NC State’s offense sputters in blowout 41-7 loss at No. 15 Miami

By Noah Fleischman

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Just two weeks removed from the euphoric feeling of beating then-No. 8 Georgia Tech and an open date to get healthy, NC State left Raleigh with a feeling that it could compete with No. 15 Miami in its final road game of the season. 

Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren wanted his team to be able to build off its field-storming result against the Yellow Jackets over the course of two weeks worth of practice, treating this road trek to Miami no differently than any other game.

“The first thing I talked to the guys about was we have to understand what it took to get that win and to be able to repeat something like that,” Doeren said Thursday. “It’s even harder on the road. When you go and play a top-ranked team like we are in their environment, you’ve got to be even more dialed in.”

But as NC State entered Hard Rock Stadium, a venue that doesn’t lack plenty of empty seats at kickoff, the Wolfpack seemed to revert to its version that dropped four straight FBS games, including a pair of blowout losses at Notre Dame and Pitt. 

No. 15 Miami jumped out on NC State early and kept its foot on the gas pedal to earn a 41-7 win over the Wolfpack on Saturday afternoon. 

Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey, in his homecoming, threw for 120 yards with 2 interceptions on 17-of-30 passing, while he rushed for a team-high 17 yards and a touchdown on six attempts. Redshirt freshman running back Duke Scott paced the Wolfpack’s pass catchers with 40 yards on 3 receptions

The Pack’s offense, as a whole, failed to cross midfield until there was 5:26 to play in the game, while it was outgained 581-149 as it struggled to get going against the Hurricanes’ stout defense.

Here are TheWolfpacker.com’s observations from the loss. 

Early self-inflicted wounds hurt

The first quarter was one from hell for NC State. It couldn’t do anything to get out of its own way on each of its first four offensive possessions, which quickly spiraled into Miami controlling the game rather quickly.

Its first two drives were doomed by false start penalties that derailed the series, leading to two punts in seven total offensive plays. The Wolfpack gained 19 total yards on those drives, but 16 of those came on the first play from scrimmage, a Bailey pass to wideout Keenan Jackson. 

Then, well, it got ugly.

After NC State’s defense forced its first turnover of the game via a cornerback Devon Marshall hard hit to jar the ball loose near midfield, Bailey threw a pick six to Miami’s Jakobe Thomas as he appeared to stare down Joly. 

And on the ensuing possession? Bailey tried to throw off his back foot — something he did a lot of as the Hurricanes’ defense lived in the backfield — and his pass fell short, right into Thomas’ hands for his second interception in as many drives. 

The pick six appeared to change the momentum of the game as Miami was able to settle in on offense after that. The Hurricanes closed the first half with two touchdowns on their final three drives, needing just 12 offensive plays to do so. 

NC State, meanwhile, was stuck in quicksand for the rest of the opening half. The Wolfpack punted on each of its last three full possessions, while it opted to run the clock out after just one play, despite the Hurricanes getting the ball after halftime. 

In all, Miami outgained NC State 249-82 in the first 30 minutes, while the Pack was 1-for-6 on third down. The Wolfpack punted on five of its seven full drives as it failed to score in the first half for the first time this season.

Run game struggles

It was no secret that Miami had a stout run defense. The Hurricanes, after all, led the ACC with just 88.3 yards allowed on the ground per game, limiting opponents to just 2.8 yards per carry. 

Although the Canes’ defensive ends got all the headlines entering the afternoon, their defensive tackles were the wrecking crew that affected the game the most. They pushed through the middle of the Wolfpack’s offensive line with ease, making Bailey uncomfortable for a lot of the afternoon, but they ate up nearly every rushing attempt. 

NC State, in turn, was limited to just 29 rushing yards on 20 carries in the defeat — 1.5 per attempt.

Just two weeks removed from a career-best 196 yards with a touchdown on 24 carries in the Pack’s upset win over Georgia Tech, Scott posted just 7 attempts for 14 yards. He only had one carry for five yards in the entire first half, and didn’t post another rush until there was 3:42 left in the third quarter — a 2-yard gain. 

NC State, instead, tried to feed Smothers in his first game back from injury. The normally elusive back didn’t have time to get rolling as the Hurricanes’ defense swarmed him each time he had the ball in his hands. Smothers, in all, logged just two positive rushes through the first three quarters with five that went for a loss or no gain. He finished the game with seven carries for minus-2 yards.

Defense did what it could …

NC State asked a lot from its defense to try to keep the team in the game since its offense couldn’t get into a rhythm. The unit didn’t get much time to rest on the bench as the Wolfpack punted on nearly every possession it had in the defeat. 

In fact, graduate punter Caden Noonkester turned in career-high-tying 9 total punts in the game. 

And, in turn, the tired legs caught up to the Wolfpack’s defense — which, at times, was able to slow the Hurricanes via Marshall’s standout play at corner. In addition to his forced fumble, he had a critical pass breakup in the first half to force a punt, while he added 4 total tackles, including one for a loss. 

NC State’s defense forced 2 total punts, including a three-and-out through Miami’s first five drives, which also featured a field goal and a touchdown. After that, though, the Hurricanes scored on its next four series — three touchdowns and a field goal. They didn’t score on the fifth due to a missed 42-yard try.