In May, we started a countdown to NC State football's season and ACC opener against Louisville, a game that was originally scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3.

In mid-June, the game was moved up a day to Wednesday, Sept. 2 in order to not conflict with the Kentucky Derby which was postponed from the traditional first Saturday in May to Saturday, Sept. 5 over Labor Day weekend.

Today, July 2 marks 62 days from the Wolfpack's season opener, for now.

Each day, The Wolfpacker will do a countdown to the season with a reflection on the significance of that number to NC State.

Bob Blanchard was an NC State offensive lineman from 1972-1974 during former Wolfpack head coach Lou Holtz's first three seasons.

In 1974, Blanchard was named a first-team All-ACC guard on a Pack team that finished the season ranked No. 9 in the coaches poll and No. 11 in the Associated Press.

That year, the Wolfpack finished 9-2-1 (4-2 in the ACC) ending the season with a 31-31 tie against Houston in the Astro-Bluebonnet Bowl played in the Houston Astrodome. NC State's highlight win of the season was a 12-7 victory over No. 7 Penn State in Carter Stadium which catapulted the Pack back into the national rankings after losing two of its prior three games.

The year prior, Blanchard played on the 1973 ACC Championship team that is considered one of the best in school history. That season, the Wolfpack finished the year 9-3 overall with a perfect 6-0 record in the conference slate. The lone losses that season were road games at No. 2 Nebraska, Georgia and No. 6 Penn State.

One more #62: In 1997, Torry Holt broke the then-school record for receptions in a single season with 62 catches for 1,099 yards in his junior season. The previous record to that point was held by Naz Worthen's 55 receptions in 1988. Holt became the first player in NC State history that season to have 1,000 receiving yards in a single season.

Holt quickly shattered his own record in his senior season in 1998 when he broke the school and ACC single-season reception record with 88 for 1,604 yards. He was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year and was a consensus first-team All-American. Holt's school record of 88 receptions in a season still stands 22 years later at NC State.

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