The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1466831
28 ■ THE WOLFPACKER S P R I N G F O O T B A L L 2 0 2 2 BY MATT CARTER he annual NC State foot- ball spring game was played April 9 at Carter-Finley Sta- dium in Raleigh. Here are five storylines t h a t e m e rge d from the scrimmage. Devin Leary Can Still Sling It The fifth-year red- shirt junior made a case for being one of the ACC's best quarterbacks in 2021, and if the spring game is an indication, he should be in line for big things again this fall. Leary completed 26 of 34 passes for 355 yards and three touchdowns, al- though he did toss one interception when he underthrew a deep pass and was picked off by redshirt freshman safety Sean Brown. Leary also fooled the defense when he kept for a 20-yard gain on a read-option play, one of two rushes totaling 31 yards for Leary on the afternoon. And that was all in just two quarters of work. Leary did not take any snaps after halftime. "I felt really comfortable out there and really confident in all the guys out there, too," Leary noted. Third-year redshirt freshman quar- terback Ben Finley had his moments, too, especially after he switched in the second half to the starting offense. Finley finished 15-of-21 passing for 171 yards and two scores with one intercep- tion. Both of his TD tosses came in the second half. Gauging The Position Battles Fourth-year junior Keyon Lesane made his case to replace outside receiver Emeka Emezie, the all-time leader in catches at NC State. A former star at Butler High near Charlotte, Lesane showed promise as a true freshman in 2019 when he caught 13 passes for 93 yards. In two years since then, Lesane has 11 receptions for 103 yards. However, Lesane led all players with 88 yards receiving and pulled in 5 of 6 passes thrown his way during the scrimmage. " I t h o u g h t Keyo n L e s a n e caught the ball well," head coach Dave Doeren noted. Third-year sophomore An- thony Smith was also a popu- lar target. He hauled in 3 of 7 passes tossed in his direction for 67 yards, including a 34-yard score. On the offensive line, without su- per senior starting center Grant Gib- son available, the first string included redshirt sophomore left tackle Anthony Belton. Doeren noted that they were still a "long way away" from naming a T BUILDING BUILDING ANTICIPATION ANTICIPATION Rising Stars Combine With Key Returnees To Offer Tantalizing Preview In NC State's Spring Game Third-year sophomore receiver Anthony Smith had three catches for 67 yards and a 34-yard touchdown in the spring game. PHOTO BY MARCOS ASPIAZU/NC STATE ATHLETICS