North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack, Wake Meet for 98th Time
10/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 1, 2004
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - As a sophomore linebacker last year, NC State's Manny Lawson remembers being turned around in circles a few times by Wake Forest's deceptive offense. Wolfpack running back T.A. McLendon was nothing more than a spectator that day, watching from the sidelines because of an injury. Reggie Herring, who now coordinates an NC State defense that is ranked No. 1 in the country, was coaching linebackers with the NFL's Houston Texans the day the Deacs throttled the Pack, 38-24. This week he got his first good look at that game film, and what he saw wasn't pretty.
"They were just tougher, more physical," Herring said. "Last year, regardless of the reasons, we got our fannies kicked. The bottom line is, are you going to let that happen this year? You listen to some of the quotes and things the Wake Forest players said after the ballgame, you'd think they just beat Green Hope High School. I was embarrassed to watch the film. I just hope we're not embarrassed this year. If we have any character and any fight to us, and if we've come any distance at all from last year, we'll find out."
Against a Wolfpack defense that was struggling last season, Wake pounded out 202 yards on the ground compared to just 78 for NC State. In a harbinger of things to come, the Deacs owned the line of scrimmage and thoroughly manhandled the Wolfpack's youthful defensive line. But 12 months later, many of those same players who got pushed around that day appear to be much more equipped to compete in the trenches.
"More than anything else, they've matured physically and experience wise," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. "I thought Chuck and his staff did a good job of hanging in the boat with those young guys and towards the end of the year, those guys were playing much better football. A lot of those kids that were pretty light last year have put on a lot of weight and have gotten a lot stronger. They're just a very tough, physical, hard-nosed defense."
That's the type of praise NC State head coach Chuck Amato would like to hear more often. In fact, he recently said that being called tough and physical is preferable to being labeled fast and athletic. In actuality, this Wolfpack defense seems to feature a strong dose of all those qualities.
Along with being ranked No. 1 nationally in both total defense and passing defense, the Pack is 11th in scoring defense, having yielded just two touchdowns in three games.
But Wake will certainly present a different test on Saturday. Running an offense that employs deception and misdirection, the Deacons do a good job of creating confusion and forcing missed assignments for their foes.
"They do some crazy things," said Lawson, who now plays defensive end. "A lot of misdirection plays, and if you lose focus the guy with the ball will run right by you. That happened to me last year. I just have to improve and can't let it happen again."
Through four games, Wake Forest (3-1, 0-1) is averaging 247.2 rushing yards per game, a figure that ranks 16th nationally and No. 2 in the ACC.
Of course, the Wolfpack will likely try to muster an effective rushing attack of its own. With inexperienced quarterbacks Jay Davis and Marcus Stone still learning the ropes, NC State has evolved into more of a ball-control running team with McLendon doing most of the work. The junior tailback figures he could have made a difference in that game last year, but he doesn't think getting revenge will be the main motivating factor this week.
"You want to win every game," said Mclendon, who is averaging 95 yards rushing in two games. "This is an ACC team, so we're definitely trying to win because of that. You want to win every ACC game you can. We did lose last year and I wasn't able to play, so I'm going out to win and I'm going out for revenge, too. You've got to go out there and run with a purpose; you're in the ACC, you beat me last year, now I'm trying to show you how it should have been last year."
The "embarrassment" Herring talked about after watching the game film is something Grobe believes NC State will try to use to its advantage on Saturday.
"I do think we've got a little bit of a target on our chest from the standpoint that we won last year," Grobe said. "I think that's the way it is with most teams. When you lose the year before, your kids are going to be a little more motivated to get a little bit of payback in. I don't think there's any question that the NC State kids want to avenge last year's loss."
Although Wake Forest has out-rushed NC State in the last five meetings, the Deacons haven't won in Raleigh since 1984.
Airtime on the Wolfpack Radio Network on Saturday will be 11:00 a.m. The "Walk of Champions" at the Murphy Center is scheduled for right around 9:45 a.m.
NC State Injury Report
PROBABLE
Chris Colmer, OT - Lower back pain
QUESTIONABLE
Darrell Blackman, TB - AC separation
OUT
Merci Falaise, OG/OT - Arthroscopic surgery, 9/28
Luke Lathan, OG/C - MCL sprain
LeRue Rumph, bicep tear
