The last time junior running back Andre Brown rushed for over 100 yards was also the last time the N.C. State football team won a game — last October, over Florida State.
So as Brown rushed for 133 yards and scored three touchdowns against Wofford Saturday, the end result was no surprise to coach Tom O’Brien.
“Well I guess we have to get him 100 yards then every week,” O’Brien said. “We’ve got to find a way to do it. I’m happy for Andre. He made some nice runs, made some nice cuts, came out of some tackles.”
The Wolfpack running game, which totaled only 141 yards and two touchdowns in its first two games, exploded with 217 yards and four touchdowns, mostly coming from Brown. According to redshirt sophomore quarterback Harrison Beck, Brown’s play opened up the passing game as the offensive line “owned the line of scrimmage.”
“Andre Brown was huge tonight, and the offensive line, they ran the football,” Beck said. “And establishing the run opened up some other things for us. The biggest thing though is that we go the victory.”
On the first drive of the game, Brown broke a 27-yard run to put the ball on the two-yard line, and then punched in the first touchdown of the game. After that, the Pack never looked back, as Brown said he felt the momentum in State’s favor.
“When we started running the ball more, I started seeing things,” Brown said. “And the offensive line getting the push that they were, I just started seeing holes and started popping them out.”
Despite his breakthrough performance of the season, Brown completely credited the offensive line for his success.
“All the credit starts with those big guys up front,” Brown said. “The more they do, the more I do. As long as they’re pushing, and as long as I’m seeing it, that’s where it starts — those big O-linemen.”
Redshirt sophomore running back Jamelle Eugene, who rushed for 38 yards on 12 carries, said the offensive line’s attitude had changed after the loss at Boston College, which he called a “wake-up call.”
“Coming into the whole week, the offensive line had a different feel about themselves and the attitude that they had to get it done,” Eugene said. “Boston College was a wake-up call. It starts with the O-line, [and] they felt they needed to come out and set the tone.”
As for Brown’s play, players said the team hopes to see more performances like Saturday’s this season.
“He had a great performance, probably one of the best in the last few years,” Brown said. “He came out and ran the ball well. He blocked well. He was just a complete back.”