NC State wasn’t expected to beat UNC, but it wasn’t supposed to be dominated as thoroughly as it was in a 27-point loss. The Wolfpack (4-2, 4-2 ACC) will only have one bye this season and it couldn’t come at a better time. As the team gets a week off to prepare for No. 12 Miami, here are five takeaways from Saturday’s loss in Chapel Hill
Tackling
NC State’s identity on defense starts with physicality and stopping the run. It went up against a buzzsaw in the Tar Heels’ backfield duo of Javonte Williams and Michael Carter and got shredded. Williams went off for 160 yards and three touchdowns on 8.4 yards per carry, forcing 17 missed tackles, the most in all of college football, last week. Carter couldn’t match Williams’ success, posting a paltry 106 yards and a touchdown on 6.2 yards per carry.
It wasn’t that UNC was scheming its runs well and NC State couldn’t keep up; head coach Dave Doeren mentioned, after the game, that the defense fit the ball well. The problem was, face to face with Williams and Carter, the defense couldn’t measure up to their physicality. One might want to chalk that up to fatigue, given injuries as well as playing games in six straight weeks, so we’ll see if that’s the case when Miami’s D’Eriq King comes to town.
Dominated in two straight rivalry games
In back-to-back years, NC State has kept things close against UNC before being blown out of the water in the second half. The Wolfpack has been outclassed by its top rival, struggling to keep things close before being taken behind the woodshed. After giving up 28 points in the third quarter in 2019, NC State gave up 21 points to the Tar Heels out of halftime on Saturday, ballooning its lead from 10 at the break to 24 entering the final quarter.
We’re a long way away from Ryan Finley’s Carter-Finley North comment; head coach Dave Doeren is now just 4-4 against UNC, and that record is in serious danger of going sub .500 in the coming years. Mack is back, and NC State needs to step up its game.
Offensive identity problems
NC State’s offense has a bit of an identity issue. Starting redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary is out, and starting junior running back Ricky Person Jr. suffered a concussion on Saturday. The injuries to these two starters, in particular, hurts because they chip away at the identity of the offense. Its potential double-headed monster in the backfield is now just sophomore Zonovan Knight, and now the offense isn’t looking to be helmed by a quarterback that can create plays vertically, it’s just finding someone who won’t lose you the game. Offensive coordinator Tim Beck has a sizable problem on his hands in redefining this offense, and it starts with settling on a quarterback.
Struggling in the trenches
NC State started the year with an incredible performance from its offensive line, and has seen a steady regression since. Its starting offensive tackles, redshirt senior Justin Witt and graduate Tyrone Riley, are battling injuries while backup redshirt freshman offensive tackle Tim McKay is out for the season. Fellow backup redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Derrick Eason is also battling an injury, and offensive tackle Ickey Ekwonu was injured during the game on Saturday.
Part of what caused the hype behind this unit was its depth, which has been tested the past few weeks more so than the other units on the team, with immediate effects on the run game. NC State averaged just 1.8 yards per carry against UNC with 34 rush yards, a far cry from the gaudy numbers it put up against Wake Forest. With the line struggling, moving the ball using the quick passes Beck utilized for freshman quarterback Ben Finley would be a huge help.
Young wideouts flash
Doeren said getting the team’s younger players some play time was the one positive from the loss, and it’s easy to see why. NC State’s last recruiting class put an emphasis on speed, and it was nice to see true freshmen Christopher Scott Jr. and Anthony Smith on the field. Hockman targeted them a total of seven times in the fourth quarter, and they combined for six receptions, 112 yards and a touchdown.
Smith and Scott are two of the fastest players on the roster, and as long as they can catch, they’ll become a quarterback’s best friend. With more experience, both should be able to factor into the passing game as they’re the only receivers that reliably take the top off the defense.
