After a disappointing loss at Miami, the NC State football team rebounded with a decisive victory over Louisville. With it, the Wolfpack (6-2, 3-1 ACC) retained control over its destiny and stayed in the running for the ACC Atlantic. Let’s take a look at some takeaways from the game:
Run game struggling
NC State is far from multi-dimensional on offense as of late. In three straight games, it averaged less than 4 yards per carry, with one of its weakest ground game efforts coming Saturday against Louisville — a 1.8 YPC showing. It’s clear that despite the talent of sophomore running back Bam Knight and junior running back Ricky Person, Jr., the O-line has no answers thus far for losing graduate guard Chandler Zavala for the year.
Luckily for the Wolfpack, redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary has responded with some of the best games of his career. Against the Cardinals, he put up his second-most prolific performance in the red and white, a 317-yard, four-touchdown, 69%-completions day which is only outshone by his performance at Pitt in 2020. Leary will have to continue that hot streak for the Wolfpack to keep rolling.
Ingle gives, takes away
One of the better players on this defense, junior safety Tanner Ingle showed up well in the stat sheet with 10 tackles, a TFL and a PBU. Unfortunately for him, he also showed up in the penalty box with a terrible, clear personal foul at the worst possible time — in the fourth, with NC State holding just a four point lead — Ingle put the Cardinals in the red zone and his teammates bailed him out by forcing a field goal.
Ingle’s talent is undeniable, but it seems he can never get out of his own way. He had targeting issues last year and penalty issues this year, and his lost captainship reflects the trust he’s lost with these repeated, fixable mistakes. With so many great players out, it isn’t enough for him to be just a pretty good player for NC State, Ingle also needs to be the leader NC State lacks in the back end.
Bend, don’t break defense
This is no longer a defense that is playing 45 snaps a game, forcing three-and-out after three-and-out. It’s doing enough, though. Louisville outgained the Pack 434-361, and yet it only entered the red zone twice to NC State’s three trips. In both of those trips, NC State forced field goals. It also came up with the only takeaway of the game, an interception by redshirt freshman cornerback Shyheim Battle, which halted the Cardinals’ first-half momentum.
The defense is playing about as well as can be expected, given the circumstances. Certain players are really stepping up in guys like redshirt sophomore linebacker Drake Thomas and Ingle. Louisville entered Raleigh averaging over 31 points a game; to hold it to 13 is a feat worthy of high praise.
D-line stepping up
Thomas and Ingle aren’t the only ones, though. The defensive line came alive against Louisville, and boy, was that needed. After a so-so game against Miami, the starting unit of graduate end Daniel Joseph, graduate defensive tackle Cory Durden and sophomore end Savion Jackson combined for 17 tackles, a sack and an additional hurry, as Malik Cunningham was kept mostly in check on the ground. Now we need to see if that success can continue, something that would be huge for this defense.
Looking forward
NC State goes on a two-game road trip with huge implications. First, at Florida State, a dangerous game for a depleted Pack and an improving Seminole squad. If NC State wins, and that’s an if, it’ll set up what should be a College Gameday matchup at Wake Forest the next week. And should the Wolfpack win that game… first things first: taking care of business in Tallahassee. Florida State will provide a great opportunity for Leary to continue staking his claim as a top quarterback in the ACC, and with a win, NC State will likely reenter the AP Top 25, and move up in the College Football Playoff Ranking.
