Despite picking up a 38-21 win over Western Carolina, NC State football struggled to establish a strong defensive identity — uncharacteristic for the defensively sound program that head coach Dave Doeren has built.
Here are some takeaways for each position group from NC State’s season opener against the Catamounts.
Defensive line
Up front, the Wolfpack struggled to create pressure on the quarterback, allowing Western Carolina’s Cole Gonzales to pick apart the NC State defense. Aside from a sack from redshirt freshman Isaiah Shirley in garbage time, the red-and-white only had one sack during the rest of the game. While NC State’s three-man front often limits the defensive line’s sack production, the lack of a pass rush is a concern to monitor.
In his first season as a full-time starter, redshirt junior Travali Price set the tone early with an impressive tackle for loss. On a quarterback draw, Price burst through the offensive line and leveled Gonzalez behind the line of scrimmage. The Lincolnton, North Carolina native finished his performance with three tackles and a quarterback hurry.
Linebackers
The Pack’s linebacking room has been a strength for years under defensive coordinator Tony Gibson. With two new starters, however, the red-and-white was bound to face some growing pains. Additionally, the loss of redshirt junior Caden Fordham in the first quarter following a targeting penalty made matters more difficult for the Wolfpack.
With an unexpected hole at linebacker, redshirt junior Jayland Parker found himself on the field in a key role. Playing 45 snaps, Parker had his most productive career performance with a team-high seven tackles — more than he’d recorded through his entire career. While Parker missed a key tackle that led to a 50-yard quarterback rush, he improved as the game wore on and gained valuable live reps.
Redshirt junior Sean Brown made his highly anticipated debut at linebacker, finishing the game with four tackles — three of which were solo — and a quarterback hurry. Playing the same spot, weakside linebacker, as last season’s standout linebacker Payton Wilson, Brown will play a key role moving forward with his combination of speed and hit power. However, Brown’s lack of size proved to be a concern in run defense and is worth monitoring over the Pack’s next few games.
Secondary
Breaking in multiple new starters in the secondary, the Pack’s back end had its share of ups and downs. Senior safety DK Kaufman made his NC State debut and did not disappoint. With seven total tackles, including five solo, Kaufman cleaned up several plays, filling the role of NC State’s last line of defense. The Auburn transfer paired well with senior safety Bishop Fitzgerald. After making two starts last year, Fitzgerald earned a spot in the initial starting 11. On the Catamounts’ opening drive, Fitzgerald broke up a critical fourth down pass, forcing a turnover on downs.
While the Wolfpack shined at safety, the rest of the secondary took its lumps. With senior safety Ja’Had Carter, the Pack’s expected starting nickelback missing the game, the Catamounts picked on the Wolfpack across the middle of the field. Redshirt freshman nickelback Tamarcus Cooley struggled in coverage. Western Carolina receiver AJ Colombo gave Cooley issues throughout the night, racking up 97 yards on nine receptions. Getting Carter back into the lineup will be crucial for the Pack’s upcoming matchup against Tennessee.
Graduate cornerback Aydan White had an uncharacteristically lackluster performance against the Catamounts. Grading out with just a 54.7 PFF coverage grade, White lacked his usual stingy coverage. However, after a slow start in 2023, one less-than-stellar performance isn’t too concerning for the Wolfpack.
