Chock full of fifth- and sixth-year seniors, this was the year that coach Dave Doeren and everyone around the NC State pointed to. If the Pack wasn't going to vie for its first conference championship since 1979, when would it ... ever?
Sure, the Wolfpack lost gunslinging signal-caller Devin Leary, but the junior was having an uneven campaign anyway. Also, State actually chose to bringing in a graduate transfer quarterback who couldn't, like, throw the ball to back him up, so it's hard to use that as much of an excuse for a (to date) 7-3 overall record and 3-3 conference mark. NC State has played the worst two teams in the ACC -- Boston College and Virginia Tech -- to a 42-42 draw.
So what's happened? Well, the offense has often looked like it was hastily proposed on the back of an Amedeo's napkin over a few pregame beers. Fashioning three different offenses for Leary, 25-year-old transfer Jack Chambers, and 19-year-old M.J. Morris has done the rest of the offense zero favors. Whither Ben Finley?
The rushing attack has gone nowhere, with everyone quickly skipping past the losses of all-everything left tackle Icky Ekwonu and top backs Ricky Person and Bam Knight following last season. The offensive line has struggled -- especially on the right side -- and the passing game minus Emeka Emezie has been inconsistent outside of Thayer Thomas.
Throw in a litany of penalties, the customary poor clock management, and injuries to difference-makers like Savion Jackson and Tyler-Baker Williams, and the Wolfpack has struggled to put lesser opponents away.
With two tough games remaining -- at Louisville and at UNC -- the Pack still has an opportunity to put a stamp on a memorable season. But with the pervasive presence of NC State Shit and a questionable ability to bounce back after the annual "Dave Doeren No-Show Game" against BC, morale is low in the fanbase. Which means it might be time for another Dave Doeren Twitter experiment where he blames Wolfpack Nation for another sleepwalking performance.
Stay tuned.
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