North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Picked to Finish Second in ACC Preseason Poll
7/21/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
July 21, 2003
Fresh off the first 11-win season in school history, NC State has been picked to finish second in the upcoming ACC Football race. In the annual media poll of writers and broadcasters at the ACC Football Kickoff in Greensboro, Georgia, the Wolfpack received 664 points and 26 first place votes to finish second only to Florida State. NC State will open its 2003 football season against Western Carolina on August 30 at Carter-Finley Stadium.
"You guys are smart," NC State coach Chuck Amato told the media when told his team finished behind Florida State in the voting. "They ought to be there - and that's a good place for us, too."
FSU coach Bobby Bowden had hoped that this might be the year that his Seminoles could go into a season as a slight underdog. It didn't turn out that way as the 'Noles were picked No. 1 for the 12 consecutive year.
"You've got to be kidding me," Bowden said when he was informed Florida State was preseason No. 1 yet again. "Those dirty rats. They're doing that out of spite. "I thought NC State and Maryland might be ahead of us, even Virginia, because I think they're deserving. In my opinion, we've got to prove ourselves again."
The Atlantic Coast Conference 2003 preseason football poll as voted on by 84 media members attending the ACC Football Kickoff. First-place votes in parentheses. School, Points
1. Florida St. (35) 672
2. NC State (26) 664
3. Maryland (18) 607
4. Virginia (5) 570
5. Clemson 379
6. North Carolina 269
7. Wake Forest 259
8. Georgia Tech 223
9. Duke 137
