NC State Wolfpack

Sooner or later, one of two things was going to happen: Either NC State's struggling offense was going to get itself untracked or its lack of efficiency was going to be costly. Unfortunately, the latter happened at Wake Forest on Saturday.

The Wolfpack's inability to move the football on a consistent basis created a trickle-down affect that just couldn't be overcome in Winston-Salem. First-and most obvious--NC State couldn't put enough points on the board to stay within range of the Deacons.

Second-the Pack was never able to turn field position over because it couldn't sustain drives. A few first downs in any drive can make a huge difference. Instead of punting from the 40-yard line, Scott Earwood was always kicking from deep in his own territory. As a result, the Wake Forest offense was looking at a shorter field most of the day. NC State's lone scoring drive covered 80 yards. The Deac's traveled 53, 4, 42, 45 and 64 yards, respectively, for their scores.

Third--Wake Forest had the ball for 38 minutes. NC State had it for 22. The Wolfpack defense never had a chance. Again, the offenses inability to make first downs resulted in a very long day for the defense.

So what can Mike O'Cain and his staff do to repair NC State's rusty offensive unit? There are no easy answers because so many parts are misfiring.

Jamie Barnette is the focal point, but like most quarterbacks, he needs the other ten people around him to be functioning properly. Barnette has been confronted with so much pressure this season that he's now become overly conscious of the pass rush. When that happens, it makes it virtually impossible for a quarterback to go through his progressions and read the defense properly.

All of the receivers lack confidence right now. When Chris Coleman starts dropping three or four balls a game, you know something's wrong. Coleman and the other receivers are obviously pressing. It's almost as if they are trying too hard.

Finally, no offense can be effective without a solid and cohesive offensive line. Following Saturday's game, Mike O'Cain said the Pack's o-line must become more physical. The statistics from Saturday's game back him up. NC State's offensive line had trouble blocking a Wake Forest defense which had yielded an average of 259 yards rushing to its first two opponents. The Pack had just 26 yards on the ground.

Want some good news? NC State has nearly two weeks to straighten out some of the kinks. This is a bye week that probably couldn't have come at a better time.