The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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18 ■ THE WOLFPACKER TRACKING THE PACK NC STATE TO PLAY SOUTH CAROLINA IN 2017 NC State and South Carolina will play in the 2017 Belk College Kickoff Classic at Bank of America Sta- dium in Charlotte. The contest is typically one of the season openers to the college football season. "It will be a great opportunity for our team and for our fans to be able to play a game against an SEC opponent in Charlotte," NC State head coach Dave Doeren said. "We have many players and fans from that area of the state and we expect to see Bank of America Stadium filled with Wolfpack red." The Pack still needs to finalize plans to move its 2017 road date at Troy to a different year. NC State had already previously announced non-conference games at Notre Dame and home tilts against Furman and Marshall for the 2017 slate. Furman was originally going to be the opener, but that contest has been moved to week three in the season. NC State and South Carolina played a home-and- home series in 2008-09, with the Gamecocks winning both games. Each of them were the season openers. Those two wins for South Carolina gave them a 27- 26-4 all-time edge in the series with the Wolfpack. NC State's Future Non-Conference Op - ponents 2016: At East Carolina (Sept. 10), Old Dominion (Sept. 17), Notre Dame (Oct. 8) and William & Mary (TBA) 2017: South Carolina (Sept. 2 at Charlotte), Marshall (Sept. 9), Furman (Sept. 16) and at Notre Dame (Oct. 28) 2018: Georgia State (Sept. 8), West Virginia (Sept. 15), at Marshall (Sept. 22) and James Madison (TBA) 2019: East Carolina (Aug. 31), Western Carolina (Sept. 7), at West Virginia (Sept. 14) and Ball State (Sept. 21) 2020: Delaware (Sept. 5) and Mississippi State (Sept. 12) 2021: Furman (Sept. 4) and at Mississippi State (Sept. 11) 2022: At East Carolina (Sept. 3) and Charleston Southern (TBA) 2023: Notre Dame (TBA) 2024: Western Carolina (Aug. 31) 2025: At Notre Dame (TBA) * NC State will play at Troy TBD NC STATE FOOTBALL DISMISSES TRIO The NC State football team has dismissed three players this fall. NC State senior running back Shadrach Thornton, redshirt freshman tight end Micah Till and redshirt freshman wide receiver Elliott Davis were dismissed at varying points. Thornton had missed the first two games of the season due to his third career suspension, returned to play in two tilts and was then dismissed Sept. 30 after he was arrested following a moped accident Sept. 29. "It's an unfortunate set of circumstances, but we've made the decision to dismiss Shadrach from our pro- gram," head coach Dave Doeren said. "We will con- tinue to support him academically and help him earn his degree." Thornton rushed 18 times for 92 yards and a touch- down against Old Dominion, and then followed with 12 carries for 111 yards and two scores in the 63-13 dismantling at South Alabama. Thornton ended his career sixth in school history with 2,572 rushing yards, three shy of tying Anthony Barbour for fifth, and 10th with 19 touchdowns on the ground. Thornton also had nine career 100-yard rushing games, tied for seventh most ever at NC State. "We all cared for him, but everyone understands you have to do things a certain way," Doeren said. "Playing here is a privilege and not a right. We are going to do everything we can to help him to continue and get his degree, and support him. It's time to move on." Till played in the first two games as a deep reserve, but he and Davis were dismissed from the squad two days after the Eastern Kentucky game Sept. 12. The 6-6, 270-pound Till was a Rivals.com three-star prospect in the class of 2014 coming out of Upper Marlboro (Md.) Wise. The two-star Davis was originally recruited to play cornerback, but the former North Potomac (Md.) Quince Orchard product switched to wide receiver last spring. The 6-1, 185-pounder didn't play in the first two games. DERECK WHITTENBURG NAMED ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR Dereck Whittenburg, a member of NC State's 1983 national championship men's basketball team, has ac- cepted the position of associate athletic director for community relations and student support. Whittenburg had been the senior assistant to the head coach/director of player development for the men's basketball team since 2013. "The legacy of NC State University is such a rich and progressive hub of academic and athletic excellence," Whittenburg said. "The privilege of playing here and now working here to service our students, administra- tion, alumni and the greater community is one of the greatest honors of my career. My wife Jacqueline and I are excited and are grateful to Chancellor Randy Woodson and athletic director Debbie Yow for their collective confidence in affording me this historic op- portunity." The new position will develop and promote pro- gramming aimed to benefit current and former student-athletes, while also working to cultivate re- lationships with local and regional businesses regard- ing future employment opportunities for Wolfpack graduates. Whittenburg's new role will include speaking at and hosting events for the athletic department and other affiliated organizations, as well as supporting on- campus recruiting initiatives for each of the Wolfpack's 23 varsity programs. "Dereck has been an effective ambassador for NC State athletics for many years," Yow said. "This position will allow him to continue to have an impact on past, present and future NC State student-athletes on our 23 varsity teams." Whittenburg will also be advocating for former student-athletes to return to NC State to complete their respective degrees and will serve on NC State's professional sports panel. DOMINIQUE WILSON NAMED PRESEASON THIRD-TEAM ALL-ACC NC State women's basketball guard Dominique Wil- son has been named 2015-16 College Sports Madness preseason third-team All-ACC. After Wilson transferred to NC State from Arkansas, she more than doubled her scoring average from her first collegiate season. She averaged 13.8 points per game for the Wolfpack, and scored in double figures 27 times last season. Wilson shot 38.4 percent from the field and 83.9 percent at the free throw line, and made 58 three-pointers. The 5-8 Wilson also recorded three 20-point games, plus the first double-double of her career — scoring 15 points and collecting 10 rebounds versus North Carolina Jan. 22. Wilson won the Peanut Doak Award for top new- comer at the team banquet, and was named fourth- team All-ACC by College Sports Madness. NC State will play its season opener at PNC Arena against Villanova Nov. 13. ■ Red And White Notebook Dereck Whittenburg (left) has accepted a new job at NC State after working on the basketball staff and is now the associate athletic director for community relations and student support. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN