NC State’s Statistical Team Rankings at the Halfway Mark

NC State is 4-2, and the Wolfpack is halfway through the regular season football slate. Here’s a look at where they rank as a team statistically in comparison to the rest of the ACC at this point.

The Wolfpack ranks 9th in scoring offense and in scoring defense. There was no denying that NC State lost some key players from their outstanding 2022 defense, but expectations were still high for the Wolfpack defense in ’23. The cold hard truth…the defense has suffered a bigger set back than expected. Last year, NC State finished the 2022 season ranked 1st in scoring defense, giving up 19.2 points per game. Through 6 games, they rank 9th in scoring defense, giving up 23.5. For perspective, NC State isn’t far off from last years squad offensively. The Wolfpack finished the 2022 season ranked 9th in scoring offense.

Scoring Offense

Scoring Defense

Currently, NC State ranks 11th in Total Offense, and 7th in Total Defense. Again, in comparison to last year, the Offense finds itself in a nearly identical situation, finishing 2022 ranked 11th in Total Offense (339.8). On the other side of the coin, the falloff defensively is obvious again. In 2022 the Wolfpack defense ranked 2nd in Total Defense (326.9).

Total Offense

Total Defense

Offensively, NC State is rushing the ball better in 2023 in comparison to 2022, but that’s not saying a whole lot. The Wolfpack rank 11th in Rushing Offense, rushing for 148.5 yards per game. In 2022, they ranked 12th, rushing for 113.8 yards per game. Defensively, Tony Gibson has developed a reputation of stopping the run, and that hasn’t dropped off in 2023. NC State ranks 3rd in Rush Defense, and ranked 2nd in 2022. Obviously, there are 6 ACC games left on the schedule, but the Wolfpack are giving up less rushing yards per game thus far in 2023 (they gave up 100.7 yards rushing per game in 2022).

Rushing Offense

Rushing Defense

The pattern continues in the passing game. The Wolfpack ranks 10th in Passing Yards per Game in 2023, compared to 9th in 2022 (226.1). In contrast, NC State ranks LAST in Passing Defense, compared to 7th in 2022 (226.2).

Passing Offense

Passing Defense

NC State’s O-Line ranked the state 6th in Sacks Against in 2022, and ranks 5th in 2023 through 6 games. While the defense has given up more yards and more points, they still have been disruptive in 2023, ranking 1st in Sacks and 2nd in Interceptions. That’s par for the course with Interceptions (ranked 1st in 2022), but a big jump up in the pass rush, ranking 10th in Sacks in 2022.