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O'Brien touches nerve at USF
N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien apparently touched a nerve at South Florida with comments he made last week about the Bulls’ defense.
After practice on Sept. 18, O’Brien was asked if any N.C. State staffers had visited South Florida during their offseason quest to study ways to stop the spread offense.
South Florida’s staff had caught the attention of some defensive assistants nationally after the Bulls’ success in 2006 and 2007 against West Virginia’s spread option attack under Rich Rodriguez, who's now coaching at Michigan.
O’Brien mentioned South Florida’s blowout loss to Oregon (56-21) in last year’s Sun Bowl. He said Oregon ran the spread, so if South Florida’s coaches were the gurus, N.C. State was better off looking elsewhere for advice.
The St. Petersburg Times published South Florida defensive coordinator Wally Burnham’s reply Wednesday.
"He's right. We're not gurus," Burnham said. "On the other hand, we try to handle things professionally and not say anything … with class, not say anything about anyone else's coaching staff. He can say what he wants to. The other thing, I forget what bowl game they were in. That's all I've got to say."
During O’Brien’s weekly news conference earlier this week, he was more careful to praise the Bulls’ offense and defense. He called South Florida's Matt Grothe the most versatile quarterback in the country.
“He’s done it all,” O’Brien said. “The defense is even better."
Quarterback Russell Wilson’s shoulder injury may prevent South Florida from showing how it defends the spread option. Harrison Beck, who’s scheduled to start Saturday, is more of a pocket passer than Wilson.
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Ken Tysiac
Ken Tysiac has covered the ACC for The Charlotte Observer since 2003, and spent the previous eight years covering Clemson for the Anderson Independent-Mail and then The State in South Carolina. He grew up in Rochester, N.Y., and is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame.
Comments
USF 41-10. that about sums
Sun, 09/28/2008 - 22:40 — Anonymous (not verified)USF 41-10. that about sums it up
Time to zip it up at N.C.
Thu, 09/25/2008 - 12:49 — Anonymous (not verified)Time to zip it up at N.C. State.
"The other thing, I forget
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 15:59 — Anonymous (not verified)"The other thing, I forget what bowl game they were in. That's all I've got to say."
Great come back Potsie.
it was very much joking...
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 14:41 — izzykareemand of course they show it to the USF coach out of context, tone of voice being very much context, and he show's how classy he is.
TOB is all class, 23:56x7x365.25
Bowl Game?
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 14:39 — Anonymous (not verified)The last bowl game NC State was in, ironically was in Charlotte against South Florida. The pack won that day 14-0 and is was the NC State defense that shut out the bulls. Chuck could have cared less about the spread offense that day and it showed.
typical
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 13:28 — gvillegatrNCSU fans passing the buck. Is it ever the fault of someone at NCSU??? not in your eyes. TOB is intelligent enough not to answer the quesiton the way he did ... or is he??
Now we know why Wilson played the entire game against the Pirates and now is not playing against le Bulls. b/c Snoop Dogg would be seranating (msp?) his song "murder was the case that they gave me" to USF. (<------didint know I had that one in me!!)
to think we sold our tickets too! damn!! i'll have to settle on the Harvest Moon at the casa in HD.
Shooting the messenger?
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 13:03 — Dan (not verified)Who shot the messenger? I don't see it. As for the idiotic reporter asking such a boneheaded question, that would be called "euthanasia", not "shooting the messenger."
Classy
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 12:34 — Anonymous (not verified)"...The other thing, I forget what bowl game they were in. That's all I've got to say."
Real classy come-back Burnham
Talk about shooting the messenger...
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 12:09 — Anonymous (not verified)Not sure why the venom against the N&O here... as this is a blog I would think that this is just interesting information related to a specific topic, rather than cold, hard reporting.
TOB, as much as I like and admire him, uncharacteristically misspoke. It does not really matter if the question is stupid or based on a false assumption. If that was the case he should not have answered. Never give the opposition bulletin board material, unless you are so good it does not matter. We learned this the hard way under Chucky the Chest.
We should have asked, I'm
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 12:06 — Anonymous (not verified)We should have asked, I'm sure they would have freely advised our staff that the key to stopping the spread is to play a deep zone defense and put a bunch of big slow guys on the D-Line to make sure we stuff the off-tackle stuff.
The real story
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 11:48 — Dan (not verified)I think the real story here is America's educational system. Apparently some reporter thinks that a football coaching staff is going to approach a future opponent and that opponent is willing going to provide information as to how to play better defense while also divulging how to offensively scheme against said opponent. Are there no school curriculums that provide a basis for logical thinking? What has happened to common sense or even professionalism in the ranks of news reporters...albeit sports reporters?
Ken - I'm sure it is public information who asked the question. Inquiring minds would like to know. Perhaps they have a learning disability or recently had a lobotomy? Poorly worded response on O'Brien's part but he had more restraint for the question than I would have.
Great question
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 11:35 — Alex (not verified)Kudos to the genius that asked if our coaching staff visited a future opponent to discuss defense. The question was so absurd TOB responded in a manner that came off to anybody as a knock on South Florida.
Ken - who asked the question and can we get a follow up as to what in the heck they were thinking?
I wonder if AMD calls Intel and asks them how to make a better semiconductor.
I'm sure South Florida coaches would have been anxious to help with reliable information. "Sure, let us help you stop our excellent run/pass QB. As an added benefit, this will help you scheme against us offensively. No worries, our school pays us to give the opponents an advantage."
smart move, TOB
Wed, 09/24/2008 - 11:02 — fredwombleFor recreational purposes only, of course, I guess you can give the points this week. Something tells me the Bulls aren't going to show any mercy on the depleted Wolfpack. What a dumb thing to say, given how weak this year's Pack team is (ECU result notwithstanding).
USF 41...NCSTATE 10...yea,
Sun, 09/28/2008 - 22:42 — Anonymous (not verified)USF 41...NCSTATE 10...yea, id say thats the end of this thread