It's not happening for N.C. State.
It was a boo-chilly Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium -- and I don't know, maybe that's why State dropped so many passes? Maybe that's why Daniel Evans overthrew a wide-open Anthony Hill in the first quarter, which could have been six? (Or then again, he could have dropped it.) Maybe that's why State committed another nine penalties worth 93 yards? Or maybe, State's just not a very good football team? They tried hard, they played hard, but it's just not there. The Pack has met the enemy, and the enemy is themselves.
Chuck Amato walked into his post-game press conference Saturday night looking quite like he was the star of the movie "Groundhog Day." The same things keep happening over and over, and it appears there's nothing he can do about it.
Georgia Tech outscored State 31-23, handing the Wolfpack their fourth straight loss. And the fact is, State had the chance to win all four of those, and a good football team might have, but for all their potential, this team is not achieving.
Obviously, State didn't think they could run the ball on Tech. For those who wanted State to open it up, well, they gave it a shot. Daniel Evans put it in the air 53 times, completing 21 for 270 yards and no interceptions. But he couldn't get it in the end zone. Special teams and the defense accounted for both touchdowns while the offense managed just three field goals for all that moving it up and down the field.
Georgia Tech's wide receiver, Calvin Johnson, is a great player who's fun to watch. He's big, he's strong and he made an average quarterback in Reggie Ball seem better than he is. Johnson had nine catches for 168 yards and two touchdowns, and just his presence opened up the run. Yes, Tech could and did run the football, and State couldn't do much about it.
State is now 3-6 for the season with trip this week to slumping Clemson. Then, a trip to dismal Carolina -- which will be trying for a win in John Bunting's last home game -- and then back at Carter-Finley against surprising East Carolina. State's still saying the right thing, you know, win the next three, and there's a bowl game. Well, there're so many bowl games that a lot of mediocre teams get a bid, and if State closed out at 6-6, they would be another mediocre team going to an unattractive bowl game to play yet another mediocre team.
The past four years State, with all its expectations and with all the talk that great things are right around the corner, has lost five, six, five and now, at least six games.
The chill in the air on Saturday night is nothing compared to the chill that has engulfed N.C. State's once hot football program.
No, it's not happening for N.C. State.
