North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony Haynes: O?Brien Likes Pack's Progress
4/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
But now as he concludes his second spring practice period at NC State, O’Brien is much more at ease with all that seemed so unfamiliar and new last April. Even more importantly, his football team has a better grasp of the disciplined concepts that will likely be the trademark of Wolfpack teams over the next several years.
The 2008 product will be on public display Saturday at 1 p.m. in the annual spring scrimmage at Carter-Finley Stadium.
“I think everything in our program is way ahead of where we were a year ago,” O’Brien said during a media gathering on Monday. “It took us either the 13th or 14th practice a year ago before we got through a full script in practice. They have a much better understanding of our coaching staff. We’ve stayed intact for a year which is very key and very important to the long-range success of your program. We’re out of the huddle, we’re at the line of scrimmage, the ball is being snapped, we’re heading in the right direction, we’re lined up on defense, and we’re starting to play faster on both sides of the ball. Those things all become important because they’re cumulative.”
O’Brien’s themes this spring are indeed different than they were last year with maybe one exception. At this time 12 months ago, he said NC State’s starting quarterback job probably wouldn’t be settled until the week of the season opener. On Monday, he said the same thing.
And when fall camp begins on July 30, O’Brien and offensive coordinator Dana Bible will be evaluating a lot of candidates for the starting spot. Incumbent Daniel Evans is not participating in spring drills after undergoing shoulder surgery. The spring reps have been going to Harrison Beck, Justin Burke and redshirt freshman Russell Wilson. Evans will join in on the quarterback derby when fall camp begins, as will highly-touted freshman Mike Glennon.
For what it’s worth,
“They’re still rotating and we’re still taking a good look,” O’Brien said. “As I said going in, we were going to give Russell a little more of an opportunity because the other two have been in the system for a year and we wanted to see what he could do. He’s got a pretty good grasp of the offense. We’re still in the situation where I don’t think that position will be solved until the week of the
Wilson, who is also an infielder for the NC State baseball team, will participate in the spring game on Saturday instead of accompanying the baseball team to
“He’s a football player first,” O’Brien said of Wilson, who is on a football scholarship.
But regardless of who ends up starting at quarterback, the Wolfpack’s offensive fortunes will hinge on what happens up front. During a 5-7 campaign last fall, the Pack averaged just 89 rushing yards per game, a figure that ranked 11th in the twelve team ACC.
“You have to have an offensive line or you’re not going to be successful on offense,” said O’Brien. “That’s where it starts.”
In an effort to add depth and bolster the offensive line this spring, O’Brien moved defensive tackles John Bedics and Ted Larson to the offensive side of the ball.
“I think that was a good move for the football team,” O’Brien said. “It’s awful tough to learn to play on the offensive line but they’ve attacked it, they’ve spent a lot of extra time in the film room with Don Horton and tried to work through a lot of the small fundamental things that they have to learn. Things happen fast in there and they happen with a lot of power.”
And not to be underestimated is the return of Anthony Hill. Projected as an All-ACC tight-end last year, Hill never made it to preseason practice after undergoing reconstructive knee surgery. Although Hill has not participated in any full contact drills this spring, O’Brien says there’s every reason to believe that the redshirt senior will again be a major force as both a blocker and pass receiver next season.
“I think he’s better today than he was last spring,” said O’Brien. “He’s been able to go through all the individual drills. You’ve got to be able to get out and do the fundamentals and with him being able to do that, he’s improved to the point where he’s better than he was in the spring last year.”
With Toney Baker still recovering from knee surgery and Andre Brown bothered by a foot injury, Jamelle Eugene is again getting the bulk of the reps at tailback. But then again, what’s new? When Baker and Brown went down last season,
“We’re back to one healthy tailback and three walk-ons,” said O’Brien. “Jamelle is like the energizer bunny, he just keeps on ticking out there. He goes, he goes and he goes. We’re very fortunate to have him in the program. Hopefully, Andre’s foot will get straightened out and we’ll get Toney back. Curtis Underwood has fought an ankle sprain all spring the whole spring and hasn’t been out there at all.”
O’Brien added that every injured scholarship player is expected to be cleared for the beginning of fall workouts, including Baker.
In its 15th and final spring practice on Saturday, the Wolfpack will try to show O’Brien and thousands of fans that substantial progress has been made since those uncertain days of one year ago.
