NC State Preview
I consider Thursday night a dangerous game for Clemson. On one hand I realize Clemson is a 13-point favorite. However, I consider this one dangerous because of what we don't know about the opponent.
Is State the team we saw play well in the first half of its opener against Louisiana Tech or is it the team that had to get a last minute field goal to beat Richmond?
NC State comes into Thursday night's game as an unknown for a few reasons. First is the new staff. Second is the amount of newcomers on its roster. Last is the schedule it has played.
Dave Doeren is in his first year in Raleigh after two successful seasons at Northern Illinois. He is a high-energy coach that is known for his fast break offense. A little known fact about Doeren is that he is undefeated at home (14-0) in his first two-plus seasons as a head coach.
Matt Canada is State's new offensive coordinator, who also coached with Doeren at Northern Illinois. He has also coached at Indiana, Butler and Wisconsin. Additionally, Canada is the quarterback coach who has had to change his offense based upon the injury to the team’s starter.
Dave Huxtable is the new defensive coordinator at NC State. He is familiar with the ACC after stints at North Carolina and Georgia Tech. Huxtable has also coached at Western Kentucky, East Carolina, Oklahoma State, Wisconsin and Pittsburgh.
State got off to a great start offensively in its opening game but lost the starting quarterback to an injury. Second team quarterback Pete Thomas had to take over and the offense has slipped slightly. The 6’-6”, 235 pound signal caller is 39 of 58 for 449 yards with no touchdowns and three interceptions.
Shadrach Thornton had a terrific freshman season but he is been suspended and in the dog house. Freshman Matt Dayes leads the team with127 yards rushing and three touchdowns. Tom Creecy has 103 yards rushing and one touchdown.
Bryan Underwood and Quinton Payton return as starters at wide receiver, but freshman Marquez Valdes-Scantling has 12 receptions for 174 yards to lead the team. Rashard Smith has 12 catches for 145 yards.
State has three returning starters on the offensive line, including left tackle Robert Crisp, left guard Robert Christophe and right tackle Tyson Chandler.
Defensively, State returns both starting defensive tackles in Thomas Teal and T.Y.McGill. Darryl Cato-Bishop returns at defensive end.
The only returning starter at linebacker is DJ Green. The only returning starter in the secondary is cornerback Dontae Johnson
Linebacker Robert Caldwell leads the team with 18 tackles. Three defensive backs are next in terms of tackles: Hakeem Jones has 12 tackles while Juston Burris and Jarvis Byrd have 10 tackles.
State returns one of the top place-kickers in the ACC in Niklas Slade. Last season Slade was 13 of 23 on field goals but is 7-7 this season.
Punter Wil Baumann returns after averaging 38.9 yards per punt last season.
In the game against Louisiana Tech the Wolfpack got off to a great start. They had 542 yards of total offense including 237 on the ground and 305 passing. In the Richmond game the Pack had 444 yards of total offense, with 188 yards on the ground and 256 yards through the air.
Here are a few other notes that come to mind:
*Like Clemson, State had this past week off to prepare for this Thursday night affair.
*The last two times NC State hosted a top 10 opponent it pulled off the upset. Two years ago State beat seventh ranked Clemson 37-13. Last year the Pack upset third-ranked Florida State 17-16.
*Clemson has been victorious in three of the past four games played in Raleigh. The Tigers have won four of the past six in Carter-Finley Stadium.
*In last year's game NC State passed for 493 yards.
*Clemson had 328 yards rushing and 426 yards passing in the 62-48 win in Death Valley last season.
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Prayer List
We have started a prayer list on the blog. Here are the guidelines:
If you are offended by prayer or prayer lists then I apologize in advance. The blog is free and the prayer list will be on the bottom of the page so you don’t have to read it.
If you would like to add someone to the list please email me at mickeyplyler@hotmail.com
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Those who need our prayers include: Finn Brookover, Jo Ann Bachman, Kenneth Bryant, Pruitt Martin, Got Igers and his family, David Rowland, Leonard, Gillespie and his family, Jim S., Daniel Rosborough, the Huffman family, Nancy Winkler, John Reeve, Vinnie Brock, Kaitlyn L., Susan Miller, Joyce Harley, Steve Proveaux, Jeffrey Greene, the Hutto family, Sherl Drawdy, Caleb Kennedy, Teresa O'Connor, Matt Jacobs, Perrin Seigler, Candee Massee, Lindsey Jordan, Sam Catoe, Tyler Felch, the Nicolopulos family, "the Jacksonville, FL guys," Kim Sims, the Coyle family, Ryleigh Tedder, Steve Lee, Kelly Trakas, Jimmy Moore, the Thomas V. family, Emary Claire Young, Kitty Bowers, Julie Locke, the Scheider family, Lauren Kittles' family, Frank Gentry, Joyce Bussey, Stacey McKeown, Dale Childs, Larry Lentz, Jr., Carl Sharperson, Scott Hannon, William Perry, Tyler Swaney, Lillian, Mark Feit, David Frame, Chad Berry, the family of Matthew M. Watson, the Dowis family, Shervin Messer, Alan Putnam, the Olivers, Lee Tate, Ronnie Abrams, Eddie Greene, the Jackson family, Bill Vader, Jim Taylor, Tina DeWitt, Rock Horne, Christopher Tuten, Bobby Wayne Thomas, Emma and Danielle Carothers, Robert Ditty, Mr. and Mrs. Murray Smith, Dot Cartee, Ayden Mills, Millie Heatley, Lynn Martin and family, Michael Pinson, Jake David family, Angie Crowley, Ira, Mike Tolson, Poly Wells, Dr. Muriel Bishop, Jack Cunningham, Emily Jefford Meister, Zachary Stoller, Aaron Clackum, Pat James, Cortney Moore, William Moore, Angelia and Savannah Anderson, William Ross, Meredith Legg, Scott Johns, Frank Carroll,
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, Alvin Sammons, Georgine McAlhaney, Glen Davis, Mike Price, Clay Childers, Aaron Knight, Danielle Johnston and family, Nicholas Abrams, Lana Kuykendall, Gary, Gary G., William Huggins, Jim Bennett, Chantz Fowler, Ethel McElveen, Michele Gurganus, William Gentry, Lewis Usher and Tanya Sanders, Shon Cooper, Nick Collins, Amanda Peake, Danny Hammond, Chip Turner, Nick Collins, Allen Steen, the Sturkey family, the Lance family, Nick Chrisley's family, Allison Williams, Lt. Kyle Walker, Summer and Joel Johnson, Nicole O'Donnell, James O. Johnson, Joy Pruett and family, Bill Schmidt, Jack Bailey, Gardner Family, Charles Turner, Kathy Bartholomew, Ray Sanders, David and Robin Blocker, J.R. Ray, Kenneth Kowe, Lauren Sielicki, Doug Bailey and family, Jenna Phipps, Mark Lawrence, Harlan Sullins, Peter Laboy, Kat and Carlisle Jones, Elizabeth Galloway and family, Anita McDonald, Willard Harryman, Liz Surratt, Molly Senn, Jackie Shearer, Richard Sellers, Tim Drisdelle, Edward Easterling, Dawson Bourne, Susan and Mike Brown, Julie Goodman Marshall, Willard and Dorothy Harryman, Justin Jernigan, Jack Cunningham, Mia Daughtery, Tee Senn, Jim Lanier, and our great country and the men and women in uniform that protect and serve it every day, plus their families.
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