1st and Ten – Backs-a-plenty
– An embarrassment of riches. A backfield oozing talent.
Three dudes who can run. No matter how you slice it or the
appropriateness of the lingo used to describe them, there’s
little to refute the fact that NC State has one of the best
stable of running backs in the entire country. And, oh yeah,
each one has at least three years of eligibility remaining.
Each one of these backs offers up a little different style for
the Pack offense to utilize. Andre Brown was the team’s leading
rusher in 2005 with 667 yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
When defenses prepare for Brown, they better strap on the
headgear because the redshirt sophomore from Greenville will
punish anyone who gets in his way. At 6’, 232 bills, he’s a
pure downhill power runner. There’s not a lot of flash and if
he makes one decisive cut, that’s about all he needs. Toney
Baker was one of the most heralded recruits in the 2005
recruiting class and he flashed his considerable skill as a true
freshman, piling up 546 yards and five touchdowns. Baker can
make defenders miss in the open field and is one of the hardest
runners in the conference. But, this guy was also a 50+ foot
shot putter in high school, so if you don’t wrap him up, he’ll
‘blow a DB up’ downfield, just as much as he can ‘skate’ past
him. The unknown, so to speak, is the shifty Jamelle Eugene,
out of Naples, FL. Of the three, Eugene has the most shake and
is the most elusive of the bunch. Great. After getting pounded
and picking the turf out your helmet after Brown and Baker are
done with you, Eugene comes in and gives you hips, a cut and a
memory. It’s a trio that could be used in some combinations on
the field together and that might be the one way that offensive
coordinator Marc Trestman could put maximum pressure on ACC
defenses this year.
2nd and Seven – Still Stone-y
– Since Philip Rivers left Raleigh, the focus of the NC
State football program has unfortunately found its way over to
the QB position. Unfortunately for the Pack, Rivers couldn’t be
cloned over in the NC State laboratories, but when Marcus Stone
took over in midseason, the Wolfpack won. Won five out of six
games to finish the season. Beat Southern Miss, bowl team.
Beat FSU, bowl team and ACC champs. Beat South Florida in a
bowl. The critics might argue that the defense won those games,
but the defense was just as good if not better in 2004, and the
Pack didn’t get to a bowl. Sure, Stone hasn’t thrown the ball
well. Sometimes his decision making is suspect. His completion
percentage is hard to fathom, especially in a pseudo West coast
offense that requires short to intermediate passing accuracy.
But, he w-o-n. Stone did improve this spring and he can tuck it
and get up field for some rushing yardage. But, has he improved
enough to carry this offense, while a ‘retooled’ defense gets
its ‘game legs’, so to speak? Man, that’s a Rivers-like request
and remember what we said about Rivers.
3rd and Three – Reloading,
not rebuilding – How good was the NC State defensive line,
or better put, how talented were the individuals who played on
NC State’s DL last year? Well, Mario Williams was the first
pick in the draft, Manny Lawson was the 22nd pick and
John McCargo was the 26th pick. Three first round
draft picks from the same defensive line. In the 2003 NFL
draft, Miami had William Joseph and Jerome McDougle went in the
first round, but no team in recent memory has had three first
rounders from the same defensive line. So, the point is what?
Well, the point is that, on paper, it would seem as though the
NC State DL would be in major trouble. However, in the middle,
the Wolfpack won’t be as talented, but not devoid of talent,
either. DeMario Pressley and Tank Tyler should be a formidable
pair at the DT spots. The duo got a significant amount of
playing time over the past few years as McCargo dealt with some
injury problems. The key for the Wolfpack will be if Willie
Young can produce the heat off the edge that Williams and Lawson
generated the last two years. Young is nowhere near as big as
the M&M boys, but the coaching staff believes he can be a
playmaker of enormous proportions this year.
4th and One – That’s Amore,
er, Amato – Chuck Amato has lived an interesting existence
during his tenure at his alma mater. In his first four years,
he couldn’t do anything wrong. He challenged Wolfpack nation to
donate money to help upgrade facilities and purchase lifetime
PSLs (and they did). He recruited the state of Florida as well
as any non-Florida school. He took the Pack to four straight
bowl games, with Philip Rivers leading the way. His chutzpah
and attitude filtered through the program, attributes some
thought were lacking before his arrival. It didn’t matter that
assistant coaches were coming in and out of Raleigh on an annual
basis, they were winning. It started to matter when the Pack
started losing games and didn’t make it to bowl games. More
people started to pay attention to coaches like Reggie Herring
leaving after only one year to take a job that was, arguably, a
lateral move (after a year in which he led the Pack to a number
one national ranking…and had the aforementioned NFL talent in
the stable coming back in 2005). Penalties and lack of
discipline were a daily joke in the Triangle. But, the Pack
finished strong with five out of six wins and the critics backed
off for a little while. This year should be an important
measuring stick for Amato and his staff – this team isn’t as
talented as his teams have been the first six years, so the Pack
is going to have prove they can be tough (mentally and
physically) and smart to go back to a bowl. But, if Amato and
crew can get the Pack prepared and ready each week, maybe Pack
nation will show the amore for Amato.