Eugene to Miss Season-Opener, O'Brien Says

BY TIM PEELER

 

RALEIGH, N.C. NC State coach Tom O’Brien dropped a couple of last-minute surprises from the injury report and depth chart Tuesday afternoon, following the Wolfpack’s final practice before heading to Columbia, S.C., for Thursday night’s season-opening game at South Carolina.

The biggest news? Junior tailback Jamelle Eugene, last year’s team most valuable player, will miss the game because of an ankle injury. He will be replaced in the starting lineup by senior Andre Brown, with sophomore Curtis Underwood as the top reserve.

Eugene was the Pack’s leading rusher last year, gaining 667 yards on 172 carries and scoring five touchdowns. Brown led the team in rushing in 2005 as a freshman, gaining 721 yards and scoring six touchdowns. The team’s top rusher in 2006, junior Toney Baker, is still recovering from preseason knee surgery and will not play against the Gamecocks.

“I don’t have any idea how long [Eugene] will be out,” O’Brien said. “I thought he would be ready for this game.”

Eugene’s injury will open the door for true freshman T.J. Graham to return punts, along with wide receiver Geron James and, in another surprising tidbit, starting quarterback Russell Wilson.

Really? The quarterback?

“Absolutely,” O’Brien said.

The coach, complying with a new ACC policy on pre-game injury reports, also announced that sophomore safety Javon Walker, a one-time starter last year, needs to have surgery again and is out for the season. Wide receiver Donald Bowens, the team’s most experienced receiver who was diagnosed with lower back stress fractures, will also miss the season.

The coach identified four other true freshmen who are likely to appear in the game along with Graham: linebackers Dwayne Maddox and Sterling Lucas, cornerback Dominique Ellis and fullback Taylor Gentry. All are already on the two-deep chart O’Brien announced at the end of last week.

He also named senior punter Bradley Pierson his starter on kickoffs, finalizing the last position that was up for grabs on the pre-game depth chart.

O’Brien also listed two players who have left the program and will look to transfer elsewhere: sophomore linebacker Thomas Barnes, who played in 10 games last year as a true freshman, and freshman defensive tackle Kyle Linney, who enrolled in January after signing with the Wolfpack in the spring of 2007.

Offensive lineman Sam Jones, who signed to play with the Wolfpack in February, still has some work to do to meet NCAA qualifications and will enroll at State in January, O’Brien said.

Finally, in what O'Brien said was "his decision," senior offensive guard Curtis Crouch, who was listed as the backup right guard, will not make the trip to South Carolina. Redshirt freshman Henry Lawson will play behind starter Meares Green at right guard.

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

North Carolina State University Athletics

Related News

Related Videos