NC State to continue to emphasize ball security ahead of road trip to Cal

Immediately after NC State’s 24-17 loss to Syracuse this past weekend, where a minus-three turnover margin doomed the Wolfpack’s chances of a comeback victory, freshman quarterback CJ Bailey wore some of that blame. 

The signal-caller, who made just his third-career start for the Wolfpack, knew he had some growing to do in that department. 

“I gotta take care of the ball in the pocket,” said Bailey, who was 17-of-24 passing for 329 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. “We’ve got ball security drills and we still fumble the ball. Fumbling, that’s something that shouldn’t happen. Interceptions, that shouldn’t happen either. But the main thing is we have to take care of the ball.”

Bailey pointed out the obvious for the Wolfpack, which leads the ACC with 13 turnovers committed this season. It’s a growing point for the first-year starter, but the Pack as a team has thrown six total interceptions with seven lost fumbles. NC State has committed 13 total fumbles and it has put the ball on the ground multiple times in five of its first seven games this fall. 

NC State has traditionally been one of the best teams in turnover margin in the ACC — it boasted a plus-nine mark last season. That hasn’t translated this fall with just a minus-two margin through the first seven games. And Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren is not entirely sure what changed since the practice drills have been constant between the two seasons. 

“We’ve been one of the better teams in college football over the last four years at this and we haven’t changed what we’re doing,” Doeren said Monday. “The players have to do a better job at using the technique in a game.”

That comes down to how the Pack secures the football after the catch and as a running back goes down the field. It is also part of how the wideouts tuck the ball and when and where Bailey throws on a given play. 

Fumbles have been the most costly for the Pack this season. Sophomore running back Kendrick Raphael fumbled at the Syracuse 17-yard line this past weekend, while Bailey was hit from behind and coughed the ball up at the Orange 27 – a similar play happened at Clemson in a 59-35 Week 4 loss where the quarterback was sacked on the blindside and lost the ball. 

The Wolfpack’s seven lost fumbles this season are tied for the sixth-most in FBS football, one back of five teams that have conceded eight this fall. 

Doeren didn’t want to place the blame on the pass protection solely, though he noted they need to keep Bailey from being hit from behind. Doeren added that it takes the other 10 players on the field to make sure the ball carrier is not hit to allow the ball to be jarred from their body. 

“You think about ball security, you think about the guy carrying the ball, and that’s true. He has to carry it with technique and strain.” Doeren said. “But it’s the other 10 guys’ jobs to protect him from getting hit. The fewer players that can hit him, the better your ball security is going to be. Everybody’s involved in that.”

As NC State looks to clean that up this week, it has one of the nation’s best takeaway defenses to prepare for in Cal. The Bears are third in the NCAA in turnover margin at plus-10, which includes a nation’s leading 13 interceptions. 

Doeren and the Wolfpack are well aware that Cal’s defense likes to find ways to turn teams over without handing the ball over themselves. And as the Wolfpack readies for the cross-country journey to Berkeley, Calif., on Thursday afternoon before practicing at a local field Friday, ball security will be at the top of the team’s priorities. 

“We will continue to emphasize it, drill it, make it a part of our daily vernacular as coaches,” Doeren said. “But ultimately, it comes down to the players. They’ve gotta really take pride in that.”