Nine points, thanks to graduate kicker Chris Dunn, was all No. 23 NC State football could manage in its disappointing loss to No. 14 Syracuse. From a lack of adaptability to a new signal caller to inept play calling, here’s how the offensive grades shook out following the road trip to New York.
Quarterback
In the Pack’s first week of many without redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary, graduate signal caller Jack Chambers got the nod at starter with freshman quarterback MJ Morris seeing a little bit of action himself. Chambers, who was thrown into the fire last week against Florida State when Leary initially went down, held up decently well under center against the Orange.
Throwing for 160 yards on 60% completion percentage and averaging 3.1 yards per carry on 19 attempts for 58 yards, Chambers showed his dual-threat ability but couldn’t translate it to the scoreboard. With an untested quarterback, offensive coordinator Tim Beck opted to call a conservative game that forced production out of a Wolfpack rushing attack that could never get its feet beneath it.
As a result, Chambers struggled to find his rhythm as a passer early and subsequently forced the Pack to punt four times in the first half. When the game finally got out of hand for NC State in the second half, Beck was content to open Chambers up in the passing game. The graduate transfer looked to have the tangibles to win this team games down the road, but play calling held him back on Saturday just as it has for the entire offense all season.
Grade: C
Running Backs
Despite rumors that sophomore running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye would return to the field this week, the running game was left in the hands of Chambers and junior back Jordan Houston. After serving as the Pack’s workhorse against Florida State with 24 attempts for 90 yards, Houston’s game wasn’t quite as explosive against the Orange.
Totaling 44 rushing yards on 12 carries versus Syracuse, Houston’s 3.7 yards per carry were comparable to his 3.8 mark against the Seminoles. A lack of opportunity and big plays, however, rendered Houston’s output much less impactful.
Redshirt sophomore backs Demarcus Jones II and Delbert Mimms III, and Morris, also saw looks out of the backfield, but none received more than three attempts. Likely getting Sumo-Karngbaye back after the bye week should revitalize the run game, but his absence against Syracuse combined with the aforementioned atrocity in the playcalling department and the Orange’s swarming defense kept the NC State rushing attack at bay.
Grade: C-
Pass Catchers
It’s tough sledding for any group of pass catchers when their quarterback only totals 160 yards through the air. Despite the low volume, eight different members of the Wolfpack logged a catch against Syracuse, with junior wideout Keyon Lesane pacing NC State with four receptions for 39 yards. Houston added to his 44 rushing yards with 29 receiving yards on three catches and rounding out the Pack’s top three on the afternoon was sophomore receiver Porter Rooks with two catches for 27 yards.
Graduate slot receiver Thayer Thomas struggled to find his footing against the Orange despite serving as NC State’s most reliable pass catcher all season. Granted Thomas is still building a repertoire with Chambers, along with the rest of the pass catchers, it doesn’t come as much of a shock. With a bye week ahead and the likely return of redshirt junior wideout Devin Carter from injury, more experience with and for Chambers should benefit the Wolfpack offense greatly.
Grade: D
Offensive Line
It was a fierce shift in design for NC State’s protection group, transitioning from a steady pocket passer in Leary to a versatile threat through the air and on the ground in Chambers. Facing that change proved extremely difficult for the Pack in both pass and run protection, allowing seven tackles for loss and four sacks.
Trying to field a competitive team amidst the recent news of Leary’s season-ending surgery created a schematic offensive mess at all levels for NC State. The line was perhaps impacted the most by the change, unable to adapt to Chambers style of play and forcing him to pay the price for it. As with all the other positions, the bye week and subsequent matchup against Virginia Tech will benefit the offensive line greatly in getting used to protecting Chambers.
Grade: F
