Tom O’Brien’s Wolfpack football teams have always been slow starters. Whatever the case maybe, injuries, inexperience or just tough scheduling usually leaves the Pack reeling as they head into the bye week. But each and every season the coaching staff somehow fixes a good deal of the problems during the teams off week and gets the Pack moving back in the right direction.
In O’Brien’s first season back in 2007 the team was 1-5 heading into a bye week. Two weeks later the team ran off a four game win streak, including an upset victory over a Virginia and a gutsy road win against Miami in overtime thanks to the leg of Steven Hauschka, who kicked four field goals including the game winner. The team fell off late in the season but still managed to finish 5-7.
The next season was the same thing. The team struggled early on, managing wins over just East Carolina and William & Mary through the first eight games of the season. But late in the season the Pack got on track and ripped off another four game win streak in the final four games, giving the team it’s first bowl appearance under O’Brien.
Even last season the team had success following the bye week, granted the team was in a bit better position than years before after a 5-2 start. Just like in 2008, State’s bye week game before a Thursday night matchup against Florida State. The team had lost the last two of three games and faced a No. 16 ranked Seminoles team during a nationally televised game. But the bye week magic continued as the Pack pulled off the upset 28-24.
Now fast forward to present day and we may be seeing the same pattern repeat itself. State went into it’s bye week sitting at 3-3 with zero conference wins, making Saturday’s game against Virginia a must win. And just as history would dictate, the Pack played one of its best all around games of the season, especially on the defensive side of the ball and escaped Charlottesville, Va. with a 28-14 win.
Time will only tell if the Pack can use this momentum to run off a nice little win streak and get bowl eligible, but if history repeats itself the Wolfpack could be in for a nice second half of the football season.
