The North Carolina State Wolfpack are 2-0 after back-to-back home wins against Georgia Southern and Old Dominion. They have looked vulnerable in both contests, having to mount second half comebacks in order to secure a win. After the woeful 3-win season last year, a lot of eyes in Raleigh are looking for improvement; at least something to signal a move toward ACC relevance. With two thirds of the win total from a year ago in the bag, let’s see how NC State looks right now.
What We Learned So Far: NC State Football 2014
Wins: Take ‘Em When You Can Get ‘Em
How much can be gleaned from two wins over FBS rookies? Georgia Southern and Old Dominion have a combined 10 wins as FBS teams. Georgia Southern made its move to FBS just this season, but gave NC State all it could handle in its first game at the new level.
The Eagles dominated FCS with six national championships, and ODU hasn’t had a losing season since reinstating football in 2009. There are worse Group of Five teams, but wins against these two won’t exactly get the Wolfpack noticed. Having close games with them, however, will get the Pack noticed for the wrong reasons.
When losing or scraping out a win over a team, that team goes on your radar for the rest of the season. In Georgia Southern’s second game they crushed Savannah State 83-9. Savannah State is a perennial whipping boy, having recently (and notably) been obliterated by Oklahoma State and Florida State
Georgia Southern didn’t falter against Savannah St. and joined the 80-point club. The Eagles rush attack is good so NC State can benefit from having had the ball pounded against them. Southern threw only 17 passes, against 30 runs. The Eagles can score (just ask Florida), and State was able to keep them at bay. It’ll be interesting to watch the Georgia Southern team the rest of the way to see how they fare in their first Sun Belt season.
Old Dominion has waited out their transfer from FCS to FBS, and is bowl eligible this season. As mentioned above, ODU hasn’t had a losing season since starting up football in 2009. They’ve gotten double digit wins twice in the five years they’ve been around, including competing for a national title.
Looking at ODU’s box scores tells you one thing immediately: they put up points.
The Monarchs kept that up at Carter-Finley and put up numbers on the ground and in the air. They outgained the Wolfpack 504 to 495. If you like high scoring affairs, at least you get your money’s worth this year with NC State. The Wolfpack didn’t let ODU hang around as long as Georgia Southern, putting away the Monarchs late in the third, and hanging on.
Whether it’s a win over a ranked team, or a plucky underdog, starting 2-0 is a confidence booster. Not folding when getting beaten by a team you’re supposed to have your way with is a sign of poise. The Wolfpack can build on these wins, and look at the positives of a couple close wins.
The Wolfpack Won’t Lie Down
Can we call the Wolfpack battle tested if the battle was against a team they were favored to beat by double digits? The Pack has trailed at halftime in both games, mustering only a field goal in the first half against Georgia Southern. They can’t afford to go into ACC play with this trend. Getting behind against lower conference teams is manageable. If they do that against Florida State or Clemson, they’ll be down 35-0 before they even break a sweat. Deficits in conference play won’t be overcome as easy as vs. teams just getting their identity in the big division.
While building on these two wins, the Pack has to correct some of the defensive issues. Giving up 500 plus yards to Old Dominion doesn’t bode well with Florida State, Clemson and Louisville coming up later in the season
Is 4-0 Possible?
I think the Pack can get past the three-win mark this year, which is barely a moral victory. Wake Forest still looks to be an ACC win in waiting and sneaking up on Boston College isn’t out of the question either.
NC St has gotten their two wins at the familiar grounds of Carter-Finley Stadium.
A third win can come against the South Florida Bulls down in Tampa. None of State’s non-conference games are against Power Five teams, so this is the toughest non-conference game on the slate. USF is coming off a two-win season, and is picked to finish near the bottom again in the American Athletic Conference. While not a Power Five conference, the American is the consensus pick to send a team to the New Year’s Six as an at-large; they’re pegged as the cream of the Group of Five crop.
A Wolfpack fan could take the optimistic route and see these next two games as a chance to get halfway to bowl eligibility. A bowl berth would give Coach Dave Doeren redemption for an awful first-year campaign in 2013. The memory of a 3-win season would be gone, and NC State fans could revel in playing in December again.
The pessimistic fan could say, “I’m glad we got the wins we did, when we did” because other than Presbyterian, their remaining games could go either way, or could get very ugly.
Either side of the fence must agree that the Pack has to stop digging themselves a hole in games. First half deficits, halftime deficits, and come-from-behind wins are acceptable. Against Georgia Southern and ODU, however, these are red flags that once ACC season kicks in, NC State might be getting kicked right in the teeth.
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