Wahoo! NC State Makes It Two Straight, 29-24 Over UVA

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Evans 24-46, 348 Yds, 3 TD’s
Bowens 11 rec, 202 yards
Eugene 23 carries, 112 yards

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78 Responses to Wahoo! NC State Makes It Two Straight, 29-24 Over UVA

  1. Texpack 10/28/2007 at 11:43 AM #

    This was fun to watch. I think Bible has figured out which throws Evans has the arm strength to make on a consistent basis. That is the key if he is going to be your QB. Don’t ask him to make the frozen rope passes. The attitude of the team looked much improved.as well.

  2. Stoner 10/28/2007 at 11:48 AM #

    From the criticism of Bible, by BC fans, I was worried about him as OC. He is an upgrade over everyone, who has coached here as OC, since Chow.

  3. Anthony Grundy 10/28/2007 at 11:59 AM #

    VT Pack/Choppack.

    touche’. I still think that putting the best players on field is one of the most important decisions to make. Even more so at the QB position as it’s considered the most difficult position ot play in all of sports. I’m really suprised that TOB would yank your #1 QB after just one half of football in the first game of the season. Nevertheless, it’s not unreasonable. However, one would like to see some production out of Beck. Honestly, he’s had some of the worst performances that I can remember. I know at one point he had 2 td’s and 9 interceptions. I think his 2 td’s were against a D1-AA team? I just think the choice for the QB position is/was pretty obvious, but it’s always easier make the call when I’m sitting on the couch with a beer in hand.

    The second point is too much speculation for either of us to really talk about with any amount of confidence. But yeah, i agree we’re not a great team. However, we are not a bottom 10 team in college football. We’re much better than that. We’re a mid-tier D-1 team, which can compete with any team in the ACC on any given saturday (or thursday). Missed assignments, incomplete passes, penalties are all part of the game and exptected. Yet, when the same guy makes the same mistakes over and over it’s demoralizing…especially when it’s the QB.

    Anyways, I’m glad to see people are still following the football team.

  4. kool k 10/28/2007 at 12:22 PM #

    ESPNU is replaying the game right now

  5. PurplePeopleEaters 10/28/2007 at 12:23 PM #

    I saw the first three quarters on TV and then had to switch to radio when my friend with TWC had to leave. Awesome game.

    I’ll say this for sure.. I did not believe that we would have any games like this this year but this team is proving me wrong time and time again. Donald Bowens looks like a total stud (although I’ve been saying that since the FSU game last year) and for the most part surprised me with this sick performance. I think the coaching staff is understanding that we need to get our playmakers the ball.

    What more can you say about Marcus Stone. Probably one of my favorite state players ever. Shows serious heart and passion on every play and is definitely a team first guy. I know it’s probably a pipe dream but I really hope some NFL teams take a look at him. He has the skill set, size and potential since he’s only played TE for a year…

    Since Pressley has been back our line has been absolutely stellar. Pressure on every play..

    Vermiglio held his own against Long. That speaks for itself.

    Great game overall. Let’s take this momentum into Miami and then take down the Heels at Carter-Finley. GO PACK!

  6. choppack1 10/28/2007 at 12:37 PM #

    “I’m really suprised that TOB would yank your #1 QB after just one half of football in the first game of the season. Nevertheless, it’s not unreasonable. However, one would like to see some production out of Beck. Honestly, he’s had some of the worst performances that I can remember. I know at one point he had 2 td’s and 9 interceptions. I think his 2 td’s were against a D1-AA team? I just think the choice for the QB position is/was pretty obvious, but it’s always easier make the call when I’m sitting on the couch with a beer in hand.”

    Why, did you see the start vs. UCF?? Beck looked great against UCF. Beck can do things Evans can’t. Even against BC, Beck moved the chains. Unfortunately, Beck just isn’t accurate and doesn’t make quality decisions.

    Remember, Evans had won the starting job initially. However, he played so badly vs. UCF, wasn’t able to move us against a very mediocre Louisville D, didn’t much good vs. Clempson, and made a couple of horrendous decisions vs. FSU which may have cost us the game.

    I do think that Bible, Inc. and Evans have done well the last 2 games, knowing this QB can do and what he can’t do. If our OL turns into swiss cheese again – and Evans is flushed out of the pocket every other down, I’m pretty confident we’ll see the return of the Evans that we saw vs. UCF and after the Wake game (what I call “post-concussive Daniel.”)

    Right now though, Evans has been great the last 2 games. For the year, he has more TDs than INTs (how ’bout that!) He’s thrown more TDs than he did last year – and he’s completing passes at a higher %. He’s being asked to execute gameplans he can execute- and he’s executing them.

  7. VaWolf82 10/28/2007 at 12:47 PM #

    I know at one point he [Beck] had 2 td’s and 9 interceptions. I think his 2 td’s were against a D1-AA team? I just think the choice for the QB position is/was pretty obvious, but it’s always easier make the call when I’m sitting on the couch with a beer in hand.

    The only way it was easy to tell who the starting QB should be was to ignore the last seven games of last year and the 1st half of the UCF game this year. Didn’t TOB say last week that he thought Beck was a little better, but DE had earned the right to start against UVA?

    However, the decision was made for the coaching staff and Evans has stepped in a big way. Last year it seemed like people made adjustments and shut down DE’s passes that won the BC and FSU game. However I’ll worry about that next week. Yesterday the OL, WRs, and DE all had a great day against a good defense. And State’s defense didn’t do bad either….especially in the second half.

  8. noah 10/28/2007 at 1:24 PM #

    Until the OL begin playing well, talking about who should have been the starting QB was a rather silly exercise.

  9. redfred2 10/28/2007 at 2:26 PM #

    This may be silly but did anyone listen to the postgame radio interview with TOB?

    At the start of the interview I expected to hear some excitement and maybe, “HEY COACH, GREAT WIN!!! THAT’S TWO IN A ROW!!! Blah blah blah…” just to let the coach savor a great win over a top twenty team.
    Instead, the interview is started with a long drawn out question about the players buying into the new philosophy.

    What th hell is that? Come on, we need someone to add some color to the announcing. Someone with enthusiam who enjoys the moment first, then they can bring up the “in-depth” questions later on.

    TOB may be a little dry, but the announcers aren’t helping or adding anything either.

  10. VaWolf82 10/28/2007 at 2:51 PM #

    Instead, the interview is started with a long drawn out question about the players buying into the new philosophy.

    I heard it. It was a stupid question that took forever to get out. The question implies that State’s starters didn’t buy into TOB’s game plans and somehow did their own thing.

    Sports journalists with their tired cliches can be extremely irritating.

  11. vtpackfan 10/28/2007 at 3:15 PM #

    TOB is a quiet, undaunted professional. Nothing bush league is going to faze him.

    I agree with Red that for our benefit it would be nice to have an interview capture the excitment and weight lifting experience that occurred last night at C-F. We have been so hungry and craved for something that resembled good coaching, great effort, and strong execution.

    TOB beleives in his system to the absolute fullest. It was, to many in Chestnut Hill, a fault that caused a rift between the fan base (what little of it exist). It will be so interesting to see how things evolve here at NC State for the next 5 years or so (or next four or five games if something miraculous happens). His steadfast approach and cmprehensive knowlegde of all facets of the game comes through in any interview, no matter how foolish the questions may be. Go Pack!

  12. StateFans 10/28/2007 at 3:15 PM #

    I am glad everyone noticed what a stupid question Haynes asked in the post game interview with TOB. It sounded to me like TOB was embarrassed by the question.

  13. vtpackfan 10/28/2007 at 3:22 PM #

    “Until the OL begin playing well,..”

    Noah, did you noticed the rotation of Ojo at RG, subed by Green when McCuller entered the ball game? It looks like finding a replacement C for next year (and avoiding nagging injuries) could be the only huge obstacles to overcome next year.

  14. redfred2 10/28/2007 at 3:24 PM #

    ^I agree, I think TOB was taken aback also. How about a little levity, a sigh of relief, and big pat on the back for the coach first.?

  15. burnbarn 10/28/2007 at 3:40 PM #

    That may not have been the first question he asked coach; it i sonly the first one we heard. There may have been other reporters around and he may have been asking a follow up to another question as his first.
    If that was his first i do agree however in other’s coments.

    That is now 8 straight good quarters of football for us. I wonder if we can only play well from ahead?

    Daniel is doing things better now, but he still scares me throwing out on the wing. it seems the ball will never get there.

  16. old13 10/28/2007 at 3:46 PM #

    If Foulup is sent packing, the SID and announcer problems (not to mention his complete incompentency) will take care of themselves. (Who knows, maybe Oblinger would even figure out that Stafford is a thorn in, and needs to be away from NCSU sports, and will have the guts to make it happen! But then I tend to stretch things in my dreams!)

  17. ShootingGuard 10/28/2007 at 4:13 PM #

    This was a great game on about every level possible. On the heels of beating a pest in ECU, beating a top 15-20 ranked team shows how much heart the kids have and is great fodder for recruiting and building a better future for the program.

    It would be so easy for some with the bare cupboard we started with and all of the injuries to key players to just quit, but neither the coaches nor the players look like they want to use the easy excuse or take the easy way out the rest of the season. They are fighting, and that is great. I hope they continue to fight and are rewarded for their efforts with some more wins…

  18. Ismael 10/28/2007 at 4:25 PM #

    One of the reporters asked TOB do you “go to the hot-hand” in reference to Bowens having a great game and he gave an awesome answer: ‘we don’t have goto-guys, our QB’s are taught to throw in progression.” Or something like that. Which is why if you try to shutdown someone like DBlackman that teams have been trying to do for the last 2 weeks, there should be other open guys…I’ve always said/thought that sportswriters were just the geeks who never got picked or picked last and so they take out years of angst and bullying on those very superstar athletes they always wanted to be but were never even close to.

    Also in listening to BE and Bowens interviews, the coaching staff saw that Uva corners tended to play soft if a receiver went by them expecting SS/FS help and it never came yesterday. Not only do we have a good head coah, but he brought some damn good assistants with him who aren’t the type to leave just because someone wants them to be a head coach at North-South Western-Eastern Technical Community College University (think EZU).

    AnthonyGrundy, your belief in Daniel is a little too blind. If you give a guy time to throw who can throw something that remotely looks like a spiral, he can succeed against any defense PROVIDED he’s given time to throw. Beck, and I’ll admit, i saw why DE got the start in the first game, looked horrible when he was being sacked and pressured. But he’s also made throws this year that DE could never make. He made a throw on the run against BC that was effortless for about 35 yds – (that is DE’s longest accurate throw he can make, if he sets his feet and heaves into it). And as you and even myself have pointed out, he likes to throw into 3x-coverage as well.

    Going back to my point about Evans and 35yd range. I have noticed the last two weeks that when he gets at about 40yds he is gunning for the endzone, i like that spunk. Look at all the TD passes yesterday: the first one to Bowens was 40 yds, about 35 in the air. The TD pass to Bowens was a 30yrder at the back corner of the end zone. If i am a defensive coordinator…i am thinking DE’s gonna try to burn me at any moment starting from about the 40-45 yrd line. The Dunlap Miracle last year was a 34yrder.

    i want all the QB’s to do well.

    One thing i will begrudginly give Amato credit for was his recruitment of WR’s. Darrell Blackman is converted and he’s the shortest one at 6-2, all the others are taller than that with D.Davis and J.Williams being 6-5 and 6-6 I think. This is so important. What i like about our WR’s is that they are hard hitting too after they catch it, Bowens probably most of all.

    Un-talked about, i think at least as far as i have read is that Eugene ran for 112 yards against a very good defense.

  19. Ismael 10/28/2007 at 4:42 PM #

    ShootingGuard: good point. This ought to put to rest any notion that many shared that TOB was intentionally doing things to teach lessons and not necessarily win games.

    In all of this, we should remember he had to get to know what the hell the players he got could actually do with a football and lined up against people who hate your guts for 3.5 hrs on a saturday. I liken the midseason bye week to be an example of the sage-like in-game coaching of one, sidney lowe. Moving people around, making the hard decisions to start DeAndre Morgan and Javon Walker, moving Kuhn to D-End and putting Willy and Littleton on the same side just speaks volumes about the wisdom and years of coaching these men all have under their belts (or inside their caps).

    In the 2nd half, the Defense gave up about 100 total yards, in the 4th quarter i think it was 42 yards the bulk of that coming on the touch down at the start of the 4th.

  20. statered 10/28/2007 at 4:45 PM #

    How many sacks did Young have yesterday? 2?

  21. Ismael 10/28/2007 at 5:02 PM #

    statered, the box says 2.5…he had a ton of hurries though

  22. noah 10/28/2007 at 5:51 PM #

    “If Foulup is sent packing, the SID and announcer problems (not to mention his complete incompentency) will take care of themselves.”

    The announcers do not work for NC State. They work for Capital Sports. One has nothing to do with the other.

    And Tony Haynes is probably the best announcer who has EVER worked NC State games.

    I know there’s a knee-jerk “blame Fowler” mentality that displaces every other thought in some poster’s heads…but let’s try to reign in the stupidity just a little please.

  23. noah 10/28/2007 at 5:51 PM #

    “It looks like finding a replacement C for next year (and avoiding nagging injuries) could be the only huge obstacles to overcome next year.”

    Andy Barbee is going to be our center next year.

  24. RabidWolf 10/28/2007 at 7:39 PM #

    Nope, noah, I would have to disagree with your assessment of Tony Haynes. The greatest announcer to ever work NC State athletics was Gary Dornburg…I STILL get goosebumps every time I hear the 1983 NCAA Championship game called by Dornburg and Ausley. Haynes is good, and Evans is a good compliment to him, but not the best.

  25. RabidWolf 10/28/2007 at 7:40 PM #

    Hey, I had a flat tire today…..DAMN YOU LEE FOWLER!

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