NC State Newsstand: The Wolfpack shares thoughts on ECU
NC State’s 2022 football season is here, and there will be no shortage of news for the rest of the year. Our daily ‘Newsstands’ will be a way for our readers to catch up on what they missed from the day before.
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The Wolfpacker’s Thursday morning newsstand
NC State’s football season begins in less than 10 days. In a little more than a week, the Wolfpack will travel to Greenville to take on ECU and face the program’s first test of the 2022 season.
Here’s more from The Wolfpacker’s story ‘NC State athletes share thoughts on East Carolina road trip.’
The last time NC State football took the field against an opponent other than itself, the Wolfpack defeated North Carolina in thrilling fashion. After UCLA withdrew from the Holiday Bowl and took away the program’s last opportunity to compete, the team spent the next eight months working out together and then practicing against each other, preparing for September 3.
With less than 2 weeks until NC State travels to Greenville for its season-opening matchup against East Carolina, the program is ready to hit someone other than a teammate. Offensive lineman Bryson Speas and linebacker Drake Thomas, recently named 2022 captains, spoke to the media Tuesday, along with wide receiver Devin Carter.
They each discussed their Week 1 opponent and the hostile environment awaiting their arrival. East Carolina’s Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium seats 50,000 fans, and the stands will be packed with Pirates hoping to see their team upset NC State — the preseason No. 13 team in the nation.
“I know ECU fans, they like to have fun at their games, and they’re going to bring a lot of intensity,” Thomas said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun going up there to play.”
NC State started its game preparation process this week and Thomas, headed into his fourth season with the program after an All-ACC season in 2021, is ready to compete once again after 281 days since NC State’s win over the Tar Heels.
“We have a veteran group, so we’ve been going against the same guys in spring ball, fall camp, for like four years,” Thomas said. “So, it’s always exciting to start to look forward to the next opponent.”
Top 10
- 1Hot
Georgia-GT ref controversy
Outcry over officiating
- 2New
Dabo Swinney
Clemson coach rips CFP
- 3
Colston Loveland
Michigan TE availability in question
- 4
Heisman 'clinched'
Deion Sanders reacts to Travis Hunter performance
- 5
Hunter, Sanders
Colorado stars to make NFL Draft history
Speas said that the Wolfpack began preparing for the Pirates earlier this week, mentioning the opponent’s speed to the ball on defense and aggressiveness off the line of scrimmage. The road trip to ECU is a welcomed challenge for the sixth-year offensive lineman.
“It’s going to be great,” Speas said. “We know it’s going to be a raucous environment. We know it’s going to be rocking and rolling, but that’s what we play college football for. It’s going to be a fun experience.”
Tweets of the day
NC State-alum and Super Bowl-winning head coach Bill Cowher was at practice yesterday.
Wolfpack women’s soccer is a top-25 team in the nation.
NC State football has an impressive record in season-opening matchups.
Quote of the day
This quote is from class of 2024 running back recruit Cole Tabb discussing NC State running backs coach Kurt Roper.
“He seemed like a super genuine guy,” Tabb said. “He’s not one of those coaches to throw an offer as a filler. He seemed like he really cared, like he really looked forward to building a relationship, not just like a ‘Getting my foot in the door.’ He wanted to open the door fully and get to really know me.”
Today’s top NC State headlines
Electric class of 2024 RB Cole Tabb intrigued by NC State offer
NC State football coach Dave Doeren radio show recap: Camp thoughts
NC State-East Carolina rivalry roots date back to weird 1971 season
