Heartless End To the 2007 Football Season; Maryland 37, NC State ZERO

'07 Football Tom O'Brien79

* There is no more joking “is it basketball season yet”. It really is basketball season for the Wolfpack.

* In 2001, Maryland threw oranges on the field at the end of the game at Carter-Finley. Today, they threw statues of Mother Teresa, Gandhi and Bono on the field to celebrate their bid to the bowl that used to be the Humanitarian Bowl.

* Coach O’Brien should probably take some heat after this game. That ‘effort’ was pitiful today.

* Another Evans INT near/in the red zone changes the complection of the game.

* Will Justin Burke transfer?

* Can anyone PLEASE beat out Daniel Evans next year? There is little to no reason to have much excitement regarding the 2008 season if NC State cannot improve upon the quarterback position.

* Nice round of applause for Marcus Stone on senior day at the stadium

* Despite the embarassment of today, a 5-7 / 3-5 record that included wins over ECU and UNC-CH was about as good as could be expected heading into this season. I’ll take it.

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'07 Football Tom O'Brien

79 Responses to Heartless End To the 2007 Football Season; Maryland 37, NC State ZERO

  1. roanwolf 11/24/2007 at 8:22 PM #

    I can’t stand losing to MD either after living in Northern VA for a couple of years. Trips to see State at Byrd stadium in college park were best described as an assault on your senses and ears.
    Anyway, maybe the debacle is due to the old field. If it were flatter we could have performed better.

  2. golf76 11/24/2007 at 9:03 PM #

    Let’s take what we got this year in football – 5-7 and move on to B-ball. We have alot of work to do there to get everything worked out. Need a killer instinct in all games but remains to be seen whether we’ll get it.

  3. RAWFS 11/24/2007 at 9:13 PM #

    You guys are being a lot kinder than I am: Maryland Gives NC State “The Business”

    From the coaching staff down to the waterboy on the sidelines, NC State grade for today’s game is a big red “F.”

    That’s “F” as in failure: failure to finish the year with a winning record, failure to get to a bowl game, and failure to finish strong and set up positive inertia going into next year. It’s not losing, that happens. The story of the day today was the Wolfpack never bothered to show up — to a man. This was the worst game NC State has played in at least a decade — and perhaps since the Tom Reed years.

  4. RAWFS 11/24/2007 at 9:16 PM #

    Need a killer instinct in all games but remains to be seen whether we’ll get it.

    With all due respect, golfer (and I do admire your apparent optimism) NC State also needs:

    Need a competent D1 level QB.
    Need an effective O-line.
    Need receivers that can catch.
    Need DBacks that can run and tackle.
    Need more linebackers.
    Need to replace Demario.
    Need a punter.

    I could go on, butyou get the picture.

  5. Dr. BadgerPack 11/24/2007 at 9:50 PM #

    ^How do you really feel? I think Ernest Jones at least showed up today… Everyone else must have been tailgating.

  6. FullMoonRising 11/24/2007 at 10:15 PM #

    I am just going to write this one off to the Tryptophan.

  7. gopack968 11/24/2007 at 10:42 PM #

    There was no energy, right from the run on to the field. Just flat. The crowd was big and ready, but never got into the game. Other than a few fleeting plays on defense in the first quarter we were out of it from the start.

    Evans is a good kid who performed far above expectations. He was all we had when we had nothing and he played his heart out. We should not beat on him here or ever. We have just failed in QB recruitment – and the funny thing is that we have had some really good QB recruits. Just none that ever turned out to be good enough.

    Personally, my game experience was redeemed when DAVID THOMPSON sat down about four seats away from us in Section 4!!! Just hanging out with some friends, graciously shaking hands and signing autographs. He looked great. Happy and relaxed. I am very lucky that 10 years from now that is what I will remember about this game – and not the worst play I have ever seen from this team (in the 12 years I have been going to games at least).

  8. StateFans 11/24/2007 at 10:50 PM #

    I respectfully disagree that there was no energy from the beginning of the game. The defense had very good energy on the first couple of Maryland possessions. Then, DE threw the interception as we were driving for the first score of the game and the defense took a turn for the worse.

  9. westwolf 11/24/2007 at 11:03 PM #

    ^Exactly.

  10. NCSU84 11/24/2007 at 11:14 PM #

    Better days are ahead. This was TOB’s first year and given the current talent level, we cannot expect the instant turn around that Sheridan provided. Pack fans be patient – although I know it is hard to do.

  11. Anthony Grundy 11/24/2007 at 11:16 PM #

    I thought TOB and Mr. Bible were thouroughly out-coached. It looked as if our offense was too predictable. As I’ve said all year, our team isn’t terrible, it’s just not that good. We have some personnel problems, but it’s the coaching staff’s responsobility to ensure we capitalize on our stregnths (i.e. running game). There’s no way we should have put up a donut today, especially on senior day. We can and should do better. It’s a sad way to for Marcus Stone to finish off his career.

    BTW, it’s a shame to lose a great team player like Marcus Stone. I’m not just echoing what I’ve read on various blogs and newspaper stories, this is what I’ve witnessed. I remember when Daniel Evans replaced Marcus Stone at QB last season. Stone was relegated to the bench. Most players would have sulked, but not the Stone. Marcus Stone was always excited to see Daniel Evans succeed that season. It was amazing, everytime i saw Daniel Evans run to the sidelines after a TD throw, he was always enthusiastically greeted by Marcus Stone. Hopefully our basketball team can follow suit as it seems we actually have too much talent on one team. Did I really say that?

  12. Avid109 11/24/2007 at 11:18 PM #

    I wonder if TOB and his staff have really done everything that they could to win every game this year. The two biggest question marks in my mind were the UCF and the UMD games. Against UCF, the coaches were very slow to make changes in a game that we could have won. Against UMD, well…, I’m not even sure that they had a plan.

    Was TOB trying to make sure that the bar for improvement next year was not too high? Had the team gone to a bowl this year, then there would be more pressure to go to a better bowl next year.

    I once heard Terry Bowden say that his biggest mistake when he went to Auburn was going undefeated in his first season. He said that the better you do in your first year, the tougher it is to show improvement in your second year.

  13. vtpackfan 11/24/2007 at 11:19 PM #

    The energy was fine, both teams had everything to win/everything to lose, so the pressure was palpable.

    Who gets most of the blame, IMO.

    1) Coordinators: What an incredible risk they through out there playing #11 Audi Augustine, a RS frosh. We saw that UMd had given up alot of sacks so we put him in there to create the sense of a frantic pass rush. What we got was a collective shot below the belt when Turner faked a draw and ran around the right end for 40 plus yards. Augustine bit wildly for the fake. He did it again just plays later, and was benched for the remainder of the game.

    Bible has to get a better hold on the personnel. We had more then just three receiver this year. Bowens’ game nose dived as soon as he started taking more kick offs, and Dunlop and Blackman should not play every down. Dunlop does not have the speed to earn any cushion. No DB in the ACC was every afraid of DUnlap running past him, and Blackman has some of the worst route running of any ACC starting WR. Thats okay, just don’t play them every f-ing down and expect DE or any other QB to make a different result out of the same personnel.

    Burke transfering, I’m more concerned with some young WR’s transfering. Suppossedly James is going to attempt a comeback so that leaves us with him, Bowens, Williams, Davis, Spencer, George, Smith, Howard and in coming frosh Graham. If I were a WR returning I wouldn’t be too impressed with Bible’s personnel choices so far.

    Last but not least 0-5 against Atlantic div opponnents. Blow outs to BC, Clemp, UMd, and second half cruises by FSU and WF. Rake over it you want about how we got on a mini run and beat UNC, but at the end of the day we light years behing the five schools we have to compete and overcome from here on out. If you can make this season seem rosy, don’t forget to spread the cheer to fellow teams like the Pack soccer teams, and all over non revenue teams. They fake good showings until the Divisision or conference games that matter occur as well.

  14. EverettBeez 11/24/2007 at 11:48 PM #

    Thank goodness I was driving through Tenn. during the game, and all I could pick up on the radio was 3 different UT pre-game shows. Its better I just see the score and box, and move forward with the day (lights on the tree).

    Wow, what a disappointing end to a struggle of a season. ECU & UNC were great wins, and allow us to talk to some smack in state (needing overtime to beat dook? that’s scary bad people.) But we’ve got a long way to go.

    So on to basketball – where El Sid is determined to give me an early stroke. Go Pack.

  15. EverettBeez 11/24/2007 at 11:55 PM #

    Still would like to see a run down of the “giving him the business” call.

  16. Anthony Grundy 11/25/2007 at 12:01 AM #

    Actually “giving him the business” has been used multiple times by NFL referees. Ben Drieth, an NFL referee, in 1986 is the only documented case on the internet.

    “We have a personal foul, on number 99 of the defense, after he tackled the quarterback, he’s giving him the business down there, that’s a 15-yard penalty.”

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Dreith

  17. the_phisherman 11/25/2007 at 12:19 AM #

    The run defense seemed fine when UMD ran out of standard running formations. In the second quarter, they started running out of spread formations which prevented us from stacking the box. I swear they must have averaged 8 yards a carry from those spread formations.

  18. noah 11/25/2007 at 12:29 AM #

    “I thought TOB and Mr. Bible were thouroughly out-coached.”

    Coaching had nothing to do with that game today. And Audi Augustine was playing because Willie Young had turned his ankle and was getting taped up.

    Two things I never want to see again: Daniel Evans throw a pass and Luke Lathan line up at center.

    I’m good on the latter. Let’s get to work on the former.

  19. TomCat 11/25/2007 at 1:30 AM #

    This really sucks. A bowl game would have been good exposure……. only Wake and ECU get bowl games.

  20. JimValvano 11/25/2007 at 1:55 AM #

    i wish i could comment on the coaching carousel thread, but it appears that the comments section is closed.

    I want to agree with Noah’s comment in the carousel thread…it was hilarious. The Tarhole players acted as if they’d just won the national title today after escaping Dook. I thought it was so funny that I recorded the fiasco so that I can show it to my tarhole buddies when they come over to my house.

  21. MrPlywood 11/25/2007 at 2:43 AM #

    ^”A bowl game would have been good exposure”

    The team got exposed plenty today.

  22. wxpack 11/25/2007 at 7:31 AM #

    QB is but one problem with this team. Play along the OL and DL was supect all year. There is a talent issue in many areas that will take a couple of years of good recruiting and coaching to turn this program around.

  23. PackerInRussia 11/25/2007 at 8:05 AM #

    On the “giving him the business” call: After a flag, the call went as follows: “Personal foul, number (I don’t remember who). He was giving him the business.” It went something like that. It was toward the end of the game. IIRC, it was someone on our OL. It actually managed to turn my sour frown upside down which was difficult because I was determined to sulk the rest of the evening. Fortunately for me, I could just go to bed as it was around midnight here and I didn’t have to think about the horrible game for the rest of the day.

  24. old_pcorone 11/25/2007 at 8:13 AM #

    It’s been a while since maryland has our numbers….. I think in the last 2 or 4 years the Terps have beat us badly.
    Yesterday was bad, but I think we have to look to next year anyway. The Pack went from the bottom of the pre-season rankings to being (almost) bowl-eligible and several corrections need to be done for next year.
    You have said everything that needs to improve, hopefully TOB and Lee Foul-er will listen

  25. PackerInRussia 11/25/2007 at 8:13 AM #

    “I once heard Terry Bowden say that his biggest mistake when he went to Auburn was going undefeated in his first season. He said that the better you do in your first year, the tougher it is to show improvement in your second year.”

    I don’t think we were in any danger of going undefeated.

    “Was TOB trying to make sure that the bar for improvement next year was not too high? Had the team gone to a bowl this year, then there would be more pressure to go to a better bowl next year.”

    I think they probably valued the extra practice time gained by playing in a bowl too much to consider something like that. If they are afraid that a 6-win regular season is setting the bar to high, then Toby ain’t the man for the job. I’ll give you that the UCF game may have been approached (by the coaching staff) with something bigger in mind than winning that one game, such as making the point to his team about what it was going to take to win over the long haul. I’m sure they would have loved a win, but they were more interested in establishing something long-term. I think this is why he made such comments after the game about not taking the job to win one game, but rather to be here 5-10 years. As for the game against the Tortoises, that one is beyond me. That was just plain bad.

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