The NC State football team beat down Boston College 24-8 for its second conference victory of the season. Here are the top performances from the crucial road win.
Bradley Chubb
The sophomore defensive end was named ACC co-defensive lineman of the week for his effort against the Eagles. He led the team across the stats sheet, registering nine tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble.
Chubb has started all nine games at defensive end this season after spending most of his time on special teams last season. He is now second on the team in tackles with 45, tied for second in TFLs with nine, second in sacks with 4.5, first in quarterback pressures with seven and first in forced fumbles with two.
Mike Rose
Chubb’s more widely known counterpart, Rose, also had a good day against Boston College. He notched four tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and tied for the team lead with Chubb with two sacks.
The graduate defensive end now has 9.5 sacks on the season. This mark is good for first on the team, first in the ACC and tied for fourth in the FBS. He has also tallied 33 tackles, a team-high 13 TFL, three quarterback pressures, a forced fumble and a pass breakup this season.
Rose is certainly making a case to get drafted with his strong senior campaign. His skillset and production, along with his 6-foot-3, 270-pound frame, makes him an intriguing prospect come April 2016.
B.J. Hill
The 6-foot-4, 300-pound run-stuffer did his job Saturday, anchoring a defense that allowed just 28 yards rushing on 34 carries for an average of less than one yard per carry. Individually, he recorded six tackles, 2.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks. On the season, he now has 39 tackles, nine TFL, 3.5 sacks, three quarterback pressures and three pass breakups.
Hill highlights what is a brilliant sophomore class that head coach Dave Doeren brought in two years ago. Other impactful players in the class include fellow defensive linemen Chubb, Justin Jones, Kentavius Street, linebacker Airius Moore and defensive backs Shawn Boone and Mike Stevens. It has also paid dividends on the offensive side with fullback Jaylen Samuels, guard Tony Adams, quarterback Jalan McClendon and wide receiver Maurice Trowell.
Play of the Game
After a scoreless first quarter, NC State got the ball with 13:57 remaining in the second. On the first play of the drive, senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett found Trowell wide open deep down the field for the 83-yard catch-and-run score to give NC State a 7-0 lead. The play lit some fire under the offense that had struggled up until that point. It was also Brissett’s longest pass of his career, and tied for the ninth longest pass play in NC State history.
The Wolfpack has been shy about throwing the ball down field this season, but Brissett took plenty of shots down field against Boston College and had some success with it. Look for NC State to utilize its fast receivers and Brissett’s strong arm more often as the season winds down.
Position to Watch: Running back
With junior running back Matt Dayes out for the year with a toe injury, the position was filled by committee in Saturday’s victory. Samuels started at the position and finished with eight carries for 32 yards and a touchdown, tied for second on the team with Brissett. Freshman running back Reggie Gallaspy led the team with 35 yards and a touchdown on five carries, including a 35-yard touchdown run.
Freshman wide receiver Nyheim Hines and redshirt sophomore running back Dakwa Nichols also saw time at the position. While Samuels and Hines both played running back in high school, the team typically prefers to use them at other positions, but they are needed due to the sudden lack of depth at running back.
All five runners carried the ball at least five times each, but nobody carried the ball more than eight times throughout the game. The team combined for 139 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries. That being said, look for the Pack to continue to use the committee approach at running back.
