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Last week I was unable to get a football preview up, so we’re going for a two-fer this week. Make sure you catch our other football previews so you know what to look for this year when we kick-off on August 31st!
Previews:
Tennessee (neutral location)
@UConn
South Alabama
If there is one team that will be a bigger push-over than South Alabama this year, it is Citadel. Winning only 4 games last season, only 2 in the Southern Conference, finishing second-to-last in SoCon play, and getting outscored in the first half by a total of 166-122 on the season, this is not a solid ball club. The only team in the SoCon that Citadel managed to out-perform was Western Carolina, another team we have been known to schedule.
It’s not that having a powder-puff on the schedule is such a bad thing, especially when you look at the schedules of other ACC schools. It just seems like even with your FCS teams, you would try to schedule someone you can at least pretend is a real competitor (kind of like we did to South Alabama last year by saying “well… they’re transitioning to FBS so it isn’t THAT bad.”).
None-the-less, this is what we have. Might as well see what they got. If nothing else, they are probably the most “different” team on the schedule.
UNEVEN OFFENSE
In 2009, the Citadel was earning 20 of 37 touchdowns through their passing game and sported a 60% completion rate boasting stars like Andre Roberts who would later be drafted to the Arizona Cardinals. What a difference a few years makes. Last season, the Citadel managed to score 1 touchdown via passing. You read that correctly… 1 single touchdown. They earned an embarrassing 354 yards on the season and had a terrible 45% completion rate.
So how did the Citadel even manage to win 2 SoCon games? Well, playing Western Carolina helped, but they focus on a moderately respectable running game. Last season the Bulldogs ran for 3158 yards averaging 5.25 yards per carry (better than NC State, Tennessee, or UConn last season) and scoring 30 touchdowns. That’s three times the number that NC State had on the ground.
To be fair, it’s not just Citadel. The entire SoCon is seeing a boom in running back performance. What is shocking is the lack of quarterback production. The Bulldogs are averaging just under 5 yards per reception and, as stated, scored only one touchdown. On the season, they only completed 34 passes (less than 3 per game).
WEAK DEFENSE IN TROUBLE
The Citadel has some defensive guns that can get behind your line if you aren’t careful. Chris Billingslea and Derek Douglas were recently noted as two defensive players to watch for the 2012 season. Unfortunately, Douglas suffered from a torn ACL during spring practice that will result in missing the beginning of the 2012 season. Whether he is back or not by September 22nd is still to be determined. The word right now is that he will return “in late September”.
Aside from a few stand-outs, the performance of Citadel last season was less than impressive. Opponents of the Bulldogs completed 65% of their passes averaging 7.3 yards per reception. Mike Glennon last year could have had his way with this team, so this season should be no different. Their defense against the run is slightly better, allowing 1847 yards on the season at 4.10 yards per carry, but they also allowed 19 touchdowns. Missing one of their star defensive linemen for the first part of 2012 mixed with an already mediocre defense against the run and terrible defense against the pass should make for an easy-breezy day in Carter-Finley.
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WolfpackWorld is created by an alumni of NC State University to talk about sports, campus events, and anything else affecting the university. We believe that sharing your opinions about NC State shouldn't be something that you have to be a web-genius or a member of some inside "old boys club" to enjoy. Good opinions also shouldn't be buried in the usual muck of online forums and web-communities. At WolfpackWorld, we believe being a fan is a part of who we are.
In light of certain online communities representing the Citadel that may be upset that I’m “talking down to them”, don’t take it so personally. I am very fond of The Citadel as a military academy and had many friends that found their campus to be their home while they pursued their studies and began their regimental career.
At the same time, I feel like I’m more than realistic about NC State and the same can be said for Citadel. I think we can all comfortably agree that if NC State has a serious problem beating the Bulldogs, we’ll all be a little shocked.
first we’re a COLLEGE not an academy; second, its THE Citadel but you finally got it right in your comment.
thats OK, we are used to you arrogant, snide FBS types talking down to the FCS; we will be glad to compare GPAs and graduation rate with you anyday
Didn’t know we were supposed to bring our report cards to the game. Are they handing out a three touchdown spot for the winners?
You really think WPW would intentionally disrespect THE Citadel? If so, I must ask why?
Then after he offers an olive branch to THE Citadel folks who were apparently put off (which frankly to me says a lot….I didn’t even know THE Citadel had any online communities), you decide to then come here and toss around your anonymous weight?
FWIW, I think WPW would have welcomed your correction of “academy”, and even the addition of the all important “THE” if you hadn’t come here with wood in your rectal orifice.
Don’t worry about it WPW. The fact that you now have disgruntled opposing fans showing up means the site has arroved.
Is it really arrogance when it’s true? At the end of the day, whether you want to admit it or not, “The” Citadel isn’t a ball-club that many teams are going to be afraid to play outside of your own conference, and even then many might not be too scared. You only won 4 games last season, 2 in your conference. It’s not “talking down” to any of your fans to state that your program isn’t doing all that hot.
Maybe your idea of “athletic excellence” is winning 4 games a season and having good GPAs. When your athletes compete against NC State in a quiz-bowl, maybe you’ll have something to brag about. When you guys roll around on our schedule, I’ll eagerly await your homemade posters taunting our players’ GPAs.
Well, as a Citadel grad (and one who bleeds Citadel blue), I have no issue with the face value assessment on your part, and would expect State fans to see things that way. And OK, GPAs don’t have a thing to do with it. I just want to talk football.
Just so that y’all put things in perscective though, our last game of the season was South Carolina, and I attended. USC won of course, but The Citadel had over 250 yards rushing, had 19 first downs, and the score was 20-13 at the half. Spurrier let some subs play, but put his first teamers back in at the 4th Qtr to score a last TD with 30 sec left to make it look better that 34-20 (final 41-20). So, do I think NC State is better that USC? Not likely. So, in my uniformed mind, The Citadel will do better against the Pack than the ‘Cocks. Might surprise a few people. All in good fun y’all!
The problem with this logic, of course, is that every team has high games and low games. By your own logic, NC State wiped the field with Clemson last year. That means we should utterly destroy Citadel.
Like I said, it’s a bad logic. Last season we had a little trouble with some of our FCS opponents, but we also opened with our FCS opponents. O’Brien is a disciplined coach coming from the Marine Corp and coaching at Navy. His teams share that discipline and won’t treat the Citadel different from Tennessee “just because it’s Citadel”.
You got it WPW! Agreed on all counts – I just like to have a little fun and stir the pot. Granted, little schools like The Citadel usually play their best games of the year again the FBS boys, which is what the Bulldogs did last year against USC. Would I predict a Citadel win against State? Not in an open forum. But it’s fun to dream, and sometimes the hit from a 275 defensive end from The Citadel doesn’t seem all that much different from a 285 defensive end from an FCS school to a running back. Looking forward to this game, and though I am long way off will try to be in the stands. Good luck on your season!
No problem. I can’t blame a guy for rooting for their program. The posts on your dogfan1987 site have been entertaining to watch. If you are traveling to Raleigh, I suggest you check out Two Guys on Hillsborough Street for some more casual sit-down food and Amedeo on Western Blvd for some good italian and NC State regalia.
If you happen to win, I wouldn’t suggest eating in either of those two establishments with your gear on.
Thanks for the tips on where to go! Way back when, we beat South Carolina, and it was rather interesting leaving their stadium in our school colors, so guess it’ll be the same in Raleigh when (if!!!) we win.
Cid’s looking a bit better that they did a month ago. Should be a tougher game for you than South Alabama . . .