Wolfpack offense decimates KU

By Ryan Wood     Dec 23, 2003

? Who knows how many players the Kansas University football team would have needed on the field to stop North Carolina State’s high-powered offense Monday.

But it was clear after N.C. State’s 56-26 victory in the Tangerine Bowl that 11 wasn’t enough.

With five wide-receiver threats going out nearly every play, KU was reluctant to blitz often. With Philip Rivers, one of the most dangerous quarterbacks in college football, taking the snaps for the Wolfpack, KU couldn’t allow him time to look downfield.

It was a Catch-22 for the Jayhawks, and 653 yards of total offense for N.C. State was the painful proof. There was just no stopping the Wolfpack.

“We were clicking on all cylinders,” Rivers said. “It was a lot of fun out there.”

Rivers was 37-of-45 passing for 475 yards. His favorite target Monday, like most of his career, was Jerricho Cotchery. The senior caught 13 passes for 171 yards, both Tangerine Bowl records. His college career came to an end with 200 receptions and more than 3,000 receiving yards. He’s the second wideout in ACC history to record such numbers; Florida State’s Peter Warrick was the other.

Cotchery knew of one mark he was closing in on, but the numerous others blindsided him.

“The only record I was aware of was tying the record for most consecutive games with a completion,” said Cotchery, who did match an N.C. State mark with a catch in 38 straight games. “When they started bringing up all the other records, it started getting me a little nervous. I haven’t gotten butterflies since my first game at N.C. State.”

He might have been nervous, but Cotchery’s talent did wonders in covering up the butterflies. The Rivers-to-Cotchery connection always was reliable for the Wolfpack. Together, the two combined to break seven Tangerine Bowl records. Four other Tangerine Bowl team records were shattered, too.

“We’ve got a lot of people Philip can scatter it to,” N.C. State coach Chuck Amato said. “When Philip has the time, he’s going to hurt just about everybody.”

Without a doubt, KU’s defense left the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium battered and bruised. It was a night of defensive futility for the Jayhawks, but most of the blame — or credit, in this case — can go to the Wolfpack, who never were short on weapons and who never had trouble moving the ball downfield, no matter what KU threw their way.

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