NC State understands what is needed to bounce back
The biggest strength for NC State this season was having experienced players returning.
NC State has nine senior starters and seven junior starters, plus two senior kicking specialists. Even many of the sophomores have been in the program for three years.
The soul searching this week after falling 30-20 at Clemson last Saturday will start with the upperclassmen leading the way, who have experiences the ups and downs of college football.
“We took our first loss and everyone was upset,” NCSU redshirt junior outside linebacker Payton Wilson said. “We flushed it. We know what we need to work on and need to not do to lose a game.”
The defense seemingly held up well, but still allowed 30 points against the Tigers. Florida State comes to Raleigh at 8 p.m. Saturday, and the Seminoles also have some scoring potential.
Wilson said it comes down to communication on defense.
“It was there last Saturday and we need to really improve that and be on the same page all the time,” Wilson said.
Wilson understands having football taken away from him after suffering a season-ending shoulder surgery after the second game of the season last year. He’s not going to feel sorry for himself coming up after losing at Clemson.
“Coach [Dave] Doeren and the coaches do a really good job of not letting stuff dwell,” Wilson said. “I think in the past, they’ve lost to a team, and the season kind of goes bad at that point. They do a good job emphasizing that you have to take that loss and take it on the chin and move on.”
Sixth-year senior center Grant Gibson understood the emotional implications of playing at Clemson on several levels. His grandfather Harvey Gantt, was the first black student to enroll at Clemson.
“It was cool going down there, I”m not going to lie to you,” Gibsons said. “The ride over and when I stepped out on the field, it was a cool place to play. I think I was more upset because we didn’t play the way we wanted to on offense.
“It was definitely a cool experience and my mom and dad came.”
Gibson said it was also a super loud experience, and that led to snapping the ball early on fourth and 13, resulting in Clemson taking the football over with 7:39 left in the game.
Gibson echoed what Wilson said to not let the loss doom the rest of the season. NC State still needs some help, but winning 10-plus games and getting ranked in the top 10 in the country is very much on the table.
“Three year ago, when we went 4-8, we just wanted to win a game,” Gibson said. “We understand that you can’t let this game take over the rest of the year. We still have a lot of games to play, and each week, some teams might lose.”
Gibson figures this is the best Florida State he's seen since he's arrived in 2017, which was the last time the Seminoles finished above .500 (going 7-6).
"This will probably be the best FSU team that we play since I've been here," Gibson said.
Another advantage NC State has in making sure one loss doesn’t turn into two is the home-field advantage at Carter-Finley Stadium, especially with a night game. It also could be a little chilly in the second half Saturday.
The Wolfpack enter the Florida State game with a 13-game home winning streak, which is the fifth longest among FBS programs, and the second longest in school history.
“It’s awesome playing here no matter when,” Wilson said. “Our fans do an amazing job and are part of our team. Coach Doeren lets them know that.
“We love playing at home and it will be a fun game to bounce back from.”
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