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Backing The Pack

https://www.backingthepack.com/ | 211 entries published

Cheering for anyone else is for quitters.

Latest Entries

Highlights! It’s a bowl game to savor, finally

People laughed when I said I was going to build a shrine to the completely real and totally not made-up pirate, Gasparilla, whose presence it is said can be felt throughout the creaky bones of ancient Raymond James Stadium. (It is very bad to steal Gasparilla’s rum. VERY BAD.) And I saw no pregame analysis […]

about 2 months ago | 0 reads

NC State Takes on Ole Miss in Greensboro

When: Sunday December 21 – 1:00 PM Where: First Horizon Coliseum Greensboro NC TV: ESPN2 Opponent: Ole Miss Rebels (SEC Conference) Prediction – KenPom (KP) / Bart Torvik (BT): NC State 79-73 / NC State 79-73 Wolfpack Snapshot: Wolfpack Season So Far: Coach Wade from the Texas Southern postgame press conference: “We gave up too many points. Too many […]

about 2 months ago | 0 reads

NC State rolls Memphis in Gasparilla Bowl, 31-7

Well hot damn, NC State won a bowl game. Somebody get the e confetti machines out of storage, stat. Should we have a parade? Okay, maybe not a parade. State set the tone with a touchdown drive right off the bat and took a lead it would never relinquish, and isn’t it nice when one […]

about 2 months ago | 1 read

Game thread: Memphis vs. NC State

Time for the biggest game of the year that’s themed around a mythical pirate. Tigers vs. Wolfpack Kickoff: 2:30 p.m. ET TV: ESPN (Anish Shroff, Andre Ware, Paul Carcaterra) Online streaming: WatchESPN

about 2 months ago | 0 reads

NC State puts a wallopin’ on Georgia Tech, 87-58

NC State put together its second-best shooting performance of the season yesterday, while Georgia Tech, well … uh, Georgia Tech was a functional basketball team for 20 minutes! That’s something. The problem for the Jackets was the other half of the game—NC State won the second and third quarters by a combined score of 51-14. […]

about 2 months ago | 3 reads

So long and thanks for all the yards

Hollywood Smothers is striking while the iron is hot, opting to put his name in the transfer portal when it opens next month and also test the NFL Draft. I don’t think this decision comes as a terrible surprise to anybody after he chose to walk on Senior Night. He is at the peak of […]

about 2 months ago | 2 reads

Memphis and its offense offer plenty of concerns for NC State

After a proper incubation period of four-to-six years, a Memphis head coach hatches into a power-conference head coach, and regrettably for the current edition of the Tigers, this process recently came to its natural conclusion once more. Ryan Silverfield is the head man at Arkansas now, and he took several of his Memphis assistants with […]

about 2 months ago | 2 reads

So your basketball team has a major problem

NC State beat Texas Southern by a bunch of points, as it was supposed to, and did that without Darrion Williams, but the defensive effort in the second half especially was not good. Will Wade is just a little fed up about watching the same mistakes happen over and over. Same guys, who make mistakes […]

about 2 months ago | 2 reads

NC State Dominates Texas Southern 108-72

Overview: Paul McNeil got himself in the record books tonight. His 11 made 3PT shots are the most in NC State history, breaking Rodney Monroe’s record of 9 and ties the ACC record, and those 47 points put him in very good company in the Wolfpack record books as well. Game Summary: In the pregame […]

about 2 months ago | 1 read

NC State’s 2026 ACC football schedule released

The ACC released its football matchups for the 2026 season, officially a “transition year” for the move from eight league games to nine, which is to say that this is the most comical schedule ever conceived. Twelve teams will play nine conference games—NC State is among those—and five will play eight; everyone will play 10 […]

about 2 months ago | 3 reads

Heritage Game: NC State Welcomes Texas Southern

When: Wednesday December 17 – 7:00 PM Where: James T Valvano Arena at William Neal Reynolds Coliseum TV: ACC Network Extra Opponent: Texas Southern Tigers (Southwest Atlantic Conference (SWAC) ) Prediction – KenPom (KP) / Bart Torvik (BT): NC State 94-65 / NC State 97-67 Wolfpack Snapshot: Wolfpack Season So Far: Coach Wade after the Kansas game: “We are […]

about 2 months ago | 1 read

A round of applause for the lads

It was a painful result for NC State last night but a gutsy effort by the team to pull back even and push the game to extra time. The season was historic regardless of how it ended—this group achieved a No. 1 ranking in the polls at one point, took the program to its second-ever […]

about 2 months ago | 3 reads

NC State blows out Miami, 87-61

NC State got off on the right foot in league play on Sunday afternoon, opening up its game at Miami with a 16-4 run and cruising from there. Miami entered the day at No. 47 in Torvik, so this was an encouraging result. Zam Jones knocked down a couple of threes early on to help […]

about 2 months ago | 2 reads

NC State’s offseason roster priorities: Offense

Since I’m still trying to get over last night’s disappointment, it’s a great time to change the subject. So let’s turn to talking about NC State football’s roster priorities in the weeks leading up to the portal opening. On the offensive side of the ball, NC State is going to need to replace at least […]

about 2 months ago | 1 read

NC State Loses a Close One to Kansas 76-77

Overview: The table was set perfectly. Lenovo was packed and loud. The seating sections were striped in alternating red and white. Fans were twirling lighted ‘Howl Towels’. (should have been “Howell Towels”) A boatload of former players were in attendance, including Chris Corchiani, Rodney Monroe, and TJ Warren. The Wolfpack badly needed a signature win […]

about 2 months ago | 3 reads

Game thread: Kansas vs. NC State

All right, basketball team, let’s keep the good weekend vibes rolling. Jayhawks vs. Wolfpack Tip time: 5:30 p.m. ET TV: ESPN (Kevin Brown, Jay Williams) Online streaming: WatchESPN

about 2 months ago | 2 reads

NC State men’s soccer advances to national title game

Well, there’s a headline I never would have figured I’d write. NC State men’s soccer is going to play for its first-ever national championship after beating Saint Louis 2-1 on Friday night. NC State controlled a lot of the play, and it got a little nervy after the Billikens saved a penalty kick in the […]

about 2 months ago | 2 reads

The Kansas Jayhawks Visit Lenovo

When: Saturday December 13 – 5:30 PM Where: Lenovo Center TV: ESPN Opponent: Kansas Jayhawks (Big 12 Conference) Prediction – KenPom (KP) / Bart Torvik (BT): Kansas 76-75 / Kansas 76-75 Wolfpack Snapshot: Talking about the Wolfpack: LIBERTY COACH MCKAY in his postgame press conference: “Whatever Will and his staff said to their group, they came out with an […]

about 2 months ago | 2 reads

CJ Bailey will make a decision about his future after the bowl game

CJ Bailey will be playing for NC State in the Gasparilla Bowl next Friday, which is excellent news all around. The nightmare scenario would have been his opting out, not just for State’s chances against Memphis, but what that would obviously imply about his future in Raleigh. He offered a diplomatic answer to a question […]

about 2 months ago | 1 read

NC State Thrashes Liberty 85-45

Much ado about nothing. NC State played much better, and Liberty caused no drama whatsoever. As Coach Wade said in the post-game radio interview, we played better but still not as well as we need to. It was a step in the right direction. Game Summary: The game was in doubt for no more than […]

about 2 months ago | 2 reads

Game thread: Liberty vs. NC State

Could be a lot of points in this one, let’s hope NC State scores more of ‘em than Liberty. Flames vs. Wolfpack Tip time: 7 p.m. ET TV: ACC Network (Eric Rothman, Randolph Childress) Online streaming: ACCNX

about 2 months ago | 2 reads

Philip Rivers trying to become NFL’s first active grandpa

Facing the terrifying prospect of another Riley Leonard start, the Colts have done the only logical thing they can think of: sign Philip Rivers to their practice squad. In the span of a week, Philip Rivers could go from going on a recruiting trip with his son to starting an NFL game, which is a […]

about 2 months ago | 2 reads

NC State Hosts the Liberty Flames

When: Wednesday December 10 – 7:00 PM Where: Lenovo Center TV: ACCN Opponent: Liberty Flames (Conference USA) Prediction – KenPom (KP) / Bart Torvik (BT): NC State 84-74 / NC State 83-74 Wolfpack Snapshot: Wolfpack Season So Far: Coach Wade in the Asheville post-game interview: “We’re giving bench guys opportunities as we pare down this thing and figure out […]

about 2 months ago | 0 reads