All the progress that the N.C. State football team appeared to have made came to a screeching halt on Saturday in Winston-Salem.
A hungry Wake Forest team turned the tables on the Wolfpack and played the role of predator on its home field, and State now finds itself in the cellar of the ACC Atlantic Division following a 28-13 loss.
What exactly went wrong for the Pack?
For starters, State simply came out flat. It appeared they didn’t want to be out there playing. In the previous game against Central Michigan, State worked hard to establish the running game, getting its running backs as well as receivers involved on the ground.
But against Wake, the Wolfpack rushed for only 115 yards, 60 of them cvoming from junior quarterback Pete Thomas. As the Pack fell behind, it became increasingly reliant on the passing game. That’s not a recipe for success in head coach Dave Doeren’s run-first offense.
Thomas also threw a pair of second-half interceptions, bringing his total to seven through five games. Opening day starter Brandon Mitchell may be ready for next week’s game against Syracuse, meaning Thomas could have started his last game of the season.
Wake Forest senior quarterback Tanner Price looked like the second coming of John Elway against State’s defense, going 24-39 for 268 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for 82 yards and another score. Two of those touchdown passes went to senior receiver Michael Campanaro, who torched State’s secondary for 153 yards.
After taking a 10-7 lead 39 seconds before halftime, State committed one of football’s unforgivable sins–it allowed the Demon Deacons to score right before halftime. What should have been a three-point halftime lead, turned into a four-point deficit. The Pack never recovered from there.
All things considered, the Deacs just bullied the Pack all afternoon long. Wake better than the team that had been blown out 56-7 at Clemson and lost at home to Louisiana-Monroe. They played with more intensity, made fewer mistakes and had a stronger desire to come out with a win.
The Wolfpack played without its leading rusher in freshman running back Matt Dayes.
The Pack also lost two other key contributors in senior receiver Rashard Smith and senior safety Jarvis Byrd during the game.
Injuries, however, are a part of football. Every team in the country has to deal with its players getting hurt, so it’s not an excuse.
Penalties were another issue for State on Saturday. The Pack was flagged eight times against Wake, costing them 74 yards. The Wolfpack also struggled with penalties in its only other loss this season, committing nine against Clemson on Sept. 19.
Doeren has emphasized discipline to his young team all season. Apparently he needs to emphasize it further.
As bad as the game was for State, it’s still just one game and should be kept in perspective. The Pack still has a winning record, and there is still plenty of time to bounce back. Every young team, especially one with a new coach, is going to have bumps in the road. This was one of them.
The Deacons deserve some credit. They were the better team on Saturday and they deserved to win. And as for the Wolfpack, the only thing they can do is keep working and get ready for its next game against Syracuse on Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium.
