Five Good Minutes: N.C. State Football Preview With Backing The Pack

To preview this weekend's game between Boston College and N.C. State, we welcome back Akula Wolf from the excellent Wolfpack blog Backing The Pack. In exchange, we answered some questions on the Eagles over at BTP.

Also, be sure to read our Q&A with Backing The Pack from over the summer.

 

BC Interruption: Last we checked in, we lead with a question about Russell Wilson's departure and the emergence of Mike Glennon. Knowing what you now know, what do Pack fans think of TOB's decision? How has Glennon performed this year filling in for RW?

Backing The Pack: There's still a strangeness to it, and there will be as long as it's football season and Russell Wilson is in some other place playing football in some other uniform. I still don't care for the decision. But I also think Mike Glennon has played well under the circumstances. He doesn't have the receivers that Wilson had last year, and he's had to deal with this Russell Wilson business for months.

In the back of my mind I was always considering the worst possible scenario -- Wilson leaves and we end up with a quarterback who plays like the guys we had following Philip Rivers. Glennon has been much better than that, though, and he hasn't had much run support to speak of. The tools are all there, and the decision-making has been fine for the most part.

 

BCI: N.C. State is coming off a 13-0 shutout victory over in-state rival North Carolina. Was the Wolfpack D that dominant or the Heels offense that miserable? A little of A, a little of B?

BTP: It's definitely a little of both, though NC State's defensive effort was outsanding. Far fewer missed tackles than the week prior against Florida State. The other thing, though, was getting Bryn Renner off his game early and then out of the game with an injury.

 

BCI: If TOB coached as well in rivalry games as he did in, well, every other game, he'd be another Nick Saban. How does TOB continue to knock off North Carolina?

BTP: I don't know. We've outplayed them three out of the five years, and the other two times we were the beneficiaries of some incredibly good fortune. The good fortune part is always a requirement for this sort of run. It shocks me every year that it continues. It's also amusing that TOB has had such success against the Coastal Division (he's won road games at every Coastal school except Virginia Tech) and has never beaten a team in his own division on the road.

 

BCI: How secure is TOB's job at N.C. State? Will he be back next season? Which former BC coach gets canned first? Spaz or TOB?

BTP: He's averted total disaster, so I'd say he's in solid shape for 2012, but I also think there's a faction that has lost the faith for good. There's a mix of recruiting and his W-L record in those sentiments.

Beating Carolina always helps, and he did himself some good by firing back at Everett Withers during last week's short-lived feud. If I had to guess, I'd say he'll be back. I don't know if that's good news for the future of this program.

 

BCI: Last one. Prediction time. Who ya got? What's the final score?

BTP: I have no idea what's going to happen. No feel for this game whatsoever. So, let's say, oh... NC State 27, Boston College 21. We gotta stay on track for that big Independence Bowl bid.

 

For more on the N.C. State Wolfpack, be sure to check out Backing The Pack.