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!!!

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, Belk Bowl Champs!

 I know, I know... this is long over due, but NC State is once again a bowl champion. It was an awesome battle between the Cardinals and the Wolfpack.
Both teams had their own strengths coming into the game, but the Wolfpack figured out a way to pull out a win against them pesky Cardinals. I was one of the lucky ones who were close enough to the field to feel the heat given off the heated benches. The only problem I had with the game was that the Wolfpack had a 21-10 lead at the half and then scored 10 more points in the 3rd quarter making the score 31-17. We did not score at all in the 4th, and they made me worry through the quarter. David Amerson ended his season with 13 interceptions, the most in the FBS. To me, he should've been the MVP, but for some reason, they always give it to the QB. Amerson got 2 interceptions in the game, both solidifying the victory for the Wolfpack. Anyways, the Belk Bowl, was one of the best games that I went to, and I will forever remember it.

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!!!

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.

NC State Falls, While Wisconsin Soars!

Well, Russell Wilson led the Badgers to a 48-17 victory over #8 Nebraska. Wilson let the whole nation know that it doesn't matter whether it is a Top 10 team or an un-ranked team, they are coming full force, holding nothing back. I retract what I said in my previous post, Russell Wilson can make many things happen where ever he goes, and Wisconsin is lucky and proud that he is making it happen in Madison.

As for NC State, #21 Georgia Tech rallies past the Wolfpack with a 45-35 victory. One has to wonder now if Tom O' Brien made a good decision or not. So far, it hasn't been. Yes, the Wolfpack did get two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but it was a little to late. NC State fans, including myself, have to accept that even with Mike Glennon, we are definitely not the same team as last season. It now looks like one of the worst seasons for the Wolfpack under Tom O' Brien. I'm pretty sure NCSU's AD is not going to be pleased with this season's outcome. She might do the same thing she did with our previous head basketball coach Sidney Lowe. Only time will tell, and hope and faith are the only things keeping Pack fans from completely giving up.

I still have faith in my school's team. It doesn't matter if we win or lose, if we give it our all and left with a dent in the opponents expectations of us. Go Wolfpack!

NC State and Wisconsin, Glennon and Wilson

Okay, so the whole nation knows that Russell Wilson was released from NC State before summer started, and then went on to play his last year over at Wisconsin. But, is playing schools that aren't in conferences that have automatic bowl bids a foundation to Russell Wilson's excellent start as a quarterback? Well, today will be the big test when #7 Wisconsin hosts #8 Nebraska. If he is as good as the media says he is, then he will do great in this game. I have no doubts that Russell Wilson has the talent and drive to lead a team to victory, but I believe the true test rests in this game.

As for NC State, they have been terrible this season without, the now famous, Russell Wilson. Even with a quarterback that was in the top 5 out of high school, they still haven't found their groove. The loss against a 2010 3-9 record Wake Forest should have woken them up, but it didn't when they played an embarrassing game against Cincinnati. Many of you do not know that Glennon was going to be the starting quarterback three years ago, but after the first game, he got injured and Wilson stepped up to the plate. Ever since then, Tom O'Brien started with Wilson in every game and he did wonders, while Glennon watched on the sidelines. Now that Glennon has his chance (four chances actually) he continues to not be the leader of the team. Once he establishes that and communicates well, he will become a very good quarterback. But from the last four games, it is still the same, with little improvement. Today, against #21 Georgia Tech, it will show Glennon's true colors and his true talent as a quarterback. This will also be a chance for Tom O' Brien to back up his decision to let Wilson go.

As a student and fan of NCSU, I will support my WOLFPACK through thick and thin. I will root for Wisconsin because one of our own is leading their team. GO WOLFPACK and Badgers!