ACC Notebook: Pack Ready for Fall Rise

Tom O'Brien teams traditionally get better as the season goes on -- as North Carolina State did in winning four of its last five games last year. With Wake Forest, Duke and Boston College coming up in the next three weeks, the surging Wolfpack could be 6-1 going into its bye week prior to an Atlantic Division showdown at Florida State.

O'Brien, however, isn't about to get caught up in such nonsense. He's a game-at-a-time head coach, and Saturday's meeting at Wake Forest is N.C. State's first ACC game and first road game.

"All I know is what team I got this week against the team I am going to play," O'Brien said. "I don't know who is going to be here next week. We continue to march on and try to be the best we can weekly."

The Wolfpack, winners of three straight following Saturday's come-from-behind victory over Pittsburgh, has plenty of reasons to grin.

For starters, N.C. State is ranked No. 1 in the nation in total defense. Through four games, the Wolfpack is yielding just 201.2 yards per game after holding the Panthers to just 300 yards. Pitt came in averaging 380 yards per game.

State's defensive coaches were credited with doing a tremendous job of adjusting to Pitt's offensive schemes during the game. O'Brien, of course, wasn't ready to do cartwheels. He noted that the N.C. State defense missed more than 20 tackles, just as it had done in the season-opening defeat to South Carolina.

"It doesn't really say anything," O'Brien said of the unit's national ranking. "It's only after four games and one month of the season. If we're there after 12 games then it will say a lot about our defense."

Then there's the stellar play of quarterback Russell Wilson.

Wilson was 21-of-35 passing for 322 yards and four touchdowns against the Panthers. The majority of that came in the second half, when he led his team from two touchdowns behind by scoring the game's final 21 points. He also rushed the ball 10 times for a career-high 92 yards, including a 21-yard dash on fourth-and-14 from deep in Pittsburgh territory to prolong what turned into the game-tying drive.

"That was just Russell being Russell," O'Brien said.

"That turned the game around for us. He was able to break contain, they were in man coverage and everybody was run off. He took off down the boundary. That was the key scramble of the football game."

In all, last year's ACC Rookie of the Year was personally responsible for 414 of State's 530 offensive yards in the game. Wilson also pushed his NCAA record streak of passes without an interception to 360. In his last 13 games, Wilson has 29 touchdown throws with zero interceptions.

Wilson credits preparation and his receivers for his streak.

"Each and every practice I'm trying not to throw an interception," Wilson said.

"Every throw I'm trying to move the ball up and down the field and help my team be successful. The same thing with the wide receivers. They know that in the back of their mind they're trying to make plays for me. They don't want to give up an interception. That's a pass that they could have an extra 15 or 30 yards. They don't want to give the ball up."

Tar Heels Run Over

North Carolina suffered its first loss of the season, 24-7 at Georgia Tech last Saturday, losing its ninth consecutive ACC opener.

The Tar Heels (3-1, 0-1) managed a meager 154 total yards, including just 17 on the ground. On the flip side, UNC surrendered 317 rushing yards, 160 more yards than it had given up in the first three games combined, and turned over the ball three times. The Yellow Jackets also had a significant advantage in terms of time of possession, 42 minutes, 6 seconds to 17:54.

The Tar Heels return home Saturday or their 114th meeting with Virginia (0-3), which is coming off a bye week. The Cavaliers have won two of the past three in the series in Chapel Hill and six of seven overall. Don't expect personnel changes from UNC coach Butch Davis.

"I think we're playing the best players that we've got," Davis said.

"We've got to look at what are their capabilities, what can they realistically do and how can they get better at what we're trying to do? I think the worst thing we can do is some kind of magical hodgepodge where you move the offensive line around. They've got to get some consistency and continuity over the course of the week and the course of the season. We've got to be more effective. We've got to get the ball in the hands of our play makers better."

Frazzled by Turnovers

The struggling Maryland Terrapins have a minus-10 turnover margin. That's bad. In fact, the Terps already are more than halfway to last year's 13-game turnover total of 25. They've been costly, too, leading to 61 of the 153 points allowed this season.

That's why coach Ralph Friedgen has unveiled a new practice tactic this week as Maryland prepares for Saturday's visit from Clemson. Turnovers are met by immediate punishment.

"We're going to do something to recognize the turnovers, whether it's up-downs or whatever," Friedgen said. "I think we have to make a conscious effort to not do this. I think it (turnover) has to be something that we avoid at all costs."

Let it Rain

Blacksburg, Va., is a tough place for a visiting team to win, especially when Virginia Tech is playing Beamer Ball to perfection -- as the Hokies did against the visiting Miami Hurricanes Saturday. A blocked punt for a touchdown, three sacks and a couple of turnovers turned their showdown with Miami into a laugher.

Let's not forget about the rain either. Word is more rain fell over a 24-hour period Saturday than on any other day in Blacksburg since 1987.

Average at Best

Following Saturday's home defeat to South Florida, Florida State's record over its past 48 games (dating back to its October, 2005 loss at Virginia) is 25-23.

Corey Clark, a sportswriter with The Tallahassee Democrat, pointed out in his blog that if fans toss out victories against non-BCS conference teams (Troy, UAB, Rice and Western Michigan) and Duke, that record is 19-23.

And, Clark also pointed out that using that same qualifier (which means fans exclude non-BCS teams and Duke), the Seminoles are 5-11 in their last 16 home games against regular FBS football programs.


Quotable

When asked where he thought the ACC stood in the collegiate landscape this young season, N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien indicated he had no idea.



"Who knows in today's college football," O'Brien said.

"It seems like this is going to happen more and more. What was the quote I read in USA Today, I think probably USA Today or somewhere where Bobby Bowden said, 'Where did these guys come from?' Today everybody's got players. As I've said earlier, there are no free Saturdays, and you better be ready. I think people are coaching. There's a lot better coaches out there.

"Guys used to just roll out the ball and have talent and play the game and win. That doesn't happen anymore. I think guys are well-coached, teams are well-coached, they have players in position to win, and if you're not ready to play on a Saturday, anybody can win, anybody can lose."