North Carolina State University Athletics
"In the Thick of It" with Gary Hahn
9/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 1, 2004
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DATE: Saturday, September 4, 2004
TIME: Kickoff: 6:00 p.m. (EDT) Wayne Day Field at Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC (55,600)
RADIO: Wolfpack Radio Network: 5:00 p.m. (EDT)
TELEVISION: None
OPPONENT---- Richmond finished 2003 with a 2-9 record, ending the reign of Jim Reid who guided the Spiders for the previous nine seasons. Two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year, Dave Clawson, took over on February 23rd bringing with him a new system.
Clawson's wide-open pro style offense that carried Fordham University to the 14th best winning percentage in Division 1-AA football during the last three seasons (.722), replaces Reid's option-based attack. During his five season in the Bronx, Clawson's offense shattered 16 team and 45 individual Fordham records
"We would like to have a 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver every year," Clawson said. "We accomplished that our last two years at Fordham. If we are running our offense correctly and attracting the type of players we need, we should achieve that goal."
Clawson knows that the returning cast from last year's Richmond squad isn't suited for his passing offense. In fact, only four offensive starters return. Nevertheless, the Spiders will throw the ball quickly and often, to any eligible receiver. They'll operate mostly out of a one-back set, use a dozen formations and a lot of pre-snap motion and shifting.
Carrying most of the offensive load will be Stacy Tutt. The 6-2, 230 pound junior does not have much experience, but has a strong arm, mobility, and a body that added 15 pounds of muscle over the winter. Tutt spent the first eight games at wide receiver last season and the final three at quarterback. In those last three games, Tutt completed 61.5 percent of his passes (48-73) for 535 yards. He also ran for 159 yards, including a season-best 70 yards at UMass.
Tutt may have to do some scrambling. The offensive line lost four of five starters from last season. Only senior guard Michael Rogers (6-4, 300) returns.
Fortunately for UR, Tutt is probably the Spiders' best ball-carrier. The Spiders' top four rushers from'03 are gone. At tailback, UR is expected to start junior David Freeman, a first-string safety last season. If Tutt played wide receiver this season, he would probably be the best at that position. He led Richmond with 40 catches before moving under center.
The Spider's No. 1 receiver, Jake Schools (5-9, 185, Sr.), returns after catching 49 passes for 549 yards. Junior Harry Wilson, who averaged 20.2 yards per reception last year, is also back. Clawson likes his tight ends to be major receivers. But the Spiders' best tight ends during the past two years, junior Ben Teufel and senior Lewis Little, have 13 combined career receptions.
Defensive coordinator, Russ Huesman, who spent the last six years at Memphis, inherits eight returning starters as well as several other players who contributed last season. The defensive position with the most depth and talent is the line anchored by tackles Clifton Coker (6-2, 260, Sr.) and Dan Mangiero (6-0, 275, Jr.).
The linebacking corp is a mixture of veterans and youth. Two of the younger players, sophomores Adam Goloboski and Lance Gray combined for 100 stops last season. Gray missed four games with an injury, but still registered six tackles for loss.
In the secondary, two-year starting cornerback, Clement Johnson, is the leader and one of the fastest men on the team. Johnson also returns kicks. Safety, Antoine Newsome (6-1, 190, Sr.), who led the Spiders with 76 stops last season, is another fixture. The other two defensive backfield positions feature several players who are battling for a starting job.
Anchoring the kicking game for UR are juniors, Joseph Fore and Chris Radford. Fore (6-1, 200) was 5-for-12 on field goals last season, including a long of 47 yards at Furman. He converted 22-of-24 extra point trys. A two-year starter, Radford punted 47 times for a 39.1 yard average last year.
INJURIES--NC State: TB T.A. McLendon-Questionable, hamstring strain; TB Reggie Davis-Probable, hamstring strain; C Kalani Heppe-Out, broken foot; DE James Martin-Out, knee surgery. Richmond:
None reported.
