North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Seeks Elusive Win Over Terps
11/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 21, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.-NC State hopes its final regular season football game will turn into a day of celebration. The Wolfpack (7-4, 4-3) will make every attempt to send its seniors off in style, while also clinching no worse than a second-place tie in the ACC standings. But the team that stands in the way of all of this potential merriment has done a good job of spoiling Pack parties before. Over the last three years, Maryland (7-3, 4-2) has made a habit of dishing out disappointment to the Wolfpack Nation, becoming the only ACC team coach Chuck Amato and quarterback Philip Rivers haven't been able to close out in their four years together.
Remarkably, the last three games - all won by the Terps - have materialized in much the same way with NC State taking leads into the fourth quarter only to fall short. Last year in College Park, the Wolfpack couldn't hold a 21-7 advantage in the second half. Two years ago in Raleigh, Maryland clinched the ACC title and a spot in the BCS by scoring a touchdown with just 41 seconds remaining to earn a 23-19. And in Amato's first year at NC State, the Terrapins overcame a 15-point halftime deficit to prevail in double-overtime, 35-28.
For Rivers, who will play his last home game on Saturday, the script has been all too familiar.
"You're 0-3 and you really should be 3-0," said Rivers, who will finish his career as the ACC's all-time leader in passing and total offense. "They've kind of been a thorn in our side every year. The last time they were here they won a close one, which sent them to the Orange Bowl. There's not a BCS Bowl at stake, but it's still going to be a big-time game. Nobody playing on this team other than some of those redshirt guys has ever beaten them. What we've done this week is to stress to those young guys how important this game is. We're excited to get a chance to go out there and end that three-game losing streak."
To do that, Rivers will have to continue his red hot ways against a team that leads the ACC in total defense (297 ypg.), pass defense (185.0) and scoring defense (14.7 ppg.). Then again, Florida State was No. 1 in those categories before it ran into Rivers, who threw for 422 yards and four touchdowns in a double-overtime loss to the Seminoles last Saturday in Tallahassee.
"Philip Rivers is one of the best quarterbacks I have ever seen," said Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen, who has coached the likes of Boomer Esiason and Joe Hamilton. "I think his mechanics are much better this year and to me, he's throwing the ball on time more. He already possesses tremendous vision, a strong arm and he's very accurate."
But Friedgen may have the best tonic to control Rivers: a strong running game that is capable of producing yards and chewing up time on the clock. Perhaps the only way to stop the senior from Athens, Alabama is to keep the NC State offense on the sidelines. No. 2 in the ACC in rushing offense with an average of 181 yards per game, the Terrapins have a diverse running attack that employs multiple formations and a myriad of blocking schemes.
"They've got so many menus in their repertoire," Amato said. "They're going to run the power play, they'll run outside, they'll run options, they'll run reverses, they'll run out of the shotgun, they'll run with one back and they'll run with two backs. If you stop one thing, they'll go to something else. You've got to be ready to stop everything."
In their last outing, a 27-17 victory over Virginia two weeks ago, the Terrapins got a career-high 257-yard rushing performance from back-up tailback Josh Allen, who was starting in place of former ACC Player of the Year Bruce Perry. With Perry back from an ankle sprain this week, Maryland should have quite a 1-2 punch at the tailback position. And according to Friedgen, the Terps will need all the offense they can muster.
"We've been running the ball pretty well all season," said Friedgen. "Our offense has to play well and has to put a complete game together in order to be in the game with NC State. They're going to score points and you're going to have to score with them if you're going to win the game."
NC State does lead the league in total offense (442 ypg.), pass offense (347) and scoring offense (37.2), statistics that appear to support Friedgen's assessment.
Prior to the 3:30 kick off on Saturday, NC State will honor 19 seniors who will be appearing at Carter-Finley for the final time. Among those will be Rivers, receiver Jerricho Cotchery, punter Austin Herbert, kicker Adam Kiker and offensive tackle Sean Locklear, players who have enjoyed tremendous success at NC State, but have done so without a victory over Maryland.
"Playing in Carter-Finley is as fun as anywhere," Rivers said. "Growing up in the deep south and going to all of those SEC games, it stacks right up there with those stadiums. It will be something I'll miss from here on out."
Another memory he'd like to carry with him would be a victory over Maryland.
NC State Injury Report (Updated, Friday 11/21)
PROBABLE -- Running back T.A. McLendon, Shoulder Sprain
