The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/141892
Football 2013 Three Key Games • Clemson, Sept. 19 — After opening with Louisiana Tech and Richmond, NC State will welcome Clemson to CarterFinley Stadium on Thursday night for its first ACC tilt of the Dave Doeren era. The Tigers return six starters from an offensive unit that set ACC records with 533 points scored and 6,665 yards gained, so this will be a major early-season test for the Pack defense. Clemson's only two losses last season came against top-10 squads — No. 8 Florida State and No. 7 South Carolina — and the Tigers are expected to be one of the nation's best teams once again. • At Florida State, Oct. 26 — The Pack will travel outside of the state for the first time when they head down to Tallahassee, Fla., for a tilt with the defending ACC champions, the second of four NCSU road games on the year.The Seminoles only return 11 starters, but they led the ACC and ranked in the nation's top 10 in nearly every major defensive category last year and have talented players ready to step in and keep up the pace. However, no team in the ACC lost more starters to graduation and early entry into the NFL Draft than Florida State's 13, plus the coaching staff also lost six assistants. FSU topped Northern Illinois, Dave Doeren's former team, in last year's Orange Bowl, 31-10, and the NCSU assistants that followed Doeren were coaching in that game. ■ By The Numbers 1 Preseason All-American on the NCSU roster, according to the annual season preview magazines — long snapper Scott Thompson, who was awarded firstteam honors by Phil Steele's College Football Preview. 2 Games that NC State will play outside the state of North Carolina in 2013 — at Florida State Oct. 26 and at Boston College Nov. 16. 4 The Wolfpack must replace last year's top four tacklers.The quartet combined for 446 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, six interceptions and 10 passes broken up, and played a role in eight fumbles that NC State recovered in 2012. 8 Of last year's top 10 receivers return to NC State. The returnees combined for 221 receptions for 2,677 yards and 23 scores a year ago. Redshirt sophomore cornerback Juston Burris and the Wolfpack, who took down a top-five Florida State team in 2012, will looking for their first victory in Tallahassee, Fla., since 2005. photo by ken martin • North Carolina, Nov. 2 — This game makes the list every year, but especially after last year's "Puntgate" that resulted in a heartbreaking 43-35 loss in Chapel Hill after Giovani Bernard — who has since departed for the NFL — crossed the goal line with 13 seconds left. Doeren is hoping to start a streak like his predecessor had over the school's biggest rival — last year was the first UNC victory in the series in six years.This season, NCSU will host UNC in the annual showdown, and the game will also serve as homecoming.The Tar Heels were banned from the postseason last year, but did set school records for total points (487) and points per game (40.6) en route to the school's best record (8-4) since 1997. This will be another major test for the Pack defense, and UNC's defense could be better with seven returning starters. Best Opposing Players • QB Tajh Boyd, Clemson — The All-American quarterback broke his own league record for touchdown responsibility last year when he notched 46, besting his previous mark of 38. Boyd enters his final year of eligibility within striking distance of most of the major career offensive records in the conference's annals, including touchdown throws, touchdown responsibility, total offense and passing yards — marks that are all currently held by former NC State star Philip Rivers. Boyd begins his third year as the starter with 8,053 yards and 73 touchdowns through the air, while he has been responsible for 89 scores. • RB Jerome Smith, Syracuse — Although the Orange were not in the ACC last year, Smith stands as the league's top returning rusher after he totaled 1,171 yards on the ground last season.The redshirt junior is just one of 11 backs in school history to top the century mark, and he averaged 5.16 yards per carry while scoring three touchdowns. He'll be running behind three returning starters up front. • WR Stefon Diggs, Maryland — Diggs set the ACC rookie record for all-purpose yards per game at 172.4, which ranked eighth nationally.The receiver, who was also a weapon in the return game, finished the year ranked fifth in the ACC with an average of 77.1 receiving yards per game, and he ranked in the top five in both kick return average (28.5 yards per return, second) and punt return average (10.0 yards per runback, fifth). Diggs finished the year with eight touchdowns, including a pair on kickoff returns, despite playing with four different quarterbacks. • OT James Hurst, North Carolina — UNC quarterback Bryn Renner has become one of the nation's most accurate and efficient quarterbacks, and his stellar offensive line has been a major reason why. The UNC front does lose three starters, but they should be good once again, led by Hurst and fellow returning starter Russell Bodine, who have combined for 48 college starts. Hurst is tied for fifth in the league with 34 starts under his belt and is projected to be one of the top left tackles in the country this season. • DB Lamarcus Joyner, Florida State — The Seminoles' defense has been one of the nation's best in the past two seasons, and Joyner was a major reason why FSU led the nation last year in pass efficiency defense (95.43 rating) and pass defense (1661.86 yards allowed per game).The All-ACC safety has started 27 straight games at that position and played in every game since stepping on campus, but could move back to cornerback, where he played in 2010.The FSU defense loses some major pieces in the front seven, but Joyner will provide stability from the backline, regardless of where he lines up, and he is also one of the nation's premiere kick returners. 9 Athlon Sports ranked the hire of Dave Doeren as the ninth best in the land during this past offseason. 23 Head coach Dave Doeren led Northern Illinois to a 23‑4 record in his two years at the helm. Only Alabama's Nick Saban (25-2) and former Oregon mentor Chip Kelly (24-3) recorded more college victories during the 2011 and 2012 campaigns combined. 23.5 Of the squad's 33 sacks (71.2 percent) last year return, as well as 57.5 of 96.5 tackles for loss (60.0 percent). 61.9 NC State's 11 Football Bowl Subdivision opponents are ranked an average of No. 61.9 nationally, according to a compilation of the 1-126 preseason listings from Lindy's, Athlon and Phil Steele's football preview magazines. Only two opponents — Clemson and Florida State — are ranked among the nation's top 37 by any publication, and State's average national rank according to the three publications is 58.7. 75.3 Percent of the Pack's points scored in 2012 return for this fall, including four of the top five, led by kicker Niklas Sade (83 points) and wide receiver Bryan Underwood (60). 1,626 Yards from scrimmage compiled by returning running backs Shadrach Thornton and Tony Creecy last season. The duo also combined for 10 touchdowns in 2012. 102 ■ the wolfpacker 100,102.Quick Preview.indd 102 7/2/13 9:55 AM