2011 NC State Football Predictions
Written by Steve Janus
The North Carolina State Wolf Pack surprised everyone in 2010 by going 9-4 overall and nearly winning the ACC Atlantic with a 5-3 conference mark. They capped off their season with an impressive 23-7 win over West Virginia in the Champs Sports Bowl, and many believe this team will once again be a major player in the ACC this season. NC State returns just five starters on the offensive side of the ball, but has eight starters back on a defense that went from giving up 31.2 points a game in 2009 to allowing just 21.3 in 2010. It’s going to be hard for the Wolfpack to top Florida State in the ACC Atlantic this season, especially since they have to go on the road to take on the Seminoles.
To get a better feel for just how good NC State should be this season, let’s take a look at who they will send to the field on both sides of the ball, plus I will give my prediction on where they finish the year in the ACC.
Offense:
Starting quarterback Russell Wilson has been released from the team this spring. While it will be hard to replace a guy who threw for 3,568 yards and 28 touchdowns and ran for another 435 yards and nine scores, the Wolfpack believe they won’t lose much production by turning the job over to junior Mike Glennon, who head coach Tom O’Brien has compared to former Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan.
On the plus side the Wolfpack bring back sophomore running back Mustafa Greene, who led the team with 597 yards and 4 touchdowns as a true freshman. While it doesn’t appear Greene was a big factor, he only had 134 attempts and averaged a solid 4.5 yards per carry.
The only receiving threat that returns from last year is senior tight end George Bryan, who finished third on the team with 35 catches for 369 yards and three scores. Seniors Jay Smith and T.J. Graham along with junior Tobias Palmer are expected to take over at the three open receiver spots. These three have to play well if Glennon is going to step in and keep the offense rolling.
Three of the five starters return on the offensive line, but there really isn’t a standout player on this unit heading into the fall. Both spots on the left side are up for grabs, and it looks like sophomore Duran Christophe will take over at left guard, while fellow sophomore Rob Crisp steps in at left tackle. With three juniors returning, they won’t have a single senior starter on one of the most important units on the team.
Defense:
While the defense has eight starters back, their is some concern up front on the defensive line. They return senior defensive tackle J.R. Sweezy, who finished second on the team with six sacks last season, and senior defensive end Jeff Rieskamp. The key to this group will be what they get out of two new starters. Junior Brian Slay will likely take over alongside Sweezy at the other tackle spot, while sophomore Derryl Cato-Bishop is expected to step in and start at the other end spot.
Even though NC State loses strong-side linebacker Nate Irving, who tied for the team lead in tackles with 96, they bring back two talented starters in senior Audie Cole and junior Terrell Manning. Cole tied Irving on top the tackle list and also contributed 5 sacks. Manning was fourth on the team with 76 tackles and added five sacks as well. Sophomore Rickey Dowdy is expected to step in for Irving after spending his first two seasons as a defensive end.
In the secondary the Wolfpack bring back all four starters from last year. Junior corner C.J. Wilson and junior strong safety Earl Wolff are both considered to be one of the best at their positions in the ACC. Also back is junior free safety Brandan Bishop (led team with 4 interceptions) and sophomore corner David Amerson. This unit should put up much better numbers this season, and a big reason why the defense should be one of the better defenses in the ACC.
ACC Prediction: 2nd ACC Atlantic – I really like what O’Brien is doing with this program. While I don’t think they will be able to compete with the Seminoles for the top spot in the Atlantic, I think this team will at least match their 9 win mark from 2010. It all comes down to how well Glennon plays, as they don’t have a ton of experience on the offensive side of the ball.
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