Halfway into the football season, Technician grades the team’s performance and analyzes where it stands in the ACC.

N.C . State (3-3, 0-2 ACC)

Offense: C+

With the graduation of Owen Spencer and Jarvis Williams, injury to Mustafa Greene and the transfer of Russell Wilson to Wisconsin, the offense has perhaps been hit the hardest when it comes down to finding new personnel. With State ranked 95th in the nation in rushing offense, 36th in passing and 40th in scoring offense, it raises many eyebrows considering the team was ranked in the top-25 last year. While quarterback Mike Glennon has slowly started to fill the void left by Russell Wilson, the offensive line has been a big let down with Glennon being sacked 17 times in just 6 games. Although James Washington, Curtis Underwood and T.J . Graham have stepped up, they have been far from consistent and have left a lot to be desired.

Defense: C-

Sometimes numbers are not enough to represent a problem. With the departure of Nate Irving, the defense has lost a leader. Even though Earl Wolff and Audie Cole have rallied the troops in the absence of captain J.R . Sweezy , who after fracturing his foot has missed most of the season thus far, using three different starting combinations on the defensive line in five games hasn’t helped the team attain the consistency it should have after most of the players returned from last season. The defense has given up 412 yards per game and ranks 88th in the nation which is a far cry from the 32nd position it attained at the end of last season. Despite the disappointment, the brightest spot has been the emergence of David Amerson who leads the nation with six interceptions.

Tom O’Brien: C

After making a brave, well-publicized decision to award Mike  Glennon  the starting quarterback job, the man who guided the team to a 9-4 record last year has seen a total turnaround in 2011. With defensive coordinator Mike Archer not helping his cause with a defense that has leaked 412 yards a game, O’Brien has struggled to make the team click. The lengthy absence of defensive captain  J.R .  Sweezy  and the inconsistent performance of offensive captain George Bryan has only worsened the Pack’s fortunes. Smothered with injuries and inconsistent play, the lack of depth on O’Brien’s team has proven to be a major hurdle for the program during most of the past five years. His seat is surely hot and his star may soon fade from Raleigh if the team keeps performing at the current level.

Special Teams: B+

Niklas Sade and Will Baumann , ranked No. 3 for both kicking and punting in the nation from the class of 2011, have lived up to their reputations. Sade has converted 24 of 26 extra points and 4 of 6 field goals while Baumann is punting at an average of 38.9 yards per attempt. T.J . Graham carried off from where he left last year and is currently second in the nation for all-purpose yards.

The Good:

David Amerson :

Sophomore defensive back David Amerson has been one of the few shining lights for the Pack this season. Having seen time in every game last year, this has surely been the year when he has stepped out of the shadows and made a name for himself. With six interceptions so far, Amerson has the most picks of any Pack player in the past 13 years with six games left to play. Amerson has been the cornerstone for a defense that otherwise might have resulted in more humiliation for the Pack defense, which has been torn apart this season by most of the teams they have faced so far.

Mike Glennon :

Filling the shoes of a quarterback who had over 3500 yards of passing and over 650 yards of rushing last season can be a big task for anyone, especially when the shoes belong to the former face of Wolfpack football, Russell Wilson. Having faced extreme pressure from fans and media, Glennon has shrugged off any doubts people might have had about him by posting some solid numbers. With 1486 yards and 16 touchdowns this season, Glennon is one of the best first-year starters in the nation despite a poor offensive line that hasn’t helped his cause.

The Bad:

Offensive linemen:

One of the most crucial components to any football team, the offensive line is the vital piece to the jigsaw puzzle that buys time for the quarterback. Unfortunately for Glennon , his offensive linemen have let him down. Ranked No. 108 in the country for total sacks allowed per game, to say the unit has been poor would be an understatement. Despite three of five starters returning from last year, the group has failed to gel and a lot of hard work is required before it’s performance can even be considered satisfactory.

Injuries:

More than anything else, injuries have taken the biggest toll on the team. Perhaps the biggest story, with regards to injuries, has been the loss of sophomore Mustafa Greene, who was the team’s leading rusher last season and has now been declared out for the entire season. With players like team captain J.R . Sweezy , starting defensive end Jeff Rieskamp , projected starting cornerback Jarvis Byrd, backup middle linebacker Sterling Lucas, backup defensive tackle Thomas Teal and linebacker Terrell Manning among the defensive players missing huge chunks of the season, the team has struggled to contain opposing offenses. With recent injuries to halfback Curtis Underwood and defensive tackle Brian Slay, the team’s depth will continue to be tested over the last half of the season.