Towering above a large contingent of triangle-based media, Mike Glennon wasted little time to finally answer a question that didn’t involve filling the shoes of last year’s QB Russell Wilson.
As he wiped several drops of sweat away from his cheeks, the redshirt junior let go an ear-to-ear smile that resembled a child desperately trying to keep a secret safe.
“I don’t think there’s much to worry about,” Glennon said. “I think our defense is going to be very good in the ACC this year.”
If the 6’6” 225 pound Centreville, Va. native really does know a well-kept secret regarding the 2011 Pack, it’s probably about the defense that suited up for the red team in Saturday’s Spring Game. After all, the unit did generate more points by themselves than Glennon’s offense could produce in almost three quarters of play.
However, the real secret wouldn’t lie in an irrelevant stat sheet that accompanies the annual April contest. Instead, Glennon knows that most of spring practice has been focused on his command of the offense, despite a talented and experienced defense that has grown leaps and bounds since finishing dead last in the ACC for the 2008 season.
The same defense that was seventh in the country last season in 3rd down percentage. The same defense that catapulted from 57th in the nation to 14th in rush defense a season ago.
Even with the noticeable absence of Nate Irving, seven of the top eight tacklers from last year’s defense are returning for the upcoming season. The defense answered questions that had to be asked after finishing 99th in scoring defense for the 2009 campaign, and rocketed up to 29th in the country.
Not only will nearly the entire unit return for the fall, but many of them, including last season’s leading tackler Earl Wolff, still have another year of eligibility awaiting them.
It’s understandable that Glennon has received such a large amount of attention. State fans have patiently waited for the highly-touted brother of former Virginia Tech QB Sean Glennon to snatch the keys of Dana Bible’s offense and drive full speed ahead.
While it’ll be difficult to find anyone that denies he has the capability to do so, the reality is that this team is not going to revolve around the offense like it has in past seasons.
Glennon severely lacks surrounding skill players, although that may not turn out as bad as it sounds. The last time Tom O’Brien coached a tall, talented quarterback that waited two whole seasons to lead an average offense the team excelled as it finished 9-3. The year was 2006, the school was Boston College, and the quarterback was current Atlanta Falcons QB Matt Ryan.
When Tom O’Brien arrived in Raleigh after that 2006 season at BC, his trademark was hard-nosed defense and an overwhelmingly predictable record at the end of each season.
During his final seven campaigns at Boston College, never once did his teams come close to sniffing a losing season. The Eagles never even allowed more than 30 points in any of its bowl games during that span and stellar play out of both the offensive and defensive lines became the humble cornerstone of Boston College football.
For State, many of these similarities have finally begun to blossom. In O’Brien’s tenure, the Wolfpack has never witnessed a season in which the defense bested the offense in terms of conference or national ranking. It would certainly be an upset if that trend were to continue in the fall.
