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Get away from me, Montel Harris. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

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Box Score

Maybe it's a bit inappropriate to feel nervous prior to a football game considering the fact that all I have to do is watch. It's not my reputation or my season on the line. But I felt nervous prior to every game of the Rivers era, and a couple of weeks ago, those old feelings were back, and man was that nice. Nice to have a team playing meaningful football games again, that is.

Oh well. I spent most of yesterday detached and bored, the events barely registering. There goes Montel Harris again, and there's the Pack defense keeping a safe distance for fear of cooties or something. It was all ever-so-briefly disappointing before devolving once more into anti-climax. I didn't figure it realistic that we would sort out our issues and get out of Chestnut Hill with a win, but there remained an ounce of hope. The picture is clear now, though, and I can think of nothing less likely than another bye week-propelled roll through November. It's not happening this time. The flaws are just too myriad.

This is an NC State defense not particularly interested in coverage or good angles or tackling or being challenged. One punch to the mouth and down we go, flailing. Montel Harris's services made Dave Shinskie's unnecessary, though he was fine when asked to make a play: 7.5 yards per attempt, two scores and zero interceptions against a secondary that is everywhere and nowhere. It's great that there's four dudes around that receiver. It's not so great that none of them can read the QB's eyes or react with any sort of timeliness.

In these last two games it's felt like the team quit in the second quarter; I don't think that 's the case, but they sure have fizzled in a hurry, offensively and defensively. They were not coming back from that halftime deficit yesterday, and everybody knew that. The only thing in doubt was the extent of Boston College's success. I don't see much confidence or faith out there, and that's depressing. Losing is hard enough without having to worry about a lack of commitment. Besides, that's what the basketball team is for. Can an extra week of coaches talking about getting back to coaching and doing coach-type things and we're not a good football team and the coaches gotta coach 'em up make any sort of difference? I cackle. Cackle, I tell you.

As always, my fingers are crossed, and I'm not turning in the rest of my tickets. It's cheering for anyone else that's for quitters, after all. I'm even going to make that trip to Blacksburg. But I expect nothing now but cold beer.

In all likelihood, Harris will be the third straight player to win Offensive Player of the Week against the Wolfpack. Russell Wilson has thrown an interception in three consecutive games. I never want to hear the word streak again.