Bitcoin Bowl Champs. NC State Takes Home First Win of the Bitcoin Bowl

Great win by NC State!

For NC State fans, we wouldn't have even dreamed about winning a bowl game during that 4 game losing streak in the middle of the season. At that point, we all thought it was going to be another win-less ACC journey. Then came our first ACC win, in 2 seasons, against Syracuse. Then wins against Wake Forest and rival UNC. We finally had a turnaround season. You do not know how excited I am about this Wolfpack team. With solid recruits coming in, the talented freshmen we have with now a year under their belt, and the upcoming juniors and seniors, we could be very dangerous next season.

Now, UCF is a GOOD team. I was not expecting a win against a team that went 9-3 and who has a top 5 rushing defense in the country. I couldn't watch the first half of the game but what I could hear from WolfPack radio, we were doing a fair amount of good stuff. UCF has a top ranked rushing defense and we managed to put up over 180 yards of rushing on them. I'd say, we did pretty damn good. Sophomore Matt Dayes and Junior Shadrach Thorton did their jobs and got good runs. Matt Dayes had 2 touchdowns to make the WolfPack pull away from the Knights in the 3rd quarter. The Knights then went on to make 2 touchdowns in the 4th quarter scaring us Pack fans. UCF tried to do an onside kick that the Pack quickly grabbed to seal the win.

I feel confident that Coach Doeren will have a successful career at NC State. The only thing we will need to worry about, is keeping him away from big football schools.

NC State Football Post Season and NC State Basketball Updates

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!!!!

Its been a couple of months since I last posted about football, honestly because I lost hope. I know it's bad when I lose hope but I didn't see the Pack coming back from a four straight conference lost. But, to my surprise, we won at Syracuse, beat Wake Forest and dominated UNC to make it to the Bitcoin Bowl. Now, us Pack fans were hoping for a better bowl, but come on folks, at least we made it to one. Especially after going 3-9 last season. Plus UCF beat Baylor last season in the Fiesta Bowl, so they are very good. One of the talented teams we will face this season. I just want to reiterate on our dominating performance against UNC, how we showed we wanted respect and wanted to get revenge on last season beat down. BEAT UCF!!!! GO PACK!!!!

Now on to basketball. We currently are 10-3, 1-0 in conference play. Tied with first place (yay!). The three losses were against @Purdue, Wofford and West Virginia. We played decent against Purdue, so I am not as mad about that loss. The losses against Wofford and WVU is what I am more concerned about. From what I read, we played like complete crap in those two games. Hardly any help from the bigs. Relied primarily on the guards and perimeter shooting. There is one thing that I have noticed in the games that I seen, and that is we suck against good press and zone defense. We keep passing around the perimeter and hardly go inside to score. The WolfPack needs to figure how to drive it to the basket if they want to go to the tourney and make a good run in it. We still need Trevor and Ralston to do their thing.

Let me just say that Trevor Lacey has been a blessing. He is consistent with his scoring and he became our "go to" guy almost instantly. Transferring from Alabama, he was a double digit scorer in his sophomore season. We are lucky to have him on our squad.

Shout out Cat Barber, Ralston Turner, Trevor Lacey, Kyle Washington, The Martin Twins, Beejay Anya, Abu, and Leonard Freeman. Merry Christmas guys!! Go Pack!!

NC State's Continued Conference Troubles

So, NC State is currently 4-4 (0-4 in the ACC). Not what NC State fans would want after a grueling 2013 year under then 1st coach Dave Doeren. But hey, it's 1 more win than last year right? Right?....Let's back track and talk a little bit about those 4 conference losses shall we?


Florida State (home game):

This game was huge, I mean HUGE for NC State. FSU was ranked #1 at the time and NC State was coming into the game 4-0 (2 newly FBS teams, 1 cupcake FBS team, and a FCS team). NC State had the momentum from winning 4 games, already surpassing last year's wins. In the first quarter, NC State managed to jump ahead 24-7. Before the end of the first half, FSU closed the gap 24-21. Now, NC State still had momentum going into the 2nd half, or so we thought... FSU went on a 35-17 run in the 2nd half. FSU won 56-41, crushing the Wolfpack's chance to win it's first ACC win. The nation gave NC State some respect after almost defeating then #1 Florida State and fans thought the football program was heading in the right direction.

Clemson (Textile Bowl - away game):

Clemson almost beat Florida State as well and NC State had the respect that it wanted after a pretty good performance against them the week prior. NC State fans weren't expecting a win, but they were expecting a good game against the two textile schools. In the first half of the game, Clemson went ahead 31-0. NC State could not get a rhythm going at all. They were constantly going 3rd and long, every possession. Clemson did have one of the top defenses in the country, but who knew their freshman quarterback would walk the dogs on us? I mean really? Clemson went on to score 10 more points while NC State never manage to get on the board. The worse thing about this game was that NC State never managed to get more than 8 offensive yards. Now, this is when us fans began to tell themselves that NC State used up all their energy against Florida State. That may have been the case then, until the next game.

Boston College (home game:

This was the chance for the Wolfpack to redeem themselves and prove that they were better than last year. Their chance was against a pretty good Boston College team. They already beat USC when they were ranked #9 at the time. If we couldn't beat FSU and Clemson (no one ever thought we would), then we would settle with a win against BC. Throughout the first half, NC State and BC were good offensively, but not defensively. They went into halftime trailing 21-14. Then the storm came and pretty much washed away our hopes in beating them. After a 30-45 minute lightening storm delay, BC came out and put up 9 more points to secure the win for the Eagles and the Wolfpacks 3rd conference loss and a 4-3 overall record.

Louisville (away game):

Recently, Louisville has been an above average football team. They are playing under a new coach this year, since their previous coach took the Texas job. So far, they have been playing well. They have not allowed a touchdown in 17 quarters since meeting the Wolfpack in ACC play (please correct me if I am wrong). But NC State is known for surprising people. In the first quarter, Louisville got on the board first and soon followed by an NC State touchdown. Unfortunately, Sade missed the extra point to leave Louisville ahead 7-6.  Louisville added 10 points before halftime. In the 4th quarter, the Wolfpack got within 8 points trailing 20-12. The rest of the 4th quarter, Louisville added 10 more points compared to NC State's 6, defeating NC State 30-18.

It looks like NC State is on it's way to another winless conference record. Their remaining schedule is @Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and @UNC. In order for a bowl game, the Wolfpack needs to beat 2 out of the remaining 4 teams. Wake Forest might be win. The remaining 3, not so sure. NC State had it's bye week so fans expect a well rested, healed up Wolfpack team traveling to Syracuse. Hopefully that is what they needed, especially after playing two top 25 teams in a row, and beefed up BC and Louisville teams. We will see what Doeren is all about during the Syracuse game and see what he is capable of.

As always, Go Pack!!!

Thoughts On TJ Warren and Tyler Lewis

Hey again! I'm back!

So recently, many college players made their decision to either stay at their school or go pro. At NC State, TJ Warren did what many expected him to do. In the 2012-2013 season, he did well as a freshman and even then, fans thought he was going to leave. He surprised us and came back for another season. Now, this past season, he was a beast. Literally a beast. Averaging 23+ points per game, two back to back 40+ point games, leading rebounder, and he slimmed down to be more agile. That screams NBA material. I wish him luck and will be following his career in the NBA. But as we know, players who leave early at NC State, typically do not get drafted. Let's hope TJ can change that.

On to Tyler Lewis. Him transferring to Butler came as a surprise to me. Considering him getting more playing time and more starts in the last 14-15 games. One might assume he would continue to be a big contributor as an NC State point guard. I guess he really didn't like it here. I believe he was recruited  by Sidney Lowe when he was coach. At least he kept his commitment. After thinking about it, him being at Butler might be the best fit for him. I'll be wishing him the best.

As Always,
GO PACK!!

Recent Events, NC State Football Re-cap & NC State Basketball Thoughts So Far

Well, it has been A LONG TIME since I posted on my blog. If anyone is even reading my stuff, I apologize. First I would like to point out that I am a NC State Engineering GRADUATE. I graduated last December of 2012 (dang, it has been awhile since I been on here..). I took a full time position at a local engineering firm that I have been interning. Now, I am living with my dad, trying to save up money to get my own place and pay off some of my student loans. So far so good! Enough about me, how about some Wolfpack info and thought?!

First off, I bought season tickets to both the football games and basketball games. Well, the football team didn't live up to my (nor other Wolfpack fans/alumni) expectations. They won only 3 games and lost 9. They were 0-8 in conference play. Tough break for the first year coach Dave Doeren. But don't lose hope just yet. He has 2 more years to try and save face. A day ago, he got a commitment from a 4-star recruit that is in ESPN Top 300. That's pretty good. Hoping for a few more commits to have a decent team next year. If Doeren can not get this team up to par, then it will be time to go shopping......again...

Now on to basketball. Currently, the Wolfpack is sitting on a 7-2 record with losses to Cincinnati and NC Central. We should've beaten NCCU but you know.....that NC State Shit that happens at the least opportune moments. This is still a young team, with returning players TJ Warren, Tyler Lewis, and Jordan Vandenberg. We added a LSU transfer Ralston Turner and a JUCO guard Desmond Lee. The three freshman in Gottfried's 2013 class includes Anthony "Cat" Barber, Kyle Washington, Lennard Freeman and Beejay Anya. So far, Anthony Barber and Lennard Freeman has earned spots in the starting line up. Anthony Barber has good ball handling skills and has the ability slash through the opposing defense to get inside and take shots. Lennard  Freeman has shown that he can get rebounds and defend well. There is still some promise with Washington and Anya, but they need more experience and more playing time to get to the starting five.

Well, that's it for this post. Hopefully I can get back into posting more stuff in the upcoming weeks and months. Thanks for reading!

P.S. It's time to drop the "This Is OUR State" slogan.....clearly not our state.....yet....

Rodney Purvis Dunk

Here is the GIF of NC State's Rodney Purvis dunk on a missed shot by one of his team mates.

CJ Leslie Dunks Over UNC Player

I was looking for a GIF of CJ Leslie dunking over UNC player (I do not care to know his name) and I finally found it. I enjoy watching it because of the "Why were you even trying to block that shit" stare that he does afterwards. Enjoy.

Stink Face UNC Fan

Yesterday I had the pleasure to watch UNC get crushed by Kansas. Even better, a UNC fan was on national TV giving a stink face after a Jeff Whithey block.

Here is the link.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/article/media_slots/photos/000/781/163/UNCFan_original.gif?1364168083

NC State Basketball 2012-2013 Season Ends

If you know me, than you know that I am a die hard NC State fan. I graduated in the Fall of 2012 and ever since I attended NC State, I wanted NC State to become one of the greats in college sports. This year was supposed to be "THE" year for NC State basketball. We had 4 starters returning and a highly ranked incoming class. What should have been an eye opener in Puerto Rico was just the beginning of the roller coaster ride of NC State Basketball. After the Oklahoma State massacre, the team won straight games including the major upset of then #1 Duke. Then, like usual, pulled some "NC State Shit" and lost at Maryland. That was pretty much the rest of the season. Losing to teams we should not have. This team had the talent, but lacked the discipline. Lack of leadership from the veterans. But is it all on the players? Is the players just a reflection of their coach? We will see.

One main thing that all NC State fans will tell you, is that we can not play defense AT ALL. I believe we rely on scoring many points to win games. Yes that typically works unless you are playing against a team that plays incredible defense,UVA and UMD.

I am optimistic thought. What Mark Gottfried did to this program in 2 years was made it relevant again. That's what the fans mostly wanted. We wanted respect from top programs. We wanted top programs to wonder if they are capable of beating us or not. We wanted those programs to celebrate a win against us like they just won a national championship title. Mark Gottfried did that in 2 years. Next year, the freshmen will be sophmores, and have experience to guide NC State to greatness again. Lorenzo Brown, you are one of the greats in a long time for NC State. One of my favorite players, even though you blocked me on Twitter. It's cool though. CJ Leslie, you are a monster, but you need to mature more. When you are in a game, we win hands down, but when you are not interested in the game, then there is a 25% chance of winning. You were the "switch" that made us look incredible or look like shit.

In conclusion, I believe both juniors need to stay for their senior years. Become leaders. Na Na Naaaa, Na Naaa Na Na Na Naaa, Na Naaaa, Na Naaa Na Na Na NA!!! GO STATE!!!

NC State in the Music City Bowl

This is the Wolfpack's 3rd straight bowl game. With a win at the Champs Sports Bowl against West Virginia two years ago and defeating Louisville in the Belk Bowl last year, the Pack are looking for a 3rd bowl win against a tough Vanderbilt team. NC State is 7-5, 4-4 in the ACC. Glennon will need to bring his A game if he wants to help his team pull out a win against a SEC team.





Vanderbilt is 8-4, 5-3 in the SEC. NC State is 1-3 against teams with a winning record, and Vanderbilt is 0-4 against teams with winning record. One has to take into account that Vanderbilt did not play Alabama, Texas AM, nor LSU, but they did defeat Tennessee; who beat NC State at the beginning of the year. They did play Florida, South Carolina and Georgia, so you would think they can handle tough competition better than NC State.

I predict Vanderbilt is going to rely heavily on their running game and NC State will rely heavily on their passing game.

NC State Football 2012

Well, College Football has arrived and through the weekend, college football teams have came out to show off what they have been working on during the off season. Some improved, and some down-right did horrible.

NC State faced Tennessee Friday August 31, 2012. NC State came in with a highly ranked secondary, but if you watched the game then you noticed that the over-hyped secondary did not show up when the team needed it too. The All-American David Amerson was out-runned and out-played by UT. As for Mike Glennon, building from a 3000+ yard season, had a lot of trouble also. He ended the game 27/46, 288 passing yards and 4 interceptions. He got sack twice. He also didn't show up to the game. I was really impressed by Mustafa Greene, since he did not play last season due to injury.

Some people will see it as, UT became extremely better during the off-season and it should've been expected from an SEC team with a National Championship under its belt. Others might see it as the Wolfpack just weren't prepared. They underestimated UT, basing their judgement on last seasons record. Either way, UT is in the SEC and they are a SEC caliber team. If the Wolfpack wants to define itself as a football power, then they need to quit letting important games slip away. Winning against UT would've set the pace for the rest of the season.

Now onto Wolfpacks head coach, Tom O'Brien. Will this season determine whether he stays or goes? Is beating UNC enough to keep his job? Well, from what I know about Debbie Yow, NCSU's AD, is that she wants to win. You see how she gave Sidney Lowe a redemption year, and he couldn't live up to her standards and he was fired. Is this Tom 'O Brien's redemption year? We will see.

NC State faces UConn on Saturday September 8th, 2012.


Go WolfPack!

Wolfpack Basketball, A Team To Be Afraid Of in 2013

NC State made one hell of a run after being picked last for the 2012 NCAA tournament. Everyone had them being taken out in the Round of 64......They stayed. They defeated San Diego State Aztecs and advanced to play Georgetown in the Round of 32. Now, Georgetown has history of being a pretty good team in recent years. They have had better results than the Pack. They were a big team. They were a tough team. The Wolfpack hung in there to defeat Georgetown to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. This was the moment to show the nation what NC State is all about. This was the moment that every Wolfpack fan had dreamed of in more than 15 years of being an outcast among UNC and Duke. They went on to take on Kansas. Kansas had a tough time with Purdue a couple nights before, but ended up winning. Well, they had a tough time with the Wolfpack also. They were up by double digits near the end of the 2nd half, but the Pack brought it within 3 points. The Wolfpack couldn't tie it up, and ended up losing to Kansas by 3. I would take that, than losing to them by double digits like UNC did. Overall, NC State exceeded everyone's expectations, including it's fans.


Now, there is CJ "Calvin" Leslie. He picked up his game later in the season to become the teams best player, along with his wing man Lorenzo Brown. Lorenzo Brown is expected to come back next year, but there are a lot of talk going around about Calvin. He did ask for more information about entering the  NBA draft, but no decision has been made yet. In my opinion, along with many others, Calvin should stay for another year at least. But would be better if he stayed to earn a college degree. Even though his game has improved significantly since last season, it is still not NBA material. If he stayed, then he will learn to use his ability consistently. Mark Gottfried can teach him even more if he stayed, plus he will get much more experience. Why leave when you have just figured out how to actually play? This past year was the first step in making him better. Next year will be to harness his ability. He is only a 2nd round pick, as of now. But after next season, he wll definately be a 1st round pick. Stay Calvin, you can only get better from here. Besides, having that college degree wouldn't hurt either.