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Alright. So where do I start?

ECU has now beaten NC State in their last three match ups, and 4 out of the last 6.

I think most NC State fans will admit that’s a statistic that is hard to swallow and unacceptable. Maybe we don’t deserve to feel that way, and ECU has genuinely put the better team on the field against the Wolfpack. Or, maybe we deserve to feel that way because we have had the more ‘talented’ team, but didn’t do enough to walk out of the stadium to win.

So what went wrong this past Saturday?

Special Teams

When kicker Kyle Bambard was a freshman last season, his field goal percentage was only 50%. ESPN ranked Bambard as the #12 kicker coming out of high school. His leg strength hasn’t been in question, rather it has been his accuracy. The remedy to the solution? Conor Haskins, a transfer kicker from UNC Pembroke, enters stage right. Bambard didn’t get a chance to kick a field goal in the William & Mary game, because there was never a need. When the need arose, Haskins ran out on the field instead of Bambard, and missed from 44 and 42.

Then in the second quarter, after a Jaylen Samuels Jet Sweep for a touchdown, with a 1 point lead, Doeren got greedy and sent out Kyle Bambard to throw a pass on a fake extra point attempt. Busted.

At the end of NC State’s first offensive drive in the second half, instead of letting Haskins or Bambard attempt to hit a 28-yard field goal, they fake the field goal and nearly get punter A.J. Cole III’s head knocked off attempting to run into the end zone. Keep in mind NC State did this with a 20-19 lead, and Bambard chipped in 5 nearly from this distance last week, on extra points.

Later in the third quarter, Bambard finally was allowed to go out there and kick a 30-yard field goal successfully.

It’s unacceptable to be a Division 1 football program in a Power 5 conference and not be able to kick field goals from a reasonable distance. It’s essential that you get one of these kickers to be able to confidentally be able to go out there and kick field goals. It won’t give them confidence when you don’t allow them the opportunity to kick a 28-yarder.

Between Haskins’ two missed field goals, the fake extra point, and the fake field goal, NC State left 10 points on the field in the kicking game.

This madness has to end.

Defense

Dave Huxtable’s defense gave up 445 yards of total offense to the Pirates.

It’s hard to do that and win.

They averaged 4.5 yards per carry and picked us apart with continuous passes close to the line of scrimmage.

Poise and Confidence

I know that ECU is a hard place to play. I expect them to be revved up. Even though I think NC State had their chances to win the game, from the very first snap ECU looked like they wanted it more, and that I can’t accept.

Doeren made comments earlier in the week that became bulletin board material for the East Carolina, which was extremely unwise. Acting like this is just another game and that you don’t recruit against one another would have looked awesome if you won. When you lose you have to eat your words. This isn’t any other game. For crying out loud, NC State’s slogan is “OUR STATE.” They are an in-state team and they are competing for bragging rights to deserve our slogan better than we do, and after beating us 4 out of the last 6 times, they are making a decent argument.

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Matthew is Publisher and Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He is also the Lead Pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

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NC State Football

Congrats to NC State Football’s Spring Graduates!

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3 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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Congratulations to the 7 NC State Football Players that just graduated this Spring.

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2024 Football Spring Graduates

Linebacker Devon Betty (1 year of eligibility)

Defensive End Davin Vann (1 year of eligibility)

Cornerback Aydan White (1 year of eligibility)

Offensive Guard Anthony Carter Jr. (2 years of eligibility)

Offensive Lineman Matt McCabe (2 years of eligibility)

Offensive Tackle Patrick Matan (2 years of eligibility)

Offensive Lineman Brendan Lawson (no longer on the roster)

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NC State Football

Proposed Bill in the NC House Would Require NC State & UNC To Play One Another, as well as ECU, UNCC and App St.

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3 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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A bill has been proposed by members of the North Carolina House of Representatives that would force NC State and UNC to play one another, as well as East Carolina, UNC Charlotte and Appalachian State.

According to House Bill 965, which you can read here in full, NC State and UNC would be required to play one another annually in Football, Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball. The Wolfpack and the Tar Heels would also be forced to play a game annually in all three sports against either ECU, UNC-Charlotte or App St. Every six years, NC State and UNC would be required to have played a home and away game against each of the three school in all three sports.

Here’s the exact wording from the proposed bill:

Competition Required. – A high-enrollment institution shall do all of the following in each eligible sport: (1) Every academic year, play at least one home or one away game against (i) another high-enrollment institution and (ii) an eligible constituent institution that is not a high-enrollment institution. (2) Every six academic years, play at least one home and one away game against each eligible constituent institution that is not a high-enrollment institution. A high-enrollment institution shall alternate home and away games that are scheduled against the same eligible constituent institution that is not a high-enrollment institution.

For glossary of terms being referenced above:

For the purposes of this bill, “High-enrollment institutions” = NC State and UNC, while “Eligible constituent institutions” = East Carolina, UNC Charlotte and Appalachian State.

It’s worth noting that NC State already has games schedule against each of these teams home-and-away in Football between now and 2031.

2025 – East Carolina (H)

2025 – @ App St.

2026 – App St. (H)

2028 – @ East Carolina

2030 – Charlotte (H)

2031 – @ Charlotte

What are your thoughts?

For more details, check out this article at WRAL.

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NC State Football

Akron Safety Kerry Martin Jr. will Take an Official Visit at NC State Next Week

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4 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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Akron Safety Kerry Martin Jr. (6’1″/195) confirmed with me that he will be taking an Official Visit to NC State next week beginning on May 7th.

After receiving an offer from NC State yesterday, it didn’t take him long to set up the visit.

Martin Jr. is familiar with NC State, because he was recruited by Wolfpack Defensive Coordinator Tony Gibson before he left West Virginia to come to Raleigh. Even though he never coached him, a relationship was established.

Martin Jr.’s connections to NC State are deeper than that. Former NC State Cornerback Derrek Pitts, who is currently a member of the Tampa Bay Bucs, is his cousin.

This past year, Martin Jr. recorded 45 tackles, 2 interceptions and 6 pass breakups for Akron, starting in 9 of the 11 games he played in. His PFF Grade was 68.9.

In 2022, he had 53 tackles, 1 interception and 1 pass breakup, starting in 9 of the 11 games he played in. Martin Jr.’s PFF Grade was 60.9.

In 2019, as a Freshman for West Virginia, Martin Jr. earned PFF Freshman All-American honors, recording a grade of 70.6, with 50 tackles and 3 pass breakups.

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NC State Football

NC State Sits in the Top-20 in 247’s Post-Spring 2024 Preseason Poll

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4 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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247’s Brad Crawford released his Post-Spring 2024 Preseason College Football Top-25 recently, and NC State moved up 1 spot to #20.

ACC Teams in the Top-25

11. FSU

14. Miami

16. Clemson

20. NC State

24. Virginia Tech

25. Louisville

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