After the defensive struggles at Clemson, NC State knows opponents will pounce on weaknesses
There are no new ideas in football.
Ted Roof understands this after 32 years as a college coach. After N.C. State’s defense couldn’t control Clemson’s passing game, Roof doesn’t need to guess what’s coming next against Syracuse this Saturday or the rest of the opponents on the schedule.
“If you don’t fix what you put on tape, it repeats itself,” said Roof, who is in his first season as N.C. State’s co-defensive coordinator. “If the other team sees something that works, it’s going to show up again and keep showing up until you prove you can stop it.”
The 380 passing yards in the 41-7 loss to Clemson last Saturday were the most N.C. State’s improved defense had allowed this season and the most in a 14-game span. The last team to throw for that many yards against the Wolfpack defense? Syracuse last year (385) in a 33-25 loss to the Wolfpack in Raleigh.
Eric Dungey was 30 of 47 for 385 yards, with a touchdown and one interception, for Syracuse last year against the Wolfpack. Both Dungey, a senior, and freshman Tommy DeVito, who led the Orange to a comeback win over North Carolina last week, are expected to play quarterback this week.
Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence was spectacular at times in completing 26 of 39 passes for 308 yards (his backup, Chase Brice added 72 yards) but mostly the freshman quarterback just took what N.C. State’s defense was willing to go give him. In the first half, 16 of Lawrence’s 21 completions were on under or out routes.
With N.C. State’s defensive backs playing off the ball, there was room to work. Clemson took advantage of that.
“We weren’t doing our jobs at all times,” safety Jarius Morehead said. “We didn’t play like we expected to play but we can fix that.”
Fixing problems
There were some alignment issues, defensive end James Smith-Williams said. When Clemson jumped out to an early lead, the defense tried to get everything back in one play.
“Execution was a big thing,” Smith-Williams said. “Just not running the right plays, the right calls (and) getting caught up in the moment.”
The best way to fix the problems from the Clemson game, Roof said, is to be honest with the players.
“You can never go wrong by telling the truth,” Roof said. “The truth is what’s on tape and we’ve got to do better.”
Wolfpack struggled
Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said he has been encouraged by how the players have responded since the Clemson loss.
“They were great about it,” Doeren said. “We said that we’re at the halfway point of the season and we’re 5-1. Now we’ve got six games we’ve got to focus on one at a time and get back into it. We have to forget about what happened, learn from it and move on.”
Little went right for the Wolfpack, on offense or defense, in the Clemson loss. The Tigers scored the most points and yards (471) N.C. State has allowed this season and the most in both categories since a 54-13 loss to Louisville in 2016.
On offense, quarterback Ryan Finley struggled (21-34, 156 yards, three turnovers) and their lowest scoring output since being shutout at Clemson in 2014.
“I’m sure they’re not happy with their performance (at Clemson) and they want to take it out on somebody,” Syracuse coach Dino Babers said. “We’ve got to work really hard in our house to make sure they don’t take it out on us.”