GREENSBORO -- N.C. State wide receiver Owen Spencer didn't hesitate Sunday when asked to identify the most important factor if the Wolfpack is going to contend for an ACC title.
"If we stay healthy," Spencer said Sunday at the ACC football media kickoff, "we have a better shot."
Injuries have seriously depleted N.C. State's roster over each of coach Tom O'Brien's three seasons with the Wolfpack. Last season, the team's best defensive player, linebacker Nate Irving, suffered injuries in a June car wreck that kept him out for all of 2009.
"It's always frustrating, especially when you know those guys off the field and what they go through," Spencer said. "Hopefully we will be healthy, and that comes with training well and eating right and all the things that prevent [injuries]."
It sounds as if Spencer, who caught 30 passes for 765 yards last season, has been training well. Though he declined to give specific numbers, he said his bench press and his power clean marks, in particular, have soared in the weight room.
"I'm at my healthiest," he said.
Irving, meanwhile, said he is at full go for the start of fall practice Aug. 3. He said he wasn't satisfied with his performance in the spring game, as he still was shaking off the cobwebs and getting used to playing after injuries to his leg, shoulder and ribs.
"I don't know how much of a difference I can make as far as being on the field," Irving said. "All I know is, I'm going to demand 100 percent of everyone who's lined up next to me."
He will do that while playing a new position. Irving has moved from the boundary linebacker spot on the outside to middle linebacker.
Life after Riley: With Riley Skinner under center for the past four seasons, Wake Forest assumed the identity of a pass-first, pass-often football team.
Skinner, a four-year starter, arrived on campus with an accurate passing arm and eventually became the program's career leading passer. Acknowledging their quarterback's arm, the Demon Deacons, led by coach Jim Grobe, played to their strength.
Skinner's graduation this spring forces the Deacs to find a new offensive identity. Headed into preseason camp, their new direction isn't so clear, with three quarterbacks expected to compete for the open spot and offensive coordinator Steed Lobotzke redesigning the offense.
Junior quarterback Skylar Jones is a strong contender to earn the starting job, though he has competition in sophomore Ted Stachitas and redshirt freshman Brendan Cross, plus two true freshmen in Tanner Price and Patrick Thompson.
"Sweating bullets": Duke center Bryan Morgan laughed when asked, for at least the third time Sunday, what it felt like when coach David Cutcliffe chose to stay at Duke last season rather than leave for Tennessee.
"I love this question," Morgan said, grinning. "We were sweating bullets, people asking me, 'Bryan, do you know anything?' and me saying, 'How would I? I'm in the same position you are.' [His decision] just showed how much faith he has in us, how much he's put into our program, and rebuilding our program into an elite program.
"And that means a lot. If you think that we had respect for him before that - whoa. It's off the roof now. It was just great to hear that, because it would have been easy for him to go to Tennessee. ... He knows the place so well, but it meant so much for him to stay."
Herzlich pushes back: After missing all of last season battling cancer, it would be enough just to see Mark Herzlich on the field again. Doctors told him he would never run again, so merely putting on a helmet would mean the Boston College linebacker has far exceeded expectations.
That's not good enough for Herzlich.
"I'm pushing to get back to where I was," Herzlich said. "Settling for anything less, or even expecting anything less, it would make no sense to come out and play again."
The 22-year-old was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of cancer, in his left femur last May but was declared cancer-free in September. Since then, he has openly embraced his role as an example and role model for cancer victims.
"It has been by choice," Herzlich said. "It's something I want to do. It wasn't forced on me. Besides football, this is what I want to base my life around."
No worries: Florida State's fifth-year senior quarterback Christian Ponder gushes when asked about his offensive line, one he considers "the best in the nation."
"I couldn't be more comfortable," Ponder said. "I have to say I'm spoiled."
He says this with good reason. FSU returns its entire 2009 offensive line, one of the league's most experienced groups with 142 starts among them. They cleared the way for the Seminoles to compile 421.4 yards per game, which ranked as the conference's second-most total yards.
Senior left guard Rodney Hudson (6 feet 2, 282), redshirt senior center Ryan McMahon (6-1, 284), junior left tackle Andrew Datko (6-6, 303), junior right tackle Zebrie Sanders (6-6, 288) and junior right guard David Spurlock (6-4, 286) were chosen to All-ACC teams.
"It gives me a lot more confidence," said Ponder, who has recovered from season-ending surgery in 2009. "Everything on the offensive side of the ball is really dictated by the offensive line. They have to control the line of scrimmage. ...
"The good thing for us, they're great."
Singer off Pack roster: Former Athens Drive High defensive back Pete Singer, who has had numerous brushes with the law, is not on N.C. State's roster for the fall after signing with the Wolfpack in February.
Singer's charges have included three citations for driving after consuming alcohol under the age of 21.
Team spokeswoman Annabelle Myers was only able to confirm Sunday that Singer is not on the team's roster.
Staff writers Robbi Pickeral, Luke DeCock and Ken Tysiac contributed to this report.
