NC State football report card: Duke

During NC State football’s prior two losses this season, it always felt like the Wolfpack had a shot to win the game. Even during a 45-24 setback against Notre Dame, the team kept the matchup within one score late in the third quarter. Then, the Pack’s showdown with Louisville came down to the final possession.

NC State never really posed a significant challenge to Duke Saturday night. The Wolfpack scored 3 points on its first possession before punting 6 times and turning the ball over on downs on 3 occasions. During the 24-3 loss, the Blue Devils outplayed NC State on both sides of the ball.

Whether that boils down to skill, toughness, coaching or something else, it was clear that Duke occupies a space in the ACC that is well above the current trajectory of this Wolfpack team. This week’s report card breaks down the disappointing defeat.

NC State offense grade vs. Duke

Grade— F

NC State receives an F on offense for the second time this season. The Wolfpack scored 48 points last week against a top-25 Marshall defense. It found no such success against the Blue Devils, scoring its lowest point total Saturday. Duke refused to beat itself and allowed NC State to consistently move into its own way.

By the end of the first quarter, the Wolfpack recorded 6 penalties for 50 yards. NC State went three-and-out on just three possessions Saturday and actually did sustain a few drives into Duke territory. Every single productive drive stalled near midfield. The offense took 1 snap in the red zone— a garbage time play at the Duke 20-yard line that ended in a sack for sophomore quarterback MJ Morris.

The offensive line struggled mightily, committing six of NC State’s eight offensive penalties that ranged from three false starts to a personal foul for tripping. Duke’s experienced defensive front completely demolished the Pack’s protection and sacked Morris 4 times.

NC State’s rushing attack reverted to a reliance on the quarterback. Morris is a pass-first signal-caller, but he recorded 14 rushing attempts for 38 yards Saturday, which led the team. The Pack averaged 3.7 yard per carry.

Through the air, the story remained the same aside from 96 total yards for Kevin Concepcion. Receivers dropped passes, Morris threw a bad interception when he missed the defender waiting to pick the ball off and, despite separation on multiple deep routes, NC State could not connect on much-needed explosive plays.

This was a historically poor effort for a Wolfpack offense that finally showed some positive signs of life last week against Marshall. NC State posted its lowest scoring total since a shutout loss to Clemson in 2014. Against another Power Five opponent, though, NC State’s attack reaffirmed its current status as a struggling unit and failed to score more than 10 points for the second time in ACC play.

Defense grade

Grade— D+

Duke came into Saturday’s game with a focused game plan centered around minimizing mistakes without star quarterback Riley Leonard. Henry Belin IV completed 4 passes against the Pack, all in the first half, for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns.

A total of 6 Blue Devils carried the ball or caught a pass against NC State. Duke’s staff deployed a game plan focused around getting the ball in the hands of a few select playmakers, and the team executed it extremely well. Senior running back Jordan Waters carried the ball 13 times for 123 yards.

The Wolfpack helped them out with a few critical mistakes. On a 69-yard, first-quarter touchdown pass, cornerback Renté Hinton bit on a double move. Later in the game, NC State misplayed its gaps and allowed a massive 83-yard touchdown run by Waters. Duke ran just 42 plays, but that’s all it needed to control this contest.

Graduate student linebacker Payton Wilson finished with 11 tackles, redshirt junior cornerback Shyheim Battle picked off a pass, broke up another and the Wolfpack recorded 5 tackles for loss. This Pack’s defense is at its best in pass rushing situations, but the Blue Devils’ run-focused approach prevented the unit from playing to its strengths.

Special teams grade

Grade— A

Brayden Narveson saved NC State from a shutout on the first drive. After the Pack forced a turnover but picked up 0 yards on the drive, the graduate student kicker nailed a Wolfpack record 57-yard field goal.

Redshirt sophomore punter Caden Noonkester bounced back from his first career shank last week and booted 6 punts for an average of 41.2 yards, pinning 4 of his attempts inside the 20 yard line. Redshirt sophomore returners Julian Gray and Jalen Coit did not play huge roles in this contest. Gray ran back 2 kickoffs for an average of 20 yards, and Coit recorded 1 punt for 0 yards.