Through a Wolf's Eyes

I got to work a bit quicker this week and actually have the interview done on Thursday, which is definitely a better time for it. Big thanks to Steven at Section Six for letting me pester him with my questions. I've also answered some questions for him, which can be found here. Enjoy!

1. What's gotten into the Wolfpack? After losing 5 of your first 6 (most of them not close, and with the only win against a D1AA team) you've run off 5 straight wins. What changed?

Section Six: The biggest thing is we've stopped being our own worst enemy. We averaged nearly four turnovers per game over those first six, and to make matters worse, we weren't forcing any turnovers either. That's changed drastically over the last month; we're +4 over the course of the winning streak versus -17 through the first six games. The last week excepted, we have avoided the game-crippling mistakes that killed us early on.

The defense, especially the defensive line, has played much better after being routinely dominated early in the season.

Special teams have been reliable as well--the kick coverage has been good and place kicker Steven Hauschka has been nothing short of fantastic.

2. I don't see an offensive player on the roster with dominant statistics, so who's carrying the load? On defense?

SS: Jamelle Eugene has done a great job stepping in for the injured Andre Brown and Toney Baker; in addition to carrying the ball 20+ times every week, he's catching plenty of passes as well. He's much more of a dual threat than either Brown or Baker, which has

been a plus. The concern regarding Eugene coming into the season was fumbles, but that hasn't been a problem at all. We're also asking Daniel Evans to do a lot; he has thrown 40+ passes in each game during the winning streak.

DaJuan Morgan (safety) leads the defense in tackles and interceptions.

3. I believe injuries have made this season more difficult than expected. Who's been hurt and how has it affected the team?

SS:Where to begin? The injuries have hit everywhere. Toney Baker injured his knee in the first game of the year and Andre Brown went down against FSU. Tight end Anthony Hill suffered a season-ender before the season started and he was going to be a major contributor. Defensive tackle DeMario Pressley was hurt during the first part of the season and missed a few games,though he seems fine now.

A few offensive linemen have been in and out of the lineup. Safety Javon Walker, one of the Pack's most promising young players, went down against Miami. Quarterback Harrison Beck missed several games and lost his job to Evans as a result. Receiver John

Dunlap missed a game with an ankle injury. It goes on and on. Oh, and the long snapper, can't forget the long snapper. He's out for the year.

4. What area of this game do you feel most confident about (I'm guessing you expect to throw all over us, but I'll let you say it)? Where do you expect to struggle against Wake?

SS:I always assume that we'll struggle to run the ball regardless of the opponent. We'll throw the ball effectively if Evans gets good protection, but am I confident about that? No.

5. Are you bold enough to predict the score? If you are let's hear it. Otherwise, how much fun was it to beat Carolina last weekend? (You're welcome to answer both)

SS: I'll say NC State wins 28-24.

Beating Carolina was all kinds of satisfying, but you're plenty familiar with beating the Heels these days, so I don't have to tell you that.

Although I'm pretty confident his prediction will be wrong, compliments are deserved for being the first to actually answer the question in several weeks. Thanks again, Steven! Make sure to stop by Section Six to check out his NC State blog.