Renner, not Wilson, ratched up pressure for Glennon
Sep 6, 2011
The first Saturday of college football in the Triangle was all about silencing the hand-wringing doubters. Duke set out to prove they're an improved team capable of making a bowl this year. Tom O'Brien and Mike Glennon wanted a strong retort to all the Russell Wilson talk. Bryn Renner had to show he was the "real deal" so many talked about last year, capable of leading North Carolina in their post Butch Davis era.
Renner had a successful first go of it. Everyone else? Not so much.
The stats are old news by now. Renner threw for 277 yards, threw two touchdowns and rushed for another as the Tar Heels disposed of James Madison 42-10. More impressive, he completed 22 of 23 passes and his 95.7% completion rate an ACC record. Technically none of his throws hit the ground as his one "incomplete" was actually an interception.
For all the talk of Russell Wilson last week, for which I'm guilty of running into the ground for the sake of over-the-top satire, it was Renner's performance earlier in the day that set the comparison standard for Glennon's NC State debut. Unlike Wisconsin, the Wolfpack actually compete with the Tar Heels. Cubicle smack talk about Wilson can be diffused by simply saying you're rooting for the former starter. Renner and Glennon? That's an arms race, figuratively and literally, with an eventual showdown in November.
Glennon finished 18-of-31 for 156 yards and a touchdown. It was an underwhelming debut and even he admits to forcing matters early on in the game. However, NC State's lackluster win over Liberty wasn't all about Glennon. The offensive line certainly didn't help as he was sacked four times and the Wolfpack's wide receiving group is a work in progress.
Football is a quirky sport where fans obsess over the last thing they saw. It's the nature of a 12 game season with no playoff. Because of that, it's understandable to hear some Chicken Little ramblings. But it's just that - ramblings. Let's see how the season plays out. For everyone.
Most Recent Comments
RE: Renner, not Wilson, ratched up pressure for Glennon
NC State, in my opinion, made a HUGE mistake by not working with Russell. He didn't have to make Spring practice in Wisconsin, and now, he will be a Heiseman candidate. The season will certainly tell if they did or did not make a bad mistake.Posted Sep 7, 12:48 p.m.
Rank: Sports Legend Posts: 1097
Joined: Jan, 2008
Location: Raleigh, NC
RE: Renner, not Wilson, ratched up pressure for Glennon
- Posted by cutclifferulesI disagree with the premise. There is no pressure on Glennon, at least not any more than the standard pressure to win that EVERY quarterback faces.- Posted by TruthBKnown Left The Building
Eventually this topic will die out. The sooner the better.
Good grief, TBK. Your obsessive allegiance once again makes dumb sh__ come out of your mouth.
It's not a sign of weakness to simply acknowledge that there's extra pressure on Glennon compared to most QBs. Don't be such a little b__ch about it.
Agreed. TBK is incapable of being unbiased, which leads to him spewing nonsense most of the time.
RE: Renner, not Wilson, ratched up pressure for Glennon
I disagree with the premise. There is no pressure on Glennon, at least not any more than the standard pressure to win that EVERY quarterback faces.- Posted by TruthBKnown Left The Building
Eventually this topic will die out. The sooner the better.
Good grief, TBK. Your obsessive allegiance once again makes dumb sh__ come out of your mouth.
It's not a sign of weakness to simply acknowledge that there's extra pressure on Glennon compared to most QBs. Don't be such a little b__ch about it.
Posted Sep 7, 10:52 a.m.
Rank: Bench Warmer Posts: 35
Joined: May, 2008
Location: Wake Forest, NC
RE: Renner, not Wilson, ratched up pressure for Glennon
Haven't read all the comments, but I'll add my 2 cents...1) LOL at the folks arguing which FCS team, JMU or LU, is better. I guess that will be borne out in a couple weeks when they play each other :).
2) Anyone who things that Glennon is not under any more pressure than any other quarterback is fooling themselves. He's in a very unique -- perhaps unprecedented -- situation. I don't care how much Glennon or TOB downplay the pressure, it's there.
3) That being said, I don't think any UNC fan should put much stock in Renner's performance against JMU, just like State fans shouldn't put much stock in Glennon's performance against LU. This week should provide more of a test for both.
4) And Ovies -- there's no such word as "Ratched"...I think the word you were looking for is "Ratcheted"
Posted Sep 7, 10:43 a.m.
Rank: Sports Legend Posts: 998
Joined: Apr, 2008
Location: Wilmington, NC
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First game for both QB's. Too early to make judgements.- Posted by wjuliang
I also agree. First start for each QB, there is no way to tell how the seasons will play out. Both face increased competition this week, so we should know a whole lot more after Saturday.
