Despite a heartbreaking 44-41 loss to the then-No. 11 Miami Hurricanes, the NC State offense was able to put up 41 points against one of the best teams in the country. All of this was done with a backup quarterback that had been facing criticism for the entire bye week.
Instead of floundering without its starting signal-caller, the Pack offense found a way to impress in spite of the loss. Here’s a closer look at how each offensive position graded out in the loss.
Quarterback Bailey Hockman
There was a lot of pessimism surrounding redshirt junior Bailey Hockman after the team’s last game against UNC-Chapel Hill, a game that saw Hockman on a carousel with freshman Ben Finley.
However, Hockman stepped up in a big way, keeping NC State in the driver’s seat for a significant portion of a matchup with a top-15 team. Hockman finished the day with 248 yards in the air, missing only nine passes and tossing two touchdowns.
Hockman also found a way to get a third touchdown on a trick play. A handoff to redshirt junior Thayer Thomas saw Hockman receive a pass from Thomas on the other side of the field, which was then taken 31 yards to the end zone.
Unfortunately for the Pack, Hockman’s grade gets docked for a late interception which sealed the heartbreaking loss and his inability to help the Pack pull off the upset.
Grade: B
Running backs
The highlight of the ground game for the Wolfpack was junior Ricky Person Jr.’s 40-yard run that helped the Pack get into Miami territory, which led to a score. Sophomore Zonovan Knight also got a touchdown in the game, which put the Pack up 31-24.
However, the rest of the run game was pretty mundane outside of those runs and a couple of first-down gains. Person was strong, running for 79 yards on 12 carries, but Knight ended the game with a meager average of 3.3 yards.
That isn’t the fault of Knight though, as the offensive coaching staff played it safe on numerous drives that it shouldn’t have, resulting in a few runs that went for short yardage or no gains at all.
Grade: C+
Wide receivers
The receiving room of the Wolfpack has completely 180’d since last season, when this group played each week at an uninspired level. Senior receiver Emeka Emezie in particular has completely turned his game around, and the game against Miami was no different.
Emezie finished the loss with 95 yards on just four catches, good for 23.8 yards per catch. The senior is well on his way to career-best collegiate numbers and already has 465 yards and three touchdowns on just 27 catches.
Thomas and sophomore Devin Carter also had strong showings, with each accounting for touchdowns in different fashions. Thomas didn’t catch a touchdown pass but scored on the aforementioned trick play to Hockman. Carter had three catches for 30 yards and a touchdown grab and is quietly having a very strong season, up to 273 yards on the year on 16 grabs.
Freshman Porter Rooks is also someone to keep an eye on, as he has been getting more involved in the game plan on a weekly basis. Rooks caught three passes for 37 yards and is up to 181 yards on the year.
All in all, it was a solid showing from the receiving corps, which stepped up to help Hockman out in a tough matchup.
Grade: B+
Tight ends
Redshirt senior Cary Angeline has been consistently great, and notching touchdowns has become a weekly tradition. Angeline finished the game with 54 yards on four receptions and a touchdown.
Angeline has six receiving touchdowns on the year, which leads the team and also is tied for first in the ACC.
Grade: A
Offensive line
Even with the loss of stalwart defensive end Gregory Rousseau, Miami was still expected to have one of the better defensive lines in the ACC. However, the Wolfpack O-line did a pretty solid job of handling the Hurricanes, only allowing two sacks in the game.
The Pack could have done a better job creating space for its running backs when NC State looked to the ground to play it safe, but overall, it was another solid outing for the O-line.
Grade: B
