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Q&A with Tom O'Brien

Submitted by kentysiac on 11/17/2008 - 20:07

Q&A excerpted from N.C. State football coach Tom O’Brien’s news conference Monday:

Q: You have a guy (quarterback Russell Wilson) that’s playing statistically at the top of the conference.

A: I think you have to give a lot of credit to Dana Bible and what he’s done. The whole thing about coaching quarterbacks is you want to maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses.

We changed the offensive scheme, we went to more spread stuff. In the spring we did it, number one, so our defense could practice against it because so many people do it.

Number two was the thought that if Russell ended up being the quarterback it suited his skills a lot better than the things we did with, say, a Matt Ryan.

We went back to some of the stuff we did with Paul Peterson at Boston College. And then you have to give Russell a lot of credit.

Q: What was your impression of Nate Irving when you first saw him?

A: He was a lost kid. He didn’t know what he was... I mean, he wasn’t ready to play when we first got here, our first experience with him. But he’s a guy that’s worked hard. I don’t know, I still don’t know what Nate is.

He’s still only started 10 games for us. He’s got a lot of good football ahead of him and certainly there’s a lot more than he can learn.

Q: Do the improved tackling fundamentals continue to show up on defense?

A: First time in history (for this team) that we didn’t have a safety miss a tackle was last week.

Q: Really?
A: Bellwether day. We set records. We were missing five a game, I think.

Q: Can you give us a thumbnail sketch of your opinion of (North) Carolina offensively?

A: It’s a pro-style offense. They’re multiple in what they do. A lot of shifts. A lot of motions. A lot of guys moving around. And they run power football up front. Run the power like we do. Run the gut play inside.

A lot of reverses. I think the last three games they’ve run 13, 14 reverses. They’re getting the ball to their skill players who can make plays with it.

And then they go deep. They’ve got those good wideouts that can go deep.

Comments

What's comical is ...

Tue, 11/18/2008 - 19:34 — mikbarrett

... that so many Carowhina fans spend so much of their time trying to say State's not a real rival, when that's obviously not the case. Among fans, at least, rivalries are about animosity and hatred. In football, the most popular sport in this country, few people in this state even give two craps when UNC and Duke take the field. But they still play each other during Rivalry Week? Give me a colossal break.

In my opinion

Tue, 11/18/2008 - 22:03 — UNCAlumnus

and garnered from my time as a student there.. UNC's biggest football rival is Virginia. Atleast during my time there you could see on the field that the players honestly did not like one another at all. Every opportunity was taken to lay an extra hard lick. That is the oldest rivalry in the south, and it has been competitive overall. It also seems to me that both Duke and NCSU view UNC as their biggest football game of the season, respectively. That, in turn, creates 3 games for UNC to "circle" on the schedule. All aside, I'm looking very forward to a festive atmosphere and wonderful game on Saturday. I'm sure fans' passions will come out. I hope in a civil, but adamant way. Go Heels!!

Whatever

Wed, 11/19/2008 - 11:45 — mikbarrett

And I'm so sure that Virginia feels the same way about UNC, and doesn't care more about beating Virginia Tech. Riiiiiiiiiiiight.

as Izzy pointed out

Tue, 11/18/2008 - 14:33 — gvillegatr

I am deeply concerned with how UNC will stop Andre Brown this saturday. this game is going to be a close IMO.

how easy is it to get airplane bottles in at Kenan. never tried to get alcohol in over there before?

That is super easy

Tue, 11/18/2008 - 16:26 — UNCAlumnus

My wife and I take flasks, but the fellows beside us bring a chache of those shot bottles. I'm not advocating that, but I see it. It's like a game to line up all the airplane bottles on the ledge in the mens room, I've also noticed.

Gville, we'll have to arrange to meet up and introduce ourselves.

Stats don't mean much....

Tue, 11/18/2008 - 10:36 — JPDOhio

in a rivalry game. But they also can be misleading when a team is improving and/or getting healthy. This NC State team is not the same team that didn't have Wilson and Irving playing at the same time earlier this year.

That said, UNC is a good team in spite of its slip up last weekend. Their passing attack worries me most. If the Pack doesn't pressure the QB, regardless of who it is, they will be in trouble.

stats..

Tue, 11/18/2008 - 09:40 — TarHeelFan05

stats usually dont mean much, but here's a few ive came upon..
NC State is 12th in the ACC in Scoring Defense(27.5 ppg) while UNC is 2nd in the ACC in Scoring Offense (29.2 ppg)

NC State's scoring is ranked 10th in the ACC with 20.3 ppg.
while Carolina has the 4th ranked Defense in the ACC with 18.3 ppg

so statistically UNC should pound on NC State this weekend and show they are the better team. But as we know, in rivalry games stats can come to mean nothing. Should be a good game this saturday.

good points no doubt...

Tue, 11/18/2008 - 12:00 — izzykareem

and I don't mind expansion, but what stinks is that the teams don't play each other at least once, so there can be some apples to oranges comparisons

like you guys don't play Clempson, FSU or WF this year and we did. However the teams we've played head-to-head so far, it seems like you guys have beaten them.

So of course this is 1) a rivalry and 2) its abotu matchups.

UNCCH is gonna have the same problems last year with NCSU's ability to run the ball, just like you couldn't stop UMd really, Da'rel Scott and Andre Brown are the same style and type of runner and Eugene had 159yds against essentially the same front 7 last year.

i expect...

Mon, 11/17/2008 - 22:58 — izzykareem

that UNCCH will test our secondary, but remember the first play from scrimmage last year - yates was intercepted by Morgan. We've got another Morgan back there this year too.

Should be a fun game, alot more pressure on UNCCH than on NCSU.

What pressure does UNC have?

Tue, 11/18/2008 - 13:17 — UNCAlumnus

They've essentially lost out on the ACC Championship. Sure there still playing for a bowl game, but I would think having the opportunity to beat NC St. on Sat. is more important in the short term. Just as NCSU is trying to improve and set the tone for next year, UNC is trying to do the same. I look at this game as an opportunity for both teams.

not yet...

Tue, 11/18/2008 - 14:55 — izzykareem

they have as good a chance to get to the ACC Championship game as we have to get an African American president...oh wait...can't use that anymore. lol

so yes, they have a shot still.

as for beating NCSU, i heard this wasn't a rivalry game??? Cooter Arnold's interview on WRAL said it best - the hypocrisy that is - he said: "Beating us is like their superbowl"....then he says later about not being recruited by State: "i'm gonna do everything in my power to help defeat NCstate." hahaha.... See cooter, u can't hid the hatred, and we don't want you to. So much for the rest of Tarhole nation.

If UNC get favorable coverage..

Mon, 11/17/2008 - 22:28 — UNCAlumnus

I expect the deep ball often this Sat.

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