9/16 thru 9/18 (OSU/NCSU)

[ajoytoy]

YTD: 21-17 (+4.25)

grabbing these before line changes

California -5.5 (-105)
Maryland +7 (-105)
Kansas +3 (-105)
NCSU +3 (-105) :moon:
Wisconsin -10 (-105)
Clemson -2 (-105)
Middle Tenn. State -2.5 (-105)


be back with reasons and the OSU/NCSU matchup!

please feel free to give any feedback! It's always welcome

 

[D-Money]

Like'm.......and love the Cal game. Already got it myself at -5' and may make it a larger play. GL in the upcoming week

 

[Blackman]

Best of luck Toy

 

[mw]

What do you think about Tech/UNC? And are you sure about Clemson? I don't have a good feeling about this one.

 

[Master Capper]

Good Luck Toy, is T.A. going to play? Seems like he has been hurt for over a year now!

 

[ajoytoy]

What do you think about Tech/UNC? And are you sure about Clemson? I don't have a good feeling about this one.

Tech got "lucky" last weekend...but they are better than the Heels

Heels play better at home though

line is moving up in GT's favor...will wait and see how line continues to move

would lean over if it stays under 60 :scared

if it reaches +10 for UNC, would play the Heels FWIW...Dave, jump in whenever you want bout the morale and health of the Heels

Clemson is the better team IMO...think they win...will eat the points in hoping they cover....gl on your plays this weekend!

 

[ajoytoy]

Good Luck Toy, is T.A. going to play? Seems like he has been hurt for over a year now!

he is an enigma...dont know for sure as of Monday...will look into it, but even without him, we have 2 very solid backs that will love to test the buckeyes D

 

[ajoytoy]

McLendon, Maddox Questionable for Buckeyes
Tackle Derek Morris also listed as questionable.


Sept. 13, 2004

By Tony Haynes

Raleigh, N.C. -- With Ohio State coming to town for a 3:30 p.m. contest at Carter-Finley Stadium this Saturday afternoon, Chuck Amato can only cross his fingers, hoping that his entire arsenal of talent will be available for the 7th ranked team in the country. Primarily, the Wolfpack head coach is concerned about the health status of three key starters: running back T.A. McLendon (hamstring), safety Andre Maddox (hamstring) and right tackle Derek Morris (ankle). A final evaluation on all three players probably won't be made until Friday.

As of Monday, all three were listed as questionable.

"T.A. practiced well on [Sunday], so that's one good one," Amato cracked during his Monday press conference. "He had practiced so well before he had pulled the hamstring. I just hope he'll make it and come Friday we'll let you know. We just hope he doesn't hurt his hamstring on the way to class or something."

McLendon, the frequently injured junior, missed the second half of preseason camp after pulling a hamstring during a breakaway run in practice. McLendon and Maddox sat out the opener against Richmond with hamstring pulls. Both practiced on Sunday.

"I'll be able to play," Maddox vowed on Monday.

Morris' status may be more uncertain since his injury actually occurred in the first quarter of the opening day 42-0 victory over the Spiders. Amato said the staff will have a clearer picture of the massive lineman's availability on Friday.

As for the game itself, it would be virtually impossible for the Buckeyes and Wolfpack to replicate the classic triple overtime battle they produced 12 months ago in Columbus. In the end, Ohio State prevailed 44-38, but only after McLendon was stopped just inches shy of the goal line in the third extra period.

Now the Pack will get a rematch in front of its own fans at Carter-Finley Stadium. The disappointing outcome of last year's contest is still very fresh in the minds of many NC State players.

"I'll tell you the truth, it drove me during the preseason," said receiver Tramain Hall. "When I worked out, that's what I thought about; those overtimes and how much we pushed and the fact that we lost by one yard. It was in the back of my mind every time I was pulling the sled. We've got an opportunity again to go out here and beat these guys."

And a win over Ohio State would be quite a feather in the cap of NC State primarily because the Buckeyes represent college football royalty. Ohio State's distinguished history in the game is at a level of excellence that NC State is working to attain.

"[A win] would be huge for the university, the community, the players, the fans," Amato said. "They're starting to believe that we can win these kinds of games. Now we've got to win them. We went to overtime in a couple of them last year and we lost another one in the last 30 seconds. Believing is one thing. Actually doing is something else. But believing is a big step in the right direction. It's a big game."

Saturday's game will mark the first time the Wolfpack has hosted a non-conference opponent ranked in the top-10 since No. 8 Alabama hung a 24-19 defeat on the Pack in 1996.

Ohio State, ranked 7th in the coaches poll and 9th in the AP poll, is 2-0 after pulling out a 24-21 victory over Marshall on Saturday. But over the last two seasons, including their national title year of 2002, the Buckeyes have been unbeatable in games that go down to the wire.

"That's the way Woody Hayes built that program," Amato said. "Coach Hayes is sitting up there and is just beaming from ear to ear that coach Tressel is winning the way he's winning in the new millennium. Woody won with a great running game, great defense and a great kicking game. That's what gives you a chance. When you have great defense and a great kicking game, you have a chance to win every game you play in. It may go down to the wire, but those things are what you need to win championships."

And winning championships is what Ohio State is all about. The 2002 title was the seventh in school history. In three years under Jim Tressel, the Buckeyes are 34-7 and 27-2 over the last two years

 

[mw]

I think it makes sense to tease Tech down to -2.5. The last 21 games, UNC has covered by more than six points just once -- and that was against a Wake team that has a defense that is almost as bad as UNC's. Since anyone can roll up the points on Carolina, the key is being able to slow down the Carolina O. Tech's D is good enough to do that. I see it as Tech 38-24, but I'll tease it just to be safe.

And what is your take on UNC's emotional state? Do you think they're at the point where they want Bunting gone? I'm just not sure we're going to see much effort.

 

[Irish]

Toy
Looks like some head to head plays for us. Best of luck this weekend.

Irish

 

[pt1gard]

gl anil, esp with your Wolfpack, it scares me that NO ONE is on buckeyes yet, like penn st game last week and uconn and line dropping ... How's nc st's D? can they hold down a wobbly OSU offense to 14 or so? couple years ago I rode the md tenn st blue raiders a # of times and they were kind to me

take care
gregg

ps Cal and tedford is always solid, too bad Ivan(a) Trumped it

 

[LAPURE]

PACK ROLLS

PACK ROLLS

TOY-KNOW NCST. IS MORE THAN READ.CLEMSON HAS THE HORSES BUT NO COACH. GA-DAWG LIVING IN NO.CAROLINA

 

[BASON]

Curious about your thoughts on MD.

I am a big MD fan and have bet against them successfully in the first two games (posted in NYreb'd thread) and I am very tempted to go against them this week.

I realize MD has owned them in the last three meetings, but this is not the same MD team that people are used to. They just do not have the offense they have had the last three years and they are a very young team. Statham does not have a very good handle on the offense at this point of the year. He played better against Temple, but Temple was terrible defensively.

West Virginia is looking forward to this game more than any this year since MD has humiliated them the last two years. I am not a big believer in revenge games, but I like the angle here. WVA would love to roll-up the score here and I think they will.

 

[LonghornMM]

Love the Clemson play. Pound it hard. a&m is a bad football team. I see the Tiger winning by three touchdowns.

 

[ajoytoy]

I think it makes sense to tease Tech down to -2.5. The last 21 games, UNC has covered by more than six points just once -- and that was against a Wake team that has a defense that is almost as bad as UNC's. Since anyone can roll up the points on Carolina, the key is being able to slow down the Carolina O. Tech's D is good enough to do that. I see it as Tech 38-24, but I'll tease it just to be safe.

And what is your take on UNC's emotional state? Do you think they're at the point where they want Bunting gone? I'm just not sure we're going to see much effort.

local radio was talking bout this issue today...they were basically saying that he is not recuriting the level of players to keep winning against the other ACC foes...D still has many holes...their best shot is to score more points in a game...at least that why i think the over is the best bet....I am sure the team is frustrated, but Dave would have more info than me bout the Heels....just passing along info...

gl anil, esp with your Wolfpack, it scares me that NO ONE is on buckeyes yet, like penn st game last week and uconn and line dropping ... How's nc st's D? can they hold down a wobbly OSU offense to 14 or so? couple years ago I rode the md tenn st blue raiders a # of times and they were kind to me

thx gregg...gl to you as well...agree, have not seen anyone on OSU...probably waiting to see if this goes down to a pickem or not...Our D is pretty solid...only missing Maddox and I hear Mario Williams continues to dominate on the line..he is the next "freak"...Think they could contain them to 14 points, but i have it at about 24-21...waiting to see and o/u on the game as well...Pack has not forgotten bout the game last year...and this one could be a high scoring affair again

TOY-KNOW NCST. IS MORE THAN READ.CLEMSON HAS THE HORSES BUT NO COACH. GA-DAWG LIVING IN NO.CAROLINA

agree that Tigers have the players to dominate, but think their coach is good....excpet maybe O'Cain as a coordinator, but thats because of his past with the Pack....gl on your plays

 

[ajoytoy]

Curious about your thoughts on MD.

I am a big MD fan and have bet against them successfully in the first two games (posted in NYreb'd thread) and I am very tempted to go against them this week.

I realize MD has owned them in the last three meetings, but this is not the same MD team that people are used to. They just do not have the offense they have had the last three years and they are a very young team. Statham does not have a very good handle on the offense at this point of the year. He played better against Temple, but Temple was terrible defensively.

West Virginia is looking forward to this game more than any this year since MD has humiliated them the last two years. I am not a big believer in revenge games, but I like the angle here. WVA would love to roll-up the score here and I think they will.

from what i can tell, i seem to be the only one (so far) on the Terps....probably makes sense since my ACC picks have been pretty bad so far this year...The reason for my play is more on the coach than on the team...probably not a smart move, but I respect Coach Friedgen's record and his game planning as a head coach...WVU probably wants this game more and is the stronger team on the field...line rose initially and I probably should have waited to get a 8 or higher, but still think this game will be decided by less than 7 points...guess we will just have to wait and see on Saturday

congrats on the season so far and BOL on your play this weekend...gl to your team (until they play the Pack )

Love the Clemson play. Pound it hard. a&m is a bad football team. I see the Tiger winning by three touchdowns.

lets hope so! gl on your plays as well...any info you have locally is appreciated

 

[ajoytoy]

Ohio State Visits NC State for Rematch of Thriller
Buckeyes and Wolfpack went to three overtimes last season.


By the Associated Press

Sept. 15, 2004

Ohio State has built a reputation for being a clutch team.

Just ask NC State.

After posting yet another riveting win, the ninth-ranked Buckeyes visit NC State on Saturday in a rematch of one of last season's most memorable games.

The Buckeyes (2-0) have won 13 of 14 games that were decided by a touchdown or less over the last two-plus seasons, including a 7-0 record while winning the national championship in 2002. In the title game, Ohio State beat Miami 31-24 in double overtime.

"These games happen so often here it seems," linebacker A.J. Hawk after Ohio State beat Marshall 24-21 on Saturday on Mike Nugent's 55-yard field goal as time expired.

The Buckeyes now meet the Wolfpack (1-0) for the first time since winning a dramatic 44-38 triple-overtime contest on Sept. 13, 2003. In what was the first meeting between the teams, they recorded the longest game ever played in Ohio Stadium.

With the score tied at 21 last week, Ohio State took over at its own 45 with 25 seconds left. Buckeyes quarterback Justin Zwick hit Santonio Holmes -- who had 10 catches for 224 yards and two touchdowns -- for gains of 9 and 8 yards. Zwick then completed a 5-yard pass to tight end Ryan Hamby, with the clock continuing to run because the Buckeyes were out of timeouts.

Zwick, who completed 18 of 30 passes for 324 yards and three scores, was able to get under center and stop the clock by downing the ball with 2 seconds left, with a motion penalty called on the play that made the kick even longer.

Nugent then had more than enough leg -- and time -- to put the ball through out of a perfect hold by Kyle Turano. It matched the second-longest field goal in Ohio Stadium's 82 years.

For the second week in a row, however, Ohio State didn't force a turnover. Zwick threw two interceptions and the Buckeyes also lost two fumbles. They now have seven turnovers in two games and have no takeaways.

"We're lucky, I guess, because typically if you're at a minus-7 in turnover margin you're going to be 0-2," Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said. "I've not been around too many teams that can lose the turnover margin and be a champion."

NC State has seemingly benefited from an early week off. Linebacker Andre Maddox and tailback T.A. McLendon, both nursing injuries, were able to rest and are expected to play Saturday. The two players missed the season-opening 42-0 victory over Richmond on Sept. 4 with strained hamstrings, and they probably wouldn't have been able to play last week.

The extra week of practice also gave coach Chuck Amato and his staff more time to work with their young players on fundamentals. NC State has a new starter at quarterback, where Jay Davis took over for Philip Rivers, and McLendon's primary backups are freshmen. On defense, the depth chart lists three sophomore starters on the line.

"I'm definitely glad it's this way," Amato said. "Jay has played one half of a football game, and then you look at the defensive line.

"All the work we can get, the better off we will be."

Davis was impressive in the victory over the Division I-AA Spiders, finishing 16-of-22 for 168 yards and throwing two touchdown passes. He nearly matched his passing total from the previous two seasons (177).

 

[ajoytoy]

McLendon on track to play vs. Buckeyes, barring injury

BY AL FEATHERSTON : The Herald-Sun

RALEIGH -- T.A. McLendon returned to practice Sunday and is on track to play Saturday when N.C. State meets Ohio State ... provided his tender hamstring is not re-injured in practice this week.

"T.A. practiced well [Sunday], so that's one good one," Wolfpack coach Chuck Amato said Monday. "I just hope he'll make it. Friday, we'll let you know. I just hope if he makes it [through the last practice] Thursday, he doesn't hurt his hamstring on the way to class.

McLendon, the Pack's junior tailback, missed N.C. State's opener against Richmond with a strained hamstring. He missed one of 14 games as freshman, when he won first-team All-ACC honors with 1,101 yards rushing, 354 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns. He missed four of 13 games last year when he managed 608 yards rushing, 368 receiving and nine touchdowns.

McLendon played sparingly in last year's triple-overtime loss to Ohio State. He was on the field for 33 snaps, rushed eight times for 32 yards and a touchdown and caught three passes for 56 yards. On the final play of the third overtime, McLendon was stopped just short of the goal line -- and the tying touchdown -- on a fourth-and-1 play.

In his absence last week against Richmond, freshmen Darrell Blackman and Bobby Washington combined for 114 yards rushing.

"Those young freshmen are good," Amato said. "But they don't have the experience T.A. has. If we could have him, he would be a bonus for us."

Senior safety Andre Maddox, who also missed the Richmond game with a strained hamstring, declared himself fit and ready to go against the Buckeyes. Offensive tackle Derek Morris, who sprained his ankle against the Spiders, still is questionable.

"He's got a problem that will be questionable to the very, very end," Amato said.

Junior wide receiver Tramain Hall said the return of McLendon will mean a lot to the Wolfpack.

"I'm glad he's back and I'm happy that Andre Maddox is back, too. Both of those guys bring a great impact to this team. They can make plays, tremendous plays. Just watching them practice and getting excited about the fact that they're back."

The recruiting battle

N.C. State and Ohio State have only met once on the football field, but Amato and Ohio State coach Jim Tressel have clashed a number of times on the recruiting trail.

Amato admitted Monday that he lost out to Tressel for OSU wide receiver Santario Holmes, who was a prep teammate of N.C. State safety Garland Heath at Glades Central High in Belle Glade, Fla.

"We were in it real strong for him," Amato said. "He's a deep threat and he's a tough receiver -- he's a Jerricho Cotchery."

But Amato has ended up on the winning side of at least four battles with the Buckeyes, a couple of times with a twist.

Morris, a prep All-American offensive tackle from Charlotte, signed with Ohio State, but a delay in obtaining his academic qualifying score led Ohio State to try and redshirt him. That led to his transfer to N.C. State.

Hall, cleared to play by the NCAA after a year in junior college, considered reneging on his commitment to N.C. State when the ACC ordered him to sit out a year. The speedy wide receiver could have played right away at Ohio State. He would have been a member of the Buckeyes 2002 national title team.

"It was almost there," Hall said. "I just decided I need to go back and finish what I started at N.C. State."

Sophomore wide receiver Richard Washington committed to Ohio State, but changed his mind and signed with N.C. State. Wolfpack freshman DaJuan Morgan of Riviera Beach, Fla., committed to Ohio State but then had his scholarship offer withdrawn. Amato was happy to take the Florida 400-meter sprint champion.

"Morgan's very athletic," Amato said. "He's got a great upside. He's big, he's fast, he's strong and he's young."

In fact, Amato is delighted with all the players he's wrestled away from the Buckeyes.

"I'm glad they're playing for us," he said. "We've been fortunate to recruit young men who were not only being recruited by Ohio State, they were also being recruited by the Tennessees, the Miamis and the Michigans ... those type of kids.

"If you're going to play the teams we have in this league, we're going to need those type players."

N.C. State-Virginia Tech kickoff set

The N.C. State at Virginia Tech game on Sept. 25 is set for noon in Blacksburg, Va. The first ACC meeting between the Pack and Hokies will be nationally televised on ESPN.

Three ACC games will be televised at noon that day -- the N.C. State-Virginia Tech game will be in direct conflict with Maryland at Duke at noon on Jefferson-Pilot, and Boston College at Wake Forest also is at noon on ESPN2. Clemson's visit to Florida State will be regionally televised by ABC at 3:30 p.m.

N.C. State's "rivals"

Amato wouldn't buy a reporter's suggestion that N.C. State's matchup with Ohio State would qualify as a rivalry after one game and a series of recruiting battles.

"We've already got Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech, Maryland, Georgia Tech ..."

Amato paused for a second.

"Who have I left out?" he asked.

Well, those guys from Chapel Hill might qualify as rivals.

 

[ajoytoy]

Posted on Tue, Sep. 14, 2004

Buckeyes provide a rare opportunity for Wolfpack

Win against top-10 foe would help resurrect Pack's national profile

KEN TYSIAC

Raleigh Bureau


Chuck Amato found a way to measure his team's opportunity this week by thumbing through the N.C. State media guide.

He was looking for the last time the Wolfpack played at home against a top-10 opponent from outside the ACC. He found that No. 8 Alabama's 24-19 victory in 1996 in Raleigh was the only visit from a top-10, nonconference opponent in the past 19 seasons.

N.C. State meets No. 9 Ohio State at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium. Amato's research shows just how rare that opportunity is, and how important a win would be.

"It would be huge for everybody," he said. "The university. The community. The players. The fans. They're believing that they can win these kind of games. Now we've got to win."

N.C. State has had success against high-profile opponents in five seasons under Amato. The Wolfpack has defeated Florida State twice, and in 2001 became the only ACC team to win on Florida State's home field since the Seminoles joined the ACC in 1992.

With a 28-6 victory against Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl, N.C. State posted the first 11-win season in school history in 2002. But with a chance to continue its rise behind record-setting quarterback Philip Rivers as a senior last season, the Wolfpack stumbled.

In the third overtime at Ohio State, T.A. McLendon was stopped inches short of the goal line on fourth down, and the third-ranked Buckeyes won 44-38. Rover safety Andre Maddox said he has watched that game about 10 times on videotape.

"The game didn't end in our favor," Maddox said. "And deep down inside, that hurts."

A 50-44 loss at Florida State in two overtimes also was heartbreaking as N.C. State slipped to 8-5 last season. That record, plus Rivers' departure, leaves the Wolfpack in need of a big victory to regain national respect.

N.C. State hasn't been ranked in The Associated Press poll since that loss last Sept. 13 at Ohio State.

"This is a big game for us," said halfback Tramain Hall. "We know if we go out and perform the way we need to perform, we can move up a little bit."

Despite the lack of national attention, Amato said N.C. State's players believe they have the ability to compete with and defeat college football's elite teams. Maddox traced that belief to a 38-6 thrashing of Clemson in a Thursday night game in 2002, which improved N.C. State's record to 9-0 in front of a national television audience on ESPN.

College football analysts throughout the nation will be watching this week, too, in part to see whether the Wolfpack and Ohio State can duplicate the drama from last year's game.

"They have history," Maddox said of Ohio State. "Everyone considers them a top team in the nation every year. Beating them would be great for us. It would be great for this program and great for recruiting."

Notes

? Maddox missed N.C. State's opener with Richmond because of a hamstring pull but said he will play Saturday. McLendon returned to practice Sunday and looked good after missing about a month with a pulled hamstring, Amato said.Offensive tackle Derek Morris is questionable with an ankle sprain, and Amato said the team might not know until Saturday whether he can play.

? Ohio State is 14-1 in its past 15 games decided by seven points or fewer. "It's luck," Maddox said. "But they have great athletes. I'm not going to say it's all luck."

When The Finest Come To Raleigh

N.C. State's nonconference home games against top-10 teams in The Associated Press poll (Since ACC play began in 1953):


DATE RESULT
Oct. 15, 1966 No. 8 Florida 17, N.C. State 10
Nov. 29, 1969 No. 3 Penn State 33, N.C. State 8
Nov. 9, 1974 N.C. State 12, No. 7 Penn State 7
Nov. 5, 1977 No. 9 Penn State 21, N.C. State 17
Nov. 7, 1981 No. 6 Penn State 22, N.C. State 15
Nov. 3, 1984 No. 5 South Carolina 35, N.C. State 28
Oct. 12, 1996 No. 8 Alabama 24, N.C. State 19
Sept. 18, 2004 No. 9 Ohio State at N.C. State

 

[ajoytoy]

In the Thick of it with Gary Hahn
"The Voice of the Wolfpack" provides a scouting report on Ohio State.

Sept. 15, 2004

NC STATE (1-0) vs. No. 9/7 OHIO STATE (2-0)

DATE: Saturday, September 18, 2004

TIME: Kickoff: 3:30 p.m. (EDT) Wayne Day Field at Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh, NC (55,600)

RADIO: Wolfpack Radio Network: 2:30 p.m. (EDT)

TELEVISION: ABC (Regional)

OPPONENT---- Mike Nugent kicked an Ohio Stadium record 55-yard field goal as time expired to give turnover-plagued Ohio State a 24-21 victory over Marshall on Saturday. For the second week in a row, OSU (2-0) didn't force a turnover. Justin Zwick threw two interceptions and the Buckeyes also lost two fumbles. They now have seven turnovers in two games and have no takeaways.

With the game tied, Ohio State took over at its own 45 after a poor punt by Ian O'Connor with 25 seconds left. It was O'Connor's second critical mistake in the quarter. He missed a 35-yard field goal with the score tied at 21 and slightly more than three minutes left.

After the shanked punt, Justin Zwick threw to Santonio Holmes -- who had 10 catches for 218 yards and two touchdowns -- for gains of 9 and 8 yards. Zwick followed with a 5-yard pass to tight end Ryan Hamby, but the clock kept running because the Buckeyes exhausted their timeouts.

Zwick, who hit on 18 of 30 passes for 318 yards and three scores, was able to stop the clock by spiking the ball with 2 seconds left. However, a motion penalty called on the play made Nugent's game-winning kick even longer.

Marshall outrushed OSU 150 to 79, kept the ball for nearly 12 more minutes than the Buckeyes and held them to only 2 of 10 third-down conversions, but mistakes in the kicking game were costly. The Thundering Herd missed one field goal and passed up another in the final 16 minutes, with O'Connor failing to convert on a faked kick attempt.

The Buckeyes have won 13 of their last 14 games decided by a touchdown or less over the last two-plus seasons, including a 7-0 record while winning the national championship in 2002.

OSU has finished in the top five of both national polls in each of the last two years and could return there again in 2004 despite losing 26 seniors from last season's squad that finished 11-2.

Fourteen Ohio State players were taken in last year's NFL Draft --the most from one school since the draft went to seven-rounds. Defensive end, Will Smith, cornerback Chris Gamble and wide receiver, Michael Jenkins were first-round picks. Seven Buckeyes were drafted on the first day, which is another NFL record.

Like NC State, the Buckeyes have a new quarterback. Zwick (6-4, 225), an understudy to Craig Krenzel for the last two years, was one of the most highly recruited quarterbacks in OSU history. The redshirt sophomore has a strong arm and a very quick release, but has struggled with accuracy this season, throwing four interceptions.

Redshirt sophomore Troy Smith (6-1, 215), a good runner with a rifle arm, is Zwick's back up. Smith has played in both games and is 2 of 5 passing for 29 yards and one touchdown. He's run 6 times for 7 yards.

The Buckeyes "go-to" receiver is the speedy and elusive redshirt sophomore Holmes (5-11, 185). After catching 29 passes for 497 yards and 7 touchdowns over the final five and a half games of last season, Holmes was placed on the watch-list for the Biletnikoff Award. This season he has 14 receptions, 3 touchdowns and averages 22.5 yards per catch. OSU's other top receivers are redshirt sophomore, Roy Hall (4 catches, 1 TD) and redshirt senior Bam Childress (5 catches, 17.4 ypc.).

Seniors Lydell Ross (6-2, 225) and Maurice Hall (5-10, 205) shoulder most of the load at runningback. Although both were hurt for much of last year, Ross managed to finish '03 with 826 yards and 10 touchdowns. This season Ross has carried 41 times for 231 yards and 1 TD.

Clearing the way for that pair is an OSU offensive line that returns only two starters, but has plenty of size and talent with game experience. The anchor is junior center, Nick Mangold (6-4, 290) a candidate for the Rimington Award and Outland Trophy.

Defensively, only one starter among the front-four is back, but Simon Frazier (6-6, 280, Sr.) is a special player. The Hendricks Award candidate is very agile and tough to block. While the other three down linemen are new starters, they are all veterans with plenty of game experience. There is also plenty of depth.

The OSU linebackers are a star-studded cast led by junior A. J. Hawk (a unanimous All-Big Ten selection last year) who is a candidate for the Butkus and Lombardi Awards. Three years ago Hawk, Bobby Carpenter (6-3, 255, Jr.) and Mike D'Andrea (6-3, 248, Jr.) were ranked as the nation's top-rated group of linebackers coming out of high school. Among others providing depth is transfer Anthony Schlegel who started against Cincinnati and led Air Force in tackles in 2002. OSU went with four linebackers some of the time against the Bearcats in a 27-6 victory on September 4th.

The Buckeyes secondary took a hit when three-year starting cornerback Dustin Fox was injured early in the Marshall game and watched the second half from the sideline, his left arm in a sling. Fox, a Thorpe Award candidate, fractured the arm and will miss somewhere between four and six weeks. Sophomore Ashton Youbouty replaced Fox and finished with five tackles and one pass break-up. Junior E. J. Underwood (6-1, 175) is the other starter at cornerback. OSU coach, Jim Tressell says Underwood is the most talented corner he's ever coached.

Junior Nate Salley (6-3, 215), one of the Buckeyes brightest stars is back at free safety while first-year starter, Tyler Everette (5-11, 196, Jr.) has played in 28 career games.

B. J. Sander, the winner of last year's Ray Guy Award as the best punter in college football, is gone. His replacement, redshirt senior Kyle Turano, has been impressive (45.6 ypp.). Nugent, a Groza Award candidate and 2002 All-American, is one of the best place-kickers in the nation and has made 3 of 4 field goal attempts this season. Holmes is a dangerous punt and kick returner with game-breaking potential.

Ohio State will be making its first trip ever to the state of North Carolina and its initial venture into an ACC stadium. The Buckeyes have an all-time record of 8-6 against ACC teams. NC State has not beaten a top-10 team at home since No.2 Florida State in 1998 and has not hosted a top-10 non-conference team since No. 8 Alabama in 1996. The Pack's last win over a top-10 ranked non-conference team was over Penn State in 1974.

INJURIES--NC State: TB T.A. McLendon-Questionable, hamstring strain; SS Andre Maddox-Questionable, hamstring strain; OT Derek Morris-Questionable, ankle; C Kalani Heppe-Out, broken foot; DE James Martin-Out, knee surgery. Ohio State:

CB Dustin Fox-Out, broken arm; FB Brandon Joe-Questionable, ankle sprain; DE Mike Kudla-Doubtful, shoulder.