The NC State football team won its third conference game of the season Saturday, downing Syracuse to match its regular season win total from last year. Here are the top performances from the victory.
Nyheim Hines
The freshman wide receiver had arguably the best game of his young career and picked up ACC Rookie of the Week honors. He carried the ball six times for 70 yards and a touchdown, caught five passes for 69 yards and returned three kicks for 69 yards. His 208 all-purpose yards are twice that of any other player on either team, with Syracuse running back Jordan Fredericks second on the list with 86-75 of which came on one play.
This game was the prime example of why Hines was such a highly recruited player out of high school. While running back still seems like it is his more natural position, he is starting to look more comfortable at wide receiver and improves every week. Hines has dynamism to his game that not many other players have, and he will be virtually impossible to stop as he continues to improve and utilize his full potential.
Jumichael Ramos
The junior wide receiver led the team in receiving with eight catches for 83 yards and a touchdown. His 5-yard touchdown grab was SportsCenter Top-10 worthy, as he contorted his body to make the one-handed grab while getting his feet down inbounds to once again give the Pack a two-score lead. He continuously came through in the clutch, with four of his catches coming on either third or fourth down.
This was Ramos’ first game since Sept. 19 against Old Dominion in which he caught more than three passes. On the season, he is second on the team with 28 catches for 377 yards and three touchdowns. After showing signs of potential early in the season, he once again proved he can be a reliable target for senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
The running game
Hines wasn’t the only player who made an impact on the ground. Fellow freshman Reggie Gallaspy II led the team with 13 carries for 81 yards and a touchdown. Redshirt sophomore running back Dakwa Nichols tallied 12 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore offensive juggernaut Jaylen Samuels carried the rock six times for 47 yards. As a team, the Pack totaled 308 yards and three touchdowns on 47 carries, its highest total since Sept. 26 against South Alabama.
While no player has individually eclipsed 100 rushing yards since Matt Dayes did Oct. 24 against Wake Forest, the committee approach at running back seems to be working for the Wolfpack. None of the healthy running backs are the workhorses that Dayes and Shadrach Thornton were, so rotating and keeping them fresh is best for the team.
Shoutout to the offensive line, too. Led by grad student Joe Thuney, who earned ACC Lineman of the Week for his performance, the big guys in the trenches paved the way for the Pack’s plethora of running backs to rack up big yards on the ground.
Play of the Game
With 5:20 remaining in the third quarter, freshman defensive end Darian Roseboro dropped into coverage and jumped in front of the drag route, intercepting the pass and returning it 20 yards for the touchdown to give NC State a 42-16 lead.
While this play wasn’t crucial to the game at the time, it did extend a lead the Pack almost ended up losing and was NC State’s first defensive touchdown of the season. Plus, who doesn’t love seeing a big man score?
Player to Watch: Riley Nicholson
In the freshman linebacker’s third start of the season, he notched a team-high of nine tackles, one of which was for a loss, as well as a pass breakup. He has shined at the weakside linebacker position, which has allowed sophomore Airius Moore to play in the middle.
Despite starting only three games this season, Nicholson is now tied for 10th on the team with 27 tackles on the year. He is another example of head coach Dave Doeren recruiting young, top-notch talent. Nicholson and Moore have the potential to develop into one of the best line-backing tandems in the ACC.
