NC State football quick hits from loss to Louisville

Here are quick hits and notes from NC State football’s 25-10 home loss to Louisville. The game was played in front of 38,974 fans at Cardinal Stadium on a cold Saturday afternoon, with game temperatures below 40 and a 15 miles per hour wind blowing.

Column: NC State football facing long odds with shorthanded offense

The Injury Bug Bites NC State Football Again

The list of players out for Saturday’s game:

• Preseason ACC Player of the Year and fifth-year redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary

• True freshman quarterback MJ Morris, who had replaced Leary after original backup Jack Chambers was ineffective

• Sophomore running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye, the leading rusher through the first half of the year before being sidelined

• Fifth-year redshirt junior receiver Devin Carter, who was being counted upon to be a leading receiver this season

• Fifth-year redshirt junior tight end Trent Pennix, a difficult matchup for defenses but unable to be on the field much this season with a shoulder injury

• Super senior center Grant Gibson, the heart and soul of the offensive line and an All-ACC candidate

• Fourth-year junior defensive end Savion Jackson, a two-year starter at the position

• Fifth-year redshirt junior linebacker Payton Wilson, an All-ACC caliber performer

• Super senior nickel Tyler Baker-Williams, arguably NC State’s best defensive player this season before getting hurt

That’s a key performer at just about every level of the team: quarterback, running back, receiver/tight end, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker and secondary.

Fourth Down And Short Struggles Continues

NC State squeaked out a 21-20 win over East Carolina on the road, a game that came down to the last kick, partially because the Pack was unable to punch the football into the end zone on fourth and goal from the 1-yard line. NC State tried to run straight up the middle with Sumo-Karngbaye and was denied.

In the 21-20 loss to Boston College in Raleigh, NC State once again tried on fourth and goal from the 1-yard line and was stopped for no gain on a designed QB draw from the shot gun by Morris, a play that would prove to loom large in the final outcome.

In this game, trailing 16-10 early in the fourth quarter, Doeren chose to try on fourth and less than a yard at the NC State 45-yard line. Instead of a run up the middle or a potential quarterback sneak, the Pack tried a different tactic, a toss outside to true freshman running back Michael Allen. However, he was tripped up from behind for no gain.

Doeren explained in his postgame press conference how NC State barely getting a first down on a QB sneak on a third down and similar distance earlier in the game influenced the play call.

“They came up earlier and had their whole defense in there for a sneak when we sneaked it,” Doeren noted. “I thought we’d be able to toss it and get around the edge and get a big play there and didn’t get it done.”

“I thought if we went heavy personnel and got under center, they’d do the same thing, and we’d toss it and run around the edge,” Doeren later added.

Tough Game For Special Teams

For the first time this season, NC State special teams, which was rated by Pro Football Focus (PFF) going into the weekend as the No. 3 unit in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), gave up a kickoff return for a touchdown.

That was the first time since Mississippi State returned the opening kick for a score in the second week of last season.

NC State Football Freshman Watch

We will keep track of this list throughout the season to see who burns their redshirt from the 2022 recruiting class.

Receiver Terrell Timmons Jr. became the first NC State player to officially burn his redshirt. Quarterback MJ Morris joined him next, and on Saturday running back Michael Allen became the latest.

Defensive lineman Brandon Cleveland is knocking on the door after playing in a third straight game to reach four on the year.

If the participation chart is correct, cornerback Jackson Vick played in his first game this season.

Players can play up to 4 games to preserve a redshirt.

• Wide receiver Terrell Timmons Jr. — 7 games (Connecticut, Florida State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Boston College, Louisville)

• Running back Michael Allen — 5 games (Connecticut, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Boston College, Louisville)

• Quarterback MJ Morris — 5 games (Charleston Southern, Syracuse, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, Boston College)

• Defensive lineman Brandon Cleveland — 4 games (Connecticut, Wake Forest, Boston College, Louisville)

• Linebacker Daejuan Thompson – 2 games (Virginia Tech, Wake Forest)

• Defensive lineman Nick Campbell — 1 game (Connecticut)

• Cornerback Jackson Vick — 1 game (Boston College)

What The Loss Means

NC State football is 7-4 overall and 3-4 in the ACC, while Louisville improves to 7-4 and 4-4.

Louisville now leads the overall series 8-4 and is 5-1 against the Wolfpack at home.

NC State has lost back-to-back games for the first time since 2020. The Pack also falls to 1-3 on the road this year, the one win coming at East Carolina when the Pirates missed an extra point and field goal in the fourth quarter.