North Carolina was coming off a dominating performance over rival Duke and looking for a winning season at home against rival NC State, who came into the game with only two conference wins.
Instead, NC State totally dominated the Tar Heels with long drives, mostly on rushes, to whip the Heels 35-7. The Wolfpack ran the ball 58 times for 388 yards – far and away their best performance of the year.
Just like that – after a Wolfpack 35-7 win – people begin to wonder if Larry Fedora will be coaching the Tar Heels in two years.
“Give credit to their coaches and team,” Fedora said. “They out-coached us and outplayed us. That’s all I can say.”
Of course there were more questions so he did say more. “They controlled the line of scrimmage and that’s why they won the game,” he said, noting that his team couldn’t match State’s energy level.
State QB Jacoby Brissett, who had rushed for just 300-plus yards on the season, ran for a Wolfpack quarterback record 167 in this one game. Only once this season has a Wolfpack player rushed for more than 100 yards. In this game, the Pack had two players rush for more than 100 yards.
Wolfpack coach Dan Doeren told his quarterback, “There are two number 12s playing in this game and I think we have the best one so go out there and show it,” he said.
Carolina started the season as one of the favorites to win the division and earn the right to play presumptive favorite Florida State in the ACC championship game.
Despite record-breaking offensive numbers, the defense faltered and the Tar Heels lost a couple of games they could have won.
After a good defensive effort in upsetting Duke, some thought the Tar Heels had turned the corner and were looking forward to finishing the regular season at 7-5 and maybe 8-5 after a bowl win.
Few Carolina fans care about a bowl game at this point, which will determine whether the 6-6 Tar Heels have a winning or losing season.
Several key players – including QB Marquis Williams, center Lucas Crowley and returner Ryan Switzer – were injured in the game and hampered any chance of a comeback after State scored on the first possession and took a 21-0 halftime lead. It’s not known if they will be available for a bowl game – which will probably be just after Christmas a long way away, almost certainly keeping Tar Heel fans away.
The Pack hadn’t really had a signature win but now they have and they go into next season – and a bowl game this season – with high hopes for the future. Meanwhile, the Tar Heels are underachieving and therefore setting up a must-win season in 2015 – unless of course an emphasis on winning changes into an emphasis on academics.