North Carolina State University Athletics
Gary Hahn's Scouting Report
9/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 19, 2002
#17 (AP) #16 (ESPN) NC STATE (4-0, 1-0) at TEXAS TECH (2-1, 0-0)
DATE: Saturday, September 21, 2002
TIME: Kickoff: 12:30 p.m. (EDT) at Jones SBC Stadium, Lubbock, TX (51,000)
RADIO: Wolfpack Capitol Sports Network. AIRTIME: 11:30 a.m. (EDT)
TELEVISION: Fox Sports Net (National)
OPPONENT--Eli Manning may have won his battle Saturday with Kliff Kingsbury, but Texas Tech used a great defensive and special teams effort to win the war with Ole Miss before a crowd of 40,228 at Jones SBC Stadium. Kingsbury threw for 270 yards and a pair of touchdowns as the Red Raiders held on for a 42-28 victory over Manning and Mississippi in a clash of marquee quarterbacks.
Kingsbury also became the all-time leading passer in the Big 12 Conference with 8,392 yards when he found Mickey Peters for a 23-yard TD pass in the first quarter. Major Applewhite of Texas previously held the record.
With the Rebels (2-1) behind the entire game, Manning was forced to throw repeatedly, completing 34-of-57 passes for 374 yards and three touchdowns. However, he also tossed a costly interception.
Holding a 10-7 lead, the Red Raiders scored 18 points in a four-minute stretch in the first half. Tech defensive end Adell Duckett, making his first career start, snagged a Manning pass attempt and went 21 yards for a touchdown for a 21-7 lead. Duckett also batted down four Manning passes, three in the first half. Moments after the interception, Ole Miss punter Cody Ridgeway muffed a punt and set the Raiders up on an 11-yard touchdown drive capped by Kingsbury's 2-yard sneak. Early in the third quarter, Ole Miss failed to convert a fake field-goal attempt from the 6-yard line after recovering a Kingsbury fumble at the Tech 12. Texas Tech also got a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown from Wes Welker in the third quarter, the fourth of his career.
Manning threw a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, including a seven-yard strike to Trey Fryfogle to cut the deficit to 35-28 with 8:43 remaining. Kingsbury responded by engineering a 12-play, 84-yard drive that he capped with a three-yard TD toss to Nehemiah Glover on a fade route for the final margin with 3:41 to play.
Tech punter Clinton Greathouse was the Red Raiders unsung star of the game. He hit punts that pinned the Rebels back on their 1-, 6-, 2- and 3-yard lines. Those kicks led to 10 Tech points after the Rebels punted on their ensuing possessions. Greathouse also had a career-long 67 yard punt and finished the game with a 51.7 yard average.
The Red Raiders wide-open spread offense appeared more balanced versus Ole Miss. Tech rushed 27 times in the game for 39 yards.
So far this season, Texas Tech is averaging 29 points and 390 yards total offense a game, but is rushing for only 61 yards a contest. Eight starters are back from a unit that ranked fifth in NCAA pass offense and 15th in total offense last season. Kingsbury (6-4, 210, Sr.), who has received some mention as a Heisman Trophy candidate, has completed 63 percent of his passes for 980 yards and 8 touchdowns, but has been intercepted 3 times.
Kingsbury's No. 1 target is Welker (5-9, 185, Jr.) who has caught 18 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns. Peters (6-2, 200, Jr.)and Glover (5-8, 174, So.) also have two TD receptions. No.2 receiver, Anton Paige (15 catches) is the tallest of the group (6-5, 205, Sr.). Foy Munlin (5-10, 219, Jr.) is the leading rusher with 116 yards on 24 carries. Tech's big offensive line (4 of 5 starters weigh 300 or more pounds) has allowed 11 sacks in its first three games.
Defensively, the Red Raiders return nine starters, but are giving up 29 points and 433 yards of offense a game, including a hefty 207 yards on the ground. Third down defense has also been a problem (54%). The leading tacklers are senior linebacker Lawrence Flugence (6-2, 244), an AP third-team All-America last season who is being mentioned as a candidate for the Nagurski, Lombardi and Butkus Awards, and junior free safety, Ryan Aycock (6-1, 205). They've combined for 66 tackles, 31 percent of the team's total. Senior defensive end, Aaron Hunt (6-2, 262) is also a Lombardi Trophy candidate. Tech has recorded four quarterback sacks and three interceptions.
Kicker, Robert Treece (5-9, 179, Sr.), is a Lou Groza Award candidate who was cut from the team in the spring of 2001. He returned and won the starting job last season making 12 of 15 field goals and all 43 of his PAT attempts. This season, Treece is 3 of 5 in the field goal department with a long of 45 yards. One attempt was blocked. Greathouse (5-10, 221, Sr.) is punting for an impressive 43.7 yard average.
Head coach, Mike Leach, has led Tech to bowl games in each of his first two seasons on the job. He's also the team's offensive coordinator. Already 75 team and individual school records have been set under Leach. Greg McMackin, who has NFL experience, is one of the better defensive coordinators in the Big 12 Conference. McMackin's defenses are aggressive and are not shy when it comes to blitzing. The Red Raiders set a school record with 40 sacks last season.
INJURIES--NC State: CB A.J Davis-Out; Fractured fibula; C Jed Paulsen-out; sprained ACL; DT Sheldon Lewin-Questionable; knee sprain; OLB Avery Gibson-Doubtful; high ankle sprain.Texas Tech: OLB Marquis Turner-Doubtful; ankle.
