Notebook: Unexpected defensive players log extensive playing time

One of the microcosms of NC State’s 41-10 loss against North Carolina on Saturday was four of the top five tacklers were not expected to be in that position this soon in their Wolfpack careers.

Redshirt freshman outside linebacker Payton Wilson had a game-high 14 tackles and a key interception, while fellow redshirt freshman middle linebacker Calvin Hart added seven tackles, all assists.

Freshman Cecil Powell, who has bounced back and forth between the secondary and wide receiver, was second on the squad with eight tackles at cornerback. Freshman safety Khalid Martin, who entered the game with four snaps played this season and preserved his redshirt status, was forced to start in place of the injured Tanner Ingle, a grizzled veteran who is a sophomore. Martin took his lumps but tied for third on the squad with seven tackles.

Wilson, Hart, Powell and Martin were not first-string defensive players back in August, but it shows what kind of season the Wolfpack had.

“I’ve been through a lot this year with these guys and I think our guys have hung in there through really 14 weeks of different lineups,” NCSU coach Dave Doeren said. “A lot of guys playing that we didn’t expect to be playing with.”

Wilson, who had verbally committed to UNC and then switched to NC State, has a chance to be a future leader of the defense. He knows giving up 28 points in the third quarter against the Tar Heels can never happen again.

“Man, it sucks especially for the seniors,” Wilson said. “We wanted to send them out with a win against our rivals.”

The Wolfpack finished 4-8 overall and 1-7 in the ACC this season. The offseason program will be pivotal to get back on track in 2020.

“We have a lot of work to do and have to put in the hard work,” Wilson said. “If people don’t want to be here and put in the hard work, then they need to get out. We have to get a lot better.”

Injuries were part of the reason many of the younger players got chances. However, getting torched by UNC quarterbacks to the tune of 440 passing yards and three touchdowns, and 180 rushing yards and two scores is a difficult way to end the season.

“We need to get in the weight room, we need to get healthy and we need to get a lot better,” Wilson said. “It just got out of hand real fast [after halftime].”

Wilson gave the mindset that the Wolfpack couldn’t blame injuries because the next man up has to be ready.

“We recruit for injuries and stuff,” Wilson said. “We can’t blame it on the injuries or how young we were.

“When you are on the field, it’s not like you have an age. You are a football player.”

NC State had 12 seniors go through Senior Day activities. Neither fifth-year senior wide receiver Tabari Hines or fifth-year senior defensive tackle Larrell Murchison started their careers at NCSU, but are appreciative of the experiences they had in Raleigh.

Hines caught seven passes for 89 yards and a 39-yard touchdown pass against a busted UNC coverage. Murchison had two tackles and a tackle for loss in his last college game. Both have dreams of playing in the NFL, with Murchison getting an invite to the Senior Bowl.

Hines started his career at Wake Forest, graduate and transferred to Oregon and then ended up at NC State. Murchison played his first two years at Louisburg (N.C.) College.

“The first half we did pretty good and in the second half, we lost our energy,” Hines said. “Hopefully, we live and learn from this and the team next year comes back and wins.”

Hines was part of the rebuild at Wake Forest, so he understands the frustration of a losing season. The Demon Deacons went 3-9 in 2015.

“Next year, they’ll be a way better team,” Hines said. “Once adversity hit, it kind of shocked a lot of us. A lot of us are young.

“I just know how this offseason is. I know how serious the coaches take it and next year will be a better year.”

Murchison will likely start training for the NFL Draft in a few weeks, and he knows how much he has evolved since arriving at NC State three years ago. He redshirted in 2017.

“The young guys that got a lot of playing time will be better off next year,” Murchison said. “One thing can happen and some people just don’t know how to take adversity, including me sometimes. I’ll try and do too much.

“We can blame it on injuries, but we are all D-I players. We have to step up.”

Murchison is proud of his time at NC State regardless of a 4-8 final season.

“When I first got here, I didn’t know anything,” Murchison said. “The coaches stayed with me. I’m thankful I came here.”

Four seniors started for the Wolfpack, which hopefully bodes well for the program to get back on track, even if it's a slow two-year process.

Regardless, having three interceptions and a key fumble by freshman running back Zonovan Knight will have to get cleaned up moving forward. NCSU also had 10 penalties for 90 yards.

The Wolfpack routinely had to take fair catches on kickoffs in the return game, until freshman Jordan Houston replaced redshirt sophomore Thayer Thomas.

Doeren was frustrated that the team didn’t play “clean and execute.”

“It was a strange year, where we played one time at home in 54 days, four Saturday’s we didn’t play and we had all these injuries,” Doeren said. “There was a lot of different things. I was proud of the resiliency of our guys each week. We obviously aren’t playing good enough to win.

“All these games will have game experience and are angry as heck about not playing well. I have a lot of hope for what is going to happen.”

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