Wolfpack hungry for a win

North Carolina State desperately needs a win in its Atlantic Coast Conference opener against Boston College Saturday in Raleigh, N.C., to quiet critics after a disappointing 1-2 start.

North Carolina State failed to force Southern Mississippi to punt and allowed 261 yards rushing last Saturday in a 37-17 setback at Hattiesburg, Miss., which followed an embarrassing 20-17 last-second loss at home to Akron.

``I am sure they will be very angry," said BC coach Tom O'Brien, whose team will be looking to improve to 2-0 in ACC play. ``I am not sure that they will be in a state of desperation, but they certainly look at us as a chance to rectify what may not be the best start for them right now, being 1-2.

``It'll be a huge game for them and it better be a huge game for us when we go down there."

Wolfpack coach Chuck Amato confirmed O'Brien's theory.

``We have a new season with the ACC games," Amato said. ``We're going to do everything we can to get involved in this thing. This is the beginning of a new day."

That will be the case for N.C. State in more ways than one, as Amato announced yesterday that sophomore backup Daniel Evans will get the start at quarterback against BC, supplanting junior Marcus Stone, who went 5-1 as a starter last season and threw for a career-high 247 yards against BC last year.

Evans, the son of former Wolfpack quarterback and All-America punter Johnny Evans, came on in the fourth quarter of the Southern Miss. game and threw a touchdown pass on his first drive. He finished the game 8 of 11 for 97 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

``The young man earned it the other day," said Amato. ``I told him if you go out there on the first series and throw an interception I'm not going to pull you. The job is his and we're going to do everything in our power and Marcus is going to do everything in his power to help him."

After going 3-5 in the ACC each of the last two seasons and a combined 12-11 overall, Amato is under siege. During a contentious news conference yesterday, he defended his record.

``Did people criticize Lee Iacocca when he bought Chrysler and brought it from nothing?" said Amato. ``I haven't lost my spark and our kids haven't, either. If we had won both these games and been 3-0, then it would have been, `But you haven't beaten anybody yet.' "

Chances are, the BC defense is still recovering from the 30-23 double-overtime victory over Brigham Young Saturday. The defense was on the field for 90 plays and yielded 547 yards. Entering last weekend, ACC teams had lost 12 straight games when allowing 500 or more yards in a game. That streak ended when BC and North Carolina -- which beat Division 1-AA Furman, 45-42, despite surrendering 521 yards -- both notched victories. ``That's not good for our defense," said BC safety Jamie Silva. ``We know that we can improve immensely. That will be our focus this week -- to keep improving on defense."

Like Amato, University of Miami coach Larry Coker is warding off calls for his firing. The Hurricanes came out and stomped on Louisville's logo before the teams' game Saturday and then proceeded to get stomped by the Cardinals, 31-7, dropping out of the Associated Press rankings for the first time since November 1999. The Hurricanes' only win so far came against Division 1-AA Florida A&M. Still, Miami athletic director Paul Dee told the Miami Herald that Coker's job is not in danger. ``Larry Coker is the head coach of the team and we're looking forward to the rest of the season," Dee said . . . BC quarterback Matt Ryan was named ACC Offensive Backs Player of the Week after throwing for a career-high 356 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner to Tony Gonzalez in the second overtime, in the win over BYU. The junior signal-caller leads the ACC in passing yards (297) and total offense (289.7) per game. It's the second time this season Ryan has won the award.

Expansion was supposed to turn the ACC into a power conference, but three teams -- Miami, North Carolina, and N.C. State -- have recorded their only wins against 1-AA competition . . . Clemson, which lost to BC, 34-33, in double OT because of a blocked extra point, had two more kicking calamities in its 27-20 win over Florida State Saturday night. The Tigers had an extra point blocked and returned for 2 points in the first quarter and then had a field goal blocked and returned for a touchdown in the second quarter.

The Virginia offense has been offensive this season. The Cavaliers, who lost, 17-10, at home to Western Michigan Saturday, have scored just three touchdowns in three games, none longer than 25 yards. Virginia is averaging just 225 yards of total offense, last in the ACC and 112th out of 119 Division 1-A teams . . . Wake Forest, which tackles Ole Miss Saturday, is 3-0 for the first time since 1987. Wake started 5-0 that year on its way to a 7-4 mark.