North Carolina State University Athletics
Haynes' World: Depth Questions Comeback to Haunt Pack
11/5/2000 12:00:00 AM | Football
By Tony Haynes
Along with being a good football coach, Chuck Amato is also a straight shooter. That's why now is a good time to reflect back to last spring when NC State's new football coach expressed concerns over his team's overall lack of depth. Amato certainly wasn't blowing smoke when he constantly reminded anyone who would listen that the Wolfpack wasn't talented enough to overcome a rash of injuries.
So it was last Saturday at Maryland. Going in, NC State was already without linebackers Clayton White and Edrick Smith, and cornerback J.J. Washington. And when defensive tackle/end Nate Goodson limped off the field with a knee injury, the Pack had lost yet another key member of its defensive unit.
On the other side of the ball, things started to deteriorate when right tackle Scoot Kooistra was lost for the season with a ruptured patella tendon. Making matters even worse, Kooistra's replacement, Chris Colmer, also got hurt soon after shifting from guard to tackle.
Other than maybe Florida State, college football teams aren't like auto assembly lines. When a new car is moved off the line in Detroit, it's replaced by a version that's just as fast and just as reliable. It doesn't work that way in football. When one player goes down, the next player in line, in most cases, isn't going to be as effective.
Without cohesion and continuity, offensive lines are destined for failure. Obviously, that chemistry can be easily disrupted by injuries and position changes. Following the injuries to Kooistra and Colmer at Maryland, the Wolfpack offense became vulnerable. Gamely, Colmer returned and gave it his best on one healthy leg in the second half.
The Pack won't get any sympathy from its opponents. It is, after all, that time of year when most teams have suffered their share of bumps and bruises. And Maryland should be commended for rallying behind reserve quarterback Shaun Hill, who did a splendid job after starter Calvin McCall went down late in the opening half.
Football is a violent, physical sport and injuries are an unfortunate part of the game. Some teams are better equipped to handle personnel losses than others. Through hard work on the recruiting trail, NC State may one day possess enough talent and depth to survive a plethora of injuries. Right now, however, that is not the case.
Why should any of us be surprised that the game at Maryland was close? This is, after all, the same Wolfpack team that played nail-biters in four of its first six games. In close wins over Arkansas State, Indiana and Georgia Tech, a much healthier NC State team just happened to make the one or two plays it needed to get over the top. On Saturday, the tables were turned when the Terps made the key play when they needed it.
Despite Saturday's outcome, the Wolfpack's dream of putting together a tremendous season is still alive. In six of State's first eight games, one play here or one injury there made a big difference. Don't expect that pattern to change over the last three weeks.
