Beyond the Box Score: Inside NC State football’s loss to Louisville
NC State’s defense gave the team a chance, but its offense could not keep pace with Louisville, which led to the Wolfpack’s 13-10 loss Friday night.
While the box score shows some of the outcomes of the Pack’s loss, the advanced statistics via Pro Football Reference help paint the complete picture.
Here’s a deeper look inside the Wolfpack’s loss to the Cardinals.
Stout Run Defense
NC State’s run defense was its best unit in the loss to the Cardinals, as it held Louisville to a season-low 20 rushing yards. The Wolfpack’s stout defense was paced by its linebackers.
Senior Jaylon Scott led the way with four tackles in run defense — he had seven total in the contest — and three of which were “stops,” defined as a tackle that results in a failure for the offense, according to PFF. Graduate student Payton Wilson and redshirt sophomore Caden Fordham added three tackles in run defense, and each logged a “stop.”
While the linebackers led the way, NC State’s defensive line was also pivotal in the team’s run defense. Junior Davin Vann logged two tackles in run defense, both “stops,” while senior Savion Jackson added three tackles with a pair of “stops.”
Jackson recorded five total tackles, while Vann chipped in with four against the Cardinals.
Newly-Added Tackle Makes Big Impact
Through the first four games, redshirt freshman tackle Jacarrius Peak was used as a rotational piece on offense. But his role expanded against the Cardinals.
Peak played 59 snaps at right tackle as the Wolfpack experimented with its offensive line as center Dylan McMahon was out with a leg injury. Peak flourished in his larger role. He recorded an elite 83.9 pass blocking grade, according to PFF, which was the highest among all NC State players.
In 36 opportunities to allow a pressure, Peak gave up two, but did not allow a sack against Louisville’s dominant defensive line.
Wolfpack Corner Picked On … Again
A week after Virginia went after NC State cornerback Shyheim Battle (10 targets with six receptions allowed for 118 yards), Louisville did the same. Cardinals quarterback Jack Plummer targeted receivers that Battle was covering eight times, the most of any Wolfpack defender, and completed five of those passes for 116 yards.
Battle conceded 22 yards after the catch, according to PFF. His average depth of target was 16.8 yards and he gave up a long of 39 yards. But while the Cardinals found success against him, Battle recorded his first interception of the season off Plummer.
QB Under Pressure For Almost Half Of His Dropbacks
While NC State didn’t get the performance it was looking for from Virginia graduate transfer quarterback Brennan Armstrong, who was benched in favor of sophomore MJ Morris on Monday, he didn’t operate with a clean pocket all night.
Armstrong was pressured on 14 of his 35 dropbacks against the Cardinals, which resulted in two sacks. The left-handed quarterback was 3-for-7 passing for five yards and two interceptions while he was under pressure.
NC State left guard Anthony Carter Jr. struggled the most in pass blocking. He was given a grade of 20.4 in the category, according to PFF. He allowed five pressures, including four quarterback hurries and a quarterback hit.
The PFF top five highest-graded players on offense vs. Louisville (minimum of 10 snaps)
Note: A 64 grade is an average PFF mark in a single game, while a 68 is the norm for a season and 72 is average for a career.
1. WR Terrell Timmons Jr. (72.5): Timmons paced NC State’s wide receivers with three receptions for 71 yards, including a long of 45 yards. The sophomore averaged 23.7 yards per catch in his career best day.
2. TE Trent Pennix (68.0): The graduate tight end caught one pass for one yard, but it was enough for a first down to sustain a NC State drive that ended in a Delbert Mimms III touchdown run on the next play. Pennix was also key in the Wolfpack’s pass blocking with a grade of 71.7 on the end of NC State’s offensive line.
3. WR Porter Rooks (64.2): Rooks caught one pass for 17 yards against the Cardinals. He only appeared in 14 snaps for the Pack, 11 of which were passing plays.
4. RG Timothy McKay (63.8): NC State’s right guard allowed just two quarterback pressures as he posted a pass blocking grade of 64.0 against Louisville. McKay played 58 of 59 snaps on the line for the Wolfpack in the loss.
5. RB Delbert Mimms III (61.9): Mimms recorded four carries for eight yards and a touchdown in the loss. He’s been a scoring machine in short-yardage situations for the Wolfpack, and it was no different against the Cardinals.
The PFF top five highest-graded players on offense vs. Louisville (minimum of 10 snaps)
Note: A 64 grade is an average PFF mark in a single game, while a 68 is the norm for a season and 72 is average for a career.
1. LB Devon Betty (76.8): Betty recorded three tackles against the Cardinals, including 0.5 tackles for a loss. While he did not stuff the box score, Betty logged two quarterback hurries and a quarterback hit in three pressures.
2. S Rakeim Ashford (75.1): The Wolfpack safety recorded two tackles with a tackle for loss in his first defensive snaps since he left the UConn game early with a concussion. He also logged a quarterback hurry in his lone pressure.
3. NT CJ Clark (74.1): Clark made two tackles, including 0.5 tackles for a loss, in the loss to Louisville. The nose tackle received an 82.1 mark in run defense, the highest of any player on NC State’s roster.
4. LB Payton Wilson (71.5): The veteran linebacker paced NC State’s defense for the fifth time this season with 10 tackles and added two sacks as well. Wilson recorded four quarterback pressures on the night, while he also had a pass breakup.
5. LB Caden Fordham (68.1): The redshirt sophomore recorded four tackles, two of which were solo stops. Fordham did not record a missed tackle in the loss while he played 28 total snaps.
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