The NC State football team salvaged its season on Friday, beating UNC-Chapel Hill 28-21 in a game that gave every Wolfpack fan a heart attack. The Wolfpack raced out to a 21-0 lead and then held on for dear life as the Tar Heels battled back to make it a close game. In the end, the Wolfpack claimed its second victory over UNC-Chapel Hill in head coach Dave Doeren’s tenure, with both coming on the road.
Here’s what we learned from an action-packed holiday weekend.
1. NC State is going bowling
For the third-straight season, the Wolfpack is going to a bowl game. After flirting with disaster, the Pack ultimately earned its sixth win to reach bowl eligibility and all the perks that come with it.
The Wolfpack will be slated in a second-tier bowl with Boston College and Wake Forest, and will play in either the Military Bowl, Independence Bowl or Quick Lane Bowl. The sixth win brings with it extra practices and a chance for the young players to get more experience.
It will also bring Wolfpack fans one last chance to see players like senior Matt Dayes in action before they leave for graduation.
2. Doeren keeps his job
The win over UNC probably didn’t save Doeren’s job, as Athletics Director Debbie Yow seemed committed to bringing him back either way, but Doeren did himself a favor by beating the Tar Heels and securing a six-win season.
The embattled coach was officially given another year by Yow on Saturday in a statement released by the university and will undoubtedly be under immense pressure to win next season or the cries for his job will reach an incredibly high decibel.
Luckily for Doeren, his 2017 squad may be his most talented yet, and we will all have to wait another year to see if Doeren can once again survive in Raleigh.
3. Kicking and time management woes
The Wolfpack botched the end of the first half, as it went for a field goal instead of being aggressive and trying for the touchdown. Maybe not a terrible decision under ordinary circumstances, just a debatable one. However, with NC State’s kickers, you have to be aggressive and try to put six on the board.
Graduate transfer Connor Haskins predictably missed, and the Wolfpack gained no points from the opportunity. Doeren didn’t learn from past games and once again made a critical mistake that opened the door for the Tar Heels to try and get back into the game.
4. Run game comes through
The run game behind Dayes ultimately was the deciding factor in the football game. The Wolfpack ran for 259 yards and three touchdowns against the Tar Heels defense.
Dayes accounted for 104 of those yards and two touchdowns, showing why he is such a difference maker in this NC State offense.
Sophomores Reggie Gallaspy and Jalan McClendon also got in on the action as well though, adding a combined 108 yards. Junior tight end Jaylen Samuels accounted for the other rushing touchdown.
The Wolfpack offense is incredibly dynamic when it spreads the ball around to several of its playmakers and the addition of a bruiser like Gallaspy was a nice change of pace in the offense. The Pack dictated the tempo and physicality of the game by owning the ground game, a recipe that the Wolfpack should continue to use to find success.
