In the stunning victory over the No. 24 Pittsburgh Panthers, NC State clicked on all sides of the field. The Wolfpack defense had an up-and-down day against Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett, who is in the upper echelon of ACC quarterbacks this season and gave up 186 yards to DJ Turner alone. However, a closer inspection of the defense paints a much more vivid picture of the team’s upset over the Panthers.
Defensive line
The Wolfpack D-line had a relatively quiet afternoon on the stat sheet, but junior defensive tackle Alim McNeill in particular was still able to have a big impact on the game. McNeill is a major game-changer when it comes to stopping the run, and Pittsburgh was only able to muster 92 rushing yards in the game.
Add in the fact that this defensive line was going up against one of the most stout offensive lines in the ACC, a group that only allowed three sacks against Louisville, and one can start to give this Wolfpack D-line a little more credit.
Grade: C+
Linebackers
One major takeaway from this victory that cannot be understated is redshirt sophomore Payton Wilson’s impact on the energy the entire defense plays with. Wilson missed the loss against Virginia Tech and it was very evident. Wilson finished the game with eight tackles and a quarterback hurry, helping lead the way for the defense.
Sophomore Drake Thomas and redshirt junior Isaiah Moore also had great games for the Pack. Thomas put up six tackles, three quarterback hurries and the defense’s only sack of the day. Moore added four tackles and a tackle for loss, while playing a key role on the sideline as a defensive energizer.
The electricity that this group played with was clear on the stat sheet too, with Pittsburgh rushers failing to eclipse 100 yards. Pickett rushed for two touchdowns, but no Panther running back scored or was even a factor in the game. In all, Pitt running backs put up just 52 yards on 22 carries, a poor 2.4 yards per carry. Taking out that area of attack for the Panthers was a huge factor for the Pack’s victory.
Grade: A
Secondary
NC State’s secondary did not have a great game by any metric, whether it be the 411 yards allowed in the air, no turnovers generated or the numerous deep plays allowed. However, multiple factors need to be taken into consideration.
For one, an already young Wolfpack secondary was without junior corner Teshaun Smith and junior nickelback Tyler Baker-Williams, as well as redshirt freshman safety Khalid Martin and sophomore safety Rakeim Ashford. Junior safety Tanner Ingle was coming off an injury that sidelined him for last week’s game against Virginia Tech, and he went down numerous times in the game.
That left true freshmen corner Devan Boykin and defensive back Joshua Pierre-Louis to see major playing time that they normally wouldn’t have seen. Both of these players made some mistakes that kept Pitt around longer than it should have been. Boykin was targeted for numerous deep plays and Pierre-Louis was called for targeting, which negated an NC State pick-six that would have given the team a 24-7 lead.
However, there were numerous bright spots surrounding this group. For one, guys like redshirt sophomore corner Taiyon Palmer and sophomore corner Cecil Powell both stood out, adding a combined eight tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and three pass deflections.
Going back to Ingle, the warrior safety finished the game with nine tackles, which led the team and added two pass deflections of his own. One of those pass deflections prevented a Pittsburgh touchdown that could have given the opposing team the win.
With all the adversity that this group faces year in and year out, it’s reassuring to know that the Pack can stay with the best in the ACC, even with a banged up secondary. Getting a win in spite of 411 air yards by Pitt shouldn’t be the norm, but it is a huge morale booster for this group. Ingle’s performance alone raises this group’s grade by a letter.
Grade: B-
