Dominant victory over ECU in opener shows how far NC State football has come
N.C. State didn’t need to try a foolish fake field goal or a cockamamie 2-point try to beat East Carolina on Saturday. The Wolfpack didn’t mangle the clock or let someone on ECU’s offense have a career day, either.
The best thing about N.C. State’s season-opening win over East Carolina on Saturday was how plain and uneventful it was.
The Wolfpack defense was dominant, after the opening drive, and quarterback Matt McKay (308 passing yards, three total touchdowns) was effective in his first start.
That was it and it was more than enough for a relatively convincing 34-6 Wolfpack win, the sixth in an opener in seven seasons under coach Dave Doeren.
It was also enough to beat ECU for the second straight game. It wasn’t the 58-3 beatdown from last December in Raleigh, but it wasn’t the disaster from 2016, either.
N.C. State has lost to ECU under similar circumstances before. It’s a sign of progress for Doeren in Year 7 that this one was over early in the third quarter.
“They do a great job here building a very solid program,” first-year ECU coach Mike Houston said. “They do a good job recruiting and building the roster the right way. There are no rebuilding years. Every year they’re taking their guys who have been in the program three or four years and they’re getting ready to go again.”
But it always hasn’t been that smooth for Doeren. James Smith-Williams, N.C. State’s fifth-year senior defensive end, remembers the disappointing trip to Greenville in ‘16. N.C. State used 15 future NFL players in that game. ECU basically had receiver Zay Jones and a forgettable quarterback.
“We should have won that game,” Smith-Williams said. “But ECU-N.C. State is a huge rivalry, whether people know that or not. It’s a big rivalry.”
That was former ECU coach Scottie Montgomery’s first year. It was early in the season (Week 2, instead of the opener), it was hot, and it was a noon start.
Philip Nelson (admit it, you had to look up his name) completed 17 of his 18 passes in the second half to lead the Pirates to a 33-30 win.
N.C. State made many correctable mistakes in that loss — notably a fake field goal with the punter running the option to the kicker — but also in pass coverage.
Doeren hired Tony Gibson from West Virginia this offseason to coach the safeties. Gibson brought with him a 3-3-5 “stack” alignment, which Doeren and defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable have adopted.
Part of the change is by necessity. The defensive line is banged up, both highly recruited freshman Josh Harris and C.J. Clark missed the game with injuries, and there’s new depth and versatility at linebacker.
But there’s also a schematic reason for the adjustment with Syracuse, Florida State, Clemson, West Virginia and Wake Forest on the schedule and all playing a variation of the same offense.
“I just felt like it gave us a lot of answers in some coverage,” said Doeren, whose defense ranked No. 108 against the pass last year.
ECU doesn’t have the same type of playmakers it had earlier this decade, but quarterback Holton Ahlers is tough and talented. N.C. State held him in check on Saturday. Ahlers threw for 168 yards, with an interception, ran for 11 yards and had a key fumble on the first drive.
N.C. State seemingly confused the sophomore quarterback a few times with the different alignment and it was able to heat Ahlers up with its pressure packages.
“We’re just trying to use our players to the best we can with what we have,” Doeren said.
Clearly, a Wolfpack defense that was still licking some wounds from a lopsided bowl loss to Texas A&M has embraced the change.
“I love it because you’ve got more guys in the box,” safety Jarius Morehead said. “You’ve got more guys dropping down in zone coverage. You take away the short routes and you got three guys deep.”
Morehead might have made the play of the game when he came up with an Ahlers fumble, forced by safety Tanner Ingle, in the end zone on ECU’s opening drive of the game.
Later in the second quarter, N.C. State fumbled near the end zone, but left tackle Emanuel McGirt was able to fall on it. McKay scored on the next play to take a 17-3 lead into the half. It’s better to be lucky than good but it helps to be both.
The second half was drama-free. Just the way the Wolfpack needed it. No trickeration, “shouldas” or “wouldas” necessary and no regrets.
This story was originally published August 31, 2019 at 5:50 PM with the headline "Dominant victory over ECU in opener shows how far NC State football has come."
