Look at all these fun NC State football stats from the Pack's first two ACC games

Y'all, I have some good news and some bad news about NC State's football season. Which do you want first? Nevermind, you're getting them both at essentially the same time, in table form! Below I've compiled some statistics from the Wolfpack's first two ACC games, in an effort to provide some clarity about what's happened. I'm still mostly confused, though.

(Note: I haven't made any adjustments for sacks, which is fine since we never sack anyone, unless we're talking about in the firing sense, then we've sacked quite a few sad sacks, I must say hey what time is it I'm hungry man I really don't care for the Royals at all to be honest sorry what was this parenthetical about again?)

On the one hand, you have a defense that has been pretty good and such. Maybe a couple iffy calls Friday night go State's way and the numbers are even better. We can live with giving up 4.8 yards per play. But both Virginia Tech and Louisville ran for at least 200 yards, which is bothersome. The Pack's inability to be disruptive and create turnovers--we have a grand total of zero takeaways in these games--is compounding the situation to the point where it hasn't even mattered that Louisville and VT had poor passing days. Dap it up, defense, you done did okay.

There is one other, minor compounding factor there: the offense. Just, like, all of it. Hang on I need a minute.

Okay, I'm ready to talk about this.

NC State is picking up a barf-inducing four yards per snap from scrimmage, which is to say that it's no wonder this team has been held to 26 total points in these two games. Louisville completely shut down the Wolfpack's ground game, as State managed only 45 yards totin' the rock. Being limited to under 50 yards rushing is something that has happened once in all three of Dave Doeren's seasons (both of the other two came against Boston College).

With no support from a passing game that appears very much broken at this stage, everything is all bad right now. Ain't a single good number for the offense in that table. Can't live off 250 total yards per game, man. We got kids to feed around here; this struggle cannot continue.

And look, I know the schedule is a factor. Lord knows we been through a front-loaded ACC schedule before, and my friends, we came out the other side feeling all right about ourselves! That can happen again. I'm not burying this offense quite yet. Losing games to Louisville and Virginia Tech is entirely understandable, since they are talented football teams with people who are trying to win most of the time probably.

These things happen. It's not as bad as it looks. I think? Better get that win at Wake Forest, though, because without that it's gonna feel like we're snowballing into a bad, bad place.