NC State Wolfpack football started the season on a positive note, winning a shoutout over traditional nemesis Wake Forest, 45-42.
It’s time for a final look at the contest with some Monday morning quarterbacking.
Key Moment Of The Game
A lot of teams would have folded when after building a pair of 14-point leads only to lose both of them, and then find themselves trailing for the first time all game with 9:12 remaining.
This NC State team, however, responded differently.
Taking over at its own 25-yard line, the Wolfpack ran right at Wake Forest. Literally, six out of eight plays on the drive were handoffs to running backs and another was a scramble from redshirt junior quarterback Bailey Hockman.
NC State never faced a third down before junior running back Ricky Person Jr. punched in what would prove to be the game-winning touchdown on a 3-yard rush with 5:51 left.
Three Things That Worked
1. Running the football
NC State feels it has a deep, talented group of running backs. So it only makes logical sense to use them. Utilizing the running game with more emphasis than perhaps expected, NC State finished with 285 yards on the ground when you remove three "team rushes," a.k.a. the kneel downs at the end of the game.
The trio of Person, sophomore Zonovan Knight and sophomore Jordan Houston ran a combined 37 times for 250 yards, or 6.8 yards per rush.
2. The start of each half
With 7:43 to go in the first quarter, NC State led 14-0. With 8:56 to go in the third quarter, the Wolfpack turned what was a 21-21 halftime tie into a 35-21 lead. Both coming out of the initial gate and out of halftime, head coach Dave Doeren's squad was well-prepared and ready to go.
Last year, the only time NC State scored an opening-possession touchdown was the season opener against East Carolina. It was also lopsided third quarters that turned halftime leads at home against Louisville and UNC into lopsided losses.
3. The timely second-half stops
It was a struggle at times for the defense, but it gets credit for coming up with stops when needed. The two that stand out are obviously the final two to end the game and preserve the 45-42 advantage, but another important stand was to begin the second half.
Wake Forest had scored on three straight 75-yard drives to end the first half and tie the game. Rather than allow WFU to take advantage of what was essentially back-to-back possessions to end the first half and start the second, NC State's defense held out of halftime. A five-yard punt to cap the possession by Wake Forest was a nice bonus.
Three Things That Did Not Work
1. Defending Kenneth Walker
The most disappointing stat of the defense may be the fact that Walker ran 27 times and was never once hit for a loss. He finished with 131 yards and three scores. A lot of Walker's success came when NC State failed to set the edge and allowed him to bounce outside when seemingly bottled up.
2. Third-and-long/fourth-down defense
One way the defense's performance would have looked a lot better is if it had not allowed a fourth-and-10 conversion when up 21-7, leading to a Wake Forest touchdown two plays later. On WFU's next possession, the Deacons were able to tie the game at 21-21 thanks to improbably converting on third-and-19.
In the second half, while leading 35-28, Wake Forest went for it on fourth-and-5 and made it. Three plays later, on third-and-8, it completed a 10-yard pass on the way to ultimately tying the game up.
Those were three touchdown-scoring drives where the percentages should have favored the defense getting off the field without points scored.
3. Involving the wide receivers in the passing game
NC State redshirt sophomore Devin Carter caught three passes for 30 yards and a touchdown, but he was the only wideout to have multiple catches. Plus, Carter's TD reception actually came from Person on a trick play.
Position-By-Position Battles
NC State’s offensive line vs. Wake Forest's defensive front
Wake Forest did get 11 tackles for loss, which is a healthy number, but only one sack. We've also already detailed how well NC State ran the football. Thus, overall this was a solid win for the Wolfpack.
Wake Forest's offensive line vs. NC State’s defensive front
As the game progressed, even despite Wake Forest's running successes with Harris, the Pack front got stronger. It finished the contest with an impressive six sacks and 12 tackles for loss. Those numbers result in a slight win for NC State.
NC State’s wide receivers vs. Wake Forest’s secondary
The lack of the production from the Wolfpack receiving corps is a potential issue that is worth monitoring going forward. They were only targeted 10 times throughout the game against a Wake secondary that had concerns after its season opener. The Deacons won this matchup.
Wake Forest’s wide receivers vs. NC State’s secondary
On the contrary to NC State, Wake's wideouts were actively involved. Although potential future star and redshirt freshman Donavon Greene was held in check with just one catch for nine yards on four targets, before leaving the game with an injury, the receivers overall had nice games and won this battle for Wake Forest.
Quarterbacks
Wake Forest redshirt sophomore Sam Hartman probably had more impact in the passing game, completing 23 of 36 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown while avoiding the mistake, unlike Hockman. However, Hockman was very efficient aside from the turnover and also did surprising damage with his legs (running eight times for 30 yards and a TD).
Hockman also was better at maneuvering around the pocket to either buy time or scramble than Hartman, who was sacked six times. Thus we grade this out as a draw.
Running backs
Walker was really good for Wake Forest, but this is an easy win for NC State.
Tight ends/fullbacks
One of the surprises was fifth-year senior Dylan Parham catching a pair of passes for 33 yards. His classmate, Cary Angeline, had two receptions for 45 yards and a score. The best news for NC State is there was no Wake Forest tight end that extended the streak of Demon Deacon players at that position turning into Wolfpack nightmares.
Special teams
Wake Forest redshirt freshman punter Nick Sciba had a difficult evening, averaging 29.0 yards on four punts. Even if you remove the five-yarder from the equation, he still struggled. That proved to be the difference, which allowed NC State to win special teams battle.
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