Tudor: ‘One of the worst officiating blunders in ACC history’

Caulton Tudor gave out grades after State’s loss to Clemson and Coach Doeren got a solid B. I don’t necessarily argue with that. It is hard to give an A when you lose by two touchdowns. I would’ve supported a B+ if we wouldn’t have had ANOTHER awful time management situation on offense near the end of the first half. Time management mistakes now are becoming commonplace and need to be rectified.

Dave Doeren, N.C. State, B: Although one of the worst officiating blunders in ACC history helped Clemson get a 26-14 win, the Wolfpack took a lot of pluses out of Carter-Finley Stadium.

Coordinator Dave Huxable’s defenders executed a well-crafted strategy that kept Tiger quarterback Tajh Boyd out of sync from the start.

And for a team that was penalized nine times and was working with makeshift quarterback personnel, State’s offense was generally productive most of the night

But as losses go, Doeren’s first at State hardly had the look of a calamity. It’s the opposite, in fact. If the Wolfpack (2-1, 0-1 ACC) can come up with that same level of energy and defensive efficacy nine more times, the final regular-season record will be impressive.

 

=====>>>>> I don’t know why, but as of 9:15am on Sunday morning the “NC State Wolfpack” is one of the highest trending searches at USA Today’s Big Lead Sports.
Big Lead Sports Screenshoot

 

=====>>>>> The Atlantic Coast Conference had a nice day on the gridiron yesterday, averting a some disaster when not-so-good Virginia Tech needed three overtimes to best Marshall. But, elsewhere, teams like Miami, Florida State and Syracuse won BIG. Duke helped prove that the league really doesn’t have a pushover. Departing Maryland dominated West Virginia to the tune of 37-0 to make a big statement about the conference’s depth. And, soon to be members Louisville and Notre Dame both delivered impressive wins in their own way.

 

=====>>>>> I couldn’t help but think of NC State’s Jacoby Brissett yesterday when Florida’s starting quarterback, Jeff Driskell went down with a season ending injury.

 

=====>>>>> In case you missed it, Saturday’s kick-off against Central Michigan in Carter-Finley Stadium is set for 3:30pm.

 

=====>>>>> I would comment on these current bowl projections but it is just too early and there is no telling how it will evolve. But, any time we get a unique match-up like Boise State in California I can’t help but raise my eyebrow a bit.

 

=====>>>>>I don’t know about you, but I still feel like this:

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44 Responses to Tudor: ‘One of the worst officiating blunders in ACC history’

  1. TLeo 09/22/2013 at 10:32 AM #

    Surprisingly, I tend to agree with him. If this team plays with this type of effort the rest of the season and can stop the silly penalties they can have a really good season in spite of it being a rebuilding year.

  2. Cosmo96 09/22/2013 at 10:53 AM #

    That officiating blunder totally changed the complexion of the game. It’s hard to say we would have won if the right call was made, but that was about midway through the 3rd quarter. I’ll be the outcome would have been in question until late in the 4th. As it was, Clemson scored just a couple of minutes later, and that was all she wrote.

    Still, the way our guys performed overall bodes well for the future.

  3. BJD95 09/22/2013 at 11:16 AM #

    Any grade lower than A- for DD and staff is nonsense. People who should know better apparently have no clue just how vast the personnel disparity is between what we have to work with and a monster like Clemson. Very significant in quality, Grand Canyon-ish in depth.

    Thursday night is proof that coavhing matters. If it was just “Jimmys and Joes, not Xs and Os” Clemson beats us by 50+. But talent DOES matter too, and you won’t win the national title with hope and fairy dust.

    A west coast bowl trip against Boise State would be f-ing awesome. Best case scenario for the program, because it would be attractive for TV and get our program positive media exposure.

    As to why we are “trending” or whatever…our fat shirtless nipple-rubbing guy got a shoutout from Tosh.0. I would be shocked if that’s not what’s driving it.

  4. tjfoose1 09/22/2013 at 11:56 AM #

    “People who should know better apparently have no clue just how vast the personnel disparity is between what we have to work with and a monster like Clemson. Very significant in quality, Grand Canyon-ish in depth.”

    Yup.

  5. tjfoose1 09/22/2013 at 11:59 AM #

    Love me some San Diego.

  6. tractor57 09/22/2013 at 12:09 PM #

    Possibly the talent gulf is a little smaller than we thought but still very significant. In this game coaching made a huge difference for the Pack. Minus the bogus call the game would have been very interesting indeed.

    I think with near equal performances by the Pack (minus the bonehead penalties) we go from a so so season to a very nice one indeed for year 1 of rebuilding and a new staff.

    All of a sudden the ACC doesn’t so much like a weak sister but it is early and things can change.

  7. TheCOWDOG 09/22/2013 at 12:29 PM #

    If anyone comes across info stated, filmed, or otherwise, about what I refer to as “The Muddle Shift,” I’d appreciate it.

    Usually, coaches inform officials of advanced trickery pregame, but those 2 illegal shift calls were identical, and to my eyes looked like “controlled chaos.” Without film. I cannot really say.

    If seen again, I suppose I’ll have my answer. In the meantime, I shall blame the confusion on the Zeebs, rather than the players.

  8. Tuffy2 09/22/2013 at 12:34 PM #

    I do understand the approach we took on defense when it came to our secondary as to the space we were giving their WR’s so not to give up the big play. Letting everything stay in front of you but, it seems that maybe on some plays we show to jam at the line to go along with that pressure we were giving Boyd.
    I am not criticizing our defense and I know that the secondary is our weakest part with youth and inexperience. They still played a great game and will improve over time.
    DD is going to build something special here and the talent will come. He is coaching TOB players and he will get much more out of them then TOB and his staff. I have already seen it happen at week 3.

  9. Tuffy2 09/22/2013 at 1:13 PM #

    Usually, coaches inform officials of advanced trickery pregame, but those 2 illegal shift calls were identical, and to my eyes looked like “controlled chaos.”

    I agree Cowdog. Maybe those officials are just use to seeing that much chaos only while in punt formations or the old Muddle Huddle Swinging Gate formation. I made the mistake of trying to get 11 and 12 year old boys to run the old Swinging Gate after we scored a TD while coaching at the Pop Warner level. Never again!

    As far as the State game they were saying something on TV about one of the players on one of those penalties had established himself being set with his hand. Maybe someone will show us the video of those two plays on here as I would like to see it myself.

  10. old13 09/22/2013 at 2:01 PM #

    I haven’t looked at it to see those shifts, but there is a full replay of the game on ESPN3.

  11. mak4dpak 09/22/2013 at 2:53 PM #

    Does anyone know when Mitchell will be back playing? Sure can’t help but wonder if the game against Clemson would have been decided by a out of bounds call. I say we would have been further ahead. Good game for Thomas, but just not what Mitchell brings to the table.

  12. Whiteshoes67 09/22/2013 at 3:24 PM #

    As long as our first stringers are on the field, I’ll think we’ll be competitive. Our defense actually matched up better with Clemson than with some other, more physical offenses. Our D-line is as good as any in the ACC, our linebackers run pretty well, and we have big corners in Burris and Johnson. It’s known that Chad Morris tends to get a little frustrated dinking and dunking. Had he and Boyd been content to take the 5-6 yards a clip that we were giving, the game would’ve been far less close. We have a favorable schedule.

  13. Wulfpack 09/22/2013 at 4:55 PM #

    We are fine. If we play that hard and that well the rest of the way, we are looking at no worse than 8-4, essentially right where we were with TOB.

    My worry is there will be suitors for DD if that is the case in year one. And I have the hunch he will most certainly listen.

    The ACC is not looking bad at all. No bad losses this weekend, and now GT could enter the top 25 with Clemson, FSU and Miami. The SEC as a whole looks worse than in previous years. Four good teams perhaps but after that nit a whole lot going on.

  14. eas 09/22/2013 at 5:43 PM #

    I agree on DD. I think we all kind of understand we are just a stepping stone if he has any success. Unless he does bad (not likely) he will be a short timer here but hey we kind of knew that at the start.

    Solid game plan all around against the Tigers. The players obviously have bought into the new system. Penalties are still high but they are still working the through the new offense. Hopefully Mitchell will do well when he makes it back. Our “no huddle” is pretty darn slow at the moment. We are using almost the entire play clock per down for a no huddle offense……with most of it just calling the initial play.

  15. vtpackfan 09/22/2013 at 7:16 PM #

    CD-I can’t for the life of me figure out how the backfield shifts creating such a conundrum for the wretched refs. They kept calling Watson for illegal procedure when he wasn’t covered up and none of the formation was set. Last I checked as long as you keep keep seven on the line at once you can shift back and forth muddle it all up.

  16. redcanine 09/22/2013 at 7:43 PM #

    I thought Watson took a 3-point stance before he went in motion, or at least that’s how I understood the ref’s explanation.

    The refs didn’t get Coach D’s message. It mentioned muddle motions and sideline sprints for scores.

  17. PackFamily 09/22/2013 at 11:22 PM #

    I disagree with this “stepping stone” idea. Doeren said plainly that when he began considering places he wanted to go (from NIU), he wanted it to be a permanent home. He said that after taking our job. Things change, but he seems to be a straight shooter. Let’s hope we are so good that we have to worry about it.

  18. PackerInRussia 09/23/2013 at 9:24 AM #

    The only permanent home for a coach is the retirement home (sometimes). But, it’d be great if he were a great coach AND stayed for a long time. Raleigh’s not a bad place to be long-term, for sure.

  19. Wufpacker 09/23/2013 at 9:26 AM #

    ^^ It’s not uncommon to say such things, and mean them at the time they’re said.

    But as you said, things can change.

    A Texas or a USC ringing your phone has a way of changing things.

  20. Wufpacker 09/23/2013 at 9:27 AM #

    Damn you PIR…You top posted me just like the ‘Dog does and made me go in and add ^^’s 😀

  21. wilmwolf80 09/23/2013 at 10:00 AM #

    It was a bad call for certain, but Tudor has been covering the ACC long enough to know that this doesn’t even scratch the surface on how terrible conference officials are. Heck, I’m not sure it is even in my top 10 of worst calls against us.

    Re: DD. Everyone wants to have a coach that is wanted. If no other programs are trying to hire your coach away, then that probably means they aren’t a very good coach. I’d like to see him make it 4 or 5 years before a big time program comes calling. Coaching for NC State isn’t chopped liver, but we all know that there are 20-25 more desirable jobs out there. Hopefully when he is finished here, he has made our job more desirable as well.

  22. Pack Mentality 09/23/2013 at 10:11 AM #

    I don’t think it was a universally accepted notion that coach was just coming here as a short timer while always looking to move to a better program. But that talk started the first week he came to town with everybody saying he was leaving for Wisconsin, which he didn’t do. Most big time programs don’t hire somebody who is 2-1 in their only job as a BCS conference coach. Let’s at least give the guy time to establish a solid program here before we say that he is going to jump ship.

    Also, remember when they were saying Notre Dame was going to hire TOB away from us…lol.

  23. Gowolves 09/23/2013 at 10:40 AM #

    First of all every one can relax. He has only coached three games. Don’t get me wrong it looks promising but we all have seen it turn to crap right before our eyes! I know its human nature project and guess but how bout we just enjoy watching this program develop.

    One more thing.. Anybody have any news on the Battle kid from Clemson? He should miss at least one game.

  24. Greywolf 09/23/2013 at 11:00 AM #

    “Our “no huddle” is pretty darn slow at the moment. We are using almost the entire play clock per down for a no huddle offense……with most of it just calling the initial play.”

    Where did you get the idea that we are trying to run plays quickly? You’ve got Matt Canada confused with Larry Fedora. Coach Doeren has said that at times we will be controlling the clock. Slowing the game down is one way to negate the talent differential.

    One great thing about the ‘no huddle’ is you that in practice you get more reps in than with the huddle method and your defense gets to practice against the ‘no huddle’. The delay factor is irrelevant in practice.

    IOW The results of ‘no huddle’ are not only about running plays quickly or running 90 plays a game, the ‘no huddle’ can be used to control the defense as you take time of the clock. First when we immediately go to the line of scrimmage after the end of the previous play, that essentially stops defensive substitutions.

    Then when we do that muddle thing, defensive responsibilities change and the odds on defensive assignment errors go up – explaining why players are wide open at times.

    Brian Underwood got a great block, beat a linebacker to the corner and outran 2 safeties who were out of position for the “touchdown that didn’t happen.” The cumulative effect of ‘no huddle’, muddle, and motion.

    The stuff we do is cutting edge — including using the ‘no huddle’ to control defenses. Using ‘receiver packages,’ with quick substitutions, Muddle shifts, no huddle offense, and the things we don’t even know about takes time to put in — all of it confuses the defense. We should not be surprised that sometimes our guys don’t get it right. But this is the stuff that lets teams like NC State win over opponents such as Clempson who have substantial personnel advantages.

    Bryant Mitchell is down but our coaches have not hit the panic button. They are adjusting the offense to the talents of Pete Thomas and mixing in a little Bryant Shirrreff. When Mitchell gets back we’ll be right back in business with our full offense installed.

    One fool’s POV.

  25. Greywolf 09/23/2013 at 11:09 AM #

    Who knows, maybe Dave Doeren is a money hungry, ego driven coach who will go back on his word at the first drop of a checkbook. I don’t read him that way. He has young kids — family — that he cares about. He’s a more or less a country boy who likes this part of the country.

    We have had one coach who retired here in Raleigh after a reasonably successful stint at State — Earl Edwards. Earl and Dave weren’t all that different personality types, either.

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