The Pieces of Shit Football Game
It's the annual NC State Wolfpack vs. North Carolina Tar Heels football clash, a gooey mess!
This is a Cow Pie, well-known by those who love Cow College, a.k.a. North Carolina State University. But, to those who love our rival sister institution, UNC-Chapel Hill, this is known as a piece of shit, a very large piece of shit, a moniker placed on the Tar Heels by NC State football coach Dave Doeren.
The Pieces of Shit Football game
As long as Dave Doeren is the head football coach at NC State, the Wolfpack’s annual gridiron meeting—home or away—with North Carolina will be known as The Pieces of Shit Football Game, thanks to the now 12th year mentor in Raleigh.
It was a year ago, after last year’s season-ending NC State victory of all things, that Doeren, in a closed door session with his players, called nearly everyone associated with the Tar Heels’ football program (or maybe the entire University or maybe every UNC grad and probably anyone else who favors UNC) “pieces of shit.”
The response from Chapel Hill wasn’t—but should have been—“takes one to know one.” I mean, to those of us, (I’m Class of ‘77, BA Political Science) and all others that hold NC State near and dear to our hearts, we do not object to being called Cow College or Moo-U, the fondly-known University nicknames, and the NCSU Marching Band playing Old McDonald Had a Farm after any game, especially when victory over UNC is at hand.
So, let’s get into a piss… uh … shitting contest with our brethren from across the way to the west. It’s all about our cows dropping pies all over NC State’s extended campus, and those “Pieces” related to UNC-Chapel Hill acting like … well… you decide. Remember, it’s just a football game, college level at that. We can stoop to all-time lows whenever the desire rises.
Anyone, even in a private conversation, especially after winning the State-Carolina game, should not express their trumped up feelings about another esteemed educational institution, especially in reference to a sister institution of the same educational system. Maybe you feel that way, but keep it to yourself.
Am I fond of that school in Chapel Hill? Not really, but it is to be respected in public and private just as NC State associated people with the Raleigh campus desire the same from them “better (but not holier) than though” types 30 miles away. For those of us who enjoy life and great economies, the Triangle area of NC State, North Carolina, and, ugh, Duke University offer better life to all around here. Besides, the elite from Chapel Hill stepped upward when selecting it’s current chancellor, a Dookie at that! The IQ at both schools increased with that selection.
Of course and no doubt there are plenty of NC State graduates who think the same as Doeren said, but thinking is one thing and saying, especially in today’s social media postings is another.
If you care to read my take on Doeren’s comments after the 2023 game, go to:
Doeren showed his ugly side that evening past NC State’s 39-20 thumping of UNC-Chapel Hill, the third of a three game winning streak by the Wolfpack over the Tar Heels.
In the last 10 games, the Wolfpack is 7-3 against the Tar Heels. This century, starting with the year 2000 game, NC State has a 15-9 record over North Carolina. Hell, Doeren has a 7-4 winning record against UNC so why is he so derogatory about UNC when winning is all that needs to be said. Whatever North Carolina football has done to NC State football, you can be sure that Wolfpack football has done the same or more to the Tar Heels.
Of course, Tar Heels’ faithful will point to the overall edge by UNC, 68-39-6. But who cares about records? Lots of people, especially those with the winning hand. To offer the standard cliché, “You can throw out the record books when these two teams get together.”
So, the two will battle for low final standing in the ACC where the Wolfpack was picked to finish 4th this season and the Tar Heels to place 8th. Of course, the 170 media representatives also picked Florida State to finish 1st. The Seminoles will finish last of 17. What does the media know?
Okay, here’s an interesting statistic related to the game on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (the day of my wedding anniversary but not the date, November 27, 1982. It’s easier to remember the day.):
Against Mack Brown-coached football teams, the Wolfpack is 10-7:
1-0 when Mack was coach at Appalachian State (1983).
5-5 during Mack’s first tenure at UNC (1988-1997)
1-0 when Mack was coach at Texas, defeating the Longhorns, 23-20 in 1999 at Texas, the only game played between NC State and Texas.
3-2 during Mack’s current tenure at UNC (2019-2023)
So what happens this year?
The Wolfpack, 5-6 overall and 2-5 in the Atlantic Coast, must win to be “bowl eligible” with a 6th win. Although, there may be a need to pick a few 5-7 teams this season because of the football playoff.
The Tar Heels are 6-5 overall and 3-4 in the ACC and are already bowl eligible but getting a 7th win will elevate their bowl game standing.
NC State is coming off two straight losses—to Duke, 29-19, and at Georgia Tech, a heart-breaking 30-29 loss.
North Carolina was on a three game winning streak before being thumped at 41-21 at Boston College. Thumped puts it mildly.
The Wolfpack’s two conference wins are against ACC newcomers Stanford and Cal-Berkley, both with just two ACC wins each.
The Tar Heels three conference victories are against Virginia, Florida State and Wake Forest, traditional ACC opponents, but with a total of six wins among them headed into the final week of the season.
With a loss, NC State, 2-6 in the conference will finish tied for next to last in the 17-team ACC.
With a loss, UNC, 3-5, remains in the lower half of the conference.
With a win, the Wolfpack, 3-5, ties the Tar Heels ACC record and remains in the bottom half of the league.
With a win, the Tar Heels go to 4-4 in the ACC and jump to the upper half of the ACC.
In the long run, all that shit doesn’t matter. From the NC State perspective, It’s the Cow Pies vs. the Pieces of Shit, just another dumped stat in the long line of them for this game.
PREDICTION:
NC State wins (what did you expect me to say?). A solid run game by UNC sets up a passing attack and takes NC State’s defense to task. The Wolfpack needs a superior passing game to set up a decent run game to dominate the Tar Heels’ defense. If all goes well, the final score could be something like 49-48.
Welcome to The Pieces of Shit Football Game! Enjoy!