North Carolina State University Athletics
The Rivers Report
10/29/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 29, 2002
Quote of the Week: "One of the things you can't measure about Philip Rivers is his leadership. This kid is the leader of the whole team. He is like a coach. I don't care what your background is, where you're from, all of the players respond when he talks to them. Philip Rivers clearly has the team first and the individual goals second...." ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit
The Field General: Philip Rivers is the national leader in passing efficiency this week (and has been all but two weeks this season), as he has thrown 16 touchdowns to just six interceptions. His passing yardage total (2,144) ranks 19th nationally.
But Rivers is leading a much more balanced offense than all of the quarterbacks that rank ahead of him in passing yardage. NC State currently ranks 45th nationally in rushing with 166.9 yards per game. None of the QBs who rank ahead of Rivers in terms of passing yardage play for a team that ranks ahead of the Pack in terms of rushing yards per game. In fact, only two of the quarterbacks who boast more passing yards than Rivers (Nevada's Zack Threadgill and Akron's Charlie Frye) even play for teams averaging more than 150 yards rushing per game.
Rivers Moves Into Top 10: With 2,144 passing yards this season, junior quarterback Philip Rivers moved into the top-10 in ACC history in career passing yards. His 7,784 yards is the ninth-best total ever by an ACC player and is 2,056 yards shy of the league record held by Chris Weinke of Florida State (9,839 yards).
Rivers is also tied for fourth in ACC history in career passing touchdowns with 57. He needs just three TD throws to move ahead of former Wolfpack QB Jamie Barnette for the NC State record and third-place in league history.
Rivers' 364 yards versus Duke marked his ninth career 300+ passing game, which ties as the fourth-best mark in league history as well.
Rivers is Winningest Junior QB: Nine games into his junior campaign, Philip Rivers has now won 24 games as a starting quarterback. That win total is the best in the nation by a junior.
Rivers had tallied more passing yards than any other player in ACC history upon completion of their sophomore campaign heading into 2002 (5,640). His current yardage total (7,784) and touchdown passes total (57) rank second among current juniors nationally.
Philip Rivers Among Junior Quarterbacks
Career Wins as a Starter
1. Philip Rivers, NC State, 23-9
2. Casey Clausen, Tennessee, 21-6
Career Passing TDs by Juniors
1. Luke McCown, Louisiana Tech, 61
2. Philip Rivers, NC State, 57
Career Passing Yardage by Juniors
1. Luke McCown, La Tech, 8,110
2. Philip Rivers, NC State, 7,655
Deep Rivers: Philip Rivers has now completed 122 career passes over 20 yards, 20% of his total completions. He showed an aptitude for the long ball during his freshman campaign, completing 55 passes that went for 20+ yards (he threw many of those to first-round draft pick Koren Robinson). Last year, he threw more mid-range passes, with only 33 going for long distance as tailback Ray Robinson was the Pack's leading receiver. This season, however, Rivers is throwing deep more often, with 34 20+yard throws already this season.
Here's a look at Rivers' long-pass tallies for his career:
Yardage 2000 2001 2002 Totals 20-29 27 20 18 65 30-39 17 6 6 29 40-49 6 4 4 14 50+ 5 3 6 14 Totals 55 33 34 122Shouldering Responsibility: Philip Rivers set another single-game school record in the win over Navy, as he was responsible for six touchdowns. Rivers threw for a five TDs, tying his own school record, and ran for another.
The previous record was five, set by Rivers vs. Indiana in 2000 (5 passing), Terry Harvey vs. Wake Forest in 1995 (5 passing) and Stan Fritts vs. Wake Forest in 1972 (5 rushing).
Rivers has now passed Ted Brown to move into second place on the Wolfpack career list for touchdown responsibility. Rivers' tally stands at 70, second only to Jamie Barnette's 74. That mark is tied for fifth in ACC history.
Rushing Rivers: Not only has Philip Rivers been efficient passing the ball this season (he has led the nation for much of the season in passing efficiency), but he has found a new way to get the ball into the endzone: running it in himself.
Rivers, who has never been described as "fleet of foot," has scored eight rushing touchdowns already this season, four more than the total from his freshmen and sophomore seasons combined.
That mark ties the NC State record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Tol Avery ran for the same amount in 1980. Rivers' mark is tied as the 15th single season rushing TD mark in school history, regardless of position.
