The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/535299
JULY 2015 ■ 105 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2015 Three Key Games • Vs. Louisville, Oct. 3 — Several players pointed to last year's game at Louisville as the season's turning point. Despite having to play short-handed due to several suspensions, the Pack was competitive with the squad who ranked second nationally with 10 2015 NFL Draft picks, and that built confidence. Safety Hakim Jones noted that the Pack "never wanted that feeling again" after coming close to pulling off the win but falling short. The Pack was 4-4 following the 30-18 defeat, but flipped the switch and went on a 4-1 run to close the season. They'll get their chance for revenge at home in State's ACC opener. The Cardinals were obviously depleted by the draft and this contest could be another big one for the Pack — it's all about starting conference play on the right foot, but this one could also really put the Pack squarely into the Atlantic Division race. There really isn't much separating the two programs heading into 2015. • At Boston College, Nov. 7 — Between at Virginia Tech Oct. 9, at Wake Forest Oct. 24 and this date, the Pack will need to shake the road woes and post at least two wins among these three games in order to improve on last year's record. Virginia Tech has shown a new vulnerability lately, but is a tough venue. The Pack has lost eight of its last nine in Winston-Salem, including the last six in a row. However, the team has had even less success in Boston. The Eagles lead the all-time series 8-4, but the Pack has won at Boston College just once in seven tries, and that came in 1936. The Eagles were solid last year, but are due to take a step back and this could be the swing game that decides whether the Pack can improve on last year's results or not. • Vs. North Carolina, Nov. 28 — Only three times in the last 16 seasons have the rivals met in the final week of the regular season, and the previous two occasions were Wolfpack wins — a 38-27 victory in 2009 and a 35-7 whooping last year. NCSU hopes to keep the streak going this year after winning six of the last eight in the series. Last year, Jones said about UNC signal-caller Marquise Williams, "Once you hit him a few times, he basically almost quits." The defense backed up their leader and limited the Tar Heels to just 207 yards and seven points on their home field. It was just one of two times the Heels failed to pile up more than 300 yards from scrimmage in 2014 and the only instance they tallied less than 17 points. The Heels' offense will certainly have extra motivation, if needed. Returning Leaders For NC State Passing: QB Jacoby Brissett (2,606 yards, 23 TD) Rushing: RB Shadrach Thornton (907 yards, 9 TD) Receiving: TE David J. Grinnage (358 yards, 5 TD) Tackles: S Hakim Jones (80) Sacks: DE Mike Rose (5) Interceptions: S Josh Jones (4) ■ BY THE NUMBERS 1 Team in NC State history has posted double- digit wins — the 2002 squad went 11-3 behind quarterback Philip Rivers. Nine wins are the mini- mum expectations this year, but players want more. 3 Quarterbacks in Power Five conferences that recorded at least 2,000 passing yards, 300 rushing yards, 20 passing touchdowns and five or fewer interceptions last year — including fifth-year senior Jacoby Brissett, who is the only one of the trio returning to college football. Only eight Power Five signal-callers have matched those numbers over the last five seasons. 5.2 Yards per carry for NC State last year, which marks the school's best rushing clip ever. 22 Is where Lindy's Sports ranked Wolfpack quarterback Jacoby Brissett among players at his position nationally. 36 Is the average national ranking of NC State in Athlon Sports' and Lindy's Sports college football preview magazines. Lindy's tabbed the Pack third in the ACC Atlantic, while Athlon listed the Wolfpack fourth. 55 Is where Phil Steele ranks NCSU nationally, in terms of returning experience; NC State checks in fourth among ACC schools. 73 Career starts return to the offensive line, which is actually more than the group brought into 2014 and is tied for 51st nationally, according to Phil Steele. 112.5 Is the average national ranking of the Pack's three non-conference Football Bowl Subdivision opponents, according to the 1-128 rankings from Athlon and Lindy's. Eastern Kentucky was projected as a top-25 Football Cham- pionship Subdivision program by both magazines. 204.5 Average rushing yards per game last year for the Pack, the pro- gram's best mark since 1992. 2002 Was the last year that NC State beat both Clemson and Florida State in the same year; the two are expected to be the class of the Atlantic Division once again. 4,706 Career all-purpose yards between running backs Shadrach Thornton and Matt Dayes; both have also scored 18 touch- downs. Thornton ranks 12th among active FBS players with 2,369 rushing yards. After last season's 35-7 blowout victory in Chapel Hill, the Wolfpack has now taken six of its last eight meetings with the Tar Heels. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN Best Opposing Players • WR Mike Williams, Clemson — The Tigers have become "Wide Receiver U" lately, and the 6-4, 210-pound junior continues the tradition. Although talented freshman Deshaun Watson started only five times before succumbing to injury, Williams still posted 57 catches for 1,030 yards and six touchdowns. He will be even more dangerous with a healthy Watson, the ACC's top returning signal-caller. • RB Dalvin Cook, Florida State — The Pack has several successful running backs on the slate, and al- though Cook did not put up the biggest numbers last year, he is the most talented. He set an FSU freshman record last year with 1,008 rushing yards, and needed just 170 carries (5.9-yard average) to do so. • CB Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech — The ACC boasts the likely top two defensive backs off the board in the 2016 NFL Draft with Fuller and FSU's versatile Jalen Ramsey. The Hokie junior is the fourth (and last) of the Fuller brothers to suit up for Frank Beamer and company after he posted two interceptions and 15 passes broken up en route to several All-America honors last year. • DB Jalen Ramsey, Florida State — While Fuller was listed as a second- or third-team All-American last year, Ramsey earned first-team laurels from USA Today and was listed on the second team by just about everybody else. He can play any position in the secondary and is able to make plays versus the pass and the run. • DE Noah Spence, Eastern Kentucky — The Pack's non-conference schedule is soft, no debate here — but those teams boast several high-profile transfers, including a few who had great successes at the highest level. EKU boasts the best of that bunch in Spence, the son of a former NCSU football player and five-star recruit. He earned All-Big Ten first-team honors at Ohio State in 2013 before being declared ineligible by the Big Ten after failing two drug tests.