Notre Dame is NOT a program defining game for NC State

Over this past week, I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about this weeks game against Notre Dame being a PROGRAM DEFINING game. Can we stop with this!!!! STOP IT!!! One game does not define a program. Did the NC State game versus #4 Florida State in 2012 define the program? Was the 2003 Gator Bowl against Notre Dame a program defining game? Was the NC State win over the #2 Florida State team a program defining game?

The answer to all of these is a resounding NO! What are program defining moments are the hiring of head coaches, coordinators, position coaches and recruiters. What was the PROGRAM defining moment happened last year against the University of North Carolina. THAT was the program defining moment! It allowed Dave Doeren to keep his job! It was THAT win that allowed NC State to keep Dwayne Ledford as offensive line coach. It was THAT win that kept Eliah Drinkwitz as offensive coordinator. It was that win that lured Aaron Henry to Raleigh. If you don’t know who that is, look at this Raleigh News & Observer article about his speeches (http://www.newsobserver.com/sports/college/acc/nc-state/state-now/article179907811.html). After watching that video, tell me, if that guy was in your living room, you could tell him no.

Those are the programming defining moments that have NC State where it is! As fans, I get it. We look forward to top 25 games! We look forward to getting up for the big games against Florida State, Notre Dame, Clemson, and Miami’s of the college football world. However, those are not the program defining moments. NC State is in the midst of a GREAT, even historic season. This game means a lot to the fan base! It does not impact the ACC Atlantic race. Win or lose NC State is atop that division. Next week against Clemson, is a HUGE game! But it isn’t program defining! It will be another Top 25 match up! But if NC State wants to remain a Top 25 program, it better beat on a regular basis East Carolina, Boston College, Wake Forest, Syracuse, and the UNC’s of the world. Which it hasn’t done.

The program defining moments have been the hiring of Dave Doeren. The hiring of Dwayne Ledford, and the finding of Aaron Henry. THESE are the program defining moments that NC State has had. Not 1 game, or 1 season. It takes YEARS to build a program. And once you have that great season, programs don’t fall back to earth the next year. Programs are build on long term, sustained, excellence. One time great seasons, where fan bases say “remember that ’02 team” or “Man if only we beat team X back in whenever.”

NC State is on the verge of becoming a very good to great program. This one game, no matter the outcome, win, loss, or blowout either way will define it. It’s the coaches that are hired and the assistants they find that are the true PROGRAM DEFINING moments…..

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