The NC State football team (9-3, 5-3 ACC) played its final home game of the season in a win against the East Carolina Pirates (3-9 overall, 1-7 AAC). The Wolfpack recorded 655 yards of total offense in the 58-3 demolition of ECU.
Quarterback: A
Graduate Ryan Finley played his last game at Carter-Finley Stadium against the ECU Pirates, and put up a strong showing. Finley finished the game with over 400 yards and three touchdowns, as well as a 73 percent completion percentage. The only blemish of the game for Finley was his only interception of the game, a pass that seemingly went straight to ECU cornerback Daniel Charles. Overall, Finley put up a show for Wolfpack fans in the regular season finale as he prepares to head to the pros.
Wide Receivers: A+
The receiving corps went for 421 total yards, with 163 yards being from redshirt junior Jakobi Meyers, who became the second wide receiver on the roster to go for 1,000-plus yards, joining junior Kelvin Harmon. This is the first time in NC State football history that two wide receivers reached 1,000 yards in the same season. Meyers also broke the school record for the most receptions in a single season with 89. Harmon declared for the NFL draft after the game and will not play in the Gator Bowl against Texas A&M, showing that his hard work and production this season paid off in a deep receiving group.
Running Backs: A+
Senior Reggie Gallaspy Jr. recorded 220 yards, averaging 9.2 yards per carry and punched in two touchdowns against the Pirates. This gave Gallaspy over 1,000 yards for the season, meaning that NC State had an 1,000 yard rusher each of the last three seasons, and means that this is the first time in school history that the Pack had a 3,000 yard passer, two 1,000 yard receivers and a 1,000 yard rusher in the same season. NC State recorded 234 rushing yards in total, because of negatives posted by other players, meaning that the Pack out-rushed the Pirates 234-31. Gallaspy also set another record by recording the most single-season touchdowns in NC State history with 19 total touchdowns.
Offensive Line: A
The only negative that the offensive line experienced against the Pirates was that they gave up two sacks, after only having given up seven sacks before the ECU game. However, the offensive line provided wide open lanes for the offense, giving Finley plenty of time to throw for the most part, and graduate center Garrett Bradbury even punched in a rushing touchdown himself. Bradbury, redshirt senior guard Terrone Prescod and redshirt senior tackle Tyler Jones all played their final games in Carter-Finley as members of the Wolfpack, and definitely made the most of the game after enjoying a successful season as a unit.
Tight Ends: A
The tight ends blocked for the entire game and played that part well, providing strong blocks when necessary. However, it would have been nice to see more pass-catching in a game that was not close, just to give more pass-catching experience for the tight ends on the roster. The tight ends played well in their blocking role for this game and the entire season, and should return the core tight ends on the roster for next season.
Offense Overall Grade: A+
Defensive Line: A+
The defensive line was seemingly all over the field for the entire game, providing 18 total tackles, six solo tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack. Senior Darian Roseboro had a strong game, recording five total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in his last game at Carter-Finley. The D-Line also held the Pirates run game to 31 yards, and sustained a good amount of pressure on ECU quarterback Reid Herring.
Linebackers: A+
Graduate Germaine Pratt was once again the best part of the defense, providing six total tackles, one solo tackle, one pass deflection and two quarterback hits. Pratt’s stellar performance certainly helped the Pack win by 55 points, and the rest of the linebacker corps played strong as well. Redshirt freshman Isaiah Moore and freshman Tanner Ingle combined for three quarterback hits and 0.5 tackles for loss.
Defensive Backs: A+
The defensive backs recorded two interceptions against ECU, one by redshirt junior safety Jarius Morehead and the other by junior cornerback Nick McCloud. One interception came during a pivotal drive to the end zone made by the Pirates, which just added insult to injury for the Pirates, with the interception being made by McCloud and returned for 23 yards. The secondary only allowed 73 receiving yards and 69 passing yards by Herring, and a 36 percent completion percentage to go along.
Defense Overall Grade: A+
Special Teams: A+
Freshman kicker Chris Dunn accounted for 16 of the 58 points scored by the Pack, going perfect on field goals and extra points. Dunn broke the record for the most amount of field goals in a single season for the Wolfpack. Senior A.J. Cole III punted a total of 77 yards on only two punts for the Pack in the game, compared to ECU’s 11 punts in the game. Redshirt freshman Thayer Thomas recorded 34 yards on three punt returns. Special teams has played a great season, and Dunn only being a freshman is huge for the program in terms of having a consistent kicker.
Overall Team Grade: A+
Player of the game:
Reggie Gallaspy Jr. – 220 yards on 24 carries, 9.2 yards per carry, two touchdowns with a long rush of 86 yards, one catch for 2 yards and no fumbles.
