The Wolfpack offense faced a tough task when it traveled to Blacksburg for Saturday’s game against Virginia Tech. The Hokie defense entered the game first in the conference against the pass and second in scoring defense. Facing such a strong defense, the offense had its work cut out for it, and this was before it found it would be playing without its offensive coordinator, Dana Bible.

Bible told coach Tom O’Brien Friday his doctor had recommended he not make the trip, and nothing more was said about Bible’s condition. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson said running backs coach Jason Swepson, who called the plays with Bible unavailable, did a nice job filling in on short notice.

“I don’t think that we had too many difficulties,” Wilson said. “I know it’s different not having your offensive coordinator there, but coach Swepson and coach O’Brien did a great job calling the plays. Them together, they did a great job. We got off schedule there with a few of those fumbles. That really hurt us, but I think [Swepson] did a great job.”

Whether or not his absence was the reason no one will ever know, but the Pack offense stumbled without Bible. The 10 point scoring output was 10 points less than the offense had scored in any game since the season opener against South Carolina. State recorded just 12 first downs, gained 259 yards of total offense and gave up four turnovers and six sacks.

Two weeks ago against the Tigers, in a game in which the offense recorded its lowest point total since September, the Pack had 26 first downs, more than double the 12 it recorded against Virginia Tech, and 377 yards of total offense, 118 more than it gained against Tech.

A big reason for the offense’s struggles was how it came out of the gates. State fumbled the football on three of its first four offensive plays, two of which the Hokies recovered in Wolfpack territory.

“It’s no excuse for the three fumbles we had by wide receivers,” O’Brien said. “That was just bad football on our part. I can’t tell you how bad it is. It’s just bad football and it put our defense in really bad positions.”

While the four turnovers hurt the Pack, so too did the Virginia Tech pass rush. Wilson and redshirt freshman quarterback Mike Glennon were sacked a total of six times, with both getting dropped for losses on their first snaps of the game. Wilson was blindsided on the Pack’s first offensive snap and fumbled, while Glennon came in late in the fourth quarter and was promptly drilled in the chin the first time he dropped back to throw.

“Coach was like, ‘Just be prepared for the blitzkrieg out there,’ so to speak,” redshirt senior right tackle Jeraill McCuller said. “A lot of the sacks, the guys came through simply because they dialed up the right blitzes and they came on the back side, the opposite way. We were just blocking in one direction and they were bringing the pressure from the other side.

“That was the most blitzing we’ve faced all year. They were constantly bringing eight and nine guys. It just was a tough day, for real.”