Closing the Book on NC State vs. James Madison

It’s game week for Georgia State, and it’s time to turn the page, but before we do, let’s officially close the book on NC State’s 24-13 season opening victory over James Madison.

The Offense

The Good

Redshirt Graduate Senior Quarterback Ryan Finley and the passing attack was statistically impressive, and they left quite a few yards on the field. Anytime your quarterback throws for 309 yards, completes 67% of his passes, and throws 2 touchdowns with no interceptions, you can’t complain. Even with a strong statistical game, Finley wasn’t perfect. There were some throws I’m sure he’d like back, missing a wide open Kelvin Harmon on a couple of occasions.

Redshirt Junior Wide Receiver Jakobi Meyers was targeted 15 times, and snagged 14 of them. That’s insanity. You might think that Meyers’ big day was simply due to the absence of Redshirt Graduate Senior Stephen Louis, who missed the game due to a tight hamstring. I don’t think that’s necessarily the case. Louis is not a slot receiver, and that’s where Meyers caught all of his passes. Sophomore’s Emeka Emezie and CJ Riley picked up Louis’ targets (and did quite well at that. I’ll get to them later.). James Madison was committed to playing press man coverage, because that’s there mojo. That’s fine, but it won’t work against Meyers. He’s a nightmare for Nickel Backs and Linebackers that pick him up. Opposing defenses will be in trouble if they key on Harmon, and leave Meyers to be covered by Nickels and Linebackers. I’m not saying Meyers will pull off this stat line every week, but I expect him to be the most targeted receiver in NC State’s passing attack this season.

Sophomore Wide Receivers Emeka Emezie and CJ Riley (RS) stood in for the injured Louis, and they stood tall (literally). The future of the NC State receiving corps is in good hands. Both Emezie and Riley were each targeted 7 times, which reveals Finley’s trust in them. They combined for 9 receptions for 115 yards. When Louis returns, the two young receivers won’t receive the same number of targets or yards, but when called upon, they are ready. This is no disrespect to Louis, but in my opinion, there was no drop off.

The Bad

Junior Wide Receiver Kelvin Harmon was targeted 10 times, and was only able to finish the day with 4 catches for 33 yards. Meyers’ big day didn’t equal Harmon being forgotten. If you’re getting 10+ targets in a game, you’re a focal point. Am I concerned about Harmon’s performance. No. Finley missed him in the end zone, and on another big play. Also, Harmon made a few amazing catches where he landed out of bounds. There was the making of two monster receiving performances on Saturday, it just didn’t happen. Give Harmon 10+ targets on a weekly basis, and I honestly expect that he and Meyers will finish with over 1,000 yards this season.

The Wolfpack rushing attack was less than impressive against James Madison, averaging only 2.9 yards per carry. If that doesn’t change, it will be a long season for NC State. What was the issue on Saturday? Probably a combination of a couple of things. NC State’s best rush blocker Offensive Guard Terronne Prescod was injured for part of the game. Right Guard Joshua Fedd-Jackson and Right Tackle Justin Witt played together for the first time on the right side of the offensive line. The Tight End has been elemental in NC State’s successful rushing attack the past two years, with Matt Dayes and Nyheim Hines running behind a brilliant Cole Cook. On Saturday, Redshirt Sophomore Cary Angeline wasn’t eligible, and Redshirt Sophomore Dylan Autenrieth was injured (and so was Redshirt Sophomore Dylan Parham for that matter), who proved to be a solid blocker last season as well. What was left was 2 tight ends playing their first collegiate snaps. Gallaspy wasn’t bad (68 yards/4.0 yards per carry), he simply didn’t have the holes he needed. For a little bit of context, NC State averaged 2.5 yards per carry in the season opener against South Carolina last season, and still managed to have a great year on the ground, with a 1,000 yard rusher in Nyheim Hines.

24 points isn’t going to be enough to win a lot of games. Fortunately, it was enough against James Madison. When you get down the field, you need to find a way to get in the end zone. Redshirt Freshman Running Back Tyler Baker-Williams fumbled on the 32-yard line. They settled for a field goal after making it to the 7-yard line. The 392 yards of total offense was acceptable (though I think this offense is capable of much more), the point production was not.

The Defense

The Good

NC State only allowed James Madison to score 13 points, when the Dukes averaged 34.4 points per game in 2017. Giving up 365 yards of total offense to James Madison isn’t what you dream of statistically, but you have to understand the Wolfpack’s defensive scheme before you get all worked up. They don’t play press coverage typically. They are willing to give up a short pass, and count on their tackling and the other team making mistakes. NC State’s defense is a bend-don’t-break defense. I think Doeren and his staff care way more about the points their defense give up, than the yards they give up.

Redshirt Graduate Senior Germaine Pratt and Redshirt Freshman Isaiah Moore were all over the field. Pratt finished with 12 tackles and Moore finished with 10. The two appear to be an extremely athletic and aggressive linebacker tandem, that can cover a lot of ground.

Even though he was injured for a little bit, Redshirt Junior Defensive End James Smith-Williams was very active, picking up 7 tackles, with 2 of those being tackles for loss. Seven tackles from a defensive end is impressive, and an tribute to Smith-Williams athleticism. When Smith-Williams had to leave the game for health reasons for a little bit, Redshirt Freshman Ibrahim Kante stepped in, and showed what all the Fall buzz was about. In his very first snap, he recorded a sack. Then a few plays later, he picked up another sack, that forced a fumble that was recovered by the Wolfpack. He managed to pull all of that off in only 17 snaps. Kante looks like he can be the swing Defensive End NC State has featured for years now.

The Bad

Kante sacked DiNucci twice on one drive, but other than that, the James Madison quarterback operated all game with very little pressure. The Wolfpack pass rush was nearly non-existent. DiNucci could sit in the pocket comfortably, and for way too long. To be fair, starters James Smith Williams and Redshirt Senior Defensive Tackle Eurndraus Bryant missed part of the game due to injuries (especially Bryant), and the unit was not at full strength. The Wolfpack defensive line is going to gain experience and chemistry as the year goes on, but they need to figure out a pass rush quick with West Virginia two weeks away.

The Wolfpack’s rush defense was an area of concern, especially the way they let quarterback DiNucci scramble for 79 yards. They also allowed Raleigh native Marcus Marshall to average 5.4 yards per carry. Rush defense has been the strength of the Wolfpack’s defense the past couple of years. Obviously expecting the NC State defense to match what they did last year in the first week, after losing the entire front seven isn’t reasonable, but they need to figure it out sooner than later.