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NC State

NC State football snap counts, PFF grades and notes: Defense vs. ECU

image_6483441 (3)by: Noah Fleischman1 hour agofleischman_noah
Chase Bond
Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack defensive end Chase Bond (92) celebrates a sack against East Carolina Pirates quarterback Mike Wright Jr. (11) during the first half of the game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

In the early parts of NC State's 24-17 win over East Carolina, it seemed like the defense was a force to be reckoned with. It limited the Pirates to just eight total yards in the opening frame, and although their up-tempo passing attack started to click in the second half, the Wolfpack stopped the run with authority. NC State allowed just 30 rushing yards, a step forward from the 329 that ECU torched the Wolfpack defense with in the Military Bowl last December. Graduate linebacker Caden Fordham paced the Pack defense with 11 total tackles, including two for a loss, while the new pass rush duo of Cian Slone and Sabastian Harsh combined for 14 total tackles with 2.5 for a loss. Slone and Harsh, a combination that opposing quarterbacks will likely fear in the weeks to come both finished with near-elite marks from Pro Football Focus (PFF) as they helped lead the defense's attack in their NC State debuts. Let’s take a look at NC State's full list of grades and snap counts with notes to put some of the data into context.