North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Looks for Tangerine Redemption
12/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 16, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.-All of the NC State football players who participated in the Mazda Tangerine Bowl two years ago distinctly remember the bitter taste that stayed in their mouths following an ugly 34-19 loss to Pittsburgh. To make matters worse, some of the Wolfpack's top players - including linebacker Levar Fisher and receiver Bryan Peterson -- didn't make it out of the first half because of injuries. When NC State (7-5) returns to Orlando for a meeting with Kansas (6-6) next Monday (Dec. 22), it will not only be seeking redemption for what happened two years ago, but it will also be looking to put a positive end to a season that fell below expectations.
"I'm definitely excited about getting back on the field," said senior wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, who will be playing his last game at NC State. "You don't want to go out as a loser. It's not so much about the seniors anymore; it's about getting this program headed in the right direction. The program has done a lot for me and it's time to make sure the program is headed in the right direction and get some momentum going for next year."
There was certainly a major shortage of momentum created in the aftermath of that loss to the Panthers in 2001, a game that was played in unseasonably cool conditions in central Florida. Cotchery clearly remembers the feeling of losing the last game of the year, it's a feeling he doesn't want to experience again, especially in his last game as a collegian.
"It was miserable," Cotchery said, recalling that game two years ago. "We worked so hard during the practices down there. They may have been some of the best practices we've had here. To practice that hard and to go out and lose the game, that definitely hurt. We just want to go back there and make sure the fans go out as winners and prove that we can take care of business on the field."
Bowl games, especially those in places like Orlando, offer up the ultimate mix of business and pleasure. Upon their arrival in Florida on Wednesday, NC State's players will be given ample opportunity to enjoy the sun, fun and atmosphere, but only after they take care of business with morning practices.
"There are something like 56 teams that are going to be playing in bowls and it's a reward for every one of those teams," said NC State head coach Chuck Amato. "I don't care what their record is and I don't care what bowl they're in, it's a reward. The biggest reward is to go there and win a football game. There is such a thing as pride. The reason you play football or any other sport is to win."
And Amato has spent plenty of time reminding his players that they are not above another trip to the Mazda Tangerine Bowl even though they were hoping for bigger and better things earlier in the season when visions of winning an ACC title and landing a spot in one of the BCS bowl games was the stated goal.
NC State needs to look no further than what happened when the shoe was on the other foot last January in the Gator Bowl. Notre Dame was "relegated" to facing the Pack in Jacksonville after its dreams of a national title went up in smoke with some late-season losses. The Irish, some concluded, had no interest in facing a fourth place team from the ACC in the Gator Bowl.
Final score: NC State 28 Notre Dame 6
"That's the thing coach Amato has been telling us and he says he's going to stress it everyday until the game," said quarterback Philip Rivers. "He says 'don't fall into the trap that Notre Dame did.' Their expectations were so high and then they ended up in the Gator Bowl. NC State was kind of the other team all week. We jumped out and got after them pretty good. This year, Kansas is going to be the other team and we're the team with high expectations. We can't fall into that trap. After watching Kansas and preparing for them for a couple of weeks now, you can see they're a good team. If you're 6-6 in the Big 12, you're a good team."
Kansas is particularly good when quarterback Bill Whittemore is in the line-up. Before Whittemore went out with a shoulder injury, the Jayhawks were 5-2. During his absence, however, they lost four straight games. With him back, the Kansas offense features a quarterback who is as dangerous throwing as he is running.
"We're playing a Kansas football team that if their quarterback was healthy, I don't know what their record would be," Amato said. "He handles their offense like Philip handles ours. Their offense scares me to death."
Kansas averaged nearly 30 points and 418 yards of total offense during the regular season.
Bowling is a way of life for the Amatos: The Amato family is certainly accustomed to spending the holidays away from home. In fact, a postseason bowl trip has become a family tradition, more or less.
"The last time I didn't go to a postseason bowl was in 1981 when I was at the University of Arizona," Amato said. "There was two-year period out there that we didn't go. None of it's fun if you come out on the short end."
Amato had an 18-year run as an assistant at Florida State before coming to NC State, which will be making its fourth consecutive bowl appearance under his leadership.
Harris Healthy: Guard Leroy Harris, who turned an ankle during Saturday's scrimmage at Carter-Finley Stadium, was expected to return to practice on Tuesday. When asked if back-up quarterback Jay Davis would get some snaps in the bowl game, Amato said "We're going to do everything we can to win this football game. Period."
