North Carolina State University Athletics
PEELER: Senior Receivers Lead Pack In Spring
4/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Football
BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH, N.C. One of the advantages NC State head coach Tom O'Brien had in breaking in sophomore quarterback Mike Glennon was the most talented and experienced corps of receivers in the ACC.
Last year, led by the trio of Owen Spencer, Jarvis Williams and Darrell Davis, the Wolfpack offense led the league with 31 touchdown passes. Now, the three seniors hope to be even more dangerous this fall, no matter if Glennon or junior Russell Wilson is tossing the ball.
Williams, in particular, was good at getting into the end zone, catching 11 touchdown passes, which ranks third in school history for a single season.
And Spencer, who broke the ACC record with a 25.5 yard average per catch, has been the Wolfpack's big-play receiver for two years now.
Davis has also seen more action this spring, since Williams has missed the team's Tuesday practices because of a late-afternoon class. O'Brien says Davis, like Glennon, has taken advantage of the opportunity this spring to improve. That could translate to more opportunities in the fall.
So, there is no doubt that when the second-annual Kay Yow Spring Football Game kicks off Saturday at 1 p.m. at Carter-Finley Stadium that there will be some big-play opportunities for the Red and White offenses. The game will be broadcast live on 99.9-FM and PackPass subscribers can watch the entire game.
"Hopefully, we can put on a show," Spencer said.
What O'Brien primarily wanted from his three seniors, however, was to improve their precision in running routes and getting to their preordained spots on the field, so he could see Glennon's progress at quarterback.
"The best thing they have done is get in the right spots on the field," O'Brien said as the Wolfpack wrapped up its four weeks of spring practice. "They know where they are supposed to go and they just have to push to get there. That has been helpful for [Glennon] in the spring."
And, even though he already knew they were adept at doing their jobs, O'Brien has seen improvement among his veterans, especially Spencer.
"He has taken more of a leadership role this spring, which is something you like to see in a senior," O'Brien said.
Spencer, who contributed 30 catches and six touchdowns last year, has relished the role of bringing on the younger players, like juniors T.J. Graham, Stephen Howard and Jay Smith and redshirt freshman Morgan Alexander.
"For us, this last spring practice is more about getting the cobwebs off and laying down the law for the younger guys," Spencer said. "We try to get on them a lot, because every day we are out here is another opportunity for them to get better."
Williams, who had a career-high 45 catches for 547 yards in 2009, has not been as effective during the spring, because he has missed several practices because of a Tuesday afternoon class. Still, the rangy 6-4 receiver, who has scored 15 times on his 81 career receptions, had little to prove to the coaches. While he will have time to finely tune his game in the fall, he has also tried to use his limited time at spring practice to be a leader.
"We all know as the older guys on the field, we have to be role models for the younger guys," Williams said. "We want to show a lot of energy and hope they follow our lead. We hope those young guys tag along with us."
Davis came on strong last year, with a career-high 25 receptions and filling in the gaps between Spencer's big plays and Williams' touchdowns.
"They just call me the 'Melting Pot,' because I try to be a little bit of everything," Williams said. "I try to go deep, I try to be a good possession receiver, I try to work hard in the red zone. I try to do the little things that the others don't, like cut blocking the linebackers or crack-back blocks, so I can fit in where they need me.
"I am hoping that is an example for the younger kids. Everybody is kind of looking at us to be leaders and make big plays. That's what we do well."
Having those veteran receivers at the top of their games in the fall will be important because O'Brien and his staff are still mulling their options at running back, where Curtis Underwood, James Washington and Brandon Barnes entered the spring looking to replace Toney Baker and Jamelle Eugene.
Barnes, however, suffered a dislocated ankle early in spring practice and needed surgery to repair the damage. His status for the fall is still unclear, meaning O'Brien will have to look at one of three incoming freshmen (Anthony Creecy, Mustafa Greene and Tobias Palmer) for a third tailback option.
O'Brien will also need the fall to determine his rotations and depth on the offensive line, where he has to replace three starters.
So having depth, experience and quality production from a key group like the receiver corps has been a big comfort in the spring.
You may contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.
