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Pack seeks new beginning
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Published: October 27, 2009
RALEIGH - Rested after a much-needed week off, N.C. State will try to generate another late-season charge starting on Saturday to save its football season.
Strong comebacks in the fall have taken place in both of N.C. State's seasons under Coach Tom O'Brien. The 2007 team won four consecutive games after a stumbling start in the first six games, and last season's team won four consecutive also to stop a losing streak and secure bowl eligibility.
DeAndre Morgan, a veteran of both teams, is confident that another run can be made this season, even with the next game coming on the road against Florida State.
"I really believe so," Morgan, a junior cornerback, said. "After our bye week we always come together as a team. You've just got to push forward and continue to fight, and for some reason play a little bit better in the second half of the season."
Ted Larsen, another veteran of both previous late-season winning streaks, still believes that a winning season is possible, and that N.C. State can gain bowl eligibility for a second consecutive season.
Larsen, a senior center, said that last week's open date came at an opportune time in allowing all the players to step back and take a break after three tough losses dropped N.C. State to 3-4 overall and 0-3 in the ACC.
"We're ready for almost a new beginning," Larsen said. "It's a second chance at the season. I'm looking forward to going out there and starting over. We're just focused on winning the next game. That's the goal right now."
Last week's break came in near-identical time to the 2007 season. N.C. State had struggled to a 1-5 record in its first season under O'Brien, took off a week because of an open date and then beat East Carolina, Virginia, Miami and North Carolina to even its record.
O'Brien said that the overall situations of this season and 2007 are not similar, however, and that he is dealing with an entirely different set of demands.
"The first year we were here we were doing different things with different people," O'Brien said. "What we were coaching them wasn't what they were capable of doing. We changed some guys' positions to fit what we had to do.
"That's certainly not the case this year. We know what we want to do; we just haven't gotten the execution out of some of the guys that we need, specifically in third-down situations to get off the field."
The off week was used to reinforce fundamentals to every player. Morgan said that time for the defense was devoted to tackling, which O'Brien has considered a season-long problem.
Morgan said that the work was mainly on tackling technique, not in getting a player to the ground. A pursuit drill in which all 11 players had to race after a scout-team running back who sped to either side of the field was used frequently to sharpen skills.
Time was used also to work on the secondary. C.J. Wilson will move back into the starting lineup at FSU after Rashard Smith injured an ankle against Boston College and was lost for the season. Smith is the 10th N.C. State player out for the season.
Wilson, a redshirt freshman, started the season opener against South Carolina. The secondary will match up against quarterback Christian Ponder, who amassed 395 yards passing and three touchdowns in leading FSU to a comeback 30-27 win against UNC last Thursday.
Ponder completed 33 passes in 40 attempts, and hit on his last 16 in bringing FSU back from 18 points down. Smith's promotion will give N.C. State its seventh starting secondary lineup in eight games.
"We just feel that he gives us the best chance we have in the secondary," O'Brien said. "It's been a struggle but hopefully he'll be the answer."
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