Tim Beck confident NC State offense will survive growing pains
NC State offensive coordinator Tim Beck does not get caught up in the noise about how many points teams are expected to score. As he noted, “The bottom line is a win and whatever you need to do to win a game.”
A good example was Saturday in the Pack’s 27-14 victory over Texas Tech.
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With the Pack up 20-7 after halftime, the focal point became making sure NC State secured a win, and that affected the play-calling, Beck confirmed Wednesday after practice. Against a quick-strike, hurry-up offense like Texas Tech, ball control became a priority.
“We had the ball for almost 19 minutes,” Beck noted about the second-half time of possession. “That goes into part of it. It goes into our tempo. It goes into we’re playing really well on defense and special teams.
“We don’t want to do anything foolish to lose the game at that point. We’re in control of this. Let’s grind it out. Let’s be physical. Let’s be smart with the football, make big plays, continue to move the chains. We tried to end every play with a kick, an extra point, a field goal or punt, and don’t turn it over.”
That said, Beck also acknowledged that the NC State offense has yet to find a good rhythm in the first three weeks of the year.
He could cite several reasons for why that may be the case. One, Beck noted, is during preseason training camp the NC State offense went against a stacked 3-3 defense. Thus far, the Pack has not seen similar defensive schemes.
“We’re seeing a lot of four-down quarter …,” Beck noted. “So, it’s a lot different. Anybody who has coached offensively understands the difference. It’s different for the O-line. It’s different in protection. It’s different in route running. It’s different in perimeter blocking.
“It’s different all the way around offensively. You don’t get a chance to simulate that and practice that, and then their pieces move into versions of cover 4 or cover 2, and you don’t see that very much. You have to learn on the fly.”
However, Beck noted, the biggest key is maintaining focus on offense.
“I think our detail and our play, a little bit, is just inconsistent right now in every part,” he stated. “Finishing blocks, route running, reading coverage, whatever it may be. We just have to keep being consistent and keep improving. That’s the key.
“That’s what we look for. The game is really us against us, and being the best us we can be. If we can do that, that’s all we can ask of our guys. To go out, execute and play really hard and let the chips fall where they may.”
Breaking in some new players on offense has played a role in the early inconsistency. The growing pains include what Beck noted would be an “aggressive mistake” like redshirt sophomore left tackle Anthony Belton carrying his block almost through the end zone on a trick-play pass that otherwise resulted in a touchdown. Instead, Belton was flagged for being an ineligible receiver downfield.
“You coach it,” Beck noted. “You practice that play 10 times, and he never did that. All of a sudden in the game … it’s just growing pains a little bit with some of the guys.”
Ultimately, Beck feels good about the offense getting to where they need to be.
“I’m confident in our players’ playmaking abilities and what we’re doing,” Beck said. “With the guys up front, I think we’re running the ball well.
“Wee’ll be okay. I don’t have any doubt in my mind where we’ll end up being. It’s just some growing pains right now with some of the guys.”
