North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Begins Preparations for Mazda Tangerine Bowl
12/8/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Dec. 8, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C.-Aside from the chili December temperature, Monday seemed just like any other day at the NC State practice fields. Wearing shoulder pads and sweat pants, the Wolfpack football team went through a series of drills under a sensational winter sun that kept the conditions somewhat tolerable. It was the second day of bowl practice for the Pack, which will face off against Kansas in the Mazda Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida on December 22.
As he watched Monday's workout from the observation tower that hovers above the practice fields, NC State head coach Chuck Amato saw a team that was slowly working its way back into the football routine following a two-week layoff.
"It's amazing," Amato said. "They haven't done anything for two weeks and as far as practicing football goes, it's like we're starting all over again."
It was like starting all over again for a team that sustained two heartbreaking defeats down the stretch to Florida State and Maryland, a finish that left NC State with a 7-5 record. When all of this began back in early August, the Wolfpack dreamt of winning the school's first ACC title since 1979 and grabbing a spot in one of the BCS bowls. And although those hopes were shattered, NC State was almost back at square one on Monday, just like it was when preseason practice opened more than four months ago.
There was a heavy session on fundamentals, with coaches preaching the basics like stance, alignment, blocking and tackling.
"They're starting from scratch, and I mean everybody," Amato said. "It's like the first day of practice."
The practice schedule itself can't be overwhelming this week primarily because the players are also entrenched in final exams. Most will take exams in the morning, practice in the early afternoon, and then head back to their dorm rooms to study for the next day's test.
No one will be facing a more challenging week than quarterback Philip Rivers, who is slated to graduate at the end of next week. After taking his final exams on Tuesday and Wednesday, the ACC's all-time leading passer will be off to Orlando for the annual College Football Awards Show televised by ESPN on Thursday night. And should he be selected as one of the five finalists for the Heisman Trophy presentation on Saturday, he'll go directly from Orlando to New York on Friday.
Already one of three finalists for the Davey O'Brien Quarterback Award, Rivers is taking a wait and see approach on the Heisman ceremony.
"Even having my name tossed around all year for that award is an honor," Rivers said. "If I were to get that opportunity to sit with what are considered to be the other top four players in the country, that would be a great experience. While it would be a great opportunity and I would be excited to get that chance, I don't have my hopes up so high that it would be a disappointment if it doesn't happen. There are a bunch of other guys that are deserving of the trip too. For it to be narrowed down to five guys, that's tough."
Either way, Rivers will be doing a lot of traveling over the next several days. He'll accompany the rest of his teammates to Orlando for pre-bowl practices and festivities on Wednesday, December 17th.
Early Look at Kansas: After taking a quick peek at the Jayhawks, Amato is impressed with what he's seen. Kansas finished with a 6-6 mark, but had it not been for a shoulder injury that sidelined steady quarterback Bill Whittemore for three-plus games, that record would probably look more impressive.
"I'll tell you what, we're really impressed with their quarterback," Amato said. "When he was hurt, they lost four games. He reminds me of [former NC State QB] Olin Hannum as far as his skills. He's got quick feet, he's fast and he can really throw the ball. If he hadn't been out for four games, he might be the leading rusher on their football team. He's good at what he does and there are so many things that you have to defend that it really makes it tough."
In nine games, Whittemore hit 62.6 percent of his passes for 2,142 yards, 16 touchdowns and just four interceptions.
