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Compiling the 2014 NC State Football Projections

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No one expected Dave Doreen to come into NC State and magically make them a contender in his first season. With that being said, last season was a tough pill to swallow.

Six out of the eight experts at CBS picked the Wolfpack to finish 3rd in the Atlantic division in 2013. Athlon projected a 7-5 (3-5) season, with a 4th place finish in the Atlantic, and a #51 overall ranking. USA Today followed suit and predicted nearly identical #53 overall ranking.

As we are all fully aware of, these predictions would have been a dream in hindsight, and what actually took place in 2013 was nightmarish. The Wolfpack failed to attain 5 wins for the first time since 2006, finishing the season with a 3-9 record. They also were winless in ACC play for the first time since 1959, going 0-8.

Now in 2014 we take a look at the projections once again, in hopes that this year they will be closer to the truth. Keep in mind…no one this year is predicting a Wolfpack world takeover…but all of the projections would at least be slightly better than last year.

CBS ranks NC State 51st overall heading into the 2014 season They also give Jacoby Brissett the top newcomer award in the ACC.

“Top newcomer:
 Jacoby Brissett, QB, N.C. State. The Dave Doeren era can begin in earnest now. He has his quarterback. The Florida transfer has the size and the arm. Can he rally a young team?”

Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports picks he Pack to finish 4th in the Atlantic and his counterpart Stewart Mandel picked them to finish 5th. Athlon thinks that they will finish 6th in the Atlantic, with a 6-6 (2-6), ranking 65th overall and saying this:

There is nowhere to go in the ACC but up for NC State in 2014. After a winless run through the conference in 2013, the Wolfpack have a chance to be much improved thanks to a nice nucleus of returning talent. Just how many of the league rungs they climb remains to be seen.

USA Today is still feeling burned from last year. After predicting a #53 overall ranking in 2013, they had to re-rank them #102 at the end of the season. This season they are projecting them to be the #88 FBS team overall. They also project roughly 5 wins and saying this…

What’s funny about this team is this: N.C. State isn’t good – no, not good – but don’t be surprised if the Wolfpack sneak into bowl eligibility. Thank the schedule, which should leave the Wolfpack no worse than 3-1 heading into ACC play and could – thanks to home games against Boston College and Wake Forest – yield two or three additional wins during conference action. The end result could be one of the flimsiest, least impressive six-win teams in all of college football … and that’d be cool, wouldn’t it? I mean, all six wins aren’t created equal; that doesn’t mean Raleigh wouldn’t smile all winter after a six-win finish

Here’s to the experts. I’ve always dreamed big, and predicted much better for much of my life. But this year, here’s to hoping not finish worst than any of the projections.

Matthew is Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He writes for all sports, with a focus on football and recruiting, and is in charge of business strategy. He is an NC State alum who majored in business. Matthew is also the lead pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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NC State Football

Former NC State Running Back Jordan Houston Signs with Marshall

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Former NC State Running Back Jordan Houston has officially transferred to Marshall for his final year of eligibility. NC State played Marshall this past season, but Houston didn’t play against the Thundering Herd, because he had already opted to redshirt the remainder of the season.

After playing in three games this past season, Houston opted to redshirt the remainder of the season (despite the fact that he was the starter at the time), giving him the ability to transfer with one year of eligibility remaining.

Houston played in 51 games for NC State over 5 years on the field, rushing for 1,392 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and 6 touchdowns. He also caught 60 passes for 398 yards and 1 touchdown.

Houston was a 3-Star prospect in NC State’s 2019 recruiting class out of Flint High School in Oakton, Virginia.

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NC State Football

Philip Rivers will Finally be Enshrined in the NC State Hall of Fame in April

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Wolfpack legend Philip Rivers will finally be inducted into the NC State Hall of Fame on April 20th!

Rivers was elected into the Hall of Fame back in 2013 (2nd year of the NC State Hall of Fame), but he has deferred his enshrinement over the years due to time constraints.

 

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Rivers pretty much owns every NC State record for Quarterbacks, and still has the most Career Passing Yards and Passes Completed in ACC history, and he ranks 3rd in Touchdown Passes. Rivers was the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2000, and the ACC Player of the Year in 2003.

You can buy your tickets here.

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NC State Football

DJ Burns Had a Word for Wolfpack Fans After Winning the ACC Championship

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When NC State’s DJ Burns was giving his acceptance speech after receiving the 2024 ACC Tournament MVP Award, Burns had the following quote to say when asked what he wanted to say to the fans.

“I’m going to keep it real simple. Thank you to the ones who’ve been consistent throughout the ride, and welcome back everybody else.”

Burns’ words struck a chord.

Throughout much of this season, it was embarrassing to see all the empty seats in PNC Arena.

As the Wolfpack lost 7 of their final 9 regular season games, it was clear that this team wasn’t just losing games, but they were also losing much of the fanbase.

It’s clear from Burns’ words that the empty seats were noticed, and so were the words of fans online.

NC State finished the regular season 10th, and much of the fanbase was frustrated, and rightfully so.

But, frustrated doesn’t have to mean giving up.

‘Never giving up’ is kind of supposed to be NC State’s thing.

The words of Jimmy V reverberate throughout the history of NC State basketball.

This team didn’t always put W’s in the Win column this season, and it wasn’t always an easy watch, but never for a moment were these players not playing as hard as they could for their school, one another, and their coach.

They never gave up.

Fans have a right to be frustrated, but you can still show up for a team, even when they struggle, because that’s what loyal fans do. When players wear a jersey with NC State across the chest, and they don’t give up, their fans shouldn’t either.

NC State fans aren’t known to be fair weather fans. Let’s not get in the business of leading our players to think we are.

But, like Burns said, whether you’ve been along for the ride all season or not, it’s time to hop on.

 

 

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NC State Football

WATCH: PackInsider’s 2023 Sean Brown Highlight Reel

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This past season was a breakout season for Junior Safety, now turned Linebacker, Sean Brown.

This past season, Brown started in 11 of the 13 games that he played in, and ranked 3rd on the team in tackles (66) and pass breakups (5). He also had 5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions and 1 forced fumble. Brown’s PFF Grade of 63.7 ranked 13th on the team. His Tackling Grade of 86.6 ranked 2nd on the team behind Payton Wilson.

As you will notice in our Highlight Reel ABOVE, Brown lived in the box, and is a very ferocious tackler. He will fit right in at Linebacker next year for the Wolfpack.

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