College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the NC State Wolfpack season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– NC State Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 4-8 overall, 1-7 in ACC
Head Coach: Dave Doeren, 8th year, 47-42
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 79
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 112
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 40
No one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: NC State Wolfpack Offense 3 Things To Know
– All of a sudden, the offense just stopped. The Wolfpack attack that had no problems blowing past the 5,000-yard mark for five straight years under head coach Dave Doeren – and flirting with 6,000 in 2018 – wasn’t even close last year, finishing 11th in the ACC in total yardage and 12th in scoring.
After scoring 28 points or more in nine of the last 12 games two years ago, the 34-23 win over Ball State was the only time in the last ten games last year when the team scored more than 26.
There were two massive problems: 1) turnovers – more on that later on in the Keys To The Season – and 2) a lack of passing efficiency.
QB Matt McKay left for Montana State, but Devin Leary is backs after taking his lumps as a freshman. The 6-2, 212-pounder only hit 48% of his passes for 1,219 yards and eight scores with five picks, and 6-2, 208-pound junior Bailey Hockman hit 56% of his throws for 546 yards and a score with four picks. Leary has the inside line on the gig again, but freshman Ben Finley will get a long look.
CFN in 60 Video: NC State Wolfpack Preview
– The running back corps was really, really, really young – three then-freshmen and one sophomore – and they’re all back. Now-sophomore Zonovan Knight led the team with 745 yards and five scores, sophomore Jordan Houston is a slasher who was second on the team with 526 yards and two scores, and 6-1, 220-pound Ricky Person Jr. is back after running for 229 yards and three scores despite missing half the season with an ankle injury.
The offensive front that was good in pass protection and wasn’t a huge part of the problem – even though it wasn’t quite consistent enough. Fortunately, most of the starters are expected back. Starting guard Josh Fedd-Jackson is in the transfer portal, but there’s hope for an even stronger season around the other four parts.
– Tabari Hines is gone, but everyone else returns to a receiving corps that should be good if the quarterback play is better. 6-3, 210-pound senior Emeka Emezie is a big No. 1 target who led the way with 56 grabs, but he didn’t do much deep – that’s not his game, though.
6-4 sophomore Devin Carter is another big target – he was second on the team with 456 yards – and Thayer Thomas smallish quick receiver who can do a whole lot more than 31 catches. Throw in All-ACC tight end Cary Angeline, and there’s a lot to like about this group.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: NC State Wolfpack Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: NC State Wolfpack Defense 3 Things To Know
– The defense generated a nice pass rush and was okay against the run, but it got hit way too much and too hard through the air, and overall it couldn’t seem to catch any sort of injury break. Nine of the top 12 tacklers should be back, starting with a promising linebacking corps that should crank up the stats.
Outside linebacker Brock Miller took off to Boise State, but 238-pound leading tackler Payton Wilson and 240-pound Isaiah Moore is back after making 69 and 53 tackles, respectively. Throw in 223-pound Louis Acceus – a tackling machine before he got hurt in the second half of last year – and this position is a plus.
– The line is going to need some work after losing star Larrell Muchison from one tackle spot. The depth took a hit with four players hitting the transfer portal, but former Penn State star recruit Daniel Joseph is coming in to work on one side, likely across from junior Ibrahim Kante. 6-2, 315-pound Alim McNeill will handle the nose – after doing a great job at getting to the quarterback – in a nice rotation with former JUCO transfer Val Martin.
– The secondary has to be stronger. It can tackle, but there were a grand total of two interceptions from the DBs, and both came from senior cornerback Chris Ingram. Junior safety Tanner Ingle was second on the team with 68 tackles, but losing safety Jarius Morehead and corner Kishawn Miller is a problem, even for the nation’s 103rd-ranked pass defense.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top NC State Wolfpack Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top NC State Wolfpack Players
Best NC State Wolfpack Offensive Player
RB Zonovan Knight, Soph.
Let’s just throw all the running backs into the mix here as a collective Best Offensive Player in the running-back-by-committee approach – a healthy Ricky Person Jr., Jordan Houston, and Trent Pennix form a nice backfield. Knight, though, should be the star of the bunch, coming off a 745-yard, five-touchdown season with three 100-yard games.
The 6-0, 197-pounder came up large as a true freshman, was able to handle at least ten carries per game, and he showed a good burst – but he’ll have to share the workload.
2. TE Cary Angeline, Sr.
3. PK Christopher Dunn, Jr.
4. WR Emeka Emezie, Sr.
5. RB Ricky Person, Jr.
Best NC State Wolfpack Defensive Player
S Tanner Ingle, Jr.
Go ahead and put any one of the three top linebackers here, and you could make a case for nose tackle Alim McNeill if he can build on his good-pass rushing sophomore season. But coming into the year, Ingle should be the top all-around playmaker for a secondary that needs more top all-around plays.
The 5-10, 188-pound veteran isn’t all that big, but he packs a thump from his free safety spot, making 44 tackles as a freshman and coming up with 68 tackles last year. He was leading the team in stops before missing the final game hurt – he’s not afraid to get physical.
2. LB Payton Wilson, Soph.
3. P Trenton Gill, Jr.
4. LB Louis Acceus, Sr.
5. LB Isaiah Moore, Jr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: NC State Wolfpack Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: NC State Wolfpack Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The NC State Wolfpack Offense
The turnovers have to stop. The downfield passing game has to be stronger and more efficient, coming up with more third down conversions is a must, and three more things are vital – more points, more points, more points. But there’s one part of this puzzle that has to be done if this is going to be a decent season.
Stop turning over the freaking ball.
Everything was fine for a while. The Wolfpack didn’t give the ball away in any of the first three games, and then came two picks in the win over Ball State, and there were two lost fumbles in the loss to Florida State – but things were still fine.
The Pack had just six turnovers in the first eight games, and then the wheels came off. They lost their last six games with 15 turnovers in the last five. Offenses in previous seasons could overcome the mistakes, but last year’s attack couldn’t.
This year’s O should be better, but it can’t start screwing up again.
And on the other side …
Biggest Key To The NC State Wolfpack Defense
Start forcing takeaways. The secondary needs to do far more against the decent-to-great passing teams, and even more of pass rush from the front 3-or-4 would be nice, but it’s time to start generating a few big plays.
Only two teams failed to come up with at least ten takeaways. Kansas came up with eight, and so did NC State.
The D took the ball away twice in the opener against East Carolina, generated one takeaway in each of the next three games, and then … crickets.
Six games, no takeaways.
There were three in the final two games, but they didn’t matter in the two losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina. There was just one interception over the final eight games, and there weren’t any fumble recoveries in nine of the 12 games.
The team was used to getting the ball back from the D at least 20 times – 19 in 2018 – in every year after forcing 39 takeaways in 2011. Attacking the ball will be a must right away.
Key NC State Wolfpack Player To A Successful Season
QB Devin Leary, Soph.
Boston College just got Phil Jurkovec from Notre Dame. Florida State will be fine with James Blackman. Louisville’s Micale Cunningham is a rising star, Syracuse’s Tommy Devito is talented enough to do more if he gets time to work, and that Trevor Lawrence guy at Clemson is pretty good.
NC State needs more out of its quarterback.
The 6-2, 212-pound Leary wasn’t a huge recruit, but he got a year in the system, and he was thrown into the mix as the season was spiraling out of control and got enough experience to be ready to roll in 2020 – hopefully.
He struggles with his accuracy, and he didn’t press the ball deep enough, but he threw for 1,219 yards and eight scores with five picks in the last eight games. If he’s not it, and if he’s not a whole lot better, it’ll be another year of trying to fine the right passer going forward.
Key Game To The NC State Wolfpack Season
at Louisville, Sept. 3
The faster the program can get the taste of the back half of last season out of its mouth, the better. To do it on the road against an ACC Atlantic foe is a must with Mississippi State up next.
The Pack got whacked by Louisville last year, won the previous two meetings, and lost the three before that.
Win, and with the schedule ahead there shouldn’t be too much of a problem going bowling. But more than that, win, and the ugly six game losing streak from the end of 2019 stops.
– NC State Wolfpack Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 NC State Fun Stats
– Sacks: NC State 35 for 230 yards – Opponents 18 for 118 yards
– Turnovers: NC State 23 – Opponents 8
– 4th Down Conversions: Opponents 9-of-12 (75%) – NC State 14-of-29 (48%)
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: NC State Wolfpack Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: NC State Wolfpack Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
CFN in 60 Video: NC State Wolfpack Preview
It’s NC State – it’s going to bounce back.
Dave Doeren had a rough first season going 3-9 in 2013, and then the wins started coming with five straight winning campaigns, five straight bowl appearances, and two straight 9-4 seasons before last year’s clunker.
Injuries were a massive issue – especially on the defensive side – and the offense had to break into a whole slew of new parts, especially at quarterback. The team struggled to get going, but it started 4-2, and then it all fell apart.
That should all quickly change – at least that’s the hope for Doeren.
On the plus side, the defensive woes forced a whole slew of players to get on the field a bit too early, but the offensive side needs one of the young quarterback options to rise up and rock – the downfield passing game has to show up, along with the points.
Set The NC State Wolfpack Regular Season Win Total At … 6.5
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 4.5
It helps that the schedule just isn’t all that bad.
The Wolfpack have to play Clemson, so it might as well get the game on the road to save a home date against someone else.
There’s no Notre Dame, and missing Miami, Pitt, Virginia and Virginia Tech from the Coastal side is a huge help.
What’s the second-toughest game? At North Carolina, but that’s at the end of the regular season when the team should have a full season to get it all together. Maybe it’s Mississippi State, but that’s in Raleigh, and the Florida State game is at home.
Getting to at least six wins and a bowl game has to be a given, and if the offense can be night-and-day stronger, there’s a shot at being the No. 2 team in the Atlantic if the Pack can at least split the road games at Louisville and North Carolina.
– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– Schedule Analysis
