NC State Football

The Wolfpack of NC State will miss many players from the 2010 roster, but fifth-year head coach Tom O’Brien has the team ready to stay competitive in the Atlantic Coast Conference.

The Pack returns 12 starters on both sides of the ball, but it will take a combination of both veteran and new players for NC State to win the ACC title.

Here are seven players to keep an eye on this season:

Mike Glennon: Junior, QB

The biggest loss to NC State’s roster was Russell Wilson. A year ago, Wilson led the ACC in touchdown passes, passing yards per game and total offense per game. Replacing Wilson will be junior quarterback Mike Glennon. Glennon was marked as the quarterback of the future when he first arrived on campus, but has been stuck in the shadow of Wilson until now.

Entering his fourth year with the Pack, Glennon is a completely different field general than Wilson was. Glennon is a more traditional pocket passer with deadly accuracy, holding a career .634 completion percentage. Glennon may not be as mobile as Wilson, but he will be able to throw the ball all over the field. NC State’s top two receiving threats from last season have since graduated, but there are plenty of young raw talents waiting to step up in their place and Glennon will be connecting with them all season.

Mustafa Greene: Sophomore, RB

In 2010, Mustafa Greene led the team in rushing as a true freshman. This season Greene will be asked to take on more of the workload with the departure of Russell Wilson, who was second to Greene in total rushing yards as a quarterback. Greene is a quick, bruising back with exceptional vision out of the backfield. He is also a receiving threat, with close to 300 yards and a touchdown through the air last year. Brandon Barnes and Taylor Gentry will also see carries this season, but Greene will be the workhorse.

Quintin Payton: RS Sophomore, WR

Quinton Payton is going into his third season with NC State. He played sparingly last season after an early hand injury, but still managed to get playing time behind three senior receivers. This year, Payton has a chance to break out into the national spotlight. He has a great combination of size and speed, he runs great routes, and with Mike Glennon’s more traditional style of play at quarterback, Payton will see additional targets. Payton will have competition from other receivers on the roster, but he will be starting by the first game of the season.

Bryon Underwood: RS Freshman, WR

If Quintin Payton is the thunder at wide out for the Pack, Bryon Underwood is the lightning. An undersized receiver, Bryon relies on his speed to beat defenders. Underwood redshirted last season as a freshman but, with the departure of the teams' top two receivers, he will provide a nice deep threat for Mike Glennon. He will also be a great addition to the return game.

J.R. Sweezy: RS Senior, DT

J.R. Sweezy will be anchoring the defensive front for the Pack this season. Sweezy is coming off a great season in 2010 in which he was second on the team in sacks, second in tackles for a loss and sixth in total tackles. With the departure of Nate Irving, there will be a large void to fill in the front seven of NC State’s defense, and Sweezy will be the key to success in replacing that production. Already named a Lindy’s preseason All-ACC pick, Sweezy could be on his way to becoming one of the best defensive tackles in the country.

Earl Wolff: Junior, SS

Earl Wolff led the team in tackles last season, and will most likely repeat his performance in 2011. Wolff is a dynamic player at the strong safety position. He will also have to take on a larger leadership role along with J.R. Sweezy. Nate Irving was the heart and soul of this defense and, now that he is gone, someone else must take his place. Brandan Bishop will also be a force in the secondary for the Wolfpack, and the combination of Wolff and Bishop will give NC State one of the best safety tandems in the ACC.

North Carolina State had a breakthrough season in 2010, with a 9-4 record overall and a 5-3 record in the ACC.

The Wolfpack ended the season on a high note with a 23-7 victory over West Virginia in the Champs Sports Bowl, heading into which they were a three-point underdog.

This followed a 6-7 campaign in 2008 and an even more disappointing 5-7 record in 2009.

Unfortunately for NC State fans, a dispute this spring between quarterback Russell Wilson and the coaching staff over Wilson's desire to pursue a baseball career in addition to football could not be resolved.

So, instead of him finishing his stellar college career as a member of the Wolfpack, Wilson decided to transfer to Wisconsin for his final year of eligibility.

This is a tremendous blow to a program that appeared to have turned the corner and was ready to make a legitimate run at an ACC title this year.

Wilson not only threw for 3,563 yards last year, but he also tossed 28 touchdown passes and added another 435 yards and nine TDs on the ground.

That kind of production will be next to impossible to replace on such short notice. 

Coach

The task of moving forward without the team's star quarterback will fall squarely on the shoulders of head coach Tom O’Brien, who was already on shaky ground before buying some time with last year’s success. This will be his fifth season at the helm for NC State, and after going 16-21 in his first three seasons, he raised his overall record to 25-25 after 2010. 

Offense

Not only did NC State lose Wilson as its QB, but it also lost three of its four leading receivers from last year. The only player back from that group is tight end George Bryan, who caught 35 passes for 369 yards and three TDs last year.

O’Brian is counting on WR T.J Graham to step up and fill some of the void after catching 25 passes for 316 yards as a junior.

Look for the running game to become a more prominent part of the offensive scheme behind Mustafa Greene. He led the team in rushing in 2010 with 597 yards on 134 carries, but, at 6'0" and 190 lbs., has the ability to handle a much larger workload.

The big question on offense will be the play of NC State’s new starting QB, Mike Glennon, who will be a junior this season. He threw a total of 13 passes last season backing up Wilson, so his experience level is almost nonexistent. He does have decent size at 6'6" and 217 lbs., but lacks any real mobility out of the pocket. 

Defense

The one thing this team does have going for it is a defense that returns eight starters from last season’s unit, which was ranked 29th in the nation in points allowed, giving up an average of 21.3 a game.

The defensive line will be anchored by DT J.R. Sweezy and DE Jeff Rieskamp. Outside LB’s Audie Cole and Terrell Manning will help to round out the front seven while the defensive secondary remains basically intact from last year. Led by ball-hawking FS Brandon Bishop, this could be the most talented set of defensive backs in the ACC, clearly making the defense the strong suit of this team. 

2011 NC State Football Schedule

O’Brien should be able to iron out some wrinkles before things start to heat up, with a home opener against Liberty on Saturday, Sept. 3. The Wolfpack then have a road game against Wake Forest and a home game against Division II South Alabama before facing Cincinnati on the road in Week 4.

The real test will come on Oct.29 when NC State travels to Florida State to play a Seminole team that is getting quite a bit of preseason Top 10 consideration.

All told, if NC State wins the games it is supposed to, it could have enough wins to qualify for a minor bowl. However, it’s highly doubtful that the Wolfpack will remain in the Atlantic Division title picture past midseason. 

2011 NC State Futures Odds

The loss of Wilson took the Wolfpack out of any serious contention for a BCS Title, so Bodog has lumped them in the "Field Bet" category at 20/1.

JustBet has opened NC State as the fifth favorite at +1000 to win the ACC Atlantic Division, with only the Demon Deacons having longer odds at +2500. The Wolfpack are +3000 to win the conference with just Wake Forest and Duke having longer odds at +7000. 

2011 NC State Football Predictions

It would be easy to completely write the Wolfpack off this season given that Wilson will not be behind center, but O’Brien did make some strides last season with this team on both sides of the ball.

NC State will be hard pressed to compete with Boston College and Clemson—let alone Florida State—in the Atlantic Division and could easily end up last, but there are enough wins on the schedule for the Wolfpack to squeeze out a 6-6 record and possible minor bowl bid.

We've reached the end of our rankings of the top 5 ACC players at each position on offense with the Tight Ends. There's some real talent at this position in the ACC. Let's see who makes the list. 

In a few days, we'll get started with the defensive players.  

Completed Rankings at All Sports Discussion

Running Backs | Quarterbacks  | Wide Receivers | Offensive Linemen | Defensive Linemen | Linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties | Special Teams

1) George Bryan, NC State

Bryan is the only returning No. 1 player at their offensive position in the prestigious All About Sports Top 5 Rankings. He was also a first team All-ACC selection in 2010.

Last year, he caught 35 passes for 369 yards. I actually think he will have even better statistics this year. He will be the most experienced returning receiver for the Wolfpack and should be targeted often.

2) Dwayne Allen, Clemson

Last year, Dwayne Allen was a 2nd All-ACC Selection. Allen might be able to give Bryan a run for his money for first team honors this year.

Though Allen nabbed 33 passes last year, I felt he was under-utilized in 2010. He's a 6'4", 255 pound junior that can be a difference maker in Clemson's passing offense.   

3) Cooper Helfet, Duke

Duke has put a number of offensive players in these top 5 lists. Cooper Helfet makes No. 3. Last year, he had solid season at TE with 34 receptions for 380 yards and two TDs.

Those numbers compare quite favorably with Bryan's and Allen's stats.  

4) Colter Phillips, Virginia

Colter Phillips is the first top 5 entry from Virginia and he's a good one. The 6'6", 250 pound junior had three touchdown catches on just 18 receptions. That's red-zone productivity.

He's a strong blocker and has the potential for a big season.

5) Blake Ayles, Miami

The Canes got a gift when Blake Ayles transferred from USC to Miami. This is a former 5-star prep-All American TE recruit.

His time at USC was filled with various health and injury issues. At 6'5", 245 pounds, he has the size you like in a TE.

If he can fulfill on the promise he showed in high school, Miami will have one of top TE’s in the ACC this year. Ayles is a real sleeper.

The final list came down to five schools: Oregon, UCLA, Michigan, Michigan State and North Carolina State; those were the final five schools that the No. 6 WR recruit in the nation, Hakeem Flowers, (maxpreps.com) narrowed his choices down. 

On Sunday, in front of friends, family, coaches and others at his high school, Flowers announced that he would be taking his talents to North Carolina State.

In an exclusive interview with Flowers, he said he made up his mind on Saturday and included that on his trip to NC State, everything was a great experience.

As far as the entire recruiting process went for Flowers, he said, "It was a very crazy time, plenty of schools came around but I needed to stay humble and remain focused on my mission to find the best possible destination for myself and my family."

While rumors were spread that Flowers was going to the University of Michigan, and Flowers brought up those rumors and said, "It was a silent commitment but after going over it more, there was just some things I didn't like and I turned my mind towards NC State."

When it comes to NC State themselves, Flowers tells the fans to expect "a hard worker, a star player and someone who will fight for their position to bring the best possible talents to the Wolfpack."

Flowers was ranked by Rivals as a three-star recruit, but his potential definitely hits five stars.

One comment to be realized by Flowers was saying that NC State "recruited myself very hard, and they are definitely an up-and-coming program."

When it comes to ACC opponents and playing at the collegiate level, Flowers ended the interview saying, "It's going to be fun and very competitive, I can't wait."

One thing is for sure: Flowers is happy to be at NC State, the football program is excited to have him and the Wolfpack will soon be howling, loud and clear. 

This game features two talented quarterbacks, both physically and mentally. Russell Wilson leads NC State and emotionally keeps them in every game with his intelligent play. Geno Smith is an athletic quarterback who, over the season, has become the play-maker for West Virginia.

West Virginia expects a Big East title and BCS game every year, so the Mountaineers aren't thrilled with the bowl game they ended up with. This will cost Bill Stewart his head coaching job in 2012.

I think making Stewart your "lame duck" coach for one season is a bit odd. It could end up in the team losing focus as they wait for the next administration to take hold. But what if the team rallies and wins the Big East next season? Does West Virginia let Bill Stewart go as a potential BCS bowl coach? Stewart should have WV focused on the game at hand.

The Mountaineers had been playing fantastic defense during their four-game win streak to close out the year. They average just under 13 points in average scoring defense. Noel Devine and Jock Sanders are a couple of seniors on offense with NFL futures. Pay attention to Tavon Austin, the sophomore receiver caught five touchdown passes in the final four games of the year.

West Virginia recruits well in the state of Florida. Look for this game, being played in Orlando, to be a homecoming atmosphere for many Mountaineer players.

NC State is a rapidly improving team, but it's safe to say they are where they are because of QB Russell Wilson. The guy threw for over 3000 yards and 26 touchdowns. He's also not afraid to take off with the football.

He leads the team in rushing touchdowns with nine. The Wolfpack didn't expect much from the ground game this season, but freshman Mustafa Greene gave NC State just enough balance to be a win against Maryland away from an ACC Championship game. Keep an eye on senior wideout Owen Spencer. The guy is a three-year starter and hopes to make his final game a special one.

Prediction: Tough game to pick. The Mountaineers are probably the more talented as a team, but this NC State team has been something special all season. I think Russell Wilson finds a way to win this game.

NC State: 32  West Virginia: 28

The West Virginia Mountaineers have a major distraction as they face the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the Champs Sports Bowl. Current and beloved coach Bill Stewart will be replaced at the after this bowl game. If that wasn’t enough, it was recently announced that starting center Joe Madsen, defensive lineman Josh Taylor, and defensive back Eain Smith are ineligible to compete in the bowl for academic reasons.

Even with all of the outside distractions, online sportsbook BetPhoenix still have the Mountaineers listed as 2.5 point favorites in this bowl game.

The Mountaineers have share of the Big East title but will not play in a BCS game and instead will host the North Carolina State Wolf Pack and head Coach Tom O’Brien. O’Brien insists that although the team collapsed late in the season they are still excited about this bowl game. "Our team could not be more excited about the opportunity to play in the Champs Sports Bowl," O'Brien said. "A trip to Orlando is a great reward for their hard work this season and we are happy to have a quality opponent like West Virginia. We hope that our fans will paint the town red."

The Wolfpack have one of the most talented quarterbacks that no one has ever heard of. Russell Wilson is one of the better signal callers in college football, but rarely gets the attention he deserves. Wilson has thrown for 3,288 yards and 26 scores and is mobile enough to put up big numbers on the ground with 394 more yards and nine touchdowns.

The Mountaineers have a very talented running back in Noel Devine who is struggling this year, although his name was mentioned as a preseason Heisman candidate. The Wolfpack defense has excelled this year at stopping the run and only allows 113 yards per game on the ground to the opposition. This will put all the pressure on Mountaineers quarterback Geno Smith to get the job done.

Wilson will finally get the national recognition he deserves against a tough Mountaineer defense.

The Wolfpack are 21-8-1 against the spread (ATS) in their last 30 games as an underdog, 3-0-1 ATS in their last four Bowl games, and 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall. The Mountaineers are 4-12 ATS in their last 16 against an ACC opponent, 1-4 ATS in their last five games as a favorite of 0.5-3.0 and 0-4 ATS in their last four Bowl games as a favorite.

The Mountaineers have too many outside distractions to focus on this game and will leave losers as the Wolfpack and Wilson win in a big way.

Matt Regaw is a B/R Featured Columnist and the founder of BookieBlitz.com, your one-stop shop for sports articles, previews and predictions. Feel free to contact Matt at mregaw@gmail.com.

Other Bowl Previews and Predictions

Independence Bowl

Insight Bowl

Champs Sports Bowl

Alamo Bowl

Texas Bowl

Military Bowl

The College Football bowl season has finally arrived and we are starting to see these games get played and some of them have been pretty exciting as we open things up.

While the Champs Sports Bowl may not be a bowl that many people watch, you can be assured that fans of both the West Virginia Mountaineers and the N.C. State Wolfpack will be watching that game cheering for their favorite team.

Let’s take an analytical look at which team should end up winning the Champs Sports Bowl and why.

When the Mountaineers have the Ball

West Virginia’s offense is lead by quarterback Geno Smith and running back Noel Divine.  Smith has been doing pretty well through the air this season, completing 219 passes out of 333 attempts for 2567 yards and 23 touchdowns. 

Smith has also thrown just six interceptions so he’s not that adept at making the kinds of mistakes that other quarterbacks at his level make.  

Noel Devine has rushed 201 times for 886 yards and six touchdowns this season. He has shown that he possesses some good moves and is a threat to break a long one each time he gets his hands on the ball. 

There is also running back Ryan Clarke who has rushed for 291 yards on 80 attempts and eight touchdowns.

When it comes to catching the ball, the Mountaineers have a couple of good receivers, both with over 600 yards of receiving. They are Tavon Austin (with 53 catches for 575 yards and eight touchdowns) and Jock Sanders (64 catches fro 670 yards and four touchdowns). 

It’s true that West Virginia may not have the most explosive passing offense but they at least have targets that they can get the ball too and make a difference.

The Mountaineers are averaging around 376 yards per game while the Wolfpack defense is allowing 340 yards per game. West Virginia is getting 162 rushing yards per game (the Wolfpack is allowing 113 yards per game) and averaging 214 yards per game through the air (the Wolfpack is allowing teams to gain 227 yards).

On offense, West Virginia is getting about 26 points per game while the Wolfpack defense is allowing teams to score 22 points per game on offense. So this makes the match between the Mountaineers offense and Wolfpack defense a pretty even affair.

The question is, can the Mountaineers overcome whatever it is NC State will throw at them on defense? 

West Virginia’s offense has been known to be a little hot and cold at times, but if they fall behind would the Mountaineers have enough to come back? 

They could find out in this game.

When the Wolfpack has the Ball

NC State’s offense is led by quarterback Russell Wilson. Wilson has attempted a whopping 482 passes, completing 280 of them for 3288 yards, 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. 

He’s been hot at times but has struggled at other times.  

Their rushing attack is led by both Mustafa Green (131 attempts for 584 yards with four touchdowns and an average of 4.5 yards per carry) along with Russell Wilson (129 attempts for 394 yards with nine touchdowns and an average of 3.1 yards per carry). 

The Wolfpack’s rushing attack isn’t that strong but they have used it to effectively control the ball at times.  

The Wolfpack’s receiving corps consist of Owen Spencer who has caught 57 passes for 868 yards and four touchdowns, and two other players with four touchdown catches a piece (Jarvis Williams and T.J. Graham). 

The Wolfpack like to spread the ball around and this makes it hard for the opposing defense to concentrate on any one receiver. The Mountaineers secondary will have their hands full in this game.

N.C. State is averaging 406 yards per game while the Mountaineers defense is giving up just 251 yards per game. The Wolfpack is gaining around 125 yards on the ground per game while West Virginia’s defense is allowing just 85 yards per game on the ground.

West Virginia’s defense has been limiting teams to 166 yards of passing per game while NC State is getting an average of 281 yards per game through the air.  

If the Mountaineers want to stop the Wolfpack they have to stop their passing attack.

NC State is averaging 32 points per game while West Virginia’s defense is giving up just 12.

Analysis

It looks like this is going to be a pretty nice matchup between two teams that are even in some aspects. 

The Mountaineers have the stronger defense and a much better rushing attack than NC State has and if West Virginia can control the ball, and keep it out of Wilson’s hands, then they have a great shot at winning this game.

NC State needs to get an early lead and keep the Mountaineers guessing on defense to have a shot at winning this game. 

As mentioned, the Wolfpack like to spread the ball around to several different receivers so West Virginia’s secondary is going to have their hands full. But if they can successfully cover those wide receivers and not allow them to make too many catches then this game should be winnable.

In order for the Wolfpack to win this game, they have to stop Devine and Smith. 

Teams that have beaten the Mountaineers this season have found that to be the best way to stop West Virginia. The question is, can this happen? 

When their offense is on target and playing well, West Virginia is hard to stop so look for NC State to try to throw them off balance and make things difficult for the Mountaineers two playmakers.

Special teams could also play a pivotal role in this game. Field position will be important and if one of these two teams is lucky enough to get a return for a touchdown that could end up being the difference in this game.

Prediction

Right now, the oddsmakers have this game pretty even but the fan consensus thinks that the Mountaineers will win this game. 

With their ability to be explosive at times on offense as well as play strong defense it is getting difficult to imagine that they will lose this game.  

West Virginia 28 NC State 17