EagleAction.com - Behind Enemy Lines: A NC State Perspective

October 16, 2009

Eric Hoffses
EagleAction.com Senior Writer

Jim Young, editor of ACCSports.com gives us his take on all things North Carolina State. Young is based out of Raleigh and has a pulse for what's going on locally with the 'Pack. Fans of the ACC are encouraged to check out ACCSports.com to catch up on the latest news, stories, and opinions from the league.

EA: Tom O'Brien seems to be placing a lot of blame on the players and not a lot on the coaching staff. Would you agree or do you think its more of a 50/50 split?

JY: Disagree. Consider what he said after N.C. State beat Pitt.

<"The only reason they won is because they now know how to play hard for 60 minutes. They've learned how to do that and you can't underestimate what a huge step that is in the life of a program. Now if I can coach them any better maybe we can win some football games."

Or this one.

"We're just not a very good football team right now," O'Brien said. "There's too many mistakes and I've done a bad job coaching."

It is true that O'Brien has been openly critical of some of the mistakes his players are making - missed tackles in particular. But if you had witnessed Wake's Josh Adams break through four of five tackles to seal that game you might think O'Brien hasn't been harsh enough.

Is the NC State fanbase still patient with TOB? Or are they getting restless waiting for him to rebuild the program?

JY: There was that one guy who called O'Brien's radio show and said "Pack your bags! We don't want you!" But I'm not sure he was all there upstairs.

I do think there is some restlessness because few Wolfpack fans expected to be 3-3 at this point. However there's mostly a wait-and-see attitude. If N.C. State closes as strong as it has in O'Brien's first two seasons, then the slow start to 2009 will soon be forgotten.

What can you say about the evolution of Russell Wilson over the course of the season so far? It appears he's had a rough patch in these last couple of games. What are his strengths and weaknesses so far?

I suppose "rough" is a relative term. I'd say 546 yards and 5 TDs over that two-game stretch isn't anything to sneeze it.

That's not to say there haven't been some "rough patches," though. He threw three interceptions in those two games, after not having thrown one since the Truman Administration. And he completed only 50 percent of his passes during those two games.

Still, his team averaged 26 points per game in those two losses. Obviously Wilson's not the problem.

Having said that, the biggest problem he has - in my estimation - is his tendency to hold on to the ball too long, waiting for something to open up downfield. I think he could benefit from being more willing to check down to shorter routes. And I'm not just saying that because I have State's tight end, George Bryan, on my ACC fantasy team.

Do you think Wilson will jump to baseball eventually?

This one perplexes me a bit. Everyone seems to think so. And if you were around Tom O'Brien at the ACC's Football Kickoff, you would have gotten the impression that he also expects Wilson to enter the MLB Draft this spring.

I feel like I'm missing something here. Here's Wilson stat line from baseball last season: .236, O HRs, 11 RBIs in 72 at-bats. Doesn't exactly scream high draft pick does it?

You could argue that Wilson would do better if he played baseball full time. I'll buy that. But he's a second baseman without a power stroke. I don't recall many of those going high in the MLB Draft.

But hey, I'm not a baseball scout. Maybe they're seeing something I'm not. I don't expect him to be an NFL quarterback at his height, so if Wilson gets good feedback from baseball folks, I do seem him going pro in that sport, either this spring or the next.

Who are the playmakers on offense and defense for NC State? Any sleepers to watch that have emerged?

Aside from Wilson, the other key playmakers to watch on offense are: deep threat Owen Spencer; running back Toney Baker, who's made an impressive return from microfracture surgery; and Bryan, who's All-ACC caliber at tight end.

The strength of the defense is the line, which is anchored by defensive end Willie Young - an NFL-caliber pass rusher - and tackle Alan Michael-Cash. The weakness is a glaring one: the secondary. However, the coaches do like freshman Rashard Smith, who is the boundary corner of the future for the Wolfpack.

The 'Pack are among the national leaders in rush defense, but have been torched through the air. Is their rush defense that good or are teams just attacking their weakness?

As I mentioned above, N.C. State has a strong, and deep defensive line. And the linebackers are solid, though still largely lacking in experience, except for senior Ray Michel. So it makes sense that the Wolfpack would at least be decent against the run.

However, it's important to note that Pitt is the only team with a decent run game that N.C. State has played thus far. But that should also tell you how vulnerable the Wolfpack is against the pass. Neither Wake nor Duke presented a credible threat on the ground, and yet it didn't seem to matter.

What is your key to watch in the NC State /Boston College game?

This is going to sound bland, but I think for the Wolfpack it's tackling. I don't think the Eagles will move the ball at will against N.C. State. The Wolfpack defense will be able to force some key third-down situations. The question then is whether N.C. State be able to wrap up a Montel Harris or a Rich Gunnell short of the first down marker and get its defense off the field. The Wolfpack has failed miserably in those situations in recent games.

Bottom line, what do you expect to happen, who will win and why?

I expect N.C. State to do a better job of tackling and to cut down on its breakdowns in the secondary. I also expect Dave Shinskie to be more like the quarterback who beat Wake and FSU and less like the one who looked overwhelmed against Virginia Tech. Being at home will help him immensely.

I could see a scenario in which the Wolfpack overcompensates to shore up its pass defense and Montel Harris runs wild, leading BC to the win.

I could also see a scenario where N.C. State's edge at quarterback pays off - Russell Wilson makes one or two huge plays and Dave Shinskie makes one or two mistakes of inexperience - in a big road win.

I'm leaning toward the latter scenario ? but just barely.

Ahh, the crazy, crazy Atlantic Division.

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