2009 College Football Predictions: North Carolina State Wolfpack
Get free expert predictions on tonight's big games. You can also subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on Twitter.
2009 College Football Predictions
2008 Record: (6-7, 4-4)
Coach: Tom O’Brien, 3rd year (11-14 at NC State, 86-59 overall)
Off. Coordinator: Dana Bible (3rd year)
Def. Coordinator: Mike Archer (3rd year)
Returning Starters: 15 (7 offense, 7 defense, kicker)
Ret. Starting Quarterback: Yes (Russell Wilson)
Offense: Russell Watson returns after a sterling freshman campaign. He threw for 1,955 yards, tossed for 17 TD passes (just one interception) and became the first freshman to be named a first-team All-ACC quarterback. The sky is the limit for Wilson, who can run and pass, and led the team by winning their last four regular-season games to earn an invitation to play in the Papajohns.com Bowl. They have to replace Andre Brown at running back as seniors Toney Baker and Jamelle Eugene will battle it out for time.
At receiver, NC State is led by Owen Spencer (31 catches, 691 yards) and a solid group of receivers. Three starters return on the offensive line that allowed the Pack to averaged 329.2 yards per game and was efficient in the red zone. They tied for eighth nationally in red-zone offensive efficiency, scoring 91 percent of the time.
Defense: The Wolfpack’s defense improved as the season went on last year, especially against the run. In their first eight games, they allowed 170.1 yards per game on the ground; its final five they allowed just 97.6. The front seven should be pretty strong this year with LB Nate Irvin, who had four picks last year and Ray Michael (85 tackles), returning to lead the way. The secondary returns corner DeAndre Morgan, who started 10 games and safety Justin Byers, who started eight.
Outlook: Tom O’Brien has averaged winning 7.6 games over his 10 seasons at Boston College, so he knows how to get it done. With Wilson only getting better as he matures, the Wolfpack could surprise some people. But questions at running back, receiver and shaky secondary could be their undoing.
About the Author
marshall has written 2001 stories on this site.
