Tony Haynes: Wolfpack Football Notes

By Tony Haynes

Raleigh, N.C. Coaches like them. Quarterbacks like them either better. And what is it that they like so much? Receivers that can go up in traffic and make difficult catches. NC State has apparently found such a wide receiver in John Dunlap, who catapulted his 6-2, 210-pound frame into the air and sent Carter-Finley Stadium into a frenzy with his game-winning catch against Boston College. Perhaps it was a sign of things to come earlier in the game on Saturday night when Dunlap came very close to making a similar catch along the left sideline. Going up between a pair of B.C. defenders, Dunlap snared a Daniel Evans floater and tucked the ball away as he was falling out of bounds. Although officials ruled the pass incomplete because the redshirt junior failed to get a foot down in bounds, the play certainly showed what Dunlap is capable of doing.

Good receivers make the routine catch. But the great ones separate themselves by consistently making difficult grabs, the kind that can make quarterbacks look awfully good.

And once the high level receivers earn the trust of their quarterbacks, a lot more balls come their way, even when they’re covered tightly. Former Wolfpack quarterback Philip Rivers trusted Jerricho Cotchery so much that he would often just fling the ball in Cotchery’s direction, knowing that the sure-handed wideout would find a way to get his hands on the ball.

Based on what happened on Saturday night, John Dunlap may be earning the same kind of trust from Evans.

Receivers Clearing Paths: The difference between a five to 10-yard run and one that turns into a big play is usually a direct result of how well receivers are blocking down field. And so far this season, Dunlap and freshman Donald Bowens, in particular, have ignited numerous big plays with their blocking. Dunlap set up tailback Andre Brown’s 49-yard burst with a key block early in Saturday’s game. One play later, slot man Jamelle Eugune and Bowens sustained perimeter blocks that helped Toney Baker scamper for 22 yards down to the Eagles seven-yard line. On the first play of the third quarter, Bowens pancaked a Boston College safety, springing Brown on a 21-yard run along the left sideline.

Tank Blows Up ACC’s Top Offense: Perhaps NC State head coach Chuck Amato should consider holding defensive tackle Tank Tyler out of the first quarter every week. Suspended by Amato for the first period of the B.C. game after being ejected from the previous week’s contest at Southern Mississippi, Tyler quickly became a one-man wrecking crew after entering Saturday night’s game in the second quarter. Tyler was credited with four tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack, but as is often the case with defensive tackles, statistics alone can’t possibly do justice to his performance. The tape of the game shows Tyler consistently blowing up plays with upfield penetration. On the fourth down stop that allowed the Wolfpack to get the football back for its game-winning drive, Tyler pushed the Eagles’ center and left guard backwards, allowing linebackers Pat Lowery and LeRue Rumph to stuff Brian Toal for a one-yard loss. In other words, the 6-2, 305-pound Tyler drove more than 600 pounds worth of offensive linemen two yards deep into the B.C. backfield all by himself. Now you know why they call him Tank.’

 

Lowery Wins ACC Honors: One of the main beneficiaries of Tyler’s dominance up front was Lowery, who has been named the ACC s defensive lineman of the week after collecting a game-high 10.5 tackles. Off to a solid start, the senior middle linebacker leads the ACC in tackles with an average of 9.8 per game.

Chuck Amato Radio Show: As usual, head coach Chuck Amato’s weekly radio show will air in its regular time slot this Wednesday night from 8-9 p.m. at Bobby Murray Chevrolet in Raleigh. With NC State’s next game set for Thursday night October 5 against Florida State, next week’s show will move from Wednesday to Monday night at the same time. The Monday, October 2^nd Chuck Amato Radio Show will again feature the traditional visit from Seminoles coach Bobby Bowden.

 

North Carolina State University Athletics

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