Wolfpack football scouting report: Week 6 vs. Campbell

By Noah Fleischman

NC State is looking to snap a two-game skid as local FCS squad Campbell visits Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday afternoon (2 p.m., ACCNX). 

Although the two teams’ campuses are separated by just 35 miles, the Camels and Wolfpack have never faced off on the gridiron — until now. Let’s take a look at what Campbell (1-4, 1-1 CAA) brings to the table as it makes its Raleigh debut this weekend.

5 Campbell players to watch

1. QB Kamden Sixkiller

Other than having one of the more-intimidating last names in all of college football, Sixkiller has been an efficient passer for the Camels this fall. The McNeese transfer has thrown for 1,098 yards with 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions on a 59.8 percent completion rate. Sixkiller has thrown for at least 200 yards in each of his last three games, including 334 yards with 5 touchdowns and 2 interceptions and a 60.4 percent completion percentage in the team’s 50-48 double-overtime win over Bryant. Although he can sling it, protection has been an issue for Sixkiller, who has been sacked 11 times (at least twice in each of the first five games).

2. DB Donavan Philord

One of Campbell’s top defensive secondary players, Philord leads the Camels with 5 pass breakups and an interception. He has been thrown at 28 times, allowing 17 receptions for 172 yards this season. Philord doesn’t allow much after the catch, either, with just 76 of those yards coming in open space. In addition to his pass defense, Philord has logged 19 total tackles, including 15 solo stops, this fall. 

3. QB Mike Chandler II

While he isn’t the go-to quarterback, Chandler can do a little bit of everything within Campbell’s offense. He was the Camels’ starting signal-caller last season, but now Chandler is used all over. He has thrown for 88 yards with a touchdown, rushed for 60 yards and 2 touchdowns on 27 carries and also has caught 16 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown. Campbell will deploy Chandler in various situations, so NC State’s defense will have to be aware of where he is at all times.

4. LB Kalen Villanueva

Campbell’s leading tackler, Villanueva has been all over the field this fall with 38 total stops, including 17 solo tackles, in the middle of the Camels’ defense. The transfer is coming off a career-best 11 total tackles in the team’s 42-35 loss to Western Carolina last weekend. He’s familiar with FBS football having spent the first four years of his collegiate career at that level (Illinois, Louisiana Tech and UConn), and he logged 5 tackles in the 56-3 loss to East Carolina in Week 2. 

5. WR Randall King

The Camels’ leading receiver has caught 28 passes for 333 yards with 5 touchdowns this fall, but he’s coming off a career-best showing in his last outing against Bryant. King, a 6-foot-2, 205-pound sophomore, caught 8 passes for 142 yards and 4 touchdowns in the two-overtime victory over the Bulldogs. He, however, did not play in Campbell’s loss to Western Carolina last week.

3 keys to the game

1. Let QB CJ Bailey air it out

Campbell’s pass defense hasn’t been good this season. The Camels are allowing 331 yards per game through the air and opposing quarterbacks have completed 62.2 percent of their passes against that defense. Western Carolina quarterback Taron Dickens threw for 427 yards and 4 touchdowns last week, while East Carolina signal-caller Katin Houser accounted for 314 yards with 2 scores in Week 2. Wolfpack sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey has thrown for at least 200 yards in all five games, including two 300-yard efforts this season. The Camels’ porous pass defense could allow Bailey to increase that total again this weekend.

2. Tackle well

It wasn’t an issue early in the season, but NC State’s defense has struggled to tackle, at times. The Wolfpack logged a season-most 14 missed stops in the loss to Virginia Tech, a critical reason why the Hokies left Carter-Finley Stadium with a 23-21 win last Saturday night. This game against an FCS foe comes at the perfect time so the Pack can focus on returning to its fundamentals to tackle with correct form and technique. This will be a critical game to return to very few missed tackles as a date at Notre Dame, a team that will take advantage of every single missed tackle with ease, looms next weekend.

3. Re-establish the run

NC State’s rushing offense had been dominant for a three-week stretch before Virginia Tech found a way to stymie the Wolfpack, holding the team to just 59 rushing yards this past weekend. Campbell has been decent against the run this fall, allowing 120.4 yards per game, so this is an opportunity for the Pack to find its footing on the ground. Redshirt sophomore running back Hollywood Smothers, the ACC’s leading rusher, has a chance to get rolling again after being limited to a season-low 67 yards against the Hokies. If NC State can run the ball well, it shouldn’t have any issues with Campbell.

1 NC State player that could change the game

WR Terrell Anderson

Since Campbell’s pass defense appears to be a weak link, NC State’s aerial attack could be due for a breakout game. And if that’s truly the case, sophomore wide receiver Terrell Anderson could be in line for another standout showing. Although he isn’t viewed as the Wolfpack’s top receiving option, his stat line has proven that he has what it takes to be WR1 in Raleigh. Anderson leads the team with 338 receiving yards to go with 2 touchdowns on 19 receptions as he has caught at least three passes in every game. Keep an eye out for another big day from the former four-star recruit out of Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley High.