Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Nord Flichmith, as I said, beat writer for the wolf
Packer and on three is joining us to talk about
this NC State team. Give us a little bit of
a different perspective. Noah, how you doing, my man?
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Good? How are you guys doing?
Speaker 1 (00:14):
We are doing great. So we went through the schedule
yesterday and the vibes are not high in here for
the NC State wolf Pack. We had one of us
chose them to go six and six, that's my man,
Walker Mail and then Flounder and I had them going
five and seven, missing a bowl game. I think they'll
be better, but I think that their schedule. Man, it's tough,
(00:36):
very nondescript roster that we have here. Are we out
of our minds?
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Yeah? I think I think that's the floor of this team.
I think five and seven is four, So I don't
think he got as far off. I mean the first
half of the schedule, it's just that tough. The back
half though, I mean that's that's a gauntlet with with
Notre Dame and for trip to Miami in there too.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
So what are the vibes about this team? What do
you think about this roster as they are now in
training camp heading towards the season.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Yeah, definitely. You know, last year was not the year
they wanted to have. I think they lost four to
one score games, went six and seven, you know, lost
the Military Bowl, and you know, things weren't great. But
you know, the thing abou NC State is so interesting
is that's only the third losing season they've had under
Dave Darren is going to year thirteen and the other
two they came back on one eight games, so you
don't count them out. They kind of like them situation
they're picked to finish tempt me. You see, they like
(01:24):
to do the data team, So this is an interesting
spot for them to be roster wise though. The return
a lot on offense defense is really big question mark
of what they're going to do. They've replaced the entire secondary, place,
the linebacker place, a couple of guts of the seed line,
so we'll see what happens. I think this is a
team that might score, you know, thirty forty points a
game to be able to consistently win.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
No what Fli's been joining us here on westn Walker
talking about NC State's upcoming football season. Uh noah, what
did they fix? What happened last year? Are you comfortable
with what they've done in the offseason to say, yeah,
they did fix what went want what went wrong? Excuse
me last year.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
I think so because when you look at you know,
losing four one to four games isn't great. They were
one of the worst scoring offenses in the first half
in college football last year and one of the best
in the fourth quarter. So it's kind of one of
those things where they were really slow starting. Team, made
a change of offen as as coordinator and you know,
promoting their quarterbacks. Coach Kurt Roperts as the offensive coordinator.
He hasn't called play since twenty seventeen at South Carolina.
(02:20):
But I think they're really you know, confident what he
can do. And they have a software quarterback in CJ. Bailey,
who was thrown into the fire last year, played really well.
He was one of the best true freshman quarterbacks in
the country, you know, outperforming you know, Dylan Royola and
DJ Lagway and in a few stack categories. So it
really shows a promising thing for that. And he was
kind of thinking he was in a red short last year,
got thrown in with with Christian McCall's concussion. So if
(02:41):
he can continue moving forward. He got better and better
every week last year. If he can continue that this season,
I think this offense has chance to kind of carry
the team. Little Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
No, we had a conversation about what the ceiling is
for CJ. Bailey, whether he could be an all acc performer.
What do you think the ceiling is for NC States QB.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Yeah. I think last year he is among the you know,
one of the best true freshman. I think now it's
kind of taking that in moving forward. I've talked to him,
you know, multiple times in stofseason, and he seems really
you know, content on you know, growing. He's not He's
not complacent. He's a guy who played at Shamanad Madonna
and Miami. Jeremiah Smith was one of his top playmakers
to throw to, so he obviously knows how to play
at the lead talent. Now he's trying to channel that
(03:18):
year at ed NC State. Honestly, I think he's a
guy that could be all Nombo mentioned, you know, all
the kind of performer this year, just with how he
can play. If he plays the way he did when
he was doing well last year, there were some freshman mistakes.
Who expect out anybody, but I think they're going to
clean it up kind of going into this year and
they have, you know, first few weeks or an opportunity
for him to get rolling before they really hit that
tough part of the schedule.
Speaker 1 (03:37):
No, what thoughts on the receiving core and is there
a guy in this group that is going to break
out in your opinion?
Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, you know, they didn't bring in a porter receiver
in the spring, which kind of shows you know what
was going on. They lost two receivers and in k
hencept Soiono with the text A and M and the
car Collins to Louisville and they didn't bring it us in.
They're confident He's got a lot of young receivers. You
got Wesley Grimes. He's as the old one of the
bunch as a senior, former Wake fours transfer. He ran
a four two four forty this offseason. They're expecting some
(04:05):
good things at him. I think the guy to pick
breakout though. I'm really fan of Keenan Jackson. He played
a lot last year as a freshman, was once committed
to North Carolina before they flipped him. He's a guy
that played really well. And another guy to look at
is is charl Anderson. He's a guy from greens thorough
another highly ranked. You know, guy coming out of high school.
Played a lot as a freshman last year. So I
through these young guys into the fire year ago. They
kind of took their their bruises and now they hope
(04:26):
that that days off this year.
Speaker 1 (04:27):
A sophomore Hollywood Smothers is a guy who really helped
this offense at night down the stretch of this season.
What did you see for him? Is he going to
have that tremendous breakout yere that a lot of us expect,
myself included.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
I do you know, he's a Charlotte guy and he
you know, first half the season he's kind of running
back to running back three. For most of the year,
he delt. He dealt for the first six games, fills
an injury in there, missed a couple of games, and
the last half of the season he was awesome. You know,
he ended up finishing that the leading rusher, only really
starting six games. He was an amazing guy. He's one
of the most elitest guys on the team, maybe one
of the loose guys in the ACC's thirty four missed
(05:03):
tackles a year Ago, I expect him to. I think
he can get close to one thousand yards this season,
as do the everyday starter. They are going to lean
on him a lot, and I think he's got a
chance to become one of their first thousand yard backs
in like over five years.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Noah fleishs been joining us on Wes and Walker talking
about NC State during team week sports Raded ninety two
seven WFNZ. All right, let's talk Dave Dorian because no,
if they have another season where they don't perform up
to expectations. Really, when we were going through the schedule
breakdown yesterday, it was the way we had them at
six and six and five and seven, we all had them,
I believe, winning four games in the first half yeap
(05:37):
form and then either winning only one or two at
most in the second half. If they falter as much
as we say they are going to in the second
half of the season, what would that mean for Dave
Doran's job security.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah, he's under concert through twenty twenty nine. They just
spent a lot of money to make a coach and
change in the men's basketball side of things, So it's
kind of a situation if you want to buy him
out right. That's a few years. She's due to make
five point six two five million this year, it goes
up I think one hundred and fifty thousand every year
after that. It's just kind of one of those situations.
I think if they fall and go five and seven,
(06:10):
four and eight, I think it's more likely right now
that he would walk away then he would get fired.
I I he's kind of one of those guys. He's
told me before he doesn't want to coach to be
sixty five. He's fifty three. He wants to, you know,
enjoy retirement because his father didn't, wasn't able to be.
He had all the timers. I think two years after
he retired from his job. So he's seen that affect
his family personally. So if they falter, it wouldn't be
(06:32):
surprised to him walk away. I wouldn't also to be
surprised to see them give him one more chance, because
he's made a bowl in ten of his thirteen years.
He's consistent winner. He's been winning his coach in program history.
I know fans aren't too happy with how last year went.
He wasn't then you know, if they do falter, it's
an interesting situation. But I would air on the side
of they through corg in the ad would give him
another year unless he's, you know, just decided to be
(06:54):
dealt with it himself.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
Well, And that's why I wonder if we're in for
a Dave Clsson type season where a Dave class in
ex at wake Forest has all this history of winning
and then after two back to back years of not winning,
he decides to step away and just get away from it.
Which is why I completely understand that scenario, that picture
that you paint here, Noah, I guess another question for
me is what is the Is the conversation too crazy
(07:18):
around Dorian because this is someone that wins eight nine
games consistently, even before the four and eight season that
they had in twenty nineteen. Yep, there there they were
nine and four, nine and four. Like, should we be
giving him a little more grace than what State fans
are giving him?
Speaker 2 (07:32):
I think so. I mean, as you say, you know,
they fainly won four games years ago, they turn around
and they rip off eight nine wins consistently after that.
He's a guy who he's a talent developer and he
likes coaching football. Still, I really asked him, like, why
do you do this? He still likes coaching, likes developing talent.
That's what they do, you know. The thing doesn't like
it's the transfer portal. Nil that the new era was
kind of the same thing. They've cast and talked about.
(07:52):
Those guys are you know, really good friends outside the
coaching commission as well. So it's kind of an interesting
situation to see him, and but I think he deserves
racing credit. This is a guy who wins eight nine
games a year, and then he stayed a program before
he got there of you know, you look at their
all time records five hundred program. So I think he's
been able to outperform expectations. But now the expectation is
you want to win that ten game, and then he
(08:14):
State's only done that one time, Philip Rivers did it.
So it's kind of one of those things where, yes,
you want to win ten games and make collegetable playoffs,
but is it not attainable than the State? I'm not
really sure.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
No. What I want to know what this defense? They
gave up three hundred and ninety two points last season.
What has been the focus? How are they trying to
change things? Especially with Tony Gibson.
Speaker 2 (08:34):
Gum. Yeah, one of the you know, the worst performing
seasons that are Tony Gibson, who was one of the best,
you know, defensive coordinators in the ACC during his tenure there.
Now he's at Marshall as the head coach. The Hunter
dj Elliott he came in you know used so he
was at Temple is the last time he's defensive coordinator.
He's served time and stilled off the Eagles in their
linebacker room. This is a guy who he's his football junkie.
(08:55):
Him and Dave Dorn have known each other for over,
you know, twenty years. He brings him aggressive style of defense.
They're gonna get after the quarterbacks. They're going to force pressure,
They're going to try to force the quarterbacks to make mistakes.
I think that's gonna be biggesting we're going to see.
It's gonna be an interesting front because you know, Tony
Gibson like to play at three, three five, djil is
gonna play three four and to show a four to three.
He likes to go back and forth between the two.
Make it some hybrid defensive lineman can do both. So
(09:17):
to be a totally different looking defense, I think than
what people are customed to think from empty State. They
are accustom sing into State defense hole teams, so you know,
not that many points out of the many yards. And
if he can get them on that, that's that track.
I think it's positive on if you're one a lot
of new face in the defense. I'm not really sure
what to make, you know. East Carolina embarrassed the defense
last year in the bowl game, and now they get
the chance to avenge it. Will they It's hard to
(09:40):
tell her right now.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
No last thing I got for you, man, what is
the game on the schedule that you feel like we'll
really swing the balance of how this season goes.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
I'll give you chill, I'll give you the like. The
hot take I have is Game one against East Carolina.
You win that game, you feel good, you know everything
is normal. They lose the East Carolina to be back
to back losses to the Pirates, a team that you know,
East Carolina used them as a rival. NC State fans
don'tly viewed East Carolina's arrival. So you lose them twice
in a row. That could, you know, send the season
going downhill really quick. Another one that to keep an
eye on is Notre Dame. I mean, you're gonna go
(10:10):
play a collegetball playoff, you know, containing team. I just
want to see how they can take a stack up.
That's their first really true tough road game of the season.
I really just see if they can go in there
and compete. If they come out to win, that's you know,
really unexpected. But if they go out of there with
as you know, twenty thirty four loss, and it kind
of shows you where they stack up.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
That was Noah Fleichman beat Rider for the wolf Packer
and on three you can follow him on x at
Fleischman Underscore. Noah Man, we appreciate the time, Man, thank
you so much.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
Yeah, thanks, guys, appreciate it.