RALEIGH
Two changes will come for N.C. State this week, and either could prove lethal enough to derail a three-game winning streak.
The Wolfpack will play its first road game on Saturday, after playing its first four games at home. The game against Wake Forest at 3:30 p.m. will also be N.C. State's first ACC game.
Even after games against South Carolina of the SEC and Pittsburgh of the Big East Conference, Leroy Burgess knows that conference play will produce a higher level of intensity from start to finish.
"Like Coach says, it's time to man-up or shut up," Burgess, a senior defensive tackle, said. "You've got to practice harder. You've got to get in the film room (more) and go to work."
N.C. State (3-1) has started a season strong for the first time in three seasons under Coach Tom O'Brien. He is pleased with his team's progress in the last three weeks, but is still seeing mistakes and shortcomings that must be eliminated in his judgment.
The coaching staff counted more than 20 missed tackles in last week's 38-31 come-from-behind win against Pittsburgh, although O'Brien said seven came on one play. N.C. State had at least 20 missed tackles in its season opener also, a 7-3 loss to South Carolina.
O'Brien told his players after the Pittsburgh game to not be overly happy because he said the team is not good right now, despite its winning streak.
"We've played two (NCAA) Division I teams and missed over 20 tackles in both of those games," O'Brien said. "We had trouble getting them on the ground. We're very happy to win the game but we're certainly not a good football team if we're doing things like that.
"As bad as we played and as many mistakes as we made, we still won the football game. We're very cognizant of the fact that it isn't going to work this week."
Neither Burgess nor George Bryan, a tight end, was surprised with O'Brien's team assessment.
"It was a win, but it was an ugly win," Burgess said. "When you want to be a good team, you have to do even the smallest little details right. That's what Coach O'Brien preaches and that's what we have to do to be at the top of the ACC and the better teams in the nation."
O'Brien is still concerned about the secondary, but there can be no denying the improvement of the defense. N.C. State is allowing only 201.2 yards a game to lead major-college football in total defense.
But with eight games left, all in ACC play, O'Brien is confident that it's too early in the season to make any judgments about the defense or any other aspect of the team's play.
"It doesn't really say anything," O'Brien said. "It's only after four games and one month of the season. If we're there after 12 games, I think it will say a lot about our defense."
O'Brien considers Wake Forest a team capable of shredding any defense. He has high regard for the cool manner in which Riley Skinner, a four-year starter for Wake Forest, runs a complex offense at quarterback, and the way in which the receivers are used in the running game in getting the ball on sweeps.
Burgess remembers at least two plays in last season's game when trying to contain Wake Forest's misdirection when an offensive guard slammed into him in an almost blind-side hit.
"It woke me up a little bit," Burgess said. "I think I had to pick up my chin strap a little bit after that one."
O'Brien has no regrets about playing the first four games at home. The game at BB&T Field will require only a bus trip, not an airplane ride, and O'Brien will ask his seniors to help those players who will playing their first road game.
O'Brien still can't judge what this N.C. State team is capable of this season, but has a good idea that conference play will provide some answers. With the preliminaries out of the way, Burgess is ready to get down to serious business.
"This is conference play," he said. "This is the big time. This is where you earn championships, right here. You've got to man-up now."
bcole@wsjournal.com.
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