Moral Victories Suck

This wasn't a moral victory. Moral victories are when you play your best but lose to the better team. NC State and Clemson were equal yesterday.

Both made critical mistakes. Both made great plays. It was a game of equals - not a David and Goliath. The difference was State's 13 penalties for 120 yards and 3 missed field goals.

One of those field goals might not should have even happened if the refs hadn't missed an obvious foul.

There were a couple of key plays.

State's 4 down goal line stand keeping Clemson from scoring was huge.

The missed call on 3rd down when State was at Clemson's 19 yard line was equally big. There was a blatantly obvious face mask that the refs missed - which should have been State with 1st and goal on the Clemson 9. (It was on the runner with the ball! How did they miss that?) Instead - the fourth down field goal attempt was blocked.

State played an almost perfect fourth quarter. The coaches made great calls and clock management was perfect. Field goal attempts less than 40 yards are pretty much a given. Usually.

Credit Clemson with making their plays when the game was on the line in OT.

State went down to Clemson with the attitude that we were equals. State executed the almost perfect game plan. Except for the penalties.

Again - it was not a moral victory. It was an OT loss.

Yesterday's game was important.

State is much, much better than last year and going in the right direction. A win over Clemson would have driven that point home.

Even with the loss - State is getting where they need to be. My friend Jason called and said "I'm not upset. I'm happy with what we've got." He's exactly right. We have a good team headed in the right direction and a clean, solid program.

College sports is supposed to be about kids playing a game. But we all know it's big time college football, with TV exposure and lots of Athletics Department's money at stake.

Here's a couple of reminders at just how important yesterday's game was -







Clemson

Coach Dabo Swinney runs a clean program. They have got to got those turnovers stopped. I hope Clemson plays for the National Championship again. And wins.

Louisville

Next Saturday - NC State at Louisville. Noon. ABC national TV.