NC State football wrapped up its nonconference slate in convincing fashion Saturday, with a 49-16 win over the visiting Furman Paladins at Carter Finley Stadium. While this was a game that NC State controlled from start to finish, there’s still good, bad and ugly to digest from it. Let’s take a look at each.
The Good: run game- The Wolfpack finally got a struggling element of its offense going in Saturday’s game. Through the first two games, due in large part to absences along the offensive line, the Pack was forced to rely too heavily on its passing game, unable to move the ball effectively on the ground. Against Furman, however, the Pack finally ignited its struggling rushing game, and found that critical balance on the offensive side of the ball with redshirt junior offensive tackle Will Richardson returning from suspension.
NC State gashed the Paladins on the ground, with 39 carries for 242 yards, a team average of 6.2 yards per carry. The team spread things around with its ground attack, with five different players getting at least five carries, though one of those was redshirt junior backup quarterback Jalan McClendon, who is unlikely to get many fourth-quarter blowout opportunities in ACC play.
Five of NCSU’s six offensive touchdowns came via the rushing variety, with senior all-purpose back Jaylen Samuels accounting for three.
After the game, head coach Dave Doeren spoke about the importance of a strong run game.
“I think to be able to run the ball when you want to run it matters,” Doeren said. “If you want to protect a lead, or if you want to protect your defense, be able to eat some clock, having a run game is very important. … It’s been a process, and obviously getting our starting five [on the offensive line] back out there helped with that.”
Going forward, continuing to find the run game early and often will be important for the Pack, particularly to help the defense in conference play. When facing high-octane offenses against the likes of Florida State, Louisville and Clemson, being able to move the chains on the ground to keep the defense off the field and control the clock will be vital.
The Bad: kicking- Hello, old friend. This one makes an appearance here not for what it meant in this game but what it represents going forward. A facet of the game that was directly responsible for two Wolfpack losses last season shows no signs of improvement so far. New starting place kicker graduate Carson Wise has attempted three field goals for the Pack… and made one. His miss from 38 yards in the fourth quarter against Furman did not cost the team anything, but it is troubling, given that it was a makeable kick in a virtually no-pressure situation.
Wise has also missed a PAT against Marshall, and a 29-yarder that would have given the team a lead in the season-opening loss to South Carolina. That’s not to say Wise is solely to blame for the Pack’s struggles in the kicking game. Junior Kyle Bambard, who now takes kickoffs and was the team’s starting place kicker last year, lost that job for a reason. Kicking is a vital part of a successful formula in football. Not having someone who can make kicks can cost you crucial points, and even entire games. Right now, the Pack does not appear to have someone who can make kicks.
The Ugly: big plays against on defense- This makes its third-straight appearance on this column and is something the Pack has to clean up. The defense continues to mar otherwise solid play by giving up big plays to opposing offenses, particularly in the secondary. The Pack gave up a 71-yard touchdown pass from Furman quarterback P.J. Blazejowski to tight end Andy Schumpert in the second quarter after allowing long touchdown passes against South Carolina and Marshall as well.
Even the team’s stout run defense had a slip up in the second quarter, allowing running back Tristan Luke to take off for 45 yards to set up Furman’s second field goal of the game. The team needs to tighten things up, particularly in the secondary, though getting senior corner Mike Stevens back from injury next week should help in that regard. While the Pack was able to bounce back from these mistakes against opponents like Marshall and Furman, they could prove to be much more costly in ACC play.
