By By The Associated Press
RALEIGH — North Carolina State’s football players can’t forget their finish to the 2007 season, but they have vowed to avoid a repeat performance in 2008.
The Wolfpack (5-6, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) enter their regular-season finale, at home against Miami, needing a win to become bowl eligible. The situation was identical a year ago against Maryland, and N.C. State fell 37-0 in Raleigh.
N.C. State will face the Hurricanes (7-4, 4-3) with plenty of momentum. The Wolfpack, winners of three consecutive games, are coming off a 41-10 victory at North Carolina in which they forced six turnovers and set season highs in points, rushing yards (187), passing yards (279) and total yards (466).
The Wolfpack’s 31-27 win over the Tar Heels in 2007 capped a four-game winning streak, which included a 19-16 overtime win at Miami, after a 1-5 start to the season. But the win over UNC turned out to be N.C. State’s final highlight rather than a springboard to more success.
The Wolfpack have come too far to throw away their final game again.
They got their season back on track thanks in part to a players-only meeting they held after their 27-24 loss at Maryland on Oct. 25. Senior tight end Anthony Hill called for the gathering, asking coaches to leave the room after the team’s regular meeting.
N.C. State was 2-6 at the time and stuck in a four-game losing streak.
That day’s practice was sharp, setting the tone for future workouts and laying the foundation for the team’s current winning streak.
The Wolfpack’s goal is to keep that going one more week, with the hope of earning more practices in the future if they beat Miami and are selected for a bowl game.