Cant wait for the next four months to fly past us quickly.
2018 Record: 9-4 overall, 5-3 in ACC
Head Coach: Dave Doeren, 7th year: 43-34
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NC STATE OFFENSE
– The balance has to return. It was way too easy to rely on QB Ryan Finley and the passing game last season – and it worked. The offense was great at keeping drives going, the passing attack averaged over 300 yards per game, and its star was able to control things. But the ground game suffered, and now there’s going to be more work for the backs until the new parts of the passing game are ready.
– Finley is gone, but the quarterback options are promising. Sophomore Matt McKay stepped up in spring ball, but there are others in the mix – they’ll all be okay at worst. Losing top targets Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Meyers hurts, but Emeka Emezie leads a promising young corps with enough talent to be fine as long as the quarterback play is solid.
– The big losses at the skill spots shouldn’t be that big a deal, but the guys on the line will be tougher to replace. Garrett Bradbury was a star center for a front five that has to replace three starters. The pass protection was special last season – Finley and the offensive scheme had a lot to do with that – but as long as the line is pounding away for the ground game early on, it’ll be doing its job. Losing RB Reggie Gallaspy and his 18 rushing scores doesn’t help, but Ricky Person leads a sound young group of backs. Remember the name Zonovan Knight.
NEXT: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE DEFENSE, TOP PLAYERS, KEYS TO THE SEASON, WHAT WILL HAPPEN
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NC STATE DEFENSE
– NC State has turned into a factory for defensive linemen. The Pack was able to overcome the loss of Bradley Chubb, BJ Hill and others off the 2017 line and got a fantastic season out of the front four. This season, losing Darian Roseboro on the outside and Eurndraus Bryant on the inside isn’t a plus, but James Smith-Williams is a strong pass rushing end to work around. It’s NC State – it’ll be another good line.
– Leading tackler Germaine Pratt was the star of the defensive show, but he’s gone, and Isaiah Moore is a good linebacker in the 4-2-5 alignment. The line will have to handle the heavy lifting at getting into the backfield – Pratt tied for the team lead in sacks, too – but this group will pop.
– There might be players lost across the board, but the secondary gets back S Jarius Morehead and most of the key parts. However, the pass defense gave up over 260 yards per game and got hit way, way too hard by teams throwing the ball to keep up in shootouts. However, this group was terrific on third downs.
NEXT: TOP PLAYERS, KEYS TO THE SEASON, WHAT WILL HAPPEN
3. TOP NC STATE PLAYERS
Best NC State Offensive Player
WR Emeka Emezie, Jr.
The Wolfpack could use a new No. 1 target to emerge, and Emezie appears to be it. The 6-3, 208-pounder has the NFL body, the good speed, and the toughness to beat up defensive backs for the ball, He caught 53 passes for 616 yards and five touchdowns – averaging close to 12 yards per catch – and now get ready for him to emerge as more of a big play deep threat.
2. RB Ricky Person, Soph.
3. PK Christopher Dunn, Soph.
4. QB Matt McKay, Soph.
5. RB Zonovan Knight, Fr.
Best NC State Defensive Player
S Jarius Morehead, Sr.
On a defense that needs as many steady leaders and playmakers as possible to go along with all of the young talent, Morehead is the star to work around. The 6-1, 220-pounder finished second on the team with 81 tackles to go along with a team-high three picks. At his size he’s a killer against the run, but it’s his experience that makes him the quarterback of the secondary.
2. DE James Smith-Williams, Sr.
3. LB Isaiah Moore, Soph.
4. CB Nick McCloud, Sr.
5. S Tanner Ingle, Soph.
NEXT: KEYS TO THE SEASON, PREDICTION & WHAT WILL HAPPEN
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The NC State Offense
Find more of a consistent running game again. NC State has relied on the passing attack under head man Dave Doeren, but last year was the first time the program finished with fewer than 2,000 yards on the ground since 2013. Even worse, the Pack averaged under four yards per carry for the first time in five seasons, too. It was too easy to rely on Jacoby Brissett and Ryan Finley over the stretch, but the backs are in place – and there’s going to be more running from the quarterbacks – to add some explosion to go along with more consistency.
Biggest Key To The NC State Defense
It would be nice if the pass defense could keep quarterbacks under wraps. The pass rush, as always, will be there. The Wolfpack have come up with 30 sacks or more in each of the last five seasons, but the secondary got hit hard during the first part of last year. To be fair, teams were throwing to try keeping up, but State allowed 200 yards or more nine times in the first 11 games, getting ripped apart for over 400 yards by Syracuse and Florida State along the way.
Key Player To A Successful Season
QB Matt McKay, Soph.
Florida State transfer Bailey Hockman is an interesting option, and redshirt freshman Devin Leary is eventually going to be a factor for the program, but it was McKay who stepped up and looked the part this spring. The 6-4, 210-pounder isn’t going to throw like Ryan Finley did, but he’ll add another dimension to the attack with his mobility and running skills. The passing side came together this offseason, but with his speed, the issues with the team’s overall running game production should go away … if he’s the starter.
Key Game To The NC State Season
at Florida State, Sept. 28
Of course the November 9th game against Clemson is a big deal, but getting there with that game mattering is the big key. NC State has managed to do a nice job of remaining relevant midway through seasons. This year, if the Pack can beat West Virginia on the road, they should be 4-0 going into the ACC opener against a Florida State team that really, really, really needs a hot start, especially at home. Beat the Noles, and NC State should be sky-high going into an off-week to prepare for Syracuse.
– NC State Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 NC State Fun Stats
– Sacks: NC State 35 for 197 yards – Opponents 11 for 72 yards
– Time of Possession: NC State 33:07 – Opponents 26:53
– Penalties: Opponents 89 for 698 yards – NC State 60 for 581 yards
NEXT: WHAT WILL HAPPEN
1. NC STATE WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
NC State has a manageable schedule and a talented team to make a whole lot of noise, but once again, it’ll be very good, and then just misfire enough to be just outside of the ACC elite of the elite.
It’s not going beat Clemson for the Atlantic title.
Dave Doeren and staff have done a wonderful job over the years of keeping things moving despite the loss of key parts, and the school has managed to keep the continuity in place by signing its in-demand head man on until 2023. But there are way, way too many moving parts to this year’s team to expect a whole lot more than eight wins.
The offensive line has to come together fast. QB Ryan Finley was a special talent, the top two receivers are gone, the leading rusher is done, the defensive front six needs to make a few big replacements, and …
NC State will be very good again. But the rest of the ACC will be solid, too, meaning …
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 8
On the plus side, Clemson has to come to Raleigh, and the non-conference schedule is a layup if the Pack can get out of a trip to West Virginia with a win. But that’s asking a lot to win both of those games.
Going to Florida State, Boston College, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech might not seem all that daunting, but those four are going to be restaurant quality teams that will all likely go bowling. There are just enough landmines along the way to keep this from being the year the Pack breaks through and wins the ACC title.
However, this is a talented young team loaded with underclassmen. This will be a good year. 2020 should be fantastic.
https://collegefootballnews.com/2019/04/nc-state-football-preview-prediction-players-2019
2018 Record: 9-4 overall, 5-3 in ACC
Head Coach: Dave Doeren, 7th year: 43-34
5. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NC STATE OFFENSE
– The balance has to return. It was way too easy to rely on QB Ryan Finley and the passing game last season – and it worked. The offense was great at keeping drives going, the passing attack averaged over 300 yards per game, and its star was able to control things. But the ground game suffered, and now there’s going to be more work for the backs until the new parts of the passing game are ready.
– Finley is gone, but the quarterback options are promising. Sophomore Matt McKay stepped up in spring ball, but there are others in the mix – they’ll all be okay at worst. Losing top targets Kelvin Harmon and Jakobi Meyers hurts, but Emeka Emezie leads a promising young corps with enough talent to be fine as long as the quarterback play is solid.
– The big losses at the skill spots shouldn’t be that big a deal, but the guys on the line will be tougher to replace. Garrett Bradbury was a star center for a front five that has to replace three starters. The pass protection was special last season – Finley and the offensive scheme had a lot to do with that – but as long as the line is pounding away for the ground game early on, it’ll be doing its job. Losing RB Reggie Gallaspy and his 18 rushing scores doesn’t help, but Ricky Person leads a sound young group of backs. Remember the name Zonovan Knight.
NEXT: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE DEFENSE, TOP PLAYERS, KEYS TO THE SEASON, WHAT WILL HAPPEN
4. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE NC STATE DEFENSE
– NC State has turned into a factory for defensive linemen. The Pack was able to overcome the loss of Bradley Chubb, BJ Hill and others off the 2017 line and got a fantastic season out of the front four. This season, losing Darian Roseboro on the outside and Eurndraus Bryant on the inside isn’t a plus, but James Smith-Williams is a strong pass rushing end to work around. It’s NC State – it’ll be another good line.
– Leading tackler Germaine Pratt was the star of the defensive show, but he’s gone, and Isaiah Moore is a good linebacker in the 4-2-5 alignment. The line will have to handle the heavy lifting at getting into the backfield – Pratt tied for the team lead in sacks, too – but this group will pop.
– There might be players lost across the board, but the secondary gets back S Jarius Morehead and most of the key parts. However, the pass defense gave up over 260 yards per game and got hit way, way too hard by teams throwing the ball to keep up in shootouts. However, this group was terrific on third downs.
NEXT: TOP PLAYERS, KEYS TO THE SEASON, WHAT WILL HAPPEN
3. TOP NC STATE PLAYERS
Best NC State Offensive Player
WR Emeka Emezie, Jr.
The Wolfpack could use a new No. 1 target to emerge, and Emezie appears to be it. The 6-3, 208-pounder has the NFL body, the good speed, and the toughness to beat up defensive backs for the ball, He caught 53 passes for 616 yards and five touchdowns – averaging close to 12 yards per catch – and now get ready for him to emerge as more of a big play deep threat.
2. RB Ricky Person, Soph.
3. PK Christopher Dunn, Soph.
4. QB Matt McKay, Soph.
5. RB Zonovan Knight, Fr.
Best NC State Defensive Player
S Jarius Morehead, Sr.
On a defense that needs as many steady leaders and playmakers as possible to go along with all of the young talent, Morehead is the star to work around. The 6-1, 220-pounder finished second on the team with 81 tackles to go along with a team-high three picks. At his size he’s a killer against the run, but it’s his experience that makes him the quarterback of the secondary.
2. DE James Smith-Williams, Sr.
3. LB Isaiah Moore, Soph.
4. CB Nick McCloud, Sr.
5. S Tanner Ingle, Soph.
NEXT: KEYS TO THE SEASON, PREDICTION & WHAT WILL HAPPEN
2. KEYS TO THE SEASON
Biggest Key To The NC State Offense
Find more of a consistent running game again. NC State has relied on the passing attack under head man Dave Doeren, but last year was the first time the program finished with fewer than 2,000 yards on the ground since 2013. Even worse, the Pack averaged under four yards per carry for the first time in five seasons, too. It was too easy to rely on Jacoby Brissett and Ryan Finley over the stretch, but the backs are in place – and there’s going to be more running from the quarterbacks – to add some explosion to go along with more consistency.
Biggest Key To The NC State Defense
It would be nice if the pass defense could keep quarterbacks under wraps. The pass rush, as always, will be there. The Wolfpack have come up with 30 sacks or more in each of the last five seasons, but the secondary got hit hard during the first part of last year. To be fair, teams were throwing to try keeping up, but State allowed 200 yards or more nine times in the first 11 games, getting ripped apart for over 400 yards by Syracuse and Florida State along the way.
Key Player To A Successful Season
QB Matt McKay, Soph.
Florida State transfer Bailey Hockman is an interesting option, and redshirt freshman Devin Leary is eventually going to be a factor for the program, but it was McKay who stepped up and looked the part this spring. The 6-4, 210-pounder isn’t going to throw like Ryan Finley did, but he’ll add another dimension to the attack with his mobility and running skills. The passing side came together this offseason, but with his speed, the issues with the team’s overall running game production should go away … if he’s the starter.
Key Game To The NC State Season
at Florida State, Sept. 28
Of course the November 9th game against Clemson is a big deal, but getting there with that game mattering is the big key. NC State has managed to do a nice job of remaining relevant midway through seasons. This year, if the Pack can beat West Virginia on the road, they should be 4-0 going into the ACC opener against a Florida State team that really, really, really needs a hot start, especially at home. Beat the Noles, and NC State should be sky-high going into an off-week to prepare for Syracuse.
– NC State Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2018 NC State Fun Stats
– Sacks: NC State 35 for 197 yards – Opponents 11 for 72 yards
– Time of Possession: NC State 33:07 – Opponents 26:53
– Penalties: Opponents 89 for 698 yards – NC State 60 for 581 yards
NEXT: WHAT WILL HAPPEN
1. NC STATE WIN TOTAL PREDICTION: WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN
NC State has a manageable schedule and a talented team to make a whole lot of noise, but once again, it’ll be very good, and then just misfire enough to be just outside of the ACC elite of the elite.
It’s not going beat Clemson for the Atlantic title.
Dave Doeren and staff have done a wonderful job over the years of keeping things moving despite the loss of key parts, and the school has managed to keep the continuity in place by signing its in-demand head man on until 2023. But there are way, way too many moving parts to this year’s team to expect a whole lot more than eight wins.
The offensive line has to come together fast. QB Ryan Finley was a special talent, the top two receivers are gone, the leading rusher is done, the defensive front six needs to make a few big replacements, and …
NC State will be very good again. But the rest of the ACC will be solid, too, meaning …
Set The Regular Season Win Total At … 8
On the plus side, Clemson has to come to Raleigh, and the non-conference schedule is a layup if the Pack can get out of a trip to West Virginia with a win. But that’s asking a lot to win both of those games.
Going to Florida State, Boston College, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech might not seem all that daunting, but those four are going to be restaurant quality teams that will all likely go bowling. There are just enough landmines along the way to keep this from being the year the Pack breaks through and wins the ACC title.
However, this is a talented young team loaded with underclassmen. This will be a good year. 2020 should be fantastic.
https://collegefootballnews.com/2019/04/nc-state-football-preview-prediction-players-2019
