The addition of new offensive coordinator Tim Beck paid its dividends in Carter-Finley Stadium in the Wolfpack’s first game of the season. NC State (1-0 ACC, 1-0 overall) racked up 45 points, its most in an ACC game since its 52-10 win over Louisville in 2018. A good balance of rushing and passing led to some impressive numbers for all involved in the week one win.
Quarterback
Prior to kickoff, the Wolfpack shockingly announced redshirt junior Bailey Hockman would be the starter for game one, since presumed starter redshirt sophomore Devin Leary missed almost 20 days of practice due to COVID-19 contract tracing. The southpaw made the most of his chance, completing his first 12 passes and never looking back. He finished with 191 yards passing and one touchdown in the air.
Hockman also was crafty with his legs, rushing for 42 yards on eight carries, including a rushing touchdown. The Georgia native would have had the perfect game if it were not a crucial interception that the Demon Deacons (0-2 ACC, 0-2 overall), returned for a touchdown to get them back in the game in the third quarter. Still, it was a performance to remember for Hockman and one that might keep him at QB1 for another week.
Grade: A
Running Back
The hyped up trio of junior Ricky Person Jr., and sophomores Zonovan Knight and Jordan Houston did not disappoint. Each brought his own individual style of running, helping the trio run rampant on the Wake Forest defense. Person and Knight rushed for 99 and 97 yards, respectively, while Person had two touchdowns and threw for another. Knight was credited for the Wolfpack’s first points of the season, with a touchdown in the first few minutes of the game. The speedy Houston made his presence known with 54 yards himself.
Combining for 250 yards is impressive in its own right, but that was not the biggest thing that stuck out from this group. That would be that each of three running backs had at least one run of 21 yards or more during the game. If the Wolfpack can keep the ground game going, ACC defenses could be in trouble for the foreseeable future.
Grade: A+
Wide Receiver
The Wolfpack did not have one dominant receiver against the Demon Deacons, instead they had a few different receivers make subtle impacts on the game. Redshirt sophomore Devin Carter had the best game of the group, with three catches for 30 yards, including a touchdown from the goal line thrown by Person. Redshirt junior Thayer Thomas and senior Emeka Emezie each had one catch on the night, both registering first downs.
Look for Beck to get his receiving corps more involved as downfield threats in the future in order to keep defenses honest with the stud running back group.
Grade: B
Tight Ends
Possibly being overlooked because of the play of the running backs and Hockman, the tight end duo of redshirt seniors Cary Angeline and Dylan Parham put on their own show. Angeline led the team with 45 yards receiving, including a 15-yard touchdown in the third quarter. On the other hand, Parham had the longest reception of the day, a 32-yard catch in the first quarter.
To go along with their downfield success, the tight ends were also crucial in the Wolfpack bullying the Wake Forest defensive line in blocking for the run game all night.
Grade: A+
Offensive Line
A veteran unit led by redshirt seniors Justin Witt and Joe Sculthorpe were men amongst boys on Saturday. Thanks to them, Hockman was only sacked one time. This group also produced big holes for the running backs to run through for the majority of the night.
Grade: A-
Next Up:
The Wolfpack offense, whether led by Hockman or Leary, will look to stay hot on the road Saturday, Sept. 26 in Blacksburg, Virginia against No. 20 Virginia Tech. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m., with the game being streamed on the ACC Network.
