North Carolina State University Athletics
2010 Football Notes
1/5/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Jan. 5, 2011
RALEIGH, N.C. -
2010 WIN TOTAL AMONG ALL-TIME BESTS
The victory over West Virginia was the Wolfpack's ninth of the season, marking the first time since 2002 that NC State posted as many wins in the regular-season. Since 1993, only two Wolfpack squads have posted nine victories - the 1994 squad and the 2002 team, which played 13 regular season contests.
The NC State season record for wins was 11 in 2002, and now eight Wolfpack squads have posted nine wins in a season (1967, 1973, 1974, 1978, 1991, 1992, 1994 and 2010).
WILSON CLIMBS THE CHARTS
Russell Wilson finished his junior campaign on the gridiron with some of the best numbers in school history. He tied former quarterback Philip Rivers for the single-season record in touchdown responsibility with 37, while his 3,563 passing yards and 308 completions rank as the second-highest marks in school history. His 527 pass attempts for the season set a new school record, while his 3,998 yards of total offense is the second-highest ever for an NC State player.
In terms of touchdown passes, Wilson's 28 scores in 2010 rank third in the Wolfpack record books (his 2009 total of 31 is second) and he now holds three of the top eight single-season marks in that category. His eight 300+ yard passing games in 2010 also ranks second in school history.
For his career, the Richmond, Va., native currently ranks second in touchdown responsibility (98), third in passing yards (8,545), third in total offense (9,628), second in completions (682), third in attempts (1,180) and second in touchdowns (76).
Wilson is also climbing the career charts in terms of ACC history as well. His TD responsibility is the second-highest in league history, he ranks eighth in total offense and 12th in passing yards.
DEVELOPING LEADERS
During his 14 years as a head coach, Tom O'Brien has mentored six assistant coaches who have gone on to be Division I head coaches. Three of his former protégés are now head coaches in the Atlantic Coast Conference: Al Golden at Miami, Mike London at Virginia and Frank Spaziani at Boston College.
Here's a look at former assistant coaches under O'Brien who have gone on to the head coaching ranks:
Name - Head Coach, School, Yrs - Yrs under O'Brien
Al Golden - Temple, 2006-10, Miami 2011 - 1997-99 (LB)
Jeff Jagodzinski - Boston College, 2007-08 - 1997-98 (Off. Coor/OL)
Mike London - Virginia, 2010 - 1997-00 (Def. Line)
Bob Shoop - Columbia, 2003-05 - 1999-02 (Secondary)
Frank Spaziani - Boston College, 2009-pres. - 1997-06 (Def. Coor/RB)
Don Treadwell - Miami (Ohio), 2011 - 1997-98 (Co-Off. Coor.)
O'BRIEN GAINS 100th VICTORY
The win over No. 22 West Virginia in the Champs Sports Bowl gives NC State head coach Tom O'Brien a career record of 100-70 in his 14-year head coaching career. Only two other ACC coaches, Frank Beamer of Virginia Tech and Paul Johnson of Georgia Tech, have posted 100 or more career victories.
SENIOR CLASS FINISHES SWEEP
The 2010 senior class can brag about something only two senior classes in the history of the Wolfpack program can: four victories over North Carolina. NC State won five straight over its nearby rivals from 1988-92, giving the senior classes of 1991 and `92 four straight wins.
The Wolfpack has won 31 games in the history of the 100-game series with UNC - 13% of those wins have been with Tom O'Brien as head coach.
HOME IS SWEET TO PACK IN 2010
The Wolfpack saluted the Carter-Finley faithful on November 13 with a resounding 38-3 win over Wake Forest. That 35-point victory was NC State's largest over an ACC opponent since 1988, when Dick Sheridan's squad defeated North Carolina, 48-3, in Chapel Hill.
Tom O'Brien's squad finished the 2010 home schedule with a 5-1 record, its best mark at home since 2003, when quarterback Philip Rivers led the squad to a 6-1 home mark (the Pack was also 6-1 at home in 2002).
IRVING SETS NATIONAL RECORD
Linebacker Nate Irving was a beast in the 38-3 victory over Wake Forest on Nov. 13. Playing in the last home game of his career, he made up for the season he lost with a FBS-record EIGHT tackles for loss. That bettered the previous NC State mark of six held by Mario Williams, the No. 1 pick in the 2006 NFL draft.
A first-team All-ACC performer, second-team Walter Camp All-American and a semifinalist for the 2010 Butkus Award, Irving cost the Deacons 22 yards, including a seven-yard sack in that contest. His 20.5 tackles for loss for the season tied for fourth in Wolfpack history, while his career mark of 39.5 ranks seventh.
Irving was named the College Football Foundation's National Defensive Player of the Week earlier in the season when he tallied a career-high 16 stops at Georgia Tech.
CZAJKOWSKI SETS RECORD
Senior placekicker Josh Czajkowski finished his career as the NC State record-holder for point-after-touchdown kicks with 119 for his career. He also ranks second in PAT percentage with a .983 mark (121 attempts).
Earlier in 2010, Czajkowski set a school record for consecutive PATs, connecting on 83 straight, dating back to the 2008 campaign.
Czajkowski leaves NC State ranked second in school history in scoring with 257 points, trailing only running back Ted Brown. He ranks third in school history in field goals made with 46 and fourth in field-goal percentage (.807).
FANS `PACK' CARTER-FINLEY
Although there were only six home games in 2010 for the Wolfpack faithful to attend, those fans came out in full force. Average attendance this season was 56,876, a new school record.
Director of Athletics Debbie Yow had 500 bleacher seats added to Carter-Finley prior to the Virginia Tech game due to unprecedented student demand for tickets. Attendance for that game was 58,083, the third-highest attendance total in stadium history.
2010 RECEIVERS AMONG ALL-TIME GREATS
Senior wide receivers Jarvis Wililams and Owen Spencer finished their careers ranked fifth and seven respectively in career receptions at NC State. Williams tallied 133 catches, while Spencer had 126.
In terms of career receiving yards, Spencer's total of 2,441 is the third-best mark in school history, trailing only Torry Holt and Jerricho Cotchery. Williams gained 1,764 yards during his career, the 11th-best mark in the Wolfpack record book.
Williams holds the edge in terms of touchdown receptions with 20 for his career, the third-best mark ever by a Wolfpack player. Spencer is tied for fifth with 15 career TD grabs, but is the school record-holder with a 19.37 career yards per catch average.
TOM O'BOWLING
The trip to the 2010 Champs Sports Bowl marked the 10th time in the last 12 years that Wolfpack head coach Tom O'Brien has led his team to postseason play. His last eight teams at Boston College advanced to the postseason and he has now taken two of his four NC State squads to bowls.
Boston College won seven straight bowl games under O'Brien (he had already left BC for NC State before the actual game in 2006, but his team posted an 9-3 regular season mark that year).
Here's a look at O'Brien's bowl experience:
Year - Bowl - Opponent - Result
1999 - Insight.com - Colorado - L, 28-62
2000 - Aloha - Arizona St. - W, 31-17
2001 - Music City - Georgia - W, 20-16
2002 - Music City - Toledo - W, 51-25
2003 - Diamond Walnut - Color. St. - W, 35-21
2004 - Continental Tire - N. Carolina - W, 37-24
2005 - MPC Computers - Boise St. - W, 27-21
2006 - *Meineke Car Care - Navy - W, 25-24
2008 - Papajohns.com - Rutgers - L, 23-29
2010 - Champs Sports - West Virginia - W, 23-7
* - O'Brien led team to bowl with 9-3 regular season record, but did not coach game.
WILSON RUNS
Quarterback Russell Wilson has run for 1,083 yards in his career. That's more than any quarterback in school history with the exception of Johnny Evans, who gained 1,259 yards on the ground and passed for 2,509 during his career, which spanned from 1974-77.
Wilson, whose 2010 single-season passing mark of 3,563 surpassed Evans' four-year numbers, has rushed for 17 career touchdowns. That is the second-highest number of touchdown runs for a quarterback in school history, as Scott Smith (1977-79) rushed for 18.
Here's a look at the top running QBs in school history:
Name - Years - Rush Yds-TD - Pass Yds-TD
Johnny Evans - 1974-77 - 1,259-13 - 2,509-12
Russell Wilson - 2008-pres. - 1,083-17 - 8,545-76
Scott Smith - 1977-79 - 784-18 - 1,884-5
Jack Klebe - 1966-68 - 709-4 - 858-6
Wilson was one of just three quarterbacks nationally in 2010 who rushed for 1,000 yards and passed for over 8,000 in their careers. He's the only one with a year of eligibility remaining:
Here's a look at that elite group:
QB - School - Rush - Pass
Colin Kaepernick - Nevada - 3,935 - 9,747*
Andy Dalton - TCU - 1,611 - 10,314
Russell Wilson - NC State - 1,042 - 8,270
* - still competing
