NC State defeated UConn 24-14 on Thursday. While the Wolfpack seemed better than UConn in every aspect, they left something to be desired. All of the Huskies’ points came from Victor Rosa, as he rushed for 99 yards and two touchdowns. Similarly, the Wolfpack scored all three of their touchdowns on the ground, with two coming from Brennan Armstrong and another from Delbert Mimms III.
NC State Week One: The Good, The Bad, The Questions
The Good for NC State
On offense, the Wolfpack dominated on the ground, amassing 209 yards to go along with the three touchdowns. Armstrong carried the ball 19 times for 96 yards, leading NC State in rushing. Michael Allen showed promise with 7.5 yards per carry, and Jordan Houston put up 57 yards rushing. The passing game wasn’t amazing, but freshman Kevin Concepcion led the team in receiving with four catches for 36 yards.
The Wolfpack secondary showed why they were so highly touted going into the season. Joseph Fagnano only tallied 113 yards and went 14/26 throwing. Fagnano also threw a pick to Payton Wilson late in the game. Wilson led the team in tackles with 10 and one tackle for loss. Davin Vann added a sack and five total tackles as the lone bright spot on the defensive line. Shyheim Battle and Aydan White both had three tackles, with White adding a pass defense. Fagnano hardly threw near White in man coverage, which should be expected from most opposing quarterbacks this season.
The Bad for NC State
Armstrong accounted for 14 of the team’s 24 points against UConn. However, he only passed for 155 yards against a very mediocre UConn defense. The Wolfpack return to Raleigh and face Notre Dame on Saturday, and 155 passing yards will almost certainly not be enough. Building off of that, no receiver gained more than 36 yards or had more than four catches. The Wolfpack are in dire need of a top-receiving threat, but no one really stepped up as the alpha receiver. Concepcion showed promise, but he is young. Bradley Rozner started the season on the Biletnikoff list but only had one catch.
NC State looked solid on defense, but the run defense was concerning at times. Rosa broke off a 71-yard run in the first half, and the Huskies ran for 160 yards total. The Wolfpack were able to get past UConn despite a questionable run game, but allowing 6.2 yards per rush will not fare well against most of the ACC.
The Big Questions for NC State
It is reasonable to assume the defense will make proper adjustments against the run. It may take time for the linebacking crew to return to form, as losing your two leading tacklers Drake Thomas and Isaiah Moore is massive. Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson will have to make adjustments quickly, as Notre Dame dominated on the ground. The Fighting Irish are averaging 6.3 yards per rush, and quarterback Sam Hartman is assuredly going to take what defenses give him through the air.
The Offense will have to score more than 24 points against teams like UConn going forward if they want to compete for the ACC. Armstrong is a bruising runner, but it is not ideal for a quarterback to run the ball 19 times a game. Offensive Coordinator Robert Anae has to find ways to scheme receivers open and push the ball downfield. If the passing game does not take a big step up this week, it will be very difficult for the Wolfpack to keep up with Notre Dame’s offense.
