North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Gets to Work in Jacksonville
12/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 26, 2002
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.-There will be some work and then there will be some play. For participating players, bowl games truly are a mixture of business and pleasure. On its first day in Jacksonville, Fla., scene of the Gator Bowl on New Year's day, NC State (10-3) will get the business part out of the way when it holds a 2:30 p.m. practice at Jacksonville University.
The Wolfpack's opponent, Notre Dame (10-2), will also arrive in Jacksonville today. The two teams will clash in front of a sell-out crowd at Alltel Stadium on January 1 at 12:30.
The Pack had a series of practices in Raleigh before head coach Chuck Amato gave the players a few days off for Christmas. Most of the players traveled to Jacksonville from their respective homes and were scheduled to report to team headquarters this morning. Following a slow build up, some are eager to finish up workouts and get to game day.
"There's so much build up to it," said quarterback Philip Rivers, who will be starting his third straight bowl game at NC State. "For a month you're thinking about who you're going to play. It's like the first game of the season again and it's like a championship game just because you're building up for that one game."
Other than just a few bumps and bruises, the Wolfpack should be relatively healthy for its first practice in Florida. After undergoing surgery on his broken left hand, All-ACC tight end Sean Berton will be wearing a big, round cast for most of the workouts before being fitted with a smaller wrap on game day.
Check back to Gopack.com later today for the first installment of Annabelle's Bowl Diary as Annabelle Vaughan, NC State's Assistant AD for Media Relations, files her first report from Jacksonville. Wolfpack fans that were unable to pick up their Gator Bowl tickets in Raleigh last week will have several more Will Call opportunities in Jacksonville early next week
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Also keep in mind that coach Amato will be featured on special editions of his TV and Radio Shows prior to the bowl game. The Chuck Amato Radio Show will air live from 9-10 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Dec. 30. The radio show will originate from The Atrium at the Omni Hotel, and all fans are invited to attend.
On game day, airtime on the Wolfpack Radio Network will be one hour prior to kick off at 11:30 a.m. Barring interference from a local station in Jacksonville, the broadcast can be heard live inside the stadium on 87.7 FM.
