NC State will play eight opponents next year who reached bowl games.
The Wolfpack finished 8-5 overall and 4-4 in the ACC. The non-conference features Notre Dame, Marshall, Connecticut and Virginia Military Academy.
Sept. 2 — At Connecticut
2022 record: 6-7 overall.
Game vs. NC State: The Wolfpack won 41-10 on Sept. 24 at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Bowl game: Lost 28-14 vs. Marshall in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
Season summary: The Huskies dropped four of their first five games, had some key injuries and it looked like it could be a lost season.
UConn turned it around and won five of six contests to become bowl eligible, including wins over 10-4 Fresno State and Boston College. The sixth victory came against Liberty 36-33 on Nov. 12.
Freshman quarterback Zion Turner threw for 1,407 yards, nine touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Freshman running Victor Rosa became the top rusher after the position got hit hard by injuries, and had 140 carries for 636 yards and 11 scores.
Sophomore wide receiver Aaron Turner led the way with 57 catches for 527 yards and three scores, and sophomore kicker Noe Ruelas went 12 of 16 on field goals with a long of 54.
Junior tackling machine Jackson Mitchell at linebacker led the defense with 140 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Senior defensive back Tre Wortham added four interceptions and 39 tackles.
Sept. 16 — Vs. Virginia Military Keydets
2022 record: 1-10 overall, 0-8 Southern
Game vs. NC State: Didn’t play each other.
Season summary: VMI’s lone win was 24-14 against Bucknell on Sept. 10, and coach Scott Wachenheim resigned after eight years.
New coach Danny Rocco has deep ties to the region, and has a 121-65 record after coaching at Liberty, Richmond and Delaware. He’s won seven conference championships in 16 years.
Junior quarterback Seth Morgan fell off this past season and went 129-of-236 passing for 1,282 yards, four touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Senior running back Korey Bridy rushed for a team-high 493 yards and four touchdowns on 139 carries in his sixth year of college. Junior wide receiver Chance Knox caught 58 passes for 535 yard snd two scores.
Junior safety Evan Eller paced the defense with 81 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
Oct. 7 — Vs. Marshall Thundering Herd
2022 record: 9-4 overall, 5-3 Sun Belt
Game vs. NC State: Didn’t play each other.
Bowl game: Marshall defeated Connecticut 28-14 in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
Season summary: Marshall ended the season full of momentum with five straight victories, with freshman Cam Fancher under center.
Fancher went 131-of-235 passing for 1,558 yards, 10 touchdowns and six interceptions, and he added 107 carries for 466 yards and a score in seven starts.
Former Florida State transfer Khalan Laborn finally showed why he was a five-star prospect in the class of 2017. he rushed 302 times for 1,513 yards and 16 scores, and topped 100 yards in nine games. He had 31 carries for 163 yards and a score in the 26-21 win over Notre Dame on Sept. 10.
Junior wide receiver Corey Gammage led the Herd with 52 catches for 774 yards and six touchdowns.
Linebacker Eli Neal, a junior, had 98 tackles, three sacks and one interception. Redshirt junior defensive end Owen Porter added 60 tackles and a team-high 9.5 sacks, plus two forced fumbles and one interception.
Redshirt junior Micah Abraham had 36 tackles, six interceptions and 10 passes defended.
Vs. Clemson Tigers
2022 record: 11-3 overall, 8-0 ACC
Game vs. NC State: The Wolfpack lost 30-20 on Oct. 1 at Clemson.
Bowl game: Clemson lost 31-14 to Tennessee in the Capital One Orange Bowl.
Season summary: Clemson topped North Carolina 39-10 in the ACC Championship game, but the season ended a little on a sour note with a 31-30 loss vs. South Carolina on Nov. 26, and then the bowl game defeat against Tennessee.
Clemson started the season with junior quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, but ended the season with freshman Cade Klubnik. Uiagalelei passed for 2,521 yards, 22 touchdowns and seven interceptions, and rushed for 545 yards and seven scores. He has since transferred to Oregon State.
Sophomore running back Will Shipley rushed 210 times for 1,182 yards and 15 touchdowns, and freshman wide receiver Antonio Williams had 56 catches for 604 yards and four scores.
Sophomore linebacker Jeremiah Trotter Jr. led the team with 89 tackles, 6.5 sacks and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a score. Sophomore outside linebacker Barrett Carter added 73 tackles, 5.5 sacks and two interceptions.
Vs. Louisville Cardinals
2022 record: 8-5 overall, 4-4 ACC
Game vs. NC State: The Wolfpack lost 25-10 on Nov. 19 at Louisville.
Bowl game: Louisville defeated Cincinnati 24-7 in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.
Season summary: The Cardinals los three of the first five games, and grumblings started about coach Scott Satterfield’s job status. Louisville then ripped off five of six wins, with the lone loss at Clemson.
Kentucky ended up winning the rivalry game 26-13 on Nov. 26, and Satterfield elected to take the Cincinnati job.
Senior quarterback Malik Cunningham battled injuries this season. He threw for 1,568 yards, eight touchdowns and five interceptions, and he rushed 114 times for 565 yards and 12 scores.
Sophomore speedster Jawhar Jordan emerged down the stretch, including the NC State win, and rushed 142 times for 815 yards and four scores. Central Arkansas senior wide receiver transfer Tyler Hudson finished with 69 catches for 1,034 yards and two scores.
Sixth-year senior Ole Miss transfer Momo Sanogo led the defense with 89 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Senior outside linebacker Yasir Abdullah provided the pass rush with 63 tackles, 9.5 sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions.
Junior kicker James Turner went 20-of-22 on field goals with a long of 48.
Vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
2022 record: 9-5 overall, 6-2 ACC
Game vs. NC State: The Wolfpack won 30-27 in double overtime Nov. 25 at Keenan Stadium.
Bowl game: North Carolina lost 28-27 to Oregon in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl.
Season summary: UNC had the gift of having each game have fourth quarterback drama, winning nine of the first 10 contests. The Tar Heels then lost four straight at the end of the season.
The emergence of redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye drastically changed preseason expectations. He went 342-of-517 passing for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also led UNC with 184 carries for 698 yards and seven scores.
Junior Josh Downs battled some injuries, but led UNC with 94 catches for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns, and he’s entered the NFL Draft. Sophomore Elijah Green was the best of the running backs with 131 carries for 558 yards and eight touchdowns.
Junior linebacker Cedric Gray was a tackling machine with 144 stops, three forced fumbles, two interceptions and a sack. Sophomore linebacker Power Echols added 103 tackles, two sacks and an interception.
Vs. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
2022 record: 9-4 overall
Game vs. NC State: Didn’t play each other.
Bowl game: Notre Dame won 45-38 against South Carolina in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
Season summary: Notre Dame had a few bumpy moments, but won five straight games before falling at USC. ND also surprisingly lost 26-21 vs. Marshall on Sept. 10, and 16-14 vs. Stanford on Oct. 15.
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Buchner got injured in the second game of the season against Marshall, and he returned to throw for 273 yards and three touchdowns, plus 12 carries for 61 yards. He also threw three interceptions.
Sophomore Drew Pyne filled in at quarterback, and threw for 2,021 yards, 22 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He elected to transfer to Arizona State before the bowl game.
Wake Forest star quarterback Sam Hartman has transferred to Notre Dame for his sixth year of college.
Sophomore running back Audric Estime rushed for a team-high 920 yards and 11 touchdowns on 156 carries. Sophomore running back Logan Diggs was right behind with 165 carries for 820 yards and four scores.
Junior Michael Mayer was one of the elite tight ends in college football and has turned professional. He caught 67 passes for 809 yards and nine scores.
Junior linebacker JD Bertrand had a team-high 82 tackles and two sacks. Junior defensive end Isaiah Foskey contributed 45 tackles and had his second-straight year with 11 sacks, and has entered the NFL Draft.
Freshman cornerback Benjamin Morrison emerged with six interceptions, plus 33 tackles and five passes defended.
At Virginia Cavaliers
2022 record: 3-7 overall, 1-6 ACC
Game vs. NC State: Didn’t play each other.
Bowl game: None
Season summary: Virginia suffered through a difficult and heart-breaking season, with the last two games canceled due to the shooting that killed three players and injured a fourth, plus a regular student.
UVA posted wins over Richmond, Old Dominion and Georgia Tech.
With the majority of the players and coaches surrounding quarterback Brennan Armstrong gone from 2021, he struggled mightily and has transferred to NC State. He threw for 2,210 yards, seven touchdowns and 12 interceptions, plus led the team with 371 rushing yards and six scores.
Senior H-back type Keytaon Thomspon caught 53 passes for 579 yards in his sixth season.
Star linebacker Nick Jackson had 104 tackles, five sacks and four passes defended, and has entered the portal but could return. Junior cornerback Fentrell Cypress II added 39 tackles and 13 passes defended, and he transferred to Florida State.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2022 record: 8-5 overall, 3-5 ACC
Game vs. NC State: The Wolfpack won 30-21 on Nov. 5 at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Bowl game: Wake Forest defeated Missouri 27-17 in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl.
Season summary: Wake Forest won six of its first seven games and suffered a tough moral victory with a double-overtime loss against Clemson on Sept. 24.
Louisville’s defense forced an astonishing eight turnovers and eight sacks in a 48-21 win Oct. 29. NC State followed the next week, and Wake Forest struggled to handle the Wolfpack’s blitzing defense and freshman quarterback MJ Morris came alive.
Wake Forest also lost to North Carolina and Duke by a combined five points.
Senior quarterback Sam Hartman capped his five-year WFU career with 3,701 passing yards, 38 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He will spend his sixth year of college at Notre Dame.
Sophomore running back Justice Ellison led the Demon Deacons with 170 carries for 707 yards and six carries. Junior wide receiver A.T. Perry topped 1,000 yards for the second straight year. He snagged 81 catches for 1,096 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Senior linebacker Ryan Smenda led WFU with 117 tackles on defense.
At Duke Blue Devils
2022 record: 9-4, 5-3 ACC
Game vs. NC State: Didn’t play each other.
Bowl game: Duke defeated Central Florida 30-13 in the Military Bowl.
Season summary: Duke was the surprise story of the ACC this season, leading to first-year coach Mike Elko to win coach of the year honors.
Duke ended the year strong with five wins over its last six games, including against Wake Forest and UCF in the bowl game.
Sophomore quarterback Riley Leonard emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in the country, but was overshadowed some by UNC redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye. Leonard went 250-of-391 passing for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He also rushed for a team-high 699 yards and 13 scores.
Senior wide receiver Jalon Calhoun led the way with 62 catches for 873 yards and four touchdowns. Converted sophomore quarterback Jordan Moore emerged with 60 catches for 656 yards and five scores.
Senior safety Darius Joiner had previously played at Jacksonville State and Western Illinois. He led Duke with 96 tackles, four sacks and two interceptions. Junior defensive tackle DeWayne Carter has elected to return and he had 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Sophomore defensive back Brandon Johnson had 55 tackles, 5.5 sacks, two forced fumbles two interceptions and seven passes defended.
Vs. Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes
2022 record: 5-7 overall, 3-5 ACC
Game vs. NC State: Didn’t play each other.
Bowl game: None
Season summary: Miami lacked a signature win this past season, and struggled down the stretch with three blowout losses surrounding a Georgia Tech win.
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Van Dyke battled through injuries and struggled for the majority of the season. He went 160-of-253 passing for 1,844 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. He came alive in October with 496 yards passing and three touchdowns in a loss vs. North Carolina, and he had 351 yards passing and two scores in a win at Virginia Tech.
Sophomore running back Henry Parrish Jr. rushed 131 times for 617 yards and four scores. Senior tight end Will Mallory had a team-high 42 catches for 538 yards and three touchdowns.
Sophomore safety Kamren Kinchens had 59 tackles, one forced fumble, six interceptions and five passes defended. Sophomore defensive end Akheem Mesidor led the squad with seven sacks and added 38 tackles.
Sophomore kicker Andres Borregales went 17-of-20 on field goals with a long of 49.
At Virginia Tech Hokies
2022 record: 3-8 overall, 1-6 ACC
Game vs. NC State: The Wolfpack won 22-21 on Oct. 27 at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Bowl game: None.
Season summary: The Hokies had a tough season under first-year coach Brent Pry.
The lone wins came against Boston College, Wofford and at Liberty. Marshall junior transfer Grant Wells threw for 2,171 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Junior running back Keshawn King rushed 74 times for 443 yards and three touchdowns, and he caught 20 receptions for 137 yards and a score. Senior wide receiver Kaleb Smith caught 37 passes for 674 yards and three touchdowns, and he is transferring to Notre Dame.
Senior linebacker Dax Hollifield finished his Hokies career, getting 82 tackles and two sacks this season. Senior defensive lineman TyJuan Garbutt added 31 tackles and 6.5 sacks.
Follow on Twitter:
@NCStateRivals or @JaceyZembal
Subscribe for free on YouTube:
For Jacey Zembal or The Wolfpack Central
Like on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/TheWolfpackCentral
Follow on Instagram:
ATTENTION SUBSCRIBERS: Our NETWORK-WIDE, all-access pass allows you to read every premium message board in the Rivals.com network as part of a bundled add-on to your subscription!
Subscribers can add the All-Access Pass or a 3-Site Bundle in your account profile, under the Subscriptions tab: HERE
