North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony's Take: Pack Miscues Add up to Miami Win
10/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 24, 2004
By Tony Haynes
The setting couldn't have been better: a national television audience tuning in on a perfect fall night for football. A sellout crowd that was as primed as it has ever been. And for NC State, it was another opportunity to measure itself against one of college football's most established programs. But just as Ohio State had done earlier this season, third ranked Miami benefited and took advantage of the Wolfpack's proclivity to shoot itself in the foot. So when all the analysis is done and the state fair dust has settled, the bottom line is this: In losses to two top 10 teams this season, the Pack has a total of nine turnovers.
There were five against the Buckeyes in September and four more - all in the first half - in a 45-31 defeat to No. 3 Miami on Saturday night. Perhaps adding to the misery of those two losses is the fact that NC State was able to hold its own against both teams in so many ways. Was the Wolfpack competitive? Yes. Is it ready to win a game against such opposition? Not quite. The one statistical category that continues to hang over NC State's head like an ominous cloud is turnover margin. Now minus 10 for the year, the Pack has 12 giveaways and only three takeaways in its three losses.
The Hurricanes, who have now prevailed in 52 of their last 56 games and improved to 41-3 under coach Larry Coker, strutted into Carter-Finley Stadium with the type of brazen confidence one would expect from a perennial national title contender. But not even the `Canes could have counted on such generosity from an NC State team that also hurt itself with 10 penalties for 95 yards, including four on the defense for lining up offside.
Throw in the Wolfpack's shortcomings in the kicking game, and it makes you wonder how the Pack lost by only 14 points.
All week, NC State coach Chuck Amato talked about Miami kick return man Devin Hester, a player Amato described as a `category 6' Hurricane. So what did Hester do on the opening kick off? He fielded John Deraney's strong boot five yards deep in the end zone and proceeded to turn into a blur as he blew past the Wolfpack coverage team untouched to the other end zone.
It was a 12 second sprint that looked fast even on the slow motion replay.
Undeterred, NC State made an impressive recovery from the opening salvo fired by the `Canes and actually came back to grab a 17-14 lead early in the second period when Jay Davis found Tramain Hall in the left corner of the end zone from 18 yards out.
But from that point on, the Wolfpack would not be able to overcome the combination of its own mistakes and the laser-like accuracy of Miami quarterback Brock Berlin. Often criticized in South Florida for his inconsistency, Berlin was spectacular against NC State's top-ranked defense, hitting 15-of-30 passes for 265 yards and five touchdowns. The Wolfpack blitz packages that had been so effective against other quarterbacks this season were, for the most part, a non-factor on Saturday. And with Berlin getting time to throw, NC State's corners were often hung out to dry when given the near impossible task of trying to keep up with Miami's impressive stall of speedy wide receivers.
"On a few of those, there was a lot of maximum protection," Amato said. "They would send just two receivers out and use play-action. He put the ball on the money and they hurt us with some patterns that they hadn't run as much, which kind of surprised us a little bit. He made some throws, but he also made some against some missed assignments."
The other quarterback, NC State's Jay Davis, also made a positive impression, connecting on 20-of-38 throws for 260 yards and four touchdowns. One can't help but admire Davis' development since those early games in which he seemed so tentative and indecisive. Now, heading into the last four games, Davis has become the type of quarterback who is capable of making plays against the best of defenses.
From here on out, the Wolfpack will be fighting for its postseason life. A road game at Clemson next week will be followed by back-to-back home appearances against Georgia Tech and Florida State. The regular season will the end with a Thanksgiving weekend meeting with East Carolina in Charlotte. Instinctively perhaps, Amato sensed a little air was leaking out of the Wolfpack Nation balloon during his postgame radio interview on Saturday.
"Stick with us now," he told the radio audience. "This is when we need the hugs around the neck. When things are bad, it's easy to say this, that and whatever. This is when we need to stay together."
And if Amato can keep the Pack together, while finding a way to minimize the mistakes and turnovers, this is a team that's still good enough to finish strong.
Unfortunately, however, the Wolfpack won't be able to erase those nine combined turnovers that ultimately stymied its efforts against Ohio State and Miami.
