The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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42 ■ THE WOLFPACKER FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2018 "I took it personal because in our Wel- come Back Pack dinner [in August], all the teams that finish in the top 25 stand up, and we were one of the only teams that didn't stand up," he said of the pre- vious dinners. "This year, we are able to stand up and represent." Jones cherishes that No. 23 final rank- ing — NCSU last finished the season ranked in 2010. The final polls were something Jones thought about right af- ter NC State crushed Arizona State 52-31 in the Hyundai Sun Bowl. "I think I was the only one that was re- ally bothered by it," Jones said about not getting to stand. "I used it as motivation." The elusive double-digit win season is another driving force, several of the Wolfpack players admitted. Only one team in NC State history — the 2003 squad — has won at least 10 games. Now, historians would also note that the schedule has expanded over the years, meaning it was harder to achieve in prior decades. "Last year was probably our best sea- son so far," Jones said. "We are just try- ing to build on that, and of course we want to get to 10 or more wins. That is a goal for the season. "When new guys come in, we let them know, this is how we do things. We will always do these things to stay where we want to stay and get what we want to get." Fifth-year senior offensive lineman Gar- rett Bradbury admitted his good friend Jones maybe was more gung-ho about standing at the Welcome Back Pack dinner than his team- mates, but that's okay. Bradbury in turn was really excited about being able to find NC State easily at the top of the ESPN.com college football page when ranked. "In the past, I've been so tired of seeing the ESPN top-25 scores and always have to go to ACC to find NC State," he explained. NCSU lost 20 seniors from last year's team, plus junior running back Nyheim Hines and redshirt junior offensive tackle Will Richardson, who were both selected in the NFL Draft. There is still a good amount of returning veterans, but fall camp will help determine what new starters will emerge to replace the lost stars. "Every year you lose key players," Doeren said. "We lost some really good players off last year's team. That is what these guys have been waiting for. "Some have been in the lineup now for a long time — [senior defensive end] Darian Roseboro and [senior defensive tackle] Eurn- draus Bryant, [fifth-year senior linebacker] Germaine Pratt. They've played a lot of foot- ball for us." NC State director of strength and condi- tioning Dantonio Burnette used the offseason to motivate the players to keep grinding to keep what they have worked so hard for. "Our standard is we aren't going to deviate from it," Burnette said. "It doesn't matter if you are Bradley Chubb and one of the best players on the team, or a walk-on just coming on to the team. We are going to treat them all the same. It is all the same standards. "Once you are part of the Pack, you are part of the Pack, and we aren't going to leave anyone behind." No decision proved bigger this offseason, especially when it comes to living up to the newly created standard, than quarterback Ryan Finley returning for his sixth year of college. "In my mind, there is really nothing to get complacent about," Finley said. "We haven't accomplished nearly what we want to." The 6-4, 210-pounder passed for 3,518 yards and 17 touchdowns with just six inter- ceptions last year. He completed a nifty 65.1 percent of his passes and topped 300 yards in six contests. The goal for Finley is simply to be the best quarterback in college football and raise NC State's profile and standard during the process. "From when I got here, the program has im- proved," Finley said. "Even before I got here, I had heard how much it has improved as far as culture. It is still not where we need it to be. "The standard is the standard, but we need to continuously raise it." Finley views game day through an interesting prism, which helps motivate him to reach double-digit wins this sea- son. "A lot of people don't realize that we spend hours and days and years on this to play 12 games a year for a total of 36 hours," Finley said. "Those wins and that kind of double-digit, 10-win ideal are built through years of work and hours and hours." A big final season could help put Fin- ley as a professional peer with past NC State quarterbacks such as Philip Riv- ers, Russell Wilson, Mike Glennon and Jacoby Brissett. "That is a lot to put on a guy, but his goal is to break as many records as he can and to win as many games as he can," Doeren said. "Ryan isn't a guy that chases that kind of stuff [being a Wolf- pack legend]." Jones also believes the NC State of- fense will be entertaining this season, on top of everything else. "I think we'll put on a show for peo- ple," Jones said. "As long as we do what we are supposed to do, I don't think we can be stopped." With the offense in good hands, the Wolfpack have adopted a "No Names" man- tra on defense. Doeren said players who not everyone knows about before the season will be well known by the end of the campaign. The previously mentioned Pratt is expected to be among the next wave of stars. He under- stands the standard that players such as Chubb, the No. 5 overall pick in the last NFL Draft, es- tablished. The Wolfpack lost eight starters on defense, and a ninth player that started when healthy (cornerback Mike Stevens). "Just learning from [graduated seniors] Bradley Chubb and B.J. Hill or Airius Moore, they've poured knowledge into me," Pratt said. "I am now pouring knowledge into the younger guys. I think it's great for me to be a leader." Redshirt freshman defensive tackle Grant Gibson has yet to play his first game for the Wolfpack, but the chance to learn from senior defensive linemen such as Chubb, Hill, Justin Jones and Kentavius Street — all selected in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft — per- meates through his preparation for the 2018 season. "Those guys set the standard and the mold for what we need to do to succeed here," Gibson said. "They showed us how to ap- proach each day and work hard. We need to live up to that. "We can't let that die down because we are brand new here." ■ Senior end Darian Roseboro headlines a defense that must replace eight starters, including four linemen that were selected in the first four rounds of the NFL Draft. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN