NC State Football Week 2 Primer: ODU

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.