Backing The Pack - NC State Derps Its Way To DefeatCheering for anyone else is for quitters.https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47119/backingthepack-fave.png2012-10-01T08:04:17-04:00http://www.backingthepack.com/rss/stream/31769112012-10-01T08:04:17-04:002012-10-01T08:04:17-04:00NC State Vs. Miami By The Numbers: Sadness Edition
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<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
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<p>NC State's struggling offense piled up well over 600 yards and still the team lost. Sports, man. Sports are the worst.</p> <p><a href="http://www.gopack.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2012-2013/05-ncsu.html">Box Score</a></p>
<table border="1" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="1" height="114" width="401"><tbody>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td align="center"><b>Plays<br></b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Total Yds<br></b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Yds/Play<br></b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Yds/Carry*<br></b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Yds/PassAtt<br></b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>NCSU<br>
</td>
<td align="center">88<br>
</td>
<td align="center">664<br>
</td>
<td align="center">7.5</td>
<td align="center">5.4<br>
</td>
<td align="center">10.5<br>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Miami<br>
</td>
<td align="center">81</td>
<td align="center">651<br>
</td>
<td align="center">8.0<br>
</td>
<td align="center">3.3<br>
</td>
<td align="center">11.6<br>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<p>(Yds/carry stats are calculated after removing sacks from the equation.)</p>
<p>There are some things that were plain enough on first inspection--NC State's ground game was surprisingly effective, and Miami's was surprisingly absent. We did a great job containing a couple of running backs who've made some big plays early in the year, which put the bulk of responsibility on Stephen Morris. If you'd told me beforehand that we'd be able to accomplish that defensively, I'd have felt really good about the outcome. Instead...</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1221983/tumblr_lgh1bfHIfr1qc41a4o1_400.gif"><img alt="Tumblr_lgh1bfhifr1qc41a4o1_400_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1221983/tumblr_lgh1bfHIfr1qc41a4o1_400_medium.gif"></a></p>
<p>One frustrating aspect of television coverage is the inability to see how plays develop while they're happening. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114554/david-amerson">David Amerson</a> and company obviously blew some coverages. I have no clue how they let a guy who'd victimized them earlier in the day get behind everybody in the final minute. The dude had well over 100 yards receiving by that point. I'd like to understand, but it can be tough to get a definitive read on the circumstances based on replay.</p>
<p>But I guess that was just the way it went Saturday. There didn't seem to be whole lot of logic in play, and most of the proceedings were difficult to comprehend, so the TV cameras might as well have been fog machines. I know this much: Amerson has to figure out what it is exactly that he's trying to do out there. He can't bait every quarterback he sees into poor throws. That mindset will work on occasion, but it's no place to make a living; it's a place where, in general, assumptions result in disaster. There's being cute and then there's failing the fundamentals for overconfidence.</p>
https://www.backingthepack.com/nc-state-football-ncaa/2012/10/1/3436282/nc-state-vs-miami-by-the-numbersSteven Muma2012-09-30T20:51:21-04:002012-09-30T20:51:21-04:00So That Made No Sense Whatsoever
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<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
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<p>Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.</p> <p>What in the doggone wild world of sports went on out there on Saturday? It was similar to the first game in that a complete meltdown over a span of a few minutes completely altered the direction of the game. After Miami tied the score, a botched snap on the ensuing NC State drive gifted the Hurricanes two points. Miami needed five plays following the safety to score a touchdown. They picked up another when State's defense quit playing after being drawn offside. Twenty-three points in the first quarter for Miami in a span of less than five minutes.</p>
<p>The secondary was hot garbage all afternoon, as it appeared they'd never actually played together before. There's some blame here for NC State's front seven, of course, but much of the damage came via silly mistakes from the back four. They were their own worst enemies. <a href="http://northcarolinastate.scout.com/2/1226375.html">And Brandan Bishop was pretty unhappy about their performance</a>:</p>
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<p><b>On similarities between today and their season opener against Tennessee:</b><br>In some respects. I mean, we just got... we got ran by today. We got guys that are turning around and, you know, you're supposed to be covering a guy!</p>
<p>You can't just let him run by you and do it over and over and over again. It's frustrating, man. It's really, really frustrating. Big plays, big plays early, missed opportunities... it's frustrating.</p>
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<p>Bishop doesn't go so far as to name names here, but it's obvious who he's talking about. And it wasn't all on defense, either. The offside penalty on a Miami field goal attempt inside the 10 was absolute insanity. One of the dumbest things I've seen in a long, long time. But that typified what was a completely bizarre effort from David Amerson and the rest of the defense, from the communication to the coverage to the penalties. They picked up their effort and helped the Wolfpack get back into the game--there were good stretches, to be sure. But, man, why are there such deep fundamental flaws from a group that has a lot of experience? I'll never fully comprehend what happened on Saturday. It was a nightmare borrowed from the Amato era.</p>
https://www.backingthepack.com/nc-state-football-ncaa/2012/9/30/3435086/nc-state-vs-miami-acc-footballSteven Muma2012-09-29T17:09:47-04:002012-09-29T17:09:47-04:00NC State Finds A Way To Lose
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<figcaption>Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
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<p>It was awesome, in a way.</p> <p>If there is a gif that sums up today's regrettably unfocused performance...</p>
<p><a href="http://cdn1.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1219593/DO-NOT-DO-THIS.gif"><img alt="Do-not-do-this_medium" class="photo" src="http://cdn0.sbnation.com/imported_assets/1219593/DO-NOT-DO-THIS_medium.gif"></a></p>
<p>(click for full giffage)<a href="http://gif.mocksession.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/DO-NOT-DO-THIS.gif"></a></p>
<p>Of course, it's tough to sum up such a diversely poor performance, which spanned every aspect of the game for NC State. Things were so bad, the turnovers were almost a sidenote. But the giveaways did eventually catch up to State when a miscommunication resulted in an interception in the final minute of the fourth quarter, which was followed by <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114554/david-amerson">David Amerson</a> being terrible again.</p>
<p>It's really, really difficult to understand what happened in this game, because so much was atypical. False starts by the offensive line, I get. The jumps by the defensive line, though? Baffling. And the defense quit on plays after they jumped, which cost us this game, and that is totally inexplicable. We have a veteran secondary that should know better at this point, but we also apparently have a back four that got complacent during the offseason. They have been clowned by the only legitimate offenses they've faced this season, and they should be embarrassed.</p>
https://www.backingthepack.com/nc-state-football-ncaa/2012/9/29/3429546/nc-state-vs-miami-final-scoreSteven Muma2012-09-27T12:27:34-04:002012-09-27T12:27:34-04:00Rob Crisp, Andrew Wallace Out
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<figcaption>David Butler II-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
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<p>The Wolfpack will be without two starting offensive linemen against Miami.</p> <p>While the NC State basketball team is all rainbows and roses right now, the football team is here to keep us all grounded. This week it's <a href="http://northcarolinastate.scout.com/2/1224626.html">the injury report </a>getting the job done, as neither <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114575/rob-crisp">Rob Crisp</a> nor <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/39121/andrew-wallace">Andrew Wallace</a> will play against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/miami-hurricanes">Miami Hurricanes</a> this weekend. Wallace was listed as the starter at right tackle on the<a href="http://northcarolinastate.scout.com/2/1224626.html"> initial depth chart</a> released this week.</p>
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<p><span class="storybody"><b>OUT FOR GAME</b><br> Rob Crisp, OT - lower back<br> Andrew Wallace, OT - foot<br> James Washington, HB - ankle </span></p>
<p><span class="storybody"></span></p>
<p><b>OUT FOR SEASON</b><br><span class="sbn-auto-link">Jacob Kahut</span>, DT - knee<br><span class="sbn-auto-link">Michael Peek</span>, LB - knee</p>
</blockquote>
<p>State's had trouble all year establishing a rhythm on offense, and with the OL in flux, that's going to continue to be a problem. It would have been difficult enough to beat Miami <i>with </i>those guys, and oh hey, there's Florida State's scary defensive line looming next week.</p>
<p>Earlier today, <a href="https://twitter.com/jwgiglio/status/251343594345091072">Joe Giglio speculated </a>that the Pack will move Mattes to tackle and start <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/85872/duran-christophe">Duran Christophe</a> at left guard. That's seems to be the most likely scenario.</p>
https://www.backingthepack.com/nc-state-football-ncaa/2012/9/27/3417950/nc-state-injury-report-rob-crisp-andrew-wallaceSteven Muma2012-09-26T19:23:31-04:002012-09-26T19:23:31-04:00Miami Having Red Zone Problems In The Early Going
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/miami-hurricanes">Miami Hurricanes</a>' offense is off to a solid start to 2012 -- the team is averaging a shade over six yards per play, and three of their first four games were against major-conference opponents. The red zone, though <a href="http://www.seventhfloorblog.com/2012/9/25/3407786/miami-hurricanes-red-zone-2012">has been a bit of a problem early on</a>. They've scored a touchdown on just half of their visits to the red zone, which ranks 88th nationally. Quarterback <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/114387/stephen-morris">Stephen Morris</a> has been pretty solid this year, but he's missed in some key spots.</p>
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<p>There are in my mind, two issues here. One is Stephen Morris' accuracy. This is a general issue, but it gets magnified in the end zone. Against Bethune-Cookman, Morris rolled to his left and overthrew a receiver with no defender within four yards. On Saturday against Georgia Tech, on the drive that resulted in <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/36665/jake-wieclaw">Jake Wieclaw's</a> missed field goal (which we will examine in-depth in a second), Morris overthrew an open <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/134104/rashawn-scott">Rashawn Scott</a> on a slant in the back of the end zone. Miami absolutely has to have these points.</p>
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<p>Fixing this sounds like a job for the NC State defense! Just kidding. Probably.</p>
https://www.backingthepack.com/nc-state-football-ncaa/2012/9/26/3413778/miami-vs-nc-state-acc-footballSteven Muma2012-09-26T08:02:42-04:002012-09-26T08:02:42-04:00NC State, Miami Prepare To Renew Rivalry
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<figcaption>Rob Kinnan-US PRESSWIRE - Presswire</figcaption>
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<p>Will the Miami Hurricanes be able to break their two-game losing streak to NC State? </p> <p>NC State has won two in a row over Miami, and they haven't met since Russell Wilson did his best Reggie Bush impression. Obviously <a href="http://www.floridatoday.com/viewart/20120926/SPORTS0401/309260025/-Canes-Wolfpack-unfamiliar-ACC-foes">the Hurricanes have never forgotten</a>.</p>
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<p>"It's still a rivalry," 'Canes running back <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/76368/mike-james">Mike James</a> said. "We haven't played them in a while . . . we know we're going to have to do all we can to beat them."</p>
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<p>It was the win at the Orange Bowl in Tom O'Brien's first year that was the real stunner...I'll never forget that game, though anyone who witnessed it would be wise to pretend it never happened. Miami QB <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/5132/kirby-freeman">Kirby Freeman</a> completed one pass and still finished with a better average per attempt than <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/5337/daniel-evans">Daniel Evans</a>. But that's ACC football for you. Freeman and the Hurricanes completed just that one pass during the whole game and NC State still needed overtime to win. That's why they ended up demolishing the Orange Bowl. The reminders were just too immediate.</p>
https://www.backingthepack.com/nc-state-football-ncaa/2012/9/26/3410452/nc-state-vs-miami-preview-2012Steven Muma