Running with the Pack

By Matthew Osborne
SouthernPigskin.com

Follow us at Twitter.com/SouthernPigskin.  Become a fan at the SouthernPigskin.com Facebook Page

While the season was filled with its share of ups and downs, perhaps the one constant for the Wolfpack last season was a sub-par rushing game.

2011 was a very topsy-turvy season for Coach Tom O’Brien’s North Carolina State team. The Wolfpack started the season with tough losses to Wake Forest, Cincinnati and Georgia Tech, while earning less than impressive victories against FCS teams Liberty and South Alabama.

Led by junior QB Mike Glennon and a talented aerial assault, NC State would eventually bounce back to win six of their final eight contests, including victories over No. 7 Clemson in the regular season and Louisville in the Belk Bowl.

While the season was filled with its share of ups and downs, perhaps the one constant for the Wolfpack last season was a sub-par rushing game.

NC State finished last season ranked 109th in the FBS in rushing offense (104.9 yards per game) and averaged a dismal 3.04 yards per carry on the year.

Although last season’s rushing numbers left plenty to be desired, the Wolfpack have reason to believe that significant progress will be made on the ground in 2012, as NC State is set to return four starters on the offensive line, as well as three running backs with significant game experience.

Improvement in the ground game for the Wolfpack will undoubtedly begin with better production out of Jim Bridge’s offensive line.

The good news for Coach Bridge is that his unit will have plenty of experience, as NC State’s projected starting offensive line has a total of 98 career starts heading into this season.

The anchor of the unit will unquestionably be senior center Camden Wentz, who has started every game over the past two seasons. A Georgia native, Wentz has allowed only two sacks during his collegiate career.

Flanking Wentz at the guard positions will likely be senior Zach Allen and junior Duran Christophe, both of whom are also returning starters. Allen played more offensive snaps than any other Wolfpack player last season. The duo has not been dominant up to this point in their respective careers, but progress should be expected from veteran players with their amount of game experience.

Senior Andrew Wallace will also compete for a starting position at one of the guard spots. Wallace missed most of the 2011 season recovering from ACL surgery, but started 12 games at guard in 2010. Even if he fails to win back his starting position, he will provide the Wolfpack with quality depth on the interior of their line.

The most experienced player on NC State’s offensive line will be senior R.J. Mattes, who will be responsible for protecting Glennon’s blindside at left tackle. Although he has been hampered by injuries for parts of his career, Mattes has been an excellent player when participating at full strength. As a sophomore in 2010, Mattes posted the highest grade amongst offensive linemen in eight of the 11 games in which he played. He will be looking to solidify himself as an NFL draft pick with his performance this season.

The lone newcomer in the trenches will be Raleigh product Rob Crisp. A former five-star recruit, Crisp has played more than 500 snaps in his first two seasons with the Wolfpack, although he has just three career starts. A tremendous athlete at 6-7, 312 pounds, Crisp now has a better understanding of the playbook, and is poised to have a big junior campaign in front of his hometown fans.

Although finishing 109th in rushing offense would seem to indicate that the 2011 season was a total failure on the ground, NC State actually did have a positive come out of last year’s tough ground campaign. Though the numbers were less than stellar, the Wolfpack were able to experiment at running back, and believe that they have found three quality ball carriers that will be productive this fall.

The leading returning rusher is senior James Washington, who ran for 897 yards in 2011. Washington does not possess overwhelming power or breakaway speed, but he runs with tremendous balance and has exceptional patience and vision. He is not likely to break many long runs, but Washington excels at taking the yards that the defensive gives to him.

Redshirt sophomore Tony Creecy is the most versatile of NC State’s trio of backs. Recruited as a wide receiver by most college programs, Creecy has outstanding hands coming out of the backfield and has the ability to break a long run at any given time. He has really trimmed down his physique over the past couple of seasons, and that lost weight has added a dynamic speed dimension to his game.

The final running back in the rotation will be Mustafa Green, who missed all of last season with a foot injury. NC State’s leading rusher as a true freshman in 2010, Green is the most powerful of NC State’s backs. Green ran very well behind his pads as a true freshman, but is expected to run with even more torque this fall, as he spent a lot of time in the weight room while recovering from his injury.

With Glennon running the show, the fact of the matter is that the Wolfpack do not have to be a dominant running team in order to win football games.

NC State is breaking in many new and unproven wide receivers, however, and a more balanced attack will be essential in maximizing their offensive efficiency.

There is no telling just how good this NC State ground game will be in 2012, but it is a safe bet that it will be significantly better than it was a short year ago.