NC State Failed to Block and Tackle in Tonight’s 23-21 Loss to Virginia Tech

Well, where do I begin?

NC State’s offensive line made Virginia Tech’s defensive front look like the Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” from the ’70s. Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey had only been sacked four times through the first four games, but the Hokies brought him down five times tonight. VT also racked up eight tackles for loss and two QB hits. Bailey was pressured all night long.

The Hokies set up camp in the Wolfpack backfield.

Coming in, NC State was averaging 4.6 yards per carry as a team, but the Hokies held them to just 1.8. Sophomore Hollywood Smothers entered the game averaging 125.8 rushing yards per outing, and the Virginia Tech defense limited him to 67.

Things were painful to watch on the other side of the ball as well.

I’m eager to see the PFF report tomorrow, because I don’t even want to guess the total number of missed tackles by the NC State defense. The Wolfpack allowed Bowling Green transfer Tyrion Stewart to look like Derrick Henry. Stewart was a human bowling ball, leaving NC State defenders in his wake, rushing for 174 yards and averaging 11.6 yards per carry. Prior to tonight, Stewart had just 11 carries for 65 yards on the season (two games).

Sure, Keenan Jackson shouldn’t have dropped the pass on the final drive. Justin Joly took the blame for not making the catch on fourth down that ended the game.

But the truth is, NC State should never have been in that position. The Wolfpack entered as a 10-point favorite.

Since 2013, NC State has played in 55 one-score games under Dave Doeren. After tonight, the Wolfpack is 32–23 in those matchups.

On one hand, you can argue that Doeren keeps NC State in a lot of games. On the other hand, you could argue the Wolfpack plays a conservative brand of football that always seems to let opponents hang around.

Vegas set NC State’s preseason win total at 6.5. When the Wolfpack jumped out to a 3–0 start — with a game against a Duke team that had just lost by 12 at Tulane, followed by a matchup with a Virginia Tech team that fired its head coach after an 0–3 start, and then Campbell at home — NC State fans once again allowed themselves to feel… optimism.

Was a 6–0 start heading into South Bend to face Notre Dame really that unrealistic?

Now, the Wolfpack will almost certainly enter the Notre Dame game 4–2, because it’s hard to imagine them laying an egg against Campbell next Saturday.

Four of NC State’s final seven games are currently against Top-25 teams.

Could this team turn things around and steal a game or two it shouldn’t? Sure.

But Wolfpack fans are tired of the same old story every year: hope to win games you probably shouldn’t because you already laid an egg or two against teams you should have beaten.

Optimism…the thing that will take a few years off the life of every NC State football fan before it’s all said and done.