North Carolina State University Athletics
HAYNES: View From The Booth
11/13/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
Raleigh, N.C. - Pegged by many in the preseason as a team to watch in the ACC's Atlantic Division, NC State (4-5, 1-4) has been cast into the role of spoiler this weekend. The opponent at Carter-Finley Stadium, Clemson (6-3, 4-2), is now in the best position to secure the division title and a spot in the ACC Championship Game.
A win by the Tigers in Saturday's noon tilt, combined with a Boston College loss at Virginia will send Clemson to Tampa.
Of course, NC State would like nothing more than to make Clemson sweat it out and get it done next week.
Could be that this 29th Textile Bowl will have the scoreboard lighting up like a Christmas tree. Led by quarterback Russell Wilson, the Wolfpack has scored 80 points and put up an average of 510 yards of total offense in back-to-back games against Florida State and Maryland. Wilson, who has 24 touchdown passes this season, has been responsible for nine (one running) the last two weeks.
"It's another top-20 quarterback for us," said Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. "It seems like every week we're playing against a great quarterback. This kid here is extremely dangerous and very capable. They go down there to Florida State and get in a shootout, losing in the last minute, 45-42. They're playing with a lot of confidence."
Swinney should know since his offense is averaging better than 40 points during its current four-game winning streak.
In running back C.J. Spiller and receiver Jacoby Ford, the Tigers feature a pair of world-class sprinters who are capable of scoring at any time, from anywhere on the football field. In fact, Spiller and Ford have combined for 10,334 all-purpose yards in their careers, a new national record.
"There's a concerted effort to make sure Spiller and Ford get the football," said Pack head coach Tom O'Brien. "They line them up in a lot of different places to make sure they get the football because they're game-breakers."
With the knowledge that rain would be falling most of the week, the NC State grounds crew covered the Carter-Finley Stadium playing surface on Tursday, meaning the field should be fast and dry on game day.
Is that a good thing? Hmmmm...not sure since Ford and Spiller will likely be the two fastest players in uniform on Saturday. For an NC State defense that has struggled with open field tackling, this will likely be the ultimate test. The good news? Ray Michel returns to middle linebacker after missing the last two games with a leg injury.
Michel is a good tackler and more importantly, knows how to get everyone lined up properly against different formations.
Now here's our view from the booth and things we'll be watching during Saturday's broadcast on the Wolfpack Sports Network.
Where's Spiller? If Spiller isn't the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, there ought to be an investigation. Speedy, shifty and downright frightening, the senior gulps up yards in bunches and does so in many different ways.
You name it...he's great with kickoff returns, runs from scrimmage and catching the football. And when the Tigers come to the line of scrimmage, there's potential for him the line-up anywhere and everywhere.
With that in mind, the NC State defense must find him right away and get lined up correctly as well.
Of course, Florida State knew that last week and it didn't stop Spiller from piling up 317 all-purpose yards, including 169 on the ground.
"Playing a guy like Spiller, you have to know where he is," said Wolfpack defensive tackle Leroy Burgess. "He's so dynamic and can make a game-changing play in the blink of an eye. He's not the only one on their team who can do that, but it's just when you think Clemson, you think C.J. Spiller and what he can do."
Just as alarming is Spiller's ability to run back kickoffs. With three returns for touchdowns this season, he now has a national record-tying six for his career.
Kickoff coverage has been a problem area for NC State and it reared its ugly head last week when Maryland's Torrey Smith returned one 82 yards to the house.
It will be interesting to see what strategy the Pack employs on kickoffs.
Anything conventional will give Spiller a chance to break a record he's already tied.
"I don't see anybody that has controlled a game as much as he has, especially the last couple of weeks," O'Brien said. "During this four-game winning streak of theirs, they're averaging 40-points a game and he's certainly taken it to a higher level in those games."
The Game within the Game: Watch the battle between NC State's receivers and the Clemson corners on Saturday because it could be quite entertaining. The Wolfpack's Jarvis Williams, Owen Spencer and Darrell Davis have been awfully good with not only their route running, but in the area of making tough catches as well.
All three are big and all three are capable of warding off opposing defense backs with their size. As a result, Wilson isn't afraid to throw the ball in their direction in man-to-man situations, even if they're covered.
Williams in particular is a guy that Wilson trusts to adjust to the ball in the air and make a difficult catch in traffic.
After picking off four Christian Ponder passes last week, Clemson is now tied for the national lead in interceptions with 19 on the season.
Veterans Chris Chancellor, Crezdon Butler and DeAndre McDaniel have combined for 31 picks in their careers.
Between them, corners Chancellor and Butler have made 70 starts.
For the sake of comparison, NC State C.J. Wilson will making his fourth start this weekend, while freshman Jarvis Byrd will be starting at boundary corner for the very first time.
Kind of puts some things into perspective, doesn't it?
Chancellor and Butler are fast and physical. Just as importantly, however, they have swagger and bring a brazen, confident attitude to their positions. How NC State's receivers fare against them will be one of the games within the game on Saturday.
