Old North Banter
Fansided

NC State Wolfpack: The Twelve Days of PACKmas

By Daniel Wilson

Nov 25, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Matt Dayes (21) runs the ball during the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 25, 2016; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Matt Dayes (21) runs the ball during the first half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 8
Next
Jul 22, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren speaks with the media during the ACC Football Kickoff at Westin Charlotte. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 22, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren speaks with the media during the ACC Football Kickoff at Westin Charlotte. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /

6. Wins

NC State and Vanderbilt both earned bowl eligibility in the final week of the season by upsetting their respective in-state rival. After pulling ahead 21-0 early in the first half, the Wolfpack halted North Carolina from a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Tar Heels on Nov. 25, 28-21. The very next day, the Commodores pulled out a fourth-quarter comeback against Tennessee to pick up their sixth win of 2016, 45-34.

5. Doeren goes bowling

This season’s NC State team is the fifth team Dave Doeren has coached to a bowl game. After winning the MAC with Northern Illinois in 2011, Doeren led his Huskies to a 38-20 victory in the GoDaddy.Com Bowl over Arkansas State. NIU repeated as MAC champions in 2012 with a spotless 8-0 record in conference play, 11-1 overall, to earn a spot in the Orange Bowl. However, since he accepted the coaching job at NC State, Doeren did not coach the Huskies’ game against Florida State in which the Seminoles prevailed, 31-10.

Once arriving to State, Doeren found difficulty in his first year at the helm, ending the season without a win in ACC play and only mustering three wins. He found his groove the following year, earning eight wins in 2014 including a 34-27 win over Central Florida in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl. The Pack found bowl eligibility once again in 2015 but was dealt a devastating loss in the Belk Bowl versus Mississippi State, 51-28.

Home/North Carolina State Wolfpack