The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1481002
TRACKING THE PACK 20 ■ THE WOLFPACKER BY THE NUMBERS Sponsored by Colony Tire & Service www.colonytire.com "We've worked really hard to move ourselves up in the national footprint of this sport. It's taken a lot of time, blood, sweat and tears and commitment from a lot of people. "I know it's not a stationary spot, either. You go up or down based on your performance, but you still have to get to that spot, and we've worked hard to get there. … "I'm proud of our players. Three years ago, we were 4-8. These guys have worked really hard to get our football team where it is right now." — DAVE DOEREN, NC State head football coach, on his team's appearance at No. 10 in the Associated Press poll after its 41-10 victory over Connecticut, the Wolfpack's first top-10 showing since Oct. 28, 2002 State beat Clemson last year but still couldn't win the division. Just to bend your mind, Wake Forest lost to Clemson and won the division. So, there's your silver lining and one Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren was preaching. "We can't sit here and say, 'What if?' " Doeren said. "It's a long sea- son, and there are a lot of games left. All we can control is next week." — Joe Giglio, WRAL.com com- mentator, on the state of the ACC Atlantic Division race following the Wolfpack's loss at Clemson 1.45 Riley Shaak's average blocks per set through the NC State women's volleyball team's first 15 matches. Shaak, a junior middle blocker from Newtown Square, Pa., was leading the ACC in the statistical category and played a key role in helping the Wolfpack get off to a 9-6 start, includ- ing victories in three of its first four conference matches. 4.46 4.46 Was the average yards per play that NC State's football opponents had managed through the first five weeks of the season. It was the lowest average in the ACC and the 13th-lowest mark in the FBS. Led by fourth-year junior linebacker DRAKE THOMAS, who had a team-high 32 tackles through five games, the Wolfpack was ranked second in the conference in both scoring defense (15.4 points allowed per game) and total defense (280.0 yards surrendered a contest). 6 Touchdowns for which redshirt junior quarterback Devin Leary was responsible in NC State's 55-3 victory over Charleston Southern on Sept. 10. Leary had touch- down passes of 24, 40, 20 and 27 yards, as well as scor- ing runs of 12 and 2 yards. Leary's performance tied an NC State single-game record also held by Philip Rivers and Mike Glennon. 12 Consecutive weeks in which the NC State football team was ranked in the Associated Press Top 25, as of Week 5 of the 2022 season. The streak began when the Wolfpack entered last year's poll at No. 19 after defeat- ing Louisville 28-13 on Oct. 30. The Pack ended the season at No. 20 and began the current season at No. 13. Heading into Flor- ida State's visit to Raleigh on Oct. 8, NC State was 14th in the AP poll. The streak of consecutive weeks in the poll is the program's longest since 2002. 16:14.5 Was senior distance runner Sam Bush's winning time at the Adidas XC Challenge on Sept. 20 in Cary, N.C. In earning her first collegiate cross country victory, Bush shaved 27 seconds off her time in last year's event, which took place on the same course. She outpaced junior teammate Marlee Starliper by 6 seconds to lead the field of 106 runners. The Wolfpack women handily won the team competi - tion, with freshman Mariah Howlett (third), freshman Savannah Shaw (fifth), junior Gionna Quarzo (sixth) and sophomore Brooke Rauber (eighth) all among the top eight finishers. PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN