Defense key to Pack turnaround

RALEIGH -- Much about the future of N.C. State's football program can't be sorted out for weeks and months to come.

It starts with quarterback Russell Wilson, who may have to make a decision next spring about his interest in pursuing a professional baseball career.

Tailback Toney Baker is awaiting a decision from the NCAA on his request for a sixth season of eligibility. The extent of the recruiting harvest won't be known until February at the earliest.

But with Saturday's 43-23 loss in Carter-Finley Stadium to Clemson, it's more obvious than ever that the Wolfpack will not become an ACC contender unless its defense can do an about-face in execution, effort and schematic design.

For the seventh straight game, State (4-6 overall, 1-5 ACC) gave up 30 or more points - a seemingly endless defensive collapse that will force coach Tom O'Brien to review his staffing at season's end.

All of the problems don't fall entirely in the lap of coordinator Mike Archer, of course. The unit lost its best player, linebacker Nate Irving, to injuries from a preseason auto accident, and at least four or five other key performers have been in and out of the lineup as a result of the routine injuries that hit any football team.

But considering the barrage of trouble State has had stopping the most basic formations and attack strategies, there's little reason to think the likely return of Irving in 2010 can solve everything. That would be the most important starting point possible, but four or five Irvings would be required to patch up this mess.

"We don't want to be in this situation, but we are and we have to make the best of it," O'Brien said. "Defensively, we tried our best to keep it simple. But we either were real good or real bad."

Too often, it was real bad and particularly on third-and-long plays against the Tigers (7-3, 5-2). The Pack completely lost track of Clemson's two most explosive players - C.J. Spiller and Jacoby Ford - in open space and then failed to contain backup Jamie Harper on a 69-yard touchdown dash that should have been stopped for a modest gain.

The defense had company in its misery. Wilson's receivers repeatedly dropped on-target passes in the first half to help the Tigers build an intimidating 24-7 halftime lead. Then, down 30-14 late in the third quarter, State had to settle for a field goal after an illegal procedure penalty erased a long pass completion to inside Clemson's 10-yard-line several plays earlier in the drive.

"Then," O'Brien said, "the same guys who dropped those passes in the first half started making tougher catches in the third and fourth quarters."

In other words, go figure.

When the score was 24-14, Spiller fumbled near State's 20. The Pack recovered and challenged the ruling that Spiller was down before losing possession. After review, the call stood for some strange reason. A few plays later, Spiller scored on a 16-yard rush.

In the long run, the challenge likely wouldn't have changed the outcome, but it did add significantly to State's frustration.

"That play could have boosted our morale," O'Brien said.

Nothing, however, is going to change substantially until the defense changes.

Out of bowl contention, State will finish against run-minded Virginia Tech and North Carolina, meaning there's a decent chance the string of high-scoring games could end. There's the same chance O'Brien's third season at State will end with a 4-8 record that was widely expected to be 8-4 or maybe better. He's not going to lose his job, but it is going to be a warm winter for the coach and an even warmer one for Archer.

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