NC State football report card: Notre Dame

NC State lost 45-24 to No. 10 Notre Dame Saturday afternoon — the program’s second-consecutive setback at home dating back to the 2022 season. The Wolfpack now stands 1-1 on the year heading into a FCS showdown with VMI.

Quarterback Brennan Armstrong threw 3 interceptions but also accounted for 3 touchdowns. The Wolfpack averaged 2.8 yards per rush and gave up 134 yards on the ground to Notre Dame star Audric Estime. NC State kept the game within one score until the Pack unraveled in the fourth quarter.

After avoiding turnovers, staying nearly penalty-free and racking up more than 200 yards rushing against UConn, the Pack saw its matchup with the Fighting Irish come pretty close to a complete opposite performance.

NC State offense grade

Grade — C-
Previous week’s grade: B-

NC State scored the same number of points against a better opponent this week, but the Pack received a lower grade thanks to a series of turnovers, penalties and a subpar rushing attack. The Wolfpack ended the loss with 84 rushing yards, 3 picks, a few critical drops and 8 penalties for 54 yards.

Senior running back Jordan Houston and Armstrong each rushed for 26 yards to lead the team. NC State’s offensive line got an impressive push on a couple of short-yardage situations, which was encouraging to see against a talented Notre Dame front, but the team never built any rhythm on the ground Saturday.

Through the air, Armstrong completed 47 percent of his passes for 260 yards on 47 throws. Two of his interceptions were poor decisions by the veteran signal-caller, but one deflected off freshman wide receiver Kevin Concepcion’s hands.

Drops were once again an issue for NC State, with senior Porter Rooks and graduate student Bradley Rozner each failing to secure passes that hit their hands. With that said, the Pack generated a few more explosive plays this week. Senior Keyon Lesane made an impressive diving grab on a deep pass, Concepcion led the team in receptions and freshman Juice Vereen averaged 16.3 yards per catch.

Rozner and Dacari Collins also scored touchdowns for the Pack. There were several series, especially post-rain delay, where most of the pass catchers on the field were first-year members of the Pack. The running game left a lot to be desired, but the building blocks are there for an above-average passing attack this year.

NC State defense grade

Grade — C
Previous week’s grade: B

Like head coach Dave Doeren said in the post-game press conference, the defense continued to allow too many explosive plays Saturday, so the unit gets docked a letter grade here as a result. NC State started the game really well. The Pack showed off a pass-rushing wrinkle early on where Davin Vann slid inside to nose tackle and Red Hibbler filled his spot. That led to an early sack and fumble by Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman. Vann went into the weather delay with 2 sacks.

Coming out of the break, the Pack immediately gave up a massive 80-yard rushing touchdown on a look that Payton Wilson, who finished the game with 14 tackles, said the Pack was not prepared for. The Wolfpack defense is far more volatile than last year’s unit so far. It shows flashes of dominance, but, when things go wrong, they unravel in a major way.

Notre Dame’s first three touchdown drives took a total of 7 plays. Most of the Irish’s points after that were the result of short fields following Pack turnovers, and the defense was on the field for more than half an hour of game time. For those reasons, NC State ends Week 2 with an average grade despite giving up 45 points.

NC State special teams grade

Grade — B-
Previous week’s grade: A-

Kicker Brayden Narveson’s missed 34-yard field goal late in the third quarter was one of the game-changing moments of Saturday’s matchup. The Pack had just scored a touchdown and forced a turnover but ended that drive with no points, and the Irish went on a scoring run from there. Narveson also nailed an impressive 49-yard kick, so it was a mixed bag overall for the graduate student.

Punter Caden Noonkester boomed 4 of his 6 punts inside the Notre Dame 20-yard line, remaining poised despite some pressure from the Irish early in the game. Jalen Coit looked solid at punt returner, returning 4 attempts 41 yards. Julian Gray led the Pack in all-purpose offense thanks to 52 kick return yards. He fumbled on a kickoff return late in the first half, but NC State recovered.