Reserving judgment, but...

Through the air, quarterback Marcus Stone connected on 8-of-18 passes for 121 yards and two interceptions, although one of the picks came after the ball that went in and out of the hands of his intended receiver.

"Marcus moved the team and he really played smart," said Amato. "He has good control of the team and the team has a lot of faith in him."

While the majority of N.C. State players trudged off the practice field Friday, members of the defensive unit stuck around to run more sprints.

That’s the price they paid for porous play in goal line situations, which left coach Chuck Amato more than mildly upset.

"They got their brains beat in on the goal line; they got their brains beat in on the goal line," bellowed Amato, a trace of venom in his voice. "We can’t do that. If you don’t play it, you’re gonna get beat."

Amato was displeased with the pass rush and coverage as well.

"We are not rushing hard enough; we are not covering hard enough," he continued. "We we can’t cover ‘em and we can’t rush ‘em. That’s not a very good combination.