NC State lost in the battle of backup quarterbacks, aided in part to a big play on special teams of all places.
Redshirt sophomore running back Jawhar Jordan broke the game open with a 98-yard touchdown on a kick return to spark Louisville to a 25-10 win on Saturday. Jordan, a Syracuse transfer, also rushed 16 times for 105 yards and a two-yard score. The Cardinals won the battle in the trenches — five sacks and 192 rushing yards.
NC State coach Dave Doeren said with the windy, cold conditions, Saturday was a day where you had to win with the run game. In comparison to Louisville, NC State ran 31 times for 77 yards, leading to falling to 7-4 overall.
“If we won on special teams, I thought we’d be in it to win it,” Doeren said. “And we didn’t. We gave up a return for a touchdown, and that was the difference in the game.
“It caused us to have to call the game differently in the second half, and go for it in situations we wouldn’t have had to. We are disappointed we didn’t get it on fourth and one.”
Doeren was alluding to a fourth and one at the NC State 45-yard line early in the fourth quarter. NCSU did a toss sweep to freshman running back Michael Allen and Louisville star linebacker Momo Sanogo made the play for no gain and the battle for field position was lost. Louisville needed three plays to get a touchdown and take a 22-10 lead with 10:05 left in the game.
Fourth and short has been a problem for NC State in two prior games — at East Carolina and against Boston College last week. It gave the Pirates a chance to win the game on a field goal, but it was missed, and the Eagles took advantage of the Wolfpack making another field goal.
“My philosophy on that is that you go for it,” Doeren said. “It is what I believe in and what I have always believed in. I will continue to do that.”
NC State probably never imagined there would be a moment where redshirt freshman quarterback Ben Finley was throwing a touchdown pass to Allen. Finley started the year fourth string and Allen was a likely redshirt candidate after not playing in six of the first seven games.
That was part of the backdrop to a somewhat wacky situation due to injuries.
NC State lost redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary to a torn pectoral muscle Oct. 8 against Florida State. Freshman quarterback MJ Morris emerged in the fourth quarter of the Virginia Tech game, and then he suffered an injury last week against Boston College.
That left NC State with senior walk-on Jack Chambers and Finley, who had been the scout team quarterback all season. Chambers got the start Saturday but his passing issues led to Finley getting a shot. The younger brother of former NCSU star quarterback Ryan Finley was rusty, but he ended up going 16-of-35 for 201 yards and a touchdown, which was a 34-yarder on a wheel route to Allen out of the backfield.
Finley said he’s never been with the NC State offense the last nine weeks due to being on scout team.
“It felt great getting called up from scout team,” Finley said. “I just had trust from my teammates. I just had their full trust and I went out there and played the game I love.”
Louisville also had a backup quarterback with Brock Domann replacing Malik Cunningham, who got hurt on the last play of the first half against Clemson last Saturday.
Domann threw for 153 yards in his game manager role. He had two completions — a 36-yarder to senior wide receiver Tyler Hudson, and a nifty play call that led to a 38-yard completion to tight end Marshawn Ford. The two completions led to 10 points for the Cardinals.
Louisville kicker James Turner made four short field goals, and the Cardinals won the battle of special teams.
NC State played without starters Morris, senior center Grant Gibson, redshirt junior wide receiver Devin Carter, redshirt junior H-back Trent Pennix, senior nickel Tyler Baker-Williams and redshirt junior outside linebacker Payton Wilson. Reserve sophomore running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, who has been injured off and on this season, also missed the game. All but Carter and Baker-Williams got hurt in the last week.
Doeren didn’t want to give an update on the injured players, but kept hope alive that Morris could return for North Carolina next Friday. The Tar Heels were upset at home against Georgia Tech on Saturday.
“We are down some pretty key parts right now as a team with the injuries,” Doeren said. “The margin for error is pretty small.
“Those are our two guys [Finley and Chambers], and possibly we’ll have MJ back this week, but we’ll have to see.”
NC State has two games remaining, but the big goal of winning 10 games for the second time in school history also ended in the Louisville loss.
“Obviously, it sucks that this season didn’t go as expected to or how we wanted to,” NCSU senior safety Tanner Ingle said. “It’s always a fun game [vs. UNC] and an exciting experience.”
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