NC State Football

N.C. State cornerback David Amerson entered the 2012 season ranked among the top draft-eligible cornerback prospects in the nation. Coming off a season in which he picked off 13 passes—the most in the NCAA since 1968—expectations were understandably high. But through the first half of the season, Amerson has struggled and his status as a future first-round pick is in jeopardy. 

What makes Amerson's performance so concerning is the fact that his struggles don't appear to be the type of basic growing pains you can expect from any young athlete. Even Amerson's own coach, Tom O'Brien, has said that Amerson is missing basic assignments and appears unprepared on the field. 

According to the News & Observer, O'Brien recently stated: “He’s trying to make every play instead of doing his job...I think he’s gotten away from fundamentals. He’s been stressed the last couple of weeks, but if it doesn’t hit home after [N.C. State's loss to Miami], it ain’t gonna hit home.”

Those comments from O'Brien came on the heels of a game in which Amerson allowed four touchdown receptions. 

On film, one of the most noticeable issues with Amerson's 2012 performance has been his tendency to allow receivers to get behind him without much effort. This was most apparent in the season opener against Tennessee. On multiple occasions Amerson remained in his backpedal until Justin Hunter was even with him—usually an inexcusable technical error for a cornerback at any level.

At best, Amerson could be using this bold coverage technique to bait the quarterback into throwing in his direction. Unfortunately, it has become clear that he lacks the recovery speed for this to be a viable game plan. 

It's also possible that Amerson is trying to pass off his assignments to the safety over the top, a theory thrown out by Joe Giglio of the News & Observer. 

Either way, Amerson's technique is not working and if it doesn't change quickly he will continue to fall down draft boards. 

One other issue that must be addressed is Amerson's connection to a N.C. State booster. According to multiple reports, Amerson has been in contact with Eric Leak, a former N.C. State player, who has been working to put Amerson in contact with agents. 

Typically these types of allegations would require nothing more than an honest answer in an interview in order for NFL teams to forget about them all together. But this may be a special case. Tom O'Brien believes that Amerson has been distracted by the off-field issues and his play has suffered as a result. 

If a prospect lacks the ability to put his off-field issues aside and still show up on game day, NFL teams will factor that into their evaluation. As a result, Amerson's draft stock could already be irreparably damaged. 

So how can Amerson repair his reputation over the final two months of the season?

The answer is fairly simple: he just needs to produce. Many of Amerson's mistakes this season have been a result of poor technique and execution and these types of mistakes are always fixable. 

Some scouts will have concerns about his speed and athleticism but if he's lacking in this area it clearly didn't hinder his ability to produce in 2011. He simply needs to regain his old form and worry about any physical or off-field concerns that scouts may have once the draft process begins in January. 

NC State has rebounded nicely after losing its opener to Tennessee, with victories over Connecticut and South Alabama. The Wolfpack will hope to keep things trending in a positive direction when they face off with the Citadel, an FCS team, in Week 4.

Although most games against FCS opponents are nearly automatic wins for FBS teams, NC State can't afford to take its foot off the pedal on Saturday. The Citadel is undefeated thanks to an offensive attack that has the potential to give the Wolfpack some problems.

NC State still holds the advantage and should keep its modest winning steak alive, but it's not a guarantee. The Wolfpack must play a complete game in order to avoid the upset. With that in mind, here's all the important information for the game.

Where: Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C.

When: Saturday, Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN3.com

Listen: ESPN Radio 910 AM (Citadel) or WCMC 99.9 FM (NC State)

Betting Line: TBA

Injury Report (via USA Today)

Citadel: No injuries listed.

NC State: Rob Crisp (questionable, undisclosed)

Key Storyline: Will NC State continue to build off recent momentum?

NC State was hoping to start its season with a bang by knocking off Tennessee, but weren't able to mount a comeback after a poor first quarter. A lot of times after a game like that there will be a hangover that costs the team another game.

That wasn't the case for the Wolfpack. They were able to regroup to beat UConn the following weekend. Even though it wasn't the most impressive win, it was enough to get back some of the confidence lost after the Tennessee defeat.

Scoring a big victory over the Citadel will keep the momentum on their side heading into a tough portion of the schedule, which includes a home game against No. 4 Florida State.

Top 25 Implications

A victory over the Citadel won't be nearly enough by itself to get NC State in the Top 25 conversation, but it's still a key game. The Wolfpack want to be riding a four-game winning streak heading into their matchup with the Seminoles early next month.

If the Wolfpack can do that and proceed to stun Florida State, then they would get into the rankings. It's a long shot, but that's what would need to happen.

What They Are Saying

NC State quarterback Mike Glennon said the key to the team's turnaround has been protecting the football and limiting errors, based on a report from Yahoo Sports.

"We don’t want to make the same mistake twice. Learn from the mistake and don’t let it happen again. I think (against South Alabama) there was a lot of evidence that there weren’t as many mistakes."

Citadel Player To Watch: Ben Dupree

Normally when a quarterback is the player to watch it's because he's capable of throwing for 500 yards and five touchdowns. That's not the case for Dupree. The Bulldogs QB makes most of his contributions in the running game.

Through three games, the Citadel has only attempted a total of 22 passes, with eight of them coming from Dupree. On the ground, he has racked up a team-leading 349 yards and four touchdowns. He's averaging more than six yards per carry.

Dupree will need to continue his dominance if the Bulldogs are going to pull off another upset. NC State will know what to expect when he's on the field, that's for sure.

NC State Player To Watch: Quintin Payton

When the Wolfpack need a big play, Glennon looks for Payton. The junior wide receiver only has 12 catches through three games in the team's balanced offense, but averages nearly 20 yards per grab and scored his first touchdown of the year last week.

Payton's playmaking ability should give him a distinct advantage over the untested Citadel secondary. He needs to exploit it to ensure NC State is able to move the chains early to put any Bulldog hopes of an upset to rest right away.

Even though the Citadel defensive game plan will likely revolve around making sure he doesn't run wild in the secondary, Payton is the type of player who can still make plays.

Key Matchup: Citadel rushing attack vs. NC State run defense

If the Bulldogs are going to shock the Wolfpack, the running game will lead the way. The Citadel is averaging nearly 60 rushing attempts per game, and the team isn't going to change its strategy just because the level of competition is going up.

That means NC State's front seven should be prepared for a long afternoon of stopping the run. The Wolfpack have done a nice job of keeping opposing running games under control over the past two weeks, but this is a unique test.

Should the Citadel establish the run early and control the clock, it has an opportunity to keep its unbeaten start in tact. But NC State should be able to slow it down enough to earn the victory.

Prediction

NC State 31, Citadel 14

A year ago, NC State defeated South Alabama 35-13, the first-ever game for the Jaguars against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent.

This year, South Alabama will travel to Raleigh for a rematch in its first-ever game as  an FBS school. The Jaguars may be playing football a level up now, but the result should be about the same in this contest.

Still, nothing is guaranteed until they blow the whistle. Let's take a closer look at this ACC versus Sun Belt showdown.

Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, N.C.

When: Saturday, September 15 at 6:00 p.m. ET 

Watch: ESPN3

Listen: Sirius 135

Betting Line: NC State (-31.5), according to Covers

South Alabama Injuries (via USA Today)

RB Brandon Ross, Knee, Out for Season

CB Qudarius Ford, Knee, Out

NC State Injuries (via USA Today)

OT Robert Crisp, Undisclosed, Questionable

Key Storyline

South Alabama is in its first season as an FBS member, so I think it is safe to call them underdogs. However, NC State, a team many thought could make some noise this year, hasn't looked very good to start the season either, with a 35-21 loss to Tennessee and just a 10-7 win over UConn.

Something has to give. I'm guessing it will be the South Alabama defense. A lot.

Top 25 Implications

None to report. Unless NC State can pull off some upsets in the ACC this season, neither one of these teams will be ranked this year. 

What They're Saying

Heather Dinich of ESPN believed NC State would be an ACC dark horse this year. She believed NC State coach Tom O’Brien when he raved about his team's depth and experience.

Has her opinion changed?

Instead, this is the most experienced and deepest team O’Brien has had: A 10-7 win over Connecticut in which Glennon was sacked six times. David Amerson being burned for two touchdowns against Tennessee. Four turnovers against the Vols. Fifty-four rushing yards against Uconn. 

Surprise. 

Yeah, I would say her opinion has changed. She added the following:

Unexpected weaknesses were exposed in both games. The most shocking might be the play of the offensive line, which is O’Brien’s forte, and the poor play of Glennon in the opener. Connecticut’s front seven had no trouble shedding blocks from a line that was missing injured starting left tackle Robert Crisp. 

Perhaps the Wolfpack will impress her against South Alabama. Given the talent disparity in this contest, they better.

South Alabama Player to Watch: The Secondary

A year ago, NC State quarterback Mike Glennon was 17-for-20 with 274 yards and four touchdowns against South Alabama, carving up the Jaguars' secondary with relative ease. 

If South Alabama is to stand any chance in this game, they'll need to do far better against the pass. Keep an eye on players like B.J. Scott, Tyrell Pearson and Darrius Morrow. If they can cause a few turnovers and stymie the NC State passing attack, this one could be much closer than expected. 

NC State Player to Watch: Mike Glennon, Quarterback

We already know Glennon had success against South Alabama a year ago. We also know that he was sacked six times against UConn last week and threw four interceptions against Tennessee.

So will we see Glennon dominate like a year ago, or will he continue to struggle? Will he dominate or will the NC State passing game stall once more?

I'm guessing the former for each question. Glennon will end his funk on Saturday.

Key Matchup: NC State Offensive Line Against South Alabama Front Seven

It would certainly help if tackle Crisp could play. His presence was definitely missed against UConn, and keeping Glennon on his feet is very much a key for the Wolfpack.

But if the passing game once again stalls, NC State will need to establish a rushing attack with running back Mustafa Greene. NC State can't give South Alabama momentum by struggling on offense early in this game.

They need to consistently win in the trenches and beat up the Jaguars, lest the underdogs begin to think they stand a chance.

Prediction

NC State should win this one easily. I have the Wolfpack pulling away early and never looking back, winning 41-17.

Hit me up on Twitter—my tweets always have a backup long snapper.

After a disappointing 5-7 campaign last season that saw starting quarterback Tyler Bray miss five games due to injury, Tennessee is looking to rebound in 2012-2013, and it starts against N.C. State.

N.C. State finished 8-5 last season behind solid play by quarterback Mike Glennon and an outstanding secondary led by David Amerson. The Wolfpack's most impressive victory was against then-No. 7 Clemson on November 19.

Here's a look at each team's season opener on Friday.

Where: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

When: Friday, August 31 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPNU

Listen: The Vol Network, Wolfpack Sports Network

Live Streaming: WatchESPN

Betting Line: Tennessee -3.5, via Bovada

What's At Stake?

Tennessee will be looking to get off to a fast start in the loaded SEC under the leadership of junior quarterback Tyler Bray, who was mighty impressive last season. 

Bray threw for 1,983 yards and 17 touchdowns to six interceptions in just seven games. That included throwing for 288 yards and three touchdowns at Florida (albeit with two interceptions).

After going a disappointing 5-7 last season (1-4 SEC), this is a game the Volunteers need to take before facing the heavy hitters down the road.

N.C. State is coming off an 8-5 campaign (4-4 ACC). With Florida State and Clemson down the road, the Wolfpack are hoping they can eke this one out. They are unfamiliar with Tennessee so it's going to be an interesting game. The team lost three of its first five games last season.

Senior quarterback Mike Glennon will look to follow up a tremendous season in which he threw for over 3,000 yards with 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

Injury Report (via USA Today)

Tennessee

None to report

NC State

WR Bryan Underwood - Knee - OUT indefinitely 

LB Michael Peek - Knee - OUT for season

What They're Saying

The buzz around Tennessee surrounds former star receiver Da'Rick Rogers, who was suspended indefinitely last week after violating the school's substance abuse policy. He's reportedly going to transfer to Tennessee Tech, via Yahoo! Sports.

Rogers racked up 1,040 yards and nine touchdowns last season with Bray and the Volunteers. Juniors Justin Hunter and newcomer Cordarrelle Patterson will try to fill the void. Hunter finished with 314 yards and two touchdowns last season.

Everybody is buzzing about N.C. State's secondary this season, complete with junior David Amerson.

As ESPN points out, just three years ago the unit allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete 62.6 percent of their passes, while notching just eight interceptions.

Last season? Amerson, Brandan Bishop, Earl Wolff and C.J. Wilson combined for 27 interceptions while holding opposing quarterbacks to 57.5 percent passing. Amerson collected 13 interceptions himself, one shy of tying the FBS record. 

All four starters return this season for the Wolfpack.

Tennessee Player to Watch: Tyler Bray, QB

If Bray can stay healthy this season, who knows what the Volunteers can do. He missed five games due to injury last season, with Tennessee plummeting from 3-2 to 4-6 during that span. Most of those losses were blowouts, including a 49-7 spanking at the hands of Arkansas on November 12.

The Volunteers already have some worries in the receiving corps. If they lose Bray again, it could get ugly in the big and bad SEC.

NC State Player to Watch: Mike Glennon, QB

I debated putting David Amerson in this spot, but the depth of the secondary suggests that it's going to be a dominant effort by the entire unit.

Instead, I'll go with Mike Glennon.

If Glennon can make even more strides this season, N.C. State has the potential to do something big in the ACC. Remember, the Wolfpack shocked then-No. 7 Clemson last November 37-13.

Glennon threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns in that game. In his next two games, he combined for 570 passing yards with eight touchdowns to two interceptions as the Wolfpack finished the season on a 3-0 run and captured the Belk Bowl.

Key Matchup: Tennessee Passing Game vs. NC State Secondary

Tyler Bray is going to have his hands full lined up opposite Amerson and Co. on Friday. Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd was on a roll last season before throwing two picks to Amerson and Bishop.

Then again, Bray is quite the handful himself. He threw for 293 yards and three touchdowns to open last season against Montana. He may not have Rogers at his disposal anymore, but he's a solid quarterback.

Prediction: N.C. State 27, Tennessee 20

The betting line may favor Tennessee, but N.C. State has some weapons on both sides of the ball this season and I like the secondary a lot. 

I think Amerson and Co. will frustrate Bray to an extent and Glennon will pick up where he left off last season as the Wolfpack cruise to a well-deserved victory at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

Tweet me your thoughts. Tweet, tweet.

This article is third in a series that examines the strengths and weaknesses of the Volunteers and the Wolfpack, according to last season's numbers. Installment One looks inside the offenses, and Installment Two looks inside the defensive line numbers.

This third installment looks inside the numbers on the linebackers and defensive backs of both teams.

Linebackers

The defensive area that presents the most concern for the 2012 NC State team is linebacker. Since they lost the No. 1, 4, 7 and 9 tacklers from 2011 team, this unit is very inexperienced. As a unit, the current group only has 57 total game snaps combined.

Still, there are good athletes among the group, and both Archer and Tenuta have years of linebacker coaching experience. Archer spent seven years with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1996-2002), so whatever they have to work with will be ready to go by game time.

Tennessee counters with a young but more experienced unit. Sophomores Curt Maggitt and AJ Johnson line up on the outsides, and Third-Team and First-Team All-Americans, respectively. In the middle is senior Herman Lathers, who missed 2011 with a knee injury but was the team's leading tackler in 2010.

Even with the youth, expect NC State to attack Tyler Bray from every angle; it's what they do. Expectations are high from the retooled UT defense that will be more aggressive than the past two years (42 total sacks). Expect more blitzing from this defense as well.

Edge:  Tennessee

Defensive Backs

The defensive backfield for NC State is returning intact for the third year in a row. The starters are all seniors, except junior David Amerson, a First-Team All-American who set the single season NCAA record last year with 13 interceptions. 

The other corner (CJ Wilson) has four interceptions returned for touchdowns in the past two seasons. Both safeties are honorable mention All-ACC last year.

This group is arguably the best secondary in the nation.

The Tennessee defensive backfield returns eight players who started at some point last season. Five of the eight have at least eight starts, and as a unit they will be much improved due to the experience of the starters and their backups.

Senior corner Prentiss Waggner was Second-Team All-SEC in 2010 and had a good season last year. Sophomore FS Brian Randolph was a Third-Team Freshman All-American last season.

The Vol group doesn't have the numbers put up by the NC State players, and in addition, their schemes were not as aggressive in the past. But as a unit, this group starts the year as solid and likely will be remembered as better.

Edge:  NC State

Defensive Summary 

In searching through replays of 2011 NC State and UT games, it was obvious that teams who represented a threat in the passing game were very successful running the football on both teams. Cincinnati is an example. They played NC State two weeks after their game at Tennessee.

Versus NC State, the Cincinnati passing game was 25 of 34 for 263 yards, and they ran 46 times for 240, an average of 5.2 yards per rush. Against Tennessee, they were 21 of 34 for 230 passing yards and ran 26 times for 166 yards, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

However, there was a huge difference in score and outcome UT 45 - Cincy 23 and in the other game; it was Cincy 44 - NC State 14.

It should be noted that the NC State defensive line and linebackers were injury plagued during the first half of the year. Overall, their defense improved dramatically during the last half of 2011.

Even though the Tennessee rush defense should be better than the Wolfpack, if the UT run game has not improved dramatically, it won't matter. For Tennessee to take advantage of the edge they have on defense, they must be able to run the football themselves.

If the game becomes purely an air show, the NC State defense has an edge based on their experience and previous performance. However, if the Tennessee run game improves to the point that it must be respected by NC State, they will be unable to pin their ears back and come after Bray, while playing man coverage with their very good defensive backs.

On the Tennessee side, the Vols cannot allow quarterback Mike Glennon to pick a zone defense apart, but they don't have to throw everyone in there to get pressure. In many cases, UT will be able to generate pressure and get either hurries or sacks with a four-man rush.

Last year, NC State gave up 34 total sacks. UT gave up 18.

A note to the Vol fans who think this team will be an easy win:

This is the time of year that hopes and expectations tend to run wild. The news from the camps is upbeat. All the players are excited and and believing much of what they hear and read about how everything has improved

The coaches speak their coach speak but sound more upbeat overall about players, the team and just things in general.

It's only two weeks until the season starts. Everything is good, it's upbeat without a lot of injuries or losses, and the sky is the limit on wins.

Just keep this in mind: Everything we see and hear is nothing more than words at this point, and words don't win football games.

The last game UT played was a 10-7 loss to an awful Kentucky team. The last game for NC State was a bowl game victory over a team that beat Kentucky.

This is the time of year for enthusiasm. Before you go too wild, go back and look at some of your UT predictions last year at this time—I did.

I predicted 7 to 9 wins including bowl. How about you?  

If you are a Vols fan, it would be wise to take NC State very seriously as an opponent. They are well-coached and have an extremely talented senior quarterback and a defensive backfield that set NCAA records last season.

That old UT we'll-beat-'em 38-7 stuff isn't reality. Frankly, UT is a team trying to claw its way back to respectability. And a win—any win—over NC State would be a nice step in the right direction.

My prediction: This will be a good ball game. It is a game that UT can win or lose and will likely be much closer than some Vols fans think.

With the Game 1 kickoff for the Chick-fil-A Classic doubleheader set for Friday night, August 31 at 7:30, both teams are hard at their fall camps this week. In about a week and a half, game week preparations will begin.

In article one, we outlined the offensive lines, running backs and quarterbacks. We still have the wideouts to do before completing the offense. In this edition, we will begin to go inside the defensive line numbers from 2011 and make common sense comparisons.

In 2012, the NC State line will be losing three players responsible for 20 starts last season. Coming back, they have three players who have at least eight starts each; plus Colorado transfer Forrest West, who had one start, 19 tackles and 5.5 sacks in 2010.

The starters on this line are a bit more experienced, but the second group lacks in playing time. Overall, consider them a more experienced group than 2011—unless they have an injury to a starter early in the season.

The Wolfpack defensive coordinator is Mike Archer, who was a defensive position coach or coordinator at LSU—and Kentucky, Miami and Virginia—before a four-year stint as the Tiger's head coach (1987-1990).

Archer's No. 1 assistant is Jon Tenuta—another well-known, well-respected defensive coach—who has made the rounds with teams like Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma and several others. Both of these coaches are known as being aggressive, with creative blitz schemes.

The NC State defense has four linemen. Their jobs are to fill lanes, take on and shed blockers and make tackles. They may utilize a variety of stunts, bull rush, slant over or under or occasionally drift back into short pass zone coverages on certain blitzes (zone blitz).

The aggressive nature of the Wolfpack defensive coaches is represented in the team's quarterback sack totals. In 2010, NC State totaled 42 sacks; in 2011, they had 38. By comparison, the Vols had 26 sacks in 2010 and 16 last year.

That's 80 total sacks vs. 42 for the Vols in the two year period. Still, only 10 were recorded by the Wolfpack line last year. Most likely these were gotten by good old overpowering bull rushes. Still, most of the sacks were made by linebackers or possibly safeties.

NC State recorded more quarterback sacks than any SEC team the past two years (LSU 73, Alabama 57).

Tennessee is returning four of their top six defensive linemen from last year, with four players who started at least four games each last season. However, they did lose two players who accounted for a total of 20 starts off of the 2011 team.

The addition of former Alabama-turned-JUCO lineman Darrington Sentimore gives the Vols their most experienced line in years.

The Tennessee defensive line allowed opponents to rush for an average of 163 yards per game and 4.4 yards per carry last season. In comparison, the NC State line allowed an average of 131 yards per game rushing and 3.7 average yards per carry.

On the surface, you would think the NC State line is much better than their UT counterparts.

So, we dug a little deeper:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1GxwqZ00iU

Against bowl quality teams, NC State averaged allowing opponents to rush for 156 yards per game and 4.0 per rush. Against bowl-quality opponents where the passing game was still a viable threat, UT averaged allowing opponents to rush for 132 yards per game and 3.8 yards per carry.

When you compare apples to apples, the difference is significant. Thus...

Edge: Tennessee

Next up, inside the numbers on the linebacker units.

NC State vs. Tennessee is a good kickoff matchup on paper. Both teams have talented quarterbacks, neither had much of a run game last year and they both should have improvements on defense.

Game time is set for Friday, August 31st and kickoff is 7:30 PM.  ESPNU will carry the game live.  

The teams are currently in their fall camps, working on everything football. As the calendar turns to the 20th, they will start concentrating more and more on their starting lineups. By Friday, the 24th, practices will begin to take on a game-week pace.

Although the official lines haven't been set by the guys who do it for a living, my best guess is the line for this game will be very close—about a single point or two one way or the other.

The fan base of both teams is fairly confident about their team's chances to win. With that thought in mind, let's analyze the two teams and see if you agree with me that the game should be a good one.

Offensive Line

The Wolfpack is coming into the year with the second-most starting experience (112 total starts) in the FBS. The Tennessee line comes close to matching that stat, with 105 total career starts. That said, neither line produced well in the run game last year.

NC State Head Coach Tom O'Brien calls this line his best since he arrived at NC State in 2007. On the surface, that sounds really good when you consider the great offensive lines O'Brien's Boston College teams had. Digging a little deeper, you will see the best line he has had at State (2008) only averaged 3.6 yards per carry and gave up 29 sacks.

For Tennessee, last season this line helped the run game average 2.8 yards per carry (NC State, 3.0) and allowed 18 sacks (NC State 34). The average rushing yards-per-game were 90 for the Vols to 105 for NC State.

Both teams should have much improved lines in 2012. Considering a lot more goes into the overall sack total than just the line play, plus NC State did average just a touch more running, these two units look very close at this point.

Edge: Even

Running Backs

Neither team had a 1,000-yard back last year. NC State had one that came close, though. James Washington, a 6'0", 186-pound senior, had 897 yards last year. He and redshirt sophomore, Tony Creecy (6'0", 210 lbs., 387 yards in 2011) figure to be the first two this year.

For the Vols, the likely first two include sophomore Marlin Lane, who started three games, had 280 yards rushing and 161 receiving. Rajion Neal is a junior who started three games and rushed for 134 yards with 269 in receiving. Last year's leading rusher for UT, Tauren Poole, who ran for 693 total yards, has graduated.   

Neither team uses the fullback as a runner very much.

Again, at first glance, you have to figure these two units are a push. Or, some may even lean a little toward the Wolfpack due to experience. Here is why I see different.

Each year, Phil Steele ranks the previous season's schedule and compiles a toughest schedule list for all 120 FBS teams. According to the rankings for 2011 (Phil Steele's 2012 College Football Preview, page 327), Tennessee's schedule ranked No. 7 most difficult in the nation, while NC State's ranked No. 71. 

That is a very big difference in the defenses these teams faced.

Edge: Tennessee

Quarterback

Senior Mike Glennon, 6'6", 232 lbs., threw for 3,054 yards, 31 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 2011. He took over the starting job from Russell Wilson, who had a great season at Wisconsin last year. He is a good quarterback—very good.

Tennessee starts junior Tyler Bray, who many keep reporting has had injury issues throughout his Tennessee career. I don't know where that comes from, but I do know it is not correct.

Bray's only injury that caused him to miss playing time (as my records indicate) occured last year. He broke a finger on his throwing hand in the Georgia game. As a result, he missed five games. In seven starts last year he threw for 1,983 yards, 17 touchdowns and had 6 interceptions.

Bray is also a good quarterback—very good.

Edge: Even

Overall Offense

In returning experience, these teams appear to be very close. In terms of 2011 offensive production, NC State has a small edge in average total yards gained per game—345 to 333.

Those 12 yards per game difference is small. And after all, it is the scoring that counts, right? Ultimately, sure it is, but that was really an eye-opener. Tennessee averaged 20.3 points per game, while NC State averaged 28.2. That is a big difference.

So, we dug a little deeper.

Against bowl quality defensive teams, NC State averaged 24 points per game. Against bowl quality defensive teams, with Bray starting at quarterback (Georgia included), Tennessee averaged 27 points per game.

Edge: Slight edge to Tennessee.

Next up, we will compare the defenses, inside the numbers.

It's Thursday, and we're back with another round of the Your Best 11 Mailbag. We skipped the topics this week and decided to open it up full force; All Reader Topics Everything, Folks! We've got a little of this and a little of that, so let's get this thing started.

@inthebleachers You being a former DB, where does Amerson and McDonald rank w/ top #SEC DBs? (Lester, Mathieu, Reid, etc.)

— Carter Bryant (@CarterthePower) August 9, 2012

Um, duh, obviously my favorite question ever. I'm going to start with TJ McDonald. This kid is the best safety in college football. It doesn't matter what conference he's in, McDonald is the nation's best at the safety position, and the rest of the guys—Robert Lester, Eric Reid, Bacarri Rambo, Kenny Vaccaro and the rest—are all lining up behind him.

He's a fluid body, he has great range and he can really move in the deep half off of the hash. He also is strong against the run and comes up to deliver quite the blow.

As for David Amerson, the NC State cornerback, he is an interesting beast. Kid has a nose for the football, and he is capable of turning offense into defense better than most people in the nation.

As far as being a cornerback goes, he's right up there with Johnny Adams, Johnthan Banks, Xavier Rhodes, Jordan Poyer and the rest.

Right now, there is no Mo Claiborne, Patrick Peterson clear-cut best at the position. All of these guys have great skills, some better in zone than man, others the opposite. If you've got a zone scheme that will afford Amerson the freedom to roam in a quarter or a third then take him first, because he has that sort of ability.

@inthebleachers what do you think about Logan Thomas at VT?

— Sean Kopitsky (@SeanKopitsky) August 9, 2012

Hell of a ballplayer. He outproduced what I expected him to do in year one on the job. We all knew the talent was there, he just put it all together a lot quicker than I thought he would.

This year, if Marcus Davis can be the monster his talent affords him to be, expect Logan Thomas to have a shot at getting to New York. 

With that said...

@inthebleachers Dark horse Heisman candidate?

— Mike (@KyNDfan) August 9, 2012

Logan Thomas is my guy. Hokies have a schedule they can run, Thomas has that run-pass thing working for him and, as we've seen, he can go full beast mode when it is required.

@inthebleachers How many packets of Alka Seltzer will Brian Kelly go through this Fall?

— Chris Bains (@Bearcats_Nation) August 9, 2012

I think the Fighting Irish defense is going to be solid, even with the loss of Aaron Lynch. They have some issues in the back end to work out, but they have through most of October to fix the kinks against inexperienced or unaccomplished passers. 

The real heartburn will come from the quarterback position, as we all expect. There is no real answer here—go with Tommy Rees or Andrew Hendrix and Kelly will be bothered with just how "extra regular" the two are OR go with Everett Golson and be infuriated at his up-and-down style of play. Sort of a damned if you do, damned if you don't proposition.

Which leads to this...

@inthebleachers who'd you rather throw a red zone int for:Brian Kelly or Bo Pelini?

— Kevin Crawmer (@kjcrawmer) August 9, 2012

Haha, not touching this one. I played defensive back from high school on and throwing a red-zone interception is not in my repertoire. The answers appear to be A) Yelled At or B) Also Yelled At. My answer? Pass.

@inthebleachers is WVU being overlooked, as no one is picking them to win their league

— Jeffrey Wesler (@jmwesler) August 9, 2012

I don't think they're overlooked at all. I think people are keeping them at arm's length because they are uncertain about the transition. As I plug myself here, I took some time yesterday talking about the preparation aspect of switching leagues, and it is going to be an interesting step up for the Mountaineers.

Everyone is excited about Dana Holgorsen, but the Mountaineers still have to play defense, and this is the same team that was in a fight until the final week to win the Big East, after losing to Syracuse and Louisville.

Arm's length is a good place to watch them from.

@inthebleachers how different is playing the nickel from field or boundary?

— Big nole fan (@osceolafan2) August 9, 2012

Yay, football! Another defensive back question, what, what!!

Field corner plays in space a lot more. Boundary corner plays the short side of the field. Typically field guys have more coverage responsibilities and boundary guys are more adept at mixing it up in the run game. 

So, how does nickel play into all of this?

Playing the money guy is hard. You don't have the luxury of the sideline to push receivers towards and generally, when you're lined up on the slot guys you don't get the benefit of the jam, as the players get a clean run off the line.

As far as how different it is, the answer is very. In zone you play a lot of underneath hook, curl, seam techniques as opposed to thirds, quarters and flat defense. In man coverage you're playing more tuff technique, warding off the quick inside pass while protecting your outside shoulder and chasing men in motion as they look to pick you off through traffic.

Everyone ought to give all of the respect in the world to nickelbacks. The money is a guy who has a special job. You'll notice that a lot of teams will bring in a corner, move one of their starters, a better player, inside to play the nickel, and the third corner will play the outside.

The position is that important and that difficult. Good nickel guys, like Ronnie Brooks from LSU a season ago, are had to find. Especially in college, where there players aren't generally that good.

Every Thursday we bring you the Your Best 11 Mailbag. Thanks to you people not responding a day ago, we revoked your Mailbag privileges. But, because I am a very lenient leader, I only suspended you for one day and then re-opened the Mailbag. You all learned your lesson and contributed questions. That's street justice. So, here we go folks, talking offseason and all that jazz!

@InTheBleachers will Marcus Lattimore be healthy for the start of the season? What do you expect from him in 2012?

— IHJJR (@iHateJJRedick) July 19, 2012

Lattimore spent the spring and summer rehabbing that knee injury and all signs out of Columbia point to him being ready to pick up where he left off in the Mississippi State game. Head Coach Steve Spurrier expects to have Marcus Lattimore back at full strength and given the fact that it's been nine months since his injury, there is no reason to doubt that. The miracles of modern science have pushed the recovery time shorter and the big time running back has made sure to dedicate himself to not only rehab, but working to improve his game.

That means I expect a lot out of Lattimore entering this offseason. For a gamer like the South Carolina running back, spending all your time sitting around, riding a bike, jogging, doing tests is torture in and of itself. Expect him to come back with a vengeance and make a push to win the Doak Walker award as he and Knile Davis battle to be the SEC's best running back.

@InTheBleachers what would be your top 3 transfers that you're most psyched to see in action?

— Danny V (@fiveboroball) July 19, 2012

Transfers are a pretty interesting animal. There are FBS to FBS kids. FBS to FCS guys. And of course the Junior College transfers that help bring immediate talent to the programs. So, what I'm going to do is hit one of each because they are all pretty interesting this year. 

On the FBS to FBS tip; I'm going with a tie and both reside in the Big Ten. Danny O'Brien from Maryland, headed to Wisconsin is going to be fun to watch. So is DeAnthony Arnett, the Tennessee wide receiver who went to Michigan State to be closer to his father. O'Brien is going to be leading another potent Badgers offense and he brings so many real skills to the table he should be a huge plus for their scheme. Arnett is a quality receiver and Michigan State is hurting at that position, so he has an opportunity to make a big impact early.

On an FBS to FCS note, I am taking Isaiah Crowell. Not just because he gets to play in the Magic City Classic, but because I'm interested to see how the young man's maturation process works. He is going to be more "on his own" now, than he ever was at Georgia. If he's truly got that fire in his heart to get to the NFL, a lot of his progress has to come from intrinsic motivation now. He has to push himself in weight training. He has to handle his own diet. He has to handle doing the little things to achieve his goal because, simply put, the resources are not there at Alabama State.

With respect to JUCO guys, I'm going to Knoxville. Cordarrelle Patterson gets the nod. He's a wide receiver who will be adding to the mix for the Volunteers. We know Justin Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers are going to be studs in this scheme, adding Patterson is giving Tyler Bray another weapon to stretch defenses out. Patterson as the third guy will be a problem and should make things fun for Tennessee.

@InTheBleachers bigger preseason crush Vols NC State or Lville?

— Rhett (@rsl52) July 19, 2012

Honestly, I cannot pick one of these teams. I'm the most excited about all three of them for the 2012 season. I think NC State will be the best of these three. However, with Florida State and Clemson on the schedule they may not have the ceiling that Louisville has. For that reason, I think Louisville is the team I like to have the highest ceiling. As for Tennessee; love the offense and Sal Sunseri is one of the guys I've been rooting for a promotion for, for quite some time. 

All three teams have quarterbacks I think will be great this season. Tennesee has to win to keep my guy Derek Dooley employed. NC State finally has their ducks in a row and that is a big deal as Tom O'Brien pushes towards that sustained success he's known for. Charlie Strong and Louisville get me giddy because they should be in a BCS Bowl this year, that way the world gets to watch Teddy Bridgewater embarrass someone.

@InTheBleachers My Q - how badly would you fare if you had to go back to camp and do two-a-days this August?

— ACC Sports (@ACCSports) July 20, 2012

Ah, Jim Young, editor of ACC Sports, you folks should really follow him on twitter. He is great. There are some things that I would do great if I was at camp right now, in my current state: sitting around in a film room, chalk talk, being on time to meetings, going to meals and making it to the training table. That's about it, though. Because while I could line up in the right spots on the field, to say I'm a step slow would be a massive understatement. Especially for a guy who was a step too slow in his prime.

Conditioning would be an exercise in futility, even if they let me run with linemen instead of skill guys. Weight lifting would be a waste of everyone's time. I took special care to dedicate my life to repaying my debt to my body. After over a decade of football, I'm nicely nestled in the middle of spending a decade of not working out. It would not work great.

@InTheBleachers On serious note, I'd like your take on TOB's current recruiting haul. Seems like you like it more than the analysts.

— ACC Sports (@ACCSports) July 20, 2012

After he makes me reveal how bad of shape I am in, he follows up with serious talk. Tom O'Brien has 15 commitments as it stands on July 20, 2012. Yesterday, I said that he's doing a good job and I am impressed with his push. Plenty of folks; UNC fans, general recruiting enthusiasts and even NC State fans tried to tell me I was wrong to praise him. I am not wrong. Last year at this time the man had eight commits. The year before he had just three. So fifteen is a big plus for him, and proof that his message is getting out there.

Spare me the "but they're not highly rated" rhetoric because I never said they were elite kids or that he was going to push for the Recruiting National Title. Rather, I'm saying that he's getting more of the kids he wants into the boat earlier and that's a good thing. The family, hard work and lunch pail mentality that Tom O'Brien sells to the middle tier recruit is working now, better than ever.

That success, and acknowledgement of the progress is not absolving Tom O'Brien of shortcomings. The head coach still has to work on his spiel to top recruits in the state. While the middle guys are jumping in the boat quickly, if O'Brien wants to land some of North Carolina's more prized prospects, he is going to have to adjust to get those kids on board.

@InTheBleachers Your take on Sammy Watkins missing very little to no playing time?

— Paul Geddings (@SraGeddings) July 20, 2012

I really hate the idea that a suspension is the only form of punishment for a college athlete. If he is doing his Pre-Trial Intervention, doing community service and finished whatever physical punishment Dabo and the strength staff could come up with then I am fully behind him getting back on the field to play Auburn. 

“My mom always told me when I was little and I'll never forget it. She said 'baby I don't know what it is that you're doing but you don’t let the boys catch the ball' I said 'Mom that's called corner' and she said 'your going to be a good corner'." For DeAndre Morgan, his mother and brother DaJuan Morgan who was drafted in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, football would be a very big part of their lives.

The younger Morgan (DeAndre) said he knew that he could have a shot at playing in the pros when he arrived at NC State saying, "I was doing everything he didn't do when he first got to college." It was early on at NC State that Morgan began to display the traits of something special being one of just two red-shirt freshman in 2007 to become starters for the Wolfpack, playing along side his older brother DaJuan.

It seemed like destiny that DeAndre would flourish with the Wolfpack and follow in the foot steps of his older brother, but his time at NC State changed after his brother declared early for the NFL.

"When Tom O'Brien dismissed me from the team I didn't do no drugs I didn't get kicked out of nothing. He just told me they were going in a different direction,” says Morgan. "We had family problems back home. My brother was like rated the number one safety so my brother left. That's when Tom O'Brien and them started, they brought a freshman in, they were cutting my time and all this and I was like, 'What’s going on?'

"They brought me in the office and told me they were going in a new direction. I couldn't argue with them and could of fought it and stayed there, but he wasn't going to play me so there wasn't any need for me to stay and not play."

That might have been the lowest point for Morgan who at the time was rated as one of the up-and-comers heading to the NFL. "It was so crazy,” Morgan says when talking about sitting out a year adding “I was in the mock drafts I was an impact player on the game, and not to parade myself or anything, everybody just forgot about me within that year.”-

Time doesn’t stop for anyone, especially in the fast pace what-have-you-done-for-me-lately business of professional sports. North Alabama was the destination of Morgan’s college career saying “I’m just so thankful I had another opportunity to play the game that I love."

During his pro day which was held in the wind and rain, Morgan put together one impressive outing, posting 4.37 forty, 35 vertical jump and 10’01” broad jump. "I'm faster than that. (Morgan Laughs) People tell me like "oh you complain about that" and I'm like yah I'm complaining because I know I can run faster.”

Morgan prides himself on his speed and his favorite player growing up was Deion Sanders, and he even has ‘Prime Time’ tattooed on the inside of his arms. The Riviera Beach, Fla. Native jokes that he is a better tackler than Deion but says “He's fast I'm fast. His cover skills were great and mine are good and still working on mine with things to improve on. I gave up one touchdown at NC State and I had over 2,000 snaps."

At 182 pounds the heaviest he has ever been along with his 4.37 speed and NFL pedigree, Morgan is yet another ‘Diamond in the Rough’ with enough talent to warrant looks moving ahead.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

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