The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
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FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 Three Key Games Vs. South Carolina, Sept. 2 (in Charlotte) NC State will play better teams and more talented squads, but a win over an SEC program would be a nice way to start the season. The two opened the 2008 and 2009 seasons, and the Wolfpack didn't get a touchdown in either meeting, losing to the Gamecocks 34-0 in 2008 and 7-3 in 2009. South Carolina went through a youth movement last season and finished 6-7 under first-year head coach Will Muschamp. Quarterback Jake Bentley gradu - ated from high school in three years, enrolled at South Carolina and eventually won the starting position. He threw for 1,420 yards with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. Redshirt junior wide receiver Deebo Samuel proved to be his favorite target, posting 59 catches for 783 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore running back Rico Dowdle, who attended Asheville (N.C.) High and was a NC State target, rushed for 764 yards and six scores. Junior tight end Hayden Hurst is a former pro baseball player who walked on, and he caught 48 passes for 616 yards and a touchdown. South Carolina allowed 26.5 points per game, and opponents ran for a whopping 203.2 yards per contest. Senior safety D.J. Smith led the Gamecocks with 80 tackles and added an interception. Weakside linebacker Bryson Allen- Williams was right behind Smith with 75 stops, including two sacks among 8.5 tackles for loss. Vs. Louisville, Oct. 5 Other opponents might be ranked higher — i.e. Florida State — and the North Carolina game is always meaningful, but if the Wolfpack want to exorcise some demons, the contest against the Cardinals is meaningful. Why? Because last season's 54-13 loss at Louisville still stings, and it will be a nationally televised Thursday night game on ESPN. NC State's defense was very good last year, so the 54-point effort by the Car - dinals stuck out like a sore thumb. Star quarterback Lamar Jackson passed for 355 yards and three touchdowns while also rushing for 76 yards and a score to lead the blowout victory. The eventual Heisman Trophy winner finished the season with 3,543 yards and 30 touchdowns through the air, and 1,571 yards and 21 scores on the ground. Jackson is back, but his supporting cast will be different in 2017. Jaylen Smith, a 6-4 junior, is expected to emerge as his top target after notching 27 catches for 599 yards and six touchdowns in 2016. Bruising senior running back Jeremy Smith rushed for 382 yards and eight touchdowns in a part-time role last year, and he'll run behind an offensive line that has two starters back. The Cardinals return seven starters on defense, including all four in the secondary. Junior cornerback Jaire Alexander emerged as a star and is also a force on punt returns. The Charlotte native compiled 39 tackles and five interceptions, and also averaged 10.5 yards on 20 punt returns while bringing one back for a touchdown. Senior inside linebacker Stacy Thomas is the top returning tackler with 85 stops, and senior defensive end James Hearns also is back after recording eight sacks last year. Vs. Clemson, Nov. 4 NC State defeating Clemson might be an upset nationally, but it wouldn't be to those who watched the 2016 meeting in Clemson, S.C. The Wolfpack did many things right, but went 1 of 4 on field goals, including a missed 33-yarder as time expired that opened the door for Clemson to win 24-17 in overtime. The Pack won the battle in the trenches with running back Matthew Dayes rushing for 106 yards and a score, and the Tigers struggled once star back Wayne Gallman suffered a concussion. Clemson's offense boiled down to throwing the ball to star wide receiver Mike Williams, who had 12 catches for 146 yards. Clemson went on to win the national title and has numerous talented play - ers back on defense, but is starting over on offense. The Tigers will be breaking in new starters at quarterback, running back, wide receiver and tight end. Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins will likely form the best defensive tackle tandem in college football. Lawrence had 78 tackles and seven sacks last year, while Wilkins notched 56 tackles and 3.5 sacks as a defensive end. Junior weakside linebacker Kendall Joseph was second on the team with 124 tackles and junior free safety Van Smith added 114 stops and two interceptions. 116 ■ THE WOLFPACKER ■ By The Numbers 7 Wins for NC State against North Carolina in the last 10 games, including four of the last five in Chapel Hill. 8 Ranking for NC State on the list of the most experienced squads in the country, accord- ing to Phil Steele's College Football Preview. The Wolfpack was No. 1 in the ACC with 73.5 points. 13 Bowl games that NC State head coach Dave Doeren has been a part of during his various stops in college football since 1995. He also reached the Division I-AA playoffs twice. 27 Rank for NC State on the list of the nation's toughest schedules, according to Phil Steele's College Football Preview. 49.4 Percentage of carries former NC State running back Matthew Dayes accounted for last year on the team (249 of 504). In 2017, the Wolf- pack will likely divvy the carries up between juniors Nyheim Hines and Reggie Gallaspy II plus seniors Dakwa Nichols and Jaylen Samuels. 3 , 059 Passing yards last year for quarterback RYAN FINLEY, which is the most by a sophomore signal-caller in NC State history. 5,680 Combined rushing yards as seniors in high school for Hines and Gal- laspy. The latter rushed for 3,318 yards at Greensboro (N.C.) South- ern Guilford, while the former compiled 2,362 yards at Garner (N.C.) High. QUICK GUIDE The Names, Games And Numbers To Know Heading Into The 2017 Season BY JACEY ZEMBAL PHOTO BY KEN MARTIN