Showing posts tagged “Toney Baker”
Mike Potter ·
21 Jan 2010, 5:19 PM ·
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Four Triangle ACC players are scheduled to play in the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Texas vs. The Nation Challenge on Feb. 6 in El Paso.
2009 seniors set to play in the contest include UNC offensive tackle Kyle Jolly and defensive end E.J. Wilson, Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, and N.C. State running back Toney Baker.
Players selected are rated as among the Top 15 at their position by NFL scouts.
Other ACC players on the rosters include Maryland’s fullback Cory Jackson and defensive tackle Travis Ivey, Virginia Tech punter Brent Bowden, Miami tight end Derrick Epps, and Virginia offensive guard Will Barker. Also in the game will be two East Carolina players, running back Dominique Lindsay and defensive tackle Jay Ross.
ACC, Duke, Football, N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill Brent Bowden, Cory Jackson, Derrick Epps, Dominique Lindsay, E.J. Wilson, East Carolina, Jay Ross, Kyle Jolly, Maryland Terrapins, Thaddeus Lewis, Toney Baker, Travis Ivey, Virginia Cavaliers, Virginia Tech, Will Barker
Jacob Swiger ·
27 Nov 2009, 12:17 PM ·
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Russell Wilson's decision-making will be key Saturday. (Photo by Rob Rowe)
North Carolina (8-3) at N.C. State(4-7)
[12 p.m., Nov. 28, Carter-Finley Stadium]
Televised by ESPN2
A win by either team Saturday won’t have any serious implications on the season as UNC has secured a bowl berth and N.C. State will be sitting at home over the holidays. But a win could go a long way in determining the future for each program.
State faces the uncomfortable offseason questions that come after a disappointing year. After being considered a sleeper in the Atlantic Division with all-ACC caliber quarterback Russell Wilson, the Wolfpack has managed to win exactly one league game with one left to play.
UNC, meanwhile, recovered from losing three straight ACC games with a four-game winning streak, including wins against two ranked teams (Virginia Tech and Miami).
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ACC, Football, UNC-Chapel Hill Butch Davis, E.J. Wilson, John Shoop, Robert Quinn, Russell Wilson, Ryan Houston, TJ Yates, Tom O'Brien, Toney Baker
Joe Schwartz ·
20 Nov 2009, 12:15 PM ·
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N.C. State tries to play spoiler
N.C. State (4-6, 1-5 ACC) vs. Virginia Tech (7-3, 4-2 ACC)
3:30 p.m., Saturday, Lane Stadium
ESPNU, WRAL 101.5 FM
N.C. State's dynamic duo of Russell Wilson and Toney Baker will face Virginia Tech on Saturday.
Key stats … There will be no late-season bowl run this year for Tom O’Brien’s club. Clemson’s dynamic C.J. Spiller put an end to those hopes last week. Now the Wolfpack travel north to the always hostile Lane Stadium where Frank Beamer’s 16th ranked Hokies sit waiting. Virginia Tech is out of the ACC Championship picture thanks to loses to Georgia Tech and UNC, but they still have a New Year’s Day bowl to play for. These two teams have squared off only twice since Virginia Tech joined the ACC six years ago, splitting contests in 2004 and 2005.
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ACC, Football, N.C. State Frank Beamer, Jamelle Eugene, N.C. State, Russell Wilson, Ryan Williams, Tom O'Brien, Toney Baker, Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech
Joe Schwartz ·
6 Nov 2009, 4:05 PM ·
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Running back Toney Baker (22) and quarterback Russell Wilson (16) have turned in solid performances all year. Against Maryland, they'll need a little help from their friends.
Maryland (2-6, 1-3 ACC) vs. N.C. State (3-5, 0-4 ACC)
1 p.m., Saturday, Carter-Finley Stadium
ESPN 360, WRAL 101.5 FM
Key stats … This isn’t the preview story either of these two teams thought would be written when the season started, or just a month ago, really. But two teams that started far more brightly than they find themselves now will square off Saturday with seven conferences losses and a single ACC win (Maryland’s 24-21 victory against Clemson in their conference opener) between them. Now they face off as the last place and second-to-last place teams in the Atlantic Division. UNC is the only other team with one ACC win or less.
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ACC, Football, N.C. State Chris Turner, Maryland, N.C. State, Russell Wilson, Tom O'Brien, Toney Baker
Joe Schwartz ·
29 Oct 2009, 12:58 PM ·
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Wolfpack head to Tallahassee
N.C. State (3-4, 0-3 ACC) vs. Florida State (3-4, 1-2 ACC)
[Noon, Saturday, Doak Campbell Staidum]
Broadcast info: ABC, 101.5 FM
N.C. State fans hope to salvage the season, but they will have to watch this one on TV.
When you go to the official N.C. State athletics football Web page and a story about Wolfpack players in the NFL greets you, you know there haven’t been a lot of good things to write about Tom O’Brien’s club this season. It started decently enough. Russell Wilson set the NCAA record for most consecutive passes without an interception (he’s thrown four in four games since), Toney Baker returned from a two-year knee rehab (he’s run well since fumbling on the season’s first play) and the team raced out to a 3-1 start (two wins against Football Championship Subdivision foes and a shootout against Pitt.
Of course, after that victory, O’Brien told his team they weren’t good, and he’s been right ever since. They hit the road for the first time all season and lost to Wake Forest. They were beaten by three touchdowns by Duke, a team that hadn’t won in Raleigh since 1984. Two weeks ago Boston College ran all over them, Montel Harris leading the charge with 264 yards on the ground.
The bye week came at a perfect time. Now the Wolfpack are set to take the field on Bobby Bowden’s home turf against a less-than-their-best Florida State team that won its first ACC contest last Thursday in Chapel Hill. It’s a defining game for both teams. One that O’Brien and Bowden both know they need to salvage their seasons, and in Bowden’s case to continue his storied career.
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ACC, Football, N.C. State ACC football, Bobby Bowden, Christian Ponder, Florida State, George Bryan, Montel Harris, N.C. State, Rod Owens, Russell Wilson, Thaddeus Lewis, Tom O'Brien, Toney Baker
Joe Schwartz ·
16 Oct 2009, 11:47 AM ·
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N.C. State needs to avoid giving receivers this kind of space Saturday. (Photo by Rob Rowe)
Boston College (4-2, 2-2 ACC) vs. N.C. State (3-3, 0-2 ACC)
3:30 p.m., Saturday, Chestnut Hill, Mass.
ABC, WRAL-FM 101.5
Key stats … 820. That’s how many passing yards the Wolfpack have allowed in the last two weeks to Wake Forest quarterback Riley Skinner and Duke’s man under center, Thaddeus Lewis. You can bet BC’s Dave Shinskie is salivating after viewing that tape. After watching his team get carved up for the second time in as many weeks Head Coach Tom O’Brien said something needed to change, lest they face teams trying to pass 50 times a game the rest of the year.
The stakes are high this week for an N.C. State team hoping to keep it’s bowl hopes viable. They’ve got six games left on the schedule and need to win four to play during the holiday season. A loss here, and the road gets very tough. A win, and perhaps they can go on a run like they did last year. Head Coach Tom O’Brien returns to Boston College, where he coached before coming to Raleigh and faces his longtime assistant Frank Spaziani. Both teams look to rebound this week after multiple-toucdown defeats last week. This one will come down to which team responded the best during the week of practice.
Boston College will win if … They follow Thaddeus Lewis’s blueprint on pinpointing lots of dink and dunk passes. The Wolfpack defense has shown it can stop the run, with Willie Young, Alan-Michael Cash and Ray Michel all showing their stoutness, but their passing defense leaves a lot to be desired.
N.C. State will win if … They figure out how to cure their secondary woes. This should be a good week for them to rebound from back-to-back losses to open conference play. The Eagles were flat out embarrassed and exposed last week at Virginia Tech, 48-14 (trust us, it wasn’t even that close). They also need to establish Toney Baker, who ran well in limited opportunities against Duke last week. This game could be ugly, and a running game will go a long way toward winning it.
Players to watch Anyone in the N.C. State secondary. If you find them near receivers. breaking up passes, making tackles the first time. the Wolfpack will win. If not, it’ll be a long day, and a long offseason. As mentioned above, Toney Baker will be the key on offense. Look also for Russell Wilson to find George Bryan over the middle. He’s become a favorite target for the talented N.C. State sophomore.
Vegas line Boston College -3
Score prediction and brief explanation The weather will come into play, making this a likely ugly and run heavy contest, which plays into the Wolfpack’s favor. We’ve got to think N.C. State took the Duke loss pretty hard, despite all the players lauding the Blue Devils as a team on the rise. This group has a history of rallying down the stretch when others have given up on them. Look for them to repeat that and squeak out a hard-fought victory 24-20.
ACC, Football, N.C. State Boston College, Dave Shinskie, Riley Skinner, Russell Allen, Thaddeus Lewis, Tom O'Brien, Toney Baker
Rob Rowe ·
13 Oct 2009, 11:32 PM ·
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Duke quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, #9, begins to throw the ball as State defensive tackle Alan-Michael Cash, #49, persues during Saturday's Duke victory over State. (Photo by Rob Rowe).
CARTER-FINLEY STADIUM/RALEIGH, N.C. - It was a great afternoon with admirable weather for football Saturday when Duke (1-1 in ACC) beat N.C. State (0-2 in ACC) 49-28. For the full recap, you can read Blue Devil Football beat writer Mike Potter’s post or Wolfpack Football beat writer Joe Schwartz’s post; for the game in photos, they’ll be on the next page.
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ACC, Duke, Football, N.C. State, Story in photos Adam Banks, Alan-Michael Cash, Austin Kelly, Ayanga Okpokowuruk, Boston College, Brett Huffman, Clem Johnson, Conner Vernon, Danny Parker, David Cutcliffe, Duke, Duke Blue Devil, Jeremy Ringfield, Josj Czajkowski, Kevin Jones, Kevin Rojas, Leon Wright, Maryland Terrapins, Ms. Wuf, N.C. State, Owen Spencer, Re'quan Boyette, Russell Wilson, T.J. Graham, Thaddeus Lewis, Tom O'Brien, Toney Baker, Tony Foster, Wake Forest, Will Snyderwine
Joe Schwartz ·
10 Oct 2009, 8:55 PM ·
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Duke's Donovan Varner, who snared seven balls for 154 yards and a score, catches one of many short passes in Duke's upset victory against NC State. (Photo by Rob Rowe.)
CARTER-FINLEY STADIUM/RALEIGH - Two weeks ago Tom O’Brien warned his squad after a dramatic comeback victory against Pittsburgh that they weren’t a good football team, pointing to 12 penalties as a sign of a lack of discipline. Well, they corrected the penalty problem, completing Saturday’s contest without a yellow flag thrown in their direction, marking their first penalty-free game since 1989.
Just about everything else was a disaster as N.C. State (3-3, 0-2 ACC) lost to their crosstown rivals for the first time in 12 games and the first time in Raleigh since 1984. It’s been two games since O’Brien’s speech, and two stinging losses to in-state teams.
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ACC, Duke, Football, N.C. State N.C. State. Duke, Russell Wilson, Thaddeus Lewis, Tom O'Brien, Toney Baker
Mike Potter ·
10 Oct 2009, 4:49 PM ·
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Duke quarter back Thaddeus Lewis, #9, begins to throw the ball as Duke's Kyle Hill and NC State's George Bryan scramble in front. (Photo by Rob Rowe.)
CARTER-FINLEY STADIUM/RALEIGH It’s the second meeting of the season between a pair of Triangle Division I football teams, and the first time it’s matching two clubs from the ACC.
N.C. State and Duke don’t play every year any more under the divisional system necessitated by the conference’s expansion to 12 teams. The Wolfpack is in the Atlantic Division and Duke in the Coastal, and while NCSU’s cross-divisional permanent opponent is UNC, Duke’s is Wake Forest.
Now they’re playing for the second straight season, with the Wolfpack winning last year’s meeting 27-17 at Wallace Wade Stadium. That was the Wolfpack’s 11th straight win in the series, and State will be favored again today. NCSU is 3-2 and Duke 2-3 after each lost its ACC opener last week.
The game is on ESPNU, and it’s not quite a sellout on a partly cloudy, warm day with many of the students away on fall break. And the fans, both in the stands and on TV, get one heck of an offensive show as Duke wins 49-28, its first ACC road victory since a win at UNC in 2003. A crowd of 56,452 saw Duke’s first win in Raleigh since 1984, before any current Duke player was born.
Today they’re not serving the traditional barbecue and chicken in the press box, instead an array of casseroles covered in cheese or gravy - chicken, broccoli, potatoes. It’s probably marginally better for us anyway.
Triangle Offense has a record media contingent at the game, as Joe Schwartz is here as the Wolfpack beat writer while teen phenom photographer Rob Rowe handles the pictures. Continue reading »
ACC, Duke, Football, Live blog, N.C. State, UNC-Chapel Hill Adam Banks, Alan-Michael Cash, Austin Kelly, Ayanga Okpokowuruk, Boston College, Brett Huffman, Clem Johnson, Conner Vernon, Danny Parker, Josj Czajkowski, Kevin Jones, Kevin Rojas, Leon Wright, Maryland Terrapins, Owen Spencer, Re'quan Boyette, Russell Wilson, T.J. Graham, Thaddeus Lewis, Toney Baker, Tony Foster, Wake Forest, Will Snyderwine
Mike Potter ·
8 Oct 2009, 3:01 PM ·
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NC State quarterback Russell Wilson, seen earlier this season against Gardner-Webb (Photo by Rob Rowe)
It’s the second straight renewal of one of those rivalries that has been interrupted by the odd scheduling resulting from ACC expansion.
Duke will visit N.C. State on Saturday in one of those games that used to get a lot of blood pumping around the Triangle. But the series has lost some of its luster in recent years as the schools are in different divisions and don’t play every year. State won 27-17 in Durham last season.
The Wolfpack (3-2, 0-1 ACC) definitely needs to get back into the win column after last week’s 30-24 loss at Wake Forest on what I’ll call “Stinker Saturday,” a day on which all four of the Triangle’s Division I college football teams lost and the Carolina Hurricanes did their part as well.
Duke (2-3, 0-1) is looking for a moderate upset after playing the Triangle’s best game of the day last week in a 34-26 home loss to No. 6 Virginia Tech. But as Blue Devils coach David Cutcliffe said it was still a loss. And if they’re going to go to that bowl game he’s dreaming about they’ll have to pull off some upsets.
This would seem to be a reasonable chance to get one, since the Blue Devils won’t be traveling a whole lot further from their hotel to Carter-Finley than to a home game at Wallace Wade Stadium.
If this one were played under those ancient rules that discouraged the forward pass, State would be favored to win about 42-0. Fortunately for Duke’s chances for success there may be 75 or more passes thrown on Saturday.
“We have the No. 1 pass offense in the conference coming to town,” State coach Tom O’Brien said. “We certainly didn’t do a great job last week. Riley Skinner did a great job against us throwing for 361 yards. Certainly we have some concerns about their throwing the ball against us this week. We’re going to try to the best job we can against another four-year starter at quarterback in (Thaddeus) Lewis.
“Last week we didn’t prepare for 56 passes out of 80 plays. … Duke has averaged calling 41 passes per game so we’ve been spending more time on that. If they come out in the hambone or the wishbone we’ll have to refer to what we did a week ago.”
State has a potential All-American at quarterback in Russell Wilson, which was the conference’s rookie of the year last season and the quarterback on the ACC’s preseason all-conference team. Meanwhile Lewis is one of the best quarterbacks few people have heard of, since Duke is not currently a consistent winner.
Cutcliffe said he’s impressed with the Wolfpack’s wide array of weapons.
“N.C. State is a team that’s extremely well-balanced,” the Duke coach said. “It’s one of the reasons before the season started I thought they would have an excellent season and I still think they will. They’re well-coached with a good offense, and obviously a great player in Russell Wilson with some playmakers around him. Defensively they have a tremendous front that’s very difficult to deal with and an excellent kicking game particularly in the area of returns.” Continue reading »
ACC, Carolina Hurricanes, Duke, Football, N.C. State Abraham Kromah, Austin Kelly, David Cutcliffe, Desmond Scott, George Bryan, Jarrod Holt, Javon Walker, Jay Hollingsworth, Jeff Rieskamp, Kyle Griswould, Randez James, Rashard Smith, Russell Wilson, Thaddeus Lewis, Tom O'Brien, Toney Baker, Tyree Watkins, Vincent Rey, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Willie Young
