NC State football looked poised for a huge victory on a senior day that honored 30 players. Instead, the Pack suffered a humiliating loss to a struggling Boston College team that already has seven losses. The defense played hard, giving up only 14 points through the first 59 minutes, but conceded a touchdown at the end of the game to give the Eagles a win.

Defensive line

While the team lost, the defensive line had another good performance, especially in run defense. On 23 attempts, the Eagles had -1 rushing yards. Holding any team’s rushing attack to negative yards is a very impressive feat that requires the entire defensive line to play well. By taking away the running game, the Wolfpack forced Boston College to depend solely on an inexperienced freshman quarterback.

NC State’s pass rush came after the quarterback and got five sacks. While linebackers usually finished the job, getting credit for the sack, the defensive line overwhelmed the offense, allowing the linebackers to rush unblocked. Sophomore defensive tackle Davin Vann and redshirt freshman defensive end Travali Price both registered sacks. Overall, the defensive line had a productive outing despite the brutal loss.

Grade: A

Linebackers

All three of NC State’s starting linebackers were honored on senior day. With the NFL draft potentially the next stop for all three, there was no doubt that this unit gave everything it could. Like the defensive line, this group played a pivotal role in shutting down the run.

Redshirt junior Payton Wilson shined in this department, racking up six tackles, including three for loss. He also got an interception to cap off his day. At what may be Wilson’s final game at Carter-Finley before moving on to the pros, he left everything on the field in another incredible performance.

Graduate linebacker Isaiah Moore also had an impressive final game at Carter-Finley. His six years at NC State have produced many incredible games like this one. He had five total tackles, a sack and a pair of pass breakups. Making plays all across the field, Moore found ways to make timely plays, as he always has for the Wolfpack.

Junior linebacker Drake Thomas, one of the best linebackers to play for the Pack, also had a great game against the Eagles. While many will remember him getting flagged for pass interference at the end of the game, Thomas still played brilliantly throughout. His six tackles, two sacks and pass breakup were impressive but his five quarterback hurries made the biggest impact.

Constantly in the backfield disrupting plays, Thomas made it nearly impossible for the Eagles to move the ball. Stopping the run, rushing the quarterback and covering the pass, Thomas truly did everything for this defense to shut down the Eagles’ offense.

Grade: A

Secondary

Facing a freshman quarterback, with little threat from the running game, the secondary had everything it needed to shut down the Boston College passing attack. For most of the game, the secondary did its job and even came up with a clutch interception, courtesy of graduate safety Cyrus Fagan.

However, the group didn’t contain Boston College receiver Zay Flowers, which ultimately cost the team. Flowers torched the defensive backs, reeling in 130 yards and two touchdowns on seven catches. Carrying the Boston College offense, Flowers caused problems for the NC State secondary all game.

Despite failing to cover Flowers, the secondary deserves credit for playing well in the final home game for several defensive backs. Fagan and senior Tanner Ingle stood out at safety for the Pack. In addition to his critical interception, Fagan made eight total tackles, tied for the most of anyone on the team. Ingle also had eight tackles in his home finale while also getting involved in the pass rush with a pair of quarterback hurries. Despite the strong play by several defensive players, like Fagan and Ingle, the Wolfpack suffered an unacceptable loss to Boston College.

Grade: B-