With the defense and special teams struggling, the offense posted 497 yards in NC State’s 33-30 loss to East Carolina. The offense could’ve scored more points if not for missed field goals and turnovers, however.
Meanwhile, the Old Dominion offense sputtered in, Boone scoring only seven points in the Monarchs’ 31-7 loss to Appalachian State. The Monarchs have playmakers on the offensive side of the ball and a scheme that emphasizes a quick tempo, but inexperience and stronger competition has held the team back.
Last season, the Wolfpack rumbled to a 38-14 win over Old Dominion, gaining 256 yards on the ground to take control of the game.
Quarterback
Junior transfer quarterback Ryan Finley has taken the reins of the NC State offense and run with them, as he again posted a strong performance for the Wolfpack. Finley was 20-31 for 254 yards and a touchdown. In two games he has yet to turn the ball over and has displayed good accuracy on his passes.
With sophomore Jalan McClendon failing to attempt a single pass against East Carolina, it appears the quarterback competition is all but over, barring a horrendous performance by Finley in the future.
Redshirt senior David Washington secured the starting job for the Monarchs, and should present a different skill set than the last two ODU quarterbacks NC State has faced. In sophomore Shuler Bentley and since-graduated Taylor Heinicke, the Monarchs had drop-back pocket passers (although Heinicke was fairly competent with his legs). Washington is a true dual-threat. Washington struggled with Appalachian State’s defense, throwing one pick and no touchdowns after throwing four against Hampton.
Advantage: NC State
Running Back
Senior running back Matt Dayes continues to impress out of the backfield for the Wolfpack, as he again posted a 100-yard rushing performance. More impressive over the weekend was sophomore Reggie Gallaspy who rushed for 61 yards on just five carries, providing a highlight when he ran through a ECU defender en route to the end zone. If the two can run like that all season, the Wolfpack has a solid one-two punch.
The Monarchs have a terrific back in junior Ray Lawry, who has run for 229 yards in two games this season. Lawry is electric in the backfield, evidenced by his 70-yard touchdown reception against NC State in the last year’s contest. Stopping Lawry is the key for NC State’s defense this weekend.
Advantage: NC State — but only by the slimmest of margins. Lawry is a true stud.
Wide Receiver
Redshirt sophomore Steph Louis earned the play of the game when he shrugged off an ECU corner and took a deep pass from Finley 80 yards for a touchdown. The Wolfpack needs Louis to continue to make plays in a receiver corps largely devoid of talent.
Senior Bra’Lon Cherry caught four passes for 39 yards, but also fumbled in the second quarter, which set up ECU in Wolfpack territory. After catching three passes in the opener, freshman Kelvin Harmon failed to record a reception.
Old Dominion redshirt senior Zach Pascal has nine catches for 119 yards this season and the Monarchs have several other options to turn to in the passing game.
Eleven different players have caught passes for the Monarchs this season and with the coaching staff’s desire to spread the field, most will probably see action this weekend.
Advantage: NC State
Tight End
Junior tight end Jaylen Samuels caught five passes and rushed for a score, but only touched the ball nine times. The knock on previous offensive coordinator Matt Canada was that he didn’t get the ball to Samuels enough. But in a tight game, Samuels saw far too few touches on Saturday. As a whole, this entire position group has been underutilized.
Old Dominion very rarely uses tight end sets, opting instead for four wide receivers and a running back in most of their formations as they seek to spread the field.
Advantage: NC State
Offensive Line
The NC State offensive line gave up a sack and a false start on the first drive of the game and then settled down to play a nearly clean game after that. The miscues at the beginning can probably be attributed to a young offensive line on the road, so we’ll give them a pass on this one. Overall a good game for this unit.
The Old Dominion offensive line was marred by injuries last season that never allowed it to get a foothold. The line this year features two seniors and a redshirt freshman at left tackle. The line isn’t extremely talented and NC State’s defensive line should feast.
Advantage: NC State
Overall, this isn’t the same Old Dominion team that NC State welcomed two years ago with Heinicke at the helm. The team has never quite gotten back on its feet since his graduation and this team could struggle just to make a bowl game again. NC State should run with this ballgame.
