The talent is there but getting everyone on the same page offensively is the goal.
On the surface, everything looks good statistically. The Wolfpack are averaging 34.3 points per game, and are 4.2 yards per carry and throwing the ball well enough to average 230.3 passing yards per contest.
Upon closer inspection, the Wolfpack offense generated 14 points against East Carolina and 20 points against Texas Tech. NC State won both those games and are 3-0 on the season and ranked No. 12 overall in the country, but concerns remain.
NC State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Tim Beck knows some minor inconsistencies have to get cleaned up with Clemson looming Oct. 1.
“I try not to listen to noise where we should score this or score that,” Beck said. “Bottom line, is a win, and what we need to do to win the game. What we have to do better, we have to focus and eliminate penalties and turnovers.”
NC State is hosting Connecticut this weekend, but it’s the kind of game where it’s more about what the Wolfpack are doing than anything else.
“We have to focus in our detail and play a little bit,” Beck said. “We are just inconsistent right now in every part of our game from finishing blocks, route running and reading coverages, whatever it might be.
“The game is really us vs. us, and be the best us we can be. If you can do that, that is all that we can ask of our guys.”
Beck anticipated some issues out of fall camp, but also pointed on that their opponents have used a lot of “four-down quarters” defensive scheme. NC State’s defense plays an odd-stack three, cover three scheme.
“It’s different for O-Line, it’s different for protections, it’s different for route running, it’s different for perimeter blocking,” Beck said.
Beck definitely knows what to expect from senior wide receiver Thayer Thomas, whether catching the ball or passing it.
"All the things he can do, he's run reverses, thrown the football, he's an excellent receiver and the biggest things I take my hat off to him, he's worked on his blocking," Beck said.
NC State has a bevy of experienced players on offense, with some younger players mixed in. Six of the seven offensive linemen return from last year’s offensive line group, with redshirt sophomore left tackle Anthony Belton the lone true newcomer. Senior left guard Chandler Zavala had his season cut by injury last year, but he was also a multi-year starter at Fairmount State.
Redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary and two of his top three receivers return in the passing game — senior Thomas and redshirt junior Devin Carter. Christopher Toudle is one of the healthy H-backs returning.
The preseason concern was at running back with junior Jordan Houston and sophomore Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, but they’ve been adequate.
“It’s my job to make sure I streamline and have our guys play hard,” Beck said.
One example was Belton getting called for being ineligible downfield when wide receiver Thomas threw a touchdown pass to Leary. Beck called it an “aggressive” mistake.
“He [Belton] was playing with great effort, but if you look, we had three penalties in our first 11 plays,” Beck said. “Both were effort plays where DC [Devin Carter] did a great job of blocking a guy on the screen, and it just took a while, the back made a couple of moves and DC is trying to finish, and the guy kind of twerked his body. That is where you have to let go.”
Connecticut is off to a 1-3 start and it's been a struggle for new coach Jim Mora Jr., who coached in the NFL and at UCLA. Beck has seen defensive improvement from the first week until now with the Huskies.
"He's trying to get really consistent and the guys play hard," Beck said. "Their defensive line is active. I'm very impressed with a couple of their players, No. 0 [senior middle linebacker Brandon Bouyer-Randle] and No. 95 [junior defensive lineman Eric Watts, Jr.] stick out on tape. They can run to the ball and are very active players."
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