Meineke Car Care Bowl – NC State vs. South Florida – 12/31/05
Game Summary:It was low scoring affair thanks in part to a intimidating NC State defense, especially the bookend DE’s, Mario Williams and Manny Lawson. South Florida showed some ability to mount an offense, primarily through the running game. Andre Hall made a few clutch runs and showed his versatility both as an inside runner and hitting the perimeter on option runs. NC State built a 1st half 14-0 lead and that was all they needed. South Florida had virtually no passing game and perhaps there best completion was on a fake punt midway through the 4th quarter. But it was too little too late as NC State went on to win 14-0 and claim victory in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
Scouting Report:
North Carolina St.
Mario Williams (DE): 607.0, 285, 4.93 (40) Prototypical 4-3 DE that has exceptional strength at point and good short area quickness. Quick off the ball, ability to shed and locate ball carrier. Strong at Point and uses size effectively with bull rush. Was attacked early with option runs outside of his containment. Made nice mid game adjustment vs. running game, holding contain against outside runs. Terrific job setting up OT with outside rush and ripping it inside. Uses hands well to disengage and shed OT. Very effective vs. run, leverages O-Lineman and will take inside angle to attack interior. Primary rush moves are, Bull Rush and Inside spin. Complete DE package, (size, speed, motor and athleticism.) Has declared for the 2006 Draft and remains a solid top 15 pick as of this game. Finished the game with 5 solo tackles and 2 assists, 4 TFL’s (-14) yards, 1.5 sacks (-11) yards and 1 PD. Very Positive
Manny Lawson (DE/OLB): 605.0, 245, 4.55 (40)
Above average first step, terrific athlete with long arms and a non-stop motor. Has a slender build and will probably be better suited as a 3-4 OLB in the NFL. Lacks bulk to be an every down 4-3 DE. Redirects and keeps eyes in backfield on draws, speed to pursue down line and make the tackle in the backfield. Tremendous short area quickness and ability to come off edge rush and turn it back inside. Can stop and start on a dime. Impressed with redirect ability. Superb athleticism and terrific instincts, quick to the ball. Commands double teams, which creates problems where he simply does not have the size to beat a double and must rely on his quickness and athleticism to split double. This is the primary reason that Lawson will most likely make the move to a 3-4 stand up edge rusher. Finished the game with 5 solo tackles, 1 TFL (-9) yards and 1 sack (-9) yards. Very Positive
John McCargo (DT): 602.0 , 295 , 5.05 (40)
Good, not great initial push at point. Decent upper body strength to shed lineman and enough quickness to split double team. Gets washed out of play when blocked down the line. Inconsistent, will sometimes get surge and other plays gets knocked backwards. Question his motor at times. Underclassmen that lacks any elite qualities. Finished the game with 2 solo tackles and 1 assist and 1 TFL (-4) yards. Negative
Marcus Hudson (CB) : 602.0 , 200 , 4.50 (40)
Above average build and looks the part, can also play FS. Sure open field tackler that plays with good aggression. Uses hands well to reroute receiver. Has good strength in press coverage and speed to shadow receiver. Doesn’t have elite straight-line speed but has a decent backpedal and good fluidity in his movements. Late in the game showed good closing speed when playing off coverage. Solid tackler that is not afraid of contact.
Finished the game with 11 PD, 1 blocked Kick, 7 solo tackles and 2 assists. Positive
Stephen Tulloch (LB): 511.0 , 230 , 4.72 (40)
Works well in traffic, flows down line and has nice ability to shed and locate.
Has good short area quickness and enough burst to hit the gap and make the tackle. Terrific instincts, explosive open field tackler. Undersized, but that seems to be his only flaw. Shows amazing explosion and burst on delay blitz. Very impressed with read and react skills. Has a nose for the ball. Gets off blocks quickly and always seems to be around the ball. Finished the game with 10 solo tackles and 5 assists, 5 TFL’s (-32) yards, 3 sacks (-25) yards, 1 PD and 1 FF. Very Positive
Derek Morris (OT): 606.0 , 333
Good kick and slide and gets into position quickly. Hesitant on pulls and trap plays. Looks confused on which defender to pick up when moving to 2nd level. Does a nice job widening out defender but needs to improve on sustaining blocks. Consistent throughout game and does a nice job of keeping defender in front of him, handling spin moves. Left game with apparent shoulder/arm injury. Neutral
Oliver Hoyte (LB): 603.0, 252, 4.75 (40)
Has good read and react skills, good depth in coverage. Will sometimes take poor angles and get caught out of position. Big Hitter that has good technique in coverage. Disappears at times. Has good athleticism but lacked the dominance of Tulloch and will need to impress prior to the draft. Finished Game with 0 tackles. Negative
T.J.Williams (TE): 603.0, 253, 4.8 (40)
Nice job finding window vs. Zone. Has enough speed to hit the seam, rarely brought down by initial contact. Can catch away from his body . Has narrow hips and needs more lower body devlopment. Average blocker that needs to sustain blocks longer. Leading receiver for NC State. Plays quicker than time indicates. Has decent release but is a long strider and tends to gather, resulting in extra steps. Needs development and refinement of his overall technique, but has very good overall athleticism and hands. Displays good leadership qualities. Finished the game with 1 reception for 36 yards. Neutral
Leroy Harris (OG): 603.0 , 295
Slow to pick up secondary blocks. Lacks athleticism, especially in space.
Struggles against quicker interior lineman. Alert, but to slow to react. Did show some quickness on goaline pulls. Injured hand moved him from his natural Center position.
Would like to see him play at his natural position. Struggled mightily in space and is better suited in tight. Negative
South Florida:
Andre Hall (HB): 509.5, 210, 4.5 (40)
Decisive runner with sharp cutting ability. Locates hole quickly and takes it upfield. Uses stiffarm effectively, little wasted movement running between the tackles. Can bounce it, strong lower body. Has decent hands as a receiver, can adjust to poor throws. Doesn’t dazzle you with an arsenal of moves or make you stand up and hold your breath, but is an effective runner both inside and on the perimeter and has chance to move up most boards. Finished the game with 19 carries for 118 yards and 2 receptions for 49 yards. Positive
Terrance Royal (DE): 603.0, 255, 4.8 (40)
Anticipates snap, quick first step, shows some strength on bull rush.
Never takes a play off, relentless in pursuit. Has good array of rush moves. Particularly inside swim move. Like his motor and overall athleticism. A Bit of a tweener as far as size. But lacks speed to move to OLB. Finished the game with 4 solo tackles and 1 assist, 3 TFL’s (-17) yards and 3 sacks (-17) yards and 1 FF. Positive
Other Notables:
NC State:
Garland Heath (FS): 602.0, 220, 4.45 (40 - unofficial)
Good range in coverage and a fierce hitter. Decent closing speed and burst. Great measurables , a definite player to watch. Finished the game with 1 INT, 4 solo tackles and 1 assist.