NC State report card: Running backs get a high grade. Rushing defense does not.
N.C. State got off to a terrible start and then things somehow got worse in the second half when safety Khalid Martin was taken off the field by ambulance with what the university said was a hip injury. All the good feelings of the opening win over Wake Forest were long gone by then, as the can’t-stand-prosperity Wolfpack crumbled to an all-too-predictable 45-24 defeat, failing to take advantage of an opponent roster ravaged by contact tracing and quarantines.
Passing offense
D Bailey Hockman, last week’s surprise starter over quarantine-slowed Devin Leary, started 1-for-6 with a pick. He threw another early in the second half when the Wolfpack was trying to chip away at Virginia Tech’s lead. Devin Leary started warming up at that point but didn’t get in the game until later, when he threw a touchdown on his fifth attempt after converting a 4th-and-eight. Too little, too late. N.C. State’s offensive line was never able to consistently protect either quarterback.
Rushing offense
B+ It took the Wolfpack a few drives to get in gear but Ricky Person got N.C. State on the board in the second quarter once Bam Knight was able to get through the line a couple times. Both backs continue to be effective but the Wolfpack got behind schedule — and behind on the scoreboard — too often to take advantage.
Passing defense
D Virginia Tech lost its starting quarterback to COVID before the game and its backup to a hand cramp in the second quarter. Third-stringer Quincy Patterson, known as a runner, came in cold and went 4-for-4 with two touchdowns to give Virginia Tech a 21-point halftime lead. The Hokies’ two understudy quarterbacks completed 65 percent of their passes.
Rushing defense
F The Hokies got off to a fast start and it didn’t get much better for the Wolfpack. Virginia Tech piled up 108 rushing yards on its first three drives, leading to a total of 17 points thanks to a 37-yard Khalil Herbert touchdown run and an 8-yard Raheem Blackshear TD. The Hokies averaged almost eight yards per carry.
Special teams
B Thayer Thomas’ 21-yard punt return in the second quarter set up N.C. State’s opening touchdown. Kicker Christopher Dunn and punter Trenton Gill were both solid when called upon.
Coaching
C- You’d think N.C. State was the team missing all the players or playing its first game. For all the progress N.C. State showed in the opener, this was the kind of Dave Doeren disappointment seen too often in his tenure, a failure to take advantage of an opportunity against what’s probably a more talented team but one missing 23 players and two coaches because of COVID issues. This one may come back to haunt the Wolfpack.
This story was originally published September 27, 2020 at 12:27 AM.
