2008 NC State Wolfpack - Recruiting Class

North Carolina State Wolfpack Head Coach: Tom O'Brien

NC State Wolfpack

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Mike Glennon 6-6 195 QB Centreville, Va.,Westfield HS
Ranked by ESPN as the No. 3 quarterback in the nation and the No. 32 player regardless of position ...Also a four-star recruit, the No. 5 quarterback in the nation, and the No. 87 player overall by Scout.com ... Ranked as the No. 107 overall player in the nation by PrepStar Magazine ... Named Gatorade and AP Player of the Year in Virginia ... Selected to the 2008 Parade All-America team ... Named to the EA SPORTS All-American team ... Selected to the Elite 11 quarterback camp as well as the inaugural Under Armor All-American game where he was named MVP for his team ... Completed 5 of 12 passes for 91 yards and ran for a touchdown ... Won the pass attack portion of the varsity skills competition at the event ... Completed 171 of 265 passes his senior season for 2,557 yards and 32 touchdowns ... Also rushed the ball for 129 yards and seven TDs ... Led his team to the Virginia AAA Division 6 Championship his senior season with an undefeated 15-0 record ... Named first-team all-state, all-region and all-district as well ... Voted by coaches as Virginia 1st Team all-state player of the year ... As a junior he was named first team all-district, district player of the year and Washington Post all-metro honorable mention ... Older brother, Sean, plays quarterback for Virginia Tech

Potential Instant Impact Players

Thomas Locust  6-3 325 DT Riviera Beach, Fla., Cerritos Community College/RIviera Beach HS
Spent one season at Florida A&M before transferring to Cerritos Community College ... Recorded 24 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack and five quarterback hurries last season ... Rated as a three-star prospect by Scout.com ... Former high school teammate of Wolfpack cornerback DeAndre Morgan ... Named first-team all-state, all-county, all-area and all-league after his senior year at Riviera Beach HS.

Terrell Manning 6-3 220 LB Laurinburg, N.C., Scotland County HS
A preseason All-American who recorded an impressive 219 tackles, five+ sacks, three interceptions, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, over three quarterback pressure, three passes broken up and one blocked kick as a senior at Scotland County HS for coach Mark Barnes ... Named conference defensive player of the year, all-conference and all-region after his senior year ... Selected to play in the Shrine Bowl ... A four-star prospect and the No. 6 weakside linebacker by Scout.com ... They also rank him as the No. 3 player in North Carolina and the No. 138 overall player in the nation ... Ranked the No. 33 outside linebacker by ESPN ... Rated as the No. 119 player in the nation by PrepStar Magazine ... Two-time most outstanding defensive player at Scotland HS ... Earned all-conference and all-region honors after collecting 130 tackles, three interceptions and three fumble recoveries as a junior ... Named second-team junior All-American after his junior season ... Also named all-conference after his sophomore season.

Rest of the Class

Zach Allen	OL	6-2	304	Tifton, GA
Brandon Barnes	ATH	6-0	185	Bunn, NC
William Beasley	LB	6-0	236	Milton, FL
Leroy Burgess	DT	6-1	298	Milledgeville, GA
Mario Carter	TE	6-5	231	Charlotte, NC
Marty Everett	DT	6-4	300	Bushnell, FL
Mike Glennon	QB	6-6	194	Centreville, VA
T.J. Graham	WR	6-1	167	Raleigh, NC
Gary Grant	DB	6-0	180	Miami, FL
Colby Jackson	RB	6-2	225	Dublin, GA
Ahmad Jaradat	OL	6-4	290	London, Ont.
Clement Johnson	ATH	6-0	185	Wayne, PA
Sam Jones	OL	6-6	275	Chatham, VA
Kyle Linney	DT	6-3	300	Chatham, VA
Thomas Locust	DT	6-3	330	Cerritos, CA
Sterling Lucas	LB	6-2	220	Orangeburg, SC
Dwayne Maddox	LB	6-1	222	Shelby, NC
Roy Mangram	DB	6-2	190	Brunswick, GA
Terrell Manning	LB	6-2	205	Laurinburg, NC
R.J. Mattes	OL	6-6	259	Concord, NC
Shea McKeen	DE	6-5	255	Garden City, NY
Tobais Palmer	ATH	5-10	170	Pittsboro, NC
Andrew Wallace	OL	6-6	258	Charlotte, NC
C.J.  Wilson	ATH	6-0	180	Lincolnton, NC
Earl Wolff	ATH	6-0	190	Raeford, NC

- 2007 NC St Season
- 2007 NC St Preview
- 2006 NC St Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 5-7
2007 Record: 5-7

Sept. 1 UCF L 25-23
Sept. 8 at Boston Coll L 37-17
Sept. 15 Wofford W 38-17
Sept. 22 Clemson L 42-20
Sept. 29 Louisville  L 29-10
Oct. 6 at Florida State L 27-10
Oct. 20 at East Carolina W 34-20
Oct. 27 Virginia W 29-24
Nov. 3 at Miami W 19-16 OT
Nov. 10 North Carolina W 31-27
Nov. 17 at Wake Forest L 38-18
Nov. 24 Maryland L 37-0

2007 Recap

Recap: The grim news was that the Wolfpack opened the season 1-5, and closed it with lopsided losses to Wake Forest and Maryland with bowl eligibility at stake.  The good news was that the program battled back from the anemic start and a mess of injuries to carve out a four-game winning streak that changed the climate around Raleigh in head coach Tom O’Brien’s debut on the sidelines.  The need to elevate the talent level at NC State is no more pronounced than at quarterback, where Daniel Evans, Harrison Beck, and Justin Burke combined to throw 23 interceptions and just 14 touchdown passes.     

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Jamelle Eugene

Defensive Player of the Year: DE Willie Young

Biggest Surprise: Upsetting No. 21 Virginia, 29-24, on Oct. 27.  Considering the state of both schools at the time, knocking off the 7-1 Cavaliers was completely unexpected.  Evans had a career day, throwing for 347 yards and three scores, putting the Wolfpack in the improbable position of contending for a bowl invitation in November.   

Biggest Disappointment: Getting bombed, 37-0, at home by Maryland in the regular season finale.  In a winner-take-all bowl elimination game with the Terps, the Wolfpack reverted back to their early season form, never contending and failing to score in a game for the first time since 1995.      

Looking Ahead: It took time for O’Brien to turn things around at Boston College, so fans should be patient with his blueprint for success at NC State.  There’ll be no shortage of quality backs to power the coach’s running attack, with Eugene being joined by Toney Baker and Andre Brown, both of whom missed big chunks of the 2007 season with injuries.

Nov. 24
Maryland 37 ... NC State 0
Maryland thoroughly dominated on both sides of the ball holding NC State to ten rushing yards while the offense got two touchdown runs from Lance Ball in the second quarter, two short scoring dashes from Keon Lattimore, and field goals from 30, 34 and 30 yards out from Obi Egekeze. The NC State offense went nowhere all game long converting one of 13 third down chances, holding on to the ball for a mere 22:05, and getting outgained 466 yards to 250.
Player of the game: Maryland LB Dave Philistin made ten tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Daniel Evans, 18-29, 168 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Brown, 3-9. Receiving: Darrell Blackman, 5-98
Maryland - Passing: Chris Turner, 19-24, 206 yds
Rushing: Da'Rel Scott, 8-89 Receiving: Darrius Heyward-Bey, 6-47
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... What the heck was that? After building all season long for a big finish with solid, efficient play, nice defense and just enough from the offense, the State attack went into the tank at the worst time possible. Maryland's defense stuffed the Pack running game from the start, and Daniel Evans, and later Harrison Beck, failed to get the offense moving despite completing plenty of passes. As crazy as this might sound, for the future of NC State football, this might have been a good thing. Going to a bowl would be nice, but motivation in the offseason for the young team in year two of the Tom O'Brien era won't be a problem. It might be a step back to potentially be a big leap forward.

Nov. 17
Wake Forest 38 ... NC State 18
Wake Forest took control of the game in the second half with a 62-yard touchdown catch from Jordan Williams followed by a 37-yard Sam Swank field goal and a sealing 57-yard interception return for a score from Aaron Curry. NC State pulled within three in the third quarter on a Jamelle Eugene one-yard touchdown run, but four turnovers an 11 penalties proved to be too costly. DeAngelo Bryant scored on a one-yard run and a five-yard pass in the first half on the way to a 21-10 Demon Deacon lead.
Player of the game: Wake Forest QB Riley Skinner completed 20 of 29 passes for 208 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Daniel Evans, 24-56, 286 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Jamelle Eugene, 18-56, 1 TD. Receiving: Darrell Blackman, 7-114
Wake Forest - Passing: Riley Skinner, 20-29, 208 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Josh Adams, 24-84, 1 TD. Receiving: Kenneth Moore, 8-83
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... State isn't good enough to lose the turnover battle and commit 11 penalties against a tight team like Wake Forest and expect to win. The running game wasn't used enough with a mere 21 attempts for 57 yards, putting the game in the hands of Daniel Evans after the Pack got down. Evans is better when he doesn't have to do everything by himself; State isn't going to win too many games when it's throwing the ball 56 times. Now the Maryland game is a must-win to become bowl eligible, and at the very least to prevent a two-game slide to close out a nice second half of the year.

Nov. 10
NC State 31 ... North Carolina 27
Jamelle Eugene ran for his third touchdown with 1:41 to play, taking it in from one-yard out, and the defense held as NC State survived a late rally. The Wolfpack got up 17-0 early and appeared on the verge of a blowout, when Charles Scott took a Daniel Evans pass 92 yards for a touchdown. Down 24-10 in the second half, UNC got a 50-yard touchdown catch from Brandon Tate, a 27-yard field goal, and a 76-yard Kendrick Burton interception return for a score to take a 27-24 lead. But an interception from DeMario Pressley set up the Wolfpack on the Tar Heel 25 to set up the final score. UNC LB Durrell Mapp made 23 tackles.
Player of the game: NC State RB Jamelle Eugene ran 32 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns, and caught six passes for 33 yards. In a losing cause, North Carolina LB Durrell Mapp made 23 tackles and a sack
Stat Leaders: North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 22-42, 241 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Anthony Elzy, 4-10. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 5-56
NC State - Passing: Daniel Evans, 26-42, 229 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Jamelle Eugene, 32-159, 3 TD. Receiving: Marcus Stone, 6-68, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The team appears to be playing with tremendous confidence, pulling out close game after close game on the way to a four-game winning streak and in range of a bowl game. Last week it was the defense that held on against Miami. This week is was Jamelle Eugene and the running game taking over against North Carolina. Against Wake Forest and Maryland, the team needs to tighten up overall to get a sixth win. It can't make any big mistakes like it did this week, losing two key interceptions, but if it's tight late, this team will find a way to make it happen.

Nov. 3
NC State 19 ... Miami 16 OT
In overtime, Miami's Daren Daly missed a 27-yard field goal, and NC State's Steven Hauschka connected on a 42-yarder for the Wolfpack win. Hauschka hit three fourth quarter field goals to give the Pack a three-point lead, but Daly was able to force overtime with a 27-yard field goal with :19 to play. Miami's Kirby Freeman only completed one of 14 passes, but it was for an 84-yard touchdown to Kirby Freeman in the second quarter. NC State got its only touchdown on a one-yard Daniel Evans run in the second. Miami ran for 314 yards, but lost three turnovers, all Freeman interceptions.
Player of the game: NC State PK Steven Hauschka hit four field goals from 31, 35, 47 and 42 yards
Stat Leaders: Miami - Passing: Kirby Freeman, 1-14, 84 rds, 1 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Jarvarris James, 16-103. Receiving: Darnell Jenkins, 1-84, 1 TD
NC State - Passing: Daniel Evans, 19-40, 207 yds
Rushing: Jamelle Eugene, 27-89. Receiving: Darrell Blackman, 2-69
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... NC State isn't playing any run defense, got an average day out of the offense, but it came up with a big win at Miami and now, after a brutal start, is in a great position to get to a bowl game needing to win two of the final three against North Carolina, at Wake Forest and Maryland. Wolfpack football might not be pretty, but it's getting the job done over the last three weeks by keeping the mistakes to a minimum and capitalizing on everyone else's screwups. Daniel Evans had a more effective day throwing the ball than his 19-40 stats would indicate.

Oct. 27
NC State 29 ... Virginia 24
NC State shocked Virginia with three touchdown passes from Daniel Evans, starting off the scoring with a 40-yard grab, and ending it with a 30-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. Virginia had a final shot, but backup quarterback Peter Lalich was sacked on fourth down on the Cavalier 19. The Cavaliers got two touchdowns from Mikell Simpson, and two scoring passes from Jameel Sewell, but he left the game with a leg injury. Mikell Simpson scored twice for the Cavs.
Player of the game: NC State QB Daniel Evans completed 26 of 46 passes for 347 yards and three touchdowns with an interception, and WR Donald Bowens caught 11 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Jameel Sewell, 24-43, 260 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Mikell Simpson, 21-81, 1 TD. Receiving: Jonathan Stupar, 5-40
NC State - Passing: Daniel Evans, 26-46, 347 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jamelle Eugene, 23-112. Receiving: Donald Bowens, 11-202, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Daniel Evans has established himself as the passer to build the offense around, throwing for 335 yards against East Carolina, and 347 against Virginia. Most importantly, he led the way to wins against both teams. So how did things turn around after such a rotten start? The emergence of WR Donald Bowens is a big help, but the team is coming up with ways to get the job done on both sides of the ball, helped by a defense that got into the backfield early and often. If the Pack can beat Miami in the Orange Bowl, then the home date against North Carolina would be to get to .500.

Oct. 20
NC State 34 ... East Carolina 20
NC State got up 21-0 on two Daniel Evans touchdown passes and a blocked punt return for a score from J.C. Neal, and then the Pirate roared back with a 20-point run starting with a one-yard Chris Johnson touchdown run, and an 18-yard Jamar Bryant scoring catch with 23 seconds to play in the first half. NC State fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and the Pirates got a 47-yard Ben Hartman field goal with no time left on the clock. NC State withstood the storm and scored the final 13 points of the game highlighted by a 15-yard Jamelle Eugene scoring grab.
Player of the game: NC State QB Daniel Evans completed 29 of 44 passes for 335 yards and three touchdowns with an interception
Stat Leaders: East Carolina - Passing: Rob Kass, 28-50, 254 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Johnson, 19-63, 1 TD. Receiving: Phillip Henry, 7-64
NC State - Passing: Daniel Evans, 29-44, 335 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jamelle Eugene, 22-63. Receiving: Donald Bowens, 5-93
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Beating East Carolina might not seem like that big a deal but for a Wolfpack team looking for its first win over a FBS opponent, it was huge. It was also huge for the region; the last thing State needs it for ECU is to establish some sort of bragging rights. Daniel Evans had one of his best days throwing the ball, and most importantly, he and the team overcame a bit of adversity. Things could've gone into the tank after blowing an early lead, but the O responded to pull away.

Oct. 6
Florida State 27 ... NC State 10
The Seminoles got a two-yard touchdown run from Xavier Lee and a 40-yard scoring pass to Greg Carr, but the game turned around early in the second half on a Michael Ray Garvin interception for a touchdown. The Wolfpack held a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter with a 23-yard field goal and a two-yard John Dunlap touchdown catch, and then FSU scored the final 20 points. NC State turned it over four times and gave up six sacks.
Player of the game: Florida State QB Xavier Lee threw for 257 yards and a touchdown on 16-of-28 passing, while rushing 12 times for 14 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Daniel Evans, 19-32, 172 yds, 1 TD, 3 INTs
Rushing: Jamelle Eugene, 14-101. Receiving: Jamelle Eugene, 5-30
Florida State - Passing: Xavier Lee, 16-28, 257 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Antone Smith, 17-55. Receiving: Preston Parker, 6-61
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The offensive line has to start playing better to get the offense going. Jamelle Eugene had a great day running the ball on Florida State, and Daniel Evans wasn't too bad, outside of the three interceptions, but the line allowed way too many sacks (six). This isn't a good enough group of skill players to operate when under constant pressure. With the season quickly slipping into an ugly abyss, a win over East Carolina next week means everything.

Sept. 29
Louisville 29 ... NC State 10
Louisville took a 16-3 lead into halftime on three Art Carmody field goals and a seven-yard Anthony Allen touchdown run, but NC State appeared on the verge of a comeback, with Daniel Evans, in for an injured Harrison Beck, connecting with Ced Hickman on a two-yard touchdown pass, but the Pack fell short, seeing a late drive halted by a fumble, leading to an 18-yard George Stripling touchdown catch. In all, State turned it over five times.
Player of the game: Louisville RB Brock Bolen ran for 112 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.
Stat Leaders: Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 20-33, 251 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Brock Bolen, 18-112, 1 TD. Receiving: Mario Urrutia, 5-49
NC State - Passing: Harrison Beck, 17-28, 181 yds, 2 INTs
Rushing: Andre Brown, 16-92. Receiving: Andre Brown, 5-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It's not like State didn't have its chances against Louisville to make a comeback, but three fumbles and the inability to come up with a big defensive stop in the fourth quarter proved to be the difference. Now the offense will likely be back in the hands of Daniel Evans, who stepped in for an injured Harrison Beck, and he's going to have to jumps-start a passing game that got yards against the Cardinals, but not enough meaningful ones. It's got to be killing head coach Tom O'Brien to see all the mistakes that keep killing good efforts

Sept. 22
Clemson 42 ... NC State 20
C.J. Spiller caught an 11-yard scoring pass and tore off a 44-yard touchdown run in the first quarter on the way to a 17-7 lead, and then James Davis took over with a three-yard touchdown catch and a one-yard run. The Tigers rolled up 608 yards of total offense, including 340 on the ground, while the defense held the Wolfpack to 202 yards and didn't allow an offensive touchdown until Darrell Blackman caught a nine-yard pass in the fourth quarter. Even that was bittersweet for the Pack, as the point after was returned by Clemson for two points. The other State touchdown came on a 99-yard kickoff return for a score from Blackman after Spiller's first score.
Player of the game: Clemson RB tandem of C.J. Spiller and James Davis combined for 280 yards and two touchdowns on 45 carries, and caught seven passes for 47 yards and two scores.
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Daniel Evans, 16-25, 123 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Brown, 19-66, 1 TD. Receiving: Marcus Stone, 5-37
Clemson - Passing: Cullen Harper, 25-39, 268 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: James Davis, 24-166, 1 TD. Receiving: Aaron Kelly, 8-95
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Was the quarterback situated settled against Clemson? No, even with a knee injury to Harrison Beck. Daniel Evans didn't do much to keep the offense moving once the rout was on, and the running game didn't do nearly enough to slow down the momentum. The defense didn't get any help, but it also couldn't get Clemson off the field, with the Pack only having the ball for 23:11. Now comes the real test for the offense; can it do anything against a Louisville defense that hasn't come close to slowing down anyone. If Syracuse and Middle Tennessee can crank out big plays against the Cardinals, then State had better follow suit, or it's never going to happen this year.

Sept. 15
NC State 38 ... Wofford 17
NC State got its first win in the Tom O'Brien era as Andre Brown scored on two short touchdown runs and Thomas Barnes returned a fumble for a score on the way to a 31-3 lead. Wofford finally got on the board with a 61-yard touchdown catch from Andy Strickland, who also added a 14-yard score in the final minutes. The two teams combined to commit 26 penalties for 217 yards.
Player of the game: NC State RB Andre Brown ran for 133 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries, adding a catch for yards.
Stat Leaders: Wofford - Passing: Ben Widmyer, 10-22, 128 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Kevious Johnson, 11-49. Receiving: Andy Strickland, 4-90, 2 TDs
NC State - Passing: Harrison Beck, 16-32, 113 yds
Rushing: Andre Brown, 21-133, 3 TDs. Receiving: John Dunlap, 6-31
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It might not have been the prettiest of performances in the win over Wofford, but the team needed to get something positive going under Tom O'Brien and the new coaching staff. There were way too many penalties (11), but Wofford committed more (15), and there wasn't much of a downfield passing game, basically because there didn't need to be. There's still a major concern about Harrison Beck's accuracy, and considering Wofford ran for 211 yards, there should be a huge worry about facing Clemson's ground game next week.

Sept. 8
Boston College 37 ... NC State 17
Tom O'Brien didn't have much success in his return to BC as his NC State team turned it over seven times to ruin a good offensive day. Andre Callender broke things open for BC touchdown runs from four and 69 yards in the fourth quarter, While Jolonn Dunbar took a Harrison Beck interception 14 yards for a score and L.V. Whitworth scored from a yard out. NC State had a 10-7 lead early, helped by a two-yard Beck run, but didn't get back into the end zone until the final few moments on an 18-yard John Dunlap catch.
Player of the game: Boston College RB Andre Callender ran 18 times for 158 yards and two touchdowns, and added a pair of receptions for 30 yards.
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Harrison Beck, 26-50, 321 yds, 5 INTs
Rushing: Andre Brown, 13-63. Receiving: Andre Brown, 7-77
Boston College - Passing: Matt Ryan, 15-34, 142 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Callender, 18-158, 2 TDs. Receiving: Rich Gunnell, 3-25
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... How ironic that Tom O'Brien's return to BC, where he put together smart, tough teams that didn't make a whole bunch of mistakes, was marred by his NC State team that got shoved around and made a whole slew of mistakes. There aren't any offensive playmakers at the moment, and there's even a major deficiency at quarterback where Harrison Beck made way too many errors, despite throwing for 321 yards. The offense desperately needs to tune up against Wofford before facing Clemson and Louisville in what could be ugly bloodbaths.

Sept. 1
UCF 25 ... NC State 23
Kevin Smith tore off an 80-yard touchdown run on UCF's first play from scrimmage, and ran for an eight-yard touchdown on the way to a stunning 25-3 halftime lead. Michael Torres added three field goals, with his 19-yarder at the end of the half being the team's last points. And then the Golden Knights had to hold on as NC State scored the final 20 points of the game with Harrison Beck throwing two fourth quarter touchdown passes to make it close. He misfired on the two-point conversion attempt with 8:33 to play, and NC State failed to get close again, only getting to the UCF 41 in the final seconds before Joe Burnett ended things with an interception.
Player of the game ... UCF RB Kevin Smith ran for 217 yards and two scores on 35 carries, adding a pair of receptions for 11 yards.
Stat Leaders: UCF - Passing: Kyle Israel, 12-24, 93 yds
Rushing: Kevin Smith, 35-217, 2 TDs  Receiving: A.J. Guyton, 5-21
NC State - Passing: Harrison Beck, 17-28, 207 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Brown, 14-73, 1 TD  Receiving: John Dunlap, 6-65
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Tom O'Brien teams aren't supposed to come out flat, and they're supposed to execute far better than NC State did against UCF until it was almost too late. Harrison Beck did a nice job of stepping in and getting the offense moving, but the running game was stunningly non-existent against a mediocre UCF defensive front and the run defense struggled early against Kevin Smith. The offense has to be far, far more consistent to have any shot of beating Boston College next week.