Saturday in Tallahassee, the Wolfpack rolled up 538 yards of total offense and 42 points in a losing effort, falling to the Seminoles 45-42. The defense surrendered 555 yards and 45 points, and State lost for the fourth week in a row despite a 349 passing yards and a career high five-touchdown effort by redshirt sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson.
The Pack fell after taking its first lead of the game at 42-38 on redshirt junior wide receiver Jarvis Williams’ five-yard touchdown catch with 3:50 left. Williams had a career game catching three touchdown passes. The Noles responded with a 66-yard drive that gave them back the lead at 45-42 with 1:36 remaining in regulation.
With two timeouts and more than a minute on the clock, the offense seemed to have a good chance to tie the game. Overtime looked even more likely, after Wilson and the offense moved the ball to the Florida State 43 with 31 seconds left.
Needing just 18 yards to be in position for redshirt junior kicker Josh Czajkowski to attempt to tie his career-best 42-yard field goal, the offense imploded. Heavy pressure forced a screen pass to redshirt junior Jamelle Eugene, who was thrown for a loss of one yard. After the final timeout stopped the clock following Eugene’s catch in his own backfield, the game was all but sealed on a sack by Mister Alexander on the next play, second and 11 from the Seminole 44 yard line.
The sack put Wilson and the offense in desperation mode for the game’s final play. Facing fourth and 17 from midfield with five seconds left, Florida State intercepted the Hail Mary pass to end the shootout.
The defense struggled three weeks ago in the conference opener against Wake Forest and has not improved in the subsequent weeks, giving up an average of 44 points a game in conference play. In its most recent debacle, it allowed FSU to gain 278 yards rushing on just 33 carries. The defense not only allowed 8.4 yards per carry on the ground, it also gave up 277 yards passing to Seminole quarterback Christian Ponder.
With four games to go, for the second year in a row, N.C. State is 0-4 in the ACC. The possibility of bowl eligibility remains, but the team will have to win all four of its final games to go to a bowl game for the second year in a row. With all but one of the four remaining games to be played at Carter-Finley, the Pack will have the opportunity to do so in front of its home fans.
