John Joyner
Sophomore running back Shadrach Thornton runs the football deep into Clemson territory during the game against the Tigers in Carter-Finley Stadium on Aug. 31. Clemson defeated the Wolfpack, 26-14. Photo by John Joyner.
N.C. State (3-7, 0-7 ACC) will take on East Carolina (8-2, 6-1 C-USA) Saturday afternoon at Carter-Finley Stadium in the Wolfpack’s final non-conference game of the season. The Pirates took the 33-27 overtime victory in the teams’ last encounter in Greenville on Oct. 16, 2010.
“It’s a chip-on-your-shoulder game for us and them,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “We want to play well for our seniors, and we want to finish the season the right way. We’re playing a very talented team.”
State is coming off of a 38-21 loss in Chestnut Hill, Mass. to Boston College, which eliminated the Pack from bowl contention.
“There were times [against the Eagles] where I thought we did some good things,” Doeren said. “We had a chance in the fourth quarter where we forced a fumble on their 44-yard line and didn’t recover, and the next play was the huge rushing touchdown. It’s kind of a broken record at this point. In our seven losses, we have been in six of those games, and we have fought in all of those games.”
ECU, having already earned its spot in the postseason, is fresh off of a 63-14 win over the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
Saturday will also be Hall of Fame Day at Carter-Finley Stadium. The newest inductees into the N.C. State Athletic Hall of Fame will be enshrined on Friday at Reynolds Coliseum. The inductees will be honored on the field during the game. Former State head coach Earle Edwards and former wide receiver Torry Holt are among the 10 new hall-of-famers.
Junior placekicker Niklas Sade will look to etch his name in the record books against the Pirates on Saturday. The Wake Forest native is currently sits second in Wolfpack history in career extra points with 114, five away from tying former Pack kicker Josh Czajkowski. Sade, who has 19 field goals on the season, is also on pace to break State’s single-season record for most field goals. Czajkowski and former Wolfpack kicker Marc Primanti both currently hold the record with 20.
Senior wide receiver Rashard Smith said that the Wolfpack are looking to end its six-game losing streak on Saturday. Smith leads the State receiving corps with 36 receptions for 359 yards, the most among healthy Wolfpackers, and a touchdown.
“We just have to move forward from here and continue to work on the things that were good and fix the things that were bad,” Smith said. “We just have to strive to make plays. Everyone has to cover their assignments on every play we run.”
Doeren said that Smith’s playmaking ability, including his punt returning, gives State a different dimension on offense and special teams.
“Rashard is a play-maker,” Doeren said at the weekly ACC teleconference. “Wherever you put him, he makes plays. When he catches the football, he’s dangerous. With those jets, he can cut and make people miss. He plays bigger than he is.”
Pirates’ junior quarterback Shane Carden and junior wide receiver Justin Hardy are ECU’s primary offensive weapons. Carden is 306-of-422 with 3,320 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions, while Hardy has caught 87 passes for 1,047 yards and seven scores.
“ECU is a good football team,” Smith said. “They’re going to win the C-USA, and they’ve got great athletes. Their offense is full of powerful weapons, and their defense has guys that can make plays all over the field.”
Kickoff for Saturday’s game at Carter-Finley Stadium is slated for 12:30 p.m.