WRAL Sports Fan

North Carolina

Game blog: N.C. State crushes North Carolina 41-10

By Tim Hall

Nov 22, 2008

3:18 p.m., Ball game:  A shocking display here.  The Wolfpack chant is blanketing Kenan Stadium.  What a way for Heels fans to spend senior day.  This was an embarrassing loss at home, and 25 thousand fans have already left this joint.  Final score is 41-10, N.C. State can beat Miami next week at home and become bowl eligible, and there is no doubt they will get invited somewhere with the way they have played.

3:12 p.m., Turnover number six for UNC:  Robbie Leonard picks off  Sexton on a tipped ball and takes it to the one yard-line.  N.C. State is trying to make this one hurt.  This game could end with a score of 41-10.  Jamelle Eugene just took it in on third down

3:02 p.m., UNC nearly fumbles again:  Hakeem Nicks did in fact fumble and N.C. State recovered, but the play was reviewed and overturned.  The N.C. State defender had his hand out of bounds when he recovered.  The very next play Cameron Sexton, who is finally in for Yates, throws a pick to Dominique Ellis.  Russell Wilson to my surprise is still in the game with under seven to play in this wash of a game.  Get him outta there!

2:55 p.m., It's out of hand:  The score is 34-10.  You Tar Heels look terrible today.  You should be embarrassed.  You are not going to the title game in Tampa.  You had a 4-6 team come into your house in a rivalry game, and you got smacked around like a little girl.

2:46 p.m., Russell Wilson:  After three he had 279 yards and two touchdowns on 17-28 passing.  He could have 400 yards and four TDs if Spencer isn't dropping balls.  I like the comments from those of you reading.  There really isn't a doubt who the ACC quarterback of the year is.  And it is shocking to think him in a discussion for ACC player of the year.  Don't forget about Jonathan Dwyer at Georgia Tech.  I really can't think of another.  By the way, State is running clock and running it down UNC's throat here in the fourth.  There is less than nine minutes to play, and a short field goal is on the way.  If I am Tom O'Brien, I get Wilson out of the game right now.  The game is over.

2:39 p.m., Fourth quarter:  T.J. Yates is sacked as the quarter runs out by Alan-Michael Cash.  This State team is playing on a different level, it's a different team than earlier in the season.  You have to give Tom O'Brien a great deal of credit.  His team was down and out and they have continued to improve over the past month even in close losses.  It was just a matter of time.  Is there any doubt they lose at home to Miami next week?

2:33 p.m., I'm calling this one:  Richard Quinn fumbles the kick-off return and N.C. State picks it up.  That's four turnovers on the day for UNC.  On the next play Wilson throws a touchdown to guess who, Owen Spencer, who holds onto the ball finally.  Wilson put the ball right on the money once again.  State is killing North Carolina 31-10,  how sweet this must be for N.C. State.

2:30 p.m., State answers:  This has turned into an offensive game, with touchdowns coming on the last three drives of the game.  Russell Wilson scrambled down to the three, and Andre Brown did the rest of the work to give the Pack a 24-10 lead with under two to play in the third.

2:26 p.m., Fourth down pickup:  Wilson hits Taylor Gentry for a gain of eight on fourth and one on the Heels 36.  At first look I thought Gentry went out of bounds, came back in and was the first to touch it.  You can't do that, but the officials didn't see it and there is no challenge.

2:23 p.m., Get Spencer out of there:  Owen Spencer just dropped a 78 yard touchdown.  Wilson put a ball in-stride, right on the money and it went right through his hands.  Enough is enough,  put Darrell Davis or Jay Smith in there instead.  You cannot afford to lose points like this when your quarterback is making big time throws.  A couple plays later Jay Smith makes a great sideline catch to move the chains.

2:11 p.m., Quiet stadium:  T.J. Yates is still in, and Kenan Stadium is silent right now.  The Heels have been slapped in the face today and they aren't responding.  I wouldn't celebrate yet if I'm a State fan but it's clear who is better today.  Just as I say all this Greg Little catches a 27 yard pass to get into the red zone.  UNC then pounds it in the endzone with Ryan Houston from five yards out a few plays later.  This was a big answer to make it a 17-10 game with 6:44 left in the third.

2:05 p.m., Big play for Spencer:  I would have been worried if Owen Spencer dropped this one, a 54 yard gain.  He was so wide open, the misdirection in the bootleg made the play happen.  That should help his confidence to make a more difficult catch later on.  A few plays later Jamelle Eugene runs in for a one yard touchdown.  The Pack are dominating 17-3.

2:02 p.m., State with the stop:  I also had an injury update for you.  Clem Johnson went out in the first half with what looked to be a right leg injury.  I'll update you if we get more.  Yates is in at QB for UNC, and goes three and out on his first drive.  He doesn't look good.  I just heard that Clem has a right ankle injury and his return is questionable.  There is 12:03 left in the third quarter.

1:54 p.m., Big return:  T.J. Graham returns the kick 41 yards and takes it to the Heels 40 to start the half.  On the Heels side, who will play at quarterback?  T.J. Yates was literally awful in the first half.  His game speed is off, he took some hits, and threw a bad pick on a flat pass he should have easily read.  N.C. State now is going for it on fourth and five at the 35.  This is a smart call.  Wilson had plenty of time to throw, and Anthony Hill drops it.  Wilson is having a great game and he is getting NO help from his receivers.  Imagine if this kid had guys who can catch?  Eugene and Spencer have dropped TD passes already in this game.

1:53 p.m., The road to Tampa:  It just got tougher for the Tar Heels because they trail in a game they have to win.  The Heels have to beat N.C. State and Duke next week.  Miami is out of the picture if the Heels can do that thanks to a pitiful loss to Georgia Tech on Thursday night.  Then all they need is Virginia and Virginia Tech to lose one game.  Here is how it has to happen.  Virginia must lose to Clemson today.  Clemson is up 10-3 at halftime in Charlottesville.  Then Virginia must beat Virginia Tech next week in the rivalry game on the road.  Because Duke is not beating VT today on the road.  It could happen.  But UNC might lose here today to N.C. State.

1:34 p.m., Halftime here:  The Wolfpack pass on a 48 yard field goal try and throw it into the endzone.  The ball is knocked away and the Pack go into halftime up 10-3.  In that case, I would have tried to kick the field goal.  You have a better chance of that going in for a 10 point lead then you do hitting a hail mary.  It's a little different than the earlier case when you had fourth and short.  The Pack look like the better team either way. 

1:28 p.m., Yates struggling, Young not:  Willie Young has Yates number here, now with two sacks and an interception today.  Young jumped a pass to the flats and picked it off.  He fumbled and it was recovered by State's Keith Willis.  The play was reviewed and upheld,  Young clearly had possession before he fumbled.  First play from scrimmage after the turnover, Owen Spencer dropped a 39 yard touchdown.  He has five drops in the last two games.  They have been big, big drops too.

1:16 p.m., Stay tuned:  At halftime, I will give you a full breakdown of how UNC can still make the title game in Tampa Bay on Dec. 6.  T.J. Yates also just hit Hakeem Nicks for a big play of almost 30 yards. There is 3:31 to go in the half.  N.C. State's Willie "freaking" Young is everywhere.  He just sacked Yates again and the Heels must punt.  T.J. Graham is back in for the Pack and N.C. State starts at its own 12.

1:10 p.m., State on the response:   Russell Wilson makes a big third down and long conversion with his legs to eliminate the potential three and out.  He is such a threat, the defender was backed off respecting his elusiveness and couldn't come up with an open field tackle on Wilson.  One set later the Wolfpack punt.  UNC takes over at its own 18.  The way this game is going right now I still say State has the momentum.  They are at least moving the football every time they touch it,  and they are plus two in the turnover margin.

1:00 p.m., UNC took a chance:  After Willie Young invaded the backfield on a third and short and set up the Heels with a fourth and six, Butch Davis goes for it, and connects on a Yates pass to Brooks Foster.  That was a gutsy call, but they were juts inside the Pack 40, and they had to keep a drive going for once. It pays off in the end with a 37 yard field goal from Casey Barth.  State leads 10-3 in the second quarter.

12:50 p.m., Wilson in the record books:  Russell has been impressive.  He has gone 181 pass attempts without a pick, that is a school record.  It is also the the longest active streak in the nation.  Just as I am typing, Wilson throws a beautiful TD to George Bryan on a streak route for a 17 yard score.  The Wolfpack are in the house with a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter.

12:45 p.m., Third down conversions:  N.C. State has two big ones so far on this drive.  Hill caught a big six or seven yard gain with a nice move after the catch.  And the Pack ran up the middles on a third and short.  The Pack have moved it out to their own 26.  Then on third and long, Wilson goes deep to Jarvis Williams for a 55 yard gain to the UNC 19.  This was a big time catch, Williams cut in front of the defender to make the catch.  The Pack lead 3-0 at the end of the first.

12:38 p.m., Great D by State:  Willie Young came up with a big sack that took the Heels out of field goal range.  The North Carolina punt was downed at the three.  The Pack have 97 to go for a touchdown.

12:26 p.m., Turnovers a problem:  UNC just fumbled again.  Shaun Draughn just fumbled, again.  He has two fumbles lost on his last two carries.  Ray Michel stripped it and recovered it.  Jamelle Eugene dropped a perfect touchdown on State's first play after the fumble.  It should be 7-0.  Wilson nearly saw his first interception since the Clemson game.  Mark Paschal dropped a pick that would have been returned for a touchdown.  It was deflected and caught by Jarvis Williams.  Czajkowski makes a 39 yard field goal to give N.C. State a 3-0 lead with 8:12 left in the opening quarter.

12:20 p.m., State comes up empty:  N.C. State elects to try an off-centered 40 yard field goal attempt instead of going for it on fourth and less than two.  The field goal is badly missed by Josh Czajkowski.  I'm 4-6, on the road in the rivalry game, and I am not sending in an average field goal kicker for a very long try on fourth and short.  But Tom O'Brien did.  We were also just informed that T.J. Graham has been taken to the Wolfpack locker room and his return is questionable.  We don't know the injury.

12:15 p.m., State defense holds:  And they could take possession at their own 47 after recovering a Draughn fumble.  The play was ruled as down on the field but it is being reviewed.  The ball is clearly out, but not by much.  The Pack should get this ball and have a turnover to their credit.  Jimmaul Simmons caused the fumble and Robbie Leonard recovered.

12:10 p.m., Not a good start:  The Wolfpack start the game by kicking it out of bounds.  North Carolina commits a personal foul and ends up starting on its own 25.  There is a big roar for T.J. Yates who trots on the field.  The first play is a 20 yard run around the corner for Shaun "drone" Draughn.

12:03 p.m., Cold one:  The game time temperature here is a balmy 39 degrees with light winds.  This is the way football should be played.  This crowd is almost at capacity and it's still before kick-off, not to mention traffic makes it very hard to get parked here in Chapel Hill on a gameday.  UNC is in the powder blue tops, white pants, and the classic Carolina blue helmets.  N.C. State comes dressed in the white tops, with red pants and white helmets.

11:47 a.m., Yates is starting:  T.J. Yates is going to start at quarterback for the Tar Heels.  That is the right move.  Get the guy back in that was your starter before the injury.  He is obviously the guy for the future as well.  It's no knock on what Cam Sexton has done.

11:37 a.m., No quarterback named yet:  Greetings football fans.  It's a brisk, sunny day here in Chapel Hill, in my opinion a perfect day for football.  T.J. Yates and Cameron Sexton are both warming up with the offense.  We don't know at this point who will start the game.  The depth chart handed out by North Carolina's staff has Sexton or Yates listed as first.

I will let you know as soon as I find out.