ECU 33, NC State 27

by Akula Wolf on Oct 17, 2010 7:56 PM EDT

	Plays	Total Yds	Yds/Play	Yds/Carry*	Yds/PassAtt
NCSU	91	476	5.2	3.9	6.2
ECU	86	496	5.8	4.1	7.1

(Yds/carry stats are sack adjusted.)

Maybe someone with experience can explain this to me because as someone who didn't played organized sports beyond middle school, I am continually baffled by teams that come out flat. Especially in a game like Saturday's, where it would seem that the energy from the stadium and the opposing team--circumstances aside--would raise your own energy no matter what went on in your own locker room. You only get 12 of these things per season--13 if you're lucky. So how does this happen? Is it just a narrative invention we fit into the sad performance on the field? Or do guys really come out and decide you know what they'd really rather be at home playing Halo?

Sweet Jesus I'm starting to feel like throwing cuddly, precious bunnies out of a window again. Saturday was death by a thousand tiny cuts, the cuts in this case being all of those quick throws to the perimeter by East Carolina. You can lament uncalled holds all you want, and I have no doubt that the Pirates got away with their share, but to my eyes the secondary just played, well, like this. They got hit in the mouth early and had no idea how to respond. They didn't work hard enough to get off blocks. David Amerson missed so many goddamned tackles you'd think he forgot he has arms.

They're just an easy target because of recent history. I could go in any number of directions, but I'm not going to because I care about the bunnies.

The numbers merely confirm what we saw Saturday--the right team won. What an embarrassment that said team was ECU.

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when the analyst doing the game for CBS

takes notice that your team-meaning NCSU-appears to be flat, appears to not want to be there, appears to lack motivation, then you realize that yes, what you feel is true, is true. the question as noted above is why. SFN pointed out that playing ECU at this point of the season was a prescription for the possibility of being flat for the game. a big game against VaTech and BC with a pending big game against FSU makes it possible for State to be uninspired playing ECU between BC and FSU.
many State fans feel about ECU sports like i imagine that many UNC fans feels about State sports-not really a rival, beneath us. i personally feel like ECU fans-ECU is a rival of State and State teams better feel this way also and get motivated for the game.
considering that ECU has a really nice football stadium and moving toward being a BCS type of school, i would like them to be in the ACC in lieu of some other schools i cannot for the life of me get excited about. not that these schools are not great schools with good programs-its just that these schools are not in the original ACC region. of course i realize that having 5 NC schools in the ACC is a bit too much, but i think it would be nice.
my thoughts on Russel Wilson is that he hasn’t played well since the first half of the VaTech game. way to many interceptions-8 over the last three games?

by sbas2 on Oct 18, 2010 8:10 AM EDT reply actions

I didn't watch any of the game

but it seems like ECU did exactly what every team, from the Duke game and beyond, did to our defense last year. I have been wondering why we haven’t seen any teams really try to exploit us with the quick passing game; it negates our blitz, and still takes advantage of our soft zone.

by PACKHOOLIGAN on Oct 18, 2010 8:57 AM EDT reply actions

Why the shot?

Why the shot of disrespect at the end of your column? Why can’t you NC State people show some respect to your opponents instead of covering your shortcomings by making insulting and belittling comments. Grow up friend.

by Ed Keller on Oct 24, 2010 9:29 AM EDT reply actions