At first glance, the 2016 season could be regarded as a success for the NC State football team, due to the uncertainty swirling under center since former quarterback Jacoby Brissett graduated and declared for the NFL Draft.
Enter redshirt junior Ryan Finley, who took the reigns of the Wolfpack offense and led the team, with the help of 1,000-yard rusher Matt Dayes, to a 7-6 record, including a 41-17 drubbing of the Vanderbilt Commodores in the Camping World Independence Bowl.
However, when looked under the microscope, the Pack’s 7-6 record is viewed as mediocre at best. The Wolfpack easily could have been 10-2 in 2016, but close losses against East Carolina, Clemson, Boston College and Florida State prevented that mark. But the 2017 NC State football team is convinced that last year’s heartbreakers won’t mess up its’ psyche.
“I think anytime you have a game that really exaggerates the importance of one play, it helps your program,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “Because you can go to that, and say, ‘hey when we work out today guys, this last rep, it matters.’”
On the national stage NC State showed that it could hang with the likes of Clemson, losing to the eventual national champions 24-17 in overtime, and Florida State, losing 24-20 in Carter-Finley Stadium. Those tightly contested games awarded the Wolfpack respect in the ACC this offseason as NC State is often considered a sleeper team in the Atlantic division.
“There’s a lot of people that overlook us,” senior all-purpose back Jaylen Samuels said. “That’s a good thing because I want us to stay humble as a team and prove people wrong. And to show people, to show the world that we can stay with the Clemsons, Florida States and Louisvilles because we showed them last year.”
On the other side of the ball, senior defensive end Bradley Chubb is anchoring one of the best defensive lines in the NCAA. Alongside the formidable front of fellow seniors BJ Hill, Kentavius Street and Justin Jones, Chubb is on a mission to showcase the Wolfpack’s talents.
“I feel like we deserve [credit],” Chubb said. “As a competitor I feel like we are the best to touch the field…having that competitive mindset, I want everyone to know how good we are. We are all excited to get back on the field to show everybody.”
There are obvious reasons to be excited about the NC State’s upcoming season. The defense is returning eight of 11 starters including a stout defensive line. As a true freshman, Kelvin Harmon set a school record for touchdown receptions by a freshman with five, and redshirt junior Stephen Louis ranked third in the ACC last year with a 19.37 yards per catch average and led the Pack in receiving yardage with 678. Despite the excitement surrounding this year’s squad, Samuels won’t let the hype distract him or his team.
“The expectations are high, but I don’t really try to look into it,” Samuels said to the Burlington Times-News. “…I don’t want to get too focused on the hype and then forget about what we’ve gotta get done. We just try to let the media do what they do with all the hype about NC State and we do all the dirty work.”
With great play comes great expectations and the Wolfpack won’t let the noise get into its camp. Fifth-year head coach Doeren echoes his player’s sentiments on being humble, taking a day-by-day outlook on the upcoming season.
“We don’t look where [the media] want us to end up,” Doeren said. “We all want to be champions in college football. There isn’t a coach who won’t tell you that. Our focus is on the daily grind, the daily competition, the daily opportunity to get better.”
Head coach Dave Doeren speaks to the team at the conclusion of the Kay Yow Spring Game on April 1, 2017 in Carter-Finley Stadium.
