RALEIGH, N.C. — By pulling off an emotional 31-27 win over its archrival on Saturday, N.C. State pulled even at 5-5 on the season with two games left to go.

Winning either one would guarantee the Wolfpack at least a 6-6 record overall and 4-4 in the conference; making the team eligible for a bowl in Tom O’Brien’s first year.

With Wake Forest up next, O’Brien said his team can’t enjoy its victory to the point where it takes away from preparing for the final games of the year.

“That’s a concern. We’ve addressed it. I think you’d be crazy not to think about it. That’s the only problem having a game of this magnitude within the course of the year … You can’t really enjoy it until the season’s over,” O’Brien said.

Whether the Pack can enjoy anything else, like a postseason bowl bid, at season’s end remains to be seen. Continuing the current four-game winning streak on Saturday against Wake could make that a reality – but O’Brien isn’t banking on it.

He’s not even going to talk about it.

“I don’t think six wins is – that doesn’t guarantee anything. As a team, I told them there’s no sense - we’re not talking about it. It doesn’t make any difference because the first time you start talking about it then you don’t win. Talk is cheap,” O’Brien said.

“We got this way by focusing one week at a time on the opponent we were playing and by winning. If we do that then good things will happen at the end of the year. If we don’t do it … we’ll have just the four [consecutive] wins and then we’ll be done.”

According to O’Brien, each win has been grown in magnitude from week to week. Now the escalation of excitement surrounding the games includes the prospect of going to a bowl game.

“It’s November, we’re in must-win situations, we’re in back-to-the-wall situations and we’re playing for everything,” O’Brien said. “It’s great that you’re playing for something now in November.”

In the 2002 season, Boston College walked into South Bend and beat previously 8-0 Notre Dame in the rivalry known as the “Holy War.” O’Brien’s team lost the following game at West Virginia by a score of 24-14.

To avoid a similar letdown after an emotional win, O’Brien said his players will have to concentrate on the task at hand.

“It takes a lot of maturity and responsibility and leadership on your football team. And it has to come from within the team. I can say this to you and I can say it to them but if they don’t listen it doesn’t do any good,” O’Brien said.

“Even after Sunday’s practice you hear kids talking afterward about focus and what we have to do. The goal is to be better this week, as long as they’re believing it and show it the next three days on the practice field we’ll have a shot on Saturday.”

The Four-Game Winning Streak vs. The 1-5 Start

Average points for: 28.3 vs. 19.6
Average points against: 21.8 vs. 29.5
Average Total Offense: 382 vs. 316.3
Average Total Defense: 349 vs. 418.7
Third Down Conversions: 41.4 % vs. 37.2 %
Giveaways: 5 vs. 23
Takeaways: 9 vs. 5
Average Penalties: 6 vs. 6.7
Average Penalty Yards: 41 vs. 60.3

Noting the Wolfpack: Saturday’s game against North Carolina also served as a chance for fans to donate to the U.S. Marine Corp’s Toys for Tots campaign.

O’Brien, a former Marine, was pleased with the results. Fans donated more than 1,000 toys and almost $15,000 to the campaign.

“I think it was a great effort by the people of the state of North Carolina,” O’Brien said.
Coca-Cola has also donated $500 to Toys for Tots after each N.C. State touchdown, which come out to $13,500.