Coach Tom O’Brien said Monday that he has never seen as many injuries to his offensive skill players than he has already this season.
Before the Wolfpack has played its third game, the team has lost its starting quarterback and running back, its top returning wide receiver and this week — its top two tight ends.
Though quarterback Russell Wilson returns as the starter this week, O’Brien announced Monday that tight ends Anthony Hill and Matt Kushner will both be out for Saturday’s game at Clemson. That leaves third-stringer George Bryan, who grabbed five catches for 41 yards and a touchdown against William & Mary, as the starter against Clemson.
O’Brien joked that the injuries were why he wore black Monday.
“It’s part of the game — you have to move on,” O’Brien said. “Each week, you’ve got 11 guys getting ready to play the game. We’ve got a different 11, so we’ve got to do the best job coaching and getting them ready to play.”
Team doctors cleared Wilson to play last week and he practiced and performed drills with the team. But O’Brien said he felt best about keeping Wilson out of action against William & Mary.
“I chose not to play him, just thinking it’d be better for him to sit out another week before he got back into contact,” O’Brien said.
Irving among nation’s leaders
After linebacker Nate Irving racked up 13 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery against William & Mary, the ACC named Irving its defensive back of the week. Add his performance against South Carolina two weeks ago to his resume, where he collected 10 tackles, and Irving ranks statistically with the best in the country.
Irving leads the ACC in tackles-per-game, and ranks 10th nationally in total tackles. He also is tied for second in the NCAA with two interceptions.
“You can tell his experience out there compared to so many other people, because he sees things much faster,” O’Brien said of Irving.
Irving stepped on to the scene late last season, as the coaching staff gave him an increasingly prominent role in the team’s defense.
“As we changed defense, we kind of settled him into the spot,” O’Brien said. “He has great anticipation, vision [and] really good football instincts.”
Players ready for ‘Death Valley’
Linebacker Robbie Leonard has already played at Clemson’s Memorial Stadium, also known as Death Valley, and Leonard ranks it at the top of his list of loudest stadium he’s been to.
“It gets so loud in that place and the fans are just wild,” Leonard said. “So it’s going to be a tough test.”
One of the toughest positions to play in a loud stadium — like Clemson’s 80,301 seater — is offensive line, where hearing snap calls is essential, according to guard Meares Green.
“It affects you as in not being able to hear the quarterback, but it also raises your adrenaline, having this huge crowd there,” he said.
