Facing off against Stanford, NC State’s defense couldn’t keep the Cardinal offense at bay — allowing 28 points — but produced turnovers and good field position, setting up the Pack offense to dominate on the scoreboard.
The Wolfpack struggled to contain the big play from Stanford, allowing four touchdowns, including two quarterback rushes greater than 40 yards. An inability to stop the big play did not prove costly, as NC State’s offense produced its highest volume of points since a 63-13 victory against the South Alabama Jaguars in 2015.
Defensive line
The D-line showed out, finishing with a forced fumble and three sacks. The strong front helped prevent Cardinal quarterback Ashton Daniels from getting much going in the air, as the Cardinal only scored one passing touchdown and amassed less than 200 passing yards. Graduate defensive end Davin Vann now leads Division I in forced fumbles with five. Vann is on pace to match the record for most forced fumbles in a season for an ACC player since 2005. The record is seven, set by Harold Landry of Boston College in 2016.
“That was just kind of something that I was really focused on during the off-season,” Vann said. “Being more ball conscious every time I can get around the ball, just shift attempts, tipping the ball for picks, whatever the case might be, just being more ball conscious.”
Linebackers
Former NC State linebacker Payton Wilson was celebrated and his name was unveiled in the ring of honor between the first and second quarter. The Pack linebacker core once again proved this week how much of an asset Wilson was when he wore the red and white.
Stanford’s dynamic quarterback kept the Pack defense on its heels — breaking out a 67-yard and a 48-yard touchdown. These defensive breakdowns were created in part by great blocking on the offensive front by Stanford, but key missed tackles by Pack linebackers and defensive backs allowed these plays to turn into touchdowns.
The loss of redshirt junior Caden Fordham to an injury in early October continues to loom large as the Pack failed to contain big plays on the ground. Redshirt junior Sean Brown and redshirt freshman Kamal Bonner led the defense with seven tackles each. Brown leads the Wolfpack in tackles on the season with 63.
Secondary
Stanford averaged a whopping 19.2 yards per completion, but NC State held the Cardinal offense to just nine of them and 173 yards.
Junior cornerback Devon Marshall intercepted a pass in the red zone helping to maintain a 45-21 lead and keeping the Cardinal at a safe distance in the third quarter. After his second interception of the season, he is now tied with senior safety Bishop Fitzgerald for most on the team.
The Pack loves to play in November. Since 2021, NC State has won nine out of 12 games in November. The Pack strengthens when the weather begins to cool, even when the season seems to be headed in the wrong direction.
“We kind of just focus on staying resilient,” Vann said. “Never letting the bad things dictate how we’re going to come out and play. We persevere through a lot.”
