Some good news from the N&O this morning:

N.C. State linebacker Nate Irving's surgery was successful and went as expected on Sunday after he suffered a broken leg and collapsed lung in a car crash early Sunday morning, school sports information director Annabelle Myers said Monday morning.

More details about the accident are here.  It sounds like Irving may have dozed off briefly,  overcorrected when he caught himself going off the highway, and ended up in some trees.

Now that we know that he's going to be okay, and that his surgery went well, the question is: what's his timetable?  The two months his leg is going to need in order to heal will take us right up to the opener, and then he starts the process of getting himself back in playing shape.  While discussing the injury on Pack Pride Radio, James Henderson said he thought the best-case scenario was a mid-season return.  That's pretty much what I figured when I first read about the extent of his injuries, not that I speak with any sort of authority on the subject.

At least the program is in a better position to go on without his services than it was a year ago, in terms of the LB personnel on hand.  It's also nice to know that we've got an offense that, for the first time in a while, is going to be able to score enough points to cover for the defense when necessary.  Besides, if we all panic now, where's that leave us when the inevitable setbacks occur in fall camp?

Get well, Nate.  I miss you already.