Posted: 11/17/2009 by Jed Williams
Saturday, we find out what N.C. State is truly made of.
Not because the Wolfpack has something shiny to play for on a marquee stage. Not because conference positioning and holiday bowl getaways hang in the balance. Just the opposite, in fact.
On paper, State has NOTHING to play for at Virginia Tech this weekend. NADA. ZILCH. NIL. ACC aspirations are long dashed. Bowl dreams are gone. Even a plus-.500 record is no longer a possibility.
All that’s left: a little thing called dignity. And that’s exactly what makes a seemingly meaningless game at least semi-interesting.
We know the Wolfpack has been decimated by injuries. From Nate Irving to the entire secondary to much of the offensive line, the injury bug has stung State with merciless bite, much as it did in 2008. It’s unfortunate and uncontrollable.
It’s also not the only storyline behind a season derailed. State has sputtered on special teams, been shredded defensively by mediocre offenses (see BC and Maryland) and stammered at times offensively, even with the dynamic Russell Wilson at quarterback.
At various inopportune times, the team has been victimized by costly penalties, dehabilitating turnovers and inexplicable mental gaffes…especially for a Tom O’Brien coached bunch.
Mash it all together, and it doesn’t take an interpreter to figure out the result.
So, with all that being said, let’s see what they got on Saturday.
At the risk of sounding like a kiss-my-sister (even though I don’t have one, so kiss-you-sister) apologist, this one isn’t about winning or losing – it’s all about how, emotionally and mentally, the Wolfies approach the contest.
State can play its best game of the season and lose. Many have done so before in Blacksburg, and this injury-riddled club probably can’t beat Tech on any field right now. In fact, when last week I used this blog to peg a November upset for the red-and-white – Clemson, VT, or North Carolina – let’s just say the trip to Lane Stadium wasn’t top of mind. But that’s evading the point.
There have been losses this fall where mistakes and big plays doomed Obie’s club, but heart was never, ever in question. Florida State immediately comes to mind. There have been other occasions where State hardly hopped off the bus, or certainly didn’t finish in a way that inspires (see Boston College and Duke). Last week’s drubbing from Clemson, while predictable, is hard to flesh out. State was so obviously outclassed by C.J. Spiller and friends that playing psychologist and deciphering motivation was tricky.
This week, that task for the couch potatoes and armchair QBs should be easier. If State has cashed its chips and is leaving the table, then that disinterest will manifest itself quickly. The Hokies have a knack for pouncing on both malaise and nerves. If the opposite is true, we’ll know just as fast.
I expect the ‘Pack to be up for UNC. When you aren’t eligible for any laurels and your chief rival is, the game becomes your season. But the more accurate temperature reading of Obie’s gang arrives Saturday.
Does he still have their attention? Can he still get through? Stay tuned…
Jed Williams
Jed@curtismedia.com