2008 NC State Wolfpack

2008 NC State Wolfpack Season, Game Recaps, Scores and Reviews

2008 NC State Wolfpack

Dec. 29
2008 PapaJohns.com Bowl
Rutgers 29 … NC State 23
NC State was rolling in the first half as Owen Spencer took a pass from Russell Wilson 44 yards for a touchdown and Andre Brown ran for a five-yard score on the was to a 17-6 lead. But Wilson was knocked out for the game with a sprained knee and the Wolfpack offense, outside of an eight-play, 64-yard drive ending in a 16-yard Anthony Hill touchdown catch from Daniel Evans, went into the tank with Wilson out. Mike Teel and the Rutgers offense heated up with 23 second half points as Tiquan Underwood came up with an 11-yard touchdown catch in the third and Kenny Britt caught a 42-yard scoring pass to give the Scarlet Knights the lead for good. The Rutgers placekicking was rocky, but San San Te finished with three field goals including a 24-yarder in the final minute.
Player of the game: Rutgers QB Mike Teel completed 22-of-37 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns with an interception. 
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Russell Wilson, 11-23, 186 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Russell Wilson, 8-46. Receiving: Jarvis Williams, 7-126
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 22-37, 319 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Joe Martinek, 9-58. Receiving: Kenny Britt, 6-119, 1 TD
Inside The Box Score ...  5 Thoughts on the PapaJohns.com Bowl …Turnovers: NC State 4 – Rutgers 1 … Net yards per punt: Rutgers 28 – NC State 4.5 … Total offense: Rutgers 437 yards – NC State 363 … 2^nd half time of possession: Rutgers 19:58 – NC State 10:02. … Rutgers made 8 tackles for loss, NC State made 7.

- 2008 NC St Preview  
- 2007 NC St Season

2008 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 6-6
2008 Record: 6-7

Aug. 28 at South Carolina L 34-0
Sept. 6 William & Mary W 34-24
Sept. 13 at Clemson L 27-9
Sept. 20 E Carolina W 30-24 OT
Sept. 27 South Florida L 41-10
Oct. 4 Boston College L 38-31
Oct. 11  OPEN DATE
Oct. 16 Florida State L 26-17
Oct. 25 at Maryland L 27-24
Nov. 1  OPEN DATE
Nov. 8 at Duke W 27-17
Nov. 15 Wake Forest W 21-17
Nov. 22 at No. Carolina W 41-10
Nov. 29 Miami W 38-28
PapaJohns.com Bowl
Dec. 29 Rutgers L 29-23

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

Nov. 29
NC State 38 … Miami 28
NC State closed out the regular season with its fourth straight win as Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes and ran for a 29-yard score, while Andre Brown scored twice. Miami held a first half 14-7 lead highlighted by a 69-yard Dedrick Epps scoring grab, but  NC State controlled the game with a 31-7 point run before the Canes got into the end zone in the final seconds. Javarris James ran for two one-yard touchdowns for Miami.
Player of the game: NC State RB Andre Brown ran 12 times for 93 yards and a touchdown, and he caught two passes for 24 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: Miami - Passing: Jacory Harris, 12-20, 138 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Javarris James, 16-65, 2 TD. Receiving: Dedrick Epps, 4-101, 1 TD
NC State - Passing: Russell Wilson, 11-23, 220 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Andre Brown, 12-93, 1 TD. Receiving: T.J. Graham, 2-63
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Will the hot streak be enough to go bowling? NC State isn’t just beating teams; it’s killing them. By blowing out athletic North Carolina and Miami teams, the Wolfpack showed how everything is clicking at the moment on offense. The defense is taking away everything, forcing four Miami turnovers to change the game around. The attack was perfectly balanced with 220 yards passing and 219 on the ground, and while Russell Wilson wasn’t always on, he came up with some big plays and he continues to be stingy with the ball. He has now gone a school-record 226 passes in a row without throwing a pick.

Nov. 22
NC State 41 … North Carolina 10
Russell Wilson threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to George Bryan and a 21-yard scoring pass to Owen Spencer and the defense forced six turnovers as NC State cruised to the win. North Carolina sputtered, but a five-yard Ryan Houston touchdown run midway through the third brought the Tar Heels to within seven, but State closed out with the final 24 points. Andre Brown and Jamelle Eugene each ran for short Wolfpack scores in the second half.
Player of the game: NC State QB Russell Wilson completed 17-of-28 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns and ran 11 times for 50 yards
Stat Leaders: North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 10-22, 116 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Shaun Draughn, 13-56. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 4-56
NC State - Passing: Russell Wilson, 17-28, 279 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Andre Brown, 20-81, 1 TD. Receiving: Own Spencer, 3-94, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Never underestimate what it’s like for a team to play with confidence. NC State ahs become a far different team over the last three weeks as the defense is swarming and Russell Wilson has become a playmaker. Against North Carolina, the defense kept coming up with stops, and the offense kept taking advantage. The Pack held on to the ball for 38:06 and ran a balanced attack with 187 yards on the ground and 279 through the air. After all the drama early on this year, if NC State beats Miami, it’s probably going to a bowl. If nothing else, this is a nice finish to build on for next year.  

Nov. 15
NC State 21 …Wake Forest 17
Russell Wilson threw two touchdown passes and ran for a four-yard score as NC State stunned Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons got a 64-yard touchdown pass on a trick play with WR D.J. Boldin hitting Marshall Williams, and Boldin caught a seven-yard touchdown pass on the way to a 17-14 lead. Wilson owned the fourth quarter with his legs as well as his arm, giving the Pack the lead for good on an eight-yard touchdown pass to Anthony Hill.
Player of the game: NC State LB Nate Irving made 13 tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Russell Wilson, 16-33, 152 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Russell Wilson, 14-69, 1 TD. Receiving: Anthony Hill, 3-26, 1 TD
Wake Forest - Passing: Riley Skinner, 21-33, 176 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Brandon Pendergrass, 16-72. Receiving: D.J. Boldin, 8-66, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Is NC State making a late season surge for a bowl bid? That might be asking for too much needing to beat North Carolina and Miami over the final two weeks pull it off, but at the very least the team is playing night-and-day better over the second half of the season than it did in the first. Russell Wilson appears to be a keeper as he carried the offense for a key stretch, while the defense came up big when it had to. The defense has come up with two great performances in a row at just the right time.

Nov. 8
NC State 27 … Duke 17
J.C. Neal returned a kickoff 89 yards for a touchdown and Russell Wilson threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jarvis Williams and a two-yarder to Anthony Hill as NC State rolled to the win. Duke QB Thaddeus Lewis threw 52 times for 217 yards with touchdown passes to Brett Huffman and Jay Hollingsworth, but the Blue Devils failed to get the ball back after pulling within 10 in the final few minutes. NC State converted just 2-of-10 third down chances, while Duke misfired on all four of its fourth down tries.
Player of the game: NC State QB Russell Wilson completed 13-of-25 passes for 218 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 37-52, 317 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Thaddeus Lewis, 6-41. Receiving: Eron Riley, 9-89
NC State - Passing: Russell Wilson, 13-25, 218 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Jamelle Eugene, 11-92. Receiving: Owen Spencer, 3-57
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Russell Wilson might not have been consistent or accurate, but he did a good job of pushing the ball down the field against Duke and came up with the big plays needed to pull off the win. The running game did enough to get by with Jamelle Eugene coming up with a nice day despite not being used enough. NC State got sucked into an up-tempo game with lots of passing, when it should’ve stuck a bit more with the ground game. Whatever; a win is a win for a team that desperately needed one.

Oct. 25
Maryland 27 … NC State 24
Obi Egekeze nailed a 20-yard field goal with six seconds to play to finally put away NC State. The Wolf Pack overcame the lousy weather to get two short Russell Wilson touchdown passes and a one-yard Andre Brown run in a see-saw game. Maryland kept pace with a 13-yard Dan Gronkowski touchdown catch and touchdown runs from Davin Meggett and Da’Rel Scott, with Scott’s 24-yarder giving the Terps a seven point lead early in the third quarter.
Player of the game: Maryland RB Da’Rel Scott ran 23 times for 163 yards and a touchdown, and caught a pass for 17 yards
Stat Leaders: NC State- Passing: Russell Wilson, 18-28, 187 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Andre Brown, 15-56, 1 TD. Receiving: Andre Brown, 5-38
Maryland - Passing: Chris Turner, 9-20, 126 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Da’Rel Scott, 23-163 yds, 1 TD. Receiving: Dan Gronkowski, 3-37, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... NC State might have lost to Maryland, but things are improving. Russell Wilson is playing well with a strong, accurate performance in bad weather. There was a nice mix of running between Wilson, Jamelle Eugene and Andre Brown, but the offense stalled too much in the second half. With a week off to regroup before going to Duke, things appear to be coming together even with a four-game losing streak. Next year, an improved team will win these games.  

Oct. 16
Florida State 26 .. . NC State 17
Graham Gano hit four field goals and Ben Reed caught a 17-yard touchdown pass as Florida State was able to pull away in the fourth quarter. State struggled to move the ball, but got a 67-yard touchdown catch from Owen Spencer and a 20-yard catch from Anthony Hill on the way to a 17-13 lead early in the fourth. But the Florida State offense controlled the ball and the clock in the fourth quarter, keeping it for over 10 minutes, while the defense allowed State to convert just 1-of-9 third down chances.
Player of the game: Florida State PK Graham Gano hit field goals from 37, 37, 44 an 53 yards out
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Russell Wilson, 13-25, 181 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Jamelle Eugene, 6-74. Receiving: Owen Spencer, 3-82, 1 TD
Florida State - Passing: Christian Ponder, 23-35, 254 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Antone Smith, 20-89, 1 TD. Receiving: Preston Parker, 5-56
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... NC State is finally starting to get healthy, and it shows. TE Anthony Hill contributed against Florida State and overall it was a strong effort. But the offense couldn't keep the chains moving, it couldn't control the clock or the ball, and eventually, the defense wore down. Even in the defeat, the team showed promise on both sides of the ball. Now it's up to QB Russell Wilson to keep improving, and it's up to the defense to figure out how to get off the field.

Oct. 4
Boston College 38 … NC State 31
BC’s Chris Crane ran for a 13-yard touchdown with 23 seconds to play to finally put away a game NC State team that played one of its best games of the year. Russell Wilson ran for a two-yard score and connected with Owen Spencer for a 61-yard score to tie the score at 31 in the fourth quarter, but Crane led the way for a 70-yard drive in seven plays to pull out the win. Crane ran for three touchdowns and threw two first quarter touchdown passes, but NC State kept fighting back, highlighted by a 100-yard T.J. Graham kickoff return for a touchdown to answer Crane’s first scoring run. BC outgained NC State 578 yards to 253.
Player of the game: Boston College QB Chris Crane completed 34-of-51 passes for 428 yards and two touchdowns with an interception, and ran 11 times for 42 yards and three touchdowns, and DT B.J. Raji made three sacks.
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Russell Wilson, 19-33, 218 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Jamelle Eugene, 4-26. Receiving: Julian Williams, 4-35
Boston College - Passing: Chris Crane, 34-51, 428 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Chris Crane, 11-42, 3 TD. Receiving: Rich Gunnell, 11-123, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... NC State got dominated by the Boston College offense, but it was a battle throughout because Russell Wilson kept making plays. The team found ways to get back in the game in the fourth quarter, but the defense couldn’t hold. This will be the problem going forward. The offense isn’t going to special, so if the defense isn’t great, the Pack will be in trouble.

Sept. 27
South Florida 41 … NC State 10
South Florida dominated from the start as Jamar Taylor scored on the team’s opening drive from one-yard out. Matt Grothe hit Carlton Mitchell for a nine-yard score and Mike Ford ran for a one-yard score for a 21-3 lead early in the second quarter, and then came the safeties. Two errant long snaps led to four points in just over two minutes and two of Maikon Bonani’s three field goals made it 31-10 at halftime. NC State was outgained 520 yards to 265 and only got into the end zone on a one-yard Andre Brown run in the second quarter.
Player of the game: South Florida QB Matt Grothe completed 20-of-29 passes for 259 yards and a touchdown, and ran nine times for a team-leading 68 yards.  
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Harrison Beck, 9-32, 239 yds, 3 INT
Rushing: Andre Brown, 9-39, 1 TD. Receiving: Owen Spencer, 3-94
South Florida - Passing: Matt Grothe, 20-29, 259 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Matt Grothe, 9-68. Receiving: Jessie Hester, 7-68
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... 11 penalties, three turnovers, 26 yards rushing. Nothing quite worked out for NC State against South Florida. The biggest problem was the offensive line that didn’t allow Harrison Beck to get anything going in the passing game. Beck completed just 9-of-32 passes with three interceptions. The other side of the line wasn’t a prize with the defensive front failing to generate any consistent pressure. This was a disastrous offensive performance, and now comes the nasty Boston College defense to deal with.

Sept. 20
NC State 30 ... East Carolina 24 OT
In a wild finish, NC State got a five-yard touchdown catch from George Bryan, which was originally ruled incomplete, and then reversed after a lengthy review. In overtime, State's Shane McKeen forced a Patrick Pinkney fumble, and the Wolfpack offense took advantage almost immediately with a 10-yard Andre Brown scoring run to win the game. Brown caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Russell Wilson, who threw three touchdown passes on the day. East Carolina traded scores, but never led, getting a 39-yard scoring play off a short catch from Jarvis Williams in the third and a 42-yard Norman Whitely touchdown dash in the third from the offense, and started out the scoring with a 23-yard Van Eskridge interception return for a score in the first.
Player of the game: NC State QB Russell Wilson completed 21-of-31 passes for 210 yards and three touchdowns, while running 12 times for 26 yards.
Stat Leaders: East Carolina  - Passing: Patrick Pinkney, 19-32, 210 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Norman Whitley, 9-83. Receiving: Dwayne Harris, 10-88
NC State - Passing: Russell Wilson, 21-31, 210 yds, 3 TDs
Rushing: Andre Brown, 12-73, 1 TD. Receiving: Jamelle Eugene, 7-50
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... East Carolina had everything to play for, and NC State was just trying to get the season going, but sound coaching and a solid performance from Russell Wilson get the Wolfpack on track. Harrison Beck got his chance to shine, but he threw a pick six in the first quarter and it was Wilson who made the offense go. Andre Brown was effective when needed, and the return of Jamelle Eugene provided a nice weapon as both a receiver and a runner. This still isn't an ACC title contender, but as this game showed, things are quickly improving.

Sept. 13
Clemson 27 … NC State 9
Clemson overcame an early interception return for a touchdown from NC State’s Nate Irving with 17 first half points highlighted by a 16-yard Jacoby Ford touchdown catch and a 28-yard scoring play on a catch from C.J. Spiller. The Wolfpack never got in the end zone, and despite the close score, never posed a major threat. Clemson finally pulled away in the fourth quarter on a 12-yard Spiller touchdown run. Clemson outgained State 428 yards to 288.
Player of the game: Clemson WR Jacoby Ford caught six passes for 106 yards and a touchdown, and he ran twice for 48 yards.
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Russell Wilson, 10-21, 92 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Brown, 14-64. Receiving: Andre Brown, 4-51
Clemson - Passing: Cullen Harper, 20-28, 262 yds, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: C.J. Spiller, 10-61, 1 TD. Receiving: Aaron Kelly, 7-94
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... On the plus side, Russell Wilson was back at quarterback after the horrific-looking moment in the season-opener against South Carolina when he was carted off the field. However, Wilson was awful. He only completed 10-of-21 passes for 92 yards with an interception against Clemson. He ran for 26 yards, but he didn’t do nearly enough to get the offense moving, while Harrison Beck went a decent 5-of-8 for 60 yards. The offense just isn’t working, and while the defense has been strong, it’s not carrying the team.

Sept. 6
NC State 34 … William & Mary 24
NC State got up 14-0 on a three-yard Andre Brown run and a 22-yard Jarvis Williams catch, and put the game away in the fourth quarter with two Josh Czajkowski field goals and a ten-yard Curtis Underwood scoring run. William & Mary struggled with four turnovers leading the way to Wolfpack points, but the Tribe managed a 45-yard interception return for a score from Derek Cox and two D.J. Mcaulay scoring grabs.
Player of the game:  Florida State QB Christian Ponder completed 11-of-17 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns and ran three times for 39 yards
Stat Leaders: William & Mary - Passing: Jacob Phillips, 15-30, 130 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Terrence Riggins, 12-51 Receiving: D.J. McAulay, 6-99, 2 TD
NC State - Passing: Harrison Beck, 17-25, 246 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Andre Brown, 17-43, 1 TD. Receiving: Owen Spencer, 5-82
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... NC State got up early on William & Mary and was never in any sort of trouble, but it was an ugly performance with only 11 first downs, 2-of-16 on third down conversions, seven penalties and two turnovers. Harrison Beck has to be the starter after playing far better than Daniel Evans, who only completed 4-of-11 passes. The offense is going to be a work in progress all season long. The running game only came up with 67 yards.

Aug. 28
South Carolina 34 ... NC State 0
In an ugly game with eight turnovers and little passing production, South Carolina held the Wolfpack to 138 yards of total offense while the offense overcame four thrown interceptions from Tommy Beecher. The Gamecocks didn't pull away until the fourth quarter when Chris Smelley, who stepped in for an injured Beecher, hit Dion LeCorn for a 20-yard touchdown and Jared Cook for a 13-yard score. NC State starting QB Russell Wilson, who suffered a concussion and was carted off the field in the first half.
Player of the game: South Carolina S Emanuel Cook made nine tackles and forced a fumble
Stat Leaders: NC State - Passing: Daniel Evans, 4-12, 37 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Andre Brown, 21-101. Receiving: Owen Spencer, 3-27
South Carolina - Passing: Tommy Beecher, 12-22, 106 yds, 4 INT
Rushing: Mike Davis, 14-101, 1 TD. Receiving: Kenny McKinley, 6-37
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Before getting too hung up on the nightmare of a passing night, remember that South Carolina's secondary is phenomenal. Even so, completing five of 20 passes for 49 yards with two interceptions is inexcusable. Daniel Evans has seen enough action to have been far sharper, and the quarterbacks even got help from the running game with Andre Brown coming up with a nice game. For now, with Russell Wilson sidelined after his frightening head injury, it's going to be all about the running game against William & Mary before dealing with the trip to Clemson. The quarterbacks don't have to be phenomenal, but they need to be serviceable.

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 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.