NC State (0-1) vs. William & Mary (0-0)
Saturday, September 6, 2008
6:00 pm (EST)
Raleigh, NC
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Carter-Finley Stadium
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NC State Links
Official Site
Roster
2008 Statistics
Game Notes
William & Mary Links
William & Mary Official Site
Roster
2007 Statistics
Game Notes
NC State Game Notes
WILSON SUFFERS CONCUSSION IN OPENER
Starting quarterback Russell Wilson suffered a Grade Three Concussion in the
second quarter of the season opening loss to South Carolina and was transported
to Richland Memorial Hospital. It was determined at the hospital that Wilson suffered
no injury to his spinal cord.
EVANS UNDER CENTER
Graduate quarterback Daniel Evans will get the start against William & Mary on
Saturday, the third season that the veteran has started at least one contest. He
started nine games as a redshirt sophomore then eight games last season.
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Daniel Evans
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Evans is 6-11 overall and 4-5 at Carter-Finley Stadium. Evans won four straight
last season. He is 1-2 against non-conference opponents, with a win against East
Carolina and a loss against Central Florida in 2007. He also lost to ECU in 2006.
Evans needs just 90 yards passing for 4,000 in his career, which would make
him just the seventh quarterback in school history to reach that mark.
He currently ranks fifth in school history in pass completions, seventh in yards,
ninth in percentage and 15th in pass efficiency.
NC STATE VERSUS WILLIAM & MARY
NC State will open its 2008 home slate against the William & Mary Tribe. The
Wolfpack holds an 11-8 all time record in the series, including a 9-3 mark in
Raleigh and a perfect 2-0 record at Carter-Finley Stadium.
The Pack has outscored the Tribe 80-9 in the two meetings in Carter-Finley
Stadium, a 38-9 win in 1999 and a 42-0 shutout in 1980.
The two teams met 14 times in 19 years from 1940 until 1958, but didn’t meet
again until 1980.
NC State is 64-12-3 all-time in home openers.
WHAT CAN BROWN DO FOR YOU?
Senior running back Andre Brown’s performance was perhaps the lone offensive
highlight for the Wolfpack in the loss to South Carolina.
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Andre Brown
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Brown ran for
101 yards on 21 carries for his sixth career 100-yard rushing effort, tied for ninth
in school history with the legendary Dick Christy. Brown now has 1,873 yards
rushing, good for 11th all-time in school history. He ranks fourth in the league in
rushing and 34th nationally after the first round of games.
Brown needs just 48 yards to move into 10th place all-time, and 127 yards for
2,000 career rushing yards.
The senior from Greenville, N.C. ranks second in the ACC among active players
in career yards and rushing touchdowns (15).
IF YOU TRAVEL, YOU WILL PLAY
True to head coach Tom O’Brien’s comments during the week, nearly every NC
State player on the South Carolina travel roster played. Only eight players did not
see action out of the 66 players who made the trip, and one of those was freshman
quarterback Mike Glennon, who the coaches plan on redshirting.
Twenty-two players saw their first career action for NC State, including four true freshmen - wide receiver/returner T.J. Graham, fullback Taylor Gentry and linebacker’s
Dwayne Maddox and Sterling Lucas.
‘FOUR’ THE FIRST TIME
NC State’s pass defense was solid for most of the night against South Carolina,
allowing just 106 yards through the first three quarters and picking off four
passes.
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DeAndre Morgan
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The four interceptions are tied for the second-most nationally. Each of
the four interceptions had a common theme - it was the interceptor’s first of their
career.
In fact, redshirt freshman Jimmaul Simmons had his pick on his first career
play, which came on third down of the Gamecock’s first drive.
Redshirt Justin Byers added an interception in his first career game.
A pair of redshirt sophomores - linebacker Nate Irving and DeAndre Morgan
- each had the first pick of their careers.
SPENCER LEADING RECEIVER
Granted, NC State only had five pass receptions for 49 yards in the opener, but
sophomore Owen Spencer led the team with three of those five catches and 27 of
the yards.
The speedy Spencer, from Leland, N.C., had just five catches for 73 yards as a
true freshman, and didn’t have more than a single catch in a game last year.
IRVING, LINEBACKERS LEAD DEFENSE
The NC State linebackers are an inexperienced bunch, as outlined in the note
below. The three starters against South Carolina - Nate Irving, Robbie Leonard and
Ray Michel - had combined for just five career starts heading into the opener.
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Nate Irving
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All three responded to the challenge and were the leading tacklers in the contest
for the Pack. Irving led the team with 10 tackles, including two for loss and his first
career interception.
Leonard notched nine tackles in his first ever game as a linebacker and had two
quarterback hurries.
Michel had eight tackles and a quarterback pressure.
LINEBACKER EXPERIENCE
The six players listed on the two-deep at linebacker have combined for just eight
career starts, and redshirt sophomore Nate Irving has five of them. Redshirt junior
Ray Michel has started two.
Redshirt senior Robbie Leonard, a former walkon, not only has never PLAYED
linebacker in a collegiate game until the opener against South Carolina, but the
converted safety had played in only 12 games from scrimmage in his career.
He
earned his first start at linebacker against USC and had nine tackles and two QB
hurries.
PACK DEFENSE SOLID
Before fatigue set in after being on the field for 10 full minutes longer than the offense
against South Carolina, defensive coordinator Mike Archer had to have been
pleased with the performance.
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Markus Kuhn
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NC State allowed 369 total yards, but 208 of those
came in the fourth quarter alone as cramps and bad field position took its toll.
Through the first three quarters, NC State had allowed just 55 rushing yards and
106 yards through the air.
The 2007 unit allowed over 186 yards on the ground - last in the ACC - and was
11th in the league in total defense.
Against USC, NC State allowed just 198 passing yards and intercepted a leaguehigh
four passes in the game. Those four picks were the most since 2000.
The defensive unit also notched five sacks in the game, tied for second nationally.
SPEEDY GRAHAM
Freshman wideout T.J. Graham has instantly added speed to the Wolfpack. Graham
won the North Carolina 4-A title in the 100 and 200 meters with times of 10.44
and 20.82, respectively. He also posted the nation’s fastest time in the 200 meters
at one point during the season.
In 2007, Graham finished third nationally in the 100
meters at the Nike Nationals.
Graham was back as a punt returner and in on kickoff return, in addition to earning
the start at wide receiver. He returned two kickoffs for 42 yards and caught the
first pass of his career, a 10-yard reception.
YOUNG IN SPACE
One of the best personnel moves that the Wolfpack coaching staff decided to
make last season was at the defensive end position midseason.
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Willie Young
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Instead of the
ends lining up on the left or right side, they decided to put speedy Willie Young on
the side away from the tight end - in other words, to let him operate “in space.”
Space is definitely where Young belongs.
In the last six games, Young tallied
12 tackles for loss, including six sacks and pressured the opposing quarterback 20
times (including eight in the win over North Carolina).
Young tallied 16 tackles for loss for the season, the seventh-best mark in school
history and was one more than #1 NFL pick Mario Williams had for the second-best
mark ever for a Wolfpack sophomore.
The talented redshirt junior posted four tackles, including 1 1/2 sacks and two
quarterback hurries in the season opener.
KICKERS LOOK FOR A PLACE
For the second straight season, NC State will have a new player handling the
placekicking duties in 2008.
Last season, the man who would end up with his name in the Wolfpack record
books wasn’t even in the preseason media guide. Steven Hauschka came to the
Wolfpack as a graduate student after earning his degree from Middlebury College.
He ended up leading the ACC in field goal percentage (.889, 16-18), tying for sixth
in NC State history. He was also a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award. He went
from not even being on the roster, to signing an NFL free agent deal with the Minnesota
Vikings, and now with the Baltimore Ravens.
Redshirt sophomore Josh Czajkowski will handle the kicking duties after solid
spring and fall camps. Senior Bradley Pierson, who took over as the Wolfpack’s
starting punter in the third game of last season, will back up Czajkowski and also
punt.
Although Pierson had punted 62 times heading into 2008, neither player has ever
kicked off, kicked a PAT or a field goal in a college game until South Carolina.
Czajkowski missed his first career field goal attempt - 49 yards - but didn’t have
any other kicking chances.
Pierson averaged 42.7 yards per punt, the best single-game average in his career,
against South Carolina. He handled the kickoffs as well, booting his only attempt of
the opener to the goal line.
William & Mary Game Notes And Depth Chart
Record (0-0)
William and Mary Final National Statistical Rankings FCS (2007)
Rushing offense...95
Passing offense...12
Total offense...40
Rushing defense...108
Passing defense...12
Total defense...83
All-Time Series With N.C. State
Series Record: N.C. State leads, 11-8
Series Record in Williamsburg: W&M leads, 4-2
Series Record in Raleigh: N.C. State leads, 9-3
Series Record at Neutral Sites: W&M leads, 1-0
First Meeting: 1906; N.C. State won, 40-0, in Raleigh
Heading Home
Saturday’s game at N.C. State will be a homecoming of sorts for five Tribe players who are natives of the Tar Heel state. While none of group is from Raleigh, senior captain Derek Cox is from Winterville, which is located approximately 85 miles southeast of the capital city. W&M’s other North Carolina natives are Robert Livingston (Hendersonville), Wes Steinman (Wilmington), Josh Thompson (Charlotte) and Rob Varno (Wilmington).
Team Notes
The Tribe offense returns the services of senior all-conference quarterback Jake Phillips to lead an attack that averaged 29 points and nearly 400-yards of total off ense (396.2) a contest in 2007. The team hopes to continue the upward trend started last season, which saw the squad improve radically over the 2006 unit (which produced ‘just’ 19.0 points and 339.4 yds/contest).
The Tribe faithful have reason for continued optimism, as eight other players return with Phillips from last season’s unit, including fellow senior and returning all-conference performer, wide receiver Elliott Mack (Irvington, NJ). Including Mack, the unit returns six of its top seven receivers from a year ago.
Though not available for this Saturday’s contest, sophomore tailback Courtland Marriner is the top rusher from a season ago (518 yards on 115 attempts) and leads a ground game that returns all but 207 yards of the 1,299 total rushing yards from 2007.
With the wealth of skill positions coming back to the fold, much of the attention will fall on the team’s offensive front to provide the power behind what promises to be an electric Tribe attack.
A solid, experienced foundation is in place between the tackles, as both guards (Michael Grant and CJ Muse) and the center (Luke Hiteshew) return from last season. The team will turn to youth on the bookends, as it will see talented redshirt freshman Jake Marcey and rising sophomore Keith Hill making their fi rst and second career starts, respectively, against the Wolfpack.
Defensive Notes
With the return of nine starters on the defensive side, William and Mary will look to improve upon the number of points it surrendered a season ago. The ‘07 edition of the Tribe allowed a school-record 427 points (38.8 ppg), breaking the previous mark established 333 (30.3 ppg) during the 1982 season.
Leading W&M’s group of veterans are senior captain all-conference cornerback Derek Cox and senior captain linebacker Josh Rutter. A third-team all-league selection in ‘07, Cox led the Tribe with three interceptions last year. Additionally, he ranked tied for sixth on the team with 51 total tackles.
After starting all 11 games and ranking seventh in the conference in tackles per game as a freshman, Rutter missed most of ‘06 with a knee injury he suff ered in the VMI game. He returned last season to rank second on the team with 95 total tackles and led the squad with three recovered fumbles. His 8.7 tackles per game ranked 11th in the CAA.
Also expected to help anchor the College’s defense is junior defensive back David Caldwell. The Montclair, N.J., native led W&M and ranked sixth in the conference with 9.7 tackles per game during the 2007 campaign. Caldwell also ranked second on the team with 5.5 tackles for a loss.
First Start
If the current two-deep holds for the remainder of the week, the Tribe will have as many as seven players making their first collegiate starts on Saturday evening. On the offensive side of the ball, junior tight end Rob Varno joins redshirt freshman left tackle Jake Marcey and sophomore tailback Terrence Riggins as fi rst-time starters.
Redshirt freshmen Harold Robertson (DT) and Jake Trantin (LB) will see the fi eld for the fi rst time as collegians, while sophomore defensive backs Ben Cottingham (CB) and Michael Alvarado (S) will each get the starting nod for the fi rst time.
As was previously stated, Riggins received significant playing time during the fi nal three games of the 2007 season (after injuries depleted the backfi eld of both its first and second-string tailbacks).
While Saturday will be Varno’s fi rst start, he was the top reserve at TE a year ago and saw action in all 11 games (making 11 grabs for 115 yards). Cottingham, a walk-on to the program in 2006, worked his way into a key reserve role at cornerback last season and fi nished the year with a pair of interceptions against conference rival Richmond.
Top-Notch Competition
The game with N.C. State will mark the 11th-consecutive year the College has faced an opponent from the FBS (formerly Division I-A), which is the longest current streak in the CAA. In the last 22 years, the Tribe has faced more than 25 I-A opponents, including 23 from the current BCS conferences. The last W&M win over an FBS opponent was in 1998, when the Tribe downed
Temple, 45-38. Here is a quick look at W&M’s last 11 games against a FBS opponent:
2007: at Virginia Tech, L 44-3
2006: at Maryland, L 27-14
2005: at Marshall, L, 36-24
2004: at North Carolina, L, 49-38
2003: at Western Michigan, L, 56-24
2002: at Indiana, L, 25-17
2001: at East Carolina, L, 38-23
2000: at Central Florida, L, 52-7
1999: at N.C. State, L, 38-9
1998: at Temple, W, 45-38
1996: at Central Florida, L, 39-33
Offensive Depth Chart: N.C. State Game
Pos. No. Name Elg. Ht. Wt. Notes
WR 2 Elliott Mack SR 6-0 195 All-CAA Third Team in ‘07 with team-high 46 catches for 849 yards
15 Chase Hill SO 6-2 192 Converted quarterback who switched to receiver last spring
WR 4 D.J. McAulay JR 5-11 180 Suff ered season-ending injury in opener against Delaware in ‘07
81 Cameron Dohse SO 6-0 177 Had 31 catches for 557 yards and fifi ve TDs in ‘07
TE/HB 98 Rob Varno JR 6-5 218 Key reserve last season
83 Gareth Hissong SO 6-3 252 Makes move to TE after beginning career as a DL
LT 77 Jake Marcey RFR 6-4 308 Earns starting position as red-shirt freshman
62 Thomas McCutcheon JR 6-5 325 Enters season looking to gain fifi rst signififi cant playing experience
LG 79 Michael Grant SR 6-5 296 Started all 11 games at left guard last season
67 Kyle Allison SO 6-2 300 Scout team in ‘07; switched from DT to LG last fall
C 53 Luke Hiteshew SR 6-1 304 Two-years of starting experience; team’s strongest lineman
75 Eric O’Brien SR 6-1 270 Hard-working reserve who will challenge for playing time
RG 56 C.J. Muse JR 6-4 315 Two years of starting experience
62 Thomas McCutcheon JR 6-5 325 Enters season looking to gain fifi rst signififi cant playing experience
RT 72 Keith Hill SO 6-4 315 Promising young lineman with ability to have major impact
63 Chris Sutton RFR 6-2 267 Member of the scout team last season
QB 11 Jake Phillips SR 6-3 209 All-CAA Third Team in ‘07 with 2,801 passing yards and 19 TDs
16 R.J. Archer JR 6-2 218 Starting WR last season; second on team with 39 catches
RB 43 Jimmy Hobson SO 5-11 226 Two rushes for eight yards last season; squad’s top true FB
33 Tom Schonder SO 5-11 182 Rushed for 42 yards versus Virginia Tech; great hands
TB 23 Terrence Riggins SO 6-1 234 Scored two touchdowns last season on just 19 carries
28 Ryan Woolfolk RFR 5-11 192 Member of the scout team las season
Defensive Depth Chart: N.C. State Game
Pos. No. Name Elg. Ht. Wt. Notes
DE 97 Adrian Tracy JR 6-4 244 Led team with 9.5 TFL in ‘07
52 Marcus Hyde RFR 6-3 223 Skilled young end with great potential
DT 93 Sean Lissemore JR 6-4 274 Had two sacks last season; great physical skills
92 Mike Stover SO 6-3 253 Walk-on who earned signififi catn playing time in ‘07
DT 99 Harold Robertson RFR 6-0 290 Great size and strength
40 Kyle O’Brien SO 6-0 246 Missed all of last season due to ACL surgery
DE 95 C.J. Herbert JR 6-3 264 Veteran defensive player who enters third season as a starter
94 Ravi Pradhanang FR 6-3 253 Explosive young player with great potential
MLB 44 Josh Rutter SR 6-3 222 Ranked second on the team with 95 tackles in ‘07
50 Todd Reyher SR 6-0 218 Experienced player who gives Tribe solid depth
WLB 5 Michael Pigram SR 5-10 219 Fourth on the team with 66 tackles last season
21 Evan Francks SO 5-11 212 Athletic young player who shows promise
SLB 32 Jake Trantin RFR 6-1 232 Talented linebacker who enters fi rst season as a starter
48 Wes Steinman SO 6-2 226 Played in seven games in ‘07
CB 24 Ben Cottingham SO 5-9 163 Recorded pair of interceptions in Tribe’s season fi nale at Richmond
38 Terrell Wells SO 5-10 180 Saw playing time as a freshman with 13 tackles
SS 6 David Caldwell JR 5-11 213 Led the team with 107 tackles in ‘07
22 David Houff SR 6-1 199 Team’s most experienced reserve DB
FS 26 Michael Alvarado SO 6-0 194 Experienced special teams performer
41 Sheldon Alexander JR 6-1 205 Saw action in fifi ve games last season
CB 37 Derek Cox SR 6-1 186 All-CAA Third Team in ‘07 with team-high three interceptions
42 Fred Johnson JR 6-1 190 One of team’s top special teams performers
Special Teams Depth Chart: N.C. State Game
Pos. No. Name Elg. Ht. Wt. Notes
KR 38 Terrell Wells SO 5-10 180 Totaled 90 kickoff return yards in ‘07
6 David Caldwell JR 5-11 213 Primary kick returner in ‘07, totaling 486 yards on 20 returns
PR 2 Elliott Mack SR 6-0 195 First season as primary punt returner
37 Derek Cox SR 6-1 186 Totaled six punt return yards last season
PK/KO 80 Brian Pate JR 5-9 175 Converted 40-of-41 extra-point attempts in ‘07
87 David Miller SO 6-0 180 W&M’s punter
P 87 David Miller SO 6-0 180 Averaged more than 35 yards per attempt last season
80 Brian Pate JR 5-9 175 W&M’s place-kicker
H 16 R.J. Archer JR 6-2 218 Returns as team’s starting place-holder
7 Mike Callahan SO 5-11 190 Reserve quarterback
LS 15 Chase Hill SO 6-2 192 First year as starting long-snapper
75 Eric O’Brien SR 6-1 270 Reserve center
SS 56 C.J. Muse JR 6-4 315 Handled short-snap duties last season
57 Mike Schrift RF 6-2 286 Reserve off ensive lineman
NC State Two-Deep Depth Chart
| 2008 NC State Depth Chart |
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Thanks to NC State and William & Mary Athletics for much of the information in this preview.