Entering his third year as head coach at N.C. State, Chuck Amato has elevated the Wolfpack program, which now can match Florida State's speed at some positions. But they can't yet be talked about in the same breath as the Seminoles.

	Philip Rivers is entering his third season as the starting QB.

Even though the Wolfpack traveled to Doak Campbell Stadium in Tallahassee last season and defeated FSU 34-28, they don't have the Seminoles' overall personnel base. However, Amato has closed the gap by significantly improving the speed and depth of the Wolfpack, particularly at cornerback.

DEFENSE
N.C. State goes four deep at CB, led by sophomores Marcus Hudson, Greg Golden and Lamont Reid and junior J.J. Washington. At safety, sophomore Andre Maddox proved to be one of the big surprises of the spring, overtaking senior Julius Patterson for the starting strong safety job. Maddox will work next to senior Terrence Holt, who has made his mark already as one of the ACC's top free safeties. With all the talent and depth the Wolfpack have at wide receiver, Amato was able to shift sophomore Troy Graham to free safety, where he will back up Holt.

The Wolfpack also have plenty of pass-rush potential off the edge, an area Amato has stressed since taking over the program. Like corner, they also go four deep at defensive end, headlined by seniors Shawn Price, Terrance Chapman, Drew Wimsatt and George Anderson. Price runs under 4.5 and also ranks as the strongest player on the squad.

Along the interior, a player to keep a close eye on is redshirt freshman Chip Cross. He's one of the ACC's quickest defensive tackles; however, heading into fall practice, he is listed as a backup. Cross is working behind senior Terrance Martin, a dedicated 6-foot-4, 288-pounder. He underwent an emergency appendectomy around midseason last year, yet he was back on the field just 12 days later.

At linebacker, the Wolfpack lost standout Levar Fisher and his 492 career tackles to graduation, but they return the heart and soul of their defensive unit, overachieving 5-10, 230-pound MLB Dantonio Burnette. Junior Roger Pollard, who gained some experience last year filling in when Fisher was injured, takes over at one OLB spot. The Wolfpack also have high hopes for sophomore Pat Thomas. The 6-2, 215-pounder has the speed and athleticism Amato prefers.

OFFENSE
Quarterback Philip Rivers, now a junior, may not have a prototype delivery throwing the football, but the bottom line is that his passes are usually delivered accurately and with precise timing.

Benefitting Rivers will be a host of capable receivers, led by senior Bryan Peterson, junior Jericho Cotchery, as well as sophomores Sterling Hicks, Dovonte Edwards and Chris Murray. Peterson is the primary option for Rivers, with Cotchery providing big-play potential down the field. With so much quickness and open-field running ability at receiver, the Wolfpack will continue to run a nice percentage of flanker screens.

Another receiver to watch is heralded incoming freshman Richard Washington, an athletically gifted 6-1, 175-pounder out of Fort Myers, Fla., who was rated 56th on recruiting guru Tom Lemming's top 100 board.

In the backfield, the Wolfpack will be featuring a new primary ballcarrier due to the graduation loss of Ray Robinson. The RB void opens up an opportunity for highly regarded incoming freshman T.A. McLendon to provide a major impact. Senior Cotra Jackson would be expected to compete for the starting job, but eligibility questions with Jackson won't be answered until the summer-school session is completed in early August. Also in the mix is sophomore Josh Davis, a determined, hard-nosed 5-10, 185-pounder who was ineligible to play last year as a partial qualifier, but was able to showcase his talent in practice.

While Rivers and the plethora of WR talent will steal the headlines in Raleigh, the key to Wolfpack's offensive success figures to be an offensive line that drawn its share of skeptics. However, once the season begins, the line could perform above and beyond what is expected. The reason to be optimistic is the return of bookend OTs Scott Kooistra and Chris Colmer. Only a junior, Colmer appears on the verge of establishing himself as one of the ACC's top tackles.

The big question is how the interior of the Wolfpack line will hold up. Senior OG Shane Riggs saw action last year as a backup, while junior Sean Locklear is attempting to make the successful transition from DT to OG. Sophomore center Jed Paulsen checks in at just 6-2, 275 pounds, but he's a former wrestler who loves to slug it out in the trenches.

OVERVIEW
If the Wolfpack are going to challenge Florida State or have hopes of finishing second in the ACC, the offensive line must come together at the guard and center spots, while the defense needs to show the anticipated improvement.

Rivers is a top-flight gunslinger with plenty of receiving weapons. But here's the big question: Who will provide solid, consistent performances at RB? Will Jackson be available? And if it'ss McLendon, how will a true freshman fare under so much pressure to become the featured back?

Defensively, the Wolfpack should improve behind their speed and depth at both DE and CB. Price appears primed for a big senior year off the edge, while Martin is a solid performer along the inside. Burnette provides All-America play at MLB, but the Wolfpack will need someone to step up at OLB and adequately replace Levar Fisher. In the secondary, the Wolfpack are solid at CB, while Holt should be all over the field from his free safety spot.