North Carolina State University Athletics
Glennon, Pack Open with Liberty
9/1/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
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When he arrived on the NC State campus as a highly-touted quarterback in 2008, Mike Glennon had every reason to believe that he'd be the Wolfpack's starter early in his career. Not only were upperclassmen Daniel Evans and Harrison Beck about to move on, a fellow Virginian by the name of Russell Wilson was, in many circles, considered more of a sure thing in baseball than football.
As it turns out, however, Glennon had to wait a little longer than expected to take over the NC State offense. On Saturday night his patience will finally be rewarded when he takes his first snaps as a starter against Liberty. Kickoff time at Carter-Finley Stadium is slated for 6 p.m. The Wolfpack Sports Network begins its coverage at 5 p.m.
Now a fourth-year junior, Glennon is chomping at the bit to get started.
"As much as I didn't want to be patient, I knew I had to," Glennon said. "I have two years to do what I've wanted to do and I'm excited about these two years."
Neither Glennon nor anyone else could have predicted that Wilson would ultimately become one of the most prolific signal callers in State history. But in the end, Glennon's path to this point may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. He is, in reality, better prepared to run the offense and execute the Wolfpack passing game in his first start than Wilson was in his. As a redshirt freshman in 2008, Wilson was given a fairly limited game-plan, one that took advantage of his legs more than his arm in his first start at South Carolina. In the end, Wilson was knocked out of the game with a concussion right before halftime in a 34-0 loss to the Gamecocks.
It really wasn't until week four that season that Wilson started to give his coaching staff and Pack fans a hint of what was to come when he led NC State to a comeback overtime victory over East Carolina.
It wouldn't be all that surprising if Glennon also needs a little time to find his rhythm, but the offensive package given to him for this season is much broader than the load Wilson was asked to carry early in his first year.
And while he lacks game experience, having thrown only 52 passes to this point in his career, Glennon's knowledge of coordinator Dana Bible's offense is unquestioned. And it doesn't hurt that he had the opportunity be an understudy to a very successful quarterback the last three years.
"I learned from the way he carried himself and he did everything the right way," said Glennon. "He was an extremely hard worker. He led the right way."
Glennon has also benefitted from watching his older brother play quarterback at a major FBS school. Sean Glennon had an up and down career at Virginia Tech between 2004-08.
"You definitely have to have thick skin," Mike Glennon said. "I learned from my brother that being a quarterback you're either going to be on top of the world or at the bottom. I think the pressure excites me. There's pressure on every quarterback, but it's something I want to embrace. I want to be the guy that takes us down the field for a touchdown with two minutes left. It's something I look forward to."
Standing 6-6 and possessing an arm that is both powerful and accurate, Glennon can make all the throws. Now the trick is just slowing the game down enough to where he can go through his progressions and make consistent, solid decisions with the football.
His coach thinks it will come together.
"I think the only pressure put on will be the pressure he puts on himself to perform," said Tom O'Brien, who's about to begin his fifth season as Wolfpack coach. "It happens every year in college football, guys graduate and move on and someone else has to step-up and perform. It's his opportunity and I think he looks forward to the challenge."
On the surface, getting your first start against an FCS school would seem to be the perfect tonic for a confidence-building experience. But in this case, the popular perceptions may not necessarily be reality. In six years under head coach Danny Rocco, Liberty has won 40 of 56 games while capturing four consecutive Big South Conference titles. Once an assistant under Al Groh with both the New York Jets and the University of Virginia, Rocco is a big believer in the `30' defense, a system that employs three down linemen, and an assortment of changing looks in the back seven. In other words, Glennon and his offensive line will be getting a lot of different disguises, blitzes and fronts from the Flames defense on Saturday.
"If the game looks to [Glennon] the way it looked to him all week in practice, then we're going to be in trouble because he's going to be able to get back there and recognize the coverage, go through his reads and make the throws," Rocco said. "But if things are a little different and not quite like the way they looked on film a year ago or the way they looked with the scout team this week, then he might be a little more indecisive. That's what you really like to do."
Ironically, the quarterback on the other side of the field will resemble the aforementioned Wilson in many ways. A two-time Big South Player of the Year, Liberty's Mike Brown led his team in both passing and rushing last season. With Brown running the spread offense, Liberty averaged 36 points and 460 yards per game. And like NC State, the Flames offense stayed on the field for long periods, converting 44 percent of their third down plays.
"The 44 percent is huge," O'Brien said. "That's something we're aware of. Brown is really talented. He's a duel threat."
Along with his curiosity over how Glennon will perform in his first game, O'Brien is also eager to see how his new freshmen in the kicking game will react to their first college experience. Punter Wil Bauman, placekicker Niklas Sade and long-snapper Scott Thompson have probably exceeded expectations during preseason camp. But how will they perform in front of the bright lights and 50,000 fans for the first time?
"It's been a wonderful surprise for us," said O'Brien. "In 37 years, I haven't seen three kids do as well as they have to this point. We talked about the quarterback going in and having the jitters, at least he's an older guy who has played in some college games. With the kickers, I just hope the ball goes in the right direction when we kick it."
This will mark the first ever meeting between State and Liberty. The Wolfpack's all-time record in season openers is 83-31-14. As part of its pregame coverage on the Wolfpack Sports Network, fans will be given the opportunity to ask former Pack All-American and color man Johnny Evans questions on `Ask the Analyst.' To forward a question to Johnny, go here.
The network will also introduce a new interactive postgame feature for home games this season called the CHE Home Game Wrap UP, which will allow fans to submit questions to host Tony Haynes and analysts Johnny Evans and Mark Thomas. The email address for the CHE Home Game Wrap Up is gameday@gopack.com. Questions can also be submitted by texting PACK with your name and question to 46988.
By Tony Haynes
THE LAW OF THE JUNGLE
Now this is the Law of the Jungle - as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall
break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk, the Law runneth forward and
back;
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf
is the Pack.
Rudyard Kipling
