North Carolina State University Athletics
Wolfpack Makes Rare Trip to Virginia
10/21/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Game 7: NC State (3-3, 0-2 ACC) at Virginia (4-2, 1-1 ACC)
October 22, 2011 • 3:30 p.m. • ESPNU
Charlottesville, Va. • Scott Stadium (61,500)
TV: ESPNU | Radio: Wolfpack Sports Network | Gametracker
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When coach Tom O’Brien takes his NC State football team to Virginia’s Scott Stadium for a 3:30 game on Saturday afternoon, it will mark the first time he’s been back to his old stomping grounds since he stepped down as UVa’s offensive coordinator to become head coach at Boston College in 1997.
Ask Wolfpack linebacker Audie Cole to explain what it’s like to play at Virginia and he couldn’t tell you. Although he’s a fifth-year senior, Cole has never played at 80-year old Scott Stadium.
Such is the quirkiness of scheduling in the post-expansion era of the ACC.
Saturday’s 56th all-time meeting between the Wolfpack (3-3, 0-2) and Cavaliers (4-2, 1-1) will be the first game in the series since 2007, and the first time the two longtime ACC members have clashed on the stately grounds of Thomas Jefferson’s university since 2006. Wolfpack Sports Network coverage begins at 2:30 p.m.
“It’s kind of weird,” said Cole, a Monroe, Michigan, native. “I kind of forgot that Virginia was even in [the ACC] because I’ve never played them. Being here five years you’d think I would have. I’ve only been to Virginia going through it, driving to Michigan.”
Involved in one of the greatest rebuilding efforts in ACC history, O’Brien was a trusted Cavaliers assistant under George Welsh between 1982 and 1996 before getting his first head coaching opportunity at Chestnut Hill. O’Brien and wife Jenny raised their three children in Charlottesville.
“I haven’t been to Charlottesville since June of 1997 when we left,” said O’Brien. “My wife goes all the time, but I don’t go. I would, but I haven’t had time because it’s not on the beaten path.”
Only one player on the NC State roster has ever played at Scott Stadium, but that appearance didn’t occur in a Wolfpack uniform. As a high school senior, quarterback Mike Glennon guided Centerville’s Westfield High School to the Virginia Three-A Division 6 State Championship in 2007.
Growing up about 90 miles from Virginia’s campus, Glennon was recruited heavily by the Cavs and had the school listed in his top three before eventually deciding to take his talents to NC State. Adding a little spice, Glennon’s older brother, Sean, was a quarterback for Virginia’s archrival, Virginia Tech, from 2004-08.
Needless to say, this is a much-anticipated game for the Glennon family.
“Oh yes,” Mike Glennon said. “I think I’ll have a lot of family and friends coming, so I’m excited about it. It’s kind of been that game I’ve been waiting on for awhile, and finally it’s here for me.”
Glennon has been one of the bright spots through what has been a fairly mediocre, if not disappointing first half of the season for NC State. A first-year starter, the redshirt junior has responded by throwing for an average of 248 yards per game, with 16 touchdown passes and only four interceptions. With Glennon spearheading the offensive effort, State averages 32 points per game, a figure that ranks 4th in the ACC.
“His poise has been remarkable,” O’Brien said. “He’s been unflappable, and he’s been under duress a few games this year. The game is not too big for him.”
But Glennon’s efforts have not been enough to overcome an injury-plagued defense that is giving up 412 yards and 30 points per game. A real sticking point has been third down defense. After holding opponents to a 33 percent conversion rate on third down last year, the Wolfpack is yielding 43 on third down through six games this season.
“It’s not that we don’t know what to do,” Cole said. “But you can have 10 guys do the right thing and one guy not do it right and you can get hurt from it. We need to get better on third down. We’ve been giving up too many big plays on third down and letting them continue to drive. It seems like we play two good downs of football and then give it up on third down. That’s what we have to fix.”
Ironically, first down may be the critical down this weekend against a Virginia team that starts everything with a power running game. Once they establish the run and get linebackers and safeties more run-conscious, the Cavaliers look to go over the top with quick-strike play-action passes from quarterback Michael Rocco.
Averaging 193 yards per game on the ground, Virginia really mauled Georgia Tech up front last Saturday. In their 24-21 upset victory over the then 12th ranked Yellow Jackets, the Cavaliers piled up 274 rushing yards. Running behind a huge offensive line and a pair of big, mobile tight ends, squatty tailback Perry Jones did most of the damage with 149 yards on 18 carries.
“It was the most yards rushing we’ve had in quite some time,” said second-year Virginia head coach Mike London, a former assistant under O’Brien at Boston College. “That was something that really predicated our play-calling. The running game was something that was very much of a positive for us.”
The grinding, physical offensive approach may have crystallized for London what his team’s identity should and will be all about for the remainder of the season. Two weeks before the game against Tech, the Cavaliers threw the football 50 times in a narrow overtime win over Idaho. Against the Yellow Jackets, Virginia put it in the air only 19 times.
After the clock hit zero last week, the Virginia students mobbed the field following what was the biggest win of London’s short tenure in Charlottesville. As it turns out, Virginia played its best game of the year coming out of a bye week. NC State hopes for a similar result coming out of last weekend’s open date in its schedule.
“They’ve been off a week, so they’ve had an opportunity to get some of the defensive guys that have missed some time healthy,” London said. “I’m quite sure that having an off week will benefit them just as it helped us.”
But ... O’Brien and the Pack will not be getting as many injured players back on defense as they had hoped after the bye week. The only player listed as a sure thing to return from injury is defensive tackle A.J. Ferguson, who has missed two full games with a knee problem. O’Brien said earlier this week that senior Jeff Rieskamp (shoulder) is a longshot to return at all this year, while senior tackle J.R. Sweezy is still being bothered by the foot issue that caused him to miss the Wolfpack’s first four games. Sweezy is listed as questionable for Saturday. A new addition to the injury list is field linebacker D.J. Green, who is also questionable with an abdomen injury.
The D-line shuffle will continue this week, with Brian Slay now moving fulltime from tackle to defensive end. Wayne Crawford’s switch from offensive line to defensive tackle adds depth inside, while Slay’s move to end adds more depth outside, allowing Art Norman, a 6-1, 242-pound speed rusher, to be used in more specialized situations instead of having to absorb the pounding of first and second down. O’Brien said he’d like for Norman to be on the field for around 35 snaps per game instead of his average of 53 plays over the last three games.
Needing a minimum of four wins in its last six games to become bowl eligible, the Wolfpack knows a win at Virginia would go a long way in igniting a strong second half push.
“I definitely think it’s possible,” Glennon said. “Coach [Dana] Bible was saying that the teams that won our division the last two years had two losses. We’re looking at it like we can be that team this year and we feel very confident going into the second half.”
By Tony Haynes
