The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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42 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY JACEY ZEMBAL T he beauty of preseason predictions is that few will be remem- bered by the end of the season, but that doesn't mean they can't generate discussion at the beginning. The main ones are always going to center around won- loss record, bowl eligibility and perhaps some postseason individual awards. We take our best stab at it with these five fearless predictions. 1. NC STATE WILL REACH A BOWL GAME. Obviously, this is the one that everyone cares about the most and we'll get right to it. NC State's long-term goal isn't to just reach a bowl game. That has occurred semi-regularly with nine trips since 2000. NC State missed out on a bowl trip last season for the first time since 2009, and the program was set back by the results (plus missed out on bowl practices). A bounce-back season can help rectify that. The arrival of redshirt junior quarterback Jacoby Brissett from the University of Florida has given Wolfpack fans hope over the last year. Brissett, who was a Rivals.com four-star prospect coming out of West Palm Beach (Fla.) Dwyer, can help settle down the offense and provide some big-play capability with his strong arm. There is no question that NC State has the potential to open the season 4-0 with home games against Georgia Southern (Aug. 30), Old Dominion (Sept. 6) and Presbyterian (Sept. 20), squeezed around a visit to South Florida Sept. 13. The game against the Bulls has the potential to be a huge victory even if few will think so. USF went 2-10 overall and 2-6 in the Ameri- can Athletic Conference under its first-year coach, Willie Taggart. There were some lopsided scores mixed in, but in the second to last contest of the season, the Bulls fell 23-20 at Central Florida in their "rivalry" game. UCF pulled out the win with a 52-yard touchdown pass with 4:50 left in the game, and eventually went on to finish the season 12-1. If NC State wins four non-conference games, getting two out of three against Boston College (Oct. 11), Wake Forest (Nov. 15) and at North Carolina (Nov. 29) ensures a bowl game. BC and Wake Forest both lost all of their top offensive playmak- ers from last year. The Demon Deacons are starting over with a new coach, and lost quarterback Tanner Price and wide receiver Michael Campanaro. The Eagles lost superstar running back Andre Williams, plus quarterback Chase Rettig and wide receiver Alex Amidon. Motivation is never a problem when playing North Carolina, and with the game at the end of the regular season, a lot could be on the line. 2. KICKER NIKLAS SADE WILL BREAK THE ALL-ACC MINI-SLUMP. NC State didn't have any players make the various All-ACC squads last year, and any coach will say that it is hard to win without all- conference players. NC State senior kicker Niklas Sade went 19 of 23 on field goals with a long of 48, and made 31 extra points en route to 88 points last year. He'll own all of NC State's main kicking records if he remains healthy. Sade earned the team's Governor's Award for being MVP and was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, which is given to the top place- kicker in the country. He did not make All-ACC last season despite the impressive year. Sade hasn't come close to receiving the amount of preseason atten- tion that would normally be bestowed upon a player with his résumé. There is a good reason for that, and his name is Roberto Aguayo. In any other year, Sade would be in contention for clear-cut top ACC kicker. Aguayo has stolen that thunder with what he accomplished last year at Florida State. Aguayo went 21 of 22 on field goals with a long of 53, and made all 94 extra points en route to winning the previously mentioned Lou Groza Award. The redshirt sophomore is outstanding for the Seminoles, but it's a new season and maybe he'll prove to be a little bit less than perfect this year and Sade has continued to improve since last year. Plus, Sade has proven to be a clutch performer. 3. TAKEAWAYS PER NUMBER OF PLAYS WILL IMPROVE DRASTICALLY. The days of looking at total number of turnovers has been altered thanks to the no-huddle offenses teams have used. NC State head coach Dave Doeren brought up a good point at the ACC Operation Kickoff that the Wolfpack forced opponents into 21 turnovers — 12 interceptions and nine fumble recoveries — in 814 plays last year. The Wolfpack was able to create a takeaway once every 38.8 plays, and the goal for this season is to cut that down to about 20 plays. ON THE RECORD The Wolfpacker Makes Five Fearless Predictions For 2014 Kicker Niklas Sade, who last year was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award (given to the nation's top kicker), could be a strong candidate for All-ACC honors this season. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN