For a fleeting moment, there was some hope. NC State football led 10-6 at halftime over archrival North Carolina, exerting physicality at the line of scrimmage to take the advantage.

But like the rest of the year beforehand, and eerily similar to what happened in the loss to Louisville, NC State melted down in the third quarter with three turnovers and allowing four touchdowns.

The Heels were allowed to savor a blowout, 41-10 win over its rival. It’s a bitter pill to swallow for the Wolfpack who have enjoyed superiority over Chapel Hill in recent years on the gridiron and now face an uncertain future in that rivalry.

What may be more painful is that the time has arrived to face the hard questions that come after a 4-8 season and league-worst 1-7 mark in the ACC.