North Carolina State University Athletics
Thursday Football Notebook
10/27/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Game 8: NC State (4-3, 1-2 ACC) at Florida State (4-3, 2-2 ACC)
October 29, 2011 • 12:00 p.m. • ESPNU
Tallahassee, Fla. • Doak Campbell Stadium (82,300)
NC STATE VERSUS FLORIDA STATE: NC State and Florida State have met 31 times on the gridiron, with the Seminoles holding a 21-10 advantage. The Wolfpack and Seminoles played from 1952-57, from 1963-69, and then resumed a yearly rivalry when Florida State joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1992.
In 2001, NC State became the first ACC team to beat Florida State in Tallahassee since FSU joined the ACC with a 34-28 win, then followed that up with a 20-15 win in 2005 to become the first ACC team to defeat the Seminoles at their house twice.
The two squads have split the last six meetings, including the Pack’s 28-24 victory in 2010.
PACK LIKES RANKED ‘NOLES: Logic dictates that teams ranked in the polls are better than teams that aren’t, but NC State seems to play better against Florida State when the ‘Noles are in the polls. The last six times that the Pack has played FSU when they were ranked, NC State has pulled off four victories.
Florida State was not ranked in 2007, 08 or 09 and State dropped all three of those contests.
Here’s a look at the last nine matchups between NC State and Florida State:
| Date | Site | FSU Rank | Result |
| 2010 | H | 16 | W, 28-24 |
| 2009 | A | NR | L, 42-45 |
| 2008 | H | NR | L, 17-26 |
| 2007 | A | NR | L, 10-27 |
| 2006 | H | 17 | W, 24-20 |
| 2005 | A | 9 | W, 20-15 |
| 2004 | H | 11 | L, 10-17 |
| 2003 | A | 13 | L, 44-50 (2OT) |
| 2002 | H | 14 | W, 17-7 |
WOLFPACK, SEMINOLES PLAY IT CLOSE: Although Florida State holds a definite advantage in the overall series with NC State (21-10), the series is tied 5-5 in the last 10 matchups. And in nine of those 10 contests, the score was decided by 10 points or less. The average margin in those 10 games has been just 7.1 points.
AMAZING AMERSON: Sophomore cornerback David Amerson is the national leader in interceptions heading into the Florida State game, with three more than any other player in the FBS ranks. The Greensboro native now has eight for the season, including a pair in the season opener, another pair versus Central Michigan and another pair versus Virginia. He returned one pick for a touchdown in the win against the Cavaliers.
Amerson tied the single-season school record for interceptions on Saturday that had been set just a few years before he was born: Art Rooney held the record with eight in 1937 and again in 1938!
Amerson, who was one of just three true freshmen to start a game for the Pack in 2010, is the baby of the defensive secondary, even though midway through his sophomore campaign he already has 16 starts to his credit. Last season, he didn’t have a pick in 640 snaps played.
Amerson was named ACC Defensive Back of the Week following the Central Michigan game.
With just one more pick, he will tie 2010 national leader Jayron Hosley of Virginia Tech as having the most in a single season for an ACC player since 1996, when UNC’s Dre Bly had 11 - the conference record.
Amerson has been named the ACC Defensive Back of the Week each of the past two games.
BREAK HELPS INJURED PACK: NC State earned its first ACC victory of the season on Saturday against Virginia after a much-needed break. The Wolfpack entered the midway point of the season with a 3-3 record, but an 0-2 mark in ACC play.
The main goal of the break was to get some players back who had missed time with injuries during the first half of 2011. Versus Central Michigan, several players who had missed action were back in the lineup, including defenders J.R. Sweezy (DT), Terrell Manning (LB) and Brian Slay (DT). On offense, Logan Winkles (FB) and Andrew Wallace (OG) are back after missing time since last season with knee injuries.
The team got another player back against UVa, as defensive tackle A.J. Ferguson returned.
PACK LOOKS FOR SECOND HALF TURNAROUND: NC State is hoping that the second half of 2011 falls into the pattern of previous years under Tom O’Brien and the 3-3 start turns into a winning record at season’s end. Under O’Brien, NC State posts a 14-11 record in the last six games of the regular season including last week’s win over Virginia.
In 2007, O’Brien’s first year with the Pack, State opened the season with a 1-5 mark, but then won four of its last six games (including four in a row). In 2008, after opening ACC play 0-4 and starting with a 2-6 overall mark, the team won four in a row to become the first league team ever to start out so poorly and finish with a balanced conference slate. The Wolfpack ended up earning a trip to the PapaJohns.com Bowl that season.
In 2009, the injury-devasted Pack was just 2-4 in the second half of the season, which included three straight games against ranked opponents (State won one of those contests - versus No. 23 UNC).
Last year, the Wolfpack finished the season with a 3-3 mark, including wins over No. 16 FSU and UNC.
PACK GETS SECOND HALF TURNAROUND: The Wolfpack is already getting second-half turnarounds this season on a game-by-game basis. The Pack has been outscored 85-99 in the first half in 2011, but has outscored the opposition 135-96 in the second half.
State has started off slow, being outscored 24-55 in the first quarter this season (including being held scoreless in the first frame four times - Wake Forest, Cincinnati Georgia Tech, Virginia). In fact, the Wolfpack has outscored the competition in the three other quarters.
On the flip side, the team finishes strong, outscoring six of seven opponents in the fourth quarter (Cincinnati posted a 3-0 advantage in the fourth) and posting an overall 65-40 scoring advantage in the final quarter this year.
BACK INTACT: NC State started its fourth different combination on the defensive line in just seven games at Virginia, with all of the turnover due to injuries. And the starting four on the line isn’t the only area that has taken a hit - the secondary unit, which plays frequently in the Wolfpack’s scheme, has also changed from week to week.
The only preseason starter on the defensive line who has not missed time due to injury this season is senior Markus Kuhn. However, it looks as if the lineup going forward (barring additional injuries) might be more along the lines of what the coaching staff envisioned prior to the season. With J.R. Sweezy back in the lineup (he is playing through some pain with his foot still, but doctors have cleared him to play), Darryl Cato-Bishop and Brian Slay are able to play at end - which the coaches feel is their optimal spots.
Against Georgia Tech, two starters on the defensive line were playing in their just their fifth game at NC State (Frandsen and Norman) and one was making his first start (Frandsen). The four backups (Sylvester Crawford, Kahut, McGill and Theo Rich) on the depth chart heading into the contest had combined for 15 games and just 184 snaps.
PICK-Y PACK: The Wolfpack not only boasts the national leader in interceptions in cornerback David Amerson, but junior safety Brandan Bishop ranks second in the league and sixth in the nation with four for the season.
NC State is tied for the national lead in picks with 15 in seven games this season (Oklahoma State, Rutgers and Vanderbilt also have 15). State has five more interceptions this season than any other ACC team.
Amerson returned an interception for a touchdown against Virginia.
State leads the ACC and tied for seventh nationally in turnover margin with a +1.29 per game, +9 mark for the season.
