NC State Wolfpack: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
NC State Wolfpack: Key To The 2022 Offense
Get that ground game going.
It’s tempting to bomb away all the time with one of the nation’s more efficient passing games and with a quarterback like Devin Leary, but the running game at least has to be effective.
It doesn’t have to blast away for over 200 yards – although the Wolfpack are 14-1 the last 15 times they’ve been able to do that – but it does need to produce when it tries.
The Pack couldn’t even get to 100 yards on the ground in a four-game late season stretch, but again, that’s not necessarily the problem. Failing to get to four yards per carry in four of the last five games is.
Averaging 4.5 yards per carry overall – the 4.07 last year was heavily inflated thanked to blowout wins over USF and Furman – would be a plus. Nine of the mere 11 touchdown runs came in three easy games.
NC State Wolfpack: Key To The 2022 Defense
Recover a fumble.
NC State picked off a ton of passes, the defense was great on third downs, and there’s more talent and disruption back to fill in the gaps from the lost parts from 2021.
Now it’s time to pounce on a fumble.
The Pack D came up with a great total of one fumble recovery, but at least it made it count with a scoop-and-score from safety Devan Boykin in the win over Boston College.
And that was it. The defense forced 11 fumbles, but it just didn’t get them. But that’s been a problem with just seven fumble recoveries combined in 2019 and 2020 after coming up with nine in 2018.
NC State Wolfpack: Key Player To The 2022 Season
OT/OG Bryson Speas, Sr.
Where’s he going to play? The versatile 6-3, 315-pound veteran started every game at right tackle last year, worked at guard at time earlier in his career, and he might kick back inside this season.
Or, he might be charged with the task of trying to replace Ikem Ekwonu at left tackle.
He’s not as good as Ekwonu – no tackle in college football is – but if he can be fine on the left side in the spot, the rest of the front five will fill in.
NC State Wolfpack: Key Transfer
P Shane McDonough, Sr.
He started his career at Marshall and moved over to Towson, where he turned into a two-year all-star averaging over 42 yards per punt with a huge leg that flipped the field.
Now he has to try to take over for Trenton Gill, who was great on kickoffs and averaged 45.1 yards per kick with 31 put inside the 20 for the ACC’s second-best punting game.
NC State Key Game To The 2022 Season
at Clemson, Oct. 1
This is it. This is the moment that will show just how amazing the 2022 season might be.
The Wolfpack were able to survive a thriller of a win over Clemson last year, but they ween’t able to translate that into an Atlantic Division title.
NC State lost eight straight to the Tigers before that – mostly in ugly fashion – after rolling 37-13 in 2011. If there’s any dream of playing for and winning the ACC Championship, the team has to win in Death Valley for the first time since 2002.
NC State Wolfpack: 2021 Fun Stats
– Time of Possession: NC State 31:17 – Opponents 28:18
– 2nd Quarter Scoring: NC State 117 – Opponents 58
– 3rd Down Conversions: NC State 68-of-171 (40%) – Opponents 53-of-181 (29%)
2022 NC State Preview
Offense, Defense Breakdown
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
NC State Top 10 Players | NC State Schedule & Analysis