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Now that Doeren finally has his first ACC win, State is now playing for bowl eligibility this Saturday against Georgia Tech (ACC Network, 12:30). This
[See the full post at: Playing for Bowl Eligibility vs. Georgia Tech]There is no way we can fully stop GT. IMO, its basically a game where our O has to play perfect and just plain outscore GT, Duh. I’ll be happy when we get some stops but I fully expect GT to score on at least every other possession. Sounds crazy but we need to score 45+ points to likely have a chance at winning.
Allowing 38 yards on 37 carries isn’t good defense, that’s stout defense. Eight Nine or ten weeks ago we would not have done that even to an injury-weakened offense. The athletes Syracuse were replacing injuries with were every bit as good as the ones Presbyterian were fielding. We all know what Presby did.
Saturday State was flying to the ball and arriving in a foul mood. We are playing very good defense at this time — the perfect time to peak. I respectfully disagree with nav. I don’t see GT scoring more than 24, maybe 31 points. If we can get our offense back on track, we will be hard to beat from here on out. 6-6 is the minimum regular season record. Wouldn’t 8-4 be a shocker?
Go State!
Not happening for us this weekend. We typically don’t handle success well. GT will cover whatever spread there is. Wake will be our bowling game. God forbid it comes down to the Cheaters.
We typically don’t handle success well.
That’s an interesting thought. I’m just trying to recall the successes we didn’t handle well. As a matter of fact I’m drawing a blank — all our conference success memories before Syracuse under Doeren just escape me.
You guys are all basking in the glow of this one game winning streak, and it is clouding your memories. The end of the game Saturday should have reminded you.
We are the Pack. We don’t do anything easy.I would be willing to bet my entire pocket full of lint that we will go to Chapel Hill still needing that last win, and they will do what they do to us – late rally to win in the last minute.
I would happily lose that lint if we could beat WF, but that just seems too easy.
how do we beat Georgia Tech?
Great offense and some timely fumbles by GT. Other than that, it’s likely to be a long afternoon.
GSU should have beat GT. Duke and UNx did. I say with the improvement on the D side of the ball we have a pretty good shot at taking them down, especially if they get some twist going on the blitz packages they have been bringing. I say it’s a toss up, we could take this game. If we do, watch out, we could win out and take a top 5 position in the league.
Smarter than the average bear
We have had good stretches of run stopping all season. The problem has been giving up too many 20-40 yard runs. Syracuse is no GT in the run game by any stretch, but we are definitely playing better defense. I’ve been as critical of Huxtable as anybody, but maybe he has the defense turning the corner a bit.
I’ll take 6-6 all day long, but it would be so sweet to keep the cheaters out of a bowl and go 7-5.
The game hinges on our offense, as has every ACC game since Clemson. When our defense is on the field against GT’s offense, then I actually think we match up well. We’re strongest on the DL and weaker as we move backward, but that offense is severely limited if the front four on the defense can create pressure.
I absolutely think we’ll given up 2-3 big plays that go for TDs. That’s fine. Stack the box, get GT off the field and give the offense some chances.
The biggest issue with playing GT is that they’re clock eaters. We can’t go hurry up offense, 3 and out and stick the defense out there for another long, grind them out possession. If we do that, we’ll lose, no matter how good the defense plays.
The offense is going to have to produce, and we’re going to have to find some semblance of a run game. We’ve effectively abandoned it in the last few weeks and have become fairly one dimensional on offense. We need balance, some long scoring drives, and we need to punch some scores in for TDs.
This game is a toss up. Wake is the must win. We can’t play UNC at the end of the year with everything on the line.
I think our 12th man senses a golden opportunity for a year end win streak. Sunny, high of 55, 0 chance of rain. A similar FSU/State home game atmosphere may be the tipping point for victory. Go Pack! A win reduces a lot more pressure/anxiety.
I hate jumping ahead of WV with a stat discussion, but State ranks 121 out of 125 (nationally) on 3rd down defense and 73rd on rushing defense. Combine those numbers with State’s disappearing scoring offense and I’m not filled with confidence.
Haha, and we probably moved up four spots on 3rd down defense after this past saturday’s performance.
I freaking hate playing GT. I fear for our players careers every time we play them.
Tech is tough running the ball – dont pass much but when they do they usually get the big gainers. Our secondary is weak, and just a split second of looking into the backfield for the run and they are toast as the receiver goes running by.
We must stack the box and force them to beat us through the air and hope the corners play the ball. Their backs are big and fast and dont go down on first contact so we need to swarm the ball and gang tackle.
I dont want to be negative Nellie, but of all the games on the schedule, with our poor tackling, this is the one that scared me the most.
It would appear that GT’s offensive strength will be matched with our defensive Achilles heel. As stated above, the key to the game will be can State’s defense get GT offense off the field.
If the D can play at a higher level (like last Saturday) I see an inkling of a chance. Likely the game will come down to turnover margin and field position. Baumann will give an edge in field position. Final concern is the uptick in penalties, especially costly ones, during the game last week. Not sure if that’s real, or just an artifact of that disgraceful crew.
Beginning with the Clemson game, our QB has gotten a case of happy feet. If his first read isn’t open immediately, he is staring to panic and run around instead of looking for his second and third reads. Obviously the reason is because the offensive line hasn’t given him the time, and he’s taken a pounding. Now it’s to the point where he assumes he has no time, whether true or not. (Sort of the David Carr syndrome). Hopefully he settles down, goes through his progressions, and hopefully the line gives him time to do that.
A whole lot of hoping there I guess.
I think the crowd will be in a much more relaxed mood as well. It will be good that they are coming off a win. The team now believes and the crowd does too. Scoring early will be imperative to keep the positive vibes going.
On the field, we will give up a few chunk plays, that happens when you play Georgia Tech. But State should be able to score as well. It will come down to turnovers, 3rd downs, and possible the timing and location of penalties.
Another key is to make sure Tech has to drive long fields. Our punter needs to continue his best play of his career.
Agree w/ others above.
Offense needs to get untracked. I think we stand a reasonable chance … I imagine we’ll get a couple of stops – maybe we can play a little ball-control and control the tempo of the game.
Or we could give up 700 yards rushing … should be an interesting match Saturday.
I just did a quick check on GT’s stats. Their defense sucks as bad as State’s and their offense is much better. Both teams are relatively low on turnovers and penalties.
Having watched Chris Weinke set the ACC record of 6(?) interceptions in a single game for MOC’s biggest win, then never say never. But it’s hard for me to feel very optimistic (shocking huh?)
We typically don’t handle success well.
Just a snapshot in time…
Starting with baseball when you’re six years… the most important thing anybody ever learnt playing sports was how to handle failure and how to handle to success – both as an individual and as a TEAM.
Nor does that learning curve flatten out until AFTER you win your SECOND or THIRD World Series, Super Bowl or NBA championship.
Same for Coaches… they’re GOTTa learn too.It’s the one thing all Coaches an most players talk about all the time.
Just let our “young” kids be kids and our ‘young’ Coaches coach… and they will be fine.#NCSU-North Carolina's #1 FOOTBALL school!I agree with rye and the others who say that a key to a victory will be our ability to keep their offense off the field. Defense is the best answer to that but also controlling the clock with our own offense will help.
When i watch Jacoby, especially at ‘Cuse, i don’t see happy feet. I see a QB running for his life on every play. It gets worse as the game goes on as we don’t have the depth to substitute in for tired lineman. It seems the other coaches recognize this and keep up the pressure.
Jacoby’s issue, as I saw it at Cuse – he has trouble throwing while rolling to his left. However, the right side of the OL appeared to consist of wet tissue paper.
This is not a good combination.
For those of you wanting a bowl this season, ANY bowl, you need not worry, because 6 wins should be in the bag with Wake Forest on our home schedule. Anything more than that (6 wins), though, is unlikely. We could win the Tech game, however, mainly because it’s here, and partly because they’re so unpredictable and give up lots of points. The final game, however, is ours to lose, and I think we will do just that.
For the first time in over 20 straight seasons, I won’t be buying any more football tickets next year. But for those of you who do fill the seats, I hope for your sake that the geniuses who schedule these games will find a better time of year to schedule State-Carolina in 2015. Thanksgiving week when the students are away? Ridiculous. Whatever happened to the middle of October?
I’m really disappointed that our football program has reached the point at which large numbers of our fan base celebrate a 6-win season with gusto. If we were Arkansas, I wouldn’t be saying that, but over all the years I’ve watched ACC football, and that goes back to the early 1960s, I have never seen ACC football in as sorry a shape that it’s in now. Us included.
And the worst thing about all this is that in spite of all the money that keeps flowing into our program, we still can’t seem to put a product on the field that can compete with even the middle half of this “new and improved ACC”.
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