Category Archives: N.C. State

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NC State picked to win the ACC; first time since 1974

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For the first time since the 1974-75 season, NC State has been picked as the favorite in Atlantic Coast Conference in voting by the media at the league’s annual Operation Basketball.

The Wolfpack, which returns four starters from last season’s team that posted a 24-13 record and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, received 26 of the 53 first-place votes and totaled 601 points.

Duke, which also returns four starters, was second with 589 points, including 21 first-place votes while North Carolina was third with 520 points. Defending ACC Florida State received the remaining six first place votes and placed fourth with 484 points.

Miami was picked for fifth with 436 points, followed by Maryland (341), Virginia (287), Clemson (277), Georgia Tech (189), Virginia Tech (169), Wake Forest (151) and Boston College (90)

NC State junior forward C.J. Leslie, who averaged 14.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season, was voted the Preseason ACC Player of the Year while teammate Rodney Purvis was named Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year.

Leslie heads up the ACC Preseason All-ACC team and is joined by Wolfpack teammate Lorenzo Brown, Duke’s Mason Plumlee, Florida State’s Michael Snaer and North Carolina’s James Michael McAdoo.

Listed below are results of the voting in the ACC Operation Basketball preseason poll.

Team Predictions
1. NC State (26) 601
2. Duke (21) 589
3. North Carolina 520
4. Florida State (6) 484
5. Miami 436
6. Maryland 341
7. Virginia 287
8. Clemson 277
9. Georgia Tech 189
10. Virginia Tech 169
11. Wake Forest 151
12. Boston College 90
(53 ballots)

Preseason All-ACC
Lorenzo Brown, Jr., NC State
C.J. Leslie, Jr., NC State
James Michael McAdoo, So., North Carolina
Mason Plumlee, Sr., Duke
Michael Snaer, Sr., Florida State

Preseason ACC Player of the Year
C.J. Leslie, Jr., NC State

Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year
Rodney Purvis, Fr., NC State

– News release

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Heading into Maryland, Pack coach says team confident in Glennon

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After taking over for Russell Wilson, NC State QB Mike Glennon has started 19 games and is one of 15 college players up for the 2012 Johnny Unitas
Golden Arm Award. Glennon leads the Wolfpack into Maryland after a bye week.

“He’s very confident right now in what he’s doing,” State coach Tom O’Brien said Wednesday at his weekly media teleconference. “Our team has a lot of confidence in him. He’s performing at a high level.”

Glennon threw four interceptions in the season opener against Tennessee but has thrown only three in the five games since. So far he has completed more than 60 percent of his passes for 1681 yards.

“(He) had a couple of miscues early there in the Tennessee game,” O’Brien said. “But he’s come back and played well the last three games he played. He set a record throwing the ball against Miami. Came back in the second half against Florida State. I think threw for over 200 yards actually when we needed him there mostly in the fourth quarter. Converted three straight fourth-down conversions.”

O’Brien said things actually started kicking in for Glennon midway through last season, his first as a starter.

Historically, the Wolfpack has done well after a bye week under Tom O’Brien, posting a 4-2 mark. Although the record in those games following bye weeks have been favorable for the Wolfpack, the results have been close – decided by an average of just nine points per game.

“They’re playing great right now, coming off two victories, especially one on the road,” O’Brien said of the Terrapins adding that they have a senior-dominated defense that is playing well. +Then certainly they’re very explosive on offense. Tremendous speed and skill at the wide receiver, tight end position.
It’ll be a great challenge for us but we look forward to the opportunity.”

The winner will have the inside track on the division title.

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NC State AD Yow to speak at weekly Raleigh Sports Club luncheon

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North Carolina State University Athletic Director Debbie Yow will be the guest speaker at the Raleigh Sports Club meeting Wednesday. Organizers expect a capacity crowd to listen to Yow give an update on the status of the Wolfpack athletic program.

Yow formerly held the AD position at the University of Maryland and Saint Louis University. She previously served as the head coach of the women’s basketball teams of the University of Kentucky, Oral Roberts University and the University of Florida.

Maddie Plumlee, a volleyball player at St Mary’s, will be honored as the Student Athlete of the Week.

The meetings emphasize friendship, fellowship, weekly door prizes, pick sheets, and great food. This is the 49th year of The Raleigh Sports Club.

The Raleigh Sports Club weekly Wednesday luncheon meetings are from 11:30 -1 p.m. at Highland United Methodist Church at 1901 Ridge Road in Raleigh. The Forks Cafeteria caters a Southern Buffet with lines opening at 11:30 a.m.

Member attendance fee is $15 while guests are $25. For more details go to www.raleighsportsclub.org.

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State, Maryland meet with each controlling their destiny

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Two ACC Atlantic Division teams – NC State and Maryland – that “control their destiny” will meet in College Park, Md., at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium Saturday
(3:30 pm, ESPNU).

The Terrapins, the only unbeaten team remaining in conference play, are coached by Randy Edsall and feature a defensive unit led by a pair of seniors in DE Joe Vellano and LB Demetrius Martsfield, that is ranked 9th nationally in both rushing and total defense.

The Wolfpack, coached by Tom O’Brien, are led by senior QB Mike Glennon, who is 3rd in the ACC in passing yards per game with a 280.2 average.

The Terrapins and Wolfpack are meeting for the 69th time in a rivalry which began in 1909 and is the ACC’s 8th longest continuous series.

The Wolfpack enters Saturday’s ACC game at Maryland ranked sixth nationally in tackles for loss per game (8.17). LB Rickey Dowdy leads the way with 1.33 TFL per game, and fellow LB Rodman Noel is averaging one per contest. Dowdy is also the team co-leader in sacks with .42 per game.

The Oct. 6 win over then- No. 3 Florida State marked the highest ranked opponent NC State has defeated since downing No. 2 Florida State, 24-7, in 1998 … NC State has now beaten a ranked FSU team in five of the last seven meetings. Sophomore WR Bryan Underwood set a new school record with a TD catch in his sixth consecutive game when he hauled in the winning score vs. FSU with 16 seconds left. Underwood now has seven TD catches on the season, a mark that is already seventh-most in a single season in school history.

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State coaches working on individuals during bye week

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Coming off an emotional win over powerful Florida State, you’d think NC State would just want to heal up and get ready for the next opponent. But Coach Tom O’Brien wants to use the time wisely… and work on each individual player.

“We’ll coach everybody, scout team guys, the guys that are red shirt freshmen that — or the freshmen we’re looking to red shirt,” O’Brien said but he admits the week will also be about getting healthy. “The key to us is trying to get some guys healthy and back. We lost Forrest West for the season probably on Saturday night with a broken ankle, so he and Zach Allen both are now out for the year. Just try to get to be a better football team this week.”

Having lost to Miami and then beating Florida State, it’s been an emotional couple of weeks. Is O’Brien worried about that roller coaster ride taking its toll on the players?

“I would be if we had to play this weekend, but thank goodness we don’t,” he said. “Hopefully we can get off that and be solid the rest of the way. Certainly you would like to think that this win will give us a lot of confidence, but we’ve got six conference games left. Each game we treat as we’re playing for the Conference Championship. We’ve put ourselves back into the race by beating Florida State. I think that we can be, with our senior leadership, hopefully not be so up and down.”

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Game summaries: O’Brien now 8-5 against ranked teams after State beats FSU

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The winning percentage of NC State head coach Tom O’Brien against nationally ranked teams in his six seasons in Raleigh is .615. During that time O’Brien has posted an 8-5 record against ranked teams, including Saturday’s 17-16 last-second upset of 3rd-ranked Florida State.

Since the 2003 season, O’Brien’s teams at Boston College and NC State have faced 24 nationally-ranked teams and have beaten 15 of them, a .625 winning percentage.

NC State 17, #3/4 Florida State 16
QB Mike Glennon connected with WR Bryan Underwood on 2-yard touchdown pass on fourth down with 16 seconds to play, and PK Niklas Sade added the extra point to lift the homestanding Wolfpack (4-2 overall, 1-1 ACC) to a dramatic 17-16 win over the third-ranked Seminoles (5-1, 2-1). FSU led 16-0 at the half, thanks to PK Dustin Hopkins’ three fi eld goals and QB EJ Manuel’s 4-yard touchdown pass to TE Nick O’Leary. But the Wolfpack defense held the Seminoles, who had averaged 51 points in their fi rst fi ve games, scoreless in the second half.

Sade’s 27-yard field goal cut into FSU’s lead in the third quarter. Then, following an interception by DB Juston Burris, Glennon led a 67-yard scoring drive that was capped by a 24-yard touchdown pass to RB Shadrach Thornton that brought the home team within 16-10 with just over 11 minutes to play. The Wolfpack’s winning score was set up when DE Mike Rose blocked a punt to set up NC State at the FSU 43-yard line with 2:27 to play. The Wolfpack marched to the end zone from there in 12 plays, converting on three fourth downs including the winning TD.

Duke 42, Virginia 17
WR Conner Vernon caught two touchdown passes and set the Atlantic Coast Conference record for career receptions as the Blue Devils (5-1, 2-0) recorded their second straight ACC win and continued their fastest start to a season since 1994. That year also marked the Blue Devils’ last appearance in a postseason bowl game. QB Anthony Boone, filling in for injured Blue Devil starter Sean Renfree, threw four touchdown passes. Vernon caught seven passes and now has 239 receptions for his career, breaking the previous ACC mark of 232 set by Clemson’s Aaron Kelly (2005-08). RBs Kevin Parks and Perry Jones rushed for first half touchdowns for Virginia (2-4, 0-2).

Duke takes its four game-winning streak on the road to face the Virginia Tech Hokies Saturday at Lane Stadium (12:30 p.m., ACC Network). A win by Duke would make the Blue Devils bowl eligible. Since joining the ACC in 2004, Virginia Tech has won eight straight against the Blue Devils and overall has 11 straight wins in the series, with Duke’s last win coming in 1981 in Durham. Duke has never won in Blacksburg.

North Carolina 48, Virginia Tech 34
RB Giovani Bernard rushed for a career-high 262 yards, and WR Sean Tapley delivered a pair of big play touchdowns to lead the homestanding Tar Heels (4-2, 1-1). Bernard’s big day included a 62-yard touchdown run. Bernard’s rushing yardage was the 11th-best in the 60-year history of the ACC. It was also the 5th-best mark by a
UNC running back since the school began play in the conference in 1953. Tapley raced 94 yards on a kickoff return for a game-tying touchdown after UNC had spotted the Hokies an early 7-0 lead and also scored on a 19-yard touchdown pass from QB Bryn Renner. RB A.J. Blue added a pair of rushing touchdowns for the Tar Heels. WR Demetri Knowles returned a kickoff 93 yards for a Virginia Tech touchdown. QB Logan Thomas passed for 354 yards and two touchdowns and also had a 13-yard touchdown run for the Hokies (3-3, 1-1).

UNC is not eligible for the Coastal title due to NCAA sanctions, but that hasn’t slowed down their fast-paced offense which has racked up 114 points in its last
two games.

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Florida State outscoring opponents by 40 points; NCSU doesn’t want a shootout

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NC State is taking note of the fact that Florida State is scoring 51 points a game and giving up just 11. ‘We don’t have the horses to be in a shootout game,” Pack coach Tom O’Brien said today during his media teleconference. “I don’t think that’s ever the case. But we are going to find out on Saturday night.”

He said the coaches have been trying to figure out how to stay with Florida State. “As far as the team is concerned, the main problem I’m concerned with is their legs and their health,” O’Brien said. “I mean, we played basically a four-hour game in 90-degree heat with humidity astronomical, too. So right now I think the physical fact of getting our legs back, because certainly if we’re not quick — if we’re not as quick as we can be and as fast as we can be, it’s going to be tough to stay up with the athletes that Florida State has.”

The Seminoles’ QB EJ Manuel is currently the all-time conference leader in percentage completions. O’Brien said the time he spent filling in for Christian Ponder when he went down with injuries a couple of years ago helped him. Then, last year, as a full-time starter, he got better and better.

“I think Coach (Jimbo) Fisher does a great job of understanding what his talents are and what his abilities are and putting him in situations and throws where he can be successful,” O’Brien said. “So it’s a combination of he has great talent, certainly you have to think that he does a good job off the field studying in preparation for a game, and he’s been given throws and given opportunities to be successful.”

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Area college teams amassed 137 points between them Saturday

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While it wasn’t a good ending for NC State, the Wolfpack offense racked up 37 points while winning teams North Carolina piled up 66 and Duke 34 last weekend for a total point production of Triangle teams of 137. All three teams have big ACC matchups this coming Saturday.

Miami 44, NC State 37
QB Stephen Morris’ 62-yard touchdown strike to WR Phillip Dorsett with 19 seconds left lifted the Coastal Division leading the Miami Hurricanes (4-1 ACC, 3-0 overall) to their third straight ACC victory, 44-37 over NC State. Morris finished with an ACC- and school-record 566 yards passing. NC State (3-2, 0-1) rallied from a 37-27 fourth-quarter deficit before yielding the long score to the Hurricanes in the closing seconds. Dorsett caught seven passes for 191 yards and two touchdowns. WR Rashawn Scott had six catches for 180 yards and two more touchdowns for the Hurricanes. Morris out-dueled Wolfpack QB Mike Glennon, who completed 24 of 42 passes for a career high 440 yards and four touchdowns.

“In 38 years, I haven’t seen a football team make this many mistakes and that comes back to me,” NC State coach Tom O’Brien said.

The Wolfpack hosts No. 3 Florida State at 8 p.m. Saturday (ESPN2). The Pack has won three of the last five meetings between the two teams at
Carter-Finley Stadium.

Duke 34, Wake Forest 27
Duke WR Conner Vernon matched the Atlantic Coast Conference record for career receptions with 232 as the Blue Devils (4-1, 1-0) scored their first win over the Demon Deacons (3-2, 1-2) since 1999. The Blue Devils rushed for 123 yards and scored four times on the ground with QBs Anthony Boone and Brandon Connette combining for three rushing scores. WR Desmond Scott added 11 catches for 134 yards for Duke, which scored twice in the fourth quarter to build a two-touchdown lead after the score was tied at 20-20 despite losing starting QB Sean Renfree to a right elbow injury. Wake Forest QB Tanner Price finished 19-of-38 for 230 yards with two touchdowns.

“There were plays made by the defense; obviously four big turnovers or takeaways,” Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. “The kicking game was as solid as it could be and we ran the ball when we had to. People stepped up consistently and made plays on offense.”

The Blue Devils are off to their best start since 1994, and host Virginia (3 p.m., RSN) at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham this Saturday.

North Carolina 66, Idaho 0
RB Gio Bernard scored twice, QB Bryn Renner threw three touchdown passes and North Carolina (3-2) set a school scoring record in a 66-0 win against visiting Idaho (0-5). Freshman WR Quinshad Davis added two TD catches for the Tar Heels, who finished with 575 total yards. The UNC defense intercepted four passes on the day, surpassing the previous season total of three. The Tar Heels also set a school record for margin of victory in addition to points scored.

North Carolina, coached by Larry Fedora, hosts Virginia Tech (12:30 p.m., ACC Network).

This team is very capable of doing some special things,” Fedora said. “If we keep preparing the way we’re preparing the last couple weeks and we keep playing with a lot of energy then we can do some really, really good things. It’s a lot of fun playing out here. It’s a lot of fun playing in front of our crowd. Our kids really enjoy it.”

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Former PGA golfer Vance Heafner dies at 58

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Golfer Vance Heafner, who had 19 top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour, has died at the age of 58.

A three-time All-America golfer at N.C. State, Heafner played in 258 professional matches before he became the director of golf at Cary’s Prestonwood Country Club.

He had suffered a number of injuries, including a fall, that limited his playing golf.

He is believed to have suffered a heart attack.

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Pack opens conference play at Miami, a team they haven’t played since ’08

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NC State travels to Miami for its conference opener. It marks the first time since 2008 that the ACC teams have met.

“It seems kind of funny we only play them every four years, but I’m very excited,” said Wolfpack safety Brandan Bishop, who is from Boca Raton, Fla. “When I came on my official visit, we played them right around Thanksgiving when I was a senior (in high school), so I’m definitely excited to get down there and play them.”

Since he took over as head coach of the Wolfpack after the 2006 season, Tom O’Brien and his NC State squad have faced teams from the ACC’s Coastal Division 15 times. In 11 of those 15 contests, the Wolfpack has emerged victorious. That .733 winning mark ranks second among current ACC coaches.

O’Brien has had his most success versus Coastal Division teams on the road, posting a 6-1 mark with the only loss coming at No. 16 Virginia Tech in 2009. He has won at UNC twice, at Georgia Tech, at Miami, at Duke and at Virginia. The Pack has posted a 5-3 mark at home against Coastal opponents since 2007.

“Certainly we look forward to the opportunity to get into the conference, play a conference game,” O’Brien said. “Going on the road to Miami, a team that really had a great victory this past weekend at Georgia Tech, is really important.”

O’Brien said that, as always, Miami has great skill, speed and explosiveness. “It will be a big challenge for us, but we look forward to the opportunity to go play,” he said.