The terrible loss to Clemson is behind us and now NC State can look forward to another ACC powerhouse as they travel to Louisville to take on the Cardinals. The Cardinals took the country by storm with a high-powered offense that’s lit up every opponent on their schedule.
Can NC State put the tough loss behind them to stay competitive and win on the road? Here’s who has the advantage at each position on defense.
Defensive Line
The NC State defensive line is the deepest and best unit on the team. Juniors Bradley Chubb, B.J. Hill and Kentavius Street along with sophomore Darian Roseboro have combined to be the nasty unit that we all expected them to be. Opponents are having trouble running against this unit, and they have pressured opposing passers all season.
The Cardinals run a 3-4 defense with a nose tackle and two defensive ends. The Cardinals defensive line is experienced and talented. The line will get after Wolfpack redshirt sophomore quarterback Ryan Finley, with junior defensive end Drew Bailey has 1.5 sacks this season. The Cardinals are 32nd in run defense and that starts with the defensive line.
Advantage: NC State
Linebacker
Senior nickel Dravious Wright (yes he’s classified as a linebacker in NC State’s system) made a huge impact against Clemson, stripping the ball inside the five-yard line and knocking running back Wayne Gallman out cold. Another day like that for Wright would go a long way towards a victory.
Cardinals senior outside linebacker Devonte Fields, a TCU transfer, will likely be a first-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft. Four of the Cardinals five top tacklers are the team’s linebackers. Another strong unit on a very strong Louisville defense.
Advantage: Louisville
Secondary
The Wolfpack secondary played much better against Clemson than we’ve seen against a good Power 5 opponent under Dave Doeren’s tenure. Junior corner Mike Stevens had a crucial pick-six on the first play of the second half. Redshirt junior Josh Jones is having a great year and the secondary as a whole is much improved from last season. The Cardinals offense is a whole different animal however, and if NC State can shut them down, it will have to be mentioned among the elite secondaries in the nation.
The Cardinals are 12th in the nation in pass defense, led by senior safety Josh Harvey-Clemons. Harvey-Clemons leads the team with 44 tackles and has added a sack. The Cardinals overall have six interceptions this season.
Advantage: Louisville
Special Teams
Enough has been said this week about NC State’s special teams woes and it’s probably true that with a few more made field goals NC State could be 6-0 right now. NC State has made just 45 percent of its field goal attempts this season, leaving 18 points on the table in the process.
NC State has been underwhelming in several special teams areas, ranking 107th in kick-off return average and is 81st in blocked kicks allowed.
Lost in the shuffle is how good sophomore punter A.J. Cole has been, as NC State ranks 29th in the nation in net punting.
The Cardinals have only converted on 60 percent of kicks this season, with a long of 41 yards. Louisville is 89th in yards allowed on kick returns but has been good on punts this season, ranking 46th in net punting.
Advantage: Louisville and A.J. Cole
