NC State’s game with Tennessee was supposed to put NC State football on the national map. In Charlotte, NC, with a big crowd, in prime time it turned into a 3.5 hour commercial for Tennessee football. The Vols humiliated the Wolpack 51-10 for the nation to watch.
Dave Doeren has been at NC State since 2013 and he’s made NC State a consistent winner. There are some nice wins over Clemson, but over a decade later we are still waiting for the Wolfpack to win a signature out-of-conference game.
Does a 2016 win over a 4-8 Notre Dame qualify? No…
A 2017 Sun Bowl win over a 7-6 Arizona State? No…
What about 2022 win against 8-5 Texas Tech? Would you call that a signature win?
There hasn’t been a bowl win since 2017.
NC State is in a precarious spot now. Dave Doeren has largely set a floor of 7 wins, and post-season appearances. That’s pretty solid. You’ve beat Clemson 2 of the last 3 years, but this year’s team looks like it could be in trouble.
It’s early in the season, so things can be turned around, but the signs are ominous.
NC State trailed in the 4th quarter to FCS school Western Carolina gave up 120 yards on the ground for a 6.3 yard per rush average. Against Tennessee, it was another 249 yards on the ground for 5.7 yards per rush that the defense gave up.
Physically NC State looked over-matched against the Vols from the start but were still hanging in the game at 10-3 and driving in the 2nd quarter. Grayson McCall threw an ugly pick-6 and the route was on.
The schedule which looked favorable at the start of the year suddenly looks far more dangerous. There is a game at Clemson, Northern Illinois just won at Notre Dame, Syracuse and California look considerably improved. Then you finish on the road at Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
Fighting for a bowl spot is not where NC State should be at with Dave Doeren in year 11.
We’ll see if that happens, but the Wolfpack have now played 6 or 7 really mediocre quarters of football in their first 8 and while Florida State is the league’s most disappointing team, NC State is that discussion too.
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