North Carolina State University Athletics
PEELER: O'Brien, Pack Looking to Catch Break
11/2/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. – Tom O'Brien knows his team is in desperate need of a break. After three seasons of being decimated by injuries and bad luck, he would like to see something good happen for his program.
The coach does have a few blessings, mind you. The names Russell Wilson and Willie Young come to mind, along with several others who have helped the coach fashion second half turnarounds the last two years.
But a week after the team suffered the loss of yet another key defensive player (middle linebacker Ray Michel, who suffered an ankle injury in practice) and lost freshman offensive lineman R.J. Mattes early in Saturday's loss to Florida State, the coach hopes that this weekend's Homecoming game against Maryland (2-6 overall, 1-3 ACC) will help change his team's fortunes.
"We all keep waiting for a break," O'Brien said during his regular Monday press conference. "Something good is going to have to happen to us at some time. We can't keep going south forever. We just have to hang in there. As they say, we have to circle the wagons, believe in each other and come out firing in all directions.
"There's no sense feeling sorry for ourselves."
The coach hopes his team can be rallied by a return to Carter-Finley Stadium, which has hosted just one game since Sept. 26. This is also the perfect opportunity to repay a team that has been one of the program's biggest nemeses over the last decade: the Terps have won seven of the last nine games in the series dating back to 2000, including both contests under O'Brien's direction.
"Maybe we will be better off with some home-field cooking," said O'Brien, who has lost a total of 11 players for the season due to injuries. "We need something good to happen for us."
The coach, his staff and players know that the best way to make something happen would be to improve the defense, which has allowed more than 1,500 yards of total offense and 146 points in just the last three games.
"It's embarrassing, because we are better than that," said senior defensive back Clem Johnson. "I personally feel like we have been practicing pretty well and it's not been transferring to the game. It's pretty tough. We are not only representing ourselves, we are representing the university."
After continuously shaking up his secondary because of performance and revamping his linebacker corps because of injury, O'Brien sees some glimmer of hope for the defense.
Dwayne Maddox, who filled in for Michel last week, is a little more comfortable at linebacker, safety Clem Johnson played his best game of the season in the 45-42 loss to Florida State and defensive end Willie Young is still one of the most feared defensive players in the ACC.
"The more they work together, the more they will get better," O'Brien said.
Clearly, the coach has no concerns about his team's offense, which scored 42 points on Florida State's home field - many of them after Mattes suffered a season-ending knee injury. Backup center Andy Barbee filled in capably, and O'Brien feels comfortable with a revamped offensive line that includes redshirt freshman Zach Allen as Barbee's backup and Henry Lawson as the other reserve guard. The rest of the line has played well in O'Brien's opinion, as senior tailback Toney Baker's 112-yard performance against the Seminoles attests.
But Maryland's hard-charging defense will offer a big test for the offensive line.
"They will blitz more than any team we will face this year," O'Brien said. "That's their calling card. They try to confuse you, try to get you into long third-down situations. They lead the league in sacks.
"They do a good job. It will feel like we have 50 guys coming at us on Saturday."
But if the defense can improve and the offensive line keeps sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson protected, maybe something good can happen for the Wolfpack.
"I think we are getting closer and closer," O'Brien said. "We have to keep fighting and get over the hump somehow.
"Certainly, winning a football game will help a lot."
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
