NC State clinched a winning season with its 15-14 win over the Liberty Flames. The Wolfpack (6-3, 5-3 ACC) now returns to conference matchups to close its regular season. Here are five takeaways from the team’s second top-25 win of the year:
Record-tying penalties
One complicating factor of the win was just how undisciplined the Wolfpack was, on both sides of the field. There were 14 penalties called on the Wolfpack—which ties an NC State record in Carter-Finley Stadium—and they gave the Flames 123 yards of field position, including four first downs. In one offensive drive, redshirt junior quarterback Bailey Hockman threw a 55-yard pass to senior receiver Emeka Emezie to get to Liberty’s 31. After a false start, hold, botched snap and yet another false start on the ensuing four snaps, it was second and 37 for the Wolfpack. That drive, shockingly, ended with no points.
NC State currently leads the ACC as the most penalized team in the conference with over 80 penalty yards a game. The coaching staff has to clean that up.
Targeting? Again?
Speaking of things to clean up, it appeared that the coaching staff had gotten through to its secondary on the need to stop targeting. On Saturday, though, junior safety Tanner Ingle was ejected in the second quarter after targeting a wide receiver, a penalty which nearly took away an NC State interception. Even worse, sophomore long snapper Joe Shimko nearly saw the same penalty after diving headfirst into a pile during punt coverage. NC State players have been ejected four times due to targeting this year, half of which were Ingle. The targeting issues, just like the penalties, are due to a lack of discipline.
Moore doing more
NC State’s defense was embarrassed up front against UNC-Chapel Hill, and no one player has responded more than redshirt junior linebacker Isaiah Moore. Moore had just four tackles against the Tar Heels but led the Wolfpack in tackles in back-to-back weeks with 11 and 13, the latter of which is a season high. He even put points on the board with a safety, which changed the complexion of the Liberty game. Early in the season, defensive coordinator Tony Gibson described Moore as a quintessential linebacker, willing to hit anything, and given that, it’s no surprise he’s racking up the stops. While unsung, Moore is the leader of this defense, and his recent play is matching that fact.
Back to the old Bailey
After a couple of great showings, Hockman struggled against Liberty with just 154 yards and an interception on just over 50% completions. While that wasn’t promising, it’s not like the Flames’ defense is the worst NC State has seen this year. It pressured Hockman well, sacking him twice and hitting him four other times. The secondary also covered well; rarely did offensive coordinator Tim Beck scheme up huge coverage busts in the Flames’ back end. Before we break out the calls for freshman quarterback Ben Finley, let’s wait and see how the offense responds against a Syracuse team that just let up 30 points to Louisville.
There’s nothing like your 53rd time
Head coach Dave Doeren took sole possession as NC State’s second-winningest football coach with the win over Liberty, his 53rd, an achievement that underscores just how impressive a job he’s done at NC State. It takes time to build up a program, evidenced by a look at Earle Edwards, who has the most wins in NC State history with 77. Edwards also has the most losses with 88. With that overall losing record, though, he also has the most ACC championships of NC State coaches by far with five.
Doeren is yet to break through his glass ceiling of second in the ACC Atlantic, but that doesn’t mean it will never happen. Outside of what appears to be a fluke terrible season in 2019, there’s been overall improvement in this program in his tenure and 2020 may end up being his finest coaching performance yet. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We’ll check back on that possibility in two weeks.
