N.C. State - The basics

2005 RECORD: 7-5

ACC FINISH: 3-5 (Tie-4 Atlantic Division)

BOWL GAME: Meineke Car Care Bowl

FINAL AP RANKING: None

HEAD COACH: Chuck Amato, 60

AMATO'S RECORD AT N.C. STATE: 46-28 overall, 23-25 ACC

STAFF CHANGES: Pat Meyer moved from head strength and conditioning coach to offensive line coach, replacing Mike Barry. Rick Kravitz, former assistant head coach at South Florida, was hired as safeties and special teams coach to replace Manny Diaz.

IMPACT PLAYERS LOST

DE MARIO WILLIAMS

No one expected Williams to be back at NCSU for his senior year. The 6-7, 295-pounder, who holds the school record for sacks, was the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft.

DE MANNY LAWSON

Combined with Williams to give Pack the nation's best tandem at end. A big senior year made him a first-round pick of the San Francisco 49ers.

IMPACT PLAYERS GAINED

QB JUSTIN BURKE

The Lexington, Ky., native had 62 TD passes and just six interceptions as a senior. A cerebral type, he could emerge as Pack's No. 2 QB this year.

RB JAMELLE EUGENE

Several Wolfpack players say the redshirt freshman could be the team's biggest surprise this season. Quick and tough, he'll be used at tailback and receiver.

WHERE THEY'RE GOOD

The backs -- offensive and defensive. Few teams can match State's tailbacks, Andre Brown and Toney Baker. The secondary has experienced safeties in Garland Heath and Miguel Scott and solid cover cornerbacks in A.J. Davis and Jimmie Sutton. Defensive tackles Tank Tyler and DeMario Pressley have All-ACC potential and senior John Deraney is back to handle all the kicking, again.

WHERE THEY'RE VULNERABLE

Other than Raymond Brooks, who sat out last season because of academics, there is little experience at defensive end. Amato already has noted the secondary might have to cover receivers longer than last year. Even with the shift of Darrell Blackman from tailback to flanker, the wide receivers must prove that they can get open and make plays.

BIG MAN ON CAMPUS

MARCUS STONE

For the Pack to have the kind of season it covets, Stone has to play big for the Pack. The redshirt junior looks the part. He's big (6-4, 230 pounds), he's strong, he has the arm. He's a macho type whose demeanor projects confidence, and he's 5-1 as a starter. But can he make all the right decisions at the right times? For State, that's a must.

FUN FACT

Marcus Stone often cuts his teammates' hair, and is said to be good at it. Would Wolfpack coach Chuck Amato let Stone don the shears on his hair? "Yes, if he wants to," Amato says. "And then I would cut his. With a knife."