N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien says that his team has played well over the last month except for the hiccup at Florida State and he attributes that to getting healthy again.

“We’re working hard (in preparation for Boston College) to have continued success that we’ve experienced three out of the last four weeks,” he said.

Q. Coach, how much of a change of (James) Washington’s success this year is taking the opportunity he’s had at runningback?
COACH O’BRIEN: I think more importantly he’s healthy for the first time. Each of the two previous seasons coming in, especially last year when we were counting on him, he ended up spraining his ankle in pre-season camp and wasn’t healthy until November of last year. I think he’s worked hard in the strength and conditioning area to make sure he would be healthy going into this year. Certainly given the opportunity to succeed, he’s made the most of it. So I think it’s a combination of both of those things.

Q. He’s developed into one of Mike’s favorite targets. How does that help both Mike and the offense?
COACH O’BRIEN: Well, I think it’s important for us, especially our running backs, that they can catch the football. It’s one thing they have to be able to do. We work hard, especially when people back up, if they’re going to dump the ball off to a running back, they’re going to have to be able to catch it and make something out of it. That’s part of his game that he works hard on. Mike, certainly can trust him now to be able to catch the ball. He keeps making catches and making key downs for us.

Q. What have you been most encouraged by over this last four-game stretch here?
COACH O’BRIEN: Well, we finally started to get healthy. We went through the stretch, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, where we had 12 guys out that played a lot of football for us. We started to get healthy at Central Michigan. From that point on, we played pretty good.
The first half of Florida State was not a good defensive effort, but certainly the second half from Central Michigan, second half of Florida State, Virginia, and certainly the North Carolina game, our defense finally started to get healthy again and get guys back playing much better. I think that’s the best thing we’ve been doing now. Then we haven’t been turning the football over. If we play good defense and not turn the football over, you have a chance to win all the time.

Q. You say this is going to happen as soon as we get healthy. Did you see this coming once the injury problem went away?
COACH O’BRIEN: I didn’t know we were going to get healthy. Certainly we knew in order to have any success, we would have to get healthy and get guys back.
D.J. Green is out for the year, (Jeff) Rieskamp is out for the year, two guys important to the defense. Other kids now have stepped up and played. We have to continue doing this, especially this week going to Boston.

Q. I’m doing something on ACC tight ends. I was wondering about George Bryan. His numbers are a bit down this year. Can you talk about how he’s played, what you see from him.
COACH O’BRIEN: Well, I think he may have pressed early. The other thing he was probably frustrated early. Coming into the year with a new quarterback and new wide receivers, defense rightly so said we’re going to have to take George Bryan out of the game, they won’t have anybody to throw you. In a lot of cases, first five months, he was double and triple teamed. Now that we’ve established the fact that T.J. Graham, Tobais Palmer, Bryan Underwood, Jay Smith, some of those guys can catch it and hurt you. They’ve had to cover other guys, it’s allowed him a little more freedom to get into the passing game. He’s done a solid job blocking in the running game.
His game is back to where it should be and where we need it to be in this crucial step in November.

Q. Tobais Palmer had a big game Saturday. Talk about his development this season.
COACH O’BRIEN: He was a guy certainly we were counting on coming in. He came in, we redshirted him last year even though he spent a couple years at Georgia Military. We thought it would benefit him because he was a running back, coming out of high school and junior college. Made the transition to wide receiver. We used that year to coach him, give us an extra time to get him ready to go.
He’s been an integral part of any success we’ve had because he’s learning more and more each and every week what it takes to be a big-league wide receiver.

Q. Your history has been that your teams seem to get better as the year goes on, especially after that bye week. What is it about the bye week and second half the season that seems to bring out the best in your team?
COACH O’BRIEN: Well, I think a couple years it’s had to do with injury problems the first half of the year, trying to get guys back in the lineup and healthy, then we were able to get back to where we wanted to get to. Certainly I think everybody that plays this game tries to get better each and every week.
We’re such a fundamentally sound oriented staff, sometimes those things take weeks to kick in, especially if you’re not a veteran team. We haven’t been a senior football team yet since I’ve been here. You got a lot of young kids that maybe they’re playing for the first time, learning. They will get better as the year goes on because it’s important to them and they want to be good.

Q. When you have a bye week, do you concentrate on fundamentals? What exactly do you work on during those weeks?
COACH O’BRIEN: The bye week we always go back and work on fundamentals. It’s similar to a spring practice or pre-season camp. We go back to coaching everybody. Everybody gets the same rep from the first group to the last group. We try to make the whole football team a more sound fundamental football team.

Q. Tom, one of the defenders who has been really steady for you all year and had a big game against North Carolina, Terrell Manning. Talk about the way he’s performed for you this year. I guess he sort of slid into Nate’s old spot.
COACH O’BRIEN: Terrell is playing the same spot. Nate played there two years ago. Last year Nate moved to the middle linebacker. Terrell has been the weak side linebacker for a little more than two years now. He was the most experienced player coming back, the three linebacker positions at his position. He had to play well for us. It was tough for us when we lost him for the Cincinnati and Georgia Tech game, but able to get him back there for the Central Michigan, from that point on, with getting other people back, the defense has been much better.
I think the thing that happened Saturday, with (J.R.) Sweezy getting back, (Thomas) Teal getting back and playing, we had some guys up front now that could keep the offensive linemen off the linebackers. Audie Cole and Terrell Manning could run and make plays on Saturday, which they both did.

Virginia wide receiver Kris Burd, offensive guard Austin Pasztor, and safety Rodney McLeod headline a list of nine players named as the ACC Football Players of the Week, announced by the conference on Monday. Burd, the Receiver of the Week, caught nine passes for 112 yards to help the Cavaliers defeat Maryland, 31-13. Pasztor, the Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week, had six knockdown blocks to help the Virginia offense amass a season-high 527 yards. McLeod, the Defensive Back of the Week, had three interceptions in the second half to secure the win.

NC State’s Terrell Manning, the Linebacker of the Week, had 11 tackles, a sack, three pass breakups, and three quarterback knockdowns in the 13-0 win over North Carolina, the first time the Wolfpack has shut out the Tar Heels in 51 years. Wil Baumann, the Specialist of the Week, downed four punts inside the North Carolina 10-yard line.

Florida State’s Anthony McCloud (Defensive Lineman of the Week) and Nick O’Leary (Rookie of the Week) helped the Seminoles defeat Boston College 38-7. Miami’s Jacory Harris (Offensive Back of the Week) and Tyler Horn (Co-Offensive Lineman of the Week) were key performers in the Hurricanes’ 49-14 win over Duke.

OFFENSIVE BACK – Jacory Harris, Miami, Sr., QB, 6-4, 195, Miami, Fla.

Harris threw three touchdowns in Saturday’s 49-14 win over Duke. Harris orchestrated scoring plays on the first four possessions of the game for the Canes. The signal-caller was 14-of-20 (70%) for 202 yards and passed for three scores. Harris became the second Miami quarterback to pass for 8,000 or more yards in his career. Harris entered the game with 7,895 passing yards and collected 202 against Duke to end with 8,097 yards. With his three touchdown passes, Harris moved into a fourth-place tie in ACC history with 68 career touchdown passes.

RECEIVER – Kris Burd, Virginia, Sr., WR, 6-1, 200, Matoaca, Va.

Kris Burd caught nine passes for 112 yards in Virginia’s 31-13 win at Maryland. It was the seventh 100-yard receiving day of his career. The nine receptions were a season high and the 112-yard performance was his second best game this season.

CO-OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Austin Pasztor, Virginia, Sr., OG, 6-7, 305, Langton, Ontario

The senior offensive guard was nearly flawless in Virginia’s 31-13 victory at Maryland. Pasztor played 83 plays and graded out at 93 percent. He had six knockdown blocks as the Cavaliers rushed for 220 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and threw for 307 yards while rolling up a season-high 527 yards. Pasztor and the Cavalier line did not allow a sack as quarterback Michael Rocco attempted 36 passes. It marked the second straight game the unit has not allowed a sack.

CO-OFFENSIVE LINEMAN – Tyler Horn, Miami, Sr., OL, 6-4, 305, Memphis, Tenn.

Tyler Horn helped lead the Miami offense to 467 yards of total offense in a 49-14 win over Duke. The senior center directed an offensive line that did not allow a sack and saw quarterback Jacory Harris pass for three touchdowns and 202 yards. The Canes put up another 265 on the ground, including four scores. With the work of the line, running back Lamar Miller gained 147 yards to go over 1,000 for the season.

DEFENSIVE LINEMAN – Anthony McCloud, Florida State, Jr., NG, 6-2, 311, Thomasville, Ga.

McCloud posted a season-high five tackles (4 solos, 1 assist) from his nose guard position as the Seminoles held BC to 94 yards on 39 carries. Florida State ranks third in the nation in rushing defense. McCloud registered a tackle for loss and a forced fumble, dropping Boston College tailback Rolandan Finch for a six-yard loss on the second drive of the game. FSU recovered at the BC 2 and jumped out to a 7-0 lead it never relinquished. In addition to stuffing the run, McCloud’s ability to push the pocket contributed to FSU limiting BC to 207 total yards.

LINEBACKER – Terrell Manning, NC State, Jr., LB, 6-3, 233, Laurinburg, N.C.

Manning had a huge game for the Wolfpack, which shut out UNC for the first time in 51 years. Manning, a junior form Laurinburg, N.C., played 59 snaps and had 11 total tackles, a sack for 12 yards, three pass breakups and three quarterback knockdowns. Manning had three stops on third down and one stop on fourth down, all in the game’s final 20 minutes.

DEFENSIVE BACK – Rodney McLeod, Virginia, Sr., S, 5-11, 180, Oxon Hill, Md.

The Cavalier defensive back had three interceptions (all in the second half in an 18-minute span) in Virginia’s 31-13 victory at Maryland. McLeod’s first pick came at the Virginia 27-yard yard line after Maryland had driven to the UVa-30 with the Cavaliers holding a 21-13 advantage. UVa went on to score a TD following the turnover. Both of McLeod’s fourth-quarter interceptions came on fourth-down plays, one at the VA 23-yard line and the other at the VA-4 yard line. McLeod also led the Cavaliers in tackles with seven. He becomes the first ACC player this season to record three interceptions. McLeod becomes the first Cavalier to intercept three passes in a game since Anthony Poindexter (current assistant coach) against NC State in 1996. He becomes the fourth BCS player this season to record three interceptions in a single game.

SPECIALIST – Wil Baumann, NC State, Fr., P, 6-4, 185, Wilmington, N.C.

The Wolfpack’s freshman punter was invaluable in the victory over the Tar Heels. Baumann, from Wilmington, N.C., punted seven times for an average of 37.9 yards. He had five punts inside the UNC 20-yard line, four of which were downed at or inside the 10 (two downed at the 10, two at the 7). North Carolina’s average starting field position on its 13 possessions was its own 21.

ROOKIE – Nick O’Leary, Florida State, Fr., TE, 6-4, 240, Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

The true freshman led the Seminoles with a career-high 87 receiving yards on three receptions, which also matched his previous single-game best. O’Leary’s 58-yard reception of an EJ Manuel pass set up Florida State’s third score, good for a 21-0 lead against Boston College. It was the longest reception by an FSU tight end since Lonnie Johnson’s 78-yard catch in 1993. O’Leary also had a 23-yard reception which set up FSU’s final touchdown of the game early in the fourth quarter.

“We’re certainly hard at work trying to get ready to play a very good North Carolina football team,” N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien said with his Pack coming off a 34-0 loss at Florida State. “This is a great game. Glad to be part of it. Excited about the fact it’s at home. Look forward to kickoff starting 12:30 on Saturday.”

QUESTION: Coach, what kind of problems does Giovani Bernard present for your defense, the things he can do?

COACH O’BRIEN: Well, he has very good quickness. He has good vision. When you have a line that has three guys that are 6’7”, a couple 6’3”, 6’2”, guys all 300 pounds, he gets behind them and he pops out.
The thing he has, he has breakaway speed. He runs away from people, great cuts, has good vision. It will be a great challenge for our team.

QUESTION: What about his ability to catch passes out of the backfield?

COACH O’BRIEN: Well, that’s always a plus. I think Coach Shoop does a good job of using him in that capacity. He’s a complete player and has done a good job so far this year.

QUESTION: I know you have tried to put the Florida State loss behind you and move on immediately. Do you sense this week they’ve been doing that or is that one of those easier said than done kind of things?

COACH O’BRIEN: No, they put it behind them on Sunday. It’s easy when you have an opponent like North Carolina coming in here to forget everything else except what we have to get done for this Saturday.

QUESTION: In terms of looking at the Carolina game, do you feel like you are still at that point, how much of a gap is there between the two programs? Is it really as close as the past couple scores have indicated or do you sense because of the way you have been playing recently you’re headed in different directions?

COACH O’BRIEN: I have no idea. I mean, I don’t understand what you’re asking. I think we’ll compete very good here on Saturday.

QUESTION: Coming off that game last week, point of emphasis about how you played against UVA.

COACH O’BRIEN: Goes back to the fundamentals. Certainly we have to protect the quarterback, that has to be number one. That will be a challenge with their front four. They do a great job of putting pressure on the quarterback. Brown, he’s the number one sacker and number one tackler. He does a great job rushing the passer, too.
Those things each and every week, whether you win or lose, you have to move on to the last week and learn from the last. Hopefully we’ve learned our lesson and move on to the next game.

QUESTION: Learned your lesson in terms of the pass protection?

COACH O’BRIEN: Yes.

QUESTION: Coach, you guys had been running the ball effectively in recent games. It obviously didn’t happen. Was that a function of the way the game went or Florida State’s defense?

COACH O’BRIEN: I think a combination of Florida State’s defense. They’re fourth in the nation against the run, number one defense in the conference. When you get to a certain point, you’re forced to throw the football, they know what you’re doing, it compounds a lot of problems that you can have against a defense that’s like that. We couldn’t establish anything early in the first quarter. I think that was a bad thing for us.

QUESTION: Was this a step back?

COACH O’BRIEN: No. I mean, we still have to get better. The previous two weeks we played awfully well, the previous two games. So you have to count it as a setback. There’s still a lot of football left. You have these things back and forth during the season.
Whether it’s a long-term problem, we’re going to start finding out here on Saturday.

N.C. State is coming off two straight wins going into this weekend’s game against Florida State. Wolfpack coach Tom O’Brien says it is important that his player look forward and not to the success they’ve had the past couple of weeks.

QUESTION: You’ve won two in a row now. Is there anything you were particularly pleased with from last week’s game that you’re telling the kids, all right, this is exactly what I want, keep it up for this week?

COACH TOM O’BRIEN: Well, I think it’s a
combination that we started — we were so
devastated injury-wise and we started to get some
guys back by the first game, and certainly the
off-week allowed — we had a lot of guys just beat
up in themselves, and then getting (J.R.) Sweezy
back and a couple others for Virginia, after being
able to try to put a defense back together for a
couple weeks, I think that was the biggest thing
that happened. It was people and the players.

They played with a lot of enthusiasm, knew that
they were going up a really good Virginia football
team, coming off a great win against Georgia Tech,
and it was a very good victory for us to go on the
road and win a game.

QUESTION: Each year’s team is a new thing, and prior to the Virginia game your three wins had been at home where people would have perceived you as the favorite. How important is it, and how much morale boost do you think your players got from beating an ACC team on the road?

COACH O’BRIEN: Well, it should be a good
boost for them to understand how difficult it is.

This league is very difficult to go on the road and to
win, especially when you go play a good team and
a team like Virginia who was 4-2 at that point and
coming off a great win the week before. It caught
their attention being the NC State football team
and what a great team Virginia was and how great
they were playing.

But that one is by us, and we have to look
forward to Florida State. We can’t be looking in the
rear view mirror. We have to get focused on
Florida State or you can get run out of the ballpark
down there.