Pack Wins 56-41; bowl game awaits (updated Sun AM)

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Question: What’s the opposite of NC State Sh**?

Follow up question: Can NC State Sh** happen to other teams? Because if so, that’s what happened to Maryland today at Carter-Finley. Perhaps things really are going to change around here.

For those who missed it, we saw the second HUGE comeback of the week today. State was completely dead early in the third quarter, down 41-14 after a barrage of turnovers led to easy points. At the end of the third quarter Maryland led 41-21 and I was wondering why I was staying in my seat. It was ugly and it was all but over…Except the Pack rallied for six straight unanswered TDs — 42 unanswered points — with 35 in the fourth quarter to finish 7-5, become bowl eligible, and probably secure another season for TOB.

Think about this: It was 41-21 when the 4th quarter began, and when State took the lead 42-41 there was still 7:08 remaining.
Biggest comeback in State history; second bigest comeback in an ACC game in ACC history (not sure about non-conference if someone wants to fact check for us).

Box Score (ESPN)

Recap (WRAL)

Recap (GoPack)

Paced by Mike Glennon’s school-record tying six touchdowns, NC State stormed back from a 41-14 to deficit to shock Maryland 56-41, completing the largest comeback in school history and claiming bowl eligibility for the third time in the last four years.

The Wolfpack improved on the school-record 24-point comeback set in the 2000 season finale against Minnesota in the Micronpc.com Bowl. The turnaround also marked the second-largest comeback all-time in an ACC game, trailing only Clemson’s 28-point comeback victory over Virginia in 1992.

Glennon claimed responsibility for six touchdowns, five through the air, both tying school records. He becomes the sixth Wolfpack quarterback to throw five touchdowns in a game, and equals Philip Rivers’s six-touchdown outing against Navy in 2002.

Photos (N&O)

This game was a microcosm of not just this season, but the TOB era. Caulton Tudor calls the win the punctuation of our “madcap regular season” (N&O).

We’ll find out in the next couple weeks which bowl game awaits, but it looks like the Belk Bowl is a sure bet (vs. Big East), or potentially Nashville (vs. SEC)?

Enjoy this for now. More to come.

Feel free to share your thoughts below, or head on over to the SFN Forums.

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61 Responses to Pack Wins 56-41; bowl game awaits (updated Sun AM)

  1. ryebread 11/26/2011 at 10:38 PM #

    I watched the game with my dad, uncle and grandfather. Between the four of us, we have 6 degrees from NC State, so we were obviously a bit of a passionate crowd. It was one of those great days of family bonding, of which I’m sure that I’ll look back on fondly.

    This was a tale of two halfs — both baffling by each team. We were a no show in the first half and looked absolutely inept. It was shocking given that a bowl was on the line, but it was seemingly typically for a TOB coached team. The players looked liked they’d just mailed it in and we didn’t look like we were well prepared at all.

    When MD came out in the second half, stopped us, and then scored on the long run, the game should have been over. What I noticed though, from the very first play of the second half was that MD was trying to run out the clock. They absolutely played “not to lose” despite Edsall’s comments before the break to the media. I made a comment early in the third quarter about it to my family and said that MD deserved to lose. When we entered the fourth quarter, even though we were down 21, I felt like we could win it.

    It was one heck of a come back. Short of UNC, I can’t think of a team that I’d rather it have come against. Go Pack! 🙂

  2. JT 11/26/2011 at 10:40 PM #

    I’d say TOB is a Sendek level coach. Pretty good, not great. I do like him more than Sendek, though- he has a good dry sense of humor. I’ve struggled with apathy this year, but fuck it- this was a huge career defining game and the Pack kicked ass when things looked worst. No reason to over think or qualify things- 42 straight fucking points to go bowling….I’m gonna savor this one. Kudos to the team and coaches.

  3. JT 11/26/2011 at 10:50 PM #

    Hell f’ing yes. No qualifiers, no over thinking….the chips were down and the Pack kicked ass. Kudos to the team and coaches. TOB may be frustrating and a Sendek level coach- not great, not bad- but this was a huge win. The abyss was there and they jumped it. Again, hell f’ing yes.

  4. wolfbuff 11/26/2011 at 11:02 PM #

    I have to admit I was one who left (and didn’t come back) when it went to 41-14. I apologize to the team for not believing. Listening to the radio broadcast, it sounded like Bryan stepped up, called a team meeting on the sideline and got the boys focused. It’s a shame leadership couldn’t have emerged earlier in the season and demanded the team play from the opening kick. We’d have won at least a couple more games.

    That said, I predicted 7-5 before the season started with all the transition. So they met my expectations overall. Next year with all we have coming back I expect more wins and more consistent preparedness and effort. If not then TOB will not have demonstrated the trajectory I think he should have by year six and Yow will need tomake a change. The miracle finish has earned him another year. But he still needs to upgrade his staff and start recruiting better. I’m not one that expects us to be a power because I believe you have to sell out to get there. But we can do things the right way and win 9 – 10 consistently and be perrienial contenders for the Atlantic division title

  5. choppack1 11/26/2011 at 11:26 PM #

    From a historical perspective, the 3 bowl games in 4 years and 3 seasons with acc records of .500 or better in 4 years is above our norm. As someone else mentioned, these types of seasons are just part of the process.

    Enjoy today, its a special day and quite frankly a reason why you follow a sports team closely.

  6. backnine 11/26/2011 at 11:46 PM #

    I’m as amazed and thrilled as anyone to see the Pack’s historic comeback today at CF. Yet another awesome memory was created that we’ll always remember on a beatiful sun-splashed November day.

    But lost among the euphoria is the ugly factoid that we should have never been in such a predicament. The fact that we were at this late hour and with a bowl on the line is once again concerning. And the knowledge of it is like a burr under the saddle of the day’s celebration that I can’t quite find relief from.

    We came within a cat’s whisker of another WTF loss like the BC debacle. And I just can’t stop wondering WHY TOB’s teams have so many of these. I will be happy for the team’s heroic “never-say-die” attitude which should be commended!! And I will certainly be happy we added to Maryland’s misery. Unfortunately, however, the win doesn’t erase the fact that something is still not quite right.

  7. grizzlyman 11/27/2011 at 12:29 AM #

    I have just arrove home, and I haven’t seen the question asked, but why/how/wtfbbq.!!!, does it take for a coaching staff to get a football team ready to play football?
    There is no reason TOB didn’t have this team ready today other than poor coaching.
    I know, for a fact TOB doesn’t game plan saying: how can we get down 41 to Mother FuckING 14 and come back?
    Sad fact is he can’t motivate,and the team decides when to play.
    Sadder fact: coming from 27 down saved TOBs job. He HAD to come FROM 27 back against the worst team in the ACC to save his job. DOWN 27 TO THE WORST TEAM IN THE ACC. 2-9 Maryland. Comeback by 27.

    There is NO EXCUSE OTHER THAN COACHING.
    I’LL GET IN TOB’S FACE AND TELL HIM THIS. If HE CAN’T Motivate in year 5 at NCSU, FuCK TOB and hire a $500,000 coach who can field a team that wants to compete every down.

    .

  8. TruthBKnown Returns 11/27/2011 at 1:04 AM #

    I can’t lie though, it would’ve been entertaining to me to see how badly some folks got eviscerated on here after guaranteeing victory this week, calling other people crazy for thinking Maryland could possibly beat us, and then losing the game. I was actually thinking about this when we were down 41-14.

    Instead, just know that WE are the ones that were entertained. 🙂

    I tried to tell y’all State was NOT going to lose to Maryland. They had no business making it a game, but turnovers can keep games close that should not be close.

    GO PACK!!!

  9. Pack Mentality 11/27/2011 at 2:51 AM #

    “Take away two non-division 1 wins and we don’t have a winning season this year either.”

    Of course if you erase those games from our record that is true. But if you keep those wins in our record like everybody else in the world does you end up with a 7-5 record and a chance at ending the season with 8 wins…I think I’ll choose to accept our 7-5 record as legitimate.

  10. Solesky 11/27/2011 at 4:43 AM #

    I don’t know if it’s a GOOD thing that I’m re-watching the game at four in the morning, but if they bowl in Charlotte — the wife and I are already there!

  11. Pack Mentality 11/27/2011 at 5:03 AM #

    I cannot believe that I have even heard people bitching about the way we won against an ACC foe in which we scored 42 unanswered points in the 2nd half to go on to a historical comeback win. Claiming to be unhappy with this win because we didn’t dominate the whole game is possibly the most idiotic and childish bullsh*t that I have ever heard come out of the mouth of a sports fan. I can understand why some people have problems with TOB, but you damn sure can’t hold this game against him.

  12. gtspack 11/27/2011 at 6:49 AM #

    Solesky, did you find a replay online or did you dvr it? The Charlotte bowl game is a lot of fun. We went the year we played South Florida and it was 95% State fans to 5% South Florida.

  13. lumbee wolfman 11/27/2011 at 7:08 AM #

    Don’t ever count the Pack out! Great win! A memory to last a lifetime! Oh and by the way, the Heels lost to UNLV in basketball. The stars are aligned!!!

  14. BJD95 11/27/2011 at 7:28 AM #

    The 54-yard FG Penn State loss is literally my earliest childhood memory. How the stadium went from deafening to dead silent in an instant.

    This is a baffling team and a baffling season, for sure. But a great way to wrap things up, and on balance, I’m glad TOB will be back for his sixth (and probably final, it has always been my expectation he would retire when Glennon leaves) season.

    Once Rich Rodriguez signed with AZ, I really hoped we wouldn’t be in coach search mode this offseason. I thought his familiarity with the ACC and his “burned hand at the hot stove of Michigan” history would mean he might actually take our job and keep it, at a reasonable salary level (I was wrong about the last part, given how much $$ AZ threw at him). I honestly don’t see any other realistic good options for us, certainly none that would be worth the significant buyout. And there is a ton of competition in the coach hiring market. That’s very bad for us, unless you vastly overrate the attractiveness of our football brand.

    Additionally, this is a pretty good recruiting class – especially when you factor in TOB’s 2 and 3-star hit rate in the freshman and sophomore classes. So I don’t think we hurt the talent pool one bit by not making a move. And next year’s roster really is set up for a TOB-type coach to maximize results.

    Anyway, glad for the win and look forward to watching the dvr replay (I set it to record until 4:30, hope that’s enough) when I get back from the beach. Will also be praying for Nashville, hate playing the Sun Beast!! 🙂

  15. WolftownVA81 11/27/2011 at 9:29 AM #

    BJD, I had similar thoughts and hope you are right. We had to endure 4 really bad years of BB before we had hope of change. Guess I can endure of another year of up and down football. As I said on the game thread, the players must like the coaches based on the performance they gave in the 2nd half. If TOB can keep his team behind him, I’ll have to get behind him too. However, I still think DY should insist on some change in the staff.

  16. RabidWolf 11/27/2011 at 9:50 AM #

    “Those 42 points deserve a massive asterisk because Maryland’s defense was gassed before the second half even started. They played so many freshmen, they had no business being in this game with us.”

    BECAUSE Maryland’s defense was gassed? Umm….that’s FOOTBALL.

    The only huge asterisk needed here is beside some of those on this site who call themselves “fans”.

  17. Primewolf 11/27/2011 at 10:18 AM #

    Someone pls post LOu’s signing of our fightsong on ESPN.

  18. Pack Mentality 11/27/2011 at 11:03 AM #

    “This was a 2-9 team that had lost a host of key players on both sides of the ball. Those 42 points deserve a massive asterisk because Maryland’s defense was gassed before the second half even started. They played so many freshmen, they had no business being in this game with us. Temple, let me say that again, Temple an average MAC school, beat Maryland 38-7 when they (Maryland) were much healthier.”

    What the f*** is the deal with writing that horsesh*t? I’ve never heard of a fan being bitter about winning such a spectacular game.

  19. Wolfgarden 11/27/2011 at 11:15 AM #

    It’s all good. But it would and will be much, much better when we get rid of TOB. It is that simple…we could have been a better team this year…we should have been a better team this year…should have been at least 9-3….bring on and old Big 12 coach or a has been SEC coach and you will see what we can do….

    I love the Pack…I hope we get WVa in the Belk Bowl

  20. gtspack 11/27/2011 at 11:59 AM #

    Come on Belk Bowl give us an invite, we will fill Bank of America stadium up with a sea of RED.

  21. coach13 11/27/2011 at 12:45 PM #

    Look, TOB has gotten the pieces in place to compete at least for an ACC title. He/they just don’t. I find it hard to beleive you can have the talent in one game and not the next. The gameplan one game and not the next. So it’s not necessarily coaching and/or recruiting and I guess that’s the most frustrating part. There is just no logical explanation for the up and down of this team so IMO there is no one reason that glares other than the inconsistancy. What fixes that? What?
    Anyway, good job getting to a bowl. Maybe next year we can have a complete season.

  22. tjfoose1 11/27/2011 at 12:56 PM #

    Wulfpack obviously does not strive for excellence, but some of you will never be happy.

    Wulfpack might have the better option.

  23. MISTA WOLF 11/27/2011 at 2:06 PM #

    Is it me or does the 56-41 score resemble a Sendek coached basketball squad score?

  24. Pack Mentality 11/27/2011 at 3:02 PM #

    “bring on and old Big 12 coach or a has been SEC coach and you will see what we can do”

    Who?

  25. TLeo 11/27/2011 at 3:53 PM #

    I bet AD Yow is quite happy over beating the Twerps. I would also wager that losing the way they did hurts more for them than if they had been blown out from the start.

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