Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009

N.C. State looks for another strong November

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Tom O'Brien told his North Carolina State players two months ago after they beat Pittsburgh that they weren't a good football team.

The Wolfpack promptly spent a winless month proving him right.

But after following their 0-for-October by beating Maryland, they're starting to appreciate winning again - and it doesn't matter how good or bad they looked doing it.

"It was a breath of fresh air," offensive lineman Jeraill McCuller said Monday. "I think it kind of lifted guys' spirits and gave guys hope around here that there's still a bright future for this program and this season."

It also has given the Wolfpack (4-5, 1-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) the belief that they can turn their season around with another strong finish.

N.C. State improved to 7-2 under O'Brien in November with last week's 38-31 win over the Terrapins. Now the challenge is to duplicate the program's top accomplishment of 2008 - running the table during the final four weeks of the season to qualify for a bowl game.

"It got to the point where (defensive end Willie Young) and I were talking about one day (and) everything's already been said," McCuller said. "I speak my mind. Willie will say what he has to say. Coaches are always talking and trying to get guys on the same page. And then it just comes to the point where enough talking's been done. It's just time to put it all together."

That won't be easy this time, not with No. 24 Clemson coming to town this week.

The Wolfpack haven't beaten the Atlantic Division-leading Tigers since 2003, and with running back C.J. Spiller hitting his stride, coach Dabo Swinney's team has reeled off four straight wins to catapult into the national rankings. Spiller gained a career-best 312 all-purpose yards in last week's win over Florida State.

"They're high on the mountain right now. They're a little cocky, beating Miami and Florida State last week," defensive tackle Leroy Burgess said. "They're comfortable. I guess seeing our defense, they think they're just going to come in and do their thing and run all over us. Just to go out there and prove to our critics that we can play football and we can stop people, that's from our point of view."

The Wolfpack have a few reasons of their own to fly high. They're coming off their first victory since they knocked off the Panthers, a win that looks increasingly more impressive now that Pitt has vaulted to No. 8 in the polls.

And for the first time in weeks, O'Brien says there aren't any new serious injuries. N.C. State already has lost 12 players for the year due to various ailments.

"The trainer walked in Sunday and said for the first time, 'I don't have a season-ending injury to report,'" O'Brien said. "Maybe we're breaking the streak here."

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