Football vs. Louisville takeaways: Armstrong struggles, incredible defensive performances

NC State football suffered a crushing 13-10 defeat at the hands of the Louisville Cardinals in its ACC home opener. The Wolfpack blew a 10-0 halftime lead and failed to score a single point in the second half.

It was another tough week for graduate quarterback Brennan Armstrong, and the Pack’s defense did everything it could to get a victory. There was also some questionable officiating that swung the momentum of the game.

Armstrong struggles

Armstrong will shoulder most of the blame for the loss, but as in most cases, the quarterback gets too much praise in wins and too much blame in losses. This holds true for this game, where the Wolfpack’s signal caller made many poor decisions. However, there were other factors that caused him to struggle.

The offensive line struggled to protect Armstrong throughout the game. On most dropbacks, he only had time to read his first option, which was rarely open. A combination of poor protection and little separation from receivers were key factors in the quarterback’s struggles.

Even though the Virginia transfer has excuses for his poor performance, he still continues to make poor decisions that cost the Wolfpack the game. Coming out of halftime, NC State had a chance to take a three-point lead after Armstrong connected with sophomore wide receiver Terrell Timmons Jr. on a 45-yard pass, but on the very next play, Armstrong threw a costly interception right to a Louisville defender while the Pack was in the red zone.

The graduate transfer also had a costly fumble that gave the Cardinals’ offense good field position. However, his third turnover was the worst of all — with one final opportunity to drive down the field and win the game, Armstrong threw a wobbly ball that was easily intercepted by the Louisville defense.

If Armstrong continues to struggle, chants for sophomore quarterback MJ Morris will only grow louder.

Leader of the Pack

Graduate linebacker Payton Wilson took on a more vocal leadership role before the season, but his play on the field proves why he is the leader of the Pack. Wilson tried to single-handedly win the game for the Wolfpack, making play after play on defense and even converting a first down.

The Hillsborough, North Carolina native once again led the defense in total tackles, adding two sacks, a fumble recovery and a pass deflection. Wilson made life difficult for Louisville quarterback Jack Plummer throughout the game, forcing him to make poor decisions including a red-zone interception.

If all that wasn’t enough, Wilson converted a first down off a direct snap on a fake punt that eventually led to NC State’s first and only touchdown of the game.

We’re witnessing one of the best defensive seasons in NC State football history, and it must’ve been divine intervention that former NC State linebacker Bill Cowher was honored on the same night Wilson had one of his best games.

Agent zero

Although Wilson was the best player on the field, redshirt sophomore safety Sean Brown was a very close second. Brown had his best game in the red and white with eight tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson was creative in his use of Brown, using him as an extra pass rusher that led to two sacks and consistent pressure on the quarterback. Brown was also second on the team in tackles, including multiple hard hits, but his aggressive tackling ultimately got him ejected from the game.

Late in the third quarter, Brown made a huge hit on a Louisville tight end that looked like a clean play in real time but was called targeting after review, causing Brown to be ejected from the game and his career night to be cut short.

Costly penalties

Committing 10 penalties for 88 yards is not exactly a recipe for success, and it was also one of the main reasons the offense struggled. Holding and false start flags put the offense behind the sticks, making it hard to gain first downs.

While most of the penalties were self-inflicted, there were two questionable calls that flipped the momentum of the game.

The targeting call on Brown took away one of the Pack’s best defensive players. Meanwhile, the other came late in the fourth when Louisville punted the ball back to NC State, who was called for running into the kicker. The referees didn’t throw the flag until well after the play ended, and replay showed the punter falling on his own rather than taking a hit from an NC State player.

While NC State can’t blame the refs for its poor offensive performance, it can’t be denied that these two calls made a significant impact on the game.