NC State, Duke report cards: Some good grades, especially for Pack; some low marks, too
This game could have gone either way, with Duke getting off to a strong start and N.C. State slowly wearing the Blue Devils down in the second half. It was a resilient 31-20 win for the Wolfpack, which lost quarterback Devin Leary in the third quarter. Duke’s 1-5 and headed in the wrong direction with 22 turnovers in six games, and coach David Cutcliffe has work to do.
N.C. STATE
Passing offense
B+ Leary was cooking before leaving the game with what looked like a potentially serious leg injury, although he was able to return to the sideline in a walking boot. He was at his best on the third-quarter drive that put N.C. State up by one, with explosive plays to Bam Knight and Emeka Emezie before a short touchdown pass to Cary Angeline. Leary’s first-half interception wasn’t his fault; C.J. Riley fell down after his feet got tangled with Duke’s Jeremiah Lewis. Thayer Thomas had the highlight catch of the year, pinning a deflected Bailey Hockman pass against his helmet with his right hand for a touchdown.
Rushing offense
C- Duke’s defensive line did a solid job against a running game that has been a strength for the Wolfpack this season. Ricky Person had 84 yards on 15 carries but more than a third came on one run in the first quarter. Knight fumbled early and was more or less a nonfactor after that. N.C. State had only four turnovers in four games coming in but fumbled twice, one by Leary, one by Knight.
Passing defense
A- The Wolfpack forced a pair of interceptions and kept a lid on Chase Brice. His longest completion went for 18 yards and Payton Wilson made him pay for a bad decision over the middle in the red zone for his first of two interceptions on the day. Kept Duke off the board in the second half with the Blue Devils playing from behind.
Rushing defense
A The Wolfpack mounted yet another goal-line stand, this time at a critical juncture of the third quarter, stopping Deon Jackson on three straight plays, the last one from the 1-yard-line. Duke couldn’t get anything going in the running game all day; its best runs were quarterback keepers.
Special teams
C Immediately after N.C. State let Isaiah Fisher-Smith get through the line to block a punt for a touchdown, an illegal block by Max Fisher on the ensuing kickoff wiped out what would have been a good return. The Wolfpack also extended a Duke drive by running into the punter, but got a blocked punt for a touchdown of its own, Vi Jones’ second block in as many weeks.
Coaching
C- Dave Doeren gets credit for rallying his team after a slow start and again after losing Leary, but he has to do something about all the dumb penalties. This was N.C. State’s third straight game with a targeting ejection. Two penalties led to first downs on the same seven-minute Duke touchdown drive and another pair of penalties allowed Duke to kick a field goal at the end of the half. Where’s Chuck Amato to screech “Discipline!” at people?
DUKE
Passing offense
D- Brice threw interceptions No. 9, 10 and 11 of the season, the first a bad decision to throw over the middle at the goal line, the second when he was hit while throwing, the third deeper over the middle with Duke down a score in the fourth quarter. Still a heavy emphasis on the tight ends, with the receivers mostly forgotten again. Jake Bobo did have a nice sequence, dodging tackles on a short touchdown to make it 17-7 after a leaping catch on the sideline.
Rushing offense
D Brice certainly didn’t shy away from contact, lowering his shoulder time and time again, which was good for Duke because he was the only option able to run the ball with any regularity, whether scrambling or on designed runs. Jackson and Mateo Durant averaged a paltry 1.6 yards per carry.
Passing defense
C Let Leary get going in the third quarter before Lummie Young IV’s dirty hit on a sliding Leary that knocked him out of the game. Jalen Alexander should have had a pick in the end zone, but the ball went through his hands and ended up pinned against Thomas’ helmet for a touchdown. The pass rush was effective and consistent.
Rushing defense
B Did a nice job keeping Person and Knight in check, holding N.C. State to 118 yards on the ground and very few big plays. Made a big third-down stop on Person in the fourth quarter. Effective enough.
Special teams
B- Had the blocked punt for a touchdown for Duke’s opening score but gave it back at the end of the first half with a protection error. Charlie Ham hit a pair of field goals — one from 46 yard — but missed from 45 with 72 seconds to go trying to get the Blue Devils within a touchdown.
Coaching
D With Brice continuing to struggle, it remains curious how the Manning Whisperer doesn’t have a full stable of quarterbacks groomed and ready to play, leaving the Blue Devils to rely on a Clemson transfer who clearly has not yet picked up the offense or found any chemistry with his receivers. This was a winnable game; Cutcliffe’s decision to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1 with the lead in the third instead of taking the points and making it a two-score game was an interesting one.
