NC State expects one captain back from injury, loses another for the season
N.C. State is expected to have defensive end James Smith-Williams back for Saturday’s game at Florida State.
That was the good injury news that Wolfpack (3-1) coach Dave Doeren shared in his weekly press conference on Monday. On the bad side, tight end Dylan Autenrieth will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Autenrieth, one of the best run blockers on the team, actually suffered the injury in the first quarter of N.C. State’s loss at West Virginia on Sept. 14. The junior captain was able to finish the WVU game but the injury was more severe than it initially appeared.
Since he only played in three games, Autenrieth will apply for an injury waiver from the NCAA for the season, Doeren said. Autenrieth is the third key player N.C. State has lost for the season to injury. Tackle Tyrone Riley suffered a foot injury early in training camp and receiver C.J. Riley tore ligaments in his left knee in the season-opener.
Dylan Parham, a junior, started in Autenrieth’s spot in the win over Ball State this past Saturday. Junior Thomas Ruocchio could also be line for more snaps, Doeren said, with junior Cary Angeline still being the primary pass-catcher at the position. Freshman tackle Ikem Ekwonu was also used as an extra blocker in certain short-yardage sets.
“We’ve got to be creative,” Doeren said. “Any time you lose a part of your team, you’ve got to figure out how you’re going to replace it.”
Smith-Williams, also a team captain, turned his right ankle early in the win over Western Carolina on Sept. 7 and hasn’t played since. Doeren sounded optimistic about Smith-Williams being able to play in the ACC opener against the Seminoles (2-2) on Saturday night (7:30 p.m., ACC Network).
“We’ll see how he responds to practice but he’s really excited to get back on the field with his teammates,” Doeren said.
Doeren talked about the need to get better in short-yardage situations on both sides after the Ball State win.
The loss of Autenrieth, who plays almost like a fullback, won’t help on that front. N.C. State was 3 of 5 in third-down situations of 3 yards or fewer against Ball State. The Cardinals also stopped a fourth-and-1 run by Ricky Person in the third quarter.
Doeren said he expected to have freshman running back Bam Knight ready for the FSU game. Knight tweaked his left hamstring on a 16-yard with 9:23 left in the second quarter. With N.C. State in control of the game, Knight didn’t return but Doeren said that was as a precaution.
Still missing from the depth chart is cornerback Nick McCloud. The senior captain has missed the past three games with a knee injury. Doeren didn’t provide an update on McCloud’s status on Monday.
Florida State has its own injury issues. Quarterback James Blackman suffered a minor knee injury in the Seminoles’ win over Louisville this past Saturday.
Backup Alex Hornibrook, a grad transfer from Wisconsin, came on in relief and completed 15 of 20 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns against Louisville. Hornibrook’s 60-yard touchdown pass to Tamorrion Terry with 7:25 left put FSU up for good in the 35-24 win.
This is actually the third straight year FSU has had its starting quarterback injured the game before it had to face N.C. State. The Wolfpack has won the past two meetings with the Noles, including a 27-21 decision in Tallahassee, Fla. in 2017.
This story was originally published September 23, 2019 at 4:50 PM with the headline "NC State expects one captain back from injury, loses another for the season."
