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NC State is set to take on Virginia Tech tomorrow night at 8:00 PM.  Take this chance to get to know the weapons Virginia Tech have in their arsenal.

Quarterbacks

Rs-Junior Brenden Motley- 6’3″/221 lbs (64/112, 861 yd, 7 TD, 5INT, 150 rush yds, 3 Rush TD)

Rs-Senior Michael Brewer- 6’1″/195 lbs (11/15, 161 yd, 2 TD)

Today the news came out that Michael Brewer appears ready to go and was listed as probable for the game vs. NC State.  A lot of Hokie fans are going to be static at this news, and for some reasons they should be.  He looked fantastic in the first half against Ohio State before going down.  It could however benefit NC State for Brewer to be under center.  He is nowhere near the athlete that Motley is, and NC State can struggle to defend mobile quarterbacks.  If Brewer plays he will make all his plays from the pocket, and that plays to NC States strengths.  I would imagine State will see some of both tomorrow.

Keys to Containment

If Motley ends up running the show, State needs to focus on hitting him every chance they get.  If they try a read option the end needs to tee off on him and let the linebackers clean up the rest.  If Brewer plays the majority of snaps, the D-Line has to put him under pressure often.  He has missed a ton of time, and hasn’t been able to practice much.  The game will already be fast for him and a goal for the defense should be to speed it up even more.

Running Backs

Rs-Freshman Travon McMillan – 6’0″/196 lbs (32 att, 223 yd, 30 rec yd)

Rs-Junior Trey Edmunds – 6’2″/223 lbs (36 att, 149 yd, 2 TD, 8 rec yd)

Senior JC Coleman – 5’6″/187 lbs (37 att, 120 yd, 1 TD)

This is not a positional group that is going to ‘wow’ you.  Coleman is technically the starter and is a tough runner for being undersized, and he has only lost 4 yards all year.  Edmunds has the best athletic ability and is the goal line back, but none of the group are a real threat in the passing game. Motley ran the ball a lot for them, so it will be interesting to see where it will be made up if Brewer plays the majority of the snaps.

Keys to Containment

NC States defense doesn’t need to do anything special here.  They have excelled at taking away the run, and have faced much more talented running backs.  Be physical up front, swarm the ball, cover your gaps, and they will limit the running game.

Receivers

Sophomore WR Isaiah Ford – 6’2″/188 lbs (21 rec, 382 yd, 3 TD)

Sophomore WR Cam Phillips – 6’1″/ 191 lbs (16 rec, 214 yd, 1 TD)

Rs-Sophomore TE Bucky Hodges –  6’7″ 241 lbs (12 rec, 174 yd, 2 TD)

Rs-Senior TE Ryan Malleck – 6’5″/253 lbs (9 rec, 120 yd, 2 TD)

It doesn’t matter what the numbers say, the guy that pops in this group is Bucky Hodges.  He is a huge target and is a surprising athlete.  Virginia Tech likes to target their TE’s in the red zone, so Hodges and Malleck must be accounted  for when Tech is in scoring position.  Ford is a good athlete who is capable of breaking big plays.  This is a relatively young, but capable group.  The ball will get spread around a lot so it is hard to focus on one position.

Keys to Containment

This is where the game changers reside for Virginia Tech.  They have some real nice pieces, headlined by Ford and Hodges.  It is really going to take a complete game by the secondary to hold them in check.  If they can hold the receivers to under their season averages, NC State will be looking very good in this one.

Who worries you the most on Virginia Tech’s offense? Comment below, or head over to The Forum and give your input!

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NC State Football

NC State Locks In an Official Visit with Notre Dame Transfer Center Zeke Correll

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NC State is in need of a starting Center (I did confirm with NC State Center Dylan McMahon himself that he is heading to the NFL), and the Wolfpack coaching staff has prioritized Notre Dame Transfer Zeke Correll (6’3″/306). I confirmed with a source that Correll will be on an Official Visit to NC State next weekend. 

Correll is a Graduate Transfer, with one year of eligibility remaining. He is a multi-year starter for the Irish, starting in 30 of the 41 games he played in. Out of high school, he was a consensus 4-star prospect, with 247Sports ranking him as the #81 overall player nationally in the 2019 recruiting class.

247Sports ranks Correll as the #3 overall Interior Offensive Lineman in the Portal, and ON3 ranks him 6th. Correll’s strength lies in pass protection, recording a grade of 78.0 according to ProFootballFocus, which was 2nd on the team. His run blocking grade on the other hand was 57.5.

Adding a multi-year starter from the Notre Dame Offensive Line would be a win.

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NC State Football

It Looks Like NC State Center Dylan McMahon Will Not be Returning in ‘24

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NC State redshirt Junior Center Dylan McMahon was honored on Senior night, but walking on Senior Night doesn’t guarantee that the player won’t return for another season if they are eligible. It has been unknown at this point if McMahon would return for a final season in Raleigh, or enter the 2024 NFL Draft.

It looks like McMahon will be heading to the NFL, after accepting the invitation to play in the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl.

McMahon is a 4-year starter at NC State, starting in 43 of the 48 games he has played in. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks McMahon as the #9 Center in the 2024 NFL Draft.

McMahon was a 3-star prospect in NC State’s 2019 recruiting class out of Savannah, Georgia.

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NC State Football

Breaking Down NC State’s Assistant Coach Salaries

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USAToday runs a report every year on the salaries of Head Football Coaches, Assistant Coaches and Strength Coaches. Here’s a look at the salaries of NC State’s Assistant Coaching staff.

(USAToday)

Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers – Tony Gibson – $1.3 million
Offensive Coordinator/Inside Wide Receivers/Tight Ends – Robert Anae – $899,000
Running Backs/Special Teams Coordinator – $548,473
Offensive Line – Garrett Tujague – $520,000
Defensive Line Charley Wiles – $490,023
Assistant Head Coach/Wide Receivers – $482,966
Safeties – Joe Deforest – $430,459
Quarterbacks – Kurt Roper – $430,459
Cornerbacks – Brian Mitchell – $417,205
Nickels – Freddie Aughtry-Lindsay – $330,644

NC State ranks 4th in the ACC in total pay of Assistant Coaches. Tony Gibson is the 2nd highest paid assistant Coach in the ACC (28th overall), and the highest paid Defensive Coordinator. Robert Anae is the 4th highest paid Offensive Coordinator in the ACC, and the 7th highest paid Assistant.

With 9 wins, in accordance with Head Coach Dave Doeren’s contract, the salary pool for Assistant Coaches increases by  $300,000. If the Pack wins a 10th game, that number becomes $400,000. (WRAL)

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NC State Football

NC State Wants Pop Tarts

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NC State wants Pop Tarts. Who doesn’t?

According to Brad Crawford of 247Sports, NC State has requested the Pop Tarts Bowl, which will be played on December 28th in Orlando, Florida.

You might be like, I’ve never heard of the Pop-Tarts bowl. That’s because this is the first rendition of the Pop Tarts Bowl, but it used to go by other names you might be familiar with: Cheez-It, Camping World, Russell Athletic, Champs Sports, Tangerine, Micron PC, Carquest, and Blockbuster (the last three were when the bowl was in Miami).

Below is an updated list of 15 bowl projections, with 12 of the 15 picking NC State to go to the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

(The three above the line have changed their projections since my last bowl projections post on 11/28.)

The Athletic – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Kansas State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

CBS Sports  – Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Oklahoma State – January 1st – Tampa, FLA

College Football News – Pop Tarts Bowl vs. Kansas State – December 29th – Jacksonville, FLA

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OddShark – Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl – NC State vs. Rutgers – December 28th – New York City, New York

Covers.comPop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Oklahoma – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

USA TodayPop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Oklahoma State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

247Sports – Pop-Tarts Bowl vs. Kansas State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

Athlon – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Kansas State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

ESPN – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Oklahoma State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

ESPN – Gator Bowl – NC State vs. Tennessee – December 29th – Jacksonville, FLA

Sporting News – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Oklahoma – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

Fox Sports – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Oklahoma State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

Action Network –  Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Kansas State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

College Football Network – Sun Bowl – NC State vs. USC – December 29th, El Paso, TX

Betting Pros – Pop-Tarts Bowl – NC State vs. Kansas State – December 28th – Orlando, FLA

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