Guest Blogger: YANCSSB

With the season at a potential turning point for BC, we should probably welcome the arrival of the stumbling NC State Wolfpack. Of course the 'Pack aren't just any team on BC's schedule. Led by TOB, NC State offers a unique challenge in that they have a good feel for much of BC roster and certainly understand Spaz and what he will try to do. To get a feel for NC State and TOB's current status in Raleigh, I've asked James from "Yet Another NC State Sports Blog" a few questions. His answers are below.

1. The NC State defense couldn't stop Duke Saturday. Last year BC picked apart NC State with the passing game too. You have experience on the defensive. What is the cause of the problem? How do you think TOB and Archer will adjust for BC?

YANCSSB: I can tell you how I'd like to solve the defensive issues, but it involves a pink slip of paper with "Mr. Archer" written at the top. Given that won't happen, I'm not sure what State can do to solve the problem. Wake, and Duke even moreso, has provided the perfect blueprint for attacking State's defense: an empty backfield, five wide outs and quick five-yard outs. Doing so negates State's pass rush -- it's true strength defensively -- and takes the safeties out of the equation. That leaves the corners (who typically line up 10 yards off the ball) and the linebackers to stop five receiving threats. It's almost criminally easy to get five yards a pop each and every down, and when your defenders can't wrap up, a five yard out can turn into a 20-yard gain pretty quickly.

As I wrote on the blog Tuesday, State's issue seems to be constantly having to put out one fire after another. They'll correct one issue and another will crop up in its place. Until that trend ends, State won't make much headway towards their team goals.

2. Russell Wilson has thrown INTs the past two weeks. It also seems he is facing more pressure. Are his mistakes due to the offensive line or do you see other issues at play?

YANCSSB: I think he's trying to do too much, honestly. Or rather, he's being forced to out score the opponents. His interception that broke the streak was just a poor decision on his part, throwing a deep ball off-balance to a man in double coverage. The throw was way off and Owen Spencer had no chance to make a play on the ball. The second of the Wake game was a desperation heave with the team trying to mount a comeback on the road. Same thing for his pick in the Duke game. I think he's gotten pretty solid protection for the most part of late. His biggest problem seems to be his receivers aren't giving him any help after the initial route. They tend to stand around waiting for Russell to make a play with his feet, but Russell's been coached all year long to go through his progressions and stay in the pocket. So you've got Wilson back there dancing around, reluctant to scramble if he doesn't have to, and a group of receivers just standing around instead of fighting to get free in the coverage.

3. You are now 2.5 years into TOB's tenure. What is your assessment at this point? Where do you see the program heading?


YANCSSB: Somehow I knew this question was coming...hehehe. I think Tom misses Frank Spaziani, to be honest with you. Offensively, the team looks fine. It's rare that you'll find a team that scores 34 points a game struggling to keep their head above .500, but when you surrender 31, 30 and 49 points in your last three games, it makes it tough. I think Mike Archer was the wrong hire for the job of defensive coordinator. The soft zone defense that's meant to yield yardage but cut down on big plays and generate turnovers is failing on its two main objectives. We're giving up big plays in the passing game still and have a negative turnover margin thus far with only four picks through six games. I'm not sure where Tom's defenses ranked back when he was at BC, but surely they were better than this, I would hope.

Overall, I think most State fans would've expected to be further along than we are. What really stings (no pun intended) is that Paul Johnson wanted the State job initially, and after the interview was turned down by our bumbling AD Lee Fowler. Flash forward and we see where GT is, as one of the three teams from the ACC ranked, and where State is, having just lost to Wake and Duke, and folks that were lobbying for PJ are vocally upset on the boards.

Me personally, I still think Tom can continue to elevate State's program. We had fallen very far and very hard following the taste of greatness and publicity we received when Philip Rivers was getting legit Heisman consideration. The offensive line recruiting had wasted away to nothing and our overall depth was very thin. Losing Nate Irving I think has had some very profound consequences defensively as it seems most of the defense took their cues from him. He had great instincts and actually made the zone defense work by disrupting the middle, and the rest of the folks stepped up around him to match his intensity. Without him there making plays, everyone seems content to let the play come to them instead of attacking, a recipe for disaster.

So long as the recruiting stays up and we continue to build quality depth at all positions, I'm willing to stand behind coach O'Brien. However, if the defensive play doesn't improve from here on out, I would hope O'Brien -- who's referred to this as a "performance-based organization" -- would cut Archer loose and look to bring in a defensive coordinator that can re-energize that group.

4. What is your prediction for Saturday?


YANCSSB: Wow, I don't know. I'd like to say a State win, but O'Brien hasn't beaten BC since leaving in 2006 and with the way our defense has played thus far, it wouldn't shock me to see State lose. On the other hand, I'm curious to see how BC responds from the VT beatdown and if either of your quarterbacks steps up to secure the position for good. I predict a sloppy affair with lots of points, and since I'm on the State side of the ledger, I'll say State wins a "shootout," 34-31.