Football Notebook: Senior Day Poses Challenge Against Wolfpack

With former-Boston College head coach Tom O'Brien leading NC State on Saturday, both offensive units show a lot of similarity. Accordingly, execution or simply who can run the same plays better will be a key game determinant. In 2006, O' Brien left BC taking the offensive coordinator, tight end coach, offensive line coach, special teams coach, defensive backs coach, and defensive line coach with him. The highest position coach that stayed was then Defensive Coordinator Frank Spaziani.

"You've got to go and execute as best you can because they know exactly what we're going to be doing and we have a good idea what they're going to do," linebacker Luke Kuechley said. "Coach O'Brien was here and Coach Bible was here and they all coached with Jagodzinski and Spaz and all those guys so it's like you're playing your older brother, they know what you're doing and you know what they're doing, it's just whoever can do it the best."

With the mutual familiarity, both teams shouldn't be surprised much. On the contrary, the match-up should come down to intangibles.

"They're running a similar offense to what we run here since their coach is one of the former coaches here so I think it's going to really come down to execution," defensive lineman Brian Mihalik said. "We both know each other's schemes really well so it should come down to who plays better."

Senior Day

This is the Eagles' first losing season since 1998. In terms of importance to season outcome—like a win explicitly affecting bowl eligibility or an ACC championship birth—this is also the first Senior Day since 1998 that hasn't mattered for the program. At this point the team is playing for experience and a win for the seniors.

"I've never had a losing season," linebacker Steel Divitto said. "I won a national championship in PeeWee too. I've never had a losing season in any sport. That goes for a lot of guys though; it's uncharacteristic of a lot of guys. When you really build yourself in life are the times when you're down and you pick yourself up—that's when you really look back and reflect and you just come out of it with a fire about yourself. To be honest, you can talk about potential all you want. We have the potential to be an unbelievable ball club, but you need that motivation and this season's got to motivate everybody. With NC State coming up, the seniors absolutely deserve this win at home. So all the younger kids have to step up also and do their role so we get that win."

Passing Pressure

The Wolfpack lead the NCAA in interceptions and come only five sacks behind the top five teams in the NCAA. BC's passing game largely failed to contribute against Florida State's defense registering only one score (a touchdown in the third quarter), two interceptions, and playing time split between both quarterbacks Chase Rettig and Josh Bordner. This doesn't bode well for the passing attack in the upcoming, execution dependent match-up.

On the other side of the ball, Deuce Finch has been inconsistent. Against a weak Maryland line he seemed superhuman, while FSU's strength held Deuce to 59 yards on 28 carries. This NC state game should be more realistic of his true skill level and the ability of the BC O-line.

"FSU has a really good defense," Finch said. "Probably one of the best we're going to see all year. Their front four were strong, fast, what we expected, but they played on a whole new level. I hope this will be the real me. We just want to come out and move them up front, get the ball downfield, move the ball as a whole. We didn't move the ball too well, but we're going to try to do it this game."