Real-Time Reaction to FSU/NC State

Obviously I'm disappointed with how things turned out on Thursday night. I still can't believe FSU lost that game after the way they played in the third quarter. That was the type of situation, and the tyoe of game, that FSU's rep was built on, but they let it get away. This is one of the most disappointing losses in the last six years, and I'm not sure where we go from here. Anyway, this is how I saw the game as it played out...


1st QUARTER
- 'Noles on defense first, NC State guy falls down on 3rd down - looked like he had the 1st if he could have stayed upright, but it's a 3-and-out. Sweet.

- 2 rushed for 20 yards so far for FSU

- FUCK! Fumble...my friend Mel called me up and almost immediately Lorenzo Booker dropped the ball. I couldn't get off the phone fast enough...

- Okay, it appears that Booker was down but Kirk Herbstreit is giving the ACC refs WAYYYY too much credit if he thinks this is a gimme call.

- Wow, chalk one up for the guys in black & white! They got the call right. Hooray!

- By the way, reffing the game tonight is NOT Ron Cherry. Between the running game and the ref I'm giddy right now.

- Hmmmm, so pre-snap shifting by the offense - interesting. It's important to note that although the opponent last week was Rice that game was still important for the 'Noles because it was one of the few times we've seen some diversity in Jeff Bowden's play-calling. This game will be a big test of whether or not he can keep it going, and so far the results look promising.

- Bobby's glasses actually look pretty cool tonight. He's gong with the aviator shades instead of the beach-volleyball style Oakley’s. Hopefully this is another trend that sticks.

- Good lord this is the slowest ref of all time.

- Booker Baby! Big run for Lorenzo - the O looks great so far.

- You've got to put this in the end zone...

- 7 rushes, 1 pass so far

- Last year NC State won because they were able to keep FSU out of the end zone on several possessions inside the 10 yard line. Needless to say, I'm not thrilled with the FG after that drive, but I'll take the early lead.

- For the record, I'm not a fan of the all-white jerseys. I think we lost to Miami in the 2003 Orange Bowl in the all-whites.

- Weird play...Buster moves Fluellen over and Andre Brown promptly runs through the giant hole that was created for 10 yards.

- Fuck you Amato and your gay-ass trick plays.

- Seriously, it's like Cleveland from Family Guy is reffing this game.

- NC State's QB has gotten CRUSHED three plays in a row. He may not survive the night.

- Over/Under on penalties in this game: 37

- I take that back...it's more like Chris the retarded son from Family Guy is reffing this game. They seem mystified by how to spot this 5-yard penalty. ACC Referees, everybody!

- The safety's up for NC State. I'm just saying...

- Holy crap, what's up with Corey Simon?!? The ticker says he's out for the year due to a non-football related illness. Wherever you are, get well soon #53.

- NOOOO! Good God, not another one - Derek Nicholson is down...looks like a non-contact knee injury. What the hell did FSU do to deserve this?

- Oh man, Fowler just called this a "field position game". That's like calling someone a "possession receiver". Ouch.

- Two great young LBs gone in two weeks. Add in the massive injuries at DT and Tony Carter and we officially have no depth on defense.

- By the way, I kind of dig these new Cadillac commercials.


2nd QUARTER
- Okay what the hell, suddenly NC State looks like the '85 Dolphins.

- Are You Kidding Me!?! Geno Hayes is down...please god be okay.

- Good Lord - ridiculous play for a TD. 7-3 NC State. Trestman did away with the fancy stuff, went to 3- and 5-step drops and had Evans just throw it to a spot. And it worked. Plus two LBs are hurt. I hate this game right now.

- Wowwowwowwowwow, great play by Drew to spin away from trouble and find Booker for 73 yards on 3rd-and-10! And MY GOD what a cheap shot by NC State on Drew after the play!!! Say whatever you want about Drew Weatherford, but the kid is tough.

- Greg Carr here maybe? 2nd-and-goal at the 2...nope. Now 3rd-and-Goal...

- Dammit! Still having trouble in the red zone. Can't settle for FGs down here.

- Son of a bitch! Another game, another opposing QBs Dad is the center of attention. I swear this is bad mojo for FSU

- Geno on the sack!!! Thank God he's okay!

- Good lord, terrible penalty on the punt return. We could have had the ball on the 40-yard-line if not for that stupid holding. Sill, starting at midfield's not bad.

- Okay, this is big...3rd-and-1 calls have been bad for FSU...and fuckfuckfuck. Tank Tyler with a big stop. Opportunity squandered.

- Huh, this must be what it's like playing against FSU...NC State has no running game and they're throwing up jump balls every down.

- YEAH, CHRIS DAVIS BABY! That's how you play the jump-ball offense! 'Noles are back in front 13-7!!!

- Ummmm, that's not how you protect the lead guys...big kickoff return. Blackmon does it to us again.

- Wooooooo...HUGE hit! Lawrence Timmons, ya'll. 3rd-and-2...

- Whew, they get the FG but disaster was averted. 13-10, good guys. A score here before the half would be nice.

- Okay, this is either the worst two-minute ever, or the worst clock-killing drive ever. I really can't decide.

- Well, at least they took a shot for Greg Carr. Great job on Carr so far by AJ Davis, a former big-time recruit who was thought to be headed to FSU but switched to NC State late in the process. 0 catches for Big Greg in the 1st half.

- 13-10, FSU at the half. It should be 21-7. Not good - too many missed opportunities. But it could be a lot worse.

- I wonder what Chuck Amato would sound like if he got kicked in the nuts? Would his voice be so high that only dogs could hear it?

- Whoa, Lou Holtz and Mark May. See you in 20 minutes, ESPN.


3rd QUARTER
- By the way, the beverage of choice tonight is Flying Dog "DOGtoberfest". Actually it's pretty good, and they were giving away pint glasses with a six-pack of it at Whole Foods. So for $8 you get a free glass.

- I really don't like that 3-and-out for FSU right there. You want to make a statement with your first drive of the half

- Damn! stupid penalty to bail out NC State on 3rd-and-8

- DAMN! Missed tackle to bail out NC State on 3rd-and-10

- What a ridiculous Holding penalty on NC State!

- What a ridiculous facemask by FSU!!!

- In case you didn't hear, Buster Davis is the MAN! Great tackle on 3rd-and-goal...

- 4th-and-goal...NO!!! 'NOLES RULE!

- Great block by Lorenzo Booker on that pass out of the end zone. And a great call by JB.

- Oh sweet lord is Brandon Warren awesome. 3rd-and-12 and the true freshman converts. He's been FSU's most reliable receiver this year.

- And Greg Carr is in the books! Nice catch, now keep going to him.

- Gotta say, it's been a great game so far. It's 3rd-and-6, 5:20 left in the 3rd quarter, FSU is on the NC State 46 yard line and they take a time-out. This is where games are won or lost.

- Sweet play by Drew - Warren was doubled so he dumped it to Booker for 8

- Fowler mentions 'Noles that were quiet in college but blew up in the pros. Um, Marion Butts anyone? He was like 5th string at FSU and then led the NFL in rushing one year and is a total badass in Super Tecmo Bowl.

- 3-for-3 on 3rd downs on this drive...

- FSU WR Chris Davis on the run, FSU WR Richard Goodman on the tackle.

- Herbie gives props to Tommy Tuberville for calling for a play-off system. I agree.

- Damn! Drew had Carr in the end zone there.

- WHAT A DRIVE!!! 99.9999 yards, ending with a perfect throw to Brandon Warren for the TD!!! Best drive in six years! FUCK YEAH!!!

- As a football fan, could you ever ask for anything more than a goal-line stand, followed by a 99-yard TD drive, all in a hostile environment on the road? Wow! I just...wow!

- Let the record show that at 10:14 pm EST on October 5, 2006 Jeff Bowden finally figured out how to set up a defense. Only took six years. That kicked ass!

- God, another big 3rd down conversion for NC State. This isn't what the D used to do. You've got to crush their soul there.

- Evans has all day to throw...FSU isn't getting any pressure on him. Nice play by Michael Ray Garvin.

- Damn! The draw AGAIN! That play has killed us every time. Brown must be averaging 17 ypc on draws. They're just killing us with that play.

- Not what the doctor orders...TD answer from NC State. Garvin got smoked. We miss Tony Carter.

- They just said that Amato isn't on the hot seat, and that the program is moving in the right direction. How could he NOT be on the hot seat? Losing to Akron and Southern Miss is the "right direction"?!?


4th QUARTER
- The defense looks worn out. There’s no depth anymore and there are freshmen and sophomores that have been out there all game. They look gassed. We need a drive here.

- Oh man, how can you go 3-and-out right there? We're going to have to hang on here.

- 3rd-and-12, come on D...

- Oh no. That sucked, we had to have that stop.

- The defense is getting chewed up on this drive.

- Oh my god. Fucking Duncan made that catch on another jump ball against perfect coverage. State takes the lead back, 24-20

- We've got to answer right now.

- Remember the Louisiana Purchase? That involved less territory than Drew just gave up on that play.

- 3rd-and-26...what could go wrong?

- Why did I ask. Add in a shanked punt that gives State the ball at midfield.

- Unreal. All they've done in the second half is throw up jump balls and their receivers just keep catching everything over our DBs. They’re absolutely on fire right now.

- Freshman CB, freshman DE, freshman SS... are you sensing a pattern on FSU's defense yet?

- Why are people acting like Detroit beat the Yankees would be an upset? Didn't Detroit have the better record all year long?

- Oh for fuck's sake...NC State punt rolls out at the FSU 4. 96 yards to go? Shouldn't be a problem...

- Man, Weatherford has been rough this game. Fumble, but DeCody Fagg was in the right place at the right time and got the 1st down.

- ...ummm, that could be bad. Weatherford fired a poor pass into traffic and it was tipped to the safety. Uuugggghhh.

- Oh man, this is bad. We're done for 2006.

- Well, this one's on the defense. There was no pressure form the DL, the CBs got beat too often, and they’re beat up right now. This one hurts.