Posted by ESPN.com's Heather Dinich
The Wolfpack are ready to roll, but here are three overriding questions facing the program this season:
1. With only five starters returning on offense, how will the Wolfpack improve?
NC State's two most glaring problems last year were its running game and turnovers. The Wolfpack averaged just 89.2 rushing yards per game and turned the ball over 32 times, including 23 interceptions. You don't have to be a coach to know you're not going to win many games with stats like those. In order to fix that, Tom O'Brien needs more physical play from his offensive line and obviously a more efficient quarterback. There's a plethora of experienced running backs to choose from, so if his revamped offensive line comes together and he finds a successful quarterback, O'Brien just might find a few more wins, too.
2. On the flip side of the ball, can NC State's defense force more than 16 turnovers this season and stop the run?
The first part of that has to do with the secondary holding onto its opportunities instead of dropping them. Senior Jeremy Gray tied for the team lead in interceptions last year (three) and returns at corner, and J.C. Neal will start at strong safety. The leadership responsibilities in the defensive backfield will fall to these guys. The second part of improvement will fall on the defensive line, where O'Brien is still trying to figure out who fits where the best. Markus Kuhn's move from tackle to end last year was a start. This has to come together quickly if the Wolfpack is going to improve upon last year's rushing defense of 186.4 yards per game -- the worst in the ACC. There are only four starters returning, but these guys could use some fresh faces.
3. Can the Wolfpack build upon the momentum of winning four of their final six games in 2007?
Consider this: Thirteen players who were starters at some time last season missed a total of 44 games with injuries. Six of those starters missed multiple games. In all, there were 10 knee surgeries between spring of 2007 and the end of the year. Getting guys healthy is a major step towards winning football games. Road trips to South Carolina and Clemson in the first three weeks, followed by home games against East Carolina and South Florida, aren't exactly the ideal way to break in younger players -- let alone a new quarterback. Odds are it's going to take a little more time than the 2008 season for O'Brien to have this team where he wants it.
Heather Dinich covered ACC and Big Ten football for five seasons before joining ESPN.com in November 2007. She's an Indiana grad but somehow her favorite day of the week is Saturday.
