Notebook: NC State football seeking respect

Since being ranked by the Associated Press following its win over Clemson on Sept. 25, NC State has moved up just one spot despite a victory at home over Louisiana Tech and several teams ahead of them falling.

Meanwhile, Wake Forest, with a somewhat controversial win over Louisville at home and needing overtime to defeat Syracuse on the road, two teams that are a combined 1-5 in the ACC, moved up from No. 24 in the Associated Press poll and No. 25 in the coaches’ to No. 16 in each rankings during that span.

NC State is likely to get a bump Sunday when the new polls come out, considering four ranked teams just ahead of them lost, but it might be one example of the perceived slights that head coach Dave Doeren has seen for his program despite its strong position in the ACC’s Atlantic Division.

“I can’t control the lack of respect that we seem to get publicly,” Doeren said. “We know about it. Our team recognizes that people don’t think we are good."

Despite sticking up for his team during both his postgame interview on the ACC Network and then his meeting with the media, Doeren also noted that focusing on the task at hand rather than worrying about disrespect will remain the priority for his team.

“We’re just going to take care of what we can,” Doeren said. “We’re going to focus on us. We’re going to take the next week and try to get better again, just keep trying to get better, keep trying to win games.”

“We’re going to end up where we are supposed to be at the end of the year, and people are going to think what they want.”

Saturday may have been NC State’s most complete win during its two-year stretch of conference play where it has now gone 9-3 against league competition.

“We found different ways to win last year,” Doeren said. “It was a blocked field goal against Liberty, a blocked punt against UVa. … a blocked punt against Duke, [or[ offense scores, defensive stops.

“Last year we did that really well, and this year we’ve been trying to continue that trend. … I thought we were really good in that fashion [at Boston College].”

It’s not that Boston College gave NC State bulletin board material, but the Eagles provided the Wolfpack with what it felt like was a challenge.

Apparently at some point in the week, Boston College praised its special teams and how it has performed recently. NC State’s special teams thus wanted to make a statement against the Eagles.

“We told our players, ‘If we don’t outplay their special teams, we won’t win,’” Doeren noted.

Mission accomplished.

“The guys did [outplayed BC’s special teams],” Doeren confirmed. “They played really well across the board.”

While Boston College missed a short field goal and dropped a punt before getting the kick off, NC State’s unit excelled. Freshman safety Devan Boykin picked up the loose football on the botched punt and returned it for a touchdown.

Junior kicker Christopher Dunn made a 27-yard field goal in a well-executed hurried attempt with the clock ticking towards zero in the first half and the Pack out of timeouts.

Several times Wolfpack redshirt junior punter Trenton Gill pinned Boston College deep in its own territory, including once at the two that set up freshman linebacker Devon Betty’s safety.

“The special teams were a major impact in the game,” Doeren agreed.

Redshirt sophomore receiver Devin Carter’s improbable 40-yard touchdown catch on the Pack’s opening possession is sure to be on highlight loops this morning.

Carter reached around the Boston College defensive back Elijah Jones, who was unaware that Carter was doing a juggling action with the football behind his back and then had no clue Carter was scoring a touchdown until it was too late.

“They play tight man-to-man coverage,” Doeren noted. “You have to be able to make contact catches against BC. Devin took that to heart and made a great play for us.”

It was one of several big-time plays by the Pack in the game. Another was a 79-yard catch-and-run by redshirt junior receiver Thayer Thomas on a pass in which Thomas admitted after the game he was “not even a viable option.”

What was important to Doeren was the the Wolfpack took advantage of the plays and never let Boston College back into the contest.

“That to me is what championship football teams do,” Doeren added. “They don’t let people back in it when they have them on the ropes like that.

“The guys took advantage of our momentum and never gave them any back.”

Thomas’ catch was part of a decisive third quarter blitz in which NC State outscored Boston College 21-0 while the rain started falling heavier.

“The bottom line is we executed really well in the second half,” Doeren noted. “That was enough to separate the two teams, and they’re not built to catch up in a game like that with that weather.”

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