The NC State football team secured its most signature victory in the Dave Doeren era on Saturday. The Wolfpack (3-1, 1-0 ACC) defeated No. 12 Florida State 27-21. The game was an all-around great team performance, but here’s a look at how each positional group fared in Tallahassee, Florida.
Quarterbacks: A
Redshirt junior Ryan Finley was reliable once more on Saturday. Finley completed 22 passes on 32 attempts for 230 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, he finished another game without an interception. He holds the longest active streak in the Football Bowl Subdivision without an interception of 159 pass attempts. His 74.2 completion percentage is also fifth best in the country and tops in the ACC.
Running Backs: A-
It wasn’t a dominant performance from the backfield, but it was influential in the fourth quarter. Junior Nyheim Hines racked up 94 yards rushing on 24 attempts, the most important coming with less than two minutes left in regulation. Hines ran for 15 yards on third and 7 to prevent one last Seminoles drive. Junior Reggie Gallaspy had two carries for 29 yards, most of which came on a 30-yard dash. Senior Jaylen Samuels also rushed for a touchdown on fourth and goal in the first quarter, diving into the end zone to put the Pack up 10-0.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends: A
The play of the game came from redshirt sophomore Jakobi Meyers. Finley found Meyers on a slant route that turned into a game-changing play near the end of first half. Meyers beat his man and juked out defensive back Derwin James, then raced for a 71-yard touchdown, ending with a celebratory flip into the end zone. Meyers hauled in five catches for 112 yards, his first 100-yard receiving outing.
Samuels received the bulk of Finley’s targets for 12 catches and 64 yards through the air, including a shovel pass touchdown to put the Wolfpack up 27-16 in the final frame.
Offensive Line: A-
NC State definitely won the battle in the trenches. The offensive line only allowed one sack and held its own against the highly touted Florida State front four. Finely had plenty of time in the pocket and the run game fared well too. After struggling against South Carolina in the season opener, the ground attack has improved in each outing, this time totaling 110 rushing yards.
The only concern was when a high snap flew past Finley in the fourth quarter. Luckily, the ball bounced out of the end zone for a safety, but the two points gave the Seminoles hope for a comeback.
Defensive Line: A+
The supposedly formidable Wolfpack front four was quiet in their first three games. In order to rattle true freshman quarterback James Blackman, NC State needed it’s defensive line to step up and it did just that. Senior Bradley Chubb was in the backfield all afternoon, recording seven tackles, two tackles for a loss, and two sacks, earning him ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors. Fellow seniors B.J. Hill and Justin Jones each recorded a sack and tackle for a loss as well.
Linebackers: A-
The linebackers had a quiet afternoon likely overshadowed by the stellar play of the defensive line. However, the strong core of redshirt seniors Airius Moore and Jerod Fernandez and redshirt junior Germaine Pratt were all over the field. Fernandez led the team in tackles with nine, followed closely by Pratt and Moore, each notching five. The most impressive aspect of their games was in the red zone. The defense held the Seminoles to just one touchdown in six red zone trips. The only mishap came in the first quarter as Blackman connected with wide receiver Auden Tate for a touchdown as the pass sailed right over Pratt’s fingertips.
Secondary: C+
The secondary had another daunting task with senior Mike Stevens missing another game because of injury. Tate was having a field day in the home opener, recording nine receptions for 138 yards and a touchdown before leaving the rest of the game due to a wrist injury. Wide receiver George Campbell caught three passes for 85 yards as well, including a 60-yard bomb into the Pack red zone. Blackman’s arm strength exploited the NC State secondary, and his big-play ability kept the Seminoles in this contest.
Special Teams: B
After starting 1-3 on field goal attempts this season, graduate-student kicker Carson Wise nailed two field goals through the uprights; in fact, Wise’s field goals ended up being the difference in the win.
The special teams still had its fair share of scares however. In the fourth quarter, junior punter A.J. Cole’s punt was blocked and recovered by Florida State at the NC State 23-yard line, offering another chance at closing the deficit.
