North Carolina State University Athletics
Defense Paces Pack In Red/White Game
4/13/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 13, 2002
A crowd of over 11,000 turned out to watch the Wolfpack football squad conclude spring practice at the annual Red/White spring scrimmage at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
"We need to get better fundamentally", said head coach Chuck Amato. "Our offensive line is young, but they will get better by working together in the summer and learning the techniques of working as a unit."
The scrimmage was split up into different sections, with the special teams starting things off by working on field goals. Next came the situational scrimmage which was comprised of the offense and defense battling each other with each drive starting at the 25-yard line. Philip Rivers led the way for the first team offense by completing 9 of 22 passes for 175 yards and one touchdown. Backup quarterback Jay Davis finished the day by throwing for 69 yards and an interception on 12 of 25 passes. Running backs Cotra Jackson and Josh Brown led the rushing attack by combining for 60 yards. On the receiving end, Dovonte Edwards had three receptions for 49 yards, while Bryan Peterson had two catches for 53 yards and a touchdown.
On the defensive side of the ball, Corrie Dawson had a team high six tackles, including three for a loss of 12 yards. Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay and Andre Maddox each notched five tackles on the day.
"Our defense is getting better with each day of practice", Amato said. "We have more depth right now than we did last season, which will allow us to keep our players fresh for the entire game."
The scrimmage ended with a two-minute overtime drill and goal-line drills. The Wolfpack's off-season conditioning program begins Monday, and Coach Amato is looking forward to the fall.
"We have the opportunity to have a great season", said Amato. "Our guys are really willing to do whatever they need to get the job done. The freshman class we have coming in will add youth and excitement to this team, which I think the fans will really love."
The winners of Spring Football Awards were also announced at the game on Saturday. They are as follows:
Position Awards
| Position | Most Improved | Most Dependable |
| Quarterback | Jay Davis | Philip Rivers |
| Receiver | Andy Bertrand | Bryan Peterson |
| Offensive Line | Jed Paulsen | Scott Kooistra |
| Running Backs | Josh Brown | Cotra Jackson |
| Tight Ends | Sean Berton | Sean Berton |
| Linebackers | Corrie Dawson | Roger Pollard |
| Defensive Backs | Andre Maddox | Terrence Holt |
| Defensive Line | Terrence Martin | Jerrick Hall |
Special Awards
| Award | Offensive Winner | Defensive Winner |
| King of the Boards | Scott Kooistra | NONE |
| Most Valuable Non-Scholarship Player | Jeremy Mebane | Justin Wortham |
| Leadership | Philip Rivers | Terrence Holt |
| Scott Kooistra | Dantonio Burnette | |
| Second Effort | Jerricho Cotchery | Dantonio Burnette |
| Top Newcomer | Sean Berton | Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay |
| Big Hitter | Scott Kooistra | Dantonio Burnette |
| Most Outstanding Player | Philip Rivers | Terrence Holt |
| Most Dominant | Sean Berton | Terrence Martin |
