With Loss to NC State, Is Notre Dame Now in Danger of Missing Bowl Game?

Bad, meet worse.

After a rain-soaked 10-3 loss to the North Carolina State Wolfpack on Saturday afternoon, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are officially in danger of missing a bowl game this year.      

Notre Dame dropped its fourth game in six tries, mustering just 113 total yards during a frustrating loss in literal hurricane conditions at Carter-Finley Stadium.

During the coming days, whether this game should have been played while Raleigh, North Carolina, felt the effects of Hurricane Matthew will be discussed. The answer is probably no.

But Notre Dame wasn't at a greater disadvantage.

The Wolfpack had to battle through the same inclement weather and managed one more play—a B.J. Hill blocked punt that safety Dexter Wright scooped up and returned 16 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.      

Notre Dame will return to South Bend, Indiana, in warmer clothes but with a chilly outlook on the remainder of 2016. Head coach Brian Kelly's team needs four more wins to secure bowl eligibility—or, perhaps better said, must avoid three losses—and that's not a certainty.

The Irish don't have much time to regroup. Stanford, which is ranked 15th in the nation, brings its run-focused attack to Notre Dame next Saturday.

Even in the rain, when running the ball was the only effective option, the Irish defense surrendered 126 yards to N.C. State's Matthew Dayes. Some might suggest that yardage is the result of volume, but Dayes averaged 5.5 yards per carry.     

Now the defense needs to prepare for Christian McCaffrey, one of the best running backs in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

Plus, Stanford is almost certain to enter the rivalry game as the favorite, which has suited the program in recent history. According to Team Rankings, since the beginning of the 2015 campaign, the Cardinal are 14-2 as the favorite.

And the schedule doesn't get much easier after Stanford, either.

The Miami Hurricanes showcase an NFL-caliber quarterback in Brad Kaaya and a dangerous pair at running back with Mark Walton and Joseph Yearby. The duo has already accounted for five 100-yard outbursts in 2016, and both players are averaging at least seven yards per touch.

Notre Dame hasn't faced an offense with the Hurricanes' level of skill, yet its defense was nearly invisible against Texas, Michigan State and Duke and for one half against Syracuse, too. The Irish gave up 157 points combined in those games. Miami should have little problem moving the ball and scoring often.

If the Irish fail to manage a split with Stanford and Miami, it will need to survive November against Navy, Army, Virginia Tech and USC without another loss. At this point, the Irish haven't offered much reason to anticipate that.

Could it happen? Sure. The talent that made Notre Dame a preseason national title contender hasn't disappeared. Perhaps it felt that way Saturday, especially for Irish fans, but blowing rain and gusting winds will severely limit the effectiveness of any offense.

But Notre Dame is lacking in an important department: coaching.

Once again, Kelly placed the blame for the loss on himself and the staff. Pete Sampson of Irish Illustrated shared what the seventh-year coach said following the shortcoming:

If the Irish have been losing because of preparation or game-day problems from the staff, there's little reason to expect Kelly and Co. to outcoach Stanford's David Shaw, Miami's Mark Richt or Virginia Tech's Justin Fuente.

Granted, the reason for Notre Dame's 2-4 record isn't that simple. The lack of on-field execution—in all three facets of the game—is a large portion of the losing equation.

Everything else is just talk. A changed culture doesn't translate to victories. A re-energized defense isn't automatically going to bring success. More fun at practice doesn't mean more wins.

And if Notre Dame doesn't start putting together complete, all-around performances from both the players and the coaches, the Irish won't play in a bowl game for the first time since 2009.

All recruiting information via Scout. Stats from NCAA.com, CFBStats.com or B/R research. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Bleacher Report CFB Writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.