ACC: Alan Michael Cash
2009 overall record: 5-7
2009 conference record: 2-6
Returning starters
Offense: 7; Defense 5; Punter/Kicker 1
Top returners
QB Russell Wilson, WR Owen Spencer, OT Jake Vermiglio, LB Nate Irving, PK Josh Czajkowski, TE George Bryan, WR Jarvis Williams, LB Dwayne Maddox, LB Audie Cole
Key losses
C Ted Larsen, HB Toney Baker, DE Willie Young, DT Alan Michael Cash, CB DeAndre Morgan, LB Ray Michel
2009 statistical leaders (* returners)
Rushing: Baker (773 yards)
Passing: Wilson* (3,027 yds)
Receiving: Ja. Williams* (547 yds)
Tackles: Cole* (73)
Sacks: Young (8)
Interceptions: C. Johnson (2)
Spring answers
1. Wilson will be back, but Mike Glennon is a capable starter. Starter Russell Wilson missed all of spring football to play baseball, but his season didn’t quite take the turn he had probably hoped, as Wilson wasn’t a starter. In his absence, Glennon impressed coach Tom O’Brien and completed 21 of 38 passes for 423 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in the Pack’s spring game. As long as Wilson picks up where he left off in 2009, it should be his job to lose.
2. Irving is back and can play. After missing last season with injuries he sustained in a serious 2009 summer car accident, it was unclear how much Irving would be able to contribute this spring. He moved to middle linebacker and eased his way back into full participation and played in half of the spring game.
3. Defensive linemen emerging. Even though all four starters from last year’s defensive line graduated, there was enough talent there this spring for optimism. Darryl Cato-Bishop, David Akinniyi, and Brian Slay impressed the staff. Their success is critical, as both J.R. Sweezy and Markus Kuhn are facing disciplinary action.
Fall questions
1. Who will run the ball? For the first time since 2005, NC State doesn’t have a running back with any starting experience. Brandon Barnes broke his ankle, and the competition is now between Curtis Underwood, who redshirted last year, and James Washington, who played in six games as a true freshman last year.
2. Punter, please. Nobody on the team has ever punted in a game situation. Chris Ward was the likely top option , but he was suspended for the spring and possibly the fall.
3. How much can the defense improve? With Irving back and former Georgia Tech defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta coaching the linebackers, it would seem as if the defense would get a boost. It’s going to have to if the Pack is going to make it to the postseason. NC State was No. 99 in the country last year in scoring defense, and No. 106 in pass efficiency defense. The secondary is lead by freshmen and sophomores.
Since it’s a good day to be green, here’s a look at the ACC’s youngest and most inexperienced groups throughout the conference:
1. NC State’s defensive line: The Pack have to replace all four starters up front, including two of the top five tacklers from a year ago, Willie Young and Alan Michael Cash.
2. NC State’s running backs: For the first time since 2005, the Pack don’t have any tailbacks with starting experience.
3. FSU’s secondary: Aside from Ochuko Jenije, none of the defensive backs have played more than one season.
4. Miami tight ends: There are only two participating in spring practice, and one is a redshirt freshman. The Canes signed four in this recruiting class, but none were early enrollees.
5. Wake Forest quarterbacks: The Deacs will replace the winningest quarterback in school history with somebody who has never had any starting experience. Ted Stachitas is the veteran of the group, with one series against Elon.
A total of 12 players were lost to season-ending injuries, and the Pack (2-6, 5-7 ACC) suffered a 1-6 stretch that eliminated them from postseason play for the second time in O’Brien’s three seasons. The root of the problems were with the defense, where NC State ranked 99th in the country in scoring defense, allowing 31.17 points per game. The Pack were 106th in pass efficiency defense, and injuries forced the staff to use a different starting lineup in the secondary for at least three quarters of the season.
The two positive headlines for NC State this year came when tailback Toney Baker was granted a sixth year of eligibility, and when the season ended on a triumphant note with a win over rival North Carolina. NC State also earned a marquee nonconference win against Pittsburgh, which wound up playing for the Big East title.
Offensive MVP: Quarterback Russell Wilson – He completed 59.3 percent of his passes for 3,027 yards and 31 touchdowns. He threw just 11 interceptions.
Defensive MVP: Alan Michael Cash – He blocked one kick, forced a fumble and finished with 55 tackles, including 3.5 for loss and two sacks.
Turning point: In late June, Irving -- arguably the team’s top defensive player -- suffered a broken leg and a collapsed lung in a one-car crash. It was an emotional incident and a loss that set the tone for the entire defense, which struggled all season without their top player and leader.
What’s next: The coaching staff needs to continue to recruit and build depth so it's not in this position again, with virtually no upperclassmen to depend upon and too many young, inexperienced players forced into important roles. The staff also needs to find out whether Wilson plans on focusing on football or baseball, and whether Baker will enter the NFL draft.
OFFICIALS MAKE GREAT CALL
- The ACC Football Officials Association only has about 75 members, but the group came together to raise $3,000 for cancer research in support of BC linebacker Mark Herzlich, who was diagnized with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a form of bone cancer, in May. The check was presented to Herzlich prior to the Boston College-North Carolina football game last weekend and the official who made the presentation was Mike Owens, a head linesman from Clinton, S.C., who is also a cancer survivor. More than $135,000 has been raised for cancer research from the ACC community in Herzlich’s name.
- Boston College senior place-kicker Steve Aponavicius is the only kicker in college football’s FBS to be perfect in both field goals and extra points this year. Aponavicius is 9-for-9 in fi eld goals this season and 36-for-36 in extra points. Aponavicius has hit 15 straight field goals and 81 straight extra points. Marshall’s Craig Ratanamorn was perfect until last weekend, when he missed a field goal.
- Clemson running back C.J. Spiller needs just 26 all-purpose yards to become the fifth player in NCAA history to reach 7,000 for his career. He will attempt to go over that number against a team he has had success against in his career. Spiller has 498 all-purpose running yards against South Carolina in three games, including 331 in 42 rushes, a 7.9 average.
- Florida State once again leads the ACC in penalties, but in Saturday’s 29-26 victory over Maryland, the Seminoles pulled off something they haven’t accomplished since Bobby Bowden’s first season in Tallahassee. FSU played a penalty-free game against the Terrapins. The last time that happened was Sept. 18, 1976 against Miami when the ‘Noles were neither penalized nor – as was the case against Maryland – have any accepted penalties in a game.
- Georgia Tech juniors Jonathan Dwyer, who has 1,203 rushing yards, and Josh Nesbitt, who has rushed for 847 yards this year, have a chance at becoming the first duo from one ACC team to each rush for 1,000 yards in one season since 1993 when North Carolina’s Curtis Johnson (1,093 yards) and Leon Johnson (1,012) accomplished it. Nesbitt, who has led Tech to a conference-record 41 rushing touchdowns this year, also is tied for the lead in the ACC in scoring, averaging 8.7 points per game. Nesbitt could become the first quarterback in 30 years to lead the conference scoring since NC State’s Scott Smith tied for the title in 1979.
- Last week at Virginia Tech, the Wolfpack’s defensive front pressured Tyrod Taylor 20 times, according to the coaches’ film grades. Two weeks ago against Maryland, 24 of NC State’s 25 credited pressures came from the defensive line. In seven games against ACC teams this season, the entire defense has been credited with 91 quarterback pressures or hurries. Eighty-three of those have been from defensive linemen. Alan Michael-Cash and Willie Young lead the way with 14 each.That large number of pressures hasn't always turned into sacks, though. The defensive line tallied six sacks in the conference opener against Wake Forest, but has made only five in the six games since.
NC State defensive coordinator Mike Archer hasn’t exactly been sleeping too well these days, and he knows he’s not winning the People’s Choice award right now in Raleigh. But he’s working tirelessly nonetheless to improve NC State’s defense. He’s certain the problem isn’t effort. Long story short, it’s a combination of injuries, inexperience and, at this point, a lack of confidence.
NC State’s defense has given up an average of 482 yards of total defense in its four ACC games, the worst mark in the league by almost 30 yards. In conference games, the Wolfpack ranks last in the league in total defense, scoring defense, passing defense and ranks 11th in rushing defense. The only position on defense that has started the same unit in every game is the defensive line.
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| Tim Steadman/Icon SMI | |
| Willie Young has been one of the mainstays on the NC State defense this season. |
Here are the highlights of our recent conversation:
Man, another tough year for the D.
Mike Archer: It is what it is. You and I talked this summer, we got off to a rough start with what happened to Nate [Irving]. And then Dominique [Ellis] left the team and Jimmaul Simmons left the team, and Javon Walker, who started five games for us in 2007, and got injured in the Miami game, we were very hopeful he would be back for this year. We were counting on him being one of the safeties and he’s done with football.
You take those four guys, and three of them played on one side of the field, it’s been tough. But it’s part of the game. No one feels sorry for us. Everybody has injuries. It’s been frustrating and it’s been hard. The way we started, the South Carolina game, we played very well and held them to seven points, but realistically they weren’t quite sure of what we were going to do. We played with a true freshman corner and a redshirt freshman corner in that game, and we played a lot of Cover 2. But as the year goes on and that film goes out, people find them. When we were in Tallahassee, I look out there Saturday and we have a true freshman corner, a true freshman safety, a redshirt freshman safety and a junior corner on the field with two freshman linebackers.
It is what it is. You’re not going to be just stoning people when you’re playing young kids. We have to understand that and continue to move forward and keep improving. That’s our job as players and as coaches.
I remember last year when the defense was struggling, you challenged them. Remember that? It was a pretty public thing. Have you guys had a talk like that, or is this not the case for it?
MA: I’ve thought about that and we’ve talked. During the open date after the BC game, we sat down and looked everything we’ve done and it really comes down to execution. We’ve got a good system in place when our guys execute it. When we have the right guys out there, we’re pretty good. We have to execute. That’s what’s been frustrating.
It started in the second half of the Wake Forest game. We were not very good on third downs against Riley Skinner and it ended up costing us the game. The following week at Duke, third downs just killed us. They were 13-of-19 and could not get off the field on third down and picked us apart. Those two quarterbacks are awfully good. They were smart. They went after our freshman corners and our freshman safety. That’s their job as coaches. They get paid, too. They’re on scholarship. But third down has not been what it was early in the season. We were good in the South Carolina game, we were pretty good in the third down against Pitt. But we’ve lost our execution edge and the biggest thing in my opinion, we’ve lost confidence, obviously. It’s become mental.
On the bright side, I would think Willie Young has been one of the guys who has played consistently.
MA: Our front four kids, the four seniors, Alan- Michael Cash, Willie, Shea McKeen and Leroy Burgess have really done a good job all year. All year. When you look at us on defense, there are four seniors and everyone else is freshmen and sophomores. There’s a big age gap there. They’ve done a good job of being positive leaders and keeping everyone’s chins up. Nobody feels sorry for us and we don’t want anybody to feel sorry for us. It is what it is. It’s part of sports. It’s like [head coach] Tom O'Brien] said, we’ve lost 11 guys this year for the year. We thought we had it bad last year. It’s worse this year.
Why? Why does that happen to you guys?
MA: If I knew, I wouldn’t be coaching. I’d be a doctor or a sports psychologist. I’d have your job. ... Everyone says it’s a curse. It’s the way it is. I wish I knew so we could prevent it, but like Todd Rice says, if we knew, we’d prevent it.
Ranking the ACC units: Defensive lines
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
1. Clemson -- The Tigers return three starters up front, and first-year defensive coordinator Kevin Steele's pressure defense is the perfect fit for guys like Da'Quan Bowers and Ricky Sapp. Sapp was having a good season last year before he tore his ACL at Virginia and missed the rest of the season. Defensive end Kevin Alexander is a returning starter who had 34 tackles last year, and nose guard Jarvis Jenkins tied Sapp for the team lead with 10 tackles for loss. Opposing quarterbacks won't have time to think against this bunch.
2. Miami -- Anyone watching the Virginia Tech game last year saw what this group is capable of, and of the nine linemen who started at least one game for Miami last year, seven are back. Allen Bailey has moved from end to tackle, but he sometimes played there in third-down situations. He led the team with five sacks. Marcus Robinson is a solid pass rusher, Marcus Forston could also be an impact and Eric Moncur is entering his sixth season and if he plays like he did in 2007 (11.5 tackles for loss) could really give this line a boost.
3. Virginia Tech -- Depth is the only question mark here, as Jason Worilds, John Graves, Cordarrow Thompson and Nekos Brown are more than capable of continuing Bud Foster's tradition of nationally ranked defenses. Nobody is questioning Worilds' toughness, that's for sure, and Graves and Thompson both started every game last year. They're still looking for another defensive end, though, and will keep an eye on what Chris Drager adds to the position after moving from tight end.
4. North Carolina -- Not only do all four starters return, but the depth is the best it's been in recent years. Last year, defensive end Robert Quinn became a starter in the second game of the season, and defensive tackle Cam Thomas had one of his his best season at UNC. Marvin Austin and E.J. Wilson played well, and should be even better this year. Reserves Quinton Coples and Michael McAdoo had solid rookie seasons and will push Wilson and Quinn for playing time this year. Aleric Mullins and Tydreke Powell are interchangeable with Austin and Thomas as starters at tackle.
5. Florida State -- The end position is reason for concern, as the Noles have to replace both Everette Brown and Neefy Moffett, who were first and second, respectively, on the team in sacks. Markus White will be tasked with filling the shoes of Brown, but he had a good transition season from junior college last year to build off of. Kevin McNeil, who had four sacks last year, is the favorite to replace Moffett. The interior should be solid with the return of Budd Thacker, Kendrick Stewart, Moses McCray and Justin Mincey.
6. NC State -- Defensive tackle Alan-Michael Cash and end Willie Young have combined for 46 starts and should be two of the best linemen in the conference. The other two players penciled in as starters -- Shea McKeen and Leroy Burgess -- were both junior college transfers who earned starting time last year. Backup tackles will be a concern, but Markus Kuhn could wind up playing a bit of both until the staff decides where he can help the most.
7. Wake Forest -- Tackles John Russell and Boo Robinson will highlight a defense that recently bid farewell to some of the best seniors to come through the program. It should be one of the Deacs' most experienced groups in recent years, which is important considering the new faces behind them at linebacker. Defensive end Kyle Wilbur showed a lot of promise as a redshirt freshman with three sacks in only seven starts, and Tristan Dorty played in 10 games as a redshirt defensive end last year.
8. Virginia -- It's one of the few units on this team that didn't get a complete makeover, as seven of the top eight linemen return. Sophomore Matt Conrath, who had 35 tackles and four sacks last year, returns at end. There's a lot of experience next to him at nose tackle, where senior Nate Collins and sophomore Nick Jenkins split time last season. Collins' 35 tackles are the top among the returning linemen, while Jenkins finished with 25. Junior John-Kevin Dolce proved himself in the pass rush package with five sacks among his nine total tackles last year.
9. Boston College -- Replacing tackles B.J. Raji and Ron Brace is obviously one of the biggest concerns for this team, but they've got several options. Damik Scafe, Nick Rossi and Brendan Deska were each second-stringers at the tackle position and are the early favorites to replace the NFL draft picks. The Eagles also signed a pair of defensive tackles in the offseason, including highly touted recruit Dillon Quinn, who could make an immediate impact. Austin Giles replaced the injured Alex Albright last year for 12 starts, and Jim Ramella started all 14 games at the other end position.
10. Georgia Tech -- The Yellow Jackets have to replace three of four starters up front, and until they prove they found dependable replacements, they're going to be stuck down here. The lone returning starter is junior end Derrick Morgan, and there's no doubt about his capabilities, but the Jackets will sorely miss the three starters who combined for 100 career starts and 100 tackles for loss. Ben Anderson, Robert Hall and T.J. Barnes are all candidates to start.
11. Duke -- The Blue Devils took a step forward last year and should improve again with the return of tackle Vince Oghobaase and end Ayanga Okpokwuruk, who started five games and had 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. They combined for 9.5 sacks last year. Oghobaase ranks second in the ACC in both career tackles for loss (29.0) and quarterback sacks (11.5). They'll need new starters at nose guard and right end.
12. Maryland -- The Terps have to fill a void left by Jeremy Navarre and Trey Covington, and so far it looks like that will be up to Derek Drummond, Dion Armstrong, Travis Ivey and Jared Harrell, though Armstrong was dealing with some academic issues. The arrival of De'Onte Arnett, Zachariah Kerr, and Cody Blue this past spring should help with the depth.
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
Biggest reason for hope -- Quarterbacks
Unlike coach Tom O'Brien's first two seasons in Raleigh, there's no question who the starting quarterback is -- Russell Wilson. He also happens to be the best quarterback in the ACC, and he finally has a backup who isn't a liability in Mike Glennon. Both of them are going to play, and they bring different strengths to the offense that will keep opposing defenses alert. Wilson is one of the most accurate passers in the conference, and Glennon has already drawn comparisons to Matt Ryan.
Biggest reason for concern -- Injuries
It might have been the program's biggest weakness over the past two seasons. We saw how good a football team NC State had in the second half of 2008 when everyone was healthy, and we also saw it fall apart in the second half of the Papajohns.com Bowl after Wilson hurt his knee. Strength and conditioning coach Todd Rice is slowing rebuilding the Pack's philosophy and approach to training, and in turn there should be fewer injuries this fall. NC State will fall out of the Atlantic Division race again if players like Nate Irving and Alan-Michael Cash don't stay on the field.
Counting down the ACC's top 30 players: Also considered
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
Agree or disagree with it, the ACC's top 30 Players for 2009 was a fun project, and I hope you enjoyed it. I might do another one at the end of the season to give these players a chance to prove me wrong -- or right.
There were tons of other players across the conference who were considered. Virginia Tech fans are wondering why quarterback Tyrod Taylor's name isn't on the list. Well, Taylor still has a lot to prove. He's got what it takes in the potential category -- the receivers and offensive linemen should be better this fall, and so should Taylor. But he comes up short in the past performance category, despite his 13-2 record as a starter.
His performance against Duke -- supposedly lowly Duke -- stuck with me when comprising this list. Taylor completed 2 of 5 passes for 15 yards and two interceptions at home against the Blue Devils. If that's a top-30 player, then I left out a lot of athletes. If it weren't for Macho Harris, the Hokies would have lost that game. It takes more than just quick feet to win football games, and Taylor's performance in losses to Boston College and Miami last year are evidence of that. He scored two rushing touchdowns against the Canes, and got his third career 100-yard rushing game against the Eagles, but he completed just 12 of 17 passes for 90 yards and an interception.
Taylor is a quarterback whose name doesn't appear among the ACC's leaders in passing efficiency or passing yards per game, but young receivers had a lot to do with that and he was able to compensate some with his feet. He was the No. 9 rusher in the conference with 61.5 yards per game, but two touchdowns and seven interceptions didn't cut it for this list.
Maybe next year.
In addition to Taylor, here are the other players who were considered (in no particular order):
Ras-I Dowling, CB, Virginia
Matt Tennant, OL, Boston College
Kendric Burney, DB, North Carolina
Deunta Williams, S, North Carolina
Marvin Austin, DL, North Carolina
Ricky Sapp, DL, Clemson,
T.J. Yates, QB, North Carolina,
Boo Robinson, DL, Wake Forest
Brandon Ghee, DB, Wake Forest,
Jason Fox, OL, Miami
Orlando Franklin, OL, Miami
Graig Cooper, RB, Miami
Travis Benjamin, WR, Miami
Bruce Campbell, OL, Maryland
Alex Wujciak, LB, Maryland
Torrey Smith, WR, Maryland
Roddy Jones, RB, Georgia Tech
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech
Alan-Michael Cash, DL, NC State
Ted Larsen, C, NC State
Allen Bailey, DL, Miami
Ryan McMahon, OL, Florida State
Andrew Datko, OL, Florida State
Markus White, DL, Florida State
Patrick Robinson, DB, Florida State
Jermaine Thomas, RB, Florida State
Mark Herzlich, LB, Boston College
Vincent Rey, LB, Duke
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
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NC State's improved defense other half of winning equation
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
NC State is going to be a legitimate contender to win the Atlantic Division and it's not just because the Wolfpack has the best quarterback in the league in Russell Wilson.
It's also because the defense should be one of the deepest, most productive units the program has seen in recent years, starting up front with Shea McKeen, Alan-Michael Cash, Leroy Burgess and Willie Young.
"I think our strength of our defense will be our defensive line," defensive coordinator Mike Archer said. "Our first four guys ... it will be the best defensive line they've had here since Mario Williams and [John] McCargo. Those guys were No. 1 picks. I'm not saying they're as good as them, but they're comparable in the sense they've got talent and they really have gotten better and developed."
NC State is confident in its two-deep at both defensive line and at linebacker. The secondary is where some lingering competition will remain this summer, but there are plenty of options. The players are much more comfortable with the staff and the system now that it's Tom O'Brien's third season, and the familiarity, communication and trust has made a difference.
This spring, Archer said he's heard the players talking about something they haven't before -- playing in the ACC championship game.
"We feel like we have as good a chance as anybody," Archer said. "If you don't believe it and you don't dream it, it's never going to happen."
It's a significant transformation from mid-way through last fall, when Archer had to challenge his defense because it ranked last in the ACC in nearly every relevant statistical category.
"The last half of the season, during practice, I very seldom had to raise my voice, I very seldom got upset because they learned how to practice, they went about their business, they got their work done and they got off the field," Archer said. "... To me, that was the biggest thing they learned, how to prepare in practice and how to go out and play on Saturday."
The latter half of the season also showed how good NC State's defense could be when everyone is healthy. Linebacker Nate Irving missed three games, Cash missed three games, and safety Clem Johnson was also out for a few. It was no coincidence that when they returned, NC State started to win.
Despite the loss in the Papajohns.com Bowl, NC State ended the 2008 season with its best defensive performance of the year. At the time, Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel was on a hot streak, but the Pack was still able to get to him numerous times.
"I don't want to be overboard with the confidence," Archer said, "but I feel much better going into this season than I did the previous two."
NC State's Glennon working to win starting job
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
When Mike Glennon signed his letter of intent to play for NC State, he did so knowing there would be a good chance he could play fairly soon. Five quarterbacks had an equal shot at earning the starting job last spring, and Glennon, then a true freshman, was one of them.
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| AP Photo/Gerry Broome | |
| Mike Glennon has an uphill climb to unseat Russell Wilson as NC State's starting quarterback. |
Few, though, expected quarterback Russell Wilson to have the kind of eye-opening season he did last year in his first season as starter while Glennon, a highly prized recruit, redshirted. This spring and summer, it's Wilson's job to lose, but that doesn't mean Glennon isn't as hungry for it as he was a year ago.
"My expectations are still the same," he said. "I want to be the starting quarterback. I don't want to take a backseat to Russell, and I don't think Russell wants to give up the front seat. It's a clean, healthy, competition. We get along fine. But both of our goals are to be the guy. But that's up to coach [Tom] O'Brien. I'll just keep working hard, and whatever happens, let it happen."
It's not just playerspeak: Glennon and Wilson really are good friends. On Wednesday, Wilson got Glennon tickets to his baseball game. They both played well in the Pack's Thursday afternoon controlled scrimmage. Wilson was 10-of-15 for 179 yards and Glennon was 7-of-16 for 133 yards and a touchdown.
Here's the big question, though: Will Glennon stay if he doesn't play?
"My goal is to start this year and that's all I can really worry about right now," he said. "That's not even a question right now."
This offseason, Glennon said he concentrated on his footwork, and a high release, as well as getting the timing down with his receivers. He's bulked up and gotten stronger this winter, and most importantly, the game has slowed down for him.
"That was one of the reasons I tended to struggle last year," he said. "The speed of the game was a lot faster. Going against the first team defense and scout team all year made it a lot easier. I can see the defense a lot clearer now. It's not as fuzzy as it was last year."
Nor is the competition at quarterback.
NOTE: According to GoPack.com, senior defensive tackle Alan-Michael Cash had surgery on Wednesday and will miss the rest of the spring and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Andrew Wallace will miss the rest of the spring because of a cyst.
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
While I was writing the Duke piece on Thursday, it got me thinking about other teams that are going to take significant steps forward in 2009, beginning this spring. Here are five teams in the ACC that will show the most progress this year:
1. Duke -- Even if it doesn't show up in the win column, the Blue Devils will be marginally better in the second year under coach David Cutcliffe. He already took an important step by bringing in better, faster athletes in the most recent recruiting class, and they've got one of the top two quarterbacks in the league.
2. NC State -- Quarterback Russell Wilson will not only be better in his second season as a starter, but he -- and everyone else for that matter -- needs to stay healthy. The rest of the coaches in the league are definitely hoping Wilson is a "china doll" and continues to break easily. The real difference, though, will be on defense, where defensive tackle Alan Michael Cash and linebacker Nate Irving will emerge as two of the best in the conference.
3. Virginia Tech -- Yes, it's possible to win the ACC title and look even better doing it again. Last year's team was good, not great. This year's team has the potential to take it to a whole new level. (Admit it, Hokies, there was a little bit of luck and a lot of good coaching last year). Look out for linebacker Cody Grimm, and three starters return on the offensive line to help that backfield shine. The young wide receivers really started to grow up in the final few Saturdays last season.
4. Wake Forest -- The offense has to improve, and it will, because the offensive line will be better. That's where the problems began last year, as it was a patchwork unit filled with injuries and inexperience. The Demon Deacons have nine starters returning on offense, and that should help offset the loss of the top playmakers on defense until others emerge.
5. Miami -- If it weren't for their first four games, there would be more reason to be more confident in the Canes' chances this season. They're oozing with talent, offensive coordinator Mark Whipple's reputation precedes him, and they only lost six starters. There's certainty at quarterback, and Jacory Harris might have the deepest corps of receivers to throw it to.
Now, if you don't see your team listed here, don't panic. Teams like Georgia Tech and North Carolina won at least eight games last year, and don't have much further to climb. Or, there are too many reasons to remain unconvinced (Virginia, Clemson). Regardless, the entire conference should be stronger in '09, and that's because the two teams that top this list will strengthen it from the bottom up.
NC State heading in right direction for O'Brien
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
At one point last season, around the start of October, NC State was down to 43 scholarship players as a result of 13 injured starters and other players who redshirted.
Coach Tom O'Brien will never use that as an excuse, but it would be hard to blame him if he did.
The football gods couldn't have thrown more obstacles in O'Brien's way the past two seasons, but there were plenty of things for the Wolfpack to build on in the second half of the season and the first half of the Papajohns.com Bowl that point to signs of positive change for the program. Don't be surprised if this team wins eight games next season. Florida State isn't the only team with a shot of winning the Atlantic Division.
As NC State heads into 2009, it does so with arguably the league's best quarterback and is the closest the program has been to the 85 scholarship limit since O'Brien took over. The Wolfpack has also recruited a solid class that will help add some depth the roster has been sorely missing. To put it into perspective, this staff has done in three years at NC State what it took a decade to accomplish on the recruiting trail at Boston College.
"The building process continues, everything is headed in the right direction, and hopefully we can make all these young players better," O'Brien said. "That was the one good thing of the bowl practices, certainly we used our bowl practices to become a better football team. There were some things we did in the bowl game that was a great step forward."
Like hitting Rutgers' quarterback Mike Teel 18 times. With linebacker Nate Irving, defensive tackle Alan-Michael Cash and safety Clem Johnson healthy, NC State's defense had an entirely different look. When they were hurt, the Pack's depth issues were exposed, and it took until November for some of the younger backups to truly learn the defense.
As for the plethora of injuries, O'Brien said the strength and conditioning program is not at the root of the problem, rather it's the solution to it.
"What we're concerned with is what we inherited," O'Brien said. "The strength and conditioning program is turning it around."
The biggest difference in 2009 might be the addition of redshirt freshman quarterback Mike Glennon into the competition -- a pleasant predicament for O'Brien. Russell Wilson is the starter, and Glennon will be the backup, but both will compete for the job this spring and summer, and O'Brien isn't the type to hesitate if a change needs to be made.
"There's no hatred there or anything like that," Wilson said with a laugh. "We're Virginia boys. He's a good guy and he works hard. During the season we watched film together, and I would talk to him about what I see out there on the field. We would room together, so ... I'd try to help him understand what was going on, and if he'd see something he'd talk to me and try to help me."
One thing is for sure -- if Wilson, who has already been injured three times -- is injured again, there shouldn't be as much drop-off behind him.
"That's definitely important," Wilson said. "As a quarterback you want to win, so you've got to have guys behind you who want to play well as well."
The next step for Wilson to improve as a player this spring will be making the throws he needs to make on time -- a natural progression for a first-year quarterback.
"That's the thing we really have to work on at spring practice," O'Brien said. "He now has game film and game tape to look at, to learn from. What we have to do is be able to make those throws so he doesn't have to run around as much and open himself up to some of those hits he's been taking. That's where he has to get better to protect his body and protect himself."
Wilson said he is still rehabbing his knee, and the standout second baseman is getting ready for baseball practice on Feb. 1. He said he isn't sure yet how he'll work out the details of splitting time between baseball and spring football.
"I'm doing well, and I'm working hard," he said. "I think I came a long way. I think I learned a lot about understanding the game as a quarterback, and perspective and mindset of a quarterback, and understanding what I had to do to help our team win, and help our team be smart and successful and salvage plays when they weren't there, and take advantage of plays when they were there, and understanding what defenses were trying to bring at me and understanding why. I learned from week to week. I understand what we're trying to get out of each play."
Archer: NC State's defense 'laughing stock' of ACC
NC State's defense had a meeting last Wednesday, and it was one in which the truth hurt. Defensive coordinator Mike Archer read his players the ACC statistics. He didn't yell at them, just presented the facts:
• The Wolfpack are last in total defense (412.8)
• Last in scoring defense (30.1)
• Last in rushing defense (170.1)
• Last in pass defense (242.6)
• Last in pass defense efficiency (131.8)
"I said, 'Now here we are, here's everybody else,'" Archer said. "I said, 'If you're just a fan out there, this is embarrassing to me and we're the laughing stock of the league. I'm challenging you. If you have any pride, you're going to do something about it the last four weeks.'"
It's not a staff that likes to sugarcoat things, and the message resonated.
"I think that kind of hit home, hit a lot of guys deep in the heart," said defensive tackle Alan-Michael Cash, who missed three games because of knee surgery. "What we have to do on defense is we have to tackle better. As a defensive front we have to stay in our gaps and make plays."
The challenge begins this weekend in the Pack's renewed rivalry against Duke. The Blue Devils have one of the better quarterback-receiver tandems in the league in Thaddeus Lewis and Eron Riley, and aren't the pushover they used to be. Both teams have played better than their records indicate, and NC State might be in a different position if its defense had been more productive this season.
"We tried to be nice," said Archer, who has also accepted some of the blame. "We tried different things. I think honesty is sometimes the best thing."
Injuries have definitely been a factor, and even though Cash has been cleared to play since the Florida State game, he hasn't been 100 percent. And the team has missed linebacker Nate Irving almost as much as Wake Forest has missed kicker Sam Swank this season.
But some of the errors have been as fundamental as missed tackles.
"I'm kind of anxious to see what happens," Archer said. "As these guys know, they understand that when I quit talking to them and I quit challenging them, then I've given up on them."
It hasn't happened yet.
Reflections on FSU 26, NC State 17
Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
You knew Florida State was going to get the Wolfpack's best shot. You knew the Noles were going to get some costly penalties (thanks, Bobby Bowden and Erin Andrews, for that halftime entertainment). But did anyone think both quarterbacks would combine for three touchdowns and no interceptions?
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Both had proved their ability to run, but NC State quarterback Russell Wilson and FSU quarterback Christian Ponder took important strides in their passing games Thursday night. Clearly the Pack is a different team with Wilson in there, and Ponder hasn't been too effective throwing the deep ball, but he had throws of 23, 31 and 19 yards. It's like we're watching him grow up every weekend.
The difference in the game was third downs. NC State's defense couldn't get off the field, and its offense couldn't convert (1 of 9).
But how about NC State when guys like Alan-Michael Cash, Nate Irving and Anthony Hill are back? Irving got hurt again in the second quarter, but he and Cash made a dramatic difference on the Pack's D. When everyone is healthy, this is a good football team that more than likely would have been in the mix had it not had a better team in the training room than on the field. Now they're in a competition with Virginia for the best spoiler team in the league.
What does last night's game mean? The Seminoles might be bigger Maryland fans this weekend than anyone actually in Byrd Stadium. FSU notched an important win against an Atlantic Division opponent, but will be haunted by the loss to Wake Forest unless somebody knocks the Deacs off their perch. Maryland has that chance this weekend. Like I said earlier, it wouldn't surprise me if the Terps beat Wake Forest and then lost to NC State.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Heather Dinich
Dinich covered ACC and Big Ten football for five seasons before joining ESPN.com in November 2007. She's an Indiana grad but somehow her favorite day of the week is Saturday.
