Two games remain in the regular season. NC State seeks a strong finish
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Players and coaches emphasize urgency and focus with 11 days left in the regular-season.
- Doeren urges using losses as lessons while insisting on chosen attitude, effort.
- Injury list and depth concerns loom; roster caps could reduce practice reps and prep.
N.C. State football, as of Tuesday morning, has 11 days of the regular season remaining. The players and coaches are keenly aware that time is running out.
The routine post-practice media availability featured a somewhat somber quality; the short timeline and number of opportunities remain at the top of mind.
“It’s getting real,” said defensive end Travali Price. “Each and every day it’s like, ‘Hey, the hourglass is flipping upside down, and it’s getting to that point.’”
Price, who has spent five years with the program, is taking the next week and a half “one day at a time.” There’s still time to make a bowl game — and hopefully win it — so that’s his primary focus. Beat Florida State. Beat North Carolina.
For younger players like wide receiver Noah Rogers, they have to ask themselves tough questions. Would they rather win than lose? Do they want to extend the season another game to have time with their teammates and close this fall with a positive note? Those are things each player has to decide for himself, but Rogers has made up his mind.
He wants more time and still believes the Wolfpack hasn’t reached its ceiling, and giving up isn’t how the program handles things.
“It’s just coming out and having the mindset that we’re the best football team out here,” Rogers said. “It’s [a] kill or be killed mindset, and we’re the ones who just want to do the killing.”
Head coach Dave Doeren emphasized on Monday the importance of using the team’s losses for its betterment. Dwelling on the outcomes or worrying about the time ticking away doesn’t change anything. The losses are in the record book — it’s not possible to change what happened at Notre Dame or Pittsburgh or Miami — and the season will end.
Lessons, however, can be taken from those games to continue the season for another month and put together a positive final stretch. The opportunity is there for the taking.
“We get to choose our attitude and our effort, and it’s going to be chosen wisely,” Doeren said. “We got to do it the right way, and it’s my responsibility and privilege to help these guys do that. Adversity is definitely something that we’re accustomed to this season.”
Doeren called the Florida State matchup on Friday “just another test.” The Seminoles have an explosive offense that, at times, has flown under the radar due to its record. Sounds similar to N.C. State’s offense, which has sometimes been overlooked because of a handful of losses and rough outings.
Earlier this season, the Wolfpack was averaging nearly 35 points per game scored. It is still converting on 93.8% of its red zone opportunities, with wide receiver Terrell Anderson averaging 55.2 receiving yards per game and running back Hollywood Smothers racking up 91.4 yards each week.
N.C State, like FSU, has struggled on defense throughout the season but come up with a handful of solid outings. The Pack wants more of the latter.
“It’s about competing at the highest level and mentoring young men and doing things the right way, and trying to help the place you’re at,” Doeren said. “I’m fortunate to get to do that again. Really fortunate. You get to play Florida State, a storied football program, in our stadium at 8 o’clock on Friday night, in Carter-Finley, with a bunch of kids I love coaching. That’s what we focus on.”
Injuries remain a top concern
N.C. State is still without a number of players due to injuries. The defense has been particularly plagued — nine of the top 22 players have missed at least one game due to injury — but the offense isn’t immune. Smothers, tight end Justin Joly and offensive lineman Spike Sowells missed the Georgia Tech game.
Joly discussed the team’s “next man up” approach and the importance of staying ready to step in when necessary. Doeren, however, said the lack of depth hurts and thinks it’s only going to get worse when the rosters are officially capped at 105 players.
The House Settlement allowed teams to retain players who would’ve been otherwise cut under the restrictions until they exhaust their eligibility.
“I can’t imagine being at 105 right now. With the number of guys that we have out, we’d be trying to practice with, like, 70,” Doeren said. “How it trickles down to the roster, and how it impacts — not just offense and defense, but the rep count; how many plays you can actually give them to get ready when you’re only one deep.”
The team would like to get a few guys back in the final stretch, but that will not be publicized until the required times. For now, it’s about doing what it can to win with what it has.
“We’re a very beat up football team. We’ve got so many injuries,” Doeren said. “Even our guy that serves coffee here on Monday, Sam, got hurt this weekend in a hiking accident. Nothing big. But when your coffee guy’s hurt, says a lot about what’s going on. We got all kinds of injuries. Guys gotta duct tape it up and play for each other.”
