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NC State Football

NC State 33 Syracuse 25: What Went Well

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7 years ago

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This afternoon NC State defeated Syracuse 33-25 in their ACC opener, and in this piece I will dissect what the Wolfpack did well:

Offense

  • Nyheim Hines picked up his 1st career 100-yard rushing game of his career, carrying the ball 19 times for 115 yards and a touchdown.
  • Syracuse entered the game ranked 22nd in the nation in rush defense, holding opponents to 101 yards rushing per contest. NC State attacked their strength with reckless abandon, racking up 256 yards on the ground, at 5.4 yards per clip.
  • NC State won the time of possession battle in a major way. The Wolfpack was in the possession of the ball for 36:29 compared to the Orangemen’s 23:31. That’s the difference between a win and a loss.
  • Once again, NC State won the turnover battle, finishing with a +1 turnover margin. Senior Cornerback Jonathan Alston picked up his 2nd interception of the season, and the Wolfpack finished their 4th straight game without turning the ball over. That’s the difference between a win and a loss.
  • NC State had 29 first downs, compared to Syracuse’s 20. This explains the Wolfpack’s ability to hold onto the ball.
  • The Wolfpack continues to systematically and quietly put up big offensive numbers, posting 464 yards of total offense on the Orangemen.
  • Jakobi Meyers had 7 receptions, which was a career high, for 57 yards. All but one of those catches came in the firsts half.
  • Jaylen Samuels showed his versatility by picking up more yards on the ground compared to the air this week. He had 9 carries for 74 yards and a touchdown (8.2 yards per carry). He also had 5 receptions for 37 yards.
  • Stephen Louis led the Wolfpack receiving yards, with 64 yards on 4 catches and a touchdown.
  • Ryan Finley shocked me by how much his legs played into the Wolfpack’s victory. He had 5 rushes for 37 yards (7.4 yards per carry), running the option well on numerous occasions, and diving for crucial first downs.

Defense

  • Bradley Chubb followed up monster performance against Florida St. with a monster performance against Syracuse. The Preseason All-American defensive end had 8 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 2 sacks and 2 Quarterback Hurries.
  • Jerod Fernandez had a game high and a career high of 14 tackles.
  • Jarius Morehead had a career high of 7 tackles last week against FSU, and recorded a new career high of 8 against Syracuse.
  • Justin Jones had his best game of the season, with 7 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, 1 sack and 2 Quarterback Hurries.
  • NC State held Syracuse to only 7 points in the 1st half.

 

 

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Matthew is Publisher and Co-Owner of Pack Insider. He is also the Lead Pastor of The Point Church in Cary, NC.

NC State Football

Congrats to NC State Football’s Spring Graduates!

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2 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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Congratulations to the 7 NC State Football Players that just graduated this Spring.

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2024 Football Spring Graduates

Linebacker Devon Betty (1 year of eligibility)

Defensive End Davin Vann (1 year of eligibility)

Cornerback Aydan White (1 year of eligibility)

Offensive Guard Anthony Carter Jr. (2 years of eligibility)

Offensive Lineman Matt McCabe (2 years of eligibility)

Offensive Tackle Patrick Matan (2 years of eligibility)

Offensive Lineman Brendan Lawson (no longer on the roster)

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NC State Football

Proposed Bill in the NC House Would Require NC State & UNC To Play One Another, as well as ECU, UNCC and App St.

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3 days ago

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May 3, 2024

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A bill has been proposed by members of the North Carolina House of Representatives that would force NC State and UNC to play one another, as well as East Carolina, UNC Charlotte and Appalachian State.

According to House Bill 965, which you can read here in full, NC State and UNC would be required to play one another annually in Football, Men’s Basketball and Women’s Basketball. The Wolfpack and the Tar Heels would also be forced to play a game annually in all three sports against either ECU, UNC-Charlotte or App St. Every six years, NC State and UNC would be required to have played a home and away game against each of the three school in all three sports.

Here’s the exact wording from the proposed bill:

Competition Required. – A high-enrollment institution shall do all of the following in each eligible sport: (1) Every academic year, play at least one home or one away game against (i) another high-enrollment institution and (ii) an eligible constituent institution that is not a high-enrollment institution. (2) Every six academic years, play at least one home and one away game against each eligible constituent institution that is not a high-enrollment institution. A high-enrollment institution shall alternate home and away games that are scheduled against the same eligible constituent institution that is not a high-enrollment institution.

For glossary of terms being referenced above:

For the purposes of this bill, “High-enrollment institutions” = NC State and UNC, while “Eligible constituent institutions” = East Carolina, UNC Charlotte and Appalachian State.

It’s worth noting that NC State already has games schedule against each of these teams home-and-away in Football between now and 2031.

2025 – East Carolina (H)

2025 – @ App St.

2026 – App St. (H)

2028 – @ East Carolina

2030 – Charlotte (H)

2031 – @ Charlotte

What are your thoughts?

For more details, check out this article at WRAL.

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NC State Football

Akron Safety Kerry Martin Jr. will Take an Official Visit at NC State Next Week

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4 days ago

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May 2, 2024

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Akron Safety Kerry Martin Jr. (6’1″/195) confirmed with me that he will be taking an Official Visit to NC State next week beginning on May 7th.

After receiving an offer from NC State yesterday, it didn’t take him long to set up the visit.

Martin Jr. is familiar with NC State, because he was recruited by Wolfpack Defensive Coordinator Tony Gibson before he left West Virginia to come to Raleigh. Even though he never coached him, a relationship was established.

Martin Jr.’s connections to NC State are deeper than that. Former NC State Cornerback Derrek Pitts, who is currently a member of the Tampa Bay Bucs, is his cousin.

This past year, Martin Jr. recorded 45 tackles, 2 interceptions and 6 pass breakups for Akron, starting in 9 of the 11 games he played in. His PFF Grade was 68.9.

In 2022, he had 53 tackles, 1 interception and 1 pass breakup, starting in 9 of the 11 games he played in. Martin Jr.’s PFF Grade was 60.9.

In 2019, as a Freshman for West Virginia, Martin Jr. earned PFF Freshman All-American honors, recording a grade of 70.6, with 50 tackles and 3 pass breakups.

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NC State Football

NC State Sits in the Top-20 in 247’s Post-Spring 2024 Preseason Poll

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4 days ago

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May 1, 2024

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247’s Brad Crawford released his Post-Spring 2024 Preseason College Football Top-25 recently, and NC State moved up 1 spot to #20.

ACC Teams in the Top-25

11. FSU

14. Miami

16. Clemson

20. NC State

24. Virginia Tech

25. Louisville

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