Only four games remain in head coach Dave Doeren’s first season with the Wolfpack, and despite its struggles, it is still possible for the N.C. State football team to secure a bowl bid.
It is possible but not likely. The Pack, currently mired in a four-game losing streak, has to win three of its last four games to become bowl eligible. Would I like it to happen? Yes. Do I think it will happen? No.
State has not won a game since its 48-14 win against Central Michigan in Raleigh on Sept. 28, and it has not put up more than 19 points in a contest since. The team has yet to win a road game and has not beaten a team with a winning record this season.
Simply put, this team has given no reason to believe that it can win three of the final four based on its recent performance.
The last four games consist of trips to Duke and Boston College followed by home games against East Carolina and Maryland. State opened as a 10-point underdog to the Blue Devils and will likely not be favored to win any of the following games.
The Pack had trouble last Saturday against UNC-Chapel Hill’s dual-quarterback system of Bryn Renner and Marquise Williams. When the Packs travels to Duke this weekend, it will have to face another dangerous pair as well in Anthony Boone and Brandon Connette.
These aren’t your older brother’s Duke Blue Devils either. Duke head football coach David Cutcliffe turned longtime ACC doormat into a respectable program. Duke will be going to a bowl game for the second straight season. As a matter of fact, none of State’s final four opponents have a sub-.500 record.
BC, ECU and Maryland are not slouches. The Eagles, which State faces after Duke, defeated ACC Coastal Division contender Virginia Tech last week. The Pirates mauled the same UNC team that stole a win in Raleigh earlier this season. The Terrapins have cooled off after a fast start and lost top offensive threat Stefon Diggs for the season on Oct. 20 and may represent State’s best remaining chance for a win this season, but even that is far from a guarantee.
Another area in which the Wolfpack struggled against Carolina was sustaining and finishing drives. State’s only touchdown came on a short field after an interception by sophomore cornerback Juston Burris. On three other occasions when the Pack reached the red zone, it had to settle for field goals.
That may work against Richmond, but it isn’t going to work in the ACC. Bowl teams score touchdowns not field goals.
The Pack’s offense has struggled to find an identity all season long. Losing starting graduate student quarterback Brandon Mitchell for the first half of the season didn’t help.There’s no consistency with this offense. A week and a half ago against Florida State, Mitchell didn’t do much running. Last Saturday, Doeren relied on Mitchell to produce on the ground.
Until the Pack shows that it can play consistently well and maintain a team identity, they will not be able to rise to the next level that State fans have long hoped for.
Maybe next year, Wolfpack Nation—Maybe next year.
