July 25, 2005

BY TIM PEELER

HOT SPRINGS, Va. - In the final round of interviews at the annual ACC Football Kickoff at the Homestead Resort and Spa, Wolfpack football coach Chuck Amato took questions from the assembled media. The coach talked about his team's defense and his confidence in senior quarterback Jay Davis, among many other things during his hour-long question-and-answer session.

Also, the preseason media poll was released, with the Wolfpack predicted to finish third in the Atlantic Division, behind Florida State and Boston College. Full results of the poll are listed.

The media at the Kickoff also selected a pre-season All-Conference team for the first time ever, with three Wolfpack players earning recognition. Defensive ends Mario Williams and Manny Lawson were both tabbed on defense, while senior wide receiver Tramain Hall was selected on offense.

ACC Preseason media poll Atlantic Division 1. Florida State (522) 2. Boston College (458) 3. NC State (346) 4. Clemson (265) 5. Maryland (222) 6. Wake Forest (119) Coastal Division 1. Virginia Tech (517) 2. Miami (487) 3. Virginia (356) 4. Georgia Tech (281) 5. North Carolina (197) 6. Duke (94)

Question: Can you talk about your perception of how good your defense can be this year?

AMATO: If we play even 80 percent as we did a year ago, and win the turnover margin, then nothing else can matter.

Question: We talked to several players on Sunday and asked them who might be the highest player taken in the next NFL draft, and they mentioned (junior defensive end) Mario Williams. Are you dealing with a guy you may not have for four years?

AMATO: Well, people said that about Philip Rivers and they said that about Torry Holt. Those two guys have their numbers on the stadium and they stayed for four years. That helped both of them. There is a lot that can happen in the next five months. Mario is still just a young man. He turned 20 not too long ago. He started to come into his own at the end of last year. He is still learning.

Question: You guys won at Blacksburg, Va., last year and Virginia Tech went on to win the ACC title. What does that say about how much they improved and how you, I guess...

AMATO: De-proved? Why don't you say what you are thinking? They were an awfully good team when we played them. They lost in the first game last year on a call that couldn't be replayed this year, and it turned the whole game around, in my opinion, to the team that won the national championship (Southern Cal). What was there to improve upon? They played the last game of the season against the other team that was undefeated (Auburn, in the Sugar Bowl). They are always a good football team. They have a staff that has a lot of continuity. They have been together for a long time. They are well coached. They are great in the kicking game. We also got hurt in the offensive line in that game. That was the beginning of injury problems there. Our two tackles that played in 80 percent of that game, Jon Holt and James Newby, because the two starters got injured. It was a very physical game and as the season went on, we lost a bunch of linemen. That hurt us an awful lot. Virginia Tech stayed healthy.

Question: Coach, at the end of spring practice you said you were really happy with the way (senior quarterback) Jay Davis played. But you said he had a lot of work to over the summer. What has he been doing and is he better?

AMATO: I don't know, we haven't practiced yet. I know this: He has taken charge of this football team. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that he has taken that role and run with it. Not only with just the offense, but with the team, which makes me feel good about him and for him. It's something that is important for our team and for him. He is our starter. I told you that when spring was over. There was nothing anybody could do to jump him between then and now. (Sophomore) Marcus Stone has made good strides as well. Right now, Jay feels very good about himself.

Question: Do you see his continued development as the No. 1 key going into the season? Obviously, there aren't many questions about your defense.

AMATO: You know what, I have questions about my defense. But let's get back to your question. At the end of the regular season, excluding bowl games, Jay Davis was the No. 2 passer in the ACC. If his name was Philip Rivers no one would have said anything about him.

Question: How do you plan in the preseason to divide up reps between all these running backs you have?

AMATO: We have five running backs: one of them has the experience of two years under his belt, two of them played last year and injuries held them back, and two of them have never put a helmet on that has a Block S on it. We have a lot to learn about all of them in the 29 practice opportunities between now and the first game. We will make sure they all get their fair share. There is a lot of potential there. They are awfully good potentially. We will see what happens.

Question: Is there is any reason why this defense should not be as good as last year, if it stays healthy?

AMATO: Well, No. 1, we only have five returning starters back on this defense. Fortunately, four of them are up front. When you lose your whole starting secondary and you top tackler over the last two years (linebacker Pat Thomas) and Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay, a big-play kid, there is a lot to replace there. That's a lot of experience, especially with guys who have been three-year starters. Those people up front can only do so much. I am glad they are there; don't get me wrong. That's where it all starts. There is a lot to still put together there.

Question: Can you talk about the interchangeability of your linebackers and how that gives you the depth you are looking for at that position?

AMATO: We have done that before. It's not the first time we have done that. We are concerned about the depth at that position, there is no doubt about it.

Question: Linebacker Pat Lowery is not a player a lot of people know much about. What can you tell us about what makes him good.

AMATO: He's dependable, he doesn't make mistakes. He is a tough, smart kid. He has gotten himself a lot of confidence now. We just have to be careful of what kind of position we put him in, so that he is not susceptible to failure. But we were all happy with how he showed he could play last year. One of those games being Florida State.

Question: Does having a Conference Championship game add some excitement to the season for you, or is it something that you deal with and you go on from there?

AMATO: Oh, I think it adds excitement to all of us. All of us are dreamers. None of us have lost a game yet. We are telling our kids "Hey, our goal is to be in that first ACC Championship Game. And we get into that game and you win, you go to a BCS Bowl. If you are good enough, you might play for a national championship. There is an awful lot involved with that and stuff players look forward to.

Question: What are your goals for Toney Baker?

AMATO: I want him to take advantage of every repetition he gets. He has a great work ethic. He is a tough kid, comes from a good family. He is a winner. It is just a matter of him getting his chance.

Question: Along the same lines, what about Andre Brown?

AMATO: Same thing. It's a matter of how much they are going to be able to pick up an offense that the other kids have been learning since March, when we started spring ball. If all we had to do was take the ball and hand it to them or throw it to them every other play... Their skills are amazing, no question about it. Andre Brown, people forgot about how good he was as a high school senior. He's 6-1, 230 pounds and he runs very fast. Both of those guys are extremely strong and big weight lifters. They have to be able to get an opportunity. See, T.A. McLendon got an opportunity when he came in here with all of those great credentials. There wasn't four other people of his magnitude when he got here. He took advantage of it. Competition will be good. You know what? They all love it.

Question: Tramain Hall guaranteed that he would get a lot more touches next year. Is the new offense more conducive to his kind of skills?

AMATO: Time will tell. You have to get the ball to your playmakers, and obviously, he is a playmaker.

Question: Did the North Carolina game change the way you thought on instant replay?

AMATO: That game had nothing to do with what I thought on it. I have always felt it was good to have. I could mention four other games last year... It was inevitable that it was going to come after the Big Ten went to it. We are all trying to get the best call made. Nobody wants to have a call their way if it is not right. I don't think anyone would admit to that. The guy upstairs isn't going to question every play. There are only certain plays he can question. Not everything will be correct. We will all still have a tape we will send into the commissioner's office on Monday or Tuesday. But it will be smaller.

Question: The "guy upstairs": Are you talking about God or the official? Or is that the same thing?

AMATO: I know this: I don't think God would be an official, and if He was, I would like to have seven of Him officiating the game, because they would never make a mistake.

Question: Is Tramain Hall one of the most versatile players you have ever coach?

AMATO: Yes. His size permits him to be a running back all day long. He's a pretty good running back. He is quick and he can make people miss. If you can take advantage of that fact and get him the ball in a hurry. We have seen it in some very big games. Last year, a lot had to do with him not being healthy. Tramain was hurt. We go out in the Miami game and he can hardly walk. He played seven or eight snaps in that game. It's hard to get a kid a touch when he is hurt on the sideline. We know what he can do.

Question: Coach, Leroy Harris, what makes him a special player?

AMATO: He is a kid who was a wrestler, which shows he was not afraid to compete one-on-one. On the offensive and defensive line anymore, all it is is the WWF. It's pushing and pulling. I say it in jest, but I mean it. Wrestling is nothing but pushing and pulling and using someone's weight against him. It's leverage and hands. Leroy has been accustomed to that. He has balanced and he is strong. He is a competitor. If you had a whole bunch of him, you would be in good shape.

Question: Defensive tackle John McCargo is someone else who doesn't get a whole lot of attention because of the other guys on the defensive line. What can you say about his abilities?

AMATO: He's finally learning to practice harder than when he first got there. John is a skilled person. He was a fullback in high school and a little linebacker. That's what I liked about him. I like kids who play like that. I don't care how tall they are. They don't have to be 6-5 and 300 or 400 pounds. Quickness and speed are what I look for. There are bodies falling all over them in there. Some guys are big and strong, but they have no balance and they are always on their hands and knees and you can't play defense on your hands and knees. John is always on his feet. He is learning to practice harder, and therefore he will play harder.

Question: Do you think Jay got a bad rap last year?

AMATO: I don't think there is any question about it. There is too much attention on the quarterback when you win and when you lose. It is a team game. Like after I said after the regular season was over last year - not the bowl season - Jay was the second-leading passer in the ACC. What are you going to do? There are many games he was able to put us in position to win. If he was that bad, he wouldn't have been able to do that. Maybe he didn't this win or that, but there is more to it than that. When we got decimated up front on our offensive line, that really hurt him.

Question: Are you impressed with how he has handled it?

AMATO: Yes I am. Jay is a tough kid. His dad was a coach. Jay walked into press conferences last year and said "Point the finger at me." Sometimes he took too much of the blame. It takes a special person with good character to take the blame like that. I really think he is going to have a good year this year.

Contact Tim Peeler at tim_peeler@ncsu.edu.

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