NC State quarterback Devin Leary was able to sling it around Saturday in the Wolfpack’s spring game at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Leary went 26-of-34 passing for 355 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in one half of action in leading the Red team to a 50-7 victory. NC State had rules in place to protect its players from potentially getting injured, though a few defenders — safety Tanner Ingle and linebacker Devon Betty — got some licks in.
The spring game was about staying healthy and giving people a chance to shine.
“I appreciated the fans that came out today,” NCSU coach Dave Doeren said. “It’s Master’s weekend and a lot of stuff on TV. To have so many fans here meant a lot. It was a good day of work and I’m excited for what is to come.”
NC State fans will have to wait until Sept. 3 at East Carolina for the next chance to see the players in action. Doeren knows the hype machine will be out in full force this offseason.
“They’ll be motivated,” Doeren said. “I think they have heard what you are talking about [2022 hype], since we got back [from the Holiday Bowl] with the way too early everything.
“We watched that happen across the road [at North Carolina last year] at that other school. If you don’t take care of business, it doesn’t matter what people say about you.
“Our guys have a chip on their shoulder. We didn’t get to the ACC Championship [game]. We have a lot to prove still.”
Leary and redshirt freshman backup quarterback Ben Finley — who played the first half with the White squad and second half with the Red team — completed passes to 13 different players.
“I felt confident out there and confident in all the guys I am with too,” Leary said. “I was able to distribute the ball to our playmakers outside and let them make the plays. I thought it was a real successful day on both sides of the ball.”
Junior Keyon Lesane had five grabs for 88 yards, and was featured prominently in the first half, and sophomore Anthony Smith had three catches for 67 yards and a 34-yard touchdown.
“I’m pretty confident in my abilities,” Smith said. “I know I can make the plays that I am supposed to make.”
The tight ends also got a lot of love in the game. Redshirt freshman Fred Seabrough had three catches for 38 yards and redshirt sophomore Kameron Walker added two receptions for 13 yards for the Wolfpack. Cedd Seabrough, Fred’s twin brother, caught a pass for three yards for the White team.
“I thought the tight ends as a unit caught the ball well today,” Doeren said. “There was several that got involved in the passing game.”
The breakout star of the second half was redshirt freshman wide receiver Joshua Crabtree, who showed off his speed in catching two passes for 62 yards and 44-yard touchdown reception. For good measure, redshirt freshman wide receiver Julian Gray snagged a 45-yard score for the final points of the game.
“There is a good group of young players in those positions that were mentioned [at wide receiver],” Doeren said.
Finley threw both of the long touchdowns, and he finished 6-of-7 passing for 139 yards and two scores for the Red squad. He also went 9 of 14 for 32 yards and an interception for the White team, which went against the first-team defense.
NC State also was able to player junior college transfer Anthony Belton, who redshirted last year, at starting left tackle for the Red team. Senior Bryson Speas was kicked inside to left guard and redshirt sophomore Dylan McMahon got to play center with starter Grant Gibson out with an injury.
The massive 6-6, 330-pound redshirt sophomore Belton seemed to hold up well and could give NC State line coach John Garrison some different ways of viewing how he wants to put his top five linemen out on the field.
“Obviously, there is going to be a spotlight on that, with what we lost with Ickey [Ekwonu to the NFL],” said Doeren on left tackle. “We are a long ways away from naming a starter. These guys are practicing hard and playing well.
“All these reps are critical for Anthony. Every rep he gets, he’ll continue to get better. We love his measurables, his consistency and his work ethic.
“Tim McKay and Bryson Speas give us to more guys that can rotate and Jaleel [Davis] is getting better.”
The game wasn’t built so much for the running backs, but Doeren is optimistic. The White team rushed 18 times for 16 yards and freshman Michael Allen got a one-yard touchdown run. The Red squad rushed 17 times for 53 yards and junior Jordan Houston had a seven-yard touchdown run.
“I said this to Jordan’s mother this morning that I am really proud of him,” Doeren said. “He showed great character [in not transferring]. He came here for a reason. He had good players in front of him and he maximized his role while they were here.
“We completely trust him and we are excited for him.”
The defense had certain rules stacked against them but safety Sean Brown proved active with six tackles and an interception. Walk-on linebacker Jamie Shaw had a game-high seven stops.
Ingle said it’s time to buy stock in Brown.
"Sean Brown is ballin'," Ingle said. "He's had a [heck] of a spring. He came in willing to learn. I feel like Sean Brown has benefitted tremendously this spring."
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