Facts: N.C . State opened the football season with a 43-21 victory against Liberty University. Mike Glennon threw for 156 yards, turned the ball over once, and was met with criticism from some fans who cheered for Russell Wilson in sports throughout the game.
Opinion: The cheers for Russell Wilson on Saturday were without merit. Mike Glennon performed serviceably against Liberty and we need to give him a chance to prove to us what kind of quarterback he will be before any serious judgment is passed.
On Saturday, N.C . State won their opening against Liberty University 43-21. This game was the first game since the departure of Russell Wilson to Wisconsin and marked the beginning of the Mike Glennon era at quarterback. Despite the 22-point victory, chants of Russell Wilson’s name could be heard throughout Carter-Finley Stadium.
Wilson transferred to Wisconsin after being released from his athletic scholarship after the 2010 season. During his three year tenure at N.C . State, he was a fan favorite. His name would ring throughout tailgates and the stadium on game day. His performance against UNLV Thursday is something every N.C . State fan can take pride in. However, now that he is gone, the cheers for him must leave as well.
The chants of Russell’s name serve no purpose other then to disparage the efforts of Glennon . It is not as if yelling for Russell Wilson will bring him back to N.C . State or encourage Mike Glennon to play better, screaming his name is not constructive criticism. The cheers can only prove detrimental to the football program.
Cheers for Wilson would be understandable, although still not warranted, if Glennon threw for multiple interceptions and was a general liability for the team, but he was not. In Glennon’s first game at quarterback he had 156 yards passing, completing 58 percent of his passes, with one fumble returned for a touchdown. It was his single turnover 1:30 into the second quarter that sparked the calls for Russell with the game still very much in hand. The calls for Wilson were more pronounced here than at any other time during the game.
The immediacy of our reaction to the fumble was without merit as well. Just last year, Wilson had a three game stretch where he threw eight interceptions. Cheers for Daniel Evans or Harrison Beck, the quarterbacks preceding Russell’s tenure, did not emanate from the crowd. Our wealth of prior experience with Wilson at quarterback kept us calm and did not lead us to believe that his poor performance would last.
Glennon does not have the same insulation from criticism that Wilson had. He just became our starting quarterback has not inspired the faith in his play, simply due to his lack of opportunity. Fans made inferences about his future play through little more than a quarter of football. One cannot make inferences from a single data point, Saturday’s game. Some of us did make inferences and judged him prematurely.
Whether the next time you see N.C . State play is this Saturday at Wake Forest or on the 22nd against South Alabama, be sure to give Glennon a chance. He’s yet to build a resume that can be evaluated; much less one that justified the loathing witnessed last Saturday.
