Weekly NC State defense notebook: Pack prepared for physical battle
NC State fifth-year senior defensive tackle Larrell Murchison had 3.5 sacks at Florida State Sept. 28, and junior linebacker Louis Acceus tallied three sacks against Syracuse last Thursday.
However, the Wolfpack's next opponent, Boston College, has allowed just three sacks this season. It’s an impressive achievement considering the Eagles lost three starters from the 2018 offensive line, including first-round pick Chris Lindstrom.
NCSU ranks third in the ACC with 26 sacks this season, setting up quite the battle Saturday in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
“When it’s all 11 going hard, if I don’t make the play, I always say I’m happy if it’s someone else,” said Murchison, who leads the ACC with seven sacks.
Redshirt freshman left tackle Tyler Vrabel has the top grade for BC offensive tackles at 74.2 by Pro Football Focus. He has allowed zero sacks, zero quarterback hits and just three hurries.
“We are looking at film and watching their tendencies,” Murchison said. “This will be big-boy football.”
The NC State coaches have verbally challenged the defense in regards to BC allowing only three sacks in six games. Boston College is also breaking in a new quarterback after starter Anthony Brown suffered a season-ending injury. Redshirt sophomore Dennis Grosel will get the nod.
“We’ve had a bunch of sacks [16 total] the last couple of games,” NCSU sophomore nose tackle Alim McNeill said. “We definitely take it personal and take it as a challenge. They have a good O-line, which we’ve seen on film. It’s nothing we can’t handle.”
NC State’s spread the wealth philosophy on sacks could lead to another breakout performer in the future. Could that end up being McNeill, who has 2.5 sacks this season?
“Larrell, Louis, it doesn’t matter who it is,” McNeill said. “I just know we’ll get sacks.”
Murchison has started to play an air guitar after sacks, and there is room in the band for more.
“Maybe come up with the piano, but not the flute," Murchison said. "That would be corny, but anything else."
LB Louis Acceus Motivated To Build Off Big Game
Last Thursday, NC State junior linebacker Louis Acceus was out for revenge against Syracuse, specifically its starting quarterback Tommy DeVito to settle a grudge from high school, when DeVito's team beat Acceus' in the playoffs.
Acceus responded with three sacks and was named the ACC Linebacker of the Week.
The Wolfpack defender will have a different motivation this Saturday at Boston College. That is the closest that the Spring Valley, N.Y., native will play to his home, and it will probably be the only game that his family will get to see him play in person this year. Thus far he has picked up eight tickets for the game, but he would like a few more.
“I’m actually grateful that they are able to make it to this game," Acceus said. "I haven’t seen them since maybe July. I see them once or twice a year, so it’ll be a good deal for me."
It will be a different challenge this week, however. Boston College will play a lot of two-tight-end sets and plans on running the ball with a pair of 240-plus-pound tailbacks, highlighted by star junior AJ Dillon, who is within striking distance of NC State Ted Brown's all-time leading rushing mark in the ACC.
“It’s going to be a war up front," Acceus acknowledged. "We've just got to swarm to the ball and make sure he gets down. He’s a big kid, I think he’s 240 [pounds]. He’s not going to be easy to tackle.
"We've just got to make sure we run to the ball together, and we group tackle him, gang tackle him, try to get the ball out, do whatever we can to make sure he hits the ground.”
NC State has some training this year playing a physical running back. Florida State's Cam Akers has rushed for 616 yards in six games and is noted for his ability to get yards after contact. But the 212-pound Akers is a different type of back, Acceus noted.
“He was a strong kid, don’t get me wrong," he said of Akers. "He’s really strong, but I don’t think he’s like AJ Dillon. AJ Dillon is a solid, downhill back.”
Acceus is entering this game with as much confidence as he has had since he has been at NC State. He has already surpassed his career tackles total coming into the season by having 36 hits in six games, all starts. That includes six for loss and 4.5 sacks, both totals rank second on the team.
“I am gaining confidence as I go, trusting my teammates that are keeping me accountable, as well as believing in Coach [Dave] Huxtable," Acceus said. "If I don’t believe in my coaches and all my teammates, I can’t do what I am able to do. Believing in them allows me to be comfortable.”
Punter Trenton Gill Ranks Fifth In Country
NC State redshirt sophomore Trenton Gill went from being a walk-on to the fifth-best punter in the country over the last year.
The storybook rise of Gill, who attended Hillsborough (N.C.) Cedar Ridge High, is truly remarkable. The lanky 6-4, 217-pounder was battling Australian import Mackenzie Morgan during the spring to replace A.J. Cole, who is now with the Oakland Raiders, and Gill didn’t give much foreshadowing that he’d end up an elite punter last April during the Kay Yow Spring Game.
Gill ended up beating out Morgan during fall camp in August and earned a scholarship along the way.
“I feel I'm a lot better,” Gill said of his improvement since the spring game. “My whole summer was working. I didn’t have the spring I wanted. I knew in order to play in the fall, I had to really work hard. I did everything I could in the summer.”
Gill is averaging a gaudy 47.5 yards per punt in replacing Cole, who was able to watch him perform last Thursday against Syracuse since Oakland had a bye week. Cole, who is averaging 47.2 yards with the Raiders, served as a good mentor for Gill the last two years.
Gill ranks right behind Virginia Tech punter Oscar Bradburn (48.5 yards per punt) in the ACC, and ahead of Syracuse punter Sterling Hofrichter (46.0). Gill helped the Pack outshine the Orange's highly regarded special teams last Thursday.
“I think it was really good for us to beat them [Syracuse] in the special teams game,” Gill said. “They are always top No. 1 or No. 2 in the nation.”
Gill isn’t surprised by his sudden success nor does he run to his computer to see where he's ranked nationally.
“I’m just trying to master it, though you can never master it,” said Gill, who has landed six punts inside the 20-yard line. “I don’t really care about stats. I just care about how our team does. That is the only thing that matters.”
Gill and sophomore kicker Christopher Dunn have given the Wolfpack an exciting kicking duo. Dunn has made an ACC-best 13 field goals (on 16 attempts) and leads the league in scoring with 57 points.
“We came and worked really hard in the summer, and we knew we’d be really good this year,” Gill said. “We put a lot of work in.”
NC State plays at Boston College next Saturday, with the forecast calling for a high of 61 degrees and sunny weather. Gill knows he could be dodging some tough weather conditions.
“Two year ago when I went, it was freezing cold,” Gill said. “I don’t think it will be that cold this year. I have heard it is windy there.”
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