Those days are long gone -- just like the Wolfpack's offense.

In a fitting end to State's home schedule, the offense failed to score so much as a touchdown on Thursday night in a clumsy 17-10 loss to Florida State.

At 4-6 overall and with a final 3-5 record against ACC opponents, the Pack gets one more chance to win a game this season -- the Nov. 27 game in Charlotte against the Pirates, who are 2-6 entering Saturday's game against South Florida.

"Charlotte's been wanting us for a bowl game," N.C. State coach Chuck Amato said. "Well, they got us -- but just for the last game."

N.C. State should win that one, assuming there's something left in the team's morale tank.

But nothing can be done at this point to keep 2004 from going down as one of the most disappointing and thoroughly bewildering seasons in Pack history.

While Amato, his coaching staff and his players sit home for the holidays, they can do a world of reflecting on a season that began with the team showing a lot of swagger but ended with those players in a stupor.

Along the way, State completely debunked the old coaching theory that championships are "won with defense."

Second-string quarterback Marcus Stone finally got an opportunity to relieve Jay Davis, but it made no difference. So inept was the offensive unit that the highlight of the Davis-Stone performance was that neither threw an interception.

Not that Florida State (8-2, 6-2 ACC) was anything to shout about, either.

The Seminoles wound up with 121 yards of offense, two less than State.

Amato and his former boss, Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, endlessly saluted the work of the two defensive units.

"It was an old-fashion defensive battle," Bowden said. "Neither team could move it very much, but that's what I thought it would be like coming into this one."

Both defenses were good, but not as overwhelming as the offenses made them look. With only one first down in the second half, the Wolfpack probably would have had a better chance to score by punting on first down and hoping to score on a turnover or long punt return.

"I'm proud of the kids and proud of our fans," Amato said. "We'll go on. The season's not over."

It's not over, but only in the most technical sense.

The heavy lifting for Amato and the program isn't so much in preparing for a game against the Pirates. Instead, it's going to come after that game, when the staff has to determine if there's a quarterback on campus who is capable of playing a decent game against a decent opponent in 2005.

In a matter of only a few weeks, the Wolfpack has gone from being a football up-and-comer to being a down-and-outer.

In retrospect, there's a strong case to be made that the Pack's 30-24 loss at North Carolina on Oct. 9 took the breath out of the team.

There was a win a week later at Maryland by 13-3 score, but only losses since.

During the slump, the offense has displayed very little spark and even less leadership. T.A. McLendon rushed 14 times for 23 yards against the Seminoles and played very little after fumbling with about four minutes left in the third quarter.

Maybe it was just a coincidence that one of State's weakest offensive showings ever hit on a night NFL rookie quarterback Philip Rivers came back to watch a game from the sideline. On the field, his former teammates looked like a lost tribe that can't find its way without him.

That situation has got to change before State plays another game in Carter-Finley.

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