North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony's Take: Jay Shows The Way
9/4/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 4, 2004
By Tony Haynes Before, during and after NC State's season-opening 42-0 victory over Richmond on Saturday night, it wasn't hard to spot those No. 17 jerseys still being worn by thousands of faithful Wolfpack fans in the stands. There were also a handful of 44s and 9s as well. Pardon me if you have in your possession a No. 10, but I don't recall seeing any. Venders, you see, are cagy people. They were just waiting - like everyone else - to see what the man wearing number 10 could do in his first game as starting quarterback. Based on what we saw on Saturday night, that No. 10 jersey may soon become a marketable commodity. "Solid" would be the word that best described Jay Davis' performance in his first career start. Not surprisingly, it would also be the word that best described his consistent performances during the preseason, a consistency that allowed him to earn the unenviable task of replacing Philip Rivers. The numbers - 16-of-22 passing yards for 168 yards and two touchdowns - were put up in just one half of work. Davis and the Pack nailed Richmond's coffin shut with a 35-0 first half, then allowed the NC State marching band to pay final respects to the Spiders with a moving rendition of "Amazing Grace." Band director Jack Fuller even pulled out the bagpipe section for the occasion. "I thought Jay Davis for his first career start did an outstanding job," were the first words out of head coach Chuck Amato's mouth in his postgame radio interview. "He took control of the offense and made some scrambles when he had to. The mere fact that he's been around and watched Philip operate for three years is important. I'm just so pleased and proud for him and for his team." After meeting with Davis on Friday night, Amato sensed that the redshirt junior was ready to go. And from the outset, Davis showed no signs that he would be overwhelmed by first game jitters. On the Wolfpack's first offensive play from scrimmage, he calmly dropped back in the pocket and fired a 16-yard strike to Tramain Hall. On NC State's next drive, he completed six straight throws at one point, leading a 12-play march of 55 yards that ended with the Pack's first score of the season. But the key play of the drive wasn't a pass, but rather a third down scamper by Davis that kept the chains moving. Just like his famous predecessor had done on so many occasions, that one play showed that Davis has a sense for finding a way and doing whatever is necessary to keep his offense moving towards the end zone. "For a first game, it worked pretty well," said Davis. "We had some penalties on offense that hurt us and were kind of drive killers, but defensively we really stepped up and played well. Anytime you get a shutout, you're playing well on defense." NC State's shutout - its first since a 34-0 shellacking of East Tennessee State in 2002 - was also a welcome sight to Amato, who was often frustrated by his team's inability to protect leads in big games last season. But an improved defense wasn't what most people came to see on Saturday night. There's no doubt that the man under the microscope was Davis, a player who had seen very limited action in just 10 total games over the last two years. No, Richmond doesn't come close to possessing the type of defense Davis will encounter for the remainder of this season, but it's doubtful anyone could have expected much more from him on Saturday. He did, after all, lead scoring drives on five of six possessions during his crisp first half of work. "You could say I was a little nervous," Davis said with a giggle. "I had a few butterflies, but once I got going I was fine. It kind of gradually decreased as we went on. Football is an intense game, so anytime you're in there you're excited. There were some questions going into the game about how I would handle it and I think I handled pretty well. We'll see where it goes from here." Where it goes from here is a week off before Ohio State comes into Carter-Finley Stadium for the first time ever on September 18. The game against Richmond didn't answer every question about NC State, but Amato now has a feeling that his defense is much better equipped to compete than it did last year. He also knows special teams are a crucial weapon for the Wolfpack. John Deraney, who will hold down all of the kicking duties for the time being, did well against Richmond. The Pack also recorded its 46th kick block since 1998 when Troy Graham stuffed a punt that was recovered by Marcus Hudson in the end zone for a second quarter touchdown. NC State has now blocked 33 kicks since the 2000 season, a figure that leads the nation. Also encouraging for Amato is the fact that Chris Colmer, who missed all of last season with Parsonage Turner Syndrome, played effectively for most of the game on Saturday. "He came out of it real tired," Amato said of Colmer. "I've been telling him for a month and a half that he's out of shape. He laughs at me when I say that to him. Thank goodness he came out of it without any aches and pains. If he can stay healthy in the next 10 games, we'll play in another one." NC State will also get an extra game at the end of the season if Jay Davis continues to show the steady hand that marked his first career start.
