NC State Embarrassingly Loses to ECU in the Military Bowl, Making it 5 Straight Bowl Losses for the Wolfpack

NC State just embarrassingly lost 21-26 to East Carolina in the Military Bowl, making it 5 straight bowl losses for the Wolfpack.

NC State was a 7-point favorite heading into the contest.

The Wolfpack’s defense was atrocious, allowing the Pirates to rack up 476 yards of total offense, which is the 2nd most they have allowed all season.

They allowed ECU to rush for 326 yards, which is the most NC State has allowed since October 24th, 2020, when UNC rushed for 326 yards. ECU Running Back Rahjai Harris is a good player, but he isn’t Superman, though the Wolfpack made him look invincible today. They obviously didn’t have his kryptonite, allowing him to rush for 220 yards, averaging 12.9 yards per carry. With 1:47 left in the game, the Wolfpack had a 1-point lead. The Pirates were on their own 14-yard line, and it was 3rd and 10. NC State wasn’t prepared to stop a run in this scenario, but they inexcusably let Harris take it to the house for an 86-yard touchdown.

Honestly, ECU deserved that touchdown, after the refs blew CJ Bailey’s fumble dead that was returned for a touchdown with 2:04 left on the clock, due to a bizarre forward progress call.

After NC State Nickel Tamarcus Cooley intercepted his 1st ball of the day with 6:59 left, NC State had a chance to put the game away. On the 2nd play of the drive, Wolfpack Running Back Hollywood Smothers broke loose for 22 yards. The next 5 times NC State rushed the ball, it was either Kendrick Raphael or CJ Bailey. Smothers rushed for a career high 139 yards today, averaging 9.3 yards per carry.

How do you make the decision to take the ball out of his hands?

With 3:49 left on the clock, Cooley miraculously intercepted his 2nd pass of the day, getting the ball on ECU’s 42-yard line. The Wolfpack was in a prime position to march down the field and seal the deal. With a 1-point lead, you can’t play it conservative and try to run the clock out, right? Your Quarterback was 17 of 23 at this point, having completed 73.9% of his passes. Yes, your defense had held ECU to 26 yards over the past three drives (12 plays), with two of them ending in turnovers. Even with that in mind, you trust your Quarterback who has completed almost 75% of his passes and thrown for 3 touchdowns. Maybe target Noah Rogers, who had 4 receptions in the first half, but only once in the 3rd Quarter (spoiler alert…he wasn’t targeted in the 4th at all).

Nope. Once again, this coaching staff reverted to conservative play calling. The ball was taken out of the hands of a Quarterback with a hot hand. The ball wasn’t thrown to their best receiver. The ball wasn’t handed to their best running back.

Doeren’s goal with 6:59 left, with a 1-point lead was to run the clock out. He literally said it after the game.

“We had two drives offensively where we could have run the clock out and we didn’t.”

That’s not playing to win. That’s playing not to lose…with a 1-point lead.

Inexcusable.

This loss is a microcosm of many of NC State’s crucial losses under Doeren. Conservative play calling with the lead. Sticking to some sort of rotation, instead of feeding the hot hand.

It will always be hard to get over the hump if the coaching philosophy doesn’t get over the hump.