As the game approached, there was hope for NC State to find some momentum after a rocky start to the season. Unfortunately, that hope quickly vanished as the team faced a disastrous beginning.
The game slipped away from NC State almost immediately when their defense faltered during Clemson’s second possession. After achieving a couple of first downs and forcing Clemson back to their own 10-yard line, the Tigers turned the tide with a significant play, rapidly scoring an easy touchdown over Aydan White that made the score 14-0 in the first quarter.
The situation worsened when quarterback CJ Bailey failed to recognize pressure, resulting in a fumble that gave Clemson a favorable field position. They seized the opportunity to put the game further out of reach. It’s a challenging situation when a game feels lost before the second quarter, especially on the road with a freshman quarterback leading the charge.
This level of embarrassment hasn’t been seen by NC State in some time. Allowing over 400 yards of offense in just a half marked one of the poorest performances under defensive coordinator Tony Gibson. While this isn’t solely responsible for the team’s issues, it highlights a concerning lack of effort. The team seemed to not put in the necessary work, perhaps feeling defeated before the contest even began.
While it was anticipated that the offense would struggle, what was alarming was the defensive team’s performance. They were not competitive, giving up 160 yards in the first two drives and allowing multiple significant plays.
By halftime, Clemson was ahead by 45 points, rendering NC State’s efforts in the second half ineffective as they resorted to playing backups. This kind of performance is not what fans expect, and it has left a sense of disappointment.
The limitations of NC State’s lineup are evident; the defensive line appears average, and the linebackers lack effectiveness. Although this might be forgivable if they were executing assignments and showing maximum effort, that was not the case. The entire situation has deteriorated, with Clemson highlighting the team’s struggles.
Moving forward, it is unclear how NC State will recover from this setback. Competing in a long season when faced with a lack of talent is already difficult, but the absence of effort makes it significantly harder. The display of determination was lacking, culminating in frustrations such as Anthony Belton’s ejection for unsportsmanlike conduct. The energy surrounding the team needs to change if a turnaround is to happen.
Coach Dave Doeren has managed such challenges before, but the current situation is different. The team has spent months hearing how promising they could be, particularly with an impressive transfer class. While a 2-2 record is not insurmountable, the issues facing this squad are more considerable than those from the previous year, and there are significant divisions appearing. Without a unified effort moving forward, the outlook is bleak.