Misery Index: NC State's all-time collapse brings up questions about Dave Doeren's job security
While Lane Kiffin, Deion Sanders and Bill Belichick all took L's on Saturday, nobody was more embarrassed than Dave Doeren and NC State.
Dave Doeren's coaching career has been an anomaly within college football, where fan dissatisfaction typically leads to swift coaching changes. Despite NC State's repeated 8-5 and 9-4 seasons, Doeren has managed to stay in the position for 14 years. However, the team's loss to Vanderbilt may signal a shift in Doeren's job security.
The Vanderbilt game was a game of coaching errors, with one play in particular standing out. After Vanderbilt threw an interception near the goal line, the Wolfpack had to kill the final six seconds to escape with a 31-28 victory. It's a tricky situation, as a lot of coaches would choose to take a safety and kick from the 20-yard line.
Instead, NC State hoped QB CJ Bailey could run around defenders and fall to the ground to protect the football. But Bailey was hit and didn't protect the ball, leading to Vanderbilt recovering the fumble and winning the game. Doeren blamed the player for the mistake, which is a lousy explanation because the play was inherently riskier than Bailey taking a snap and kicking the safety.
Overall, this loss sets a new standard for NC State's miserable season, solidifying the Wolfpack as America's most disappointed fan base in Week 3.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
