NC State quarterback Ryan Finley has little to say about that 2016 loss at Clemson

N.C. State quarterback Ryan Finley doesn’t want to talk about it.

Not the Pack’s last game at Clemson, in 2016. Not the way it ended, with a loss in overtime, a football gut punch.

After the Wolfpack finished off Boston College 28-23 on Oct. 6, going to 5-0 this season, Finley was asked about the next game -- at third-ranked Clemson, in Death Valley, this Saturday.

“It’s exciting to go back down there,” Finley said. “It’s an awesome place to play. We’re excited about it.”

But the way the 2016 game ended at Clemson, such a tough loss ...

“I think they’re all pretty tough,” Finley said.

But that one ...

“Obviously Clemson is one we’ve got circled and we’re excited to go over there and play.”

Missed field goal

Finley clearly wasn’t up for any kind of flashback to 2016, but here’s a refresher: The Wolfpack did everything but win at Clemson, against a team that would win the national championship game against Alabama. The Pack was in position for a walk-off victory until placekicker Kyle Bambard was wide-right on a 33-yard field goal attempt at the end of regulation, an excruciating miss.

But that’s not the way the game ended. It ended in overtime, after Clemson had scored on its possession for a 24-17 lead.

Finley tried to connect with wide receiver Bra’Lon Cherry in the end zone but the pass was underthrown, allowing the Tigers’ Marcus Edmond to turn and come up with the game-clinching interception.

Finley has had a lot of success since coming to N.C. State and has a 21-10 record as a starter -- NCSU sports information referred to him as “Winley” in the Pack’s weekly notes. It was noted that his .677 winning percentage is higher than, say, that of Philip Rivers or Russell Wilson when they were at N.C. State.

But Finley is 0-2 against Clemson and 21-8 against the rest. The Pack had Clemson at Carter-Finley Stadium last year but lost 38-31, the Tigers sealing that victory when K’Von Wallace picked off a fourth-down throw by Finley inside the Clemson 10 in the final seconds.

Wolfpack running back Reggie Gallaspy, a senior, has no problem saying what Finley would not about the 2016 game at Clemson.

“It was one of our toughest losses,” Gallaspy said. “We were in the building process then and continuing to build the foundation to where we are now.”

Dabo Swinney

Despite the loss to Clemson last season, the Pack would finish 6-2 in the ACC and 9-4 overall after a Sun Bowl victory over Arizona State. The Wolfpack will go into Saturday’s game ranked 16th nationally -- N.C. State was 20th against Clemson a year ago -- and with a 2-0 ACC record, having beaten Virginia and then Boston College.

“I think it’s the most important game on our schedule,” Finley said, “just because it’s the next one.”

Finley was a bit more chatty about the Clemson game in July, at the ACC Football Kickoff in Charlotte.

He talked about Clemson coach Dabo Swinney -- “What he has done there is special.”

He talked of how to approach a game against Clemson -- “You need to play mistake-free football when you play them.”

He talked about the crowd noise in Memorial Stadium -- “Probably the loudest game I’ve ever played in my career, a really fun experience.”

Finley also talked about the need to turn good plays into better plays, and especially on third down -- N.C. State is the FBS leader in third-down conversions this season at 60.9 percent (42 of 69).

Finley has completed 37 of 54 passes on the third down and 33 have resulted in a first down, and he also has picked up a first down on all four of his third-down runs. It helps that the Pack has not given up a sack on third down.

“Third-down conversions are what win football games, when you get down to it,” Finley said. “Staying on the field.”

The Pack converted seven of 15 third-down plays against Clemson in 2016, finishing with 397 yards of offense. A year ago, N.C. State was 3-of-13 on third downs but had 27 first downs and 491 yards of offense in the game -- Finley was 31-of-50 passing for 338 yards.

And this year, back in Death Valley? A time to atone for that 2016 loss, or for both losses to the Tigers?

“They’re a good team,” Finley said. “We’re excited to play them. We’re going to give them everything we’ve got.”

This story was originally published October 15, 2018 at 4:24 PM.