NC State had a get-right game by routing Florida State 47-28. It is time for a final look at the contest with some Monday morning quarterbacking:
Key moment of the game
After scoring a touchdown with 26 seconds left in the first half, Florida State went into the locker room trailing 27-14 and receiving the ball to start the second half. After three plays on the opening possession of the third quarter, FSU faced a fourth-and-one from its own 34.
Florida State rookie head coach Willie Taggart went for it, but the play never had a chance. Sophomore running back Cam Akers was hit first by NC State redshirt freshman linebacker Isaiah Moore in the backfield before some others joined in on the tackle, and the result was a three-yard loss.
NC State could not punch it in for a touchdown in the red zone and had to settle for a 31-yard field goal from freshman kicker Christopher Dunn with 8:49 left in the third quarter to go up 30-14, but the key was FSU was prevented from making it a one-possession game. The contest was never in doubt after that.
Three things that worked
1. Offensive game plan
NC State’s ideal identity on offense is a balanced rushing and passing attack. As good as sixth-year senior quarterback Ryan Finley can be, the offense is better when it runs well and Finley is not throwing more than 30-35 times. The Pack rushed for 177 yards and passed for 240 against the Noles, and Finley only had to throw 27 times. The result was a season-high 47 points.
2. Winning the trenches
In addition to rushing for 177 yards (which includes a loss of nine yards on two kneel downs and a bad snap), the Pack held FSU to just 24 rushing yards. NC State had five sacks, and Florida State had none. The Pack was simply more physical on both sides of the ball.
3. Starting fast
Fair or not, the feeling was that if NC State jumped out to a quick lead that Florida State would not have the spirit to hang around. True to that perception, NC State was up 17-0 early in the second quarter and it never felt like Florida State had the energy to mount a comeback.
Three things that did not work
1. Covering the deep pass
NC State saw last year that Florida State sophomore James Blackman can throw as good a deep pass you will see in college football. He put that on display against NCSU for a second straight year. Blackman threw for 421 yards, and 175 of that (or 41.6 percent) came on five passes that went at least 30 yards each.
2. Getting touchdowns in the red zone
NC State head coach Dave Doeren said after the game that it is great to make field goals because he could not count on that in the past. But three field goals in the red zone instead of touchdowns kept the margin, though still lopsided, closer than the game actually was.
3. Ending the game in a timely manner
Not all NC State’s fault and incredibly nit-picky with a biased view from a reporter with a long night ahead after the game, but the contest took three hours and 33 minutes to complete. It should have been over well before then. With a short week ahead, the Pack could have had an extra 30 minutes of rest (and reporters home 30 minutes earlier).
Truth is though that aside from pass coverage and red-zone offense, there was not much to complain about for NC State.
Position-by-position battles
NC State’s offensive line vs. Florida State’s front seven
FSU was known for being solid up front on defense, capable of getting after the passer and stopping the run. Neither happened Saturday. NC State owned this matchup.
Florida State’s offensive line vs. NC State’s front seven
The offensive line is a known glaring weakness for Florida State and NC State took advantage of that. The Pack had five sacks and 10 tackles for loss.
NC State’s wide receivers vs. Florida State’s secondary
Florida State had no one that could cover NC State redshirt junior Jakobi Meyers, who caught nine passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Florida State’s wide receivers vs. NC State’s secondary
This was the problematic matchup for NC State, for a third week in a row. FSU redshirt freshman Tamorrion Terry, who looks like a future star, caught five passes for 142 yards and two scores, and sophomore D.J. Matthews added 10 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown.
Quarterbacks
Finley was comfortable and efficient, a compliment to the ability to run the football and keep Finley clean. He managed the game exceptionally well and gets the nod over Blackman, who played well in his own right and made a compelling case to be the Noles quarterback going forward.
Running backs
Akers never had a chance for FSU, but regardless the best running back on this night was NC State senior Reggie Gallaspy Jr., who ran 21 times for 106 yards. Freshman Ricky Person Jr. added three touchdowns himself (two rushing and one receiving).
Tight ends/fullbacks
Wolfpack redshirt sophomore Cary Angeline caught two passes for 28 yards, including one that was a heck of a 24-yard haul. However, FSU has its own weapon in sophomore Tre’ McKitty, who was the best tight end on the field and had five receptions for 57 yards.
Special teams
Dunn has now converted 14 for 17 field goal attempts this year. NC State didn’t need senior punter A.J. Cole, but he pinned one inside the 20 and averaged 42.0 yards overall. Fifth-year senior corner Maurice Trowell nearly broke one kickoff runback and finished with a 36-yard return. Redshirt freshman Thayer Thomas had a nice 14-yard punt return. Overall NC State won the special teams battle.
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