The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/223560
Year In Transition The Most Memorable Moments Of The 2013 Season T By Jacey Zembal he first year of the Dave Doeren era at NC State was filled with both optimism and frustration, all the way to the end of a 3-9 campaign. NC State won three of its four non-conference games, but was 0-8 in the ACC and lost all four of tis games to in-state Division I opponents. The offense struggled to get untracked while rotating multiple quarterbacks and dealing with an assortment of injuries throughout the season. Through it all, the Wolfpack continued to play hard, and some young up-and-coming talent was developed in laying a foundation to a brighter future. The Wolfpacker takes a look back at the best (and most frustrating) moments of the 2013 season. Biggest Win: The "moral" victory doesn't count against Clemson, but NC State's best win was against eventual 6-6 Central Michigan 48-14 Sept. 28 at CarterFinley Stadium. NC State scored on offense, defense and special teams, with the latter two scores described in detail in the following categories. NCSU redshirt junior wide receiver Bryan Underwood caught five passes for 148 yards and a touchdown, and rushed for 42 yards on three carries. The defense finished with three interceptions and two sacks in holding CMU to 259 total yards. Offensive MVP: NC State sophomore running back Shadrach Thornton overcame a rocky start, but eventually seized the starting job a few games into the season. He led the Wolfpack in rushing for the second year in a row, with 768 yards and four touchdowns on 165 carries (4.7-yard average), plus he caught 16 passes for 97 yards. Thornton's most impressive statistic was going through the whole season with zero fumbles. Defensive MVP: NC State senior middle linebacker Robert Caldwell truly came out of nowhere during fall camp last August to lead the Wolfpack with 105 tackles and 14.5 tackles for loss. He added two sacks, one interception and five quarterback pressures. Caldwell had at least 10 tackles in five games, including 17 at Boston College Nov. 16. Special Teams MVP: NC State junior kicker Niklas Sade finished 19 of 23 on field goal attempts with a long of 48 yards, Senior middle linebacker Robert Caldwell led the Wolfpack in both tackles (105) and tackles for loss (14.5). photo by Ken Martin and he had 29 touchbacks on 58 kickoffs this season. Best Individual Performance, Offense: Sophomore running back Shadrach Thornton rushed for 173 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries at Florida State Oct. 26. He also added five catches for 32 yards. Florida State rolled to a 49-17 victory, but Thornton had his breakout performance. Best Individual Performance, Defense: NC State junior outside linebacker Brandon Pittman had been in and out of the lineup, but solidified his spot in a 38-20 loss at Duke Nov. 9. He led the Wolfpack with 14 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack against the Blue Devils. Best Kicking Performance: NC State junior kicker Niklas Sade drilled a 48-yard field goal with 33 seconds left in the game to help the Wolfpack defeat Richmond 2321 Sept. 7 at Carter-Finley Stadium. Sade previously made a 46-yard field goal to start off the scoring in the game, and added a 19-yarder right before halftime. He also went 6 of 6 on kickoffs going for touchbacks. Best Running Play: Thornton shook off Florida State defensive back Keelin Smith and then was off to the races for a 72-yard touchdown run with 59 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 42-10 Seminoles. Redshirt sophomore left tackle Joe Thuney 32 ■ the wolfpacker 32,34.Year in Review.indd 32 12/5/13 3:40 PM