Wow! N. C. State, on the verge of falling to 1-3, found a way to pull off the upset over Boston College!
Somehow, young Daniel Evans in his first start -- who was so-so during the first 59 minutes of the game and who just moments earlier had thrown what looked like a game-ending interception -- somehow, someway pulled out what had to be a must 17-15 win for the Wolfpack.
Evans, who looked more nervous during his post-game interview than he did at anytime during the game, drove the Pack 72 yards in just 46 seconds, capped by the 34-yard throw to the end zone and the miraculous bobbling catch by John Dunlap for the touchdown with just 8.5 seconds left. The great Pack hero of the past, Philip Rivers, couldn't have done it better. And although it was Evans' first start, and you never know, it was the storybook finish that makes legends.
In the pressroom after the game, surrounded by the horde of media, Evans certainly didn't look like a legend. The thin red-shirt sophomore looked shell shocked. And how could you not blame him? The kid who had been coming to State games since he was six had pulled off a miracle that even he didn't seem to believe -- and you can only imagine what was going on inside him. Will he be able to do it again? Is he the State quarterback of the future? That we don't know but for one night, Daniel Evans in the most pressure of football situations was cool and confident and smart, and his play will live as one of the great ones in N.C. State football history.
His dad, Johnny, the color analyst on the Wolfpack Sports Network, who I've always liked and admired since his quarterback days at State, stopped by our live truck after the game and saw our replay of THE PLAY. Johnny was always humble and gracious as a player and, of course, still is but you could tell how proud he was, and rightfully so.
How big was this win for State? Considering all the heat that's been on the Pack and Coach Chuck Amato, as big as they come. Amato said, "High as the Empire State Building."
The defense that yielded so much last week against Southern Mississippi played Boston College tough and it was the defense that stopped the Eagles with under a minute to play that gave Evans and Dunlap the chance to be heroes.
So, State is now 2-2 overall and 1-0 in the ACC. They are not a great team. Some still may think they're not even a good team, but in this ACC this year, the Wolfpack's current position is as good as any.
Now if Chuck Amato's been feeling the heat, I would guess John Bunting is about to roast. Clemson is good, but should Carolina lose to those guys 52-7? It was about as humiliating a defeat as there is, and it leaves Carolina at 1-3, and with not a lot of positives.
Into his sixth year as head coach, Bunting's overall record is just 25-39, and the program doesn't appear to be getting better. Athletic Director Dick Baddour says he's 100 percent behind Bunting, but you have to wonder who else is.
I like Bunting. I like his discipline. I like the way he handles himself, but the bottom line right now is the Tar Heels are not getting better. And judging from the Clemson game, not even competitive. Sure, Carolina's got a young quarterback, but the defense can't stop anybody. This season is fast getting away from them, and when you look back at the Bunting era, his best records have been just 8-5 and 6-6. That speaks for itself.
I've got to give Wake Forest credit. They've lost their No. 1 quarterback. They've lost their No. 1 running back and they're 4-0. Mississipi is not one of the SEC's elite, but the Deacons went down there and just pounded the Rebels. Wake says they're not getting respect, and they probably won't until they prove they can beat someone in the conference besides Duke. A win next week against Liberty, however, will give the Deacs their first 5-0 start since 1987.
And despite a 1-3 record, East Carolina's feeling it after playing West Virginia hard. One of the Pirates, defensive end Marcus Hands, said afterward that he doesn't see why ECU can't win the rest of their games. Hold on there, big fellow! You did play competitively against the fourth-ranked team in the country, but you didn't win and there was no running game. ECU is improved and on the way back. And confidence is nice, but it's better to play hard, fly under the radar and let the play on the field do the talking. There's a lot of football left.
