Hoping to keep the dominance alive

'08 Football Stat of the Day24

The last time that NC State and South Carolina played each other in football, the Wolfpack won.

The last time that NC State and South Carolina played each other in basketball, the Wolfpack won.

The last time that NC State and South Carolina played each other in baseball, the Wolfpack won.

Tonight the Wolfpack tries to extend its dominance over former conference brethren to the South.

There are two popular theories for why charter member South Carolina left the ACC after the 1970-71 school year.

One is that then-Gamecocks athletic director and football coach Paul Dietzel believed the conference’s difficult academic entrance requirements negated any chance for his program to achieve success on a national level.

A second is that then-Gamecocks basketball coach Frank McGuire had worn out his welcome and convinced the school’s administration to leave the league high and dry after having whipped North Carolina in a memorable 1971 conference tournament championship game in Greensboro.

At the time it happened, I thought (still do) that football issues drove the decision

The front page of Pack Pride has 4 or 5 articles focused on tonight’s game as well as a web run that can take you to any article out there, including this insightful piece about NC State’s history of success in big non-conference season openers.

N.C. State has a history of upsets in season openers over the years. Iowa, Texas and Syracuse were some of the victims. But they didn’t always translate into big seasons.

In light of our conversation earlier in the week it’s worth noting that today’s N&O / Charlotte Observer has provided very good coverage of tonight’s game through Ken Tysiac and Caulton Tudor (and the ACCNow Blog that even has some video.)

ESPN is also excited about the start of the college football season – even ACC football!

NC State get a break that doesn’t involve a body part. These guys are due for one. It’s not the third-string left tackle that gets hurt for these guys, either, it’s their leading rushers and receivers. I want to see what the Pack can do at 100 percent.

Don’t miss the videos.

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'08 Football Stat of the Day

24 Responses to Hoping to keep the dominance alive

  1. BJD95 08/28/2008 at 10:28 AM #

    Ken Tysiac has really been kissing our asses this summer. I want to enjoy it, but I can’t help but infer an Eddie Haskell quality to it.

  2. vtpackfan 08/28/2008 at 11:00 AM #

    We also started a new history section on how to open a season off against UCF. Enough, last years business doesn’t need to be rehashed.

    I put this on other thread and I will include it here because it counts as the only thing I’m going to write about tonites game.

    Try to resist pinning all your hopes on the final score. I want to see us win, I would dance and shout and scream in miniacle ways. If we don’t win then I’m not putting all my eggs in a basket called “Did we keep it close”

    Heres my outlook on success other then shocking the BCS world with it’s first upset of the season. In order greatest to worst.

    1) Russell runs for one td and passes for another. Responsible for no TO’s

    2) RW runs and/or throws a TDand has >3 TO’s

    3) Read #2 but change to 3 or more TO’s

    4) Responsible for no offensive scoring; Just TO’s

    5) Hurt. See “Which Diasaster Next Thread”

    As you can see, anything less then a win and it’s all about “Rustle Hustle”. We have seen for too long that we need a QB that can do more with less. Let’s quit whinning about CtC and the OL and cheer for another over-achiever ala Barnette. God Bless the Pack! And God Bless America!

  3. WolftownVA81 08/28/2008 at 11:05 AM #

    I want to see a penalty free game that still has intensity. If I see hustle across the board and some fire in the eyes of our players, I’ll be happy even if we loose. Tonight is about over coming adversity and gaining some self respect. Show em what you got guys. This is our time to shine on a national stage. Go Wolfpack!

  4. StateFans 08/28/2008 at 11:05 AM #

    We can’t be choosy, BJD.

  5. ChiefJoJo 08/28/2008 at 12:09 PM #

    Thanks for the information-filled post, SF!

    That said, I’m not a believer in long-gone seasons having diddly squat to do with projecting future success. Especially those results as much as ten years ago, when many on our current team were in 4th grade. This game will be decided solely by the coaches and players onthe field.

    Make no mistake. Spurrier and the Gamecocks are in year four of their program, and thus have better personnel. We will need a fabulous effort from a number of expected *and* unexpected/unproven sources to come away with the W tonight.

    Aside from scoring more points (duh), to win we will need to:
    (1) win the turnover battle (hopefully +2 or better)
    (2) remain poised & keep mental mistakes to a bare minimum (max 5-6 penalties)
    (3) control the clock by outrushing SC (150+ to 125 yds would be nice)
    (4) be able to limit SC to 1-2 big plays (returns & ‘explosive’ 30+ yd offensive plays)
    (5) produce at least a stalemate in the special teams and field position battle

    On offense, I expect us to try to establish the running game early (come on OL!) and use Wilson’s speed on rollouts, looking for his big, safe target (Hill) in the flats. Wilson must somehow remain poised in front of 85k on ESPN and the OL has to block some people.

    On defense, so long as we can get decent penetration from the base 4 DL and hold the run in check fairly well (#3), I think we play a mix of 2-deep/3-deep zone and some man coverage in the back 7, forcing SC into underneath passes and hoping to confuse their young QB into INTs if he goes deep. Again, this all depends on the DL holding up at the point of attack without much extra help, and the DBs making plays.

    If we play hard for 60 minutes and come very close to doing stepa #1-5, and we don’t win, then I will be OK with the results. At the end of the day, it’s the confluence of 100% effort, teamwork, and execution that will have me proud of this team, regardless of the outcome.

  6. SuperStuff 08/28/2008 at 12:19 PM #

    I hope Andre Brown will rip that USC defense apart. This guy is ready to explode like he did on Southern Miss and FSU.

  7. Dr. BadgerPack 08/28/2008 at 12:30 PM #

    I hope it rains. A lot.

    I’ll take our QB with running ability over their QB in a monsoon.

    But we won’t get a monsoon– as Dogbreath noted, God doesn’t like us. 🙂

  8. EverettBeez 08/28/2008 at 12:41 PM #

    What is the forecast Dr. B?
    Its great to be the underdog – a win will be excellent, a great game with limited mental mistakes will also be a great step forward, even if its a loss. But man, I want to beat these cocks. I could care less about Spurrier.

  9. Dr. BadgerPack 08/28/2008 at 12:43 PM #

    Hi 87, Low 71, 30% chance of rain.

  10. DAMangum 08/28/2008 at 1:32 PM #

    I think this should be a fairly low scoring game and if our D can force some turnovers we have a legit shot at the win.

  11. packalum44 08/28/2008 at 1:41 PM #

    ewww i am so scared. the big bad SEC team is going to hurt us. there D is so scary good. Freak that. I remember we had the #1 D in country and we stilled sucked. Willie Y is going to sack Beecher’s axx and force turnovers. i predict the game is between Wilson versus Beecher. Kick axx State!

  12. RabidWolf 08/28/2008 at 1:44 PM #

    Here’s a little something to hopefully bring a smile to the older Wolfpack fans on the site….and some hope to the ones who didn’t have the pleasure of witnessing the “Cardiac Pack”

    http://www.wral.com/sports/video/1060572

  13. pakfanistan 08/28/2008 at 1:50 PM #

    Personally, I’m a little concerned about our kicking game tonight. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

  14. Dr. BadgerPack 08/28/2008 at 1:54 PM #

    I’m concerned I won’t have nearly enough beer.

  15. WolfQuacker 08/28/2008 at 2:14 PM #

    Can anyone point me to a site that publishes the starting lineups?

    GoPack!

    PS – Funniest sign I have ever seen was WFU vs USC many moons ago, it read: Our Deacs are bigger than your Cocks!

  16. Wolf Dog 08/28/2008 at 2:18 PM #

    Amazing how all of a sudden the local beat writers such as Ken Tysiac have a love fest over their local teams as soon as the N&O and Charlotte O. announce they cutting staff. Only ass involved here is Ken and Co. trying to save their own. This is type of job they should have been doing all along.

  17. b 08/28/2008 at 2:55 PM #

    That game in 1986 is amazingly similar to this one. They have one of their best teams and nobody knows what we have. They are so convinced they are gonna whallup us, and I frankly don’t expect a win. But they aren’t gonna blow us out. I sense we are a hungry team, though green, and I will be floored if the effort isn’t there. We just don’t have the quality depth yet.

    If it’s within one score into the fourth, its a good trip for us regardless of what happens from there.

    Here’s to Willie Young and Kuhn getting to know Beecher too well for Spurrier’s taste. Either pops or junior. And I got booku beers, just in case.

  18. Scooter 08/28/2008 at 3:35 PM #

    Hopefully the PR will have booku beers for all just in case as well. Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!!

  19. Astral Rain 08/28/2008 at 3:50 PM #

    I’m expecting a pure mudfight. Hopefully TOB has some gimmickry planned, got a feeling it’s gonna be needed.

    Thinking final score will be like 13-11 or something ugly.

  20. Texpack 08/28/2008 at 4:24 PM #

    ^WolfQuacker
    Best bumper sticker was when USC played USC the year George Rogers won the Heisman. It read “No Trojan can hold our ‘Cocks.”

  21. DuPack 08/28/2008 at 4:30 PM #

    Eric K. and Mike Golic briefly discussed tonights game this morning on Mike and Mike in the morning. Eric K. said that this year’s squad is Spurrier’s best since he has been at USC. I haven’t got that sense from some posters that seem to be well informed. Anybody have an opinion either way?

  22. b 08/28/2008 at 4:47 PM #

    They have a solid back 7 on D, and a great playmaking WR in McKinley. They have piles of unproven talent with the exception of RB and OL, and a starting QB that was not recruited by any other D1 school. Their D should make them a bowl team, and their MLB will play on Sundays.

    You can say this is one of their best teams, but that’s kind of like deciding which of your dog’s poo-poos is best.

  23. redfred2 08/28/2008 at 5:50 PM #

    good sense tells me to be rational and realistic about this thing…

    BUT DAMN, I AM P U M P E D!!!

    They may, or may not, stand a chance in this game, I’m just hoping to see a team that is heavily influenced by a whole new, WINNING, attitude and philosophy!!!

    GO W O L F P A C K ! ! !

  24. phillypacker 08/28/2008 at 6:40 PM #

    where is the radio broadcast available for free? anybody have any ideas?

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