Postgame Observations: Louisville 34, State 10
Give the NC State football team credit for at least this much. After taking itself out of its past two games before the end of the first quarter, the Wolfpack waited until the third period before imploding this time.
Coach Dave Doeren's team even took the lead late in the first half, something it hasn't done since the end of the Syracuse game all the way back on Oct. 10.
In the end, though, the result was still hauntingly familiar Saturday.
A quarter's worth of self-inflicted mistakes and explosive plays allowed dug State into a hole from which it couldn't escape on the way to a 34-20 loss to Louisville on a chilly, windy night at Carter-Finley Stadium.
The Wolfpack has now lost four straight to fall to 4-6 (1-5 in the ACC) and with only two games remaining, must win both to gain bowl eligibility for the sixth straight year. Unlike the previous three games -- lopsided defeats to Boston College, Wake Forest and Clemson -- this was a game that was there for the taking.
The reality of an opportunity wasted was evident on the faces and in the words of everyone that was brought into the postgame interview room.
"Everyone's obviously hurt," freshman linebacker Drake Thomas, who finished with five tackles and a sack. "We really wanted to win that game. Obviously every game we want to win. But the guys, we're coming closer together because of this and we're going to come out stronger in the end."
Before that can happen and the Wolfpack starts beating other teams, it must first stop beating itself. It was a problem again Saturday, with all three phases of the game contributing to the comedy of errors.
Although quarterback Devin Leary finished the game a respectable 24 of 44 for 243 yards and two touchdowns and actually put his team ahead 10-7 at halftime by hitting Emeka Emezie for a touchdown just before the break, the offense's night was defined by turnovers.
State committed three turnovers, two -- an interception off an ill-advised shovel pass by Leary on the first play of the second quarter and a fumble by wide receiver Keyon Lesane on State's opening possession of the second half -- that led to Louisville touchdowns.
The Wolfpack has now given the ball away 10 times in its last three games combined, a stat that transformed Doeren from coach to Captain Obvious when he said "We can't turn the ball over the way that we are and have any hope of winning."
The same can be said for the defense and its penchant for giving up explosive plays, defined as 10-plus yards on the ground and 20-plus yards through the air.
State has been giving up an average of 10 per game during its current losing streak after allowing half that many while going 4-2 in its first six games. Big plays factored into the Wolfpack's demise again against Louisville as it allowed touchdown passes of 43 yards to Dez Fitzpatrick in the first half, 74 yards to Tutu Atwell right out of halftime and 42 yards to Marshon Ford shortly thereafter as part of a 20-point third quarter explosion.
Zonovan Knight grimaces in pain as he crashes into teammate Thomas Ruocchio during the first half of Saturday's game
Louisville receiver Dez Fitzpatrick hauls in a 43-yard touchdown pass as State defenders Kishawn Miller (28) and Tanner Ingle (10) pursue in vain
Wolfpack quarterback Devin Leary is hit by Louisville linebacker Dorian Etheridge as he attempts a pss
State wide receiver Emeka Emezie struggles to escape the grasp of Louisville's Anthony Johnson after making a catch
Jaylon Scott and Seth Williams combine to bring down Louisville quarterback Malik Cunningham
State coach Dave Doeren looks on in frustration as his team loses for the fourth straight game
Perhaps the biggest of the Cardinals big plays only covered seven yards. But it turned out to be a backbreaker.
After State had climbed back to within 27-17 on a pass from Leary to running back Ricky Person Jr. -- playing his first game since injuring his leg at Florida State on Sept. 28 -- it appeared as though the defense had forced Louisville into a field goal attempt that would have kept it a two-score game with plenty of time remaining.
Instead, the Cardinals provided a dagger in the form of a fake field goal that saw kicker Ryan Chalifoux throw a touchdown pass aided by a Wolfpack defender leaving his man open in the end zone in an attempt to chase down the passer.
"Little things like that are really frustrating," Doeren said afterward.
What made the entire evening all the more frustrating was the fact that the defense played so well before falling apart in the third quarter. Through the first two quarters, the Wolfpack had only allowed 136 total yards -- 28 on the ground -- with three sacks and five tackles for losses.
"We were showing up like this is the D that I've seen for the past years I've been here and that's what I like to see," senior safety Jarius Morehead said. "And then it just started falling off and falling off."
A recurring problem, just as it is with the offense, is turnovers. State's defense hasn't created one since Chris Ingram's interception in the fourth quarter against Ball State on Sept. 21, seven games ago.
Morehead, among others, is at a loss for why.
"It's tough," Morehead said. "That's what you build off of. That's momentum right there and when you don't get it, it's hard for a defense to really bring out who they really are."
Despite the frustration and the mounting losses, State's players insist that they're still
"Right now I feel like we're in the right place," Person said. "The last two games is when we're going to show up. We'll practice this week and prepare for it. At the end of the day, we'll show up like we're supposed to do."
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