UNC was just more physical than NC State football -- in every part of the game
The last time N.C. State paid a visit to Kenan Stadium, it ended with a fight in the end zone.
In their latest trip to Chapel Hill there wasn’t a fight, but the Tar Heels were definitely throwing hay makers early and often. By the third quarter it was clear that No. 14 UNC was tougher this particular day, the more physical team from start to finish in their 48-21 win over the No. 23 Wolfpack.
The Tar Heels (4-1, 4-1) rushed for 326 yards and amassed 578 yards for the game. The Wolfpack (4-2, 4-2) established a solid ground game during its three-game streak, but only managed to gain 34 on Saturday.
It didn’t help that N.C. State didn’t have quarterback Devin Leary and at one point relied on freshman Ben Finley. It also didn’t help much that running back Ricky Person went down with a concussion in the first quarter. It’s really not clear if it would have mattered.
North Carolina, especially on offense, was more physical; finishing runs, finishing blocks, taking the fight to the Wolfpack and not letting up.
“Carolina’s backs ran hard, we did not tackle well,” N.C. State head coach Dave Doeren said. “So there’s a lot of things we have to work on. A lot of things.”
UNC’s Javonte Williams and Michael Carter combined for 280 yards on the ground. Williams did much of the damage, finishing with 160 yards and three touchdowns. At times, the 5-10, 220 pound junior tore through the N.C. State defense like tissue paper. It was rare that one player tackled Williams alone. At times it took up to three players. The Wolfpack run defense had been above average in wins over Pittsburgh, Virginia and Duke. Against UNC it looked more like the unit fans saw against Virginia Tech in week two. The Hokies ran free, the Tar Heels, though, ran through N.C. State.
More times than not, Wolfpack defenders were in position to make the play, but Williams and Carter had other plans.
“There were some plays in the first half where I felt like we just didn’t get off blocks,” Doeren said. “We had guys in the right spots and didn’t get off blocks. Doesn’t matter what you call, if you have unblocked players at the ball and they miss tackles, it’s not going to be a good defense. You have to make tackles.”
Doeren said the lack of run defense was “disappointing.” Middle linebacker Isaiah Moore was slightly more direct.
“They just outplayed us,” Moore said. “No excuses, no scheme. We have to tackle and get them to the ground and we didn’t do that today.”
The signature drive of the game for UNC came midway through the third quarter. After a punt from Finley pinned Carolina at its own one, the Tar Heels easily drove 99 yards for the score, putting them ahead 30-7 with 3:11 remaining.
UNC ran the ball seven times on the 11-play drive, which ended with Williams scoring from the one. Williams got the Tar Heels out of trouble from the one, with a gain of 24 on his first touch of the series. Williams had 36 yards rushing on that scoring drive. N.C. State had 34 yards rushing for the game. The Wolfpack came into the game averaging 151.4 yards on the ground.
N.C. State running back Zonovan Knight stated the obvious.
“They were just more physical than us up front,” Knight admitted. “I kind of was shocked. On film they didn’t look that physical. In person they didn’t look more physical, they were just playing more physical than us.”
That’s a tough pill to swallow for a team that prides itself on being a tough, hand in the dirt program. But Moore, one of the captains, said all the guys were honest with themselves and had to confirm what everyone saw on the field.
“We’re all about telling the truth,” Moore said. “Everyone in that locker room knows they outplayed us. We have to learn from this. We have to come out and be prepared to play physical football every day of the week and we didn’t do that today.”
After the Wolfpack fell behind by 14, N.C. State entered Finley and for the first time all day the team looked alive. Finley did toss a pair of interceptions, but he also threw the first touchdown of his career — to Emeka Emezie — in the second quarter.
Coming into the game without Leary, Doeren said the plan all along was to get Finley some snaps. The rookie looked good at first, then showed his youth.
“I thought Ben went in and kind of sparked us,” Doeren said. “Our plan was to play him in one series. He came in and sparked us, then his inexperienced showed up.”
The Wolfpack played behind all day, even reinserting Bailey Hockman in the second half. By that time the game was getting out of hand, but Carolina was getting stronger and stronger.
“Like I told them in the locker room, if you don’t stop the run and turn the football over, it’s a really hard day,” Doeren said. “That’s what happened today.”
Finley gives spark
Finley finished with 143 yards passing in spot duty. Hockman returned in the second half and drew praise from Doeren for his performance.
His first drive ended in an interception that should have been a touchdown catch by Dylan Parham.
“He gave us the spark that we needed,” center Grant Gibson said about Finley. “I thought that he played well.”
Hockman finished with 215 yards through the air and a late touchdown to freshman Anthony Smith. It was a good boost heading into the bye week and moving forward. Even with Finley looking the part against UNC, Doeren knows he will need both quarterbacks.
Much needed rest for Wolfpack
The bye week could not have come at a better time for N.C. State.
The Wolfpack need to get some healthy bodies back, mainly safety Tanner Ingle, and regroup after a second-straight blowout loss to the Tar Heels.
N.C. State returns home in two weeks against Miami, another ranked opponent. Heading into the break at 4-2, down its starting quarterback, the Wolfpack will welcome the time off.
“It’s critical,” Doeren said. “We need to get healthy, playing six straight, it takes a toll on you.”
The Wolfpack will play five of the remaining six games on the schedule at home, and if they correct the wrongs from the 4-2 start, could have a strong finish to the season. The beat down they just suffered in Kenan Stadium will be a starting point to get better.
Knight said the team needs to find some consistency across the board. Gibson said it all starts with working on things in house first.
“We need to fix a lot of things,” Gibson said. “In this bye week we are going to take a look at ourselves and bounce back.”
This story was originally published October 24, 2020 at 5:33 PM.
