N.C. State

[Carolina_Bull]

OK, I must first disclose that I live 4 miles from N.C. State and definitely get an earful from Wolfpackers about how the team will turn it up this year in O'Brien's second year.  However, I do think that football is a game of matchups and N.C. State will be committed to pounding the rock this year, which sometimes trips up our Bulls.

In my opinion, this is going to be a non-conference road game against a D1 team that ends the 2008 season being bowl eligible.  I also believe O'Brien is a hell of a coach and spent a lot of last year dealing with offensive injuries and taking out Amato's trash.  This could very well be a trap game.  '07 @ Auburn it ain't. . . . . But it ain't gonna be '06 @ UNC either.

We better be ready.

From the Raleigh News & Observer:

Fall outlook: The team, and offense in particular, will be better in its second season under O'Brien.

The running game, which ranked 110th nationally and only ahead of Duke in the ACC, should improve dramatically with the healthy return of backs Toney Baker and Andre Brown, not to mention tight end Anthony Hill, the team's best blocker.

After Brown's injury against FSU in the sixth game, Jamelle Eugene was responsible for the entire running game, when State ran  the Pack attempted at least 40 passes in each of the final six games.

Just as the 2007 team improved from the start of the season to the end, this one will get better as it understands what O'Brien wants. But the final record may not show just how much progress State makes. The Pack could be better and win five games again, or maybe six, but no more than seven.

The reason? This is the oddest schedule State has played in the past 15 years.

There are seven home games, including four straight, and two of the road games are in the Triangle (at UNC and at Duke), but other than William & Mary, there are no breaks, and that includes the date with Duke, whose series with State defies logic.

The three I-A nonconference games are South Carolina, ECU and South Florida.

In the conference, the Atlantic is stronger than the Coastal, which is a bad break because even though the Pack picked up Duke, it doesn't get a shot at rebuilding teams like Georgia Tech or Virginia.

There's no such thing as a perfect schedule, but given where State is as a program, this one doesn't leave much room for error.

There will be emotional games with ECU, Boston College, UNC, Duke and Wake. South Carolina and South Florida will open the season ranked in the Top 25 and then there are trips to Clemson and Maryland, two teams that beat State by a combined score of 79-20 last season.

That all adds up to a quest to add up to six wins by the last Saturday of November.

[crambone]

I would love to return the favor of 2005 and give them a shutout.

However, I agree with you.  This game is not going to be easy.  NC State will be "awfully good".

[Jihme]

nc state worries me.  we can never stop the run.  genus better evolve into a freak ASAP.

[usfbulls2004]

stop the run and we can win more games.

[Bull Martin]

stop the run and we can win more games.

It's more than we win more games.  If we stop the run this year, then we'll go undefeated.

[bullgator85]

its a good thing that we play them after FIU

[chazmeister]

stop the run and we can win more games.

It's more than we win more games.  If we stop the run this year, then we'll go undefeated.

Stopping the run alone won't make us undefeated. We HAVE TO avoid the excessive turnovers. Those two combined = undefeated, IMO.

[Zonald]

stop the run and we can win more games.

It's more than we win more games.  If we stop the run this year, then we'll go undefeated.

Stopping the run alone won't make us undefeated. We HAVE TO avoid the excessive turnovers. Those two combined = undefeated, IMO.

Score more points then the other team = undefeated IMHO

[JoeB]

To be a ranked team, we have to win games like this.  NC State isn't that great, we just need to play with poise and our  talent will win the game.

[BullMedic]

Their new QB has a heck of an arm. He is the brother of Virginia Tech QB Sean Glennon. I saw him at the UA High SChool All American game and he's pretty good. But as long as we can put pressure on him, he'll make the freshman mistakes.