North Carolina State University Athletics
Gimpy Pack Sets Sights on Wake Forest
9/8/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 8, 2002
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.--There's usually not much to complain about after watching your team lay a 65-19 whipping on someone, but NC State head football coach Chuck Amato did come away from Saturday's game against Navy with a few concerns. Sure there were a couple of penalties that kept Navy drives alive, but mostly Amato worried about the overall health of his team after watching three key players go down with what at the time appeared to be potentially serious injuries.
By Sunday, however, Amato could breathe a little easier after receiving updated medical reports. The tests conducted on starting center Jed Paulsen and defensive tackle Alan Halloway did not reveal major ligament damage, meaning both players could return in the near future. As for now, Paulsen will likely miss next Saturday's ACC opener against Wake Forest, while Halloway is listed as doubtful. Both players have been diagnosed with knee sprains. With Paulsen probably out, Amato said the center position is somewhat unsettled. Brandon Sanders came into the game after Paulsen was injured. His backup would be redshirt freshman Antoine Colvin.
"We've got a big problem there," Amato said of the center position. "Center is a position that goes unnoticed until he's not in there."
The news is even better for starting defensive tackle Jerrick Hall, who was removed from the field on a stretcher on Saturday after suffering a neck injury that caused him to lose some feeling in his hands and arms. After undergoing a series of tests at a Maryland hospital on Saturday evening, Hall was released to come home. Amazingly, the 6-2, 285 pound senior is listed as questionable for the Wake Forest game with a sore neck that will require him to wear a neck brace for a few days.
Rivers on a roll:Perhaps it's no surprise that NC State's Philip Rivers is already establishing himself as one of the nation's top quarterbacks early in the season. Through three games, the junior from Athens, Alabama leads the country in passing efficiency and is number two in scoring responsibility. Rivers has made the most of a relatively low number of pass attempts, hitting 35-of-51 in three Wolfpack blowouts. Against Navy, he was 10-of-15 for 309 yards and five touchdowns.
"He's doing things the way he's always done them, but even at a better pace," Amato said. "When he was a freshman, he threw 51 passes in one game. He's thrown some passes that some people wouldn't take a chance of throwing, and if they did they would probably get them intercepted. Philip is getting better and better and improving more and more. Thank goodness for us."
No record for Holt:By blocking the 10th and 11th kicks of his career on Saturday, NC State safety Terrence Holt tied the ACC record held by former Duke star Ray Farmer. But upon further review, he did not equal the all-time NCAA record. That distinction belongs to James Ferebee, who blocked a total of 19 kicks for New Mexico State between 1978-81.
