North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary's Game Notes, Part II
10/4/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 4, 2001
NC State (2-1, 0-1) at Wake Forest (2-2, 0-2)
DATE: Saturday, October 6, 2001
TIME: Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. (EDT) at Groves Stadium (31,500)
RADIO: Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network. AIRTIME: 5:45 p.m. (EST)
TELEVISION: None
THE OPPOSITION-- Following wins over East Carolina and Appalachian State and a 27-20 loss to Maryland, Wake Forest ran into an inspired Florida State team last Saturday in Tallahassee.
Freshman Chris Rix passed for 345 yards and three touchdowns as No. 15 FSU built a 35-point lead and bounced back from its worst loss in 18 years with a 48-24 rout of the Demon Deacons. Rix struggled throughout a 41-9 defeat at North Carolina the week before, but looked comfortable against Wake Forest, completing 16-of-21 passes. Nick Maddox rushed for 94 yards and two scores on 19 carries for the 'Noles. Last week, North Carolina held Florida State to 88 rushing yards.
Wake Forest managed a 7-7 tie when sophomore quarterback Anthony Young rambled 71 yards for a touchdown with just under seven minutes left in the first quarter. After that, it was all Florida State. Maddox scored on runs of 17 and three yards to spark a 35-point outburst. Rix hit fellow freshman Javon Walker for a 52-yard score, then hooked up with freshman running back B.J. Ward for a 31-yard TD two minutes later. Greg Jones' one-yard run made it 42-7 with 3:21 to go before halftime.
Wide receiver, Fabian Davis, capped an 80-yard drive with an eight-yard run in the final minute of the second quarter to get the Deacons within 42-14 at halftime. Wake Forest was able to move the ball against the Seminoles, rolling up 436 total yards, including 265 on the ground. That marked WFU's best performance against Florida State in an ACC game.
The Deacons used two quarterbacks as Young completed 2-of-9 passes for 15 yards and two interceptions and junior James MacPherson was 8-of-15 for 156 yards. Young added 69 yards on five rushes, trailing only John Stone, who carried 11 times for 70 yards. MacPherson looks to be the better passer of the two WFU quarterbacks. He's completed 55 percent of his throws for 551 yards and one touchdown. Junior Tarence Williams is the Deaks leading rusher and is No. 2 in the ACC (105 ypg.). The top receivers are Davis (13 catches, 44 ypg.) and redshirt freshman Jason Anderson (14 catches, 54 ypg.).
Wake Forest leads the ACC in rushing (231.7 ypg.) and is third in total offense (412.2 ypg.), but the Deacons defense is giving up a lot of yards and points. WFU is next-to-last in the ACC in total defense and scoring defense, allowing 402 yards and 26 points a game. The Deaks top defender is senior linebacker Marquis Hopkins who is seventh in the ACC in tackles per game (11.2).
MacPherson took over as Wake's punter following the opener and has performed well with a 42.4 yard average. He did not punt last season. Veteran Tyler Ashe, a steady senior, has made 6 of 8 field goal attempts with a long of 37 yards.
NC STATE PLAYER UPDATES
RAY ROBINSON-- One of the leading all-purpose backs in the ACC, Robinson is 9th in the league in rushing (60.7 ypg.), 6th in receptions per game (4.67), 3rd in kick returns (25.0 ypr.), and 4th in all-purpose yardage (120.3 ypg.). He leads the Wolfpack in rushing, receiving (14 catches) and scoring (18 points). A 2001 preseason candidate for the Doak Walker Award for the third straight year, Robinson needs 300 yards to move past Willie Burden and into 6th place on the NC State's career rushing list and 208 yards to jump past Naz Worthen and into 7th place in career all-purpose yards. He is two touchdowns away from taking 4th place in career touchdowns, passing Tremayne Stephens (25). The senior set the school record for rushing attempts in a game (40) vs. Maryland in 2000. He was the Pack's top rusher last year (788 yds.) and No. 2 receiver (41 for 366 yds) and was the '98 ACC Rookie of the Year.
PHILIP RIVERS-- The Pack's sophomore quarterback leads the ACC in passing yards per game (254.7) and is 10th in the nation in that category. Rivers is also No. 2 in the league in total offense (248 ypg.) and 5th in passing efficiency. Last week against North Carolina, Rivers threw for 306 yards and a touchdown. It marked the fifth 300 yard passing performance of his career, tying him for the school record. Eight of his completions vs. UNC were for 20 or more yards. With 30 yards passing vs. WFU, Rivers would move to 6th in NC State career passing yardage. He needs 31 more completions for 4th place in career completions, passing Erik Kramer. Two more TD passes would move him to 4th place and move him past Kramer. He is three TD passes away from taking 3rd place from Shane Montgomery. Rivers had a marvelous season in 2000, earning the ACC Rookie of the Year award and National Rookie of the Year honors from ABC Sports and Football News. He was ACC Rookie of the Week a record eight times and set 10 school or ACC records in his first season at NC State. He holds single-season school records for completions (237), passing attempts (441), touchdown responsibility, and touchdown passes (25). His 3,054 yards passing were an ACC freshman record. Rivers also set ACC freshmen single-season records in passing yards per game (277.6), touchdown passes (25), total offense (2,967) and also set the single-game freshman record for passing yards when he threw for 413 yards against Duke. He is only the second NC State quarterback to throw for more than 3,000 yards in a season. His five TD passes vs. Indiana tied Terry Harvey's school record set in 1995 vs. Wake Forest.
WILLIE WRIGHT-- The redshirt senior tight end/wide receiver ranks 8th in the ACC in receptions this week with 12 catches (4.0 per game). Wright opened the 2001 season in a big way by catching 5 passes for 63 yards and 2 touchdowns vs. Indiana. Last season, Wright's first as a starter, he caught 31 passes for an average of 12.9 yards per catch and 3 touchdowns. He possesses the best hands of any player on the team and has added weight for the 2001 campaign. The 6-4 Greensboro native tips the scales at 240 pounds, 40 pounds more than he weighed as a freshman.
BRYAN PETERSON--Possessing good speed and big play potential, the 5-11, 189 pound junior is the Pack's No. 2 receiver with 13 catches and is 4th in the ACC this week in receiving yards per game (72.7) and 7th in receptions per game (4.33). Peterson's best performance of the season came in the opener vs. Indiana when he caught 6 passes for 115 yards, including a 55-yard TD. Pound-for-pound he is the strongest player on the 2001 Wolfpack squad, ranking as the team's strength index champion. As the most experienced returnee at wide receiver, Peterson has played in 26 career games. The former high school quarterback tossed two touchdown passes last season.
BRIAN WILLIAMS--The Wolfpack's No. 2 tackler in the secondary (22), picked off the fourth pass of his career vs. UNC and second in as many games to take the team lead in interceptions this season. Williams blocked the fourth kick of his career in NC State's 2001 season opener vs. Indiana when he stopped a punt that set up a second quarter Wolfpack field goal. Last season, Williams started every game and made some big plays after he was switched from free safety to cornerback in preseason. His fourth-quarter tackle for a 9-yard loss on fourth down vs. Arkansas State completed a successful goal-line stand that allowed NC State to regain possession of the ball and send the game into overtime. Williams blocked a punt at Indiana that set up a touchdown and broke up a third-down pass in a game-saving play in the fourth quarter. His third quarter punt block against Minnesota in the MicronPC.com Bowl sparked the Pack to a come-from-behind victory.
LEVAR FISHER-- The aggressive senior linebacker tied his career high with 21 tackles vs. UNC and maintained the ACC lead in stops per game (16.3). His 21 tackles tied the fourth-highest single game tackle total in school history. He tied the mark last season with 21 stops vs. Maryland. Fisher also leads the Pack in quarterback pressures with three. The Beaufort, NC native is on "watch lists" for both the Butkus and Lombardi Awards. Last season, Fisher was a finalist for the Bronco Nagurski Award as the nation's top defensive player, but voters for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's best linebacker, snubbed him. That was strange given the fact that Fisher led the nation in tackles (15.1 tpg.) and was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He also led the Wolfpack in tackles for loss (15) and in pass break-ups (8) last season.
DANTONIO BURNETTE--Nicknamed "Thunder Dan", the hard hitting junior linebacker notched a season-high 18 tackles last week vs. UNC and caused a Tar Heels fumble. Playing in the shadow of Levar Fisher, Burnette tallied 105 tackles last season, which was third-best on the team. In his first two seasons at NC State, Burnette recorded 218 tackles. No other player in school history compiled as many stops after their freshman and sophomore years. He set a school freshman record with 124 tackles in 1999. Burnette became a starter in just his second collegiate game in '99.
COREY SMITH--A solid pass rusher, Smith is tied for the team lead in sacks (2) with three other players, but leads the ACC in forced fumbles after notching his fifth of the season vs. UNC. Smith caused two fumbles and recorded a sack to open the 2001 season vs. Indiana. The next week, one of his two forced fumbles against SMU resulted in a Wolfpack touchdown. Last season, no defensive lineman played more snaps (634) for the Pack than Smith. The senior defensive end started every game and led the team in QB pressures (14) and was No. 2 in tackles for loss (12).
TERRENCE HOLT-- Recorded 11 tackles vs. SMU and blocked a field goal. It was the sixth blocked kick of Holt's career (4 FG, 2 PT). The brother of NFL receiver, Torry Holt, Terrence leads the Pack's secondary with 25 tackles and leads the team with 2 fumble recoveries. Last season, Holt started every game at free safety for the Wolfpack and finished 2000 as the team's No. 4 tackler with 89 stops. One of the top special teams players in the ACC, Holt blocked three field goals last season, including a potential game-tying attempt at Indiana. He was the leader as the Pack set a school record in 2000 with four blocked field goals and three punt blocks. The year before, the Wolfpack set the school mark for blocked punts with six. Holt had two of those punt blocks in an upset victory at Texas.
BRIAN JAMISON--The senior made his presence felt vs. UNC with 10 tackles including 2 sacks. Jamison found a home after he was switched from defensive end to outside linebacker late last season. He's the Pack's No. 4 tackler (23) this season. Against Indiana, Jamison recorded 8 tackles and blocked an Indiana punt in the end zone that Troy Graham recovered for a Wolfpack touchdown. Did not start against SMU, but finished with 5 tackles. Last year, Jamison led the Pack with 5.5 sacks. He forced three fumbles.
TERRANCE CHAPMAN & SHAWN PRICE --These junior college transfers are posting solid numbers as reserve defensive ends for the Wolfpack. They have combined for 8 tackles for losses and 4 sacks. Both have 4 TFL each to tie for the team lead and both are tied for the team lead in sacks with Brian Jamison and Corey Smith.
AUSTIN HERBERT -- Despite an ankle injury that happen on the way to practice last week, Herbert punted eight times for a respectable 38.2 yard average against UNC. His best performance of the season came a week earlier when he averaged 44 yards on five attempts at SMU. That included a 33 yard pooch punt that pinned the Mustangs at their own 13-yard line. On the next play, Corey Smith caused a fumble that George Anderson recovered in the end zone. After punting and kicking off as a freshman last season, Herbert is handling all the kicking duties in 2001. He is 3-3 kicking field goals with a long of 28 yards. His 37-yarder against Indiana was blocked. However, Herbert did not handle place-kicking duties vs. UNC due to his sore ankle. At Cary High School, Herbert set the North Carolina high school record for career field goals with 37.
HERBERT (Field Goal kicking 2001) 0-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50-plus TOT LONG 0-0 3-3 0-0 0-0 0-0 3-3 28
INJURIES--NC State: RB Carlos Doggett (broken foot) -out, WR Andy Bertrand (shoulder) -out for season, DB Rod Johnson (broken arm)-out, P Austin Herbert (ankle)-questionable. WFU: WR Ira Williams (shoulder)-questionable, QB James MacPherson (ankle)-day-to-day, NT Goryal Scales (knee) -doubtful.
NEXT GAME -- The Wolfpack will host Clemson University on Saturday, October 13th. Airtime will be 11:15 a.m.. on the Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network with kickoff at 12-noon. The game will be televised regionally by the Jefferson-Pilot ACC Network.
