North Carolina State University Athletics
Shootout: NC State Hosts Texas Tech
9/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 19, 2003
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - Although it couldn't hold a big lead the last time it faced Texas Tech, NC State (1-2) wouldn't mind taking its chances with a quick start when the two clubs face off this Saturday afternoon at Carter-Finley Stadium. In fact, a little early success may be just what the doctor ordered for the Wolfpack, which found itself facing first half deficits in back-to-back losses to Wake Forest and Ohio State. In both games, the Pack fought uphill most of the way after being outscored 42-17 in the opening half.
The early season trend of slow starts explains, in part, why NC State is now facing a near must-win scenario against the pass-happy Red Raiders (2-0), who have averaged 50 points and 366 yards through the air in lopsided victories over SMU and New Mexico.
In posting a 11-3 mark a year ago, the Wolfpack regularly put points on the board early, scoring first in 12 of its 14 games in 2002. But a lot of things are different this fall; at this time 12 months ago, NC State was off and running to a school-record 9-0 start, a run that was snapped with a three-game November losing streak. This year, it finds itself trying to recover from a two-game skid in September.
"We came out of nowhere with our start last year before we hit a ditch," said NC State head coach Chuck Amato. "Who knows, maybe this year we can do it the other way around."
And just like last year, the Wolfpack could use a game against Texas Tech as a springboard to another successful campaign. State was 4-0 when it traveled to Lubbock last September 21st. But after jumping out to a 38-17 advantage, the Wolfpack suffered a fourth quarter meltdown in the Texas heat when the Red Raiders, led by strong-armed quarterback Kliff Kingsbury, scored 28 unanswered points in the final period to send the game into overtime. Somehow, NC State's players rebounded emotionally and went on to post a wild 51-48 victory when tailback T.A. McLendon scored his fifth touchdown of the day.
Surviving a game it easily could have lost seemed to give NC State all the impetus it would need to post a record-breaking start. Now another meeting with Texas Tech looms large, but for very different reasons.
"I think every game now is a must-win game," said McLendon, who is expected to start against the Raiders on Saturday. "Even the two that we lost were must-win games, but you win some and you some. That's a part of football. I don't want to be this and three, this and four. I want to be something and two from here on out."
In order to put a halt to its current losing streak, NC State will once again have to deal with a Texas Tech offense that throws short, throws deep and throws often.
"Gee," Amato said, "we might have to start this game at 11 o'clock in the morning because if they throw as many passes as they're going to throw and we throw as many as we're going to, we'll have to turn the lights on. They told us we couldn't turn them on in this game."
Said NC State rover Andre Maddox: "You have to expect it to be a long game. It's very tiring. It's a little different running to the ball against a passing offense than when somebody is running it. It's a lot harder because he may throw the ball to the other side of the field and you have to run to the ball. It's going to be a very tiring, long game."
It will be, especially if the two quarterbacks have their way. Now the ACC's all-time passing leader, NC State's Philip Rivers has been utterly phenomenal through three games, completing 76.3 percent (100-for-131) of his throws for 1,068 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Last year in Lubbock, Rivers had a shootout with Kingsbury, who is one of only four quarterbacks in NCAA history to pass for more than 12,000 career yards (12,429). After waiting in the wings as a back up for three years, it appears that B.J. Symons has picked up where Kingsbury left off. Through two games, the fifth-year senior is averaging 357 yards through the air with eight touchdowns.
"He's a good player," said Texas Tech coach Mike Leach. "He's been throwing to these same receivers for three or four years and has been around our plays and the things that we run. He's pretty experienced despite the fact that he didn't play that many games behind Kliff. He's experienced with what we do."
But as NC State found out last season, just when you think the Red Raiders are going to pass on every down, they'll hit your defense with draws or quick traps that often produce big plays against defensive schemes set up to choke off the passing game. In last year's contest, Tech rushed for 202 yards on 39 attempts.
"The biggest breakdown is that we didn't stop the run," Amato said. "They average about 12 runs per game, but if we don't stop those 12 runs, they'll run us out of the stadium. They made some awfully big runs last year in some critical situations."
Of course, NC State can enhance its chances of success this weekend if it can rediscover its own running game, which has gone south in the wake of McLendon's uncertain status the first three weeks. Slowed by a knee injury the last two games, the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year says he about "90 to 95 percent" this week.
"If he's in there, we'll hand it to him," Amato said.
And why not? McLendon's coming out party last year was at Texas Tech, where he rushed for 150 yards and five touchdowns. A healthy McLendon would certainly help out Rivers who has been forced to carry the load with his right arm the last few weeks. Ideally, the Pack would prefer to balance its run to pass ratio, which currently stands at 140 passes to 89 rushing attempts.
And there's another way to achieve more balance in the offense: Get off to a quick start. This week, the Pack hopes it won't be fighting from behind all day.
INJURY REPORT
NC State vs. Texas Tech
AVAILABLE
T.A. McLendon, TB - Patella Tendon Strain
DOUBTFUL
Chris Colmer, OG - *Parsonage Turner Syndrome (see below)
OUT
Sterling Hicks, WR - Torn ACL
*Parsonage Turner Syndrome is a fairly uncommon, but well-defined disease which affects the brachial plexus and results in pain, numbness, tingling and weakness of the affected arm. (The brachial plexus is a group of nerves that emanates from the neck and passes underneath the shoulder to divide into various nerves in the upper extremity.) Parsonage-Turner Syndrome occurs usually with fairly rapid onset of pain which is followed by muscular weakness. Many think that it is the result of a viral infection of these nerves in the brachial plexus. The pain lessens and abates in a few days or a few weeks and is followed by muscular weakness. The prognosis for complete recovery is very good, as recovery of strength and sensation usually begins spontaneously, as early as a month after the symptoms occur. However, the time period of complete recovery is variable. This diagnosis was made by the NC State sports medicine staff the day that the symptoms were first noticed (August 15, 2003).
