Feel free to rejoice everyone. Football is finally back.
While it hasn’t hit Raleigh just yet, fans across the City of Oaks flocked to their nearest screen to watch NC State football take on UConn in East Hartford, Connecticut on Thursday, Aug. 31. While not the most exciting game, there’s plenty to take away from the Wolfpack’s 24-14 win over the Huskies.
The debut of graduate quarterback Brennan Armstrong didn’t disappoint, and the Wolfpack’s ground game as a whole excelled under the guidance of new offensive coordinator Robert Anae. However, there was much to be desired from the Pack’s passing attack. On the other side of the ball, the NC State defense didn’t skip a beat from its dominant 2022 season.
Armstrong’s legs
There’s no doubt Armstrong was the MVP of the Wolfpack’s season-opening win and, despite his namesake, the graduate paved the way to victory with his legs rather than his arm. Leading all rushers in the game with a whopping 19 attempts for 96 yards and two touchdowns, Armstrong clearly wasn’t afraid to do it himself against the Huskies.
Additionally, the Wolfpack’s new signal caller didn’t hesitate to lower his shoulder and fight for extra yards — or scores — when needed. He showed off his toughness multiple times, especially on NC State’s first touchdown of 2023.
Considering Armstrong’s 371 yards and six touchdowns on the ground last season at Virginia, Wolfpack fans shouldn’t be surprised at how adept he is at toting the rock. However, his strong start suggests that this could be his most successful season on the ground yet.
Ground and pound
While Armstrong led the Pack’s rushing attack, NC State’s other backs played a crucial part in the win. With 209 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, Anae used every weapon at his disposal to run it down UConn’s throat.
Second to Armstrong in rushing yards was senior running back Jordan Houston with 57 yards on 13 carries. Redshirt junior running back Delbert Mimms III and sophomore running back Michael Allen followed suit with 20 yards on eight attempts and 30 yards on four attempts, respectively.
While Mimms secured the Wolfpack’s second touchdown of the day on a one-yard score, Allen was the most efficient of all backs, averaging 7.5 yards per carry. Allen showed off his versatility by catching three balls for 27 yards, adding another dimension to the NC State backfield.
Whether this is a UConn-specific strategy or a season-long trend remains to be seen. Based on this performance, though, NC State’s offensive identity could easily be predicated on its commitment to the run.
Searching for rhythm through the air
While NC State’s ground game hit its stride in full at UConn, Armstrong and Anae still have work to do in order to unlock the full potential of the Pack’s air attack.
Nine different NC State receivers had receptions, so the ex-Virginia duo put an emphasis on spreading the wealth through the air. The Wolfpack’s leading receiver was freshman Kevin Concepcion, who recorded four catches for only 36 yards. The rest of the receiving corps recorded less than 30 yards each, making up Armstrong’s 155 total passing yards.
Armstrong’s longest throw of the night came on a 19-yard connection to Allen. While Anae and Armstrong gave the deep ball a go multiple times, the Wolfpack couldn’t find any chunk plays throughout the game, making for slow, hard-earned marches toward the end zone.
It’s only week one, so there’s reason to believe the red-and-white can work through the kinks. However, if NC State wants any chance to score on Notre Dame’s vaunted defense next weekend, the Wolfpack better figure it out fast.
New year, same defense
Despite a shaky first drive, the red-and-white’s elite defense didn’t skip a beat since last season. Aside from UConn’s opening drive — a 12-play, 75-yard series that resulted in a touchdown — and a 71-yard touchdown in the third quarter, NC State’s defense held the Huskies to only 127 yards and no other scores.
After settling in, the Wolfpack defense looked as strong as it did last season. Pressure from the defensive line forced multiple tackles for loss while redshirt junior defensive lineman Red Hibbler and junior defensive tackle Davin Vann recorded NC State’s first sacks of the season.
With the front seven and linebacking units holding the line, the Pack’s secondary sealed the deal by holding UConn quarterback Joseph Fagnano to a mere 113 passing yards. NC State’s lethal cornerback duo of junior Aydan White and redshirt junior Shyheim Battle played a large part in shutting down the UConn attack, keeping Fagnano to a dismal average of 4.3 yards per completion.
To finish it all off, graduate linebacker Payton Wilson picked off Fagnano late in the fourth quarter and promptly waved goodbye to the crowd in East Hartford.
While both sides of the ball will be tested to a much greater extent when the red-and-white takes on No. 13 Notre Dame, this showing from the Pack’s defense suggests more performances reminiscent of last year’s gritty, ball-hawking unit.
