The NC State Wolfpack (6-3, 5-3 ACC) downed the undefeated No. 21 Liberty Flames (8-1) in a tight 15-14 contest after a blocked field goal secured the victory. It was the lowest score the Pack has scored all season, and while the defense and special teams got a lot of action Saturday night, let us take a look at the specifics for each offensive position.
Quarterback
Redshirt junior Bailey Hockman was assigned the job of taking on the undefeated Liberty defense. With one interception and zero touchdowns, Hockman completed 14 out of 27 passes for a total of 154 yards. The lone interception against the Pack came just before the two-minute mark of the first half, allowing Liberty to even out the score.
Hockman’s play in the air was decent, and he also picked up a few yards on the ground. He collected 41 yards rushing, including a 20-yard run. Hockman also had a sweet punt that pinned the Flames at the 2-yard line, leading to a crucial safety after the Liberty running back was tackled in the end zone.
Grade: B-
Running Backs
The offensive MVP of the game would easily be sophomore Zonovan Knight. Individually, he had 96 yards and two touchdowns, including the first points of the game during the second quarter with a 19-yard run. Knight also had the most catches for the Pack with five, collecting 34 receiving yards.
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Junior Ricky Person Jr. also had a great game, going for 83 yards on the ground on 14 attempts. Person also had two receptions, combining with Knight for half of Hockman’s completions. The duo of Knight and Person drove much of the offense forward and was the most crucial part of the Wolfpack scoring.
Grade: A
Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
Five receivers were used to push the passing game forward, but none of them had more than two receptions. Senior Emeka Emezie, coming off a great game against Florida State, only had one reception, despite being targeted multiple times. However, that one catch was 55 yards and came in the third quarter.
Redshirt senior tight end Cary Angeline had two receptions for 21 yards, and redshirt sophomore wide receiver Devin Carter had two catches with 18 yards. Nobody in the WR or TE positions caught many passes, but they were crucial for setting up Knight and Person for their runs.
Grade: C+
Offensive Line
The good news: Knight and Person were hardly tackled in the backfield. The O-line made gaps and holes for the backs to fly through.
The bad news: Hockman was sacked three times by Liberty, and he lost 28 yards on those sacks. Liberty didn’t earn a sack in the first half, but the third quarter saw sacks in two straight drives. This halted momentum in the third quarter, with the only points being the crucial safety by the Pack defense.
Grade: C-
