Two N.C. State redshirt freshmen off team

Redshirt freshman football players Morgan Alexander and Denzelle Good no longer are in school at N.C. State.

"They did not live up to their expectations, so they're no longer on the football team," coach Tom O'Brien said Friday.

Alexander played wide receiver and was from Cartersville, Ga.; Good was an offensive lineman from Gaffney, S.C.

O'Brien didn't offer further explanation for their departures.

A third redshirt freshman, wide receiver Quinton Payton, will miss the first game of the season Sept. 4 against Western Carolina after suffering a compound fracture of a finger in today's preseason scrimmage.

The play of N.C. State's offensive line was a concern for O'Brien during the second preseason scrimmage tonight. The team allowed 10 tackles for loss, including six sacks, and rushed for a modest 150 yards on 69 carries.

O'Brien said the offensive line is unsettled in the absence of sophomore guard R.J. Mattes, who's expected back from a knee injury in mid-September.

"He's still the key on how this offensive line is going to be," O'Brien said. "If he were out there now, it would be a lot easier to put it together, I know that."

The passing game was decent, though, as N.C. State's quarterbacks completed 34 of 54 passes for 422 yards and one touchdown. The Wolfpack did throw three interceptions.

Linebacker Nate Irving, as expected, sat out the scrimmage as part of O'Brien's plan to get him to the opening game in good health. T.J. Graham made the big special teams play of the scrimmage with a punt return for a touchdown, and Josh Czajkowski made two of three field goal attempts.

Ken Tysiac