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NC State Football Week 2 Primer: ODU

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9 years ago

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NC State vs ODU
Raleigh, NC
ESPN3

After dodging a bullet in week 1, NC State looks to settle down and get back to business against ODU in week 2. Last Saturday may have been a little harder on your heart than you were expecting, but a win is a win and there were a lot of lessons learned moving into this matchup with ODU.

One thing we got to see was the coming out part for Jacoby Brissett. The transfer from Florida shook off the nerves in the second half to lead the Pack back from a 14pt halftime deficit to claim their first victory.

This week they welcome Conference USA foe ODU to Carter-Finley. This is a team that is probably more talented top to bottom than Georgia Southern, however one that State can surely beat (if they execute). Old Dominion is 1-0 after taking out Hampton 41-28. Now, this team isn’t one to sleep on. Last year they finished 1-4 against FBS opponents, but that record could have been a little better had their defense been a little stronger. They scored 38pts against ECU, dropped 24 on Pitt and put 20 on UNC. Not bad for a school who football team is only 7 years old. The problem was their defense which gave up 52pts to ECU, 35 to Pitt and then a whopping 80 to UNC.

This year the ODU defense it a little more experienced and a bit deeper, but still nothing to hang their hat on. State will need to sure up their own defense if they want to run away with this game. Last week they seemed slow at times, missed tackles and assignments. That can’t happen this week or the Monarchs will make them pay. Their offense can definitely get hot with the likes of senior QB Taylor Heinicke (who threw for 280yds and 3 TDs last week) and sophomore RB Gerard Johnson (who rushed for 137 yds and a touchdown against Hampton.)

For State it’s going to be about calming down and executing. In the first half against Georgia Southern they seemed timid and unsure of themselves. They had trouble establishing a run game, putting most of the pressure on Brissett who was playing his first game in red and white. This week I expect a different game plan of sorts. Here are some things to watch out for:

1) Shadrach Thornton getting carries early and often.
It wasn’t until the second half that Shad really got rolling. Maybe it was because he only touched the ball twice in the 1st half. Now, Matt Dayes is going to get his chances, but I think Doeren saw how the offense can really move with Thornton running hungry (10 carries for 73yds).

2) Brissett being unleashed
With a win (a comeback win at that) under his belt, look for Brissett to be more assertive and really lead his team this week. Early against Georgia Southern it was as if he was waiting to step up while the rest of the team was waiting for him to do just that. In the second half, when it was do or die you saw the real Jacoby Brissett as he connected on 3 TDs and finished with 291 yds. His reads where quick and his release was quicker as he moved State down the field with ease. As his confidence grows and he becomes more comfortable in this offense you’ll start to see what this kid can really do.

3) A defense that thinks less and reacts more
This defense actually isn’t all that bad. It’s young, but it’s talented. In week 1 there was definitely some jitters and some questioning going on. In the second half when State started making their run and the offense started pulling their weight, it was as if the defense saw that they had to pick up the slack. They did and got some key quick stops, allowing the comeback to continue. With an experienced QB under center for ODU, State is going to have to keep the pressure on and the intensity up. Fall asleep and the Monarchs will make you pay.

4) Black unis.
Look, I know State fans for the most part are a little old school and prefer the red and the white, it’s 2014 and looking at our record over the past few years we aren’t really in a place to “be above” the current jersey trends. The kids like it, the younger fans like it, the school makes some nice money off of it, so let’s just embrace the black jerseys for once and see what happens.

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NC State Football

NC State’s Kevin Concepcion Earns Freshman All-American Status from The Athletic

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1 hour ago

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December 7, 2023

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NC State Wide Receiver Kevin Concepcion has been named a Freshman All-American by The Athletic.

Here’s what they had to say about KC:

WR Kevin Concepcion, NC State: “KC” easily won ACC Rookie of the Year this season after catching 64 passes for 767 yards, rushing for 297 yards on 7.8 yards per carry and scoring 11 total touchdowns. The 5-foot-11, 187-pound slot receiver from Charlotte was a three-star signee who proved he should start right away as a true freshman. Over his last seven games, Concepcion has averaged 117 total yards per game. (The Athletic)

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NC State Football

Payton Wilson Earns 3 More 1st Team All-American Honors

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1 hour ago

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December 7, 2023

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NC State Linebacker Payton Wilson has added 3 more First Team All-American accolades to his list: Sports Illustrated, College Football Network and The Athletic. He already earned the same honors from USA Today, CBS & PFF.

Sports Illustrated

Quarterback: Jayden Daniels, LSU

Running back: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State; Cody Schrader, Missouri

Wide receiver: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State; Rome Odunze, Washington; Malik Nabers, LSU

Tight end: Brock Bowers, Georgia

Offensive line: Olu Fashanu, Penn State; Zak Zinter, Michigan; Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia; Cooper Beebe, Kansas State; Joe Alt, Notre Dame

Edge: Laiatu Latu, UCLA; Jalen Green, James Madison

Defensive tackle: T’Vondre Sweat, Texas; Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois

Linebacker: Jay Higgins, Iowa; Payton Wilson, North Carolina State; Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson

Cornerback: Will Johnson, Michigan; Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama

Safety: Malaki Starks, Georgia; Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

Punter: Tory Taylor, Iowa

Kicker: Graham Nicholson, Miami (Ohio)

Kick returner: Cooper DeJean, Iowa

All-purpose: Travis Hunter, Colorado

College Football Network

2023 First-Team All-American Offense

QB: Bo Nix, Oregon
RB: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
RB: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State
WR: Malik Washington, Virginia
WR: Malik Nabers, LSU
WR: Rome Odunze, Washington
TE: Dallin Holker, Colorado State
FLEX: Troy Franklin, Oregon
OT: Darius Washington, Florida State
OG: Cole Potts, JMU
OC: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
OG: Clay Webb, Jacksonville State
OT: Taliese Fuaga, Oregon State

2023 First-Team All-American Defense

EDGE: Laiatu Latu, UCLA
DT: Patrick Jenkins, Tulane
DT: Braden Fiske, Florida State
EDGE: Jalen Green, JMU
LB: Payton Wilson, NC State
LB: Jason Henderson, ODU
LB: Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
CB: Beanie Bishop Jr., West Virginia
CB: Terrion Arnold, Alabama
CB: Ricardo Hallman, Wisconsin
S: Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma
S: Tykee Smith, Georgia
FLEX: Jarrian Jones, Florida State

The Athletic

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NC State Football

NC State DB Cecil Powell Enters the Transfer Portal

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4 hours ago

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December 7, 2023

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NC State Redshirt Junior Defensive Back Cecil Powell just announced he is entering the Transfer Portal.

Powell played in 12 games this season, but in 7 of those games, he strictly played on Special Teams. In the 5 games he played on defense, he logged 5 tackles in 43 snaps.

He missed the past two seasons due to injury after playing a significant role in 2020, when he started 5 games and played 497 snaps. In that year, he had 47 tackles, and 4 pass breakups.

In 2019, his first season at NC State, Powell played Cornerback…then Wide Receiver…then Cornerback again, logging 95 snaps in 4 games from the line of scrimmage (he did play in 7 other games on Special Teams).

Powell was listed as Robert Kennedy III’s backup at Nickelback this season. He has 2 more years of eligibility.

NC State has had 19 players enter the Transfer Portal

WR Christopher Scott
OL Jaleel Davis
WR Josh Crabtree
OL Lyndon Cooper
WR Terrell Timmons
LB Torren Wright
NT C.J. Clark
QB MJ Morris
S Jakeen Harris
TE Cedd Seabrough
WR Porter Rooks
DB Nate Evans
LB Daejuan Thompson
RB Jordan Houston
RB Michael Allen
DB Darius Edmundson
WR Anthony Smith
TE Christopher Toudle

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NC State’s Payton Wilson Earns USA Today All-American 1st Team Honors

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6 hours ago

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December 7, 2023

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The honors keep rolling in, and I don’t expect them to stop. NC State Linebacker was named to the USA Today All-American 1st Team yesterday.

First team

Offense
QB: Jayden Daniels, LSU
RB: Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
RB: Cody Schrader, Missouri
WR: Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State
WR: Malik Nabers, LSU
TE: Brock Bowers, Georgia
OL: Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State
OL: Zak Zinter, Michigan
OL: Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon
OL: Cooper Beebe, Kansas State
OL: Joe Alt, Notre Dame

Defense
DL: Laiatu Latu, UCLA
DL: Jer’Zhan Newton, Illinois
DL: T’Vondre Sweat, Texas
DL: Jalen Green, James Madison
LB: Payton Wilson, North Carolina State
LB: Dallas Turner, Alabama
LB: Jay Higgins, Iowa
CB: Cooper DeJean, Iowa
CB: Kool-Aid McKinstry, Alabama
S: Malaki Starks, Georgia
S: Xavier Watts, Notre Dame

Specialists
K: Graham Nicholson, Miami (Ohio)
P: Tory Taylor, Iowa
RET: Zachariah Branch, Southern California
ALL-PURPOSE: Ashton Jeanty, Boise State

(USAToday)

Wilson was also named to PFF and CBS’ All-American 1st Teams. Also, last night he won the Butkus Award, given annually to the best Linebacker in college football.

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