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!!

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....

The Yellow Jackets Laid The Smack Down On The Pack

On Wednesday Jan. 10, 2012, Georgia Tech went on the road to the RBC center in Raleigh, NC to face the then 12-4 (1-0) Wolfpack. In short, the Yellow Jackets came with the drive that the Wolfpack failed to handle.

Early in the first half, NC State lead by at least 5 points. Closer to the end of the first half, GT just switched gears and ran all over the Pack! NC State didn't know what to do but take it. At the half, the score was 40-29. A pitiful first half from the Pack that had the momentum from their win in their conference opener over Maryland. The Wolfpack thought they were on a roll when they cut GT's lead to 5 in the second half, but GT switched gears again and never looked back. Georgia Tech beat NC State 81-72.

Many factors come into play in this game. Scott Wood, CJ Leslie and Richard Howell all had foul trouble, especially Leslie, who fouled out. Their shooting percentage was barely over 40% and 26% in 3-point attempts. Even their coach, Mark Gottfried, had foul trouble. Scott Wood couldn't put it together to sink some 3-pointers. Another thing, the Pack did not defend well at all. It was kind of embarrassing after winning against a good Maryland team, then losing to a then 7-8 Georgia Tech team. The Pack needs to focus more and defend better in their next game against Wake Forest. Mark Gottfried does not need to take off his jacket anymore or the refs will call a Technical on him. Sad but true. I know the officials are being tougher this year, but it seems that the Pack always get the short end of the stick. But that is just me.

Remember to watch NC State @ Wake Forest on ESPN3 online. Go Pack!!!

NC State Defeats Maryland

Sunday, January 8, 2012 marked the first ACC opener win for NC State in 4 or 5 years. NC State defeated Maryland 79-74. The win isn't just a win, but it was a major test for new year coach Mark Gottfried. He told his team, and the media, that they will need to win 11 conference games in order to make it to "The Big Dance". As for me, I believe we can do it if the Pack can keep their focus and determination in the future.

Against Maryland, CJ Leslie put up 20 points, Scott Wood put up 19 points, Lorenzo Brown added 11 points and Richard Howell added 10 points. This is the first balanced WolfPack team that I seen so far, since being at NC State for nearly 2 years (I know it is not a long time). I said it before, and I'll say it again; this team is ten times better than it was last year. We have more structure and they know their positions well. When that happens, each player does their job right and the team will make something happen.

As for Maryland, it is basically a one man team. Terell Stoglin put up 25 points for the Terps. Nearly 1/4 of their total score. Even with our balanced team, they were still a tough team to beat. It will not get easier in the future, so we have to be ready. Side note: Maryland's coach, Mark Turgeon, is also in his first year as head coach for the Terps.

I have no doubt that NC State will continue to improve after each game, looking at what they did wrong and learn from it. With this attitude, NC State will be a team, that no one wants to mess with.

The next game is against Georgia Tech at the RBC Center on Wednesday Jan. 11. 

Go Pack!!!

NC State Basketball, Making A Come Back?

The ACC conference season is just around the corner and NC State has shown that they are much better than they were just a year ago. With new coach, Mark Gottfried aka "The Gott-father", things really have turned out good for the Pack. The most recent win against Delaware State, proved to die-hard fans that nothing is going to hold them back. When NC State went up against Delaware State last season, they had some trouble. NC State ended up winning by just 2 points, 72-70. I am not saying that they aren't a good team, I am saying that we did not have that much trouble defeating them this year. Yes, they might have lost some key players but I am sure that there were some returning players also. Either way, the Pack shows that they have talent.


Another reason that the Pack should not be overlooked, is the fact that they held up against #1 Syracuse and #12 Indiana. Both times, the Pack lead at least 8 points. But they couldn't keep it up around the 8 minute mark in the 2nd half. That proves that the team is continuing to get better after each game. C.J Leslie is getting the experience he needs when he decides to enter the NBA draft his senior year. Scott Wood continues to make the crowd scream after every 3-point shot he makes. Lorenzo Brown is becoming the leader of the Pack by setting the team up right and assisting, like a good PG should. C.J Williams, a senior, is making a statement each and every game. All players are stepping up. Is this because of Mark Gottfried? Or is it another reason? We do know is that this team did not look this good under Sidney Lowe, no doubt about that. I believe a winning season is on the horizon for the WolfPack.


Also, NC State has a top 5 recruiting class in the nation. After 4 terrible previous seasons, Mark Gottfried is truly helping the Pack get the respect that it deserves. I believe under him, NC State will be more than a rival to UNC and Duke. NC State is really making a tremendous come back from back to back losing seasons. History in the making is about to unfold!

If you want stats and more about NC State's Basketball team, please visit www.statefansnation.com.

GO PACK!

NC State Bowl Bound

Today, NC State have played the best I have seen them play in a LONG time. They upset #7 Clemson Tigers in a 37-13 bowl battle. Where was this team at during the whole season? I have came to a conclusion that when NC State really needs to win a game, they most likely win. When they need a win, they play with heart, and they are more focused than ever. This showed up in the win tonight against Clemson and also a win against our in-state rival UNC. NC State has the talent, no question about that, but they need to play with the same heart and determination as they did tonight. There is no telling what they could do if they did. Now all that is left to become bowl eleigble is to win against Maryland.


If the Pack can win next Saturday, the same way they won today, then they are sure to have a post season game. Getting to a  bowl game is not about having enough wins, but how you won during those six games (or more). I believe NC State can do that. There is some doubt though. NC State did lose to Boston College. They were 1-5 before they beat us. I guess we thought we could get an easy win, but Boston College also played with heart to defeat us. Like I said earlier, if you play with heart and determination, there is always a chance to win. The Wolfpack are looking towards Maryland for their final game of the season and a chance to become bowl eligible. Maryland is not having the greatest year, but there is still a chance that they can come out with a win, just like BC did a week ago.

All in all, the game against Maryland is going to be intense. The Wolfpack needs to do EXACTLY the same thing that they did against Clemson tonight. Only then, we can become bowl eligible and a better chance in getting an invitation to a bowl game. Go Wolfpack!!!

The Wolfpack Looking Better

 

The game against Morehead State gave the Wolfpack the extra confidence it needs to keep striving to be a better team than they were last year. Three players stood out the most in this match up, Howell, Painter and Wood. Howell put up a career high of 25 points, Painter also put up a career high of 19 points, and Wood put up 18 points including 5 three point shots While C.J Leslie is out for the first three games, Howell, Painter and C.J Wilson has really stepped up into the game, to prove to Gottfried that they have what it takes to win.

Mark Gottfried should be proud of this team. Last year, the Pack did not look this good all season. Yes, the two teams they played were in the "Mid Major" conferences, but each of them had an appearance in the NCAA tournament last season, while NC State was not a part of. Us Wolfpack fans have (really) high hopes for Gottfried to bring this program around. We aren't looking for a national championship (wouldn't hurt though lol), but we are looking for a winning season that is guaranteed to improve after each season. If he can do that, then he is guaranteed that Pack fans will support him all the way.

No Bowl Game For NC State This Year?

NC State had something to be proud of last week after a 13-0 shutout against UNC. They looked better than ever then. Defense held the Tarheels and the offense put up points. But, against Boston College, they looked like a completely different team. NC State fans would think that, after defeating UNC, the team would have the momentum to win against a 1-5 conference team, now 2-5. They did not play with the heart they had a week ago, which was very disappointing to NC State fans. Now, looking at the next two games for the Wolfpack, a bowl game is out of reach. I am now 50% sure about the Wolfpack winning against Maryland (was 95%, but dropped to 50% after the BC game). Against Clemson...I say about 1.8% chance of winning. If we do beat the Tigers, then GREAT, but I extremely doubt it. All of us NC State fans thought that Boston College would be an easy win, but we were all wrong. I guess us fans would just have to settle for a next season bowl game, hopefully.










Now, as for Tom O'Brien, will the AD put up with this kind of performance? I would hope not. I believe that after 5 years, we would be better than this. This is my prediction...no bowl game...then no more Tom O'Brien. I hate to say it, but College Football is still a "business." If you can't win, then there will be no fans, and if there are no fans, then there will be no ticket sales, and if there are no ticket sales, then there will be no revenue for the university; seeing as most BCS teams consider their football program as a top revenue machine. You see? It is a business no matter what you say. So lets hope for two wins and a bowl game!

UNC vs. NC State

 North Carolina State University vs. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

WRAL Image

Some people know what I am talking about when I mention the UNC/NC State game. Whether it is a basketball game or football. Either way, this rivalry is INTENSE. As a student of NC State and a fan, my feelings towards UNC athletics are the same as every other NC State fan. I have no problem with the actual institution, but I bleed Wolfpack Red.


A little history of the rivalry between these two universities can be traced back over a hundred years. The first time these schools played against each other was in 1894. For a decade or so UNC over powered NC State because they were an already established university for a long time, while NC State was just established in 1887. But as years went on, NC State got better and the games have gotten more intense.


For us NC State fans, UNC is our main rival in basketball and football, while UNC considers Duke as their main rival, mainly in basketball. But, both schools have that "sibling" rivalry between them, like older brother and little brother, no matter what sport it is.

Left: Coach Tom O' Brien. Right: Interim Coach Everett Withers

This past weekend marked the 5th consecutive win in football for NC State over UNC. This time, NC State had the heart and passion to win. UNC thought they could just come into the stadium and just win, not the case on November 5, 2011. After all that trash talking between the coaches, UNC coach instigated it, NC State had even more reason to win, and they did. They shut out UNC with a 13-0 victory. I am proud of my team and I know we can have a winning season this year. If they put their hearts into, like in the UNC game, then there is NO reason for them to lose.