North Carolina State University Athletics
Amato Gives Offense High Marks
8/7/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug. 7, 2002
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.-Take quarterback Philip Rivers and give him a bevy of talented receivers and you have the makings of an explosive offense. Of course, with players like Terrance Martin, Shawn Price and Dantonio Burnette among others, the NC State defense would also seem to have the right recipe for success.
Generally speaking, defenses are usually ahead of offenses this time of year because there is an awful lot of timing involved in moving the football either on the ground or through the air. But in the Wolfpack's morning practice on Wednesday, the offense bucked the trend.
"The offense had the upper hand and it shouldn't be that way this early," Amato said. "This early, the defense should dominate because of the timing involved with offense and everything else. We go one versus two this time of year but we've got to pick it up defensively. We've got to go out there and commit ourselves and stop thinking and just let ourselves go."
On Wednesday, the offense matched up with the defense for a series of plays near the goal line and then again during an 11-on-11 mini-scrimmage late in the practice. There were also some seven-on-seven pass skeleton drills that allowed the quarterbacks to throw against a variety of coverages.
With freshman T.A. McLendon ailing, Greg Golden and Josh Brown received most of the reps at tailback on Wednesday. The heated competition between all of the tailbacks at this stage has become one of the dramatic subplots in NC State's preseason camp.
"I think it's great because they're fighting every time they get their hands on the ball," Amato said. "They get in there and they know they've got to make that rep count because they know there's a three-way fight going on. There's a lot of talent there. T.A. will be back shortly. He's got a little bruise on his shoulder."
On an adjacent practice field out of sight from just about everyone, another battle is brewing. NC State could be one of the few schools in college football that has two proven place kickers at its disposal. Junior Adam Kiker connected on 13-of-14 field goal attempts last season, but only after he had taken over for the injured Austin Herbert. While continuing to punt after spraining his ankle last fall, Herbert was never able to regain the place kicking duties. Now, Herbert is trying to win the job back. The kicking situation will remain fluid, "unless somebody steps up and takes the forefront," Amato explained. "Again, all that can do is make both of them better. We chart every kick they make out here every day."
The intensity level of practices could inch up another level on Thursday morning when the players don full pads for the first time.
