After a lackluster first half, then-No. 14 Wolfpack football relied heavily on the running game. Coming into the second half down by 14, NC State scored 16 unanswered points to beat the Seminoles 19-17 for the third-consecutive season and secured the Pack’s first ACC win of 2022
Quarterback
This was the third time this season that two different quarterbacks were seen under center for the Wolfpack. Late in the third quarter, redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary was injured after being hit by a Florida State defender. During the play, Leary lobbed up a pass and was hit hard after the throw. The hit resulted in a roughing the passer penalty, but Leary was unable to return as he walked into the locker room. Before exiting the game, Leary completed 10 of his 21 passes for 130 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Graduate quarterback Jack Chambers was Leary’s replacement once he went down. Chambers had no impact in the passing game, only attempting one pass the entire night. Although Chambers was non-factor in the air, he did see action in the rushing and even receiving game. Chambers rushed for 39 yards on seven attempts, including a 19-yard scramble. He also caught one pass for negative five yards on a throw from graduate wide receiver Thayer Thomas.
Grade: C+
Running Backs
The rushing game and ultimately the entire offensive performance was headlined by junior running back Jordan Houston. Against the Seminole defense, Houston rushed for a season-high 90 yards on 24 attempts and led the receiving game with 41 yards on two catches. However, Houston was unable to find the end zone all night. Sophomore running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, like Leary, was also ruled out of the game after getting injured in the second half. Before his exit, Sumo-Karngbaye had eight rushes for 37 yards and three receptions for 18 yards.
The absence of Sumo-Karngbaye opened the door for other Wolfpack running backs to see the field. Redshirt sophomore running backs Delbert Mimms III and Demarcus Jones II were both able to get touches during the game. Mimms had three rushes for 21 yards while Jones only had one rush for one yard.
Grade: B
Receivers
With only 10 completed passes, the receiving game was nearly nonexistent for most of the contest, especially after the departure of Leary. Although there were only a handful of passes, five different receivers were able to haul in catches. Graduate wide receiver Darryl Jones led the Pack in receptions with two catches while junior receiver Keyone Lesane led the receivers in yards with 25, including a beautiful behind-the-shoulder catch on the sideline. Redshirt freshman tight end Cedd Seabrough and redshirt junior wideout Devin Carter each caught one pass. Like Leary and Sumo-Karngbaye, Carter was ruled out of the rest of the game due to injury during the second half.
The lone touchdown of the night for the Wolfpack came on the first possession of the second half. One of Jones’ two receptions came on a 10-yard strike to the end zone from Leary, which was his first career touchdown with the Pack. This touchdown capped off a 10-play, 84-yard drive and ultimately served as the kick start to the Wolfpack comeback.
Grade: B-
Offensive Line
The offensive line was once again the weakest point of the Wolfpack offense. After a disappointing performance against Clemson the week before, the men upfront struggled once again against the Seminoles. The O-line allowed the Florida State defense to get pressure in the backfield all night long. The Seminoles racked up seven TFLs for a loss of 27 yards, two sacks for a loss of 12 yards and four quarterback hits.
To tag along with the struggles, the Wolfpack offense had five three-and-outs and five penalties. Of the five penalties, two of them came on back-to-back holding calls during a crucial fourth-quarter possession. During this possession, the Pack started on the Florida State 13-yard line but lost 30 yards and were forced to kick a 53-yard field goal.
Grade: D
