Plays |
Total Yds |
Yds/Play |
Yds/Carry* |
Yds/PassAtt |
|
NCSU |
71 |
258 |
3.6 | 2.5 |
6.8 |
UConn |
59 |
239 |
4.1 |
1.7 |
7.6 |
(Yds/carry stats are calculated after removing sacks from the equation.)
That was not, uh, not what anyone wanted.
And yet here we are, with one more win than we had last week. Football crazy, y'all. With one exception, State's defense cut out the big plays that killed us in Week 1, and running back Lyle McCombs was a non-factor on the ground. UConn's inability to establish anything on the ground forced the Huskies to rely on Chandler Whitmer's arm more than they probably wanted to, and that gave the Pack's secondary some opportunities to make plays.
UConn was just two of 12 on third down, and while State wasn't much better at 6-19, that's one of those small edges that makes a difference in a close game. Special teams were essentially a wash in the sense that no catastrophic mistakes were made by either side.
Offensively, State clearly still has a long, long way to go up front, and that is really disappointing. It's like experience holds no value for these guys...they're just the same forever. And it isn't for a lack of talent up there.