The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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70 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY MATT CARTER T he ACC announced the 2017 football schedules for the league Jan. 24. Among the highlights, NC State will host an ESPN Thursday night game against Heis- man Trophy-winning quarterback Lamar Jackson and Louisville Oct. 5. The Wolfpack will also host defending national champion Clemson Nov. 5 in what has been designated its homecoming game. The Wolfpack lost in overtime to the Tigers on the road last season. Ironically, NCSU will play Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., a week before Clemson. In 2016, it hosted and beat the Fighting Irish a week before traveling to Tiger Stadium. The regular season will be capped by a home contest against archrival North Caro- lina, which NC State defeated 28-21 this past fall in Chapel Hill to ensure bowl eligibility. The Pack will open ACC play with a steep challenge, traveling to Florida State Sept. 23. The following Saturday, Syracuse comes to Raleigh for the conference home opener, and also Military Appreciation Day and Parents & Families Day. The annual Wolfpack Club Day and Ag Day will be for the home opener against Marshall Sept. 9. NCSU Hires New Defensive Line Coach NC State head coach Dave Doeren an- nounced Feb. 13 that Kevin Patrick is the new defensive line coach for the Wolfpack. Patrick replaces Ryan Nielsen, who de- parted to take the defensive line position with the NFL's New Orleans Saints. Patrick coached at Texas Tech this past season, North Texas for the previous two years and he also had two stints with South Florida (1996-98 and 2008-13). The Wolfpack return every defensive line- man from last season except graduated re- serve defensive tackle Monty Nelson. "I've known Coach Doeren for some time and have always thought very highly of him," Patrick said in a released statement. "The coaching world is small and you get to know who the good people are. I'm excited about being a part of his program. On top of that, I'm so glad to have the opportunity to work with a coordinator like [defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable]. He's also highly thought of with a lot of people I've worked with. "Coming to NC State is a great opportunity for me and my family, and I'm really looking forward to getting to Raleigh and meeting the players." Patrick has coached NFL defensive line- men such as former first-round pick Jason Pierre-Paul of the New York Giants, Terrell McClain of the Dallas Cowboys and George Selvie, who played for six teams from 2010- 15. "I've known Kevin for a long time, and I've always admired his intensity and his love of the game," Doeren said. "He has recruited, coached and developed some incredible de- fensive linemen in multiple conferences, and he knows what it takes to be an All-American as a collegiate player and an All-Pro in the NFL. "Those qualities, along with his strong background as a recruiter in the Southeast and his reputation as a tremendous family man, made him a premier target for this posi- tion when the opportunity came up. We look forward to having Kevin and his family as part of the Wolfpack." Patrick was a star defensive end for Miami, helping the Hurricanes win the national title in both 1990 and 1992. He recorded 174 career tackles and 23 sacks, which ranks fifth in school history. He earned All-America honors, Big East Defensive Player of the Year and team MVP after getting 10 sacks in 1993. Patrick was inducted to the Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 2015. He also tossed the shot put and threw the discus his last two years of college. Patrick additionally has earned praise for his work on the recruiting trail at USF. Rivals named him one of the top 25 recruiters in the country and No. 1 in the Big East in 2009. He helped the Bulls sign four four-star prospects, including Pierre-Paul out of Fort Scott Com- munity College in Kansas. NC State also announced in February that third-year wide receivers coach George Mc- Donald has added the title of passing game coordinator. Roster Changes Two players are no longer with the team, NC State confirmed in February. Former walk-on linebacker Ford Howell, who was awarded a scholarship this past sea- son, is moving on after a hip injury. He had five tackles in 10 games last season while be- ing used primarily in short-yardage defensive packages. Howell had a unique journey to NC State. He committed to the Wolfpack as a senior at Memphis (Tenn.) University School, but switched his pledge to sign with Wake Forest. After a year in Winston-Salem, he transferred to Iowa Western Junior College before walk- ing on at NCSU. Cornerback J.J. Givens, a freshman who redshirted last season, announced on Twitter that he and NC State mutually agreed that he should transfer. Givens, a native of Rich- mond, Va., originally committed to South Carolina before signing with NC State. ■ WOLFPACK FOOTBALL NC State's 2017 Football Schedule Announced 2017 NC State Football Schedule Date Opponent Sept. 2 vs. South Carolina* Sept. 9 Marshall Sept. 16 Furman Sept. 23 at Florida State Sept. 30 Syracuse Oct. 5 Louisville Oct. 14 at Pittsburgh Oct. 28 at Notre Dame Nov. 4 Clemson Nov. 11 at Boston College Nov. 18 at Wake Forest Nov. 25 North Carolina * at Charlotte The Pack will open its 2017 football season against South Carolina in Charlotte Sept. 2. PHOTO BY LARRY BLANKENSHIP