Is there a reason not to bet South Carolina?

Dmoney416 · Aug 13, 2008

I've been over this game a bunch of times now, and I can't figure out a way that SC doesn't win by 3 TDs.

The only reason I haven't bet this game yet is because I haven't found any good reason to back the other side.

Wondering if there are any NC St. backers/leaners that can point me toward what I may be missing.

RetroVK · Aug 13, 2008

This game and the oklahoma st game are glaring out at me on paper but my instincts for some reason are sketchy. Comes down to the OL play of S carolina , but they should have short fields to work with.

hoopsstar22 · Aug 13, 2008

QB questions for SC I assume.

~Utah · Aug 13, 2008

Games that scream at people and look obvious to people are usually the games where everybody loses huge. I dont like how everyone is on Wyoming, South carolina, wisconsin. Oddsmakers know just as much if not more about football, they usually dont fuck up, just my .02.

B.A.R. · Aug 14, 2008

AlexGurv1987 said:
Games that scream at people and look obvious to people are usually the games where everybody loses huge. I dont like how everyone is on Wyoming, South carolina, wisconsin. Oddsmakers know just as much if not more about football, they usually dont fuck up, just my .02.

Later in season I agree. The old "a whole forum is on it jinx!"

That being said, the first 3-5 weeks or so of CFB in general terms over the years are much easier with the consensus picks.

Whats also funny is I don't see a lot of Blankets posters liking these plays so all the better for us.

TopDaddy · Aug 14, 2008

Just like LSU v. Miss State LY. Line came out at about 15, jumped quickly to 18, most everyone jumped on LSU anyway (I actually don't remember one person in the forum on Miss St.), and the rest is history. I think the oddsmakers know about as much as we do come Week 1.

RetroVK · Aug 14, 2008

Injury has Pack scrambling at safety

Submitted by kentysiac on 08/13/2008 - 11:42 Tags: ACC Now | N.C. State
Late last season, safety seemed to be a position of strength for N.C. State's future.
Junior DaJuan Morgan was well on his way to a second-team All-ACC selection. Redshirt freshman Javon Walker emerged after the midseason open date as one of the most productive players on defense.
How quickly things changed. Morgan left school to become a third-round selection in the NFL draft. Walker tore a knee ligament against Miami and still isn't practicing.
N.C. State recruited a junior college transfer, Clem Johnson, who demonstrated promise at that position but suffered a broken jaw during Sunday's scrimmage. Johnson has had surgery, and coach Tom O'Brien isn't optimistic about his chances for returning. O'Brien said he believes Johnson is eligible for a redshirt year, and it sounds like he might use it.
"With the jaw, you don't eat and then you lose weight," O'Brien said. "There's that problem of trying to get substance in him. He's going to have to start all over once it heals, which is a lengthy process anyway."
Johnson had been competing with Justin Byers for a starting position. His loss leaves N.C. State with redshirt freshmen Byers and Jimmaul Simmons, junior walk-on Bobby Floyd and senior J.C. Neal to fill two safety positions.
Neal, who made six starts last season, is the only player with any kind of experience.
"We've got some bodies back there," said defensive coordinator Mike Archer. "Luckily we've got two weeks. We've got to get somebody ready to play."

signalcaller · Aug 14, 2008

liking SC myself. although I like evans for nc st. he fucks up too much and the sc defense should be able to dictate what happens in this game. field possession should be all cocks. so really I can't see sc winning by by less than 2 touchdowns

E.T.G. · Aug 14, 2008

I will start a sep thread for this game 2night now that we are officially 2 weeks away.

As VK mentioned, NCST will be without a projected JUCO Safety that was going to start in the secondary. Also RB Toney Baker is still having problems with his knee so he will not play vs. SC. Looks like it will be Jamelle Eugene/Curtis Underwood carrying the ball for State.

The NCST QB battle right now is a 3-man race (Evans/Glennon/Wilson). I did see an updated NCST depth chart listing R-Fr Russell Wilson as the starter in front of Evans but not so sure I believe that. I doubt Glennon gets the start though.

<O

My biggest concern right now is our tackles being able to handle DE Willie Young and his speed. If they can keep him out of the backfield and away from the QB, we should be able to move the ball. State has to replace all 3 LB's and they the replacements are not big at all along with 2 on the DL and a starter in the secondary just went down.

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The OL for us is not settled yet. Right now things look like this (little different than what Steele has):

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LT: R-Frosh Quentin Richardson (Jarriel King)<O

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LG: JeanPierre<O

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C: Garrett Anderson<O

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RG: Heath Batchelor<O

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RT: Justin Sorensen (Hutch Eckerson)

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Remember Senior Jamon Meredith has to sit out the first two games, otherwise he would be playing LT/LG. When the UGA comes, Meredith will replace the weakest link on the OL. Eckerson will challenge Sorensen for his RT spot and eventually by years end, he may take that over, unless Sorensen plays really well. He has tons of experience and he is a big guy but I believe his feet are a step too slow in the SEC. Going on at LT there is a current battle and Richardson has the lead only because King is adjusting to life at LT from DE and arrived in August. Spurrier says he is an NFL talent at LT because of his size (6’7 300) and athleticism and he will be playing sooner than later. I will add one thing, Eckerson was projected to be the starter at LT before fall camp started but the coaches are comfortable enough with Richardson/King at LT that they moved Eckerson to the right side imo, this is a pretty big move since Eckerson started 5 games as a true frosh before redshirting last year. Ultimately, the winner of the LT spot will make his first career start. With all that said about the OL, its more athletic, more talented, more experienced, and way ahead of where it was at this point in the season last year.

<O

QB position right now is settled, there is no controversy. Beecher is the starter. He has a stronger arm than Smelley and more mobility but Smelley is 4-2 as a starter. Beecher is very smart, knows the offense inside out, its just a matter of performing when the lights come on. I want to stress that his job is to be a GAME MANAGER and not make timely mistakes. I doubt Garcia makes any kind of showing on the field for quite some time. Beecher will be given every chance to go the distance vs. State.

<O

I think if you like SC in this game, you have to think they can score at least 27 on State and I do think they can do that. I haven’t punched this ticket yet because I am waiting to find out who the NCST starter is going to be and to see if the line will drop any more. I believe with the options SC has in the passing game, the pass is going to open up the way for the rush, but the key to that will be the OL.

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Evans has the experience
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Wilson is a R-Frosh, small in stature (5’11) but he is very mobile<O

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Glennon has a ton of talent and strong arm but is as big as a pencil (6’6 190) and is just a true frosh

Motivationally speaking, of course both teams will be up for the game since its the opener but I believe SC is walking around like it has a chip on its shoulder, as they should.

I've seen a few mention Tom O'Brien and he is a great coach, you are right about that BUT he is in his 2nd year at the program, he doesn't have all of his recruits yet and Spurrier in his 4th year is just now getting the ship to sail in the right direction, it takes time unless you inherit a goldmine.

The environment should be very hostile, worth maybe 4 points for homefield in this game.

<O

E.T.G. · Aug 14, 2008

AlexGurv1987 said:
Games that scream at people and look obvious to people are usually the games where everybody loses huge. I dont like how everyone is on Wyoming, South carolina, wisconsin. Oddsmakers know just as much if not more about football, they usually dont fuck up, just my .02.

Please, make a case for Ohio

Blue_Chip · Aug 14, 2008

Please, make a case for Ohio

Bettors are overly discounting Ohio w/o McCrae, who only had 58yds last year.

I'm simply playing the devil's advocate. Assuming I can get Wyoming -10 or less, then I will be on the homeboys from Laramie.

E.T.G. · Aug 14, 2008

Reasons not to bet SC:

1) Their last 3 opening games, the offense has been lackluster

2) Tommy Beecher has 25 career attempts

3) The majority of the OL is unproven

4) Is the defense healthy?

5) State has some good RB's and SC didn't stop the run last year

RetroVK · Aug 14, 2008

Apparently Wyoming failed to score a td on the defense in their first fall scrimmage. Going to need to score to cover in that game. Also, just playing devils advocate since i already bet the cowboys.

Sure hope that means the defense is going to be good and not the other option .. just one scrimmage though.

E.T.G. · Aug 14, 2008

Blue_Chip said:
Bettors are overly discounting Ohio w/o McCrae, who only had 58yds last year.

I'm simply playing the devil's advocate. Assuming I can get Wyoming -10 or less, then I will be on the homeboys from Laramie.

He only had 58 yards, your right. Their kicker also had 4 field goals and was 20-24 on the year. The second leading rusher for Ohio last year was the backup QB. Ohio was CRUSHED in the trenches last year (gave up 267 yards rushing and allowed 7 sacks). Wyoming turned the ball over 7 times and Ohio still could not win the game.

E.T.G. · Aug 14, 2008

vegaskyle said:
Apparently Wyoming failed to score a td on the defense in their first fall scrimmage. Going to need to score to cover in that game. Also, just playing devils advocate since i already bet the cowboys.

Sure hope that means the defense is going to be good and not the other option .. just one scrimmage though.

Thats never encouraging but intra-squad scrimmages are tough to read. For example, does it say that the offense was all first string players? I know SC scrimmaged last night with all 2nd and 3rd string players but no articles mention that. Also in intra-squad scrimmages 1 side looks good on 1 play and the other side looks bad on that same play, just overly tough to gauge where a team when they scrimmage if you are not there and do not know how the scrimmage was run.

E.T.G. · Aug 14, 2008

I believe SC is going to run a lot of 4-2-5 on defense this year. The LB's are huge (Norwood/Brinkley) but to get more speed on the field they are tinkering with putting Safety Darrian Stewart as a Hybrid OLB/S and getting Chris Culliver on the field at the other Safety spot. Getting Culliver on the field is huge, its a 3rd player with under 4.4 speed out there and he can put a little hit on someone. He is also much more comfortable at his natural position in the secondary rather than at WR. I know they will use this defense to defend the spread, how much they use it against NCST remains to be seen but it could end up being the base defense they use. When it is a known passing down they will look to get Norwood rushing the QB as well.

Dmoney416 · Aug 14, 2008

Appreciate all the responses in this thread.

I don't really care about consensus, and I tend to agree that we are on a level playing field with the linesmakers early on.

I am aware of the questions on SC's offense, but I don't think that NC St. gets more than 10 in this game.

BRARSTAR · Aug 14, 2008

as for SC's o-line I wouldn't be too scared, I know Sorenson pretty good as hes from BC and I played football with him for awhile up here.

He says the teams getting to together and they are fired up to go, there is alot of competition on the o-line so noone can slack or they will be yanked thus they are all playing at 110%

E.T.G. · Aug 14, 2008

Thursday report: Culliver impresses coaches, Spurrier closes saturday scrimmage

Written by Seth Emerson

Posted on 08.14.08

email print reprint or license <SCRIPT type=text/javascript> addthis_url = location.href; addthis_title = document.title; addthis_pub = 'thestate'; </SCRIPT><SCRIPT src="http://s7.addthis.com/js/addthis_widget.php?v=12" type=text/javascript></SCRIPT>

News of the day South Carolina will scrimmage on Saturday in front of 5,000 fewer fans than it did Wednesday, which coach Steve Spurrier said that is not his choice. But With the danger of information leaking to opponents, coach Steve Spurrier the coach will close up Williams-Brice Stadium.
Spurrier is worried that plays will end up on the Internet, or spies could show up the old-fashioned way. “If it was only Gamecock fans we’d leave it open, but when you open it up you’ve got to let everyone in,” Spurrier said. “I’m not convinced that somebody from Raleigh, N.C. or somebody from Nashville (won’t say) ‘Let’s see what them boys are up to.’ That happens everywhere. So we might as well be careful. And we would like to run some plays we’d like to use the first or second week.”
Stock rising Sophomore Chris Culliver is making a strong case to be on the field when USC opens up the season in less than two weeks. The Gamecocks plan to use a lot of the 4-2-5 formation set-up, which will require an extra safety. Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said that Culliver, who played receiver and special teams last season, has a good chance to team with expected starters Emanuel Cook and Darian Stewart.
Stock falling Sophomore receiver Joe Hills did not please Spurrier with the way he got hurt while scoring a touchdown in Wednesday’s scrimmage. Hills let up a bit at the end of the run and was got tackled by cornerback Akeem Auguste in the end zone, which knocked Hills out for a few days of practice with a sprained toe.
Injury report Quarterback Stephen Garcia, tailback Taylor Rank and offensive lineman Jamon Meredith were all back at practice “limping around,” according to Spurrier. Tailback Bobby Wallace, Rank and Mike Davis might be available Saturday.
Quote of the day “Joe (Hills) pulled a Gamecock. I guess we’ll call it a Gamecock when you go into the end zone and you relax. We’ve had Weslye Saunders and Nate Pepper fumbling going in. But (Hills) was across the line, but he didn’t realize Akeem (Auguste) was hustling to try and break it up and fell on (Hills) foot. Hopefully one day our guys will learn just because you cross our goalline or even get near it, the play’s not over.”
— Spurrier on Hills. Extra point After watching video of Wednesday’s scrimmage, Spurrier believed quarterback Tommy Beecher’s rough night had something to do with the defense:
“A couple times Tommy had nowhere to throw. They covered us like a blanket. The defense did well. He just needs to throw it away sometimes or take off and get to the line of scrimmage. A little hesitation. Hopefully we can get him out of that.”
Up next The Gamecocks hold a morning practice, followed by an evening session at 7:30 p.m. Both are closed to the public. — Seth Emerson

E.T.G. · Aug 14, 2008

BRARSTAR said:
as for SC's o-line I wouldn't be too scared, I know Sorenson pretty good as hes from BC and I played football with him for awhile up here.

He says the teams getting to together and they are fired up to go, there is alot of competition on the o-line so noone can slack or they will be yanked thus they are all playing at 110%

That is cool that you know Justin. I will give him credit, he has taken a leadership role as the Senior OL this summer and he is really trying to help the young guys along. I've been very hard on Sorensen because down the stretch last year he was constantly a step too slow. In 2006, he was stout so hopefully after losing 15 pounds, he is improved.

lindetrain · Aug 14, 2008

Well with Wyoming, you're betting on a heavy fave who struggled mightily against this opponent last year. That alone generally makes me very uncomfortable. WYO had been playing very well going into that game and was extremely lucky to even escape with a win. I know they're better & OU is worse, but man, I have a tough time taking a big fave when they either lost or barely got by in the previous meeting.

lindetrain · Aug 14, 2008

Also, the Cowboys won what, 2 games by double digits last year? And those were the first 2 games, so essentially they haven't covered -10 in 10 games. And they don't exactly light up the scoreboard.

~Utah · Aug 14, 2008

E.T.G. said:
Please, make a case for Ohio

I couldnt and wouldnt because I dont know anything about Ohio, but there is a reason they play the game if you want to go that way. I think there is a point were some people looks so much into the game that they have totally missed the big picture. Just because you know what a team did last year and, what the guy did this summer, and what his mother made him for lunch in 8th grade doesnt really mean you know a thing about them. Im not saying thts you, or any one on this board but this happens.

But your question of "please make a case for Ohio" is a bit like "please make a case for App. St" or "please make a case for Stanford". It doesnt really work that way, and thats all im saying. What is the obsession with Wyoming?

I look at this and see nothing exciting about Wyoming.

1. Ohio gave them a damn good gamn last year and won by 1
2. As a home favorite last year, Wyoming did not cover one single game
3. Wyoming doesnt have much of an offense and it really hasnt had much oif an offense in a while. We speak of a team that broke 30 twice last year, and one of the times was to one of the worst teams in the NCAA
3b. Sticking with the offense point, they scored under 15 points, in 5 games.Frankly, thats pretty bad.
4. Ohio on the other hand does have an offense, they average 10 more points exactly then Wyoming did

I highly doubt I will even bet this game, but there a few points, and it wouldnt shock me whatsoever if Ohio won the game outright. I wouldnt want this to happen, but it wouldnt shock me

RetroVK · Aug 14, 2008

AlexGurv1987 said:
I couldnt and wouldnt because I dont know anything about Ohio, but there is a reason they play the game if you want to go that way. I think there is a point were some people looks so much into the game that they have totally missed the big picture. Just because you know what a team did last year and, what the guy did this summer, and what his mother made him for lunch in 8th grade doesnt really mean you know a thing about them. Im not saying thts you, or any one on this board but this happens.

But your question of "please make a case for Ohio" is a bit like "please make a case for App. St" or "please make a case for Stanford". It doesnt really work that way, and thats all im saying. What is the obsession with Wyoming?

I look at this and see nothing exciting about Wyoming.

1. Ohio gave them a damn good gamn last year and won by 1
2. As a home favorite last year, Wyoming did not cover one single game
3. Wyoming doesnt have much of an offense and it really hasnt had much oif an offense in a while. We speak of a team that broke 30 twice last year, and one of the times was to one of the worst teams in the NCAA
3b. Sticking with the offense point, they scored under 15 points, in 5 games.Frankly, thats pretty bad.
4. Ohio on the other hand does have an offense, they average 10 more points exactly then Wyoming did

I highly doubt I will even bet this game, but there a few points, and it wouldnt shock me whatsoever if Ohio won the game outright. I wouldnt want this to happen, but it wouldnt shock me

I am very confused by the bolded part of that post. The only reason i come to this site is to get the insight from people that have information that i don't have or a perspective that i am missing or to bounce my logic off of in regards to an event that i may or may not wager on. The site is called "Capping The Game". I want to hear everything i possibly can , i want to read every RJ thread injury , I want to make the most informed decision possible. I want to get information about Arizona State from Bjorks that I might have never found on my own , I want to get information about south carolina from ETG that i might have never found on my own , I want to get game analysis from as many people as possible , I want to get my info on the utes and frogs from that mwc whore , jpicks, lsu and bluechip , bar and meechigan etc etc etc. Sometimes that includes knowing what Brinkley , Carpenter and schlauderaff had for dinner. If i think its meaningless so be it but i dont mind reading it.

As far as the ohio game , i think 2-4 of the reasons you posted are why the line is as low as it is.

As far as making a case for appy st or stanford , you could have easily made one for either of them both against the spread and ml ( did they book appy st moneyline ? ).

I dunno. lets just throw darts.....if we aren't making cases for each side and relating it to the line .. then lets just throw darts.

Or maybe i am confused by what you are saying.

~Utah · Aug 14, 2008

vegaskyle said:
I am very confused by the bolded part of that post. The only reason i come to this site is to get the insight from people that have information that i don't have or a perspective that i am missing or to bounce my logic off of in regards to an event that i may or may not wager on. The site is called "Capping The Game". I want to hear everything i possibly can , i want to read every RJ thread injury , I want to make the most informed decision possible. I want to get information about Arizona State from Bjorks that I might have never found on my own , I want to get information about south carolina from ETG that i might have never found on my own , I want to get game analysis from as many people as possible , I want to get my info on the utes and frogs from that mwc whore , jpicks, lsu and bluechip , bar and meechigan etc etc etc. Sometimes that includes knowing what Brinkley , Carpenter and schlauderaff had for dinner. If i think its meaningless so be it but i dont mind reading it.

As far as the ohio game , i think 2-4 of the reasons you posted are why the line is as low as it is.

As far as making a case for appy st or stanford , you could have easily made one for either of them both against the spread and ml ( did they book appy st moneyline ? ).

I dunno. lets just throw darts.....if we aren't making cases for each side and relating it to the line .. then lets just throw darts.

Or maybe i am confused by what you are saying.

I took his comment as being sarcasm, as in "how could anyone pick Ohio" , in response to what I was saying about how games that seem to be the most obvious are the games that most people seem to lose. If I didnt read into what he was saying correctly then i apologize

RetroVK · Aug 14, 2008

AlexGurv1987 said:
I took his comment as being sarcasm, as in "how could anyone pick Ohio" , in response to what I was saying about how games that seem to be the most obvious are the games that most people seem to lose. If I didnt read into what he was saying correctly then i apologize

ahhhhhhh ok. nevermind.... i thought you were saying something else completely. sorry for any bashing there.

lindetrain · Aug 15, 2008

Really great post Alex...

VK, I sort of agree with the part you bolded. You can make all the cases for the world for any team, you can find all the info available, you can know everything - but at the end of the day, it just comes down to what you feel in the pit of your stomach. We all know a lot of these games end up with results that don't make a damn bit of sense, and none of us can provide a clear explanation for it.

I have become much more of a feel bettor over the past year, and the writeups with reasons and reasons and reasons are in the past. Now if everyone makes money doing all that then there's absolutely nothing to criticize (and I'm pretty sure all of you do), but sometimes there are situations like these where there ain't a damn thing anyone can find to dislike a team and they still end up disappointing.

I think Alex may have just worded it a little wrong, as it sorta came off as "why bother asking to make a case for everyone"...I think he was just saying the results don't always end up making sense.

RetroVK · Aug 15, 2008

lindetrain said:
Really great post Alex...

VK, I sort of agree with the part you bolded. You can make all the cases for the world for any team, you can find all the info available, you can know everything - but at the end of the day, it just comes down to what you feel in the pit of your stomach. We all know a lot of these games end up with results that don't make a damn bit of sense, and none of us can provide a clear explanation for it.

I have become much more of a feel bettor over the past year, and the writeups with reasons and reasons and reasons are in the past. Now if everyone makes money doing all that then there's absolutely nothing to criticize (and I'm pretty sure all of you do), but sometimes there are situations like these where there ain't a damn thing anyone can find to dislike a team and they still end up disappointing.

I think Alex may have just worded it a little wrong, as it sorta came off as "why bother asking to make a case for everyone"...I think he was just saying the results don't always end up making sense.

Yup , that is pretty much what he meant , he explained it to me in PM.

Yes , there are cases where the results dont make sense but they only stand out because of that fact. Humans are tough to predict, no doubt about it ... I just think we stand the best chance to profit by making the most logical , calculated and knowledge based decision that we can. Some of that IS feel, but I think most of it has to be based on football fundamentals. I am definitely biased since that is the way i do it. i dont begrudge trend bettors , or contrarian bettors , or feel bettors for doing it a different way. Whatever works.

I guess I just think the "why" is important. Without knowing the "why" , I would just feel like i was guessing.

lindetrain · Aug 15, 2008

:shake:

E.T.G. · Aug 15, 2008

AlexGurv1987 said:
I took his comment as being sarcasm, as in "how could anyone pick Ohio" , in response to what I was saying about how games that seem to be the most obvious are the games that most people seem to lose. If I didnt read into what he was saying correctly then i apologize

i actually wanted some reasons to bet ohio, thats bout it

~Utah · Aug 15, 2008

E.T.G. said:
i actually wanted some reasons to bet ohio, thats bout it

My apologies I thought you meant in another way :shake:

I gave you 4, but im sure there are more :shake:

PURPLE & GOLD · Aug 15, 2008

B.A.R. said:
Later in season I agree. The old "a whole forum is on it jinx!"

That being said, the first 3-5 weeks or so of CFB in general terms over the years are much easier with the consensus picks.

Whats also funny is I don't see a lot of Blankets posters liking these plays so all the better for us.

100% Agree. If I quit after 5 weeks every year I would have a helluva return. Instead I RETURN it to the book. :hang:

horses · Aug 15, 2008

Please, make a case for Ohio

I am by no means betting this game as i made Wyo a little higher than the posted line, but not much higher at all.

My case for Ohio would begin at QB; Scott is better than anything that Wyo is going to throw out there. Having the better QB and 10 points isn't a bad way to start a bet; Bobcats are totally changing their offense this year from the power I to more of a spread to accomodate Scott's skills. Wyoming will be seeing a totally different offense than they saw last year.

Ok...I tried.

Dmoney416 · Aug 15, 2008

What has Scott proven to show that he is the better QB?

horses · Aug 15, 2008

What has Scott proven to show that he is the better QB?

On paper, not a lot, since he hasn't been the full-time starter yet. If you project his numbers from last year, they aren't bad. However, I have seen Scott and Sween play (a lot) in games; Scott brings an entirely different dimension to an offense that Sween isn't really capable of. If Sween doesn't go, then Wyo is starting someone with even less experience than Scott.

Dmoney416 · Aug 15, 2008

horses said:
What has Scott proven to show that he is the better QB?

On paper, not a lot, since he hasn't been the full-time starter yet. If you project his numbers from last year, they aren't bad. However, I have seen Scott and Sween play (a lot) in games; Scott brings an entirely different dimension to an offense that Sween isn't really capable of. If Sween doesn't go, then Wyo is starting someone with even less experience than Scott.

Thanks. If you have seen both play extensively then I can not argue with that. We'll see if Scott has any supporting cast out there.

horses · Aug 15, 2008

Just for the record...I have seen Sween play extensively. Admittedly, Scott is a bit of a mystery, but he is getting much better reviews in practice than any of the Wyo QB's.

I will simply be pulling for a wyo cover in this game, since I know of no one of the Bobcats and a big chunk of this site is on the MWC team. Go 'Pokes!

E.T.G. · Aug 15, 2008

lindetrain said:
Well with Wyoming, you're betting on a heavy fave who struggled mightily against this opponent last year. That alone generally makes me very uncomfortable. WYO had been playing very well going into that game and was extremely lucky to even escape with a win. I know they're better & OU is worse, but man, I have a tough time taking a big fave when they either lost or barely got by in the previous meeting.

Did Wyoming struggle in this game or did just Karsten Sween have a very bad day at the office? This is a QB who did throw 17 picks last year, so he is a liability but to say Wyoming as a team struggled, I think is wrong.

Wyoming had 15 more first downs and 150 more yards. Wyoming rushed for 267 yards and their defense forced 7 sacks along with holding McRae and company to 71 yards on the ground, not including the negative yards from sacks. That to me, is total domination in the trenches. Now Wyoming has all 5 starters back on the OL along with their top two RB's and 5 of the front 7 back on defense.

Had it not been for Sween's 4 picks and Wyomings 7 total turnovers, would this game have been even remotely close?

Wyoming was lucky to win, I agree, because anytime you turn the ball over 7 times, you deserve to lose very badly. Sure, Ohio had 4 turnovers themselves but at the end of the day they still came out +3 in turnovers.

Ohio also picked up 7 points on a kickoff return and 7 points on a pick 6.

If Wyoming limits the turnovers, limits the big play in the passing game, and doesn't have a special teams breakdown, I think the score will look similar to the UVA score (23-3). If I was the OC at Wyoming I would run the ball 50 times in this game

carolinablue · Aug 16, 2008

Just in case some of you guys hadn't heard the news yet. Looks like Sween has been unseated, which could be good or bad news depending on how you look at it. Definitely an interesting decision though IMO as I thought Sween was on track to start the opener at least.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) - Sophomore transfer Dax Crum was named Wyoming's starting quarterback on Friday, unseating returning starter Karsten Sween.

Who will start has been the main question mark of the Cowboys offense, which ranked 107th nationally in scoring in 2007.

"It has been a battle, and we feel we have two very good quarterbacks," coach Joe Glenn said in a statement. "But at this point, we have to get one guy ready for the opener against Ohio. Dax will get the start, but Karsten needs to stay sharp and I know he will. We feel good about both of them."
The 6-foot-4, 228-pound Crum transferred to Laramie from Mesa Community College in Arizona where he played one year after leaving Arizona State.
Crum was named the National Junior College Athletic Association Co-Region I Offensive Player of the Year and also was selected First Team All-Western States Football League.
"I'm so blessed and so lucky to be the starter for this team, and hopefully I can do something with it and I'm going to try to do my best to take this team to the next level," Crum said.
Sween played in all 13 games last year as a sophomore, starting 12. He threw for 2,028 yards and 12 touchdowns. But he was picked off 17 times and briefly benched after throwing three interceptions in a loss to Air Force.
"What we're looking for is a quarterback who can manage our offense," Glenn said.
The Cowboys also named brothers Marcell and Tashaun Gipson as the starting cornerbacks and sophomore Chris Prosinski as starting free safety on defense. Quincy Rogers, who started at free safety last year, will move to strong safety. Jake Scott earned the place-kicking duties, but the team has yet to name a starting punter.

TheGarfather · Aug 16, 2008

Donald Bowens is out. Huge.

I would rather have Crum than Sween, but really it won't matter because Ohio has no shot of stopping Wyoming's ground game. The passing game will all be supplemental anyway. Sure is nice to have Greg Bolling eligible as well though.

E.T.G. · Aug 16, 2008

just going to keep updating this thread for the NCST-SC Game

August 15, 2008

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<EMBED SRC=http://vmedia.rivals.com/flash/contentheadlines.swf?h1=Wideout+Bowens+out+for+season+&h2=&lwidth=620&lheight=60&lshadow=1&sFontColor=000000&sLink= WIDTH=620 HEIGHT=60 SALIGN=lt QUALITY=best SCALE=noborder wmode=transparent ID=rvflash NAME=rvflash BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF TYPE=application/x-shockwave-flash PLUGINSPAGE=http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash></EMBED></OBJECT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT></P>Jacey Zembal
TheWolfpacker.com Editor
<SCRIPT language=javascript>document.write("<div id=contentcontainer style='font-size: " + currentsize + "pt;'>");</SCRIPT>Talk about it in The Wolves' Den

North Carolina State coach Tom O'Brien announced after Friday's scrimmage that star junior wide receiver Donald Bowens is out for the season with a back injury.

"Bowens is out, he's done," O'Brien said. "He's got a fractured spine. Well not a fractured spine, I said that wrong. He has a hairline fracture. So he's out for the year."

O'Brien said he was not exactly sure when the injury occurred.

"We don't know," O'Brien said. "He never really got going. He went out and tried it, practice one or two, three days and then couldn't practice anymore. He had a series of tests done that came back yesterday."

O'Brien said he wasn't sure at this point when asked if Bowens' football career was in jeopardy, but added they'll have more clarification on the situation in a few months, around the time the regular season is over.

"They are going to recheck him in three months or so," O'Brien said. "It's gotta heal. Once it heals, I think he's [OK]. I would hope. I don't know."

Bowens said before practices started, he was looking forward to being on the leaders and helping the team turn things around from last year's 5-7 mark.

"With some leaders, it is just that person's time," Bowens told The Wolfpacker. "I think it's my time this year."

The Wolfpack hope Bowens' time will arrive in the future, but enter the present with uncertainty.

"It's tough on him and it is tough on us because he's our [junior] guy, our most experienced receiver we have coming back," O'Brien said. "I wouldn't say so, so no [on whether other receivers have stepped up]."

Bowens' ability to take a short pass and get up the field, or out-fight smaller defensive backs on jump balls will be sorely missed for an offense, especially if NC State is breaking in a new quarterback such as redshirt freshman Russell Wilson or freshman Mike Glennon.

The third-year junior proved dominant at times last year, highlighted by his memorable performance against Virginia when he had 11 catches for 202 yards and two touchdowns. He also had five catches for 93 yards in the win over East Carolina the week prior to the explosion against the Cavaliers.

The 6-foot-3, 206-pounder from St. Petersburg, Fla., finished the season with 41 receptions for 598 yards and three touchdowns, building off a solid debut in 2006. Bowens caught 16 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns his freshman year, giving a glimpse of what he could achieve.

NC State opens the season against South Carolina on Aug. 28, experiencing déjà vu for the second straight year. The Wolfpack entered the season last year without their top returning receiver when tight end Anthony Hill went down with a season-ending knee injury in late July.

Hill is back healthy this year, but the wide receiving unit is relatively unproven. The top wide receiver back is redshirt sophomore Darrell Davis, who had 12 catches for 135 yards and a touchdown. Davis, redshirt sophomore Jarvis Williams and sophomore Owen Spencer, all gained some experience last year.

Redshirt junior Geron James returns after missing last year because of off the field problems, could be the X-factor in the group. Redshirt freshman Steven Howard and Jay Smith, and true freshman T.J. Graham and senior Andrew Evans round out the group.

Bowens' loss will also be felt on special teams. Bowens took over kick return duties from running back Jamelle Eugene when he moved into the starting backfield last year at the midway point. Bowens returned 20 kickoffs for 431 yards for an average of 21.5 yards per return, good for sixth in the ACC.

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August 15, 2008

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Jacey Zembal
TheWolfpacker.com Editor
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Friday's announcement that junior wide receiver Donald Bowens would be out for the season with a back injury sent shockwaves throughout the NC State football program.

Bowens finished third on the team last year in receptions with 41, but led in yardage with 598 and tied for first with three touchdowns. He averaged 14.6 yards per catch.

<SCRIPT language=Javascript>document.write(insertImage('http://vmedia.rivals.com/uploads/899/516729.jpg', '516729.jpg', 0, 267, 200, 1, 'Redshirt freshman wide receiver Jay Smith will be among the players in contention to start for NC State.', '', 1218860071000, 'Practice: Smith super', 899, 'Align=Left'));</SCRIPT><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=208 align=left border=0><TBODY><TR><TD width=202>

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</TD></TR><TR><TD align=middle>Redshirt freshman wide receiver Jay Smith will be among the players in contention to start for NC State.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Having tight end Anthony Hill back will give whoever emerges as NC State's quarterback a quality option, and running back Jamelle Eugene added 42 catches for 263 yards and one touchdown.

NC State will still need to find two starting wide receivers and hope that some quality options emerge.

The Wolfpacker takes a look at which players will be contending to replace Bowens as the No. 1 wide receiver this year.

Darrell Davis: The redshirt sophomore caught 12 passes for 135 yards, including a 37-yard touchdown against East Carolina. Davis had four catches for 44 yards in the Red-White spring game last April.

Analysis: Davis is an impressive physical specimen at 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, and played basketball for the Wolfpack two years ago. Davis can physically do some of the same things Bowens did, and has enough speed to make plays down the field.

Jarvis Williams: The redshirt sophomore had eight receptions for 55 yards last year, and proved to be an effective blocker on running plays. Williams caught two passes for 18 yards in the spring game, and is projected to start this year. He led the Wolfpack with five catches for 52 yards in the first scrimmage Aug. 6.

Analysis: Williams, like Davis, is another imposing presence at wide receiver, but is stronger than his classmate. Davis, Williams and Bowens were all in the same recruiting class, with Williams getting the second most snaps among the trio. Could be a solid possession receiver using his 6-4, 205-pound size.

Owen Spencer: The 6-3, 180-pound sophomore made five catches for 73 yards, catching a 30-yarder against Virginia and setting up a score with a 12-yard catch vs. Miami. Spencer had five receptions for a game-high 80 yards for the Red team in the spring game.

Analysis: Spencer and Bowens were arguably the best receivers in the spring game. Spencer could have the most big-play potential out of the group and could have a bust-out season with his game-changing speed. Spencer could also replace Bowens on kick returns.

Geron James: The redshirt junior missed last season because of off-the-field problems. The imposing 6-3, 220-pounder has eight career catches for 137 yards and a touchdown, including a stellar effort against FSU two years ago, when he had four catches for 91 yards.

Analysis: James has gained 20 pounds in the last year and could be an imposing combination of size and speed. James has to prove to the coaches he knows the playbook and can be trusted. The opportunity is now there, but will he seize it?

Jay Smith: The redshirt freshman had three catches for 40 yards in the first scrimmage Aug. 6. The 6-2, 197-pounder spent last year on the scout team during his redshirt season. Rivals.com ranked Smith as the No. 24 wide receiver in the country.

Analysis: Some Wolfpack insiders believe Smith was arguably one of the top receivers on the team last year. Expectations were low for Smith this year, but all that has now changed. He'll need to grow up fast.

Steven Howard: Howard joined Smith on the scout team last during his redshirt freshman season. Rivals.com rated Howard as the No. 54 wide receiver nationally. Howard caught 51 passes for 637 yards and 10 touchdowns his senior year at Charlotte (N.C.) Olympic High.

Analysis: Howard is known as more of a possession receiver, while Smith can stretch the field with his speed. The 6-2, 190-pounder will get his chance to show what he can do, faster than anticipated.

T.J. Graham: The true freshman from Raleigh (N.C.) Wakefield High is one of the fastest players in the country. The 6-0, 180-pounder won the 200-meter dash (21.38 seconds) at the Interscholastic National Indoor Championship in New York City on March 16. Graham won the 100- and 200-meter dashes at the 4-A North Carolina state meet, running 10.44 seconds and 20.82 respectively. He was ranked as the No. 30 player in North Carolina by Rivals.com after catching seven passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns his senior year.

Analysis: Graham was a possible redshirt candidate, and still could be, but his big-play speed could be needed at wide receiver or returning kicks. He'll have to overcome limited production in high school, as Wakefield struggled to get him the ball his senior year.

E.T.G. · Aug 16, 2008

August 15, 2008

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<EMBED SRC=http://vmedia.rivals.com/flash/contentheadlines.swf?h1=Friday's+scrimmage+report%3A+Newcomers+deliver+&h2=&lwidth=620&lheight=60&lshadow=1&sFontColor=000000&sLink= WIDTH=620 HEIGHT=60 SALIGN=lt QUALITY=best SCALE=noborder wmode=transparent ID=rvflash NAME=rvflash BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF TYPE=application/x-shockwave-flash PLUGINSPAGE=http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash></EMBED></OBJECT><NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT></P>Jacey Zembal
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Talk about it in The Wolves' Den

The statistics were far from complete, but a trio of newcomers seemed to show potential for the future at North Carolina State's third scrimmage Friday in soggy, wet conditions at Carter-Finley Stadium.

The situational game situation was marred by who was there compared to who was. Star junior wide receiver Donald Bowens was declared out for the season by NCSU coach Tom O'Brien following the scrimmage. Also, running backs Andre Brown and Toney Baker missed their second straight scrimmage, with the latter ruled out of action indefinitely after undergoing minor knee surgery.

With that as a backdrop, true freshmen Brandon Barnes, a running back, and outside linebacker Sterling Lucas, both gave glimpses of the future. Barnes was the top rusher with 13 carries for 77 yards, while Lucas added a team-high five tackles.

"[Barnes' production] It just happened to be the rotation of how we played tonight," O'Brien said. "We played a lot more situational stuff. He was in there, he was on the team that was running the ball, and running the clock out."

Junior college transfer LeRoy Burgess also proved disruptive at defensive tackle, getting three tackles, all for loss. Both Burgess and Lucas are hoping to get into the rotation at their respective positions.

"They [Lucas, Burgess] had the opportunity to make some plays, and they made the most of their situation," O'Brien said. "That's good and what you are looking for. Both of them, in essence, are freshmen. Burgess is a J.C. transfer, but they are learning and progressing, so that they can make some plays."

Redshirt sophomore defensive end Audi Augustin added four tackles, two of which for loss, and redshirt freshman outside linebacker Audie Cole had four tackles, including one tackle for loss.

"I thought the defense played very well," said O'Brien, who was also impressed with the defense after the second scrimmage. "They played in different situations, ahead, behind. They seemed to make some plays tonight, coupled with the fact that it was the 30th time seeing the offense."

O'Brien decided to decline giving out statistics of the quarterbacks (and receivers), with the race narrowed to fifth-year senior Daniel Evans, redshirt freshman Russell Wilson and freshman Mike Glennon.

A starter could be publicly announced Aug. 25 for the season opener at South Carolina on Aug. 28 if O'Brien follows the same blueprint he used last year for the quarterback race.

The rain in Raleigh didn't slow down what the Wolfpack wanted to accomplish. O'Brien was also able to see how the players responded to a different kind of adversity.

"We had a little tough time with new centers and new quarterbacks handling the ball," O'Brien said. "We did a pretty good job of holding on to it tonight. I don't think there was much sloppiness as far as carrying it, but there was a lot of dropped passes. We'll probably have to play in something like this at least once this year."

Redshirt sophomore kicker Josh Czajkowski was able to battle the elements, going 1 of 3 on field goals. He connected on a 29-yarder, but missed from 29 and 45.

"He hit the ball, he just missed two," O'Brien said. "He just has to get used to it too. His kicks were up, he just didn't make them."

<CENTER>NC State third scrimmage statistics</CENTER>

Passing

Statistics were not provided

Rushing

Jamelle Eugene, 9-21
Curtis Underwood, 2-26
Brandon Barnes, 13-77

Receiving

Statistics were not provided

Kicking

Josh Czajkowski, 1 of 3, made a 29-yarder, but missed from 45, 29

Defense

Nate Irving, 4 tackles
Audi Augustin, 4, 2 TFL
Audie Cole, 4, 1 TFL
LeRoy Burgess, 3, 3 TFL
Sterling Lucas, 5

E.T.G. · Aug 16, 2008

August 16, 2008

Halfway Home: Defense with a new look?
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Scott Hood
GamecockCentral.com Staff Writer
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Less than two weeks before the season opener, new defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson is still trying, in his own words, "to sort it all out."

It's been well documented that 10 of 11 defensive starters return from last season, but they've all had to take a crash course in new terminology and a slightly different scheme from the one favored by Tyrone Nix last season.

"I'm pleased with the effort but I still don't know who our best 11 are yet," Johnson said. "We've thrown a lot of stuff at them and we'll just have to see how this works out. Saturday's scrimmage is very important. We've had a lot of nagging injuries and we've been holding guys out. AS a result, I don't think we've had enough time yet to sort it all out."

In terms of depth, the strongest unit on the entire Gamecock team might be the secondary, where no less than three or four potential All-SEC players toil.

Right now, position coach Shane Beamer is comfortable playing any one of five cornerbacks - probable starters Captain Munnerlyn and Carlos Thomas, as well as senior Stoney Woodson, sophomore Addison Williams and freshman Akeem Auguste.

"We're trying to find a sixth guy, but we feel good about those five players," Beamer said. "The older guys - Captain, Stoney, and Carlos - have really played well and they've been good leaders."

Munnerlyn sat out spring practice with a foot injury, but has rebounded strong with an outstanding pre-season camp. He's shown why many people consider him one of the top cover corners in the SEC.

Williams, who appeared in 10 games last season, has parlayed the extensive playing experience he received last season as a true freshman into his bid to become a starter. He may fall short in that endeavor, but he'll still step on the field a lot.

"Addison is a young guy but he is as knowledgeable as those (older) guys and is doing great," Beamer said. ""He doesn't have bad days; he's good every day."

Auguste enrolled at USC in January following a semester at Fork Union Military Academy and quickly impressed his coaches and teammates with his athletic ability. But the freshman from Hollywood, Fla. has discovered that major college football turns into a daily grind once pre-season camp begins.

"Akeem has to be a little more disciplined and play the system we're asking, and not free lance so much out there," Beamer said. "Everyone is in love with Akeem because he had a good spring and made a couple of good catches and everybody was talking about him.

"But I told him that he has to play within the system and do the things we're asking him to do or he's not going to play. There's more to it than making a couple of great catches in scrimmages. It's about being consistent on a daily basis."

Auguste is behind Thomas and Woodson at one of the cornerback positions, while Munnerlyn and Williams hold down the opposite spot.

Beamer said he regards Thomas and Woodson as "co-starters" with Auguste close behind.

"Akeem is certainly pushing them, and there are days he looks great," Beamer said. "Our guys can all be great and I've told them that. I feel good about where we are, but we still have a lot of work to do. I like the path we're on."

Safety features two of the best players at their position in the SEC – strong safety Emanuel Cook (team-high 92 tackles in 2007) and free safety Darian Stewart.

But the chatter in recent days has centered on Johnson's strategy to employ three safeties in a 4-2-5 scheme designed to contain the spread offenses that have become prevalent in college football.

In that defensive setup, converted wide receiver Chris Culliver will enter the contest as the third safety. Culliver is one of the fastest players on the team, and possibly the highest rated prospect in USC's stellar 2007 signing class.

"Ninety percent of the time, Chris is acting and playing like a starter," Cooper said. "That's a higher percentage than I thought he would be at this time. Of course, he has to be at 100 percent in 12 days. His attitude has been unbelievable. He's done everything we've asked. But he still needs some polishing. He's kept playing and kept getting better."

Cooper wants his three main safeties to be interchangeable capable of playing any of the three positions at any time.

"Two of our three safeties have to be good covers, so we teach it like we do with the corners," Cooper said. "Chris could play corner right now. You have to have four guys (in the secondary) who can cover (receivers). Down the road, we're going to play some teams that will use an empty backfield, then we'll go with five."

Redshirt freshman Mark Barnes, junior Chris Hail, senior Larry Freeman and redshirt freshman Alonzo Winfield are also available for duty at safety.

Of course, which scheme USC utilizes will determine how many linebackers are on the field for any particular play.

The two constants are middle linebacker Jasper Brinkley, one of the best in the SEC, and outside linebacker Eric Norwood. However, the latter could also lineup at defensive end in long yardage situations on second and third downs.

Rodney Paulk, last season's fourth-leading tackler, is Brinkley's top backup right now. Dustin Lindsey, who has played sparingly since 2005, will be in the mix at outside linebacker as long as his surgically repaired knee is 100 percent healthy.

When USC goes with a more traditional 4-3-4 look, the third linebacker (SAM) should be junior Gerrod Sinclair, who is in his fourth season with the program and appears ready for significant playing time. He could exceed his career total of 16 tackles this season.

However, Cooper suggested USC's reliance on five defensive backs could be prevalent this season, forcing Sinclair and the other SAM linebackers to learn another position.

"We've said to the strongside linebacker that the position is really a DB position," Cooper said. "When a team comes in with two backs and two tight ends, we've got enough big guys to go in there and bang. But, we've got to get better when teams spread us out."

Along the defensive front, position coach Brad Lawing is figuring out ways to take advantage of the deepest group of defensive linemen he's had at his disposal in his three seasons with the Gamecocks.

Defensive end Cliff Matthews and defensive tackle Ladi Ajiboye, who's still wearing a cast to protect a broken hand suffered over a month ago, should be the leaders of a unit that expects to improve substantially against the run from last season's last-place ranking against the run.

Lawing hopes to have a regular rotation of eight or nine players, with each one playing about half the game in order to preserve energy and allow for fresh players to be on the field at all times.

"If I have four to five (defensive) ends playing and four to five tackles playing, if I can get 30 to 35 snaps out of all those guys, that's ideal," Lawing said recently. "If I can get 35 snaps out of any defensive lineman, that's a lot."

Beyond Matthews, the rotation at defensive end will include Jordin Lindsey, Clifton Geathers and, possibly, Travian Robertson when he's not playing inside. Norwood, a pass rushing phenomenon in his first two seasons, may see action there as well.

Defensive tackle has five players ready to take significant snaps - Ajiboye, Nathan Pepper, Marque Hall (when his knee is healthy), Jonathan Williams and Robertson.

E.T.G. · Aug 17, 2008

E.T.G. said:
<OMy biggest concern right now is our tackles being able to handle DE Willie Young and his speed. If they can keep him out of the backfield and away from the QB, we should be able to move the ball. State has to replace all 3 LB's and they the replacements are not big at all along with 2 on the DL and a starter in the secondary just went down.

<OThe OL for us is not settled yet. Right now things look like this (little different than what Steele has):

<O</O
LT: R-Frosh Quentin Richardson (Jarriel King)<O</O
LG: JeanPierre<O</O
C: Garrett Anderson<O</O
RG: Heath Batchelor<O</O
RT: Justin Sorensen (Hutch Eckerson)

<O</ORemember Senior Jamon Meredith has to sit out the first two games, otherwise he would be playing LT/LG. When the UGA comes, Meredith will replace the weakest link on the OL. Eckerson will challenge Sorensen for his RT spot and eventually by years end, he may take that over, unless Sorensen plays really well. He has tons of experience and he is a big guy but I believe his feet are a step too slow in the SEC. Going on at LT there is a current battle and Richardson has the lead only because King is adjusting to life at LT from DE and arrived in August. Spurrier says he is an NFL talent at LT because of his size (6’7 300) and athleticism and he will be playing sooner than later. I will add one thing, Eckerson was projected to be the starter at LT before fall camp started but the coaches are comfortable enough with Richardson/King at LT that they moved Eckerson to the right side imo, this is a pretty big move since Eckerson started 5 games as a true frosh before redshirting last year. Ultimately, the winner of the LT spot will make his first career start. With all that said about the OL, its more athletic, more talented, more experienced, and way ahead of where it was at this point in the season last year.
<O

Seems the OL is still trying to find its best 5, although it really is only trying to fill the LT spot, a pretty important position. In the last scrimmage the starting 5 OL:

LT: Eckerson
LG: JeanPiere
C: Anderson
RG: Bathcelor
RT: Sorensen

The most notable change is that Eckerson moved from LT to RT back to LT and its a move I like. Eckerson started 5 games as a frosh, RS last year, and he has really good feet to handle some of the faster DE's he will face. If Eckerson was backing up Sorensen at RT, Then the likely starter at LT would be Quentin Richardson who is a R-FR and has no game experience.

Post practice articles to come later

Not seeing much updates on the NCST site, hopefully this week I can find some more information on how they are looking and who will be playing QB. I am expecting to see Evans

One other VERY IMPORTANT note, Brinkley is currently battling an ankle injury and has pretty much kept out of practice for the last week or so. He says he is not yet 100% but will be there soon. The big man has 11 days to get to 100% because he is the one player on this team that can not be lost.

E.T.G. · Aug 18, 2008

O'Brien's focus on line play

Second-year coach has shuffled personnel

Ken Tysiac, Staff WriterComment on this story
After the first preseason practice this month, N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien patiently answered the questions he knew were coming.
Reporters pressed for details of the five-player race for the starting quarterback job and the three-player logjam at tailback.
But one of O'Brien's main points in the initial team meeting the previous night had nothing to do with the glamorous skill positions. He told players that N.C. State has to improve its rushing offense and rushing defense from a year ago.
The Wolfpack ranked 11th in the ACC in rushing and 12th in rushing defense in 2007. O'Brien wants to solve that problem on the line of scrimmage.
"That's going to have a lot of bearing on how we finish this year," O'Brien said. "The line has a lot to do with that running [game], too."
Throughout his career, the offensive line has been O'Brien's specialty and he is again putting his attention on the trenches.
He coached offensive linemen in 11 of his 15 years as a Virginia assistant coach. Over his 10 seasons coaching Boston College, 10 of his offensive linemen were picked in the NFL draft.
That background helped him land highly rated in-state offensive line prospects R.J. Mattes of Concord and Andrew Wallace of Charlotte in the 2008 recruiting class. But O'Brien inherited a thin offensive line from predecessor Chuck Amato.
During the spring, O'Brien moved two players from defense to provide veteran leadership on the offensive line. Senior John Bedics began the preseason as the starter at left guard.
Junior Ted Larsen is the starting center.
"I was starting from scratch," said Bedics, who could be challenged by sophomore Jake Vermiglio. "I'd never played offensive line in my life."
They are two of many lineup changes that will have to work for N.C. State to surprise the prognosticators. After O'Brien debuted with a 5-7 effort last season, the media that cover the ACC picked the Wolfpack last in the Atlantic Division.
That's partly because N.C. State's lineup has shuffled. Antoine Holmes, who played part of last season at defensive end, is starting at defensive tackle.
Former safety Robbie Leonard is a starter in a linebacker corps that lost three starters. Place-kicker Josh Czajkowski has never played in a college game.
Even some expected standouts, such as tight end Anthony Hill and running backs Andre Brown and Toney Baker, are returning from injury. Players seem confident they will be better after a year in O'Brien's system, but the schedule is stronger than last season's.
N.C. State's nonconference opponents include Steve Spurrier-coached South Carolina and 2007 bowl teams East Carolina and South Florida. Larsen took a good look at the schedule during a preseason meeting because it was printed on a teammate's T-shirt.
He noticed that the Wolfpack's longest road trips are to Clemson and Maryland, and that the opposition is strong.
"They're definitely good teams," Larsen said. "It gives us an opportunity to prove ourselves. Hopefully those teams will be doing well when we face them.
"That way we'll be able to show the nation what we can do."
Larsen is studying lots of film so he will be confident calling out the defense and setting blocking responsibilities before each play from the center spot.
Both Larsen and Bedics are learning new footwork and blocking techniques.
They are being tutored by Don Horton, the respected, soft-spoken assistant who years ago helped O'Brien coach the offensive line at Virginia.
Horton coached draftees Gosder Cherilus, James Marten, Josh Beekman, Jeremy Trueblood and Chris Snee at Boston College. Horton's offensive line philosophy is simple.
Above all, he wants players to be aggressive. He believes players can't do that until they are comfortable with their assignments and techniques.
Horton likes the aptitude for hitting that Larsen and Bedics developed on defense. But he said they need to learn fundamentals and master concepts before they can play physical football on offense. "We have a lot of work to do," Horton said early in fall camp. "A lot of work."

E.T.G. · Aug 18, 2008

August 17, 2008<NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>

STEWART HOPES TO RETURN NEXT WEEK

Scott Hood
GamecockCentral.com Staff Writer
<SCRIPT language=javascript>document.write("<div id=contentcontainer style='font-size: " + currentsize + "pt;'>");</SCRIPT>Talk about it in The Insiders Forum

Darian Stewart was wearing a large boot on his left foot and walking with crutches on Sunday.

As terrifying as that image may be, it's not as bad as it appears.

Stewart, injured early in Saturday's closed scrimmage at Williams-Brice Stadium, told reporters Sunday afternoon following a 75-minute light practice in helmets and shirts that he has been diagnosed with a strained arch in his foot.

An MRI was negative, he said. Head coach Steve Spurrier described the injury as "a bad bruise on the bottom of his (left) foot."

Stewart, USC's top free safety, contended he would returns to practice by Saturday when USC will be well underway in their preparations for the Aug. 28 season opener against N.C. State.

"I feel like that will be me plenty of time to get ready," Stewart said. "Next Saturday is when we'll really start game planning. I'll be all right."

The junior from Huntsville, Ala. said he suffered the injury when he made an interception "early on" in Saturday's scrimmage and came down awkwardly. Since then, he's undergone treatments in the whirlpool and with ice packs.

"I tried to plant and take off, but I heard a pop," Stewart said. "The x-rays came back negative. It's just some tissue that should be healed within a few days. There wasn't any soreness or anything."

Stewart, who won the Joe Morrison Award as USC's top defensive player in the spring, finished third on the Gamecocks with 68 tackles while appearing in all 12 games last season. His 56 solo tackles ranked second on the team.

Stewart played conventionally from the free safety position most of last season, but this year new defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson's defensive scheme designed to stop spread offenses has him moving around a lot more.

"It's like a new position but it's self-explanatory," Stewart said. "It's not too hard. From my previous role, I'm down (closer to the line of scrimmage) more and getting more comfortable with that and making more tackles."

Chris Culliver, who has played well while serving as the fifth defensive back in the new 4-2-5 scheme, replaced Stewart on the first-team defense. Culliver, a converted wide receiver, is one of the fastest players on the team.

"Culliver is looking very good," Stewart said. "He's playing a position which fits his talents. I think it's better for us to stop the spread offense (to have Stewart and Culliver on the field at the same time). It gives us more athletes on the field."

Stewart was replaced in the starting lineup by Larry Freeman during Sunday's practice session in USC's base 4-2-5 defense. Freeman was moved to safety shortly before the start of pre-season camp after totaling two receptions last season at wide receiver as a junior college transfer.

Another surprising revelation Sunday was junior running back Taylor Rank's elevation to the first-team offense, at least for one day. He had nine carries, second most behind Eric Baker, for 31 yards and one touchdown in Saturday's scrimmage.

"He's risen in the ranks," Spurrier said, adding that the coaching staff hopes Mike Davis, the team's top returning rusher with 1,658 career yards, will be able to "bang around a little" during the coming week.

"He needs to get bumped around some before we play," Spurrier said.

Brinkley sat out all but one play of Saturday's scrimmage at Williams-Brice Stadium with a strained ligament in his foot. However, he was back at practice and working with the first-team defense on Sunday.

Still, the coaches should continue to take a cautious approach with USC's best defensive player. He missed eight games last season with torn knee ligaments.

"Healthy players are better than gippy players, even when they haven't practiced much," Spurrier said. "Jasper was moving around a little better, but he's still not 100 percent. Sometimes those ankles take a while. We need to be careful that he doesn't re-aggravate it."

Spurrier praised Brinkley's replacements – junior Rodney Paulk and senior Marvin Sapp for their performances in the scrimmage while filling in. Paulk managed to play well despite being hit in the mouth when his chinstrap malfunctioned. He was back practicing on Sunday.

"Rodney Paulk had a good scrimmage," Spurrier exclaimed. "Rodney was all over the place. He and Marvin Sapp and all those
defensive guys did well. We thought the effort was better. Most of our guys played their assignments pretty well. We still have a few offensive linemen mess-ups, but most of them were the young guys. Hopefully, we can correct some of those."

Sunday's brief workout without pads occurred about 22 hours after the conclusion of Saturday's 107-play scrimmage at Williams-Brice Stadium. The team focused on fundamentals before concluding the workout with sprints.

"We let the guys off a little early today," Spurrier said. "We had a good scrimmage yesterday and they're sort of bruised up a little bit. Darian Stewart, I guess, was the only half-way seriously injury."

Spurrier said LT Jarriel King was "moving around a little bit" after being slowed the last several days with a hamstring injury. King is battling Hutch Eckerson and Quintin Richardson for the starting left tackle job.

The Gamecocks will return to the practice fields on Monday beginning at 7:30 p.m. The practice is closed to the public. USC will have another "young players" scrimmage Tuesday night at Williams-Brice Stadium.

BRINKLEY EAGER TO RETURN: Jasper Brinkley is now in the final stages of recovering from a sprained ankle suffered nine days ago. He was on the field for one play during Saturday's scrimmage before exiting after defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson felt he was favoring the injury.

Despite the concern shown by Johnson in the aftermath of the scrimmage, Brinkley was on the practice fields Sunday afternoon less than 24 hours later and, in his words, "pretty much going full speed."

"I'm just getting used to being back after being off the field for a couple of days," Brinkley said. "It's something that takes time. You can't rush it and go out there and re-aggravate it again. If you do that, you would add five or six more days to the recovery time.

Brinkley, USC's leading tackler in 2006 with 107, said he agreed with the decision to pull him from Saturday's scrimmage, even though he had been chomping at the bit for the opportunity to hear the shoulder pads popping.

"Yeah, it's very frustrating. I'm walking around here ready to pound someone," Brinkley said. "I just want to get back on the field. But, when the offense ran the play (Saturday), I couldn't even plant my foot. I'm not really that concerned about it. Hopefully it's nothing too serious. It's been getting better each day so I should be OK."

N.C. STATE REPORT: N.C. State, the opponent in the season opener, held its annual Media Day on Aug. 16 and head coach Tom O'Brien held a press conference in conjunction with the event.

The first question, of course, dealt with the quarterback position, where as many as five players started pre-season camp battling for the right to start against the Gamecocks on Aug. 28. O'Brien has refused to name a starter, and continued with that trend on Saturday.

"We'll figure it out, O'Brien said. "Flip a coin and use three (sides). We still have another scrimmage to go so we're still working towards that end. Hopefully, it will clear itself out by Wednesday. We have to try and find the guy that can best execute at that position and give our football team the best chance we can have. That's always been the criteria we've adhered to through the years."

O'Brien recognizes that whoever is tabbed as the starting quarterback will have his hands full Aug. 28 dealing with the loud road environment and the strong and athletic USC defense.

"You are going to have to learn to play before a crowd sooner or later, so why not start right off the back and go do it," O'Brien said. "Maybe it's not the most ideal way you want to start (the season) at quarterback. It's a pretty daunting task, but they are all competitors. They all want to play against the best. Part of being at that position is accepting challenges like that to be the guy and go down there and play."

Another issue confronting the O'Brien and the Wolfpack is who will protect the quarterback. With 11 days left before the opener, the offensive line is still a major question mark.

"They are still a work in progress. There hasn't been anything decided up front," O'Brien said. "We are trying to get as many guys ready to play as we can so that we can get into some type of rotation up front and not have to play some guys every snap like happened last year when they got worn down. We are still trying to find the best five, but also find some guys that can go in and spell them."

The Wolfpack's chances of upsetting USC suffered a blow recently when top returning receiver Donald Bowens was diagnosed with a hairline fracture in his back and has been sidelined for the season.

"That's a tough loss for the football team," O'Brien said. "He came out and started to practice and didn't feel right. We had him evaluated. He came back and tried again. Finally this week, he had another procedure that showed there was a hairline fracture in his back. When you lose your most experienced and best receiver, that certainly hurts when you are still trying to find a quarterback. It's a tough situation for him to sit out this year."

Bowens was third among Wolfpack wide receivers last season with 41 receptions, just four less than the club leader. He led N.C. State with 598 receiving yards, an average of 14.6 yards per catch.

NOTES:

-- Spurrier said that redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia and walk-on Zac Brindise "are battling it out right now" for the No. 3 QB job. Spurrier also said freshman Reid McCollum was given the opportunity to throw some passes during the full team drill segment of Sunday's workout, but he still plans to redshirt both the Summerville, S.C. native and Aramis Hillary in 2008. "We have to tell Reid where everybody's going, but if he knows where they're at, he can hit them. He has a good throwing motion," Spurrier said.

-- The first team defense on Sunday during the preliminary drills: DE Cliff Matthews, DT Ladi Ajiboye, DT Nathan Pepper, DE Jordin Lindsey, MLB Jasper Brinkley, OLB Larry Freeman, OLB Eric Norwood, CB Carlos Thomas, CB Akeem Auguste, FS Chris Culliver and SS Emanuel Cook. CB Captain Munnerlyn was, apparently, being rested.

-- The funniest moment of the day occurred prior to the start of practice when walk-on wide receiver Scott Spurrier (5-foot-4, 163 pounds) and RT Justin Sorensen (6-foot-7, 316 pounds) walked through the gates into the Proving Grounds together.

-- OL Kevin Young was out of town because of "some health issues with his parents," Spurrier said. "He's been excused for a few days." Young has missed most of pre-season camp while recovering deom shoulder surgery this past spring.

-- RB Mike Davis, who wore a yellow jersey Saturday and didn't have a carry in the scrimmage, fell ill following the scrimmage and sat out Sunday's workout. "He has a stomach bug or virus. Hopefully, that's not going around too much," Spurrier said.

-- Spurrier said he still plans to simplify the play book to eliminate "some of the motions and all that when we start playing." But, he won't scale back too much. "We don't have that many plays," he said. "Our guys know most of the plays. We just have to be able to get them in there a little quicker. We may cut back a little bit. But we have to get the plays in quicker."

Dmoney416 · Aug 18, 2008

Thanks for the wealth of information ETG - appreciate it.

The uncertainty behind NC St.'s QB situation makes me like SC even more.

E.T.G. · Aug 18, 2008

O'Brien said that there have been no changes with the quarterback battle between Evans, redshirt freshman Russell Wilson and freshman Mike Glennon.

"We are still working through, see what happens on the scrimmage and then decide how we are going to go," O'Brien said. "One more tomorrow night and that's it."

<CENTER>***</CENTER>

One true freshman that has a strong chance of playing this fall is linebacker Dwayne Maddox. He enrolled early after graduating from Crest High in Shelby, N.C., in December and has already began to transform his body. He has noticed a particularly big improvement in his flexibility.

"When I first came in I could barely, I mean barely move," Maddox said. "I've passed my hamstring [stretches] and all that. I haven't quite gotten the squat yet but I am getting close. I have, when I first got here I was 18 percent body fat and I am down to 15 percent, and I gained a lot of muscle mass, so that's very good. I have come a long way."

Maddox, who says he is around 6-foot-1, 228 pounds these days, has no regrets about enrolling in college early.

"It was good to be in here to get in shape more, get an early start on conditioning and learn the plays, stuff like that," Maddox said. "I feel pretty good. I'm still trying to get the system down, learn the plays and stuff."

For Maddox, the biggest adjustment has been more so off the field.

"Probably getting up on my own, studying all the time, playing football time, going to study hall, just managing my time," Maddox said.

After playing in the spring at middle linebacker, Maddox has been working lately in preseason practice at weakside linebacker, where he could back up redshirt sophomore Nate Irving.

<CENTER>***</CENTER>

Another recruit that could play early is junior college defensive end Shea McKeen. The native of Princeton, N.J., did not arrive until last week from Nassau Community College in Garden City, N.Y., but O'Brien said there will be no hesitations to play him early.

"He's been practicing and he's been practicing well," O'Brien said. "We don't have any qualms about sticking him in the game. We'll see how he continues to scrimmage and how he continues to play."

McKeen played as a freshman at South Carolina, the Pack's season opening opponent.

<CENTER>***</CENTER>

The depth chart situation at offensive line could be close to situating itself out. Although O'Brien did not get into specific players, he did discuss his ideal rotation.

"We look at eight," O'Brien said. "We look at a backup on the right side and a backup on the left side and a backup center, somebody that can play both guard and tackle on both sides of the ball, right and left side, and hopefully we can get to that. I think we pretty much we know who the three guys are, it's just a question who is going to start and how we are going to do the rotation."

<CENTER>***</CENTER>

O'Brien remarked after practice that the team is no closer to finding a go-to-receiver in the absence of junior Donald Bowens, who will miss the season with a hairline fracture in his back.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed," O'Brien said. "We just keep working and working hard, somebody is going to have to step up and somebody will, always done. Who that guy is, I don't know. Maybe we'll find out first game in Columbia."

<CENTER>***</CENTER>

Senior safety J.C. Neal is excited about his impending homecoming. He'd be excited anyway because it is the season opener, but the Sumter (S.C.) Lakewood product will be playing two out of the first three games in his home state.

NC State plays at South Carolina on Aug. 28, and then returns to play at Clemson in week three Sept. 13.

"Oh man, it's like getting butterflies before a game," Neal said. "I'm about to go home and play South Carolina. I'm really trying to focus in on getting the little things down pat. We are working on technique and stuff, so it's getting down to crunch time."

<CENTER>***</CENTER>

O'Brien has said after the last two scrimmages that the defense is ahead of the offense, and is doing a good job at making tackles.

"We are just trying to get better, every scrimmage, every day," Neal said. "The first scrimmage, we didn't do as well as we wanted to. We pride ourselves on improving every day and getting better."

Neal was able to get an interception during last Friday's scrimmage and has been impressed with how the defense has been able to create turnovers.

"We've been doing real good," Neal said. "We've worked hard in the offseason to learn different techniques and getting the ball out. You get confident knowing that you can make something happen. It starts to become second nature."

Neal described his interception as a "pretty one."

"I had a little over the shoulder action on a post route," Neal said. 'It was pretty. Wide receiver T.J. Graham was running. I was never too far behind, and [quarterback] Russell [Wilson] was throwing a home-run post. I read it and got a good jump on it. I made it look good. I just wanted to return it but I got tackled."

Wolfpack17 · Aug 19, 2008

you have provided great analysis etg. looks like you have access to our premium site on scout or rivals.

im looking forward to the season kicking off. Also, I disagree with you about it being Evans. I would be completely shocked if he started this one even with his experience. We need to go a different route this year. We know we will not be that good and need to get some qb experience for the future. Look for it to be Glennon or Wilson.

Wolfpack17 · Aug 19, 2008

No stats will be available from the scrimmage today

"There will not be any media availability tonight. The scrimmage will be running late and we'll receive info from the scrimmage tomorrow at O'Brien's South Carolina PC which is at 2 tomorrow.

Is there a reason not to bet South Carolina?

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