Wilson Impresses Casteel
December 26, 2010 11:10 AM | General
ORLANDO, Fla. – Count Jeff Casteel among those impressed with NC State quarterback Russell Wilson. West Virginia’s defensive coordinator believes Wilson will be the best quarterback the Mountaineers have faced by far this year.
“He’s a great player,” said Casteel. “He’s a guy who is very accurate. He’s got a strong arm. He can beat you with his feet. He’s very intelligent.”
Wilson has started all 12 games for the Wolfpack this year and is completing 58.1 percent of his pass attempts for 3,288 yards and 26 touchdowns. He passed for a season-high 368 yards in a 45-28 road win at Georgia Tech and has thrown at least one TD pass in all 12 games this season. Eight times he has thrown two or more touchdown passes.
“He knows where to put the football and has really, great, great poise in the pocket,” Casteel noted. “It’s almost like sitting on the couch and watching television with the rush at him. He knows where to put the football and he’s very well coached.”
Wilson has three outside receivers standing 6-foot-3 or taller, including senior Owen Spencer, who leads the Wolfpack with 57 catches for 868 yards and four touchdowns. He stands 6-foot-3. Jarvis Williams, a 6-foot-4, 219-pounder, shows 46 catches for 636 yards and four TDs. Both are similar to Pitt’s pass catching duo of Jon Baldwin and Mike Shanahan in terms of size and playmaking ability.
“They’ve got big receivers that are athletic and make plays,” Casteel.
The Panthers were the most effective team throwing the football against West Virginia’s defense, Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri completing 28 of 46 passes for 285 yards and a touchdown. Sunseri also led Pitt in rushing with 38 yards. Casteel says Wilson, like Sunseri, will also take off when he feels pressure.
“When you try to pressure he knows where to put the football,” Casteel said. “If you leave a seam and you do cover down on his routes he has the ability to find the seam and get as much as he wants to get. He throws the ball away if he doesn’t like what he sees. He’s a great player.”
What makes NC State a little different from Pitt is the way the Wolfpack has involved their running backs in the passing game. Mustafa Greene and James Washington have a combined 54 catches for 437 yards and two touchdowns.
“I think they’ve got 60 catches within their running back room so he spreads the ball around and that will present problems,” Casteel said.
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NC State is ranked 20th in the country in passing, averaging 281.7 yards per game. Statistically speaking, the best passing attack West Virginia’s defense faced this year was Cincinnati’s, which ranked 29th in the country averaging 260.7 yards per game.
West Virginia’s pass defense fared well against the Bearcats, limiting them to just 221 yards through the air with two interceptions.
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Three of the 10 touchdown passes West Virginia’s secondary has given up this year were with senior Brandon Hogan out of the game. The Mountaineers surrendered two long touchdown passes against Maryland when Hogan was serving a one game disciplinary suspension, and they gave up a late long TD pass against Rutgers when Hogan was sidelined with a knee injury. Of course Hogan will not be in the lineup for Tuesday’s Champs Sports Bowl against NC State.
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NC State has thrown the ball much better in six games at home than in its six games on the road this season. At home, Wolfpack quarterbacks (mostly Russell Wilson) have completed 63.9 percent of their passes for 1,899 yards and 16 touchdowns.
On the road, the completion percentage dips to 52.8 percent with fewer yards (1,481) and touchdown passes (10).
Ironically, Wilson’s worst passing performance of the season came in Orlando in week two when he completed just 10 of 30 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in a 28-21 victory over Central Florida. It was the only time this year that he failed to throw for at least 150 yards in a game.
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After posting an 8-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his first three games against Western Carolina, Central Florida and Cincinnati, Wilson is 16-to-14 in that category over his remaining nine games. Wilson has thrown at least one pick in each of his last nine games.
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NC State has not had a 100-yard rusher this season. The closest runner to doing so was Mustafa Greene’s 10-carry, 91-yard performance against Virginia Tech in week five; Wilson had a 69-yard, three-touchdown day against Florida State in week eight. Wilson has had three games this year (Florida State, Wake Forest and Maryland) with multiple rushing touchdowns.
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Again statistically speaking, NC State (No. 42) is the second best offense West Virginia’s defense will face this year. The only other top 50 offense the Mountaineers have gone up against is Cincinnati’s at No. 38. Meanwhile, NC State’s defense has gone up against six Top 50 offenses, the best being 25th-ranked East Carolina, 26th-ranked Virginia Tech and 36th-ranked Florida State.
State has faced two offenses ranked below 100 in the national rankings in total yards (Wake Forest and Boston College) while West Virginia has faced five (Rutgers, UNLV, Syracuse, USF and Marshall) ranked below 100.
The only time NC State failed to score at least 20 points in a game was against Clemson when the Tigers limited the Wolfpack to just 13 points in a 14-13 victory on Nov. 6. State had 275 total yards against Clemson’s defense.
“He’s a great player,” said Casteel. “He’s a guy who is very accurate. He’s got a strong arm. He can beat you with his feet. He’s very intelligent.”
Wilson has started all 12 games for the Wolfpack this year and is completing 58.1 percent of his pass attempts for 3,288 yards and 26 touchdowns. He passed for a season-high 368 yards in a 45-28 road win at Georgia Tech and has thrown at least one TD pass in all 12 games this season. Eight times he has thrown two or more touchdown passes.
“He knows where to put the football and has really, great, great poise in the pocket,” Casteel noted. “It’s almost like sitting on the couch and watching television with the rush at him. He knows where to put the football and he’s very well coached.”
Wilson has three outside receivers standing 6-foot-3 or taller, including senior Owen Spencer, who leads the Wolfpack with 57 catches for 868 yards and four touchdowns. He stands 6-foot-3. Jarvis Williams, a 6-foot-4, 219-pounder, shows 46 catches for 636 yards and four TDs. Both are similar to Pitt’s pass catching duo of Jon Baldwin and Mike Shanahan in terms of size and playmaking ability.
“They’ve got big receivers that are athletic and make plays,” Casteel.
The Panthers were the most effective team throwing the football against West Virginia’s defense, Pitt quarterback Tino Sunseri completing 28 of 46 passes for 285 yards and a touchdown. Sunseri also led Pitt in rushing with 38 yards. Casteel says Wilson, like Sunseri, will also take off when he feels pressure.
“When you try to pressure he knows where to put the football,” Casteel said. “If you leave a seam and you do cover down on his routes he has the ability to find the seam and get as much as he wants to get. He throws the ball away if he doesn’t like what he sees. He’s a great player.”
What makes NC State a little different from Pitt is the way the Wolfpack has involved their running backs in the passing game. Mustafa Greene and James Washington have a combined 54 catches for 437 yards and two touchdowns.
“I think they’ve got 60 catches within their running back room so he spreads the ball around and that will present problems,” Casteel said.
NC State is ranked 20th in the country in passing, averaging 281.7 yards per game. Statistically speaking, the best passing attack West Virginia’s defense faced this year was Cincinnati’s, which ranked 29th in the country averaging 260.7 yards per game.
West Virginia’s pass defense fared well against the Bearcats, limiting them to just 221 yards through the air with two interceptions.
Three of the 10 touchdown passes West Virginia’s secondary has given up this year were with senior Brandon Hogan out of the game. The Mountaineers surrendered two long touchdown passes against Maryland when Hogan was serving a one game disciplinary suspension, and they gave up a late long TD pass against Rutgers when Hogan was sidelined with a knee injury. Of course Hogan will not be in the lineup for Tuesday’s Champs Sports Bowl against NC State.
NC State has thrown the ball much better in six games at home than in its six games on the road this season. At home, Wolfpack quarterbacks (mostly Russell Wilson) have completed 63.9 percent of their passes for 1,899 yards and 16 touchdowns.
On the road, the completion percentage dips to 52.8 percent with fewer yards (1,481) and touchdown passes (10).
Ironically, Wilson’s worst passing performance of the season came in Orlando in week two when he completed just 10 of 30 passes for 105 yards and a touchdown in a 28-21 victory over Central Florida. It was the only time this year that he failed to throw for at least 150 yards in a game.
After posting an 8-0 touchdown-to-interception ratio in his first three games against Western Carolina, Central Florida and Cincinnati, Wilson is 16-to-14 in that category over his remaining nine games. Wilson has thrown at least one pick in each of his last nine games.
NC State has not had a 100-yard rusher this season. The closest runner to doing so was Mustafa Greene’s 10-carry, 91-yard performance against Virginia Tech in week five; Wilson had a 69-yard, three-touchdown day against Florida State in week eight. Wilson has had three games this year (Florida State, Wake Forest and Maryland) with multiple rushing touchdowns.
Again statistically speaking, NC State (No. 42) is the second best offense West Virginia’s defense will face this year. The only other top 50 offense the Mountaineers have gone up against is Cincinnati’s at No. 38. Meanwhile, NC State’s defense has gone up against six Top 50 offenses, the best being 25th-ranked East Carolina, 26th-ranked Virginia Tech and 36th-ranked Florida State.
State has faced two offenses ranked below 100 in the national rankings in total yards (Wake Forest and Boston College) while West Virginia has faced five (Rutgers, UNLV, Syracuse, USF and Marshall) ranked below 100.
The only time NC State failed to score at least 20 points in a game was against Clemson when the Tigers limited the Wolfpack to just 13 points in a 14-13 victory on Nov. 6. State had 275 total yards against Clemson’s defense.
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