10/7/2020 football Edit

Devin Leary is getting comfortable leading the Wolfpack offense

Justin H. Williams • TheWolfpackCentral

Staff Writer

Prior to NC State’s 30-29 road win over No. 24 Pittsburgh, only three Wolfpack starting quarterbacks had won an ACC game since coach Dave Doeren’s arrival in 2013: Jacoby Brissett, Ryan Finley and Bailey Hockman.

Redshirt sophomore Devin Leary can now add his name to that list after his 336-yard, four-touchdown performance Saturday which included an eight-play, 79-yard game-winning touchdown drive with no timeouts and 1:44 left on the clock.

“If you saw his face, he didn't even flinch,” redshirt junior center and team captain Grant Gibson said. “He was like, 'Let's go win.' To have a QB like that, that's huge. That's just how he is. He's always calm and he's always trying to stay even. He doesn't get too high and he doesn't ever get too low either. That's what you need from a QB.”

NC State Wolfpack football quarterback Devin Leary — Redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary completed 28 of 44 passes for 336 yards and four touchdowns in the 30-29 road win over No. 24 Pittsburgh. (Charles LeClaire, USA TODAY Sports)

Leary was the anticipated game one starter throughout the offseason since Doeren said it was his job to lose in the spring. In the weeks leading up to the opener against Wake Forest, though, Leary had to quarantine for 20 days due to contact tracing protocol.

Hockman started the first two games in his absence and played well in the 45-42 win over Wake Forest, but was replaced by Leary in the third quarter against Virginia Tech after throwing two interceptions. While Leary led the Wolfpack to two touchdowns in three drives coming off the bench in Blacksburg, it was still unclear how he would perform against a starting defense for four quarters.

In his first start of 2020, he was named the ACC Quarterback of the Week for his performance in the Pack’s first win against a ranked opponent since 2017.

“Coming into NC State, I've always been a confident player and I've always been confident in my ability,” Leary said. “Something that I've had to grow, learn and embrace is trusting the process. Not everything can happen in one moment, not everything can happen in one year. Everyone's going to make mistakes, but it's all about how you respond.

“Considering the adversity that not only I went through, but our whole team went through, being able to see it pay off versus Pitt was very rewarding.”

He brought out the best in his targets as well. Senior wide receiver Emeka Emezie, redshirt junior slot receiver Thayer Thomas and fifth-year senior tight end Cary Angeline all had their season highs for receiving yards Saturday with Leary under center.

Emezie led the team with seven receptions for 101 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas came down with six receptions for 48 yards, including a conversion on fourth-and-nine with less than a minute to go. Angeline caught the other two touchdown passes and finished the contest with four receptions for 60 yards.

“He's always had a huge arm,” Angeline said. “He's learned when to zip it in there, put a little bit of touch on it. He makes it very easy to catch the ball because he will put it right on you. A lot of times, all you have to do is put your hands up and it's right there.”

The feeling of admiration is mutual in the QB-TE connection.

“Any quarterback would love to have a receiver that's 6-7 with the type of hands that Cary has,” Leary said. “It's really nice to see on the field. It all starts in the offseason with all of my receivers, not just Cary. We were able to throw almost twice every week, just a players-only type of deal, and we continue to build chemistry with all the guys.”

NC State Wolfpack football Devin Leary and Cary Angeline — Quarterback Devin Leary's second touchdown pass of the game to Cary Angeline in the 30-29 road win over No. 24 Pittsburgh.

The 6-foot-1, 210-pound signal-caller may have had the best game of his short college career thus far, but he admitted there were things he needed to work on after watching the film from Saturday. Specifically, he mentioned his ability to move defenders with his eyes and identifying various pressures as elements of his game that can improve.

He was also sure to give credit to the offensive line, which arguably had its best performance of the season Saturday. Coming off a disappointing game at Virginia Tech in which the Pack gave up six sacks, the unit stepped up against Pittsburgh’s pass rush which is considered one of the best in the country. The Wolfpack only allowed two sacks to a team that averaged six per game entering the contest.

“They did a tremendous job,” Leary said of his blockers. “We give all the credit to them. Our big thing is after we score and we get into the end zone, the first thing that we do is hug a big guy because it all starts with them. Every single day with Grant Gibson, the way we start practice, I tell all the offensive line it starts with them.”