How good will NC State be?

#26
#26
NC State is better than many give them credit for, but they always start slow and finish strong. Our guys need to play with a chip on their shoulder and make this game a statement as to how the season is going to go.

With NC State having to replace the D line and LB's we should be able to get a running game going. That will open up our passing game and we will simply outscore them.
 
#27
#27
fade route said:
22 pt win? Really? O-line and run games are completely unproven, C-Pat is also an unknown, we really don't know if Bray is vastly improved in his decision making, and our kicking is so bad we'd be better off going for 2 all year. I'd say somewhere in the 30-27 range. It could go either way.
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CDD and CJC have both said he has greatly improved on this. I'll take their word for it. Also notice, I have us scoring 6 TD and zero FG. I agree our kicking game is horrible. If Palardy keeps kicking like he did in the spring game, that job will go to Brodus or even Bullock if he shows out. Everyone has their opinion on this game but I just dont see them holding us to 30 points.
 
#28
#28
orangeblood79 said:
If Bray has proven anything, its that you can't look at his scrimmage and practice highlights (or lowlights) and apply it to a real game.

In games, Bray's decision making, while not perfect, has typically been very good.
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I'm not going by his scrimmage stats.....I'm evaluating him based on his performance in important games over his career. NC State is a really important game, and if its close going into the 4th Qtr, history would suggest he has a tendency to force throws to try to make the big play and gets picked. Just hope he's improved in that area.
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#29
#29
orangeblood79 said:
If Bray has proven anything, its that you can't look at his scrimmage and practice highlights (or lowlights) and apply it to a real game.

In games, Bray's decision making, while not perfect, has typically been very good.
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The O&W game did show Bray willing to throw balls away instead of forcing into coverage.
 
#30
#30
fade route said:
I'm not going by his scrimmage stats.....I'm evaluating him based on his performance in important games over his career. NC State is a really important game, and if its close going into the 4th Qtr, history would suggest he has a tendency to force throws to try to make the big play and gets picked. Just hope he's improved in that area.
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The only two games I can remember this happening were the Florida game and Kentucky game last year. In both of those games, we were losing with time running out. IMO, in times like those, QBs sometimes have to try some throws that might have been considered too risky at the beginning of the game. It's do-or-die time at that point.

Hopefully, all of this will be negated by having both JH and DR on the field for every game this season. NO WAY we're behind in ANY games this season if that holds up :) GBO!!!!!
 
#31
#31
VolMaster14 said:
With a healthy Rogers, Hunter and Bray in the game this offense is on another level. Add Patterson to that, Rivera, Cam and Downs are all SEC caliber TE's and a better run game, this offense is gonna be hard to stop. I see us putting up a lot of points in this game. I also see our D being much better and dont believe NCST can keep up. My early prediction is 42-20.
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Ok, I think you're just unfamiliar with NC State. They are better than you think - especially on offense.
 
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#32
#32
VolMaster14 said:
I've said before and still believe if we are healthy, this will be like the Cincy game. We have better overall talent our run game will be much better imo and this team will be out to prove something. With Rogers, Hunter and Patterson, I just dont see NCST defense being able to stop us and I dont think their offense is good enough to keep up. We are deeper than we've been in years and will finally be able to rotate guys in and out and I think we will wear them down. This is all my opinion and could be wrong but I dont believe I am. Just like the ones that believe it will be close, its your opinion and you may be right or you may be wrong. No matter whos right or wrong, I am ready for this damn game to get here!! V,B
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I'm an NCSU alum (and UT alum) - and follow NCSU not as much as the Vols, but likely more than anyone in this thread so far.

I 100% agree with Volmaster that a healthy and focused Vol squad should blow out NCSU and it should be very similar to the Cincy game last year both in terms of how we win and level of dominance.

At most (if not all) positions, Tennessee will have a noticeable talent advantage.
 
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#33
#33
golfballs said:
Ok, I think you're just unfamiliar with NC State. They are better than you think - especially on offense.
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I dont follow them closely but I did watch them some last season and I wasnt impressed. Thay had a very weak schedule compared to us last season and iirc, 2 weeks after we drilled Cincy, Cincy drilled NCST. Just like people keep saying I'm not giving them enough credit, I think some are giving them to much credit.
 
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#34
#34
golfballs said:
Ok, I think you're just unfamiliar with NC State. They are better than you think - especially on offense.
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The only way I see NCSU putting up a fight is if their secondary picks Bray a couple times (lots of INTs last year in secondary and all are returning) and they are able to pound the ball and keep it away from Bray.

Glennon has lost his top 3 or 4 targets from last year and will not be going pass-happy on us in game one with a new wideout group.
 
#35
#35
VolMaster14 said:
I dont follow them closely but I did watch them some last season and I wasnt impressed. Thay had a very weak schedule compared to us last season and iirc, 2 weeks after we drilled Cincy, Cincy drilled NCST. Just like people keep saying I'm not giving them enough credit, I think some are giving them to much credit.
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VolMaster clearly knows what he's talking about, Golfballs is either trolling or confused by the red and mistaking NCSU for Bama.
 
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#36
#36
Stevorino said:
VolMaster clearly knows what he's talking about, Golfballs is either trolling or confused by the red and mistaking NCSU for Bama.
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Maybe Golfballs follows NCST or even the ACC a lot more than I do and he see's something I dont but with my eyes, I just dont see it. I may sound harsh but imo, NCST would be Kentucky if they were in the SEC.
 
#37
#37
Stevorino said:
VolMaster clearly knows what he's talking about, Golfballs is either trolling or confused by the red and mistaking NCSU for Bama.
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Volmaster is a solid poster, but like many homers, he's been swept up by the orange creamsicle springtime euphoria that's typical this time of year, where he over-values our own talent while dismissing and underestimating our opponent's.
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#38
#38
golfballs said:
Ok, I think you're just unfamiliar with NC State. They are better than you think - especially on offense.
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I would say I'm fairly unfamiliar with NC State, but I don't see anything special about their offense, or defense for that matter. They were 54th in passing last season, and lost their top WRs. They were 109th in rushing last season. Their schedule was very weak compared to any SEC schedule. They were whipped by Cincy after UT whipped them.

Could you be a little more specific about certain things we're missing? Just wondering if there are some unknown things from last season that aren't showing up in the stat book?
 
#39
#39
Also as most have stated, our biggest worries is the run game, OL and our D. Dont think for one second that Graham, Sal and Pittman arent going to make a big difference in those areas.
 
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#40
#40
Stevorino said:
VolMaster clearly knows what he's talking about, Golfballs is either trolling or confused by the red and mistaking NCSU for Bama.
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I went to both UT and State's games vs. Cincy. I actually went just as many NCSU games as I did UT games.

Anyway, I'm very familiar with both teams. UT will be better than State, but not by 21 points!! LOL
 
#41
#41
I dunno, NCSTATE just doesn't overly scare me... Maybe they should, but they do not at this point.
 
#42
#42
fade route said:
Volmaster is a solid poster, but like many homers, he's been swept up by the orange creamsicle springtime euphoria that's typical this time of year, where he over-values our own talent while dismissing and underestimating our opponent's.
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Actually I've been sayin this before the spring game or even spring practice. I was all for the coaching changes, I loved our recruiting class and knowing Bray and Hunter will be healthy. From last seasons injuries anyway and hopefully no new ones(fingers crossed). We have studs at every position, we are deeper at every position than we've been in years and we are more experienced. Also from hearing players, reading tweets and so forth, they want to win BAD and they are going to make a statement in this first game. I just look at our current roster, everyone is a year older and has another year of SEC football under their belt and I believe it will show.
 
#43
#43
golfballs said:
I went to both UT and State's games vs. Cincy. I actually went just as many NCSU games as I did UT games.

Anyway, I'm very familiar with both teams. UT will be better than State, but not by 21 points!! LOL
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I said 22 points better :)
 
#44
#44
The most interesting matchup should definitely be our WRs vs. their secondary. Golfballs, do you know if any of their picks last year were gimmes? Or are they really that good?
 
#45
#45
golfballs said:
I went to both UT and State's games vs. Cincy. I actually went just as many NCSU games as I did UT games.

Anyway, I'm very familiar with both teams. UT will be better than State, but not by 21 points!! LOL
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Serious question, not being a smart azz. When you went to the NCSU game vs Cincy, did you think Cincy would be 30 points better then NCSU?
 
#47
#47
I'm not saying NC State is better than us. We definitely should be better. But it's not as wide of a margin as people on here think.

Their biggest loss on offense was George Bryan. He was a great target for Glennon. But he didn't have as good of a year as many thought he would, and Mario Carter should be an OK replacement. Their runningback tandem of Creecy and Washington will be decent. Tobias Palmer is good as well. The key for their offense will be on their offensive line.

As a DL we will have a lot to prove. So that matchup isn't totally clear.

Their secondary is pretty good. But, as with any team we play, should struggle to matchup man-to-man with our WRs. Linebackers for them is a disaster. But their DL is probably the most underrated part of their team.

I just think there are too many question marks on both sides to say we are a 3 TD favorite. Heck, the last time the two teams played, UT lost to UK and State won a bowl game. I just think 3 TDs is a bit much. If I were handicapping this game, I'd say 10pts would be the most I'd give.
 
#48
#48
fade route said:
I'm not going by his scrimmage stats.....I'm evaluating him based on his performance in important games over his career. NC State is a really important game, and if its close going into the 4th Qtr, history would suggest he has a tendency to force throws to try to make the big play and gets picked. Just hope he's improved in that area.
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In his career he's thrown 35 TD's and 16 INT's....

Before he broke his thumb last year, he'd only thrown 2 INTs and they were both against Florida--a game in which he threw for nearly 300 yards a 3 TDs, even after losing the most prolific WR on the field.

After he came back from injury, he threw 2 each against UK and VU....which I guarantee you had more to do with his thumb than his decision making. Also, IIRC, he had the Flu all week leading up to the UK game.

The MCB was arguably his worst "important" game, but lets not discount the work he did just before he threw the last pick. If not for him, Denarious Moore, and Gerald Jones, we're not in that game, period.

While Bray might not be elite with his decision-making and has a lot of room for improvement, the only teams he's under-performed against is Vandy and Kentucky (go figure).
 
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#49
#49
orangeblood79 said:
In his career he's thrown 35 TD's and 16 INT's....

Before he broke his thumb last year, he'd only thrown 2 INTs and they were both against Florida--a game in which he threw for nearly 300 yards a 3 TDs, even after losing the most prolific WR on the field.

After he came back from injury, he threw 2 each against UK and VU....which I guarantee you had more to do with his thumb than his decision making. Also, IIRC, he had the Flu all week leading up to the UK game.

The MCB was arguably his worst "important" game, but lets not discount the work he did just before he threw the last pick. If not for him, Denarious Moore, and Gerald Jones, we're not in that game, period.

While Bray might not be elite with his decision-making and has a lot of room for improvement, the only teams he's under-performed against is Vandy and Kentucky (go figure).
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:clap:
 
#50
#50
NC State has a good team and they are similar to us. But in the end we will be victorious!!! Go GBO!!!
 
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