North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: Middle Tennessee A Better Option for Pack
11/18/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Nov. 18, 2005
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - Over the last several months, two issues have created a spree of scheduling changes in college football: conference realignment and the NCAA's decision to allow schools to play 12 regular season games starting next season. Over the last several months, many schools have had future opponents buy their way out of future games that had been scheduled for years. But the last thing NC State coach Chuck Amato, Athletics Director Lee Fowler and Associate Director of Athletics David Horning could have expected last spring was Temple's request to drop off of NC State's schedule for THIS season.
"When you're looking for a game in May, it's like looking for a wife when you're 50," Amato cracked. "You've got to take what's there."
And while NC State may not have gotten Bo Derek to fill the void created by Temple, it didn't get Phyllis Dillar either.
When the Owls bought their way out of a game that would have been played in Philadelphia on September 11th, little did Amato, Fowler and Horning know at the time that the ultimate nightmare of a scheduling scenario would work out better than expected.
First, the only other Division 1-A team available at the time was Middle Tennessee State, which had also been dropped by Temple. Then there was the challenge of finding a date to play. Fortunately, as it worked out, the weekend of November 19th was open for both schools, so the deal was done.
As fate would have it, NC State ended up with two for the price of one. First, the switch gave the Wolfpack an opportunity to add a seventh home game, which would create extra revenue for the athletic department. Second - and somewhat surprisingly - Middle Tennessee is actually a stronger non-conference opponent than the team it replaced on the Wolfpack's schedule.
If Temple's season was a horror movie, kids under the age of 18 wouldn't be permitted into the movie theater. A loss at Navy this weekend would give the Owls their first winless season since 1959.
Meanwhile, the Middle Tennessee State team that landed on NC State's schedule at the 11th hour is - if nothing else - competitive. Sure the Blue Raiders are only 3-5, but their slate does include impressing showings against Vanderbilt and Alabama. In week one, nationally ranked `Bama had its hands full with Middle Tennessee, leading just 9-7 at halftime before pulling away in the second half to win, 26-7.
But the next time the Blue Raiders got a shot at an SEC team, they didn't falter. Blocking a field goal on the last play of the game, Middle Tennessee State stunned Vanderbilt back on October 1, 17-15.
Although they did give up 34 points in a three-point loss to Louisiana-Monroe last week, the Blue Raiders are still ranked 33rd in the nation in total defense and 15th in scoring defense (17.5 ppg.).
"I think it's the maturity of their defense," Amato said. "Three of their starting four defensive linemen are seniors; two of them are fifth-year seniors. They've got two senior defensive backs, one's a junior and one's a sophomore. They've got an awful lot of experience playing period, but more importantly, playing together as a unit. They played the heck out of two real good Southeastern Conference teams in Alabama and Vanderbilt."
Amato has reminded his players about those two games. Plus, the tape doesn't lie: Middle Tennessee's defense is good enough to cause problems for a Wolfpack offensive unit that has had a difficult time putting it all together this season.
"There's a team (Middle Tennessee State) that you can't underestimate," said NC State tight end T.J. Williams. "You can't underestimate anybody in college football. It's just a matter of us coming out here, playing our hardest and trying to get another win under our belt."
For Williams and the other NC State seniors, the clock is now ticking. Win the last two games over Middle Tennessee State and Maryland, and there's a chance that their careers will be extended with a bowl game. But the margin for error is paper thin. One loss means a second straight losing season without a bowl trip.
"It's two big games that determine whether we go to a bowl," said Williams. "Being that we've been put on the backburner, we have a chip on our shoulder. We feel like we want to go to a bowl; we want to let the underclassmen experience that like we have. Us seniors, we want to go out on a good note and have some more fun with the team."
But first, the Pack must avoid the temptations that are often produced by human nature. In this case, human nature sets a trap, one that might tempt some to begin thinking about a possible `winner gets the bowl bid' game against the Terrapins next week.
That probably won't happen because unlike Temple, Middle Tennessee might be good enough to get NC State's attention.
