“Adversity creates opportunities as a leader.” That was NC State football head coach Dave Doeren at his Monday press conference last week. The Wolfpack was looking to bounce back from a home loss to Wake Forest that derailed the team’s New Year’s Six bowl hopes. It did exactly that with a 52-10 win at Louisville.
That was a game the Pack should have won handily against a terrible opponent, but making the layups is something this team has struggled with in the past. NC State didn’t let the crushing loss linger, and after Louisville took a 3-0 lead in the game, they never looked back.
“I love when our seniors play like that,” Doeren said. “The sand is running out of the hourglass for them. That urgency to play the right way and have fun playing is one thing. I thought our guys really just cut loose and relaxed, didn’t make mistakes and had fun. They really did. Those guys had fun today and I’m glad we were able to create that environment and they went out there and did that.”
NC State’s blowout victory, as Doeren had hoped for, started with the leadership, particularly on offense. “Best players have to be your best players” is a cliché, but that doesn’t mean it’s not true, and the Wolfpack’s best led the way against the Cardinals. Here’s a look at some of the top performers from the game.
Graduate quarterback Ryan Finley – Finley came through with a strong game after a rough outing from the offense the previous week. He completed 26 of 36 pass attempts for 316 yards, four touchdowns and no picks.
After NC State ended its first drive with a punt, Finley moved the ball down the field with authority, spreading it around to his receivers as three pass catches had over 70 yards for the Wolfpack. The Wolfpack’s second offensive drive saw Finley go 6 for 6 for 59 yards, ending with a 25-yard touchdown to junior receiver Kelvin Harmon. That moved Finley past Jamie Barnette for second all-time among NC State quarterbacks in passing yards.
Finley was ready to answer Doeren’s challenge to bounce back from a tough loss.
“His challenge was to get everyone going, stick to the process and focus on the preparation side of things,” Finley said. “That would lead to the results that we want.”
Junior receiver Kelvin Harmon – Harmon isn’t a senior, but he participated in the senior day festivities against the Demon Deacons, and is a good bet to leave for the NFL one year early. After a week in which he tied the school record for catches in a game, Harmon caught seven passes for 100 yards and a score to guarantee a finish with over 1,000 receiving yards for the second season in a row. He’s the first player to do that for the Wolfpack since Jerricho Cotchery in 2002 and 2003.
“It’s a blessing,” Harmon said. “Just being around the guys that made it happen two years in a row. My coaches trust in me from last year to this year to put me in position to make it, everybody. [Graduate receiver Stephen Louis] for one, [Wide Receivers Coordinator George McDonald], everybody. It’s just a blessing.”
Harmon continued to be a chains-moving weapon for the Wolfpack, going up over defenders for tough catches and critical yardage. He scored the first touchdown of the game and set the tone on offense for NC State.
Senior running back Reggie Gallaspy – After the Pack’s rushing attack put up just 47 rushing yards against a woeful Wake Forest run defense, it bounced back with 164 on 36 carries against the Cardinals. Gallaspy led the way with 73 yards and two scores on 11 carries and added a receiving touchdown.
Gallaspy was big part of the Pack’s improved red zone efficiency as well. After going just 1 for 5 scoring touchdowns inside the 20-yard line against Wake, NC State finished 6 of 7 in that regard against Louisville. Three of those scores came from Gallaspy.
“Just executing,” Gallaspy said. “That’s all it takes. Just go out there and do your job; don’t try to be a superhero. Just go out there, do your job and it’ll come to you.”
Executing has been an issue that has led to NC State losing to teams it shouldn’t in the past, and as recently as the week before this game. Those issues were nowhere to be found against Louisville, and that started and ended with the Wolfpack’s leaders on offense.
