South Alabama jumped out to a seven point lead less than two minutes into the game. From that point on, it was all Wolfpack.
NC State was Dominant on Both Sides of the Ball
NC State’s stable of backfield weapons was on display on Saturday night, as the Pack amassed 330 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Three different backs found the end zone multiple times, with Matt Dayes leading the charge with three scores. Mr. Do-It-All Jaylen Samuels added 112 all-purpose yards on only seven touches and caught both of Brissett’s touchdown passes. The Wolfpack offense scored touchdowns on each of their first five drives as they dominated every aspect of the game after the Jaguars opening drive.
The defense stepped up after said drive, picking off two Cody Clements passes on consecutive drives in the first quarter, both of which led to touchdowns. The Jaguars were driving to tie the game at 14 when safety Germaine Pratt picked off Clements. The turnovers really deflated a USA offense that had some confidence, and a continued ability to generate turnovers was a huge boost for the Pack D. The defensive line shut down the USA rushing attack, holding them to a meager 45 yards. This is young and super talented unit, and the sky is the limit for how good this group could be. The defensive backfield played better after a shaky start and also benefited from some drops.
Brissett Played Great Again
Hopefully Brissett has finally killed his deep ball demons and gained some confidence throwing long. He hit two beautiful downfield throws on back-to-back plays to Jaylen Samuels and Bra’lon Cherry for 42 and 33 yards respectively. The senior quarterback had another very efficient game, connecting on 18 of 23 passes for two touchdowns and, for the seventh straight game, no interceptions. He has now thrown 179 straight passes without an interception.
Multiple Freshmen made an Impact
The Pack’s outstanding 2015 recruiting class is already making an impact, with several true freshmen making an impact on the field. Running back Reggie Gallaspy got his first career rushing touchdown then promptly scored his second on the next drive. Speedster Nyheim Hines broke his first big play of the season, returning a kickoff to inside the USA five yard line. The play was called back for some penalty that apparently happened somewhere, but it was still an outstanding play that deserves recognition. Arguably the top recruit from 2015, defensive end Darian Roseboro, got a big confidence boost when he recorded the first two sacks of his career. Jalan McClendon continues to get work, as he threw for 38 yards on three of four passing.
Final Wrap-Up
State dominated all four of their inferior OOC opponents, and the scheduled culminated with the best performance yet by a significant margin. This game was extremely fun to watch if you’re a Pack fan, because we got to see how explosive and diverse the offense can be, as well as how much potential certain units on the defense have. The Pack looks ready for the significant increase in competition that begins next week with Louisville.
Categories: ACC Football, College Football, College Sports, NC State Football
The Armchair All-Americans 