The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1013591
50 ■ THE WOLFPACKER N C State is expected to rely on its pass- ing game this season, so it was no surprise that sixth-year senior quarterback Ryan Finley and junior wide receiver Kel- vin Harmon both earned preseason All- ACC honors from the league. The 6-4, 212-pound Finley completed 312 of 479 throws (65.1 percent) for 3,518 yards with 17 touchdowns and six intercep- tions, plus added 69 carries for 194 yards and three scores, for the 9-4 Wolfpack in 2017. He opted not to enter the NFL Draft so that he could finish what he started in Raleigh. The former Boise State graduate transfer enters his final season with the Wolfpack ranked fifth in school history in career passing yards (6,577), completions (555), passing attempts (881) and total offense (6,865 yards). He also ranks seventh with 35 career touchdown passes. The 6-3, 214-pound Harmon caught 69 passes for 1,017 yards and four touch- downs a year ago to become the first Wolf- pack receiver since Jerricho Cotchery in 2003 to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark. He had six 100-yard receiving games last year, tied for the fourth-best single-season total in program annals, and his seven career 100-yard performances rank fifth in school history. Finley also was third in the preseason ACC Player of the Year balloting, tally- ing 37 votes. Boston College sophomore running back AJ Dillon was the top vote getter, and Clemson senior defensive tackle Christian Wilkins finished second. The preseason ACC Player of the Year and all-conference team was selected by a vote of 148 media members that were credentialed for the ACC Football Kickoff at Charlotte in July. NC State was also tabbed to finish third in the Atlantic Division. Three-time de- fending ACC champion Clemson earned the top spot and Florida State was second in the division, but the Wolfpack did pick up two first-place votes to finish with 712 points. NC State also earned a pair of votes for the overall ACC championship. Last season, the Wolfpack topped the Seminoles on the road, but lost to the Ti- gers at home. Boston College was slotted for fourth in the Atlantic, followed by Louisville, Wake Forest and Syracuse. Miami was picked to finish atop the Coastal Division, and Vir- ginia Tech was second. The Atlantic and Coastal Division win- ners will meet in the 2018 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game Dec. 1 at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium. WOLFPACK FOOTBALL Quarterback-Receiver Duo Picks Up Preseason All-ACC Accolades ACC Media Predictions Championship Votes 1. Clemson — 139 2. Miami — 5 3. NC State — 2 T4. Florida State and Virginia Tech — 1 Atlantic Division (First-place votes in parenthesis) 1. Clemson (145) — 1,031 2. Florida State (1) — 789 3. NC State (2) — 712 4. Boston College — 545 5. Louisville — 422 6. Wake Forest — 413 7. Syracuse — 232 Coastal Division 1. Miami (122) — 998 2. Virginia Tech (16) — 838 3. Georgia Tech (8) — 654 4. Duke (1) — 607 5. Pittsburgh — 420 6. North Carolina (1) — 370 7. Virginia — 257 2018 Schedule Date Opponent (TV) Time (ET) Sept. 1 James Madison (ESPNU) 12 p.m. Sept. 8 Georgia State (RSN) 12:30 p.m. Sept. 15 West Virginia (ABC/ESPN) 3:30 p.m. Sept. 22 at Marshall (CBSSN) 7 p.m. Sept. 29 Virginia TBA Oct. 6 Boston College TBA Oct. 20 at Clemson TBA Oct. 27 at Syracuse TBA Nov. 3 Florida State TBA Nov. 8 Wake Forest (ESPN) 7:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at Louisville TBA Nov. 24 at North Carolina TBA Sixth-year senior quarterback Ryan Finley, who was named preseason All-ACC, needs 2,885 passing yards to become second all time at NC State in career throwing yardage. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN