-- In this Q&A, Mike Archer says that CJ Wilson and Rashard Smith were good but "they weren't good enough." That's the theme throughout.  Even with the typical first-game missed assignments and missed tackles, the defense did a significantly better job containing South Carolina than it did a year ago.  USC managed 5.3 yards per play in last year's opener, just 4.0 this year.

Archer also points out that Earl Wolff was on the field for just 15 plays but still managed seven tackles.  Strong work.

-- It's not a bad time to have two I-AA opponents on the schedule, especially since the football team hasn't been a game over .500 since 2006 (!). 

-- More than three million viewers tuned in to watch the game last Thursday.  Again, we're sorry, America.

-- Men's soccer cracked the top 25 this week and they've got a big opportunity to prove themselves against UNC on Saturday.  If it turns out they put together a good season and sustain that success going forward, I'll be the first person in line to apologize to George Tarantini.  But as far as sustained success goes, I have my doubts. Unrelated: I really dig the Pack's jerseys and would love to get my hands on one, but I'm going to assume they aren't sold anywhere.

-- Two links and some last words (maybe) on the Airiel Down fight song fiasco.  James has a great take on this issue specifically and the general musical trend in and around college football. (Also, I'm with commenter John: should've brought in the Tesh to do this thing.)  WKNC's Adam Kincaid put together a nice rant on the subject:

As those who follow all of the amazing bands in the Triangle know, we have some truly unbelievably talented bands and musicians in our area and while I hate to disparage any local band, Airiel Down is not among them. As someone who spends a great deal of time promoting the good local bands that play in our area and the amount of fantastic music that our local artists create, to have the university I attend choose one that is as strepitous as Airiel Down is not only a slap in the face to myself, the football team, and the entire student body but most importantly the local music scene here in the area that we all cherish and try to support. Here I am: a student at NCSU, local music director on the student-run radio station, and a knowledgeable local music supporter. I could have suggested 25 other bands that would have fit the same genre mold but accomplished significantly more in any realm the marketing department was trying to reach before Airiel Down. All those in charge had to do was reach out to me and ask. To have a band like this represent anything that I genuinely care about is a mockery and a shame for what I stand for and support.

The scene here really is fantastic, but clearly the sports marketing department was only interested in an act that was homogenized enough for their purposes.  I'll never understand why they had to sexify the fight song, though.  If you're going to hire these clowns, at least charge them with writing an original tune like the one they did for the Hurricanes.  It would still suck something large but at least they wouldn't be treading on a classic.

-- Football Outsiders assigns point values to turnovers and takes a look at how those values even out year-to-year.