yards two touchdowns, helping the Devils rally from a 10-7 half-time deficit.

"It's basically a statement of confidence in your backup,"Cutcliffe said. "I had intended to play him last week and I didn't. I made my mind up we would play him [Saturday] regardless of circumstance. It's not anykind of statement in anything other than confidence in Sean."

He said he felt Renfree had a "hot hand" and let him stay in the game.

"It's one game, and not even a full game," Renfree said. "This is over. You can't really take much away from a quarter-and-a-half. It shocked me when they said, 'You're in there.'"

Renfree said Lewis supported him throughout.

"You'd expect any other quarterback to just kind of hand his head, but Thad [Lewis] was the opposite," he said. "He was coming over to me all the time, saying 'Hey you're doing great. Keep doing what you're doing. I'm here for you.' He says he's a cheerleader, but he's a leader. He's a leader for this team and to me. I look up to him. When he says something like that, I listen."

Added Lewis, who threw his 50th career touchdown in the game: "It's a team effort. Sean went our there and executed well, and the team executed well. That's what you do as a team; every does their part, and everybody brings something different to the table."

-- Edward G. Robinson III

Michigan returns to AP Top 25; UNC falls to 24

After a season on the outs, Michigan is back in the AP Top 25.

The Wolverines, unranked all last season while finishing 3-9, were No. 25 in The Associated Press college football poll released Sunday.

North Carolina is the only team from the Carolinas ranked, falling to No. 24 even after the win at UConn.

The Tar Heels maintained their ranking in the coaches poll, remaining at No. 19.


-- Staff and wire reports

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Pack responds to O'Brien's challenge

The challenge laid down by coach Tom O’Brien was answered Saturday night by an offense that recorded N.C. State’s highest point total in seven years.

Russell Wilson passed for a career-high four touchdowns, and Toney Baker and James Washington each ran for two scores and caught a pass for another as N.C. State hammered Murray State 65-7 at Carter-Finley Stadium.

After the Wolfpack was held to 133 total yards in a 7-3 loss to South Carolina on Sept. 3, O’Brien demanded improvement from his offense. He said the offensive line needed to provide better pass protection after Wilson was sacked six times.

He said N.C. State’s receivers couldn’t afford to drop five passes, as they had against the Gamecocks. The linemen, receivers and virtually everybody else responded in one of the most lopsided wins in recent school history.

It was N.C. State’s largest winning margin since a 67-0 trouncing of Western Carolina on Sept. 1, 1990. The Wolfpack scored its most points since a 65-19 win over Navy on Sept. 7, 2002; the scoring total tied for eighth-highest in school history.

An offensive line playing without injured starting left tackle Jake Vermiglio paved the way. N.C. State allowed just one sack and outgained Murray State 484 yards to 36.

Our offensive line, they’ve been preparing all week to come out here and dominate on the line of scrimmage,” said Washington, a freshman elevated into a backup role because senior Jamelle Eugene was injured. “And they did that. They opened holes for the backs.”

N.C. State’s defense got the team started on the right note, with two quick fumble recoveries by tackle Leroy Burgess that led to touchdown passes by Wilson in the first five minutes.

Burgess said O’Brien didn’t react in anger after the loss to the Gamecocks. The coach matter-of-factly laid out what the team did wrong and right.

But after nine days of reflecting on the loss, Burgess said anger was a great motivator for N.C. State from the opening kickoff against Murray State.

"Losing a close game to South Carolina, obviously you’re a little mad and you want to prove what you can do,” Burgess said.

The Wolfpack scored on its first 10 possessions (nine touchdowns, one field goal) and rang up the highest point total of O’Brien’s 147 career games as head coach with N.C. State and Boston College.

N.C. State’s accomplishments are diluted somewhat because they came against a Football Championship Subdivision team.

Fellow ACC members Duke and Virginia lost on the opening week to FCS teams, but those opponents (Richmond and William & Mary, respectively) have been successful on their own level in recent years.

That wasn’t the case with Murray State, which hasn’t had a winning season since 2004. The Racers didn’t cross midfield until the 42nd minute of the game as the only drama of the night became how N.C. State would celebrate Military Appreciation Day at halftime.

The school did that with style, unfurling an American flag that covered the entire field as flashbulbs popped in the stands. By that time, N.C. State led 45-0 and had outgained Murray State 303 yards to minus-2.

"It definitely felt more in sync,” Wilson said. “I have to credit the offensive line tonight. They did great.”

With Gardner-Webb next on the schedule Saturday, the Wolfpack still will have to wait for the Sept. 26 game against Pittsburgh to have a chance to prove itself against a high-quality opponent again.

But after being challenged by its coach, the N.C. State offense performed about as well as can be expected against Murray State.

"Our defense set the tone early and our offense was very sharp,” O’Brien said. “They really fed off of each other.”

Ken Tysiac

Friday, September 11, 2009

ACC wins big...in TV ratings

Give the schedule makers in the ACC office some credit.

At a time when news of the SEC's giant TV package is dominating the college sports landscape, ACC officials landed four huge national television opportunities for the conference in the first eight days of the football season.

ESPN had N.C. State vs. South Carolina to kick off the season on Sept. 3; Miami at Florida State on Labor Day (Sept. 7), and Clemson at Georgia Tech on Thursday night.

ABC's big opening Saturday night broadcast featured Virginia Tech vs. Alabama at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

According to ESPN, it was a successful opening week in terms of the ratings. Miami-Florida State was ESPN's second-most-viewed college football game ever, with a 5.9 rating, 5.8 million households and 8.4 million viewers. The Florida State-Miami Labor Day game from 2006, with a 6.9 rating, holds ESPN's record.

The ABC game delivered a 4.2 rating (up 17 percent from last year's Clemson-Alabama game), winning the night for all networks.

These are good numbers for the ACC, which now has some standing to take them to the bargaining table and ask for some more money as its broadcast rights negotiations get under way.

As for the results, two things are clear. In head-to-head matchups with the SEC, N.C. State and Virginia Tech failed to deliver a win, and that will hurt the ACC's image. The ACC overcame a similar early-season deficit with a strong finish last season, but the league missed out on a huge opportunity in those two games (and suffered a damaging blow when Duke and Virginia lost to Football Championship Series schools Richmond and William & Mary, respectively).

Also, with Miami winning at Florida State and Georgia Tech edging Clemson, the Coastal Division (as expected) seems stronger at the top than the Atlantic. Locally that's bad news for North Carolina and good news for N.C. State in their quests for ACC division titles.

In the final analysis, the ACC should get a lot of credit for scheduling so many meaningful games over the first eight days of the season and getting them on national television. But for the ACC to take the next step and become a respected conference, its teams need to win some of these games.

Ken Tysiac

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Injury issues for UNC's O-line

UNC could be missing two starting offensive lineman against Connecticut on Saturday. Left guard Jonathan Cooper and center Lowell Dyer are listed as questionable on the injury report released Thursday.

Cooper sprained his right ankle early in UNC's 40-6 win over The Citadel. The redshirt freshman finished the first half but sat out the second. He did not practice Wednesday and would have to make significant progress to play on Saturday. Junior Greg Elleby, a converted defensive end, would start at left guard in Cooper's place. Elleby played the second half in Cooper's spot.

With the focus on Cooper's injury, Dyer's status had been under the radar. He has a shoulder injury, according to the injury report. Cam Holland, a sophomore, would replace Dyer at center.

UNC used 10 offensive linemen against The Citadel and coach Butch Davis said he would feel comfortable using as many as eight linemen against UConn. UNC's line depth was depleted this offseason with the exits of Aaron Stahl (graduation), Kevin Bryant (personal reasons) and the season-ending knee injury to Carl Gaskins.

Two true freshmen, Travis Bond and Brennan Williams, and a walk-on, Sam Ellis, played in the opener, which saw the Heels roll up 261 rushing yards.

-- J.P. Giglio

N.C. State's Vermiglio, Eugene out Saturday

N.C. State starting left offensive tackle Jake Vermiglio, who injured his left calf in the Sept. 3 opener, will miss Saturday's game against Murray State because of the injury.

The school released its injury report Thursday evening and announced that running back Jamelle Eugene (knee), cornerback DeAndre Morgan (ankle) and defensive end Jeff Rieskamp also won't play Saturday.

Julian Williams, who started the opener at left guard, will move to left tackle in Vermiglio's place. Andy Barbee will start at left guard, and Henry Lawson will be the backup center in place of Wayne Crawford, who's out with a foot injury.

C.J. Wilson remains the starter at field cornerback, where Morgan started last season. Freshman James Washington will be the second-team running back, filling Eugene's position behind Toney Baker.


-- Ken Tysiac

Vermiglio, Eugene out for Murray State

N.C. State offensive tackle Jake Vermiglio, who injured his left calf in the Sept. 3 opener will miss Saturday's game with Murray State.

The school announced its injury report Thursday evening. Running back Jamelle Eugene (knee), cornerback DeAndre Morgan (ankle) and defensive end Jeff Rieskamp (hip) also won't play Saturday because of injuries.

Julian Williams, who started the opener at left guard, will move to left tackle in Vermiglio's place. Andy Barbee will start at left guard, and Henry Lawson will be the backup at center in place of Wayne Crawford, who has a foot injury.

C.J. Wilson will make his second start at field cornerback, which is Morgan's position. James Washington will replace Eugene as the second-team running back behind Toney Baker.

Ken Tysiac

Pack's Smith eager to atone for drop

After most of his teammates had left practice Wednesday, wide receiver Jay Smith still was on the field, catching extra balls.

Six days earlier, Smith had dropped a Russell Wilson pass in the end zone that would have given N.C. State the lead in the closing minutes of its season-opening, 7-3 loss to South Carolina.

"I'm trying not to let what happened Thursday night happen again," Smith said. "No excuses. Even though anything could be said - people say, 'Tough catch,' people say, 'Gotta make the catch.' Or whatever. I should have made the catch. There's no use being hard on yourself. Just go out there, get it fixed, put extra work in and get better every day."

Smith said all his teammates are eager to get to play again Saturday against Murray State to help purge the bad memories of losing to the Gamecocks. But it's likely that no one is more eager than Smith.

He said Bobby Blick, the graduate assistant who helps offensive coordinator Dana Bible coach wide receivers, has told him not to worry about what people outside the program are saying.

Teammates such as Owen Spencer, a wide receiver who had problems dropping passes last year, have helped Smith come to grips with his mistake.

Smith, a sophomore reserve who caught seven passes for 78 yards last season, is getting over the mistake by owning it. Two defensive backs swiped at the pass in front of him before it reached his hands, but he's not using that as an excuse.

"A lot of things could be said," he said. "Light in my eye, or didn't see the ball coming because of the defender swatting at the ball. But it still comes down to the same drill we do every day in practice, (where) the guy flashes his hands in front of you and you've got to make the catch, even though he flashes his hands in front of your face."

As his post-practice interview concluded, Smith was asked if he had anything else he wanted to say. Most times players say they don't, especially when they're asked probing questions by reporters about their mistakes.

But Smith wasn't finished talking.

"I just want to apologize to my teammates for letting them down," he said. "And I feel like every day I come out here in practice is a day where I have to work to get better and prove to them that I can make that play I missed Thursday night."

With all the extra work Smith is putting in, he'll probably make the catch the next time. But it's likely that no catch will ever force him to show as much character as last week's big drop.

Ken Tysiac

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

2006 highlight still follows Clemson's Spiller

Clemson running back C.J. Spiller counts other plays as being more remarkable. But his catch and run against Georgia Tech in 2006, on which he jukes two opponents in succession along the sideline, is the one that most people remember.

(Play is at 0:42 on this highlight clip).

Davis impressed by UConn's new RBs

UConn doesn't have Donald Brown anymore but the Huskies can still run the football.

No one in the country ran for more yards (2,083), or averaged more yards per game (160.2), than Brown, the first-round pick of the Indianapolis Colts. The Huskies rode Brown to an 8-5 record.

But Jordan Todman and Andre Dixon are capable replacements, UNC coach Butch Davis said Wednesday as the 19th-ranked Tar Heels prepare for Saturday's first road trip of the season.

"Both of these kids have real home-run ability," Davis said, complimenting their speed, in contrast to Brown's physical style of running.

Todman ran for 157 yards and a touchdown in UConn's season-opening 23-16 win over Ohio. Dixon, who started in front of Brown before getting injured, added 100 yards on 19 carries.

"Their own coaching staff felt Andre Dixon was better than a guy who went in the first round," Davis said of Dixon, an All-Big East selection in 2007 but fell behind Brown in 2008 because of injuries and suspensions.

Dixon ran for 828 yards in '07 but was reduced to only 37, on nine carries, last year as Brown's caddie.

Todman's an undersized sophomore, listed at 5-9 and 189 pounds, but has more speed than Brown did.

Brown ran for 161 yards against UNC last season but the Huskies got blown out at Kenan Stadium, 38-12.

"They've added some elements to their offense that they didn't have a year ago," Davis said, citing the read option and "pistol" formations as new additions.

Davis is prone to hyperbole when describing UNC's opponent each week, but he's not exaggerating when compares UConn to UNC's opponent in the opener, The Citadel.

"It's a significantly different challenge for our team to go on the road and play a much, much more talented football team," Davis said.

-- J.P. Giglio

Skinner, receivers working out kinks

Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner didn't play well in the season opener against Baylor.

Skinner threw three interceptions in a 24-21 loss, but coach Jim Grobe said there's plenty of blame to go around.

"I don't know whether he felt too much pressure, thought he had to kind of be the guy Saturday," Grobe said Wednesday during the ACC coaches' teleconference. "But he didn't play his best football, and in several instances. . .we had receivers not run the right routes. Or in some cases, they're all young. So in some cases they weren't quite sure where they needed to be so they weren't getting there as fast as he needed to. "

Grobe said he has confidence that Wake Forest's veteran offensive line will protect Skinner better. But the Deacons' inexperienced receivers include redshirt freshman Chris Givens at wideout and sophomore Andrew Parker at tight end.

It might take more experience for them to eliminate their mistakes and give their decorated quarterback better targets.

"They can be corrected, there's no question about that," Grobe said. "But a couple of these kids are really young receivers."

Ken Tysiac

More early action likely for Glennon

N.C. State backup quarterback Mike Glennon is likely to get another early opportunity to play Saturday against Murray State.

Glennon played one series, totaling three plays, in the second quarter during the season opener against South Carolina and failed to direct the Wolfpack to a first down.

Coach Tom O'Brien wants to get Glennon experience so he will be ready in case he's needed because of injury. N.C. State starter Russell Wilson missed game time because of a concussion and shoulder and knee injuries last season.

During the ACC coaches' teleconference Wednesday, O'Brien said he hasn't made concrete plans for how he will use Glennon.

"We would like to get him in the game somewhere in the first half again to give him a little more exposure and a little more experience," O'Brien said.

O'Brien has been consistent, though, in maintaining that Wilson is the starter and that N.C. State will not rotate quarterbacks.

Ken Tysiac

Q&A with N.C. State's Mike Archer

Excerpts from a Q&A with N.C. State defensive coordinator Mike Archer. The Wolfpack defense held South Carolina to one scoring drive of 14 yards in a 7-3 loss in the Sept. 3 opener.

Q: Coming off of Thursday's game, you've got to be happy with a lot of things that happened. How do you balance that with trying not to let them get too high?

A: All you've got to do is look at the film. Granted, we held them to seven points. But there were two turnovers. We had one and we gave up a touchdown. We created a turnover and they held us to a field goal. That's the difference in the game. We talk to our guys all the time about, we're going to be in games like that, we have to outplay our opponents' defense. We didn't do it. We had too many missed tackles, too many missed assignments. There are a lot of things we can get corrected. There were some performances that weren't good enough in our opinion. If we're satisfied with that, we aren't going to be any good. It's really easy to keep (humble). All they have to do is watch the film with us and listen to the comments and understand if they want to get where they want to get and be where they want to be, that's not good enough.

Q: How is the linebacker position with Dwayne Maddox and Terrell Manning shaping up?

A: Dwayne played more plays. Dwayne did a really nice job. First time out of the box, I think he's improved. We got Terrell in there, I think, for 15 plays. We've got to get him in there more. We only played 64 plays. I thought our rotations were good. We kept people fresh in the game. It was obvious in the fourth quarter, we didn't cramp up like we did last year. Now it wasn't as hot as it was last year. I think our rotations were good. We do have some depth at certain positions, which is going to enable us to play a lot of people, which is going to create position competition. That's the beauty of it all. If you don't play as well as someone that's behind you, someone's going to replace you.

Q: What do you like about what C.J. (Wilson) did at cornerback?

A: C.J. out of the box did some good things. You worry when you put a guy out there for the first time in front of the TV cameras. I thought he did a good job. I thought Rashard Smith did a good job as a true freshman, C.J. as a redshirt freshman. They both were good. They weren't good enough. There's things we have to get corrected on everybody's part. Not just their part. On everybody's part.

Q: Earl Wolff is a guy who showed up with seven tackles the other day and kind of came out of nowhere it looks like.

A: He's had a good camp. He's a very aggressive guy. He's a guy that when he came in there, he filled it up in the running game. It was a running game. They came in with the idea they were going to try to run the football. That's why we tried to get him in the game. He was in 15 plays. He had seven tackles. That's a pretty good activity ratio. That's what we're looking for. And he's going to play more. We've got to get him in the game more. He's earned that opportunity. Again, that's position competition. He's going to push Clem (Johnson). He's going to push Justin (Byers). And if they don't do it, we'll move him ahead of them.

Q: What's the key this week?

A: The key is, we have to understand what Murray State is going to try to do. It's hard to look at last week's film. It's a 66-10 game. They didn't get in a lot of formations and really didn't do a lot. We have to look at last year's tape and understand they're going to try to spread us out and attack us on the perimeter. Which, we've got to do a good job on the perimeter, and we've got to shut their running game down.

Ken Tysiac

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Pack's Wilson still confident in receivers

N.C. State quarterback Russell Wilson said he still has confidence in his receivers even after five of his passes were dropped in Thursday's 7-3 loss to South Carolina.

Three times in the Wolfpack's final four plays on offense, Wilson delivered balls that receivers got their hands on but couldn't secure. Two of those missed opportunities came in the end zone.

"I just try to keep it positive, let them know that I'm going to keep coming to them," Wilson said during his weekly conference with reporters Tuesday. "I don't care if they've already dropped six balls in a game. I'm going to keep throwing the ball to them."

N.C. State plays again at 6 p.m. Saturday against Murray State at Carter-Finley Stadium. Wilson said one of the fun things about football is trying to find ways to get better when things have gone bad.

He said he's not satisfied with losing, but said the team's problems from the South Carolina game can be fixed. He said the team needs to do a better job of taking advantage of what he called "game-altering plays."

"The score was 7-3," Wilson said. "We lost 7-3. It's not like we got blown out or anything. It was a good game. We should have won. We'll make sure we capaitalize on those opportunities more often."

Ken Tysiac

ASU's Edwards expected to play Saturday

Unless he suffers an unexpected setback, Appalachian State quarterback Armanti Edwards is expected to play Saturday when the second-ranked Mountaineers host No. 16 McNeese State at Kidd Brewer Stadium in Boone.

"Armanti will be ready to play on Saturday," Appalachian State coach Jerry Moore said Tuesday.

Edwards missed the entire preseason and the Mountaineers' season-opening loss at East Carolina last Saturday while recovering from a lawnmowing accident that required 35 stitches in his right foot.

Moore said doctors cleared Edwards on Monday to return to practice and games.

"Three or four days ago, he didn't feel he could run on it," Moore said. "These next three or four days add that much more healing."

Moore said he didn't know if Edwards will start against McNeese State but didn't rule it out.

"If he can play and he's ready start, we'll start him," Moore said. "If not, I still think he's going to play."

-- Ron Green Jr

Monday, September 7, 2009

O'Brien supports preseason change

Every preseason, college football coaches and players drone on about how tired they are of scrimmaging against their teammates.

N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien has a solution for this yearly August malaise. O'Brien has joined Virginia Tech coach Frank Beamer in calling for the NCAA to allow schools to schedule a preseason exhibition game against another school.

O'Brien said the issue was discussed at the latest American Football Coaches Association convention last winter. While preparing for the national marquee opener against Alabama last week, Beamer threw his weight behind the idea.

Now O'Brien is saying that either playing an exhibition game or being allowed to go practice against another team would be "a great idea" for college football teams.

"It will give you an indication of who and what you are against somebody else," O'Brien said. "Then when you open with a South Carolina or an Alabama like he did, you might be better prepared to take on the first game."

O'Brien said support for the idea might be the result of an influx of former NFL coaches in the college ranks. He said he wouldn't want to play four exhibition games as NFL teams do.

He said that when he played for the Marine Corps team in 1972, Carson-Newman and another school visited the Corps at Quantico for about a week.

"Each day you practiced against somebody different and you worked on your stuff," he said. "And it worked out pretty good."

The NFL isn't the only place where exhibition games are held. In college athletics' other marquee sport, men's basketball teams are allowed two exhibition games each season.

Some schools have taken to forgoing one of those exhibitions in order to meet an opponent for a secret, unpublicized scrimmage.

Football is more violent than basketball, and it might take only an injury or two to key players to make coaches dread exhibition games. But the way O'Brien sees it, getting a chance to work out the kinks against an opposing team without having a win or loss at stake would be worthwhile for college football teams.

Ken Tysiac

No lineup changes for Pack

N.C. State did not make any lineup changes after Thursday night's 7-3, season-opening loss to South Carolina, according to the depth chart released Monday.

Coach Tom O'Brien said at his weekly news conference Monday that he feels confident he has the right players at the right positions on the offensive line even though the Wolfpack gave up six sacks to the Gamecocks.

N.C. State plays host to Murray State at 6 p.m. Saturday.

O'Brien said losing left offensive tackle Jake Vermiglio to a calf injury early in the game hurt N.C. State. The Wolfpack moved left guard Julian Williams to tackle and played redshirt freshman Andrew Wallace at left guard.

N.C. State was penalized just four times in the game, and Wallace was called for three of them. His fouls wiped out a deep reception by Owen Spencer and a run for a first down by Toney Baker.

Citing the ACC’s injury policy, which calls for status updates on players only on Thursdays unless they are out for the season or have had surgery, O’Brien refused to discuss Vermiglio’s status for Saturday’s game. He also wouldn’t talk about cornerback DeAndre Morgan, a returning starter who didn’t play against the Gamecocks because of an ankle injury.

O’Brien tipped his hand a bit on running back Jamelle Eugene, who missed the late stages of Thursday’s game because of injury. O’Brien said freshman James Washington, who took Eugene’s place against South Carolina, will play in a backup role behind Toney Baker if Eugene is unable to practice this week.

Sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson was the subject of much of the hype entering N.C. State’s preseason opener against South Carolina.

Even though Wilson failed to direct the Wolfpack to a touchdown in a 7-3 loss Thursday night, the demands for improvement are largely being directed at his supporting cast.

O'Brien said the offensive line didn’t protect Wilson well, as he was sacked six times. O’Brien also expressed frustration at five dropped passes.

Three of Wilson’s final four throws could have been caught – two of them in the end zone.
"We can’t be dropping five balls against a defense like that,” O’Brien said. “And the other thing that cost us on offense is two penalties that took away, 50, 60 yards of gain for us.”

Ken Tysiac

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Sexton hurt in Catawba game

Former UNC quarterback Cameron Sexton, now the starter at Division II Catawba, has been taken to the hospital for X-rays on his right ankle, a Catawba spokesman said.

Sexton, a part-time starter for the Tar Heels last season, was hurt on the third play of Catawba's game against Fayetteville State -- on a late hit, and his first pass of the game.

-- Robbi Pickeral



Live blog: Appalachian State at East Carolina

GREENVILLE, N.C. East Carolina finally found a way to stop third-team Appalachian State quarterback Travaris Cadet and held on to win 29-24 on Saturday at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.

Defensive end Scotty Robinson sacked Cadet on second down, and Cadet threw too high for Coco Hillary at the East Carolina 40-yard line on fourth down with 16 seconds remaining.

The Pirates led 29-7 early in the fourth quarter before Cadet came off the sideline to lead Appalachian State to 17 straight points.

Jason Vitaris kicked a 43-yard field goal for Appalachian State, cutting East Carolina's lead to 29-24 with 3:24 remaining.

Earlier...

Cortez Gilbert's interception of Patrick Pinkney has given Appalachian State the ball at midfield trailing East Carolina 29-21 with 6:34 remaining.

The Pirates had led 29-7 early in the fourth quarter.

Earlier...

Incredibly, Appalachian State is within one score after trailing by 22 points early in the fourth quarter at East Carolina even without Armanti Edwards.

Sophomore third-team quarterback Travaris Cadet has led the Mountaineers to two straight touchdown drives to cut the deficit to 29-21 with 8:41 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Cadet's 1-yard scoring run capped a 62-yard drive.

Earlier...

Travaris Cadet, a sophomore from Miami who's Appalachian State's third-team quarterback, gave the Mountaineers a lift on his first drive.

Cadet engineered a 12-play, 55-yard drive that included a 4-yard pass on fourth-and-1. Devon Moore capped the drive with a 2-yard scoring run, and Appalachian State trailed East Carolina 29-14 with 13:47 remaining in the third quarter.

Earlier...

It's never a good sign when your punter is kicking the ball backward, away from the line of scrimmage.

That's all Appalachian State's Sam Martin could do after he couldn't secure a high snap in the end zone midway through the third quarter. Martin booted the ball out of the back of the end zone for a safety that stretched East Carolina's lead to 29-7.

It was the Pirates' first safety since 2002, a span of 78 games.

Earlier...

For a moment, it appeared that Appalachian State was going to make a game of it.

But East Carolina's Nick Johnson intercepted DeAndre Presley's pass after an interception by Jared Reine gave the Mountaineers the ball down 17 points.

The Pirates drove for a 25-yard Ben Hartman field goal and a 27-7 halftime lead.

Earlier...

Appalachian State showed up after all.

After going more than 18 minutes without a first down, the Mountaineers drove 71 yards in 11 plays for a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback DeAndre Presley, cutting East Carolina's lead to 24-7 with 8:12 remaining in the second quarter.

Earlier...

A year after edging the best of the ACC (Virginia Tech) in its season opener, East Carolina is crushing the best of the FCS.

Dominique Lindsay's 21-yard touchdown run with 13:21 remaining in the second quarter made the score 24-0 in the Pirates' favor over Appalachian State.

Earlier...

The rout is on, and SEC transfers are the ones doing the damage for East Carolina.

Alabama transfer Reyn Willis caught a 27-yard touchdown pass from Patrick Pinkney with 4:31 remaining in the first quarter to increase the Pirates' lead to 17-0 over Appalachian State.

Kentucky transfer Brandon Jackson ran 39 yards for East Carolina's first touchdown.

Earlier...

Kicker Ben Hartman, who missed much of the preseason with a hip injury, is back for East Carolina.

Hartman, who's expected to be one of the top place-kickers in the nation this season, kicked a 26-yard field goal to increase the Pirates' lead to 10-0 with 10:05 remaining in the first quarter against Appalachian State.

Key play on the drive was a 41-yard run by Dominique Lindsay. Earlier...

Brandon Jackson won't ever forget his first carry at East Carolina.

Jackson, a Kentucky transfer who once was one of the top recruits out of Oregon ran 39 yards over right tackle for a touchdown to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead over Appalachian State with just 1:31 expired in the game.

Ken Tysiac

Edwards apparently out for ASU

REENVILLE, N.C. - Appalachian State starting quarterback Armanti Edwards apparently won't play in this afternoon's season opener at East Carolina.

Edwards is wearing his jersey but not a helmet, shoulder pads or turf shoes as Appalachian State warms up for the game, which kicks off at noon. He was listed as doubtful for the game after needing 35 stitches to close an injury suffered in a lawn mowing accident.

Sophomore DeAndre Presley is replacing Edwards as the starter.

Ken Tysiac

Friday, September 4, 2009

Heels' Jones out 2-3 weeks

Dwight Jones, a highly recruited sophomore who's a key player in North Carolina's inexperienced wide receiving corps, is expected back from a knee injury before the end of the month.

North Carolina announced Friday that Jones is expected to be out for 2-3 weeks. He had successful arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Friday at UNC Hospitals.

Jones, who played in three games last season, was listed as a starter before the injury.

Ken Tysiac

Eugene, Wilson's mobility are concerns for Pack

After months of anticipation followed by a disappointing evening Thursday, N.C. State fans have to live with the fact that they won’t feel better about their team until at least Sept. 26, when the Wolfpack plays host to Pittsburgh.

South Carolina’s 7-3 victory at Carter-Finley Stadium exposed soft spots in the N.C. State lineup, most noticeably on the offensive line and at wide receiver. The next two opponents, Murray State and Gardner-Webb, will be so overmatched that it will be difficult to gauge whether the Wolfpack has improved in those areas until Pitt comes to town.

As N.C. State’s fans hunker down for a long stretch of meaningless football, here are some leftover points from Thursday night’s game:

- Running back Jamelle Eugene’s time on the trainer’s table was a bad sign. Eugene was banged up at times last season and missed spring practice because of injury.

That’s a huge concern, especially after Toney Baker didn’t seem to show the burst he supposedly flashed during the preseason. The only promising sign was a brief appearance by freshman James Washington, who apparently is too talented to redshirt.

His 12-yard gain in the fourth quarter might have been the best run all night for the Wolfpack.

- The most debated point among fans until the Pitt game might be the reason for Russell Wilson’s failure to break free for long rushing gains.

Has Wilson lost a step because of the knee injury he suffered in the Papajohns.com Bowl? Is the brace he’s wearing slowing him down? Are the Gamecock defenders just extremely fast? Or is Wilson spending more time looking downfield for second and third receivers to come open rather than scrambling into open spaces?

It may be some combination of all four.

- Washington and cornerback Rashard Smith illustrated right off the bat that although O’Brien’s 2009 recruiting class wasn’t highly touted, there’s some excellent young talent there.

Smith made four tackles, including a sack, as he played the nickel back position. He also electrified the crowd with a 31-yard punt return in the fourth quarter.

Asa Watson, who’s the No. 3 tight end, is the only other first-year freshman who played. He worked on the punt return team.

Despite those contributions, the freshman class is unlikely to immediately produce help where N.C. State needs it the most – on the offensive line.

If you’re into recruiting rankings, Watson was a four-star recruit, Washington a three-star recruit and Smith a two-star recruit according to scout.com.

- N.C. State’s fans appear to have acquitted themselves well in a potentially combustible situation.

ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews was making her first broadcasting appearance since a surreptitiously filmed nude video of her appeared on the Internet. There was a fair amount of attention paid to Andrews in her return.

An AOL.com columnist even followed her around all evening and blogged about it. If even one out-of-control fan had held up a tasteless sign or behaved inappropriately toward Andrews, N.C. State would have come off looking foolish on national TV.

But it appears as though the fans showed some class and didn’t bother Andrews.

Ken Tysiac

Spurrier to be more involved in USC offense

It sounds as if South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier is going to take a more hands-on approach to his offense as the Gamecocks prepare to face Georgia next week.

Spurrier was delighted by his team’s defense in its 7-3 victory over N.C. State but he didn’t like much about the Gamecocks’ offense, which scored its only touchdown on a 14-yard drive after a Wolfpack turnover.

“I’m going to get more involved,” Spurrier said Thursday night.

Spurrier doesn’t have an offensive coordinator. His son, Steve Jr., is the designated passing coordinator while Eric Wolford is the running game coordinator.

Neither element of the offense distinguished itself against N.C. State. The Gamecocks ran for 108 yards (Brian Maddox had a team-high 66 yards) while they passed for 148 yards.

Quarterback Stephen Garcia completed 13 of 22 passes with one interception. He was sacked three times and earned what sounded like an incomplete grade from Spurrier.

“I hope Stephen can hit some more guys,” Spurrier said. “I hope he can stay in the pocket, not run out of the pocket so quickly. We have to coach him up better.

“Stephen can scramble and get open but we have to get him throwing it better. But he’s capable.”

Spurrier said he was bothered by the Gamecocks’ reliance on the shotgun formation because it prevented Garcia from calling audibles. Spurrier said there were times his team ran plays he knew wouldn’t work but couldn’t adjust.

“We need to mix it up a little better,” Spurrier said.

-- Ron Green Jr.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

South Carolina stymies N.C. State

RALEIGH - It wasn't as bad as last year but the result is the same for N.C. State.

South Carolina's defense held up an early touchdown to hand N.C. State a 7-3 loss in the season-opener on Thursday at Carter-Finley Stadium.

The Gamecocks' speed on defense stifled Wolfpack quarterback Russell Wilson, who was ineffective and a step slow to elude South Carolina's edge rush.

N.C. State fumbled on its first snap on offense, at its own 14-yard line, which led to a 1-yard touchdown run by Brian Maddox with 9:10 left in the first quarter.

It was the game's only touchdown.

State, trailing 7-3, had a chance to pull ahead late in the fourth but Jay Smith dropped a would-be 32-yard touchdown pass in the end zone.

South Carolina forced a turnover on downs and bled out the clock for its second consecutive season-opening win over the Wolfpack. The Gamecocks won last year's game 34-0 in Columbia.

On State's first possession of the game, Toney Baker fumbled on his first carry since the 2007 opener, which gave South Carolina the ball at its own 14-yard line.

Four plays later, the Gamecocks turned the miscue into a 7-0 lead. Brian Maddox rushed 1-yard for the touchdown at 9:10 in the first quarter.

After State was stopped on the next series, Devin Taylor blocked a Jeff Ruiz punt to give South Carolina the ball at the 38-yard line.

South Carolina has had its own litany of errors. The Gamecocks muffed a snap, missed a 27-yard field and had a touchdown called back because of a penalty.

After Taylor's blocked field goal, South Carolina quarterback Steven Garcia hit Tori Gurley for a touchdown but it was called back for pass interference. The Gamecocks ended up punting on the series.

State later dodged a bullet when Stephen Flint bobbled a snap on a 31-yard field goal attempt, leaving South Carolina with the lone touchdown.

When USC did execute a successful snap, Spencer Lanning missed a 27-yard field goal in the third quarter.

After a Michael Lemon interception, State put together its first drive of the game — which was aided by an overturned fumble — which ended with a 43-yard field goal by Josh Czajkowski with 55.8 seconds left in the third.


-- J.P. Giglio