NC State’s offense did not perform up to the standard they were hoping for last week against James Madison. Although graduate quarterback Ryan Finley threw for over 300 yards and two touchdowns, with 14 completions going to redshirt junior Jakobi Meyers who collected 161 yards, the running game struggled to get anything going.
Senior running back Reggie Gallaspy Jr. couldn’t find much space, averaging four yards per carry on 17 attempts. It’s an area of the game that the Pack must improve on to win against ACC opponents.
However, the Pack might not need a balanced attack to beat Georgia State on Saturday. The Panthers finished 7-5 last season and have started 1-0 after a 24-20 week one win against Kennesaw State. NC State is the best team they will play this season so they will be ready to play, but after the first quarter, it should be all Pack.
Finley, once again, will have an efficient game throwing the ball, but he will share the rock more than the win against James Madison. The Pack will look to get the ball to junior wide receiver Kelvin Harmon after a slow start in week one where he caught four passes for 33 yards.
Harmon should have great success this week against a thin secondary the Panthers have after last season. However, he will likely be covered by cornerback Jerome Smith, who was among the nation’s best corners a season ago. With much of the defensive secondary talent Georgia State had outside of Smith now gone, the receivers should find plenty of room.
The Panthers also lost all but one starter on the defensive line, but shows talent with the young prospects on the team and a couple who saw playing time last season. The question at this position will be the depth and how efficiently they can rotate the line. Gallaspy will have more success in the second half as the Panthers defensive gets worn down.
The linebackers are a pretty strong group with a lot of depth for Georgia State even after losing their number one guy from last season. There are six or seven viable options at that position to choose from, so running the ball could be difficult after getting through the line.
The Pack will certainly find big numbers in the passing game and should be able to take a big lead because of it. Certainly, the coaching staff will want to get Gallaspy and the other running backs going in attempt to create a more balanced attack on offense. As long as the defense can hold the Panthers offense, this game has blowout potential.
