North Carolina State University Athletics
HAYNES: High-Scoring Show Expected
10/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 15, 2010
Gameday Central
Ask the Analyst
Wolfpack Sports Network affiliates
BY TONY HAYNES
RALEIGH, N.C. -- As NC State head football coach Tom O'Brien and his staff held planning sessions through the spring and summer months, their top goal for the 2010 season was to find a way to get the defense off the field so that the Wolfpack's highly productive offense would have more opportunities to do what it does perhaps better than any other team in the ACC: move the ball and score points.
Through six games, the plan has worked like a charm.
Not only does the Pack lead the ACC in time of possession per game (32:55), it is also running an average of 18 more offensive plays per contest than its opponents. In last week's 44-17 win over Boston College, NC State had a whopping 84 snaps on offense compared to only 61 for Boston College.
A similar formula would certainly bode well on Saturday when the Wolfpack (5-1, 2-1) makes the 83-mile journey to Greenville's Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium for a noon meeting with East Carolina (3-2, 3-0 Conf. USA). Airtime on the Wolfpack Sports Network is 11 a.m.
Given more opportunities to shine this season, the Pack offense ranks No. 1 in the conference in scoring (37.5 ppg.), total offense (444.3) and pass offense (311). Complimenting those efforts has been a defense that has spent much less time on the field this season, primarily because it has limited opponents to a league-best conversion rate (27.2 percent) on third down.
"Any time your defense is sitting on the bench, it means they're doing a good job," O'Brien said. "The more we have the ball, the more chances we have to score because we've been tiring people out. We've been really good at third down conversion offense (43 percent), which keeps us on the field. The more snaps you have, the more chances you have to wear your opponent down."
No wonder NC State has the appearance of a confident football team right now.
"I think it's pretty evident to all of us now that we have some weapons in all phases of our football team, on offense, defense and special teams," said O'Brien. "But we're only halfway through the season. We have six games left in the season and our goal is to win all six. We have a chance to be a very good football team, but we have to continue to play hard and to play smart. If we don't do that, then we can't be a good football team."
The NC State offense has emerged as a high-pressure, efficient often up-tempo unit that has been unrelenting. Quarterback Russell Wilson, who leads the ACC in passing, total offense and touchdown passes (17), engineers an attack that has been particularly effective when it speeds things up with a no-huddle approach.
"I think when we get going in that no-huddle, the defensive line across from us gets pretty tired," said Wolfpack center Cam Wentz. "Also, they have to get to their positions a lot quicker, so besides being tired they're also sometimes out of position. It's a good thing for us."
Don't blame the Pack offense for licking its chops after looking at East Carolina's defensive statistics this week. The Pirates are yielding averages of 42 points and 457 total yards per contest. ECU has given up 40 or more points in four of five games.
"The kids are growing up," said first year East Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill. "As coaches, we have to be patient. When you have nine new starters and 16 guys out there who haven't played that many reps, they have to go through it and learn their way."
Fortunately, the Pirates have an offense that is fully capable of outscoring many of the opponents on their schedule. In fact, East Carolina ranks 12th in the nation in scoring offense (37.60), just a tick ahead of the Pack, which ranks 13th. ECU trailed Southern Mississippi 20-0 last week before storming back to win 44-43. Having spent the last 10 years as an assistant coach under Mike Leach at Texas Tech, McNeill brought with him the same pass-happy spread offense that cranked out record numbers in Lubbock.
Quarterback Dominique Davis, a Boston College transfer, is passing for an average of 288 yards per game with 14 touchdowns on the season. He does have nine interceptions, three of which came last week.
East Carolina's top skill athlete is receiver Dwayne Harris, who has 40 receptions for 457 yards and five touchdowns. The Pirates will make sure Harris gets the ball in his hands in any number of ways, including on special teams. The fleet senior also averaged better than 20 yards on 14 kickoff returns.
"They spread the field and make you play in space, so you have to be much better as far as tackling and getting them on the ground," O'Brien said. "A lot of it is catch the ball and run with it after the catch. We're going to have our hands full on Saturday, especially getting Harris on the ground."
In 220 pass attempts thus far, East Carolina has given up only eight sacks, a tribute not only to the offensive line, but also Davis' ability make reads and get rid of the ball quickly. Although NC State ranks second in the ACC with 20 quarterback sacks, the Wolfpack will be challenged to get to Davis before he unloads in this game.
This will be the 27th all-time meeting between NC State and East Carolina, a series that began 40 years ago with a 23-6 Wolfpack win on Oct. 10, 1970. Under O'Brien, the Wolfpack is 2-0 against its neighbors from the east. The Pack leads the all-time series, 16-10.
A former East Carolina defensive back from 1976-80, McNeill had a chance to participate in this rivalry, although all the games back then were played at Carter-Finley Stadium. This will be only the third time NC State has traveled to Greenville.
"Not that we deserve it, but it's supposed to be that way," McNeill said. "That's the only way I want it. We'll go play you in Raleigh, but they need to come to Greenville, too. I'm looking forward to getting them in Dowdy-Ficklen. We had to go over there when I was a player the whole time and I'm really looking forward to getting them here. I know it's going to be an exciting game against a very good football team. They're playing very, very well."
