• No getting around that it’s a deflating loss. I told people before the game when studying and scouting Mississippi State that I think there’s a good team in the Bulldogs, I just don’t know when it’s going to come out. Looking back, they were a fairly good team once they settled in against NC State. That defense has potential when it is playing well. I have bigger questions about their offense.
The problem was NC State allowed them to get settled in. It should have something like 10-0 at the end of the first quarter with NC State driving for more, and the game is totally different if that happens.
• I noted in my MMQ column that contrary to popular belief, when I look back, I think the team was actually well-prepared. You don’t dominate the first quarter like that and not be well-prepared. It just goes to show you however how important it is to not allow a big play like a kickoff return for a score and also how you must take advantage of your opportunities.
Some of that is on coaching. The jump pass was not a smart play call, obviously. Some of it is on players. On second and goal you have the numbers edge on the outside to that pass to Thayer Thomas. The blocks have to be made so that he scores easily.
• I do think NC State got predictable once the game settled in. Too many first down runs, too many three-man rushes, etc. You don’t get dominated in the second and third quarters like the Wolfpack did without there being issues with the planning and strategy, and when you look back on it the domination of Mississippi State in those quarters were even more than I thought.
• When I looked at this team my one concern was that perhaps expectations were a tad inflated by NC State taking advantage of its schedule last year. Let’s not forget it needed to rally to win at home over Duke and on the road at Syracuse, perhaps the two worst teams in the ACC a year ago, and also was fortunate Georgia Tech did not have a field goal kicker in the regular season finale.
It was also uncompetitive against both UNC and Virginia Tech on the road.
There were definitely flashes of a good team. Those were nice wins at Pitt, vs. Liberty and against Wake Forest and the performance at Virginia was a good one, too. I thought all three of those ACC teams were pretty good teams last year, and I think that’ll be reflected even more this season. And frankly I tought they were a better team than Miami but the Hurricanes got an unworldly performance from its QB that it has not received in many if any other games.
But this year’s schedule is also not last year’s. I still think this will end up being a good team, but it’s also going to be tested stronger than the one a year ago. That might have been a lesson they learned this weekend. Ultimately, this was one of those 50-50 games we talked about all offseason. Those 50-50 games are still out there. We have a lot to learn about Wake Forest and Boston College. We’ll get a better idea on the Deacons some this weekend when they host FSU. BC we’ll find out more about starting Sept. 25.
The game at FSU is still very winnable, obviously. Louisville being the so-called wildcard isn’t looking likely. Miami is not looking like a top-25 team at the moment (perhaps neither is UNC). So I don’t think you need to make any dramatic adjustments yet to your season win-loss record predictions. If the first quarter scoreboard had reflected how the game went in the first quarter, you probably have a different feeling this morning.
The problem was NC State allowed them to get settled in. It should have something like 10-0 at the end of the first quarter with NC State driving for more, and the game is totally different if that happens.
• I noted in my MMQ column that contrary to popular belief, when I look back, I think the team was actually well-prepared. You don’t dominate the first quarter like that and not be well-prepared. It just goes to show you however how important it is to not allow a big play like a kickoff return for a score and also how you must take advantage of your opportunities.
Some of that is on coaching. The jump pass was not a smart play call, obviously. Some of it is on players. On second and goal you have the numbers edge on the outside to that pass to Thayer Thomas. The blocks have to be made so that he scores easily.
• I do think NC State got predictable once the game settled in. Too many first down runs, too many three-man rushes, etc. You don’t get dominated in the second and third quarters like the Wolfpack did without there being issues with the planning and strategy, and when you look back on it the domination of Mississippi State in those quarters were even more than I thought.
• When I looked at this team my one concern was that perhaps expectations were a tad inflated by NC State taking advantage of its schedule last year. Let’s not forget it needed to rally to win at home over Duke and on the road at Syracuse, perhaps the two worst teams in the ACC a year ago, and also was fortunate Georgia Tech did not have a field goal kicker in the regular season finale.
It was also uncompetitive against both UNC and Virginia Tech on the road.
There were definitely flashes of a good team. Those were nice wins at Pitt, vs. Liberty and against Wake Forest and the performance at Virginia was a good one, too. I thought all three of those ACC teams were pretty good teams last year, and I think that’ll be reflected even more this season. And frankly I tought they were a better team than Miami but the Hurricanes got an unworldly performance from its QB that it has not received in many if any other games.
But this year’s schedule is also not last year’s. I still think this will end up being a good team, but it’s also going to be tested stronger than the one a year ago. That might have been a lesson they learned this weekend. Ultimately, this was one of those 50-50 games we talked about all offseason. Those 50-50 games are still out there. We have a lot to learn about Wake Forest and Boston College. We’ll get a better idea on the Deacons some this weekend when they host FSU. BC we’ll find out more about starting Sept. 25.
The game at FSU is still very winnable, obviously. Louisville being the so-called wildcard isn’t looking likely. Miami is not looking like a top-25 team at the moment (perhaps neither is UNC). So I don’t think you need to make any dramatic adjustments yet to your season win-loss record predictions. If the first quarter scoreboard had reflected how the game went in the first quarter, you probably have a different feeling this morning.
