NC Football: “By the Way, We Won That Football Game”

“By the way, we won that football game.”

Dave Doeren’s final line of his postgame press conference probably said more about the mood surrounding NC State than the 41-31 final score did. The Wolfpack led Appalachian State 28-7 at halftime, watched the Mountaineers cut the lead to seven in the fourth quarter, and then finished the game without allowing the comeback to happen. NC State won. Yet, judging by social media, you might have thought the Wolfpack had just blown a 21-point lead and lost.

There is plenty to criticize. A team leading by three touchdowns against a Sun Belt opponent shouldn't have to sweat through the fourth quarter. Appalachian State was allowed to hang around when NC State had an opportunity to put the game away early in the second half. But the final result matters, and this one ended with NC State putting a W in the win column.

Perhaps some of the frustration is a carryover from last week's events in Nashville. Had things gone differently there, Saturday's 41-31 victory might have been received with considerably less angst. Instead, Doeren seemed increasingly irritated by questions surrounding a game his team had won, eventually offering his reminder before leaving the podium.

Now comes the part that actually matters.

Louisville arrives at Carter-Finley next Saturday after an undisciplined loss to Wake Forest, followed by a Wake Forest trip to Raleigh on October 10. Those games will offer a much better indication of where NC State stands than a game against Appalachian State that the Wolfpack controlled for most of the afternoon before making it unnecessarily interesting.

For now, the criticism can coexist with the result. NC State didn't play a perfect game, but it didn't lose one either. “Salty Solo Cup Dave” made an appearance Saturday night, but perhaps the simplest explanation for his mood was also the most obvious one.

By the way, they won that football game.

Now it's on to Louisville.