N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien saw positives and negatives in the Wolfpack’s first scrimmage of the spring Saturday – which is about what he expected.

O’Brien enjoyed watching quarterback Mike Glennon throw against the first-team secondary. In 75 plays, the offense scored two touchdowns, both on passes. The defense, which had 27 interceptions last season, picked off two passes in the scrimmage.

O’Brien said Glennon and the secondary are improving.

“(The secondary) is operating at a high level, which is good for them and our quarterback,” O’Brien said. “It’s all about making each other better.”

N.C. State begins spring football practice Friday afternoon with Wolfpack fans concerned more about the basketball doings in St. Louis than football in West Raleigh.

But it's an important time for any football team and again will be for the Pack, 8-5 last season and a bowl winner in Tom O'Brien's fifth year as coach.

"The emphasis, as always, is to be better individually," O'Brien said today. "As individuals improve, the team improves. Certainly as the spring goes along there are certain things we need to look at, offensively, defensively, schematically, to make us better. There are some younger players we need to look at in situational things."

N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien, in sizing up his 23 signees, believes the Pack put together a "long, tall, very athletic class."

Take the four defensive ends signed by the Pack All are at least 6 feet 4, weigh at least 220 pounds. All can run, O'Brien said, and fit the progression the Pack has made the last couple of years in getting taller, longer.

"When you look at the kids who are pass rushers now on the outside that we signed, that's a whole different breed than we brought in before," O'Brien said.

Russell Wilson has Wisconsin unbeaten and ranked in the top 5 nationally and has emerged as a Heisman Trophy candidate but N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien isn't sure his former quarterback could have made a significant difference in the Wolfpack's record through six games this season.

N.C. State's 3-3 with a litany of injuries and problems on defense heading into Saturday's game at Virginia.

"Probably not because it hasn't been a lack of offense," O'Brien said today. "There isn't anything throw-wise or leadership-wise offensively that would be any different at this point in the season."

N.C. State's road trip to Cincinnati is a chance for the Wolfpack to play in the national spotlight and also for coach Tom O'Brien, and several of his players and assistants, to go home.

O'Brien grew up in Cincinnati and played high school football at St. Xavier. Offensive coordinator Dana Bible followed O'Brien at St. Xavier and played cornerback for the Bearcats in the mid-1970s and coached at UC and in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals.

N.C. State won't attempt to reinvent the wheel for South Alabama on Saturday.

The Wolfpack defense, which after two games ranks 112th nationally against the pass, won't make any personnel or structural changes, coach Tom O'Brien said Wednesday.

College football season means college football obsession. And beginning next week, NC State fans can relive the season's football games with the "Wolfpack Football Look Back" TV show.

"Wolfpack Football Look Back" has host Mark Thomas going through every play from the previous weekend's game, with Gary Hahn's play-by-play call from the Wolfpack Sports Network accompanying the replay.

The season debuts Wednesday, September 7, with a look back at Saturday's game against Liberty. It airs at 8 p.m. exclusively on Time Warner Cable channel 24, and is also available on Carolina On Demand (channel 199 and 1047).

Coach Tom O'Brien's TV show is also available On Demand.

"Wolfpack Football Look Back" can also be viewed on GoPack.com each week under the All-Access subscription plan.

There's a similar show called "Tar Heel Rewind" but I was unable to find any information about when and where that airs. If anyone knows and wants to help out their fellow Tar Heels, add that info in the comment section. 

Staff photo by Ethan Hyman

N.C. State sophomore Rashard Smith has a new position.

Given the Wolfpack’s surplus of defensive backs and shallow receiving corps, coach Tom O’Brien called it a “logical” decision to give Smith, one of the team’s best athletes, a chance to get on the field as a wide receiver.

If good fortune doesn't come Tom O’Brien’s way this football season, he can’t blame the Raleigh Sports Club.

To initiate the organization’s 2011-12 schedule of guest speakers today at Highland United Methodist Church, the N.C. State football coach immediately was presented with a jumbo box of Lucky Charms cereal and a toy leprechaun.

Father O’Malley himself couldn’t have asked for a warmer Irish welcome.

It only took two practices in the August heat for N.C. State coach Tom O'Brien to renew his campaign for an indoor practice facility.

"We were lucky today with the cloud cover," O'Brien said. "If we had an air-conditioned indoor facility, we could go in there and practice and we wouldn't have that problem."