NC State Wolfpack

NC State’s Tom O’Brien
On play of defense, especially in second quarter:
“I think they did a great job. Our defense was able to create good field position for our offense to start with, and it’s a lot easier when you get some touchdowns (offensively) out of it too.”

On the play of David Amerson:
“We knew he was very talented coming in. He certainly has the knack for going up and getting the ball. When that ball is thrown up there, he believes it is his ball.”

On the getting pressure on Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd:
“I think our defensive coaching staff does a great job of looking at everything during the week and breaking it down so that they can teach our kids some key things to look for. I also think we have a great pressure package. People don’t know where we are coming from sometimes.”

On next week’s game versus Maryland:
“I told them tonight, I’m still mad at them for losing the last one (at Boston College). I’m not going to forget that one. The only way for them to make that up is to beat Maryland."

Clemson’s Dabo Swinney
“(We are) Obviously disappointed on the way we played, really embarrassed. Really, poor job of coaching, poor job playing, everything involved and there’s no excuse. They wanted more than we did and it’s that simple. This is the game of football and do the things that we did and most times you’re going to get beat especially with the team that grabs the momentum and that’s what happened. They got the momentum and we never got it back.”

“We looked like an immature team out there tonight. That’s really it in a nutshell. It’s not anything more complicated than that. As I told our team, we’re a family and families hurt together, they celebrate together, they grow together. That’s what families do. So, that’s what this team will do and we’ve got to re-focus on our goals.”

“It’s incredible disappointing and embarrassing on how we played, but I give NC State and coach O’Brien the credit. They certainly earned it and wanted it more than we did. Bottom line for us, is to re-focus on our goals ahead and that starts with our state championship this week, trying to play a better football game than we did.”

“I thought we had a great practice all week. Certainly we didn’t play the way we practiced. We had four turnovers and we put our defense in a really, really poor shape to start this game and we couldn’t get the momentum and ran out of gas there and weren’t able to make it. No excuses.”

NC State Postgame Notes

Pack Posts First Win over Top 10 Team Since 2005: NC State’s win over seventh-ranked Clemson was the first over a top 10 team since the last time the Pack played a top 10 team - at Florida State in 2005. Chuck Amato’s squad won that contest, 20-15. The last time NC State won against a top 10 team at home was in 1998 - when Mike O’Cain’s squad defeated the second-ranked Seminoles, 24-7.

O’Brien vs. Ranked Teams: Tom O’Brien has now posted a 7-5 mark against ranked teams as the head coach at NC State and today marked his first win over a top 10 team (and his first game versus a top 10 team) since coming to State in 2007. Since 2003, O’Brien boasts a 14-8 mark against ranked teams, including his time at Boston College.

Tigers Declawed: NC State’s 24-point win over a ranked foe today ranks as Tom O’Brien’s second largest against a ranked team while at NC State (UNC 41-10 in 2008). The win is also the largest margin of victory over a Clemson squad at Carter-Finley since a 27-3 win over the Tigers in 1986, and the largest over Clemson overall since 2002 (38-6).

Stout Defense: NC State has given up just 9.0 points a contest over the last three game, holding opponents to a mere three TDs in those contests.

Amerson Ties ACC Single-Season Record: Sophomore cornerback David Amerson pulled down his 11th interception of the season today in the third quarter - tying the ACC single-season mark set by Dre Bly of UNC in 1996. With one more interception, Amerson will be tied for third in NCAA (FBS) history. He already ranks fifth on the NC State career list as only a sophomore.

Graham Sets ACC Record: Senior returner T.J. Graham set the ACC career record for kickoff return yardage today, breaking the mark of 2,983 set by Maryland’s Torrey Smith last year. Graham now has 2,989 yards for his career.

Pack Gets Picks: The Wolfpack now has 22 interceptions for the season - the best mark in the FBS ranks and the second-best mark in school history. The record for a single season was 22 in 1965.

Bryan Scores Another: Senior tight end George Bryan scored the 16th touchdown of his career in the second quarter today, giving him sole possession of fifth place in school history in that category. He is just one TD from tying Eddie Goines (1991-94) for fourth place. With three total catches today, Bryan now has 115 for this career, the 11th-best mark in school history.

Second Quarter Superb for Pack: NC State put 27 points on the board and held Clemson to just 19 yards ... in the second quarter! That was the most points for the Wolfpack in a quarter since 2005, when Chuck Amato’s squad scored 31 against Eastern Kentucky - a span of 84 games. It was the most points allowed in a quarter by Clemson since November 1, 2003, when Wake Forest put up 28.

Sade Has Best Game: Freshman placekicker Niklas Sade had the most prolific game of his career today, scoring 13 of the Pack’s 37 points. Sade hit all three of his field goal attempts (21, 32, 21) and connected on all four of his extra point attempts.

Miscue Advantage: With four takeaways today, the Pack is now 6-0 when forcing at least three turnovers in a game.

Pack to Play for Postseason: NC State will head into the final game of the regular season, at home against Maryland next Saturday, with postseason eligibility on the line. State boasts a 6-5 record but needs seven for a bowl bid, since two wins are over FCS opponents.