North Carolina State University Athletics
Tony's Take: Self Inflicted Wounds Doom Pack
9/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 18, 2004
By Tony Haynes
Raleigh, N.C. - It wouldn't have taken a perfect football game to beat Ohio State on Saturday night. Just by playing reasonably well, the Wolfpack would have had a better than even chance to knock off the 7th ranked Buckeyes. But as it turned out, neither the Pack nor any other team would have had a chance to overcome the self inflicted wounds NC State suffered in a 22-14 defeat. Sixteen of Ohio State's 22 points came after turnovers. And when the dust had cleared, the Wolfpack's five turnovers and 14 penalties sabotaged its quest to post a treasured victory over one of college football's true heavyweights.
The ultra-patient Buckeyes, of course, were more than happy to capitalize on NC State errors. And while Ohio State's style of play will never been described as scintillating, its methods under coach Jim Tressel have been remarkably successful. Relying on a stout defense and stellar kicking game, the Buckeyes have plodded their way to 28 wins in their last 30 games.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and for Ohio State fans, the won-loss record has been looking a lot like Catherine-Zita Jones here lately.
It's a throwback, low-risk style of football that always gives Ohio State a chance to win every game it plays. And Saturday's contest before a raucous sell-out crowd was a typical OSU performance. The ball-hogging Buckeyes possessed the ball for 34 minutes compared to only 25 minutes for NC State.
Then there was the field position battle that Ohio State almost always seems to win. The Buckeyes' average starting position was their own 45-yard line. The Wolfpack's average starting position over four quarters? The 19-yard line.
Ohio State's defense and kicking game, combined with the Wolfpack self destructive ways made the damp field seem lopsided most of the day.
"It's a shame because you only get one shot at that team here," NC State head coach Chuck Amato. "But tip your hat to them. That's the kind of team they are. They won today with kicking and great defense."
And speaking of kicking, very few place kickers in the recent history of Carter-Finley have dominated a game the way Ohio State All-American Mike Nugent dominated on Saturday afternoon. Nugent, who booted a 55-yard field goal on the last play of the game to beat Marshall last weekend, had a direct impact on the scoreboard and the field position battle all day. Three of his five field goals were hardly chip shots, going for 50, 46 and 47 yards. Six of Nugent's kickoffs went for touchbacks. One of those kickoffs went through the uprights, while another bounced off the crossbar.
Not only did NC State have 14 penalties, an unusually high number of those miscues came on possession plays that can either stop an offensive drive or keep the chains moving for the opposition. The Wolfpack had three first downs wiped out by penalties and on two other occasions, the Buckeyes were permitted to keep the ball as the direct result of ill-timed yellow hankies.
"It really gives you a sour taste when you know you have them stopped or you made a first down and it comes back," Amato said. "The timing of the penalties is even worse than the penalties."
A perfect example was a running into the kicker penalty that not only gave Ohio State a first down in the opening quarter, but also wiped out a big punt return by Tramain Hall that would have given the Pack the ball in OSU territory.
But despite the numerous turnovers and penalties, NC State managed to stay in the game until the final seconds because its defense forged a courageous effort. Seemingly on the field all day and trying to defend a short field, the Wolfpack `D' never backed down and held Ohio State's offense to a measly total of 137 yards and just 11 first downs.
You can't lose a football game if you hold your opponent to just 137 yards unless, of course, you're hit with 14 penalties and turn the ball over five times.
"They've done it two games in a row now," said Amato of a defense that blanked Richmond in the opener. "Reggie [Herring] and all the coaches over there have really done an outstanding job at getting things done. Like I told the players, we have to take this and build on it. We go to conference play this week, so let's go win the ACC."
Conference play will begin next week with another sturdy test at new ACC member Virginia Tech. Along with taking an improved defense to Blacksburg, the Wolfpack will have T.A. McLendon in the backfield. After missing the Richmond game with a pulled hamstring, the 2002 ACC Rookie of the Year once again proved on Saturday that he is a difference maker when healthy. Although his day was marred somewhat by a third quarter fumble, McLendon did bull his way to 97 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown.
"I felt joyous about being out there," McLendon said. "I was really just blessed to be out there because who knew how many snaps I was going to get? When I go out there I just want to give 110 percent and help my team do whatever we've got to do. It just felt good to be out on the field and competing against a good team like Ohio State."
This season, the good teams will just keep on coming, meaning the Wolfpack will have no chance to go bowling for the fifth consecutive year if it continues to self destruct the way it did against Ohio State.
