NC State Forces 4 TO’s to Propel them To a 24-17 Victory Over NIU

Entering today’s game against Northern Illinois, NC State was 21-1 since 2020 when they won the turnover margin.

Now they are 22-1.

The Wolfpack won the turnover battle 4-0 today against the Huskies, which was single handedly the reason NC State won the contest 24-17.

NC State made it a 14-7 lead in the 2nd Quarter after Senior Safety DK Kaufman sacked NIU Quarterback Ethan Hampton, which forced a fumble, which DK picked up and ran into the end zone.

In the 3rd Quarter, Senior Defensive End Davin Vann sacked Hampton forcing a fumble, which Junior Nose Tackle Brandon Cleveland scooped up and nearly carried into the end zone, being dragged down at the 1-yard line. Three plays later, True Freshman Quarterback CJ Bailey rushed the ball in, to give the Wolfpack a 24-14 lead.

Junior Cornerback Devon Marshall made a spectacular over-the-shoulder interception with 4:12 left in the 4th Quarter, and Redshirt Freshman Nickelback Tamarcus Cooley had an interception on the final play of the game, preventing NIU from converting on a Hail Mary that would have likely forced the game into overtime.

Seven of NC State’s points came from a fumble recovered for a touchdown, and you might as well credit Bailey’s 1-yard touchdown run to the defense as well.

You’re looking at a 17-10 game in the Huskies favor without the TO’s created by the Wolfpack defense.

Without the turnovers created, NC State would have walked out of Carter-Finley with a loss.

The Wolfpack’s offense struggled mightily today, accumulating a measly 171 yards of total offense, compared to NIU’s 279. They only produced 11 first downs, compared to the Huskies’ 20. NIU also won the time of possession battle, possessing the ball 32:41 minutes, compared to NC State’s 27:19.

NC State averaged a putrid 2.3 yards per carry on the ground. If you account for the 2 times Bailey was sacked, they averaged 3.0 yards per carry, which is still dismal. Redshirt Senior Running Back Jordan Waters averaged 2.9 yards per carry, and Sophomore Running Back Kendrick Raphael averaged 3.0 yards per carry. If you take away the 12 yards lost due to sacks, Bailey would have been NC State’s leading rusher with 34 yards.

Bailey was 13 of 20 for 108 yards and a touchdown, with a passing efficiency rating of 126.9. The young man has potential, but he’s still…young.

Redshirt Freshman Wide Receiver Noah Rogers led the Wolfpack with 48 yards receiving on 2 receptions, but both of those came in the 1st Quarter, and they couldn’t find him again the rest of the game. How?

It’s genuinely hard to be excited about this victory, though I know a win is a win.

NC State did start three new players on defense. Redshirt Freshman Isaiah Shirley started over Redshirt Junior Travali Price at Defensive End. Redshirt Freshman Tamarcus Cooley started over Senior Ja’Had Carter at Nickel. Redshirt Senior Kerry Martin Jr. started over Senior Bishop Fitzgerald at Strong Safety. Shirley had 3 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss. Cooley had 2 tackles, 3 pass breakups and 1 interception. Martin Jr. had 7 tackles, 1 tackle for loss and 1 pass breakup.

Redshirt Junior Linebacker Caden Fordham had 14 tackles, which was a career high, beating his 12 tackles at Virginia last year. He also had a sack, 2 tackles for loss and 1 forced fumble.

Redshirt Junior Linebacker Sean Brown also had a career high, with 12 tackles, beating the 11 tackles he had against Tennessee earlier this year. He also had a sack, a tackle for loss and 3 QB Hurries.

Senior Defensive End Davin Vann, you guessed it, also had a career high in tackles, with 10. He also had 3.5 tackles for loss, which was also a career high. Vann’s stats also included a sack and 2 forced fumbles.

Kudos to NC State’s defense for putting this game on their backs, because without them, they would have lost. The Wolfpack quite simply has to figure out what isn’t working on offense, and they need to figure it out fast, with non-conference play officially ending today.