The NC State football team will take on James Madison Saturday to officially begin the new season. Graduate quarterback Ryan Finley is looking to turn heads and make a case as a Heisman contender.
The Wolfpack will use its spread scheme and strong receivers to its advantage, and utilize a mixture of its run and passing game. Finley should heavily target junior Kelvin Harmon, graduate Steph Louis and redshirt junior Jakobi Meyers, as these three have progressed through their careers should live up to great expectations. However, the Dukes boast an excellent defense once again. Here’s a look at how each group looks to stack up against James Madison:
Finley vs. Defensive Backs
Finley is without a doubt the most talked-about player on the Wolfpack. Most definitely equipped with NFL-level potential, Finley is looking to live up to the hype, and even with running back Nyheim Hines gone, Finley still maintains a plethora of weapons to utilize against JMU.
In 2017, Finley had a high completion percentage at 65.1 percent and threw 17 touchdowns with only six interceptions, as well as 3,518 passing yards. Finley has a great arm and high football intellect, which is evident in his stats.
However, Finley should not walk into this game expecting anything to come easily for him. JMU has a strong secondary that could easily frustrate Finley early on with names such as Jimmy Moreland, Rashad Robinson, D’Angelo Amos and Adam Smith. This could motivate Finley to test the waters and if he struggles early on, the Pack will look to the backfield to generate excitement.
Wide Receivers vs. Defensive Backs
Harmon is the name to look at for this game as he enters his junior season. Last season, Harmon recorded 69 receptions with 1,017 yards to go along with four touchdowns. Harmon is projected to have a strong season, and Meyers and Louis also project to have great years, although this game may not show that.
Despite JMU being a smaller school, it should have a great defensive back crew. Harmon, Meyers and Louis will clash with aforementioned cornerbacks Moreland and Robinson, and head coach Dave Doeren himself believes that the Pack’s biggest issue will be with these two in particular.
“I think their two corners are exceptional players,” Doeren said. “They’ve both played a ton of football; they’ve made a lot of plays. They’re confident players.”
Robinson and Moreland combined for a whopping 15 interceptions last season, and are expected to continue their strides. Both corners are speedy and could prove to be difficult for a receiving core that is expected to be great.
Running Back vs. Linebackers
The name to watch in this group is senior Reggie Gallaspy Jr. Gallaspy is the only running back with any experience and will look to make a name for himself in his senior year. Last year, Gallaspy recorded 505 rushing yards behind Hines, but with Hines gone, Gallaspy will be the workhorse here and could be expected to see many snaps in this game. These snaps might not all be for rushing however, Gallaspy is a good blocker and could protect Finley if need be. If the offensive line can handle the defensive line and creating lanes, the Pack should be able to run the football.
Gallaspy’s main concern should be linebackers Dimitri Holloway, Landan Word and Wayne Davis. Each of these linebackers are unique and come equipped with their own skill sets. Davis and Holloway are speedier linebackers, while Word is stronger. Davis is undersized but moves like lightning, and Word is the complete opposite, but uses his strength to his advantage. The best linebacker appears to be Holloway, who could really punish Gallaspy unless he is able to bulldoze his way through.
Tight End vs. Defensive Line
Redshirt freshman Damien Darden, and other tight ends redshirt sophomores Dylan Autenrieth and Dylan Parham, are newer faces to the tight end scheme run by the Wolfpack. After losing last year’s starter Cole Cook, the trio will have to establish themselves as excellent blockers and pass-catchers right away. The Wolfpack is not really known to utilize its tight ends as pass catchers primarily, but instead as blockers, which will certainly benefit Finley as well as create lanes for Gallaspy.
Current projected starter, Darden, stands at 6-foot-4 and is 250 pounds. Darden played both TE and defensive end in high school, so look for Darden to excel at blocking. These guys are definitely going to need to step up because expected starter and recent transfer, Cary Angeline, has been deemed ineligible to play the first three games of the season.
Offensive Line vs. Defensive Line
Not much can be said about the offensive linemen, other than the fact that they get it done. Redshirt senior Tyler Jones and redshirt sophomore Justin Witt will start at the tackle positions, while redshirt senior Terronne Prescod and sophomore Josh Fedd-Jackson will start at the guard positions. Graduate Garrett Bradbury will start at center.
The offensive line will be facing off against JMU’s D-line that consists of Ron’Dell Carter, Mike Greene, Adeeb Atariwa and Darrious Carter. The Carters combined for 12.5 sacks last season, which could prove challenging for this O-line. The Carters are expected to be bruisers once again, so this figurative clash of titans will be interesting to watch.
This will be a successful game for this crew if it successfully create lanes, protects Finley and gives him space to throw.
Matchup to Watch
Harmon, Louis and Meyers versus Moreland and Robinson. If this strong receiving corps is able to find its footing early on, this would surely tip the game in favor of the Pack, but if not this game could be more challenging than one would think. If Harmon, Louis and Meyers are off, the Pack will have to get creative in generating offense.
Watch Out For
Bob Trott. The name to watch out for on the other team is not a player, but the defensive coordinator Trott. Trott has an impressive resume and has helped shape this Dukes’ defense. Trott will be able to switch the Dukes’ defense on a dime and the Wolfpack will need to outwit and outmaneuver Trott’s schemes quickly in order to have success against this defense.
Offensive MVP
Reggie Gallaspy. Gallaspy has a real chance to make a name for himself. Tons of touches and an out-of-conference opponent will help bolster his case. Especially as the game goes on, and if the Wolfpack is struggling against a strong secondary, it can be expected that Gallaspy will see many snaps.
