Although the Pack did not emerge victorious in Saturday’s matchup against the No. 1 Florida State Seminoles, no Wolfpack fan should hang his or her head in shame, as there are plenty of takeaways from the game that prove that the Pack is one of the top contenders in the ACC.
Redshirt junior signal-caller Jacoby Brissett played an outstanding game, as his dynamic playmaking ability raised eyebrows from college football spectators throughout the country. Brissett threw two touchdowns and over 200 yards in the first quarter alone, which helped build the 24-7 lead over the defending national champions.
The young quarterback completed 32 of his 48 passes and finished the game with 359 passing yards for three touchdowns. Having rushed for 90 yards in the matchup, Brissett proved to have the ability in making timely plays with his legs.
Defenders simply could not take down Brissett outside of the pocket. On one of the most notable plays of the game, Brissett was able to break off two tackles before throwing a touchdown pass. On other plays, the young phenom’s juking ability left defenders in the dust.
Brissett frequently connected with his favorite target in the high-powered offense, as freshman wide receiver Bo Hines hauled in catch after catch. Hines finished the game with eight receptions for 103 yards and a 54-yard touchdown, his first of the year, which he scored on a swift stop and go route through busted coverage by the Seminoles backfield. The shifty slot receiver was a key member in an offense that went on to score 41 points on the night.
The offense received most of its horsepower from talented junior running back Shadrach Thornton. In the second drive of the first quarter, offensive coordinator Matt Canada organized a drive entirely dedicated to the Wildcat formation and left Thornton to take the helm. The power runner was unstoppable when running up the gut against the Florida State defense and gained 41 yards on five carries in the drive. Thornton capped off the surge with a three-yard push into the end zone.
Thornton rushed for 90 yards in the contest with two touchdowns. The Hinesville, Georgia native was a punishing runner all afternoon and proved that by averaging 4.7 yards per carry.
Although the defense forced three turnovers from the Noles, the squad played porous defense overall which consisted of countless missed tackles. The defense gave up 365 yards passing, 203 yards rushing, as well as 56 points. The team just couldn’t find a way to get off the field on third down after facing a team with such a prolific offense as FSU.
The NC State football team, as predicted, did lose to the No. 1 nationally ranked, defending national champion Florida State Seminoles, 56-41. The Pack’s bitter loss, though, expanded its confidence, which gives the team a legitimate shot at topping the formidable Clemson Tigers in their home stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
