No. 12 NC State football snapped its seven-game losing streak to nonconference Power Five opponents with its 27-14 win over Texas Tech on Saturday, Sept. 17. The Wolfpack defense was a sight to behold for the second week in a row, while the offense took a clear step backwards after putting up 55 points against Charleston Southern. Here are some takeaways from NC State’s biggest win of the season so far.
Payton Wilson. Dawg.
Underneath Carter-Finley’s revamped stadium lights, the defense shined the brightest. Perhaps the most promising performance of the night came from none other than redshirt junior linebacker Payton Wilson, who seems to have finally settled back into his role in defensive coordinator Tony Gibson’s scheme.
Wilson’s collegiate career has been plagued by injury after injury, but the linebacker manages to impress every time his health allows him to take the field. Pacing the defense with 10 total tackles, Wilson was flying around the field against the Red Raiders. He closed gaps on Texas Tech running backs and created pressure on Texas Tech quarterback Donovan Smith all night, looking like the 2020 first-team All ACC version of himself.
With what some would consider to be the best supporting cast in the country backing him, Wilson has an excellent opportunity to sustain the success he saw in week three. Health will always be a concern for the redshirt junior, but that’s the nature of the sport he plays. What he can control, however, is how he contributes when he steps on the field. If what’s been seen is any indication of what’s to come, Wilson’s going to produce any chance he’s able to.
White Stepping Up
Last week’s takeaways praised senior nickelback Tyler Baker-Williams for his contributions to the turnover margin in weeks one and two, but week three was all about sophomore cornerback Aydan White. Dominating the box score among fellow defensive backs, White logged five total tackles, one for a loss, a sack and two interceptions, with one of those going for six on an 84-yard house call.
In the absence of redshirt sophomore cornerback Shyheim Battle, White was called on to step up into a lead role in the secondary against Charleston Southern. After contributing massively to NC State’s 55-3 win in week two, White retained his spot against Texas Tech as Battle continues to rehab an injury he suffered against East Carolina.
White’s elevation in play, combined with the experience of graduate cornerback Derrek Pitts Jr., senior safety Tanner Ingle and graduate safety Cyrus Fagan, saw the Wolfpack completely shut down a volatile Texas Tech offense.
Offensive Woes
Discussed following the game against Charleston Southern and remaining true through week three, NC State doesn’t possess a lead wide receiver. The negative impacts of not having a reliable target out wide trickle into every other aspect of the offense, especially the play of redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary.
Not being called on to deliver often against Texas Tech, Leary would finish the night with 121 yards and no touchdowns on a 65% completion percentage. While efficient, an NC State offense that doesn’t run through Leary’s arm is often disoriented and inconsistent. At no fault to offensive coordinator Tim Beck, who called a creative game, the combination of Leary’s deep-ball inaccuracy and the receivers’ failure to create separation resulted in multiple stalled drives.
While there are clear issues to be addressed in the passing game, running backs continue to impress. Sophomore back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye finished the night against Texas Tech with 14 rushes for 54 yards on top of pacing all receivers with four receptions for 93 yards and a touchdown catch off a 38-yard dime from graduate receiver Thayer Thomas. Junior running back Jordan Houston slightly edged out Sumo-Karngbaye in the rushing department, racking up 57 yards on 13 rushes for 4.4 yards per attempt.
The Pack’s offense will likely show a more explosive version of itself against UConn in the coming week’s matchup, but NC State needs to figure out a way to translate dominance against lesser opponents into consistent performance against Power Five programs. If this team plans to live up to its expectations, Leary and company have a ways to go if they hope to fight for an ACC title.
