NC State

We all know how it feels when your body fails you. Most of us are not exactly in our prime anymore, and we spend way too much time sharing medical information with each other, as various systems that were infallible a decade ago suddenly break down. Wouldn't it be great if we had little stickers nearby - like our oil change reminder in the corner of our windshield - to let us know when a particular body part is due for a tuneup. Well, our entire football team needed a tuneup this week. 

The crowd was not exactly capacity after a 45 degree downpour greeted the locals, and maybe discouraging any fenceriders who thought of leaving their warm homes and attending this tilt. Well, obviously the fans were not the only ones under the weather. We tailgate right next to the spot where the team starts their walk through the chanting band and cheerleaders, and there was some valid concern with the wife that we needed to help bolster the greeting crowd, or the lack of fans might discourage the squad. The team exited the bus and looked like a group who as a collective needed a Red Bull IV drip. We had heard about how the flu had ravaged the campus and the team, but I swear you could see it on the entire suit group that was moping into Doak early Saturday afternoon. It was an audition for the Walking Dead - college edition. We won the role easily.

When I heard that Jordan was out, and then saw that we were also down a few lineman, any glimmer of hope I had coming in was on hold with the university medical center waiting for an appointment. I left a message. Unfortunately, Milton did not disavow my dire expectations. He is indeed a great story, but that story is 0-4 as a Nole starter, and he is simply not a good enough athlete anymore or even quarterback to be an effective collegiate qb. Thank you Chubba for leaving your teammates holding bloody meat while the wolfpack are in town. We all want to bury the coaching gameplan in the first half, but what would you do as a headset-wearing highly paid dude in a box? They are giving you 6 to 7 yards on every quick out. McKenzie threw at least 3 balls too high to take this gimme, and Pokey dropped literally every ball tossed at him. Throw to your backs on short curls? Absolutely, except your tiny dancer of a quarterback could not see Tina Turner over his line, and consistently missed Corbin and Ward who were were wide open. We even had a half dozen bad snaps to make it even more interesting. So, you try and run your base offense which relies on a qb that can actually keep it on the zone read. He can't. It is and was a mess. Under 80 yards and 3 first downs and yet somehow we were still in it at the half. 

The head coach decided that he was not going to lose the special teams battle for the 8th straight week. He called a brilliant momentum grabbing onside kick and your kicker made a linebacker rolling recovery play to give the home crowd their first reason to cheer. Then inexplicably, Milton completes all the aforementioned throws that he missed in the first half. Helton makes two absolutely ridiculous plays and Watson the game is afoot. The defense which had the crowd in full throat - gives up an answering TD in about 3 plays. But, not to worry, this crazy prolific offensive juggernaut is not done. Another quick score and we head to the forth inexplicably still in touch. Don't get me wrong, what is normally a sideline full of energy in a game like this was still one click North of a morgue. The kids that got IV's at the half were running out of Powerade, and the healthy were approaching exhaustion. It was surreal. Eventually, and inevitably, the better team won. It is tough to admit that the talent gap is real - even with a forever middling ACC program like NC State, but that's the facts Jack. 

This team plays hard, believes in each other and responds to adversity just like any fan would want. That is a credit to the coaches, but these same coaches let their kids down a few times this week. When you are on a game tying drive and grab 9 on first down, and see a three down set with no linebacker within 4 yards of the line, you don't throw it - twice. You have a 9th year senior qb out there, and he should check out of that redonk call if it came in from the bench. Then, with 8 minutes left and having taken the ball from your 1 out to the 42, you punt with 4 yards to get. The Pack was one first down from icing the game if you fail, and 8 first downs away if you let your Aussie mullet send em deep. Well, we made the wrong call, and the game was over. Again, I would rather have a head man who is aggressive than not. When he has the talent to justify the confidence, it will be fun. But right now, taking all these chances is making us pass go, collect nothing and head directly to jail. I will point out we had two penalties all day, and they were both on special teams. The culture and the base is built. Just need some dudes.

The defensive line is indisputably the strength of this defense, and even though he had consecutive sacks on one series, Kier Thomas best play may have been being shot by a sniper and allowing the incompetent ACC crew to revisit the previous play (and overturn it to force a punt). Jermaine is being triple teamed now, and that is allowing the young guns in the middle to make some noise (Melvin Ray is just channeling Odell). But, his influence might go past this season in how he carries himself. On multiple occasions, guys wearing the wrong colors hit him after the whistle. He shrugs it all off and never retaliates.  When asked this week if he will be tempted to opt out later in the season - he asked "Why - I owe Coach Norvell everything for taking a chance on me?". He made a business decision to leave the absolute best roster and defense in the country where he was a key cog, and come to a mess of a football program. Result - a day one draft pick and unrivaled leadership for a bunch of younguns. Thank you #11.

Unfortunately, the defensive news was not all good this week. In addition to a coordinator that just insists on soft coverage,  the car repair service of Dent and Jones put on a clinic taking bad angles and using weak arm tackles. Brownlee and Knowles are playing well, but they need some help and the sideline making passive calls is not helping. Even though this unit has played fairly well over the last 6 weeks, I don't think that Fuller is out of the woods as an offseason replacement candidate.

It is nice that Miami and BC have fixed their quarterback issues before facing the Noles, but as the head coach answered postgame flu questions with the no excuses answer, the same can be said for the last three games this year. The last home game of the season next weekend might have more recruits than fans but the play on the field needs to impress those high schoolers. On Senior day, we need a bunch of new quality seniors to say yes to the garnet and gold. I am hoping the bug that devastated the team this week leaves (although if it decided to settle in Coral Gables, I would not be mad), and a healthy Nole squad can give us a home sendoff worthy of the effort delivered by these outmanned kids all season. Enjoy your week and see you at Doak for the finale next Saturday!