RedHawk gridiron spotlight
Column: The Red Zone
Clinton Yates, Senior Staff Writer
Issue date: 4/15/05 Section: Sports
Tonight's spring game under the lights for RedHawk football is possibly the most fantastic thing that has happened on this campus, gridiron-wise, since Benjamin left.
My boy Shane Montgomery has found himself a gem of a way to get his new tenure started.
For the record, Shane is a stud.
We're not talking about some journeyman football guy who finally got his comeuppance as a head coach. We're talking about a guy who was the quarterback of a 1989 North Carolina State Wolfpack squad that was highly ranked and played in the inaugural Copper Bowl. We're talking about a guy who is definitely in the discussion when speaking about all-time great ACC quarterbacks, and that includes another guy who went to his alma mater by the name of Philip Rivers.
Shane's got all types of numbers on his career, but the few that stand out for the purposes of RedHawks fans are simple. He's got the Wolfpack record for most passing yards in a game with 535, on 37 for 73 passing. Both of those last two are records as well, with the latter actually being the NCAA all-time record. He also had one 500-yard game (535), two 400-yard games (468, 402), and one 300-yard game in his career (312).
The reason I mention all of this is simple. This guy knows a thing or two about throwing the football. Don't think that Ben's development, and the wild success of the Midwest Coast offense wasn't largely due in part to what Shane contributed as a coordinator.
With the return of wide receiver Martin Nance, and quarterback Josh Betts now having a full season under his belt as the signal caller, tonight's Red and White game could be the first vestiges RedHawks fans get of what is to become a potent aerial attack.
As for the overall idea of the Friday Night Lights setup for the spring game, I am wildly impressed by the athletic department's creativity on this one. Between all the apparent controversy surrounding the attendance situation last year, athletic director Brad Bates might be able to put his 'letter to the student body' quill away for quite some time if he decides to take my idea to the house.
My boy Shane Montgomery has found himself a gem of a way to get his new tenure started.
For the record, Shane is a stud.
We're not talking about some journeyman football guy who finally got his comeuppance as a head coach. We're talking about a guy who was the quarterback of a 1989 North Carolina State Wolfpack squad that was highly ranked and played in the inaugural Copper Bowl. We're talking about a guy who is definitely in the discussion when speaking about all-time great ACC quarterbacks, and that includes another guy who went to his alma mater by the name of Philip Rivers.
Shane's got all types of numbers on his career, but the few that stand out for the purposes of RedHawks fans are simple. He's got the Wolfpack record for most passing yards in a game with 535, on 37 for 73 passing. Both of those last two are records as well, with the latter actually being the NCAA all-time record. He also had one 500-yard game (535), two 400-yard games (468, 402), and one 300-yard game in his career (312).
The reason I mention all of this is simple. This guy knows a thing or two about throwing the football. Don't think that Ben's development, and the wild success of the Midwest Coast offense wasn't largely due in part to what Shane contributed as a coordinator.
With the return of wide receiver Martin Nance, and quarterback Josh Betts now having a full season under his belt as the signal caller, tonight's Red and White game could be the first vestiges RedHawks fans get of what is to become a potent aerial attack.
As for the overall idea of the Friday Night Lights setup for the spring game, I am wildly impressed by the athletic department's creativity on this one. Between all the apparent controversy surrounding the attendance situation last year, athletic director Brad Bates might be able to put his 'letter to the student body' quill away for quite some time if he decides to take my idea to the house.
