NC State Had It, Until They Didn't...

NC State fans have been through a lot.

We’ve seen a lot. We’ve suffered a lot. And just when we thought we'd seen it all...

And apologies for the wait, but I needed a minute.

Because there are heartbreaking losses…

And then there are the losses that make you physically sick to your stomach.

Saturday night, y’all had your pitchforks OUT.

And honestly?

I get it.

Because they had this game.

They had it.

Brody Barnhart catches the interception. NC State is up 31–28. There’s just over a minute left.

At that point, I’m thinking, okay… let’s just get out of here.

Just get out of here.

And somehow, someway, we are now sitting here talking about Vanderbilt scoring a touchdown with one second left.

I don’t even know how we got here.

And I’m not going to point fingers at one person because there were a handful of opportunities throughout the game to avoid getting to that moment.

I know what it feels like to have an entire fan base emotionally invested in your performance.

But I also understand why that investment feels different now.

The relationship between players, programs and fans has changed. And when you know fans are essentially helping pay the salaries of the players they’re watching, I can understand why a loss like this can sting that much more.

That doesn’t mean being paid means you’re not allowed to make mistakes. Players are still human.

And I think it’s important to remember that it’s not just about the players.

Yes, you have players who are leaders on the field. Players who are supposed to make plays, make decisions and hold each other accountable.

But you also have coaches.

The people responsible for putting those players in position. The people teaching them. Guiding them. Making decisions when things get chaotic.

They can point a team in the right direction.

Or sometimes, they can point them in the wrong one.

That’s part of the relationship, too.

And that’s exactly why this one is so hard to swallow.

Because for the first 30 minutes of this game, I was watching the NC State team that I know we can have.

The energy.

The physicality.

The execution.

The confidence.

This is what this program can look like.

And honestly, I was getting to the point where I thought maybe this game could make the Virginia loss a little more forgivable.

Maybe this was the game where NC State showed us that Virginia was just a really bad night.

And then…

Yeah.

You know the rest.

I’ve seen the conversations about the final play. I’ve seen people debating whether Vanderbilt was offsides.

Maybe they were.

Maybe they weren’t.

There were opportunities to close it out.

And they didn’t.

And I don’t even know what to tell y’all after this one.

I’m speechless.

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I think this Vanderbilt game could become part of the fabric of this fan base.

When we talk about the highest highs in NC State history, you immediately think about things like the 1983 national championship.

I don’t want to compare them because they are on opposite ends of the spectrum.

But I do think there’s something about certain moments in a program’s history that just stick with people.

Years from now, somebody could be sitting around talking about NC State football and say:

“Remember when Vanderbilt…”

Yeah.

That one.

That’s the kind of loss this could become.

Not because it defines the program.

But because of how it happened.

The interception.

The lead.

The clock.

The one-second touchdown.

The feeling that the game was already won before somehow realizing it wasn’t.

That’s the stuff fans remember.

Now, before everybody starts throwing their televisions out the window…

We have to remember something.

NC State is 1–2.

There are still nine games left.

Nine.

A bowl game is still possible.

Does winning out sound absolutely insane right now?

Probably.

But impossible?

No.

I’m not going to tell you everything is fine.

It’s not.

And I’m definitely not going to give you some inspirational speech and tell you to “keep your head up.”

If you’re still mad about this game, I understand.

I am too.

And whether you like it or not, NC State football gets another chance.

App State is next.

Now, if the next game day rolls around and you’re still mad and decide to put the NC State football program in punishment and not watch another game…

To each their own. 

Because as an athlete, you always hear the 24-hour rule:

You get 24 hours to be mad, be frustrated, be upset…

Then it’s on to the next one.

But as a fanbase?

I completely understand the veto on that rule this time.

Laugh about it.

Cry about it.

Be frustrated about it.

Whatever you need to do.

Just eventually, we’ve got to get to the “on to the next one” part.

I’ll let y’all interpret that however you want. 

Because you don’t get to rewrite the last game.

You don’t get to take that one second back.

You don’t get to change what happened.

Yes, there are nine games left.

No, I have no idea what this NC State season is going to look like from here.

Maybe that’s the most frustrating part.