By William Qualkinbush.
To put it kindly, North Carolina State was bad at football last year. Breaking in a new coach with a new quarterback was not a recipe for success for the Wolfpack, and the program suffered to the tune of a 3-9 record that somehow felt worse at various points. Avoiding a mess of that magnitude this year will be doable because of a fairly simple out-of-conference schedule and some key returners.
Clemson struggled to a victory over N.C. State on a Thursday night last season. The Tigers won 26-14 in mid-September in a game famous for a missed out-of-bounds call on a reverse and an epic drive by the Wolfpack that took almost an entire quarter of game time to complete. The reality is that N.C. State was never going to win the game, but Clemson did not exactly send the Carter-Finley Stadium crowd home early, either.
Quarterback was not N.C. State’s only problem last season, but as is always the case in most of the country, many issues with the offense started there. Florida transfer Jacoby Brissett takes over the reins in 2014 from a group that threw more interceptions (15) than touchdowns (14). Only Syracuse, Wake Forest, and Virginia had lower quarterback ratings than the Wolfpack, a problem Brissett may still not be able to alleviate entirely due to his status as a dual-threat QB known more for his legs than his arm.
Leading rusher Shadrach Thornton returns, and his consistent health is one of the factors that could make or break this offense. The Georgia native did not crack 800 yards on the ground last season, but he missed most or all of the team’s first three games—including the showdown with Clemson in which he carried the ball just once. Thornton will need to be the workhorse because virtually no experienced talent exists behind him.
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Leading returning receiver Bryan Underwood has the potential to impact any game if the quarterback can get him the ball. The senior caught only 32 balls last year, a number the Wolfpack need to try to double next season. No other primary options remain, which means Brissett’s scrambling abilities will probably come into play early and often. This may stress the offensive line, which will benefit from the return of left tackle Rob Crisp. The former blue-chipper missed almost the entire 2013 season due to a concussion and is eager to prove himself to NFL scouts.
Defensively, the Wolfpack are moving fully to a 4-2-5 alignment as their base defense. This means there will be nickel personnel on the field for most downs. This plays to the strengths of the defensive personnel (cornerback) and away from its weaknesses (linebacker).
Both starting corners return from a season ago. Juston Burris and Jack Tocho will look to continue a long line of professionals who cut their teeth in the Wolfpack backfield. In order to outfit a 4-2-5, Doeren needs some talented first-year players to grow up quickly at safety. Newcomers like Troy Vincent Jr. (son of the former Philadelphia Eagles corner) should help ease the transition.
The front four should be solid—no more, no less. Starters Thomas Teal and Art Norman come back to anchor the defensive line, but neither was considered a force last season. The linebacking corps is the same way. Some experience returns, but the group was so underwhelming last year that establishing expectations is difficult.
Perhaps the only predictable aspect of play for Doeren’s team is special teams. Kicker Niklas Sade and punter Wil Baumann are dynamic weapons, and both senior specialists will probably be in high demand all season long.
N.C. State begins the season with four relatively easy games, unless a trip to South Florida strikes fear in the hearts of fans for some reason. Then Florida State comes to town before the trip to Clemson. The performances put forth in those two games will be great indicators of the degree of progress within the Wolfpack program after a disastrous run in 2013.