Football report card: Grading NC State’s performance in a 36-7 loss at Notre Dame

By Noah Fleischman

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Although NC State appeared to play No. 16 Notre Dame as even as it could for the first half (13-10), the Wolfpack’s tired defense and lack of “complementary football” allowed the Irish to roll to a 36-7 win on Saturday afternoon. 

Let’s take a look at each phase of the Pack’s game and how it did in the loss. Here are the week’s grades for NC State’s offense, defense and special teams.

NC State offense grade

Grade – D+

NC State’s offense had a picturesque drive late in the first quarter that carried into the early stages of the second, which allowed the Wolfpack to level the score at 7 points each after sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey connected with sophomore wideout Terrell Anderson for a 45-yard touchdown. 

But outside of that 11-play, 83-yard series, NC State’s offense struggled to find much success against Notre Dame’s defense. In all, the Wolfpack ended just three of its 12 drives in the Irish territory, while it posted 7 punts with 3 interceptions. 

Bailey, in all, was 17-of-30 passing for 186 yards with 1 score and the 3 picks. His 56.7 percent completion rate was a season low after he reset his season best in that department in each of the previous four outings. He was just 3-of-7 passing for 92 yards on throws of 15 yards or longer, doing most of his damage on passes within five yards of the line (6-of-9 for 32 yards).

While Bailey had an off day, NC State struggled to establish a rushing attack as Notre Dame loaded the box in Cover 1. Redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers was limited to a season-low 46 yards on 12 attempts as he headlined the Wolfpack’s rushing attack that combined gained five yards on 16 carries outside of his plays on the ground. 

Most of that was impacted by Bailey’s 4 sacks taken that led to minus-14 yards on 9 attempts, but the numbers weren’t pretty as a whole. The Wolfpack, as a team, averaged just 1.8 yards per carry.

NC State’s offense’s inability to capitalize on the defense’s stops, especially in the first half, proved to be back-breaking in the defeat. The Wolfpack was outgained 485-233 (342-182 passing, 143-51 rushing), while it was just 5-for-16 on third down and 1-for-3 on fourth down. 

That isn’t going to cut it against most FBS teams, especially a desperate No. 16-ranked Notre Dame squad that is playing with its College Football Playoff hopes on the line in every game it takes the field for this fall.

Defense grade

Grade – B-

For a unit that entered the game undermanned against a high-powered Notre Dame offense, NC State’s defense did what it could for the first half to keep the Wolfpack in the game. It allowed just 10 points as it logged a turnover on downs with 2 punts and an interception in the opening 30 minutes. 

But since NC State’s offense couldn’t get rolling, the defense’s fatigued players eventually allowed Notre Dame to start scoring at will. That was likely going to be the case, but the unit limited the Irish to a 1-for-3 showing in the red zone in the first half, stopping the hosts on fourth down twice in the process. 

The Wolfpack defense did its best, and that’s truly all the program could ask for as the unit battles significant injuries — headlined by redshirt senior linebacker Sean Brown and redshirt freshman safety Brody Barnhardt being out. 

Graduate linebacker Caden Fordham and redshirt freshman safety Ronnie Royal III tied for the team lead with 10 total tackles each. Fordham turned in 0.5 sacks, while Royal posted 7 solo stops with a forced fumble to pace the group. Redshirt freshman defensive back Asaad Brown II, meanwhile, posted 9 total tackles with an interception and redshirt junior linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. recorded 8 tackles through several injury stoppages in the defeat.

Special teams grade

Grade – B-

NC State’s special teams unit managed to avoid disaster at Notre Dame, but it didn’t play a completely clean game. 

The Irish lined up to punt in the third quarter, but they changed the formation just before the snap and ran a quarterback keeper with third-stringer Tyler Buchner to convert on fourth-and-short. That play appeared to swing the momentum fully in Notre Dame’s direction as it cruised to the win. 

Outside of that play, the Wolfpack’s special teams unit was uneventful. Redshirt senior punter Caden Noonkester logged 7 kicks for 318 yards, an average of 45.4, with a long of 56. He placed two kicks inside the 20-yard line with three 50-plus-yard tries. 

Anderson, who caught 3 passes for a team-best 57 yards and a touchdown, logged 1 punt return for 2 yards. Redshirt freshman running back Duke Scott posted one kick return for 17 yards.

NC State placekicker Kanoah Vinesett made his lone extra-point try and did not have any field goal attempts in the loss since the offense struggled to pass midfield.