Dave from Carter-Finley

Yesterday Doug Rhoads, the head of ACC football officials, notified Tom O’Brien that upon further review C.J. Spiller did in fact fumble the football on the play that was challenged in the 3rd quarter last Saturday. I’m a little late here, but then again so was the ACC so it only feels appropriate. Just another example of how bad the ACC refs are. They not only missed the play in real time, but then they took what seemed like 15 minutes to review it and still couldn’t get it right. Why do we even have instant replay when it doesn’t work?

I’m so glad the ACC let us know that they got the call wrong. Is it suppose to make us feel better? Does it help us accumulate points is some super-secret “screwed by the refs” account that we can use at any point that we need to down the road? Are they going to make Clemson come back up to Carter-Finley and replay the end of the game? Or can we just trade it in for the win that we rightfully earned against Carolina in the infamous T.A. McLendon game back in 2004? I’ll take the latter.

I’ll be home for Christmas.  You can plan on me.  Please have snow and mistletoe.  And … you know how the rest of the song goes.  Clemson eliminated the Pack from Bowl contention yesterday so me, my brother, and the Wolfpack football team will all be home for Christmas.

With eight home games this year and a team that looked to be one of the better teams in the ACC down the stretch last season, I thought that we would definitely be playing in a bowl game this year.  To call it a huge disappointing season would be one of the biggest understatements of the year.  I’m feeling a little numb today so I’ll wait a few days before I try to break down what went wrong.

There are still two games remaining and when you have games left they always mean something (at least to me they do). My take is, whenever you put on a NC State jersey and play a game you better give your all to get a win for your school.  Hopefully our players feel the same way.  We still have a chance to get to 6-6 and have a non-losing record.  It’s not what we all wanted at the beginning of the season, but it would be much better than the alternative of a 4-8 record with a loss to Carolina.

I’ll still be in Blacksburg next weekend and Carter-Finley the following weekend rooting my everloving heart out so the Pack won’t lose because of me.  All I can say is that I’m 10-0 tailgaiting this year.  Now off to lick my wounds and optimistically look to “next year.”

The Textile Bowl Trophy sitting in the visiting locker room of the A.E. Finley Fieldhouse.

So the trophy does exist and it’s back in Raleigh … hopefully to stay for at least the next year.

The Clemson Tigers come to Carter-Finley on Saturday for another installment of the Textile Bowl.  I’ve searched the internet far and wide for a picture of the Textile Bowl trophy, but have not had any luck.  I’ve heard from several people that have heard from several people that there is in fact a trophy, but nobody I’ve talked to has actually seen the thing.  Well Clemson has had this mythical trophy for the past five years so it’s time we brought it back to Raleigh so all of us Wolfpackers can actually see what the thing looks like.

Once again nobody is giving the Pack much of a chance.  After having a rough start to the season, Clemson has turned it around and been one of the hottest teams in the ACC over the past month.  They come into this game riding pretty high and in control of their own destiny into the ACC Championship game.  Heisman Trophy hopeful RB C.J. Spiller has been on an absolute tear and Freshman QB Kyle Parker has improved from earlier in the year.  On top of all that Clemson has just had the Pack’s number this decade.  All those are the reasons why I like the Pack in this game.

Well, maybe not exactly, but Clemson is overdue for their typical late season letdown game.  Throw in an ACC road game at high noon against a team at the bottom of the standings and all the ingredients are there for the Tigers to fall flat on their face.  Even if the Tigers do come out flat, the Pack still has to play one of its better games.

I’ll admit it’s a tall order, but this college football season has been crazy so why can’t the Pack get in on that action a little bit.  The Pack’s key to the game is Spiller.  I don’t know how to do it, short of a voodoo hex, but we absolutely have to keep Spiller somewhat in check on both offense and special teams and take away his big play(s) in order to pull off the upset.  Kyle Parker has played better of late, but not good enough that he can put the Tigers on his shoulders and carry them to a win.  He’s still a Freshman that will be rattled by Willie Young, Alan-Michael Cash, and the loud hostile Carter-Finley crowd.

Clemson teams of the past few years would definitely lose this game.  I’m hoping that we see the “real” Clemson this weekend.  Go Pack!

Dewey Corn

Everybody has heroes, people they look up to and admire.  I would bet that most of our heroes fall into one of the following categories:  relatives, athletes, servicemen, biblical figures, or even politicians.  I think I had at least one hero in all of those categories until today.  That’s when I read this article about Dewey Corn.  Mr. Corn, you are now officially my one and only hero.

Wow!  What can I really say about Mr. Corn.  Four hundred consecutive NC State football games?  That dates back to 1975, six years before I was even born.  That my loyal readers, all two of you, is a committed fan that truly loves his school.  Over the last several years I’ve been waiting to find my calling in life.  Mission Accomplished!  My streak stands at nine games so I’ve got a lot of work to do to catch up, but I’m coming for you Mr. Corn.

Congrats on #400!!! (standing ovation)

This time of the year the weather in North Carolina starts getting cold and Wolfpack Football is usually trying to recover from a subpar first half of the season.  Those two things come together forcing me to grow out the beard.  It’s worked the past two seasons helping the Pack down the stretch.  So after the Boston College game I said to myself, “what the heck, let’s try this again.”

I was a baseball player growing up so of course I’m superstitious by nature.  I did wear my red Nike “Carter-Finley” t-shirt (the same one with several “battle scars” from last years ECU game) this past weekend improving its record to 5-0 over the past three seasons.  So why the heck haven’t I worn that shirt every game this year?  I don’t know, but there is this saying that goes something like “you can only go to the well so many times before it dries up,” so I try to save it for when the Pack absolutely needs it.  The beard has more power anyway.

So during the bye week I decided it was time to start growing the beard out again.  It was still a little thin for the FSU game and the result was a close three point loss.  Now it’s starting to get there and this past weekend against Maryland we won by seven.  If we keep following that trend by Thanksgiving weekend it will be beyond full and we’ll be able to duplicate last year’s 41-10 beatdown of Carolina.  What can I say, there is no denying the beard’s Samson-like powers (crossing fingers).

Note:  Contrary to the hoard of rumors going around out there, Mrs. DFCF is a big fan.  Maybe she doesn’t realize it yet, but she really does love the beard.  Irregardless the beard stays until the Pack loses.  It can get super itchy and annoying at times, but I hope I’m still sporting it around Christmas time.

Former Pack great Jerricho Cotchery taking in Homecoming 2009

I love it when former Pack players in the NFL spend their bye week to come back and root for the Pack.  Saturday Jerricho Cotchery was at Carter-Finley and got a huge standing ovation when he was recognized.  Jerricho was one of the hardest working and nicest guys we’ve ever had at State.  What a class guy.  He still owns the Pack records for most career receptions (200) and most career 100 -yard receiving games (15).

In 2003 at Duke, my crowd was tailgaiting by Jerricho’s mom and dad (in addition to Cotra Jackson’s mom).  They were grilling chicken wings and we were grilling Mr. Gibson’s world famous pork chops.  We shared some food, stories, and had a good ol’ time.  Super nice people.  It was a joy to watch Jerricho and Philip Rivers dissect defense after defense during their time wearing the Red and White.  DFCF wishes much success to Jerricho in life and for the duration of what we all hope is a long NFL career.

A good buddy of mine does some volunteer work for Jerricho’s Foundation up in NYC.  Great to see athletes giving back to the community.  Check it out here.

Women's Basketball Coach Kellie Harper was Grand Marshal of the Homecoming Parade.

What do Terminate the Terps, Operation T.O.B. (Take Out Boston College), Crush the Cavs, Send the Jackets PACKIN, Dismiss Southern Miss, DevaSTATE Wake, and Beat the Buzz have in common?  If you answered corny NC State Homecoming slogans then you’re our winner.  Come on down and get your prize.  There’s really no prize so just enjoy yesterday’s win.

Maryland is not a very good football team, but we took care of business.  The much-maligned Pack defense played really well holding the Maryland offense to only 270 yards, 14 first downs, and 17 points.  Maybe we can build a little confidence from that and play better these last three games.  The Pack offense continued its hot play piling up 482 yards, 31 first downs, and 38 points.  From these stats you can see how this game should have been a blowout, but it was a nail biter that wasn’t decided until the last play of the game.  No time to be picky for us Pack fans, though.  A win is a win and it feels so good to be back in the W column keeping our slim bowl hopes alive.

It’s going to be tough to become bowl eligible needing to win all our remaining games (Clemson, @Virginia Tech, and North Carolina), but until we are officially eliminated I’m going to hold out hope.  We pulled it off last year so why not do it again.  Stranger things have happened.  Any team can win on any given Saturday.  Oh I’m such a douche for using cliches like that, but I believe.  In order to do it, though, we have to shore up the special teams and Russell has to be smarter with the football.

Our special teams has struggled all year and yesterday was no different.  We did kick a 48 yard field goal and block a Maryland field goal attempt, but those don’t come close to making up for botching a punt and giving up a kickoff return touchdown.  With C.J. Spiller coming to town next week it could get worse too.  Defensive coordinator Mike Archer has been getting a lot of heat for how the defense has played, but what about special teams coach Jerry Petercuskie?  The special teams has been even worse than the defense, believe it or not, so they must get better and fast.

We all knew that Russell Wilson’s record setting interception free streak was going to end sooner or later.  It was an impressive streak that was made possible by a lot of skill, good decisions, and a little luck.  When it finally did come to an end in the Wake Forest game we all expected Russell to start another streak.  Well he has started another streak, but not the kind of streak we had in mind.  He’s now thrown nine interceptions over the last five games with at least one in each game.  Game by game his interceptions have been 2, 1, 1, 2, and 3.  I understand that we are throwing the ball more and interceptions are going to happen, but the majority of Russell’s nine interceptions have been caused by terrible decisions and forced throws.  Going forward he has to be a lot smarter and protect the football better to give us a chance.

Riddick Stadium

Original Carter Stadium

During Homecoming Week it is always nice to look back in history and see where you’ve come from and the people that have made it all happen.  NC State posted a real good story about the history of our football program.  A must read for any Wolfpack football fan.  Check it out here.

So Homecoming Week is upon us.  Fittingly the same week that ESPN debuts their film “Without Bias” the Maryland Terrapins are coming to town.  One time at Maryland, me and some buddies had a run-in with some Terp fans over Len Bias.  Great story, but I’ll save that one for another day.

Vegas has the Pack hovering around a touchdown favorite.  A few prognosticators have even picked us to win by more than that.  I’m not quite that confident because Ralph Friedgen has owned the Wolfpack (6-2) since arriving at College Park.  I do think that we are better than Maryland, but that doesn’t always translate into a win.  Good news is we won’t be seeing RB Da’Rel Scott (broken wrist) who put up 163 yards rushing on us last year.

So Maryland’s chances hang squarely on the shoulders of QB Chris Turner.  Even with our defense struggling I’m not sure any Terp fan likes hearing that.  Turner not only has the worst hair in the ACC with his out of style Jheri curl look, but is also one of the worst QBs.  Turner also has to be a little distracted since his dad, the original drummer for the hair-metal band Ratt, started stirring up trouble on Terp message boards calling for the head of Maryland’s AD Debbie Yow.

The Pack Defense finally gets an opponent with a weak offense.  Call me crazy, but I think the Pack D takes out a little frustration this week and plays one of its best games of the year.