PEELER: O'Brien Looks for Third-Down Solutions

BY TIM PEELER

 

RALEIGH, N.C. At every Wednesday afternoon football practice, NC State coach Tom O’Brien and his team work on possible third-down scenarios: third-and-short, third-and-medium and third-and-long.

It’s the first team offense against the first team defense, with the goal that both will get better through head-to-head competition.

“It’s a real point of emphasis for us,” O’Brien said Monday at his weekly press conference.

But, just moments after Thursday night’s 26-17 loss to Florida State at Carter-Finley Stadium, O’Brien identified his team’s poor performance on third down was the primary reason the Wolfpack (2-5 overall, 0-3 ACC) was not able to hold on for a victory in a game it had led 17-14 early in the fourth quarter.

The Wolfpack offense was 1-for-9 on third-down opportunities, while the defense allowed Florida State to convert 10 of 17 chances, including first downs on third-and-14, third-and-17 and third-and-21.

“I spent a lot of Saturday afternoon looking at the last month of what we did on third down,” O’Brien said. “There are things we can certainly coach better and play better. We continue to do those things to try to get those guys to do what they have to do to get off the field and to stay on the field.”

The coach is looking for a little anger from his defense, which was on the field for 80 plays against the Seminoles.

“It should be aggravating to them when the other teams convert those third downs,” O’Brien said. “It should make them mad. If they want to get off the field, that’s the best time to make it happen.

“Historically, the defense has about a 75 percent chance of winning those kinds of battles. They have to be able to get off the field and get it done.”

O’Brien continues to make adjustments on the Wolfpack defense. He moved redshirt freshman defensive end Jeff Rieskamp, senior defensive tackle Keith Willis Jr. and cornerback Koyal George into the starting lineup against Florida State. Rieskamp and Willis will remain as starters for Saturday’s game at Maryland (5-2, 2-1), according to the depth chart the coach released Monday.

The contest, televised by ESPN360, is slated to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. at Byrd Stadium.

For the season, State’s defense is ranked 12^th in the ACC in third-down conversions allowed (43.4 percent). The offense is ranked 11^th in third-down conversions made (28.4 percent). Florida State, meanwhile, ranks No. 1 in both categories.

Otherwise, O’Brien continues to gain confidence in his team, which is gradually becoming more healthy after a series of pre- and early-season injuries. Both defensive tackle Alan-Michael Cash and linebacker Nate Irving returned to the Wolfpack defense. Irving later left the game after re-injuring his ankle and his status for the Maryland game will be determined later this week.

Offensive lineman Curtis Crouch returned from his foot injury and senior tight end Anthony Hill made his first start since the season-opener and caught his first touchdown pass of the year.

“The kids have played well the last two weeks, just not well enough to win the football game,” O’Brien said.

Now, after a four-game home-stand, the Wolfpack hits the road to face the Terrapins, who are coming off an impressive 26-0 upset of No. 21 Wake Forest last weekend at Byrd Stadium.

“Maryland has been its best at home this season,” O’Brien said. “They have a lot of experience and it is a senior-heavy football team with a quarterback that is playing at a high level, which generally means it is capable of being a championship-caliber football team.”

 

You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.

North Carolina State University Athletics

Related News

Related Videos