North Carolina State University Athletics
O'Brien Pleased With First Spring Scrimmage
4/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. Rain dampened NC State’s first spring scrimmage Thursday afternoon at Carter-Finley Stadium. But it didn’t wash away Wolfpack head coach Tom O’Brien’s enthusiasm for what he saw.
“For the conditions, it was good,” O’Brien said afterwards. “There was good competition out there on both sides of the ball. Everyone worked hard. It’s something we have to build on, but certainly it’s a start headed in the right direction.”
O’Brien mentioned only a few stats from the controlled scrimmage, saying first-team All-ACC quarterback Russell Wilson was 10 of 15 for 179 yards in the scrimmage and redshirt freshman Mike Glennon was seven of 16 for 133 yards and a touchdown.
“Those guys did a nice job today,” O’Brien said. “Both of them.”
Senior Toney Baker, who has missed the last two seasons with a knee injury, also held up well in his first simulated game action since last preseason. He had seven carries for 23 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt freshman Brandon Barnes had seven attempts for five yards and James Washington had 11 carries for 10 yards.
“We will review tape of this scrimmage and start correcting some of the mistakes,” O’Brien said. “A lot of the teaching is going to be able here the next couple of days and we've got refine what we have in, which should be the basis of the offense and defense.”
O’Brien announced that senior defensive tackle Alan-Michael Cash had surgery on Wednesday and will miss the rest of the spring and redshirt freshman offensive lineman Andrew Wallace will miss the rest of the spring because of a cyst.
The team will resume spring workouts on Saturday and have one more scrimmage before the annual Kay Yow Spring Football Game, which is scheduled for 1 p.m., Saturday, April 18, at Carter-Finley Stadium.
