NC State whips Miami, stays in ACC title race :: WRALSportsFan.com
Dave Doeren could not conceal the excitement after his Wolfpack took down Miami. “Chancellor Woodson, turn on the red light “Big Dog,” Doeren shouted following a live interview on the ACC Network. The win was No. 78, one more than the legendary Earle Edwards, whose teams won five ACC titles and secured the program’s first bowl victory in 1967.
“It’s been a great journey,” Doeren said after the game. “I’m really glad it’s behind me now.”
Miami spent Saturday night playing from behind, NC State saw to that. Yes, the Hurricanes kicked a first quarter field goal, but for the second straight week NC State scored the first touchdown in a game against a favored opponent. The way the Wolfpack plays defense, that first touchdown can mean a lot.
Offensive coordinator Robert Anae has taken some heat for NC State’s inconsistent production, but that first touchdown drive was vintage Anae. Considered one of the more creative play callers in the ACC, Anae put the ball in the hands of speedy K.C. Concepcion on the jet sweep. The play gained 36 yards. M.J. Morris then passed 15 yards to Terrell Timmons, just his ninth reception of the season. Anae then called for a direct snap to Concepcion, which gained nine yards, and then a pass to a receiver even more under the radar than Timmons! Reserve linebacker Jordan Poole made his debut on offense, and caught Morris’ 12 yard toss – Poole’s first catch in a Wolfpack uniform went for a touchdown.
NC State never trailed again.
That seems to be the formula now for the Wolfpack – build a lead and make the opponent march long distances against the Pack’s stout defense.
Case in point. Mid-second quarter Miami put together a drive that consumed more than four minutes and reached the four yard line. But after nine plays and 66 yards, the Hurricanes settled for a field goal after Jaylon Scott batted away a potential touchdown pass from Tyler Van Dyke.
State turned the ball over at its own 29. But again the Wolfpack kept Miami out of the end zone. Aydan White picked off Van Dyke’s pass for a touchback.
Tony Gibson’s defense then helped the offense score. Red Hibbler sacked Van Dyke at the Miami 15. The ball came loose and Davin Vann recovered at the Canes 9. The Pack couldn’t move, actually backed up 12 yards. However Braden Narveson kicked a 39 yard field goal giving State a 10-6 lead at halftime.
After giving up 183 yards of total offense in the first half, NC State limited Miami to just 109 yards in the last two quarters. Most of those yards came on two possessions where the Hurricanes had the potential to score.
Miami made extensive use of freshman running back Mark Fletcher. The 225 pound Fletcher bulldozed his way to 115 yards, and 39 of them came on just five carries during a drive that began the third quarter. Miami rested Fletcher for one play, handing off to Donald Chaney instead. He was stopped for no gain, knocking the Canes off schedule. On fourth and three Mario Cristobal called on the usually reliable kicker Andres Borregalas. But Borregalas pulled the ball left from the 45 yard line, just his second miss all season.
NC State’s biggest defensive play came early in the fourth quarter. Miami had put together a determined drive that featured six consecutive completions by Van Dyke, his best flurry of the entire game. The Canes reached the NC State 7. There on third and five, Van Dyke, instead of passing to a wide receiver, connected with Fletcher out of the backfield. Fletcher might have scored, but an amazing play by Payton Wilson, who had 16 tackles on the night, brought the big guy to the turf at the 3.
On fourth and one, Cristobal passed on the chip shot field goal that would have made the score 10-9. Instead, Miami put the ball in Fletcher’s hands, hoping to take the lead. Jaylon Scott stopped Fletcher cold.
Miami made three visits to the NC State red zone. The Hurricanes came away with just three points on those three drives.
Of course Miami had a chance to force a three and out deep in State territory and create another scoring chance on a probable short field. The Wolfpack faced a third and seven at its own 6. But here the offense helped the defense, as Dave Doeren’s team continues to play complementary football. Out of a formation that used lots of “eye candy” to distract the defense, Concepcion worked free and caught a pass from Morris for 16 yards.
What followed was one of the great drives in recent NC State history and Anae’s fingerprints were all over it.
Quarterback Brennan Armstrong entered the game with M.J. Morris staying on the field on some plays. Two quarterbacks in the game, what’s a defense to do?
Armstrong took a snap and ran the speed option. He gained 15 yards. A Miami personal foul moved the ball across midfield. Morris then passed to Concepcion for nine yards. At the 31, Anae inserted Trent Pennix into the lineup at tight end. He threw the block that sprang Kendrick Raphael on a 31 yard yard touchdown run. Canes star safety James Williams had a shot at Raphael but failed to wrap up. This was just State’s fifth run of 20 yards or more all season.
And it clinched the game. I mean Miami still had five minutes to work with but, down two scores, the Hurricanes threw two interceptions. Just like that, a game that saw Miami poised to take the lead at 9:47 of the fourth quarter ended with the Wolfpack winning 20-6.
So, after two weeks of defense-driven wins with just enough offense while playing at home, NC State hits the road to take on Wake Forest. The Pack historically struggles in Winston-Salem and the Deacons will be in a foul mood after gaining 400 yards against a good Duke defense but committing costly turnovers that cost Dave Clawson’s team a victory.
Now at 6-3, NC State is bowl eligible, and with an ACC record of 3-2, the Pack remains in the race for the second slot in the new “no divisions” championship game. However to earn a trip to Charlotte the Wolfpack must win out. And hope.
Florida State has clinched the first berth in the 2023 ACC Championship Game and the Seminoles are ranked fourth in the country. But it must be said FSU’s ascension to the top in the ACC features just three league wins against teams that currently have winning records. The combined record of the Seminoles’ ACC opponents is an underwhelming 13-25. The ‘Noles don’t play NC State, UNC or Louisville. They do play a talented Miami team this week, but the Canes are now 2-3 in ACC play.
Louisville, after crushing Virginia Tech, now controls its destiny for the #2 spot in Charlotte. U of L should win at home Thursday against Virginia. But the November 18 visit to Hard Rock Stadium could prove problematic. Miami’s only home loss this season came on the giveaway to Georgia Tech. Should Louisville lose to the Canes, and take on a second loss, all two loss teams in the league would have a chance at making the title game under the ACC’s new tiebreaker procedure.
But first those teams must finish with two losses. Currently there are six 2 loss teams. But the final weeks will whittle that number.
For example, Duke plays at UNC Saturday. It’s a defacto elimination game. The Tar Heels on Thanksgiving weekend play at NC State. That could also be an elimination game. Boston College plays Virginia Tech this week. One of those two teams will take on a third loss.
Both Georgia Tech and UNC face daunting trips to Clemson; the Tigers handed Notre Dame its second ACC loss Saturday – and it would have been the Irish’s third ACC loss had Duke been able to stop a 4th and 16.
Anyway, there won’t be a six-team tie for the ACC’s final championship slot, but there could be a tie among two, three, or even four teams.
Unless Louisville wins out it could be a very interesting Saturday night November 25.
