North Carolina State University Athletics
Refocused Pack Prepares for Rivals
10/31/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 31, 2011
RALEIGH, N.C. - After a stinging loss to Florida State over the weekend, NC State head coach Tom O'Brien stressed the importance of moving on, refocusing, and improving on strengths at Monday's press conference.
"Forget about it and move on," said O'Brien. "I hope that we're able to do that. There are a plethora of examples week in and week out of teams that play one week and don't play the next. You can't let teams beat you twice, and that happens when you win or when you lose the previous week.
Two weeks ago you'd say we were progressing, last week you'd say we took a step back. It's still a growth process; we'll reassess and see how we grow this week."
The Wolfpack must right the ship in a hurry as North Carolina, coming off of a win over Wake Forest, visits Carter-Finley Stadium this Saturday.
"It's an important game because it's important to our faculty, our staff, our alumni and our fan base," said O'Brien. "I think that's what makes it different. There are games throughout the year where you can just tell - you look at all you guys here today and you know that it's not just a normal game that you play during the season."
NC State's success in forcing turnovers could play a factor in the rivalry game. The Pack leads the nation in interceptions with 15, and boasts Thorpe semifinalist David Amerson, the national leader in picks with 8.
"That's been a point of emphasis on defense since we've been here, to win the turnover battle," said O'Brien. "It's the biggest factor in winning football games. We've intercepted a lot this year but we haven't knocked it out, or gotten it as much this year as far as fumbles go."
The Pack kicks off against North Carolina Saturday at 12:30 p.m. Coverage of the game will be provided by the ACC Network.
