The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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94 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY TIM PEELER S ince he arrived from Florida nearly two years ago, redshirt junior quarterback Jacoby Brissett openly said that this year's NC State football team belongs to him. Though he didn't necessarily mean he would be the team's only productive player, he made it clear through two spring practices and last season's stint on the scout squad he was targeting this fall as his opportunity to take over the Wolfpack offense and begin to make things happen. That's a lot of responsibility for someone who has never taken a snap for the Wolfpack and hasn't played regularly since he saw action off the bench in five games for the Gators in 2012. The storyline, with the Wolfpack working toward its Aug. 30 opener against Georgia Southern, has been so frequent that it has be- come almost over told. So in the preseason, second-year head coach Dave Doeren hasn't so much downplayed Brissett as he has talked his other players up, recognizing that the quarterback is the delivery system and his running backs and wide receivers are the offense's real weapons. "I've said it from the start: It's nice to have someone like Jacoby back there, but it is not his job to make all the plays," Doeren said. "The linemen have to protect him and it's the other guys' jobs to make the plays." Last year's offense — ranked 10th in scor- ing and ninth in total offense in the ACC — had much to overcome, from the inconsis- tency of three different quarterbacks to a lack of depth and inconsistency in the receiving corps and at running back. Doeren believes through recruiting, through strength training in the offseason, and through an overall improvement of those returning to and those coming in to the team, he has addressed the shortcomings that con- tributed to the Pack's 3-9 overall record and its winless ACC mark. He has developed seven capable receivers to run his high-speed offense. He has four running backs and three receivers to com- plement the big-play capabilities of players such as senior Bryan Underwood and sopho- mores Bra'lon Cherry, Jumichael Ramos and Marquez Valdez-Scantling. A handful of promising newcomers —- like Stephen Louis and spring game star Bo Hines, who both enrolled last January — will step onto the field early. "There is no doubt that we have a plethora of good receivers," Brissett said. "What's been great has been seeing a lot of people competing for jobs. It has brought out the best in all of us." So he no longer claims sole ownership of the entire offense, not because he has lost confidence in himself, but because he has gained confidence in those around him. Sure, as he has said for 18 months since ar- riving from Gainesville, he knows he can run Doeren's fast-paced offense capably. That confidence is only enhanced by what he has seen from his skilled teammates since the start of fall camp. And the confidence is well placed. He has the program's most experienced offensive line in more than a decade, a strong corps of linebackers and a versatile crop of running backs working on his behalf. "It gets a little old talking about this being my team," Brissett said. "The players hear about and joke about it. But there have been players stepping up left and right in camp this fall to make plays. That makes my job much easier. "It gives me a sense of comfort to know that we have players who can do the things we need to have done." Perhaps that sense of comfort will take any pressure to perform Brissett might feel and allow him to concentrate on being a calm and collected leader in the huddle, something that was often lacking in last year's under- center merry-go-round due to injuries and the performance of Brandon Mitchell, Pete Thomas and Bryant Shirreffs. None of them are around this year. "I do feel that I need to take a leadership role," Brissett said. "But we need everyone to push each other, even me. One of the things that has been good is that each day you can see different players step up. "That just makes everything easier." Doeren believes that overall comfort throughout the offensive lineup will help his team overcome one of last year's biggest de- ficiencies — the inability to win games in the final moments that were easily within reach. "None of our players want to relive what we went through last year," Doeren said. "It's not something we need to talk about or want to talk about. We just need to do better." And Brissett, with confidence in himself and his teammates, aims to do so. ■ ■ PACK PERSPECTIVE Wolfpack Players Are Ready To Show The Strides Made In The Offseason Tim Peeler is a regular contributor to The Wolfpacker. You may contact him at tmpeeler@ncsu.edu. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who transferred to NC State from Florida, is set to take the reins of the Wolfpack offense after sitting out in 2013. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN The Wolfpacker is a publication of: Coman Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 2331, Durham, N.C. 27702. Offices are located at 324 Blackwell St., Ste. 1020, Durham, N.C. 27701. (919) 688-0218. The Wolfpacker (ISSN 0273-8945) is published bimonthly. A subscription is $39.95 for six issues. For advertising or subscription information, call (800) 421-7751 or write The Wolfpacker. Postmaster: Send address changes to: The Wolfpacker, P.O. Box 2331, Durham, N.C. 27702. Periodical mail postage paid at Durham, N.C. 27702 and additional offices. 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