The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/846301
JULY 2017 ■ 59 FOOTBALL PREVIEW 2017 QUARTERBACKS BY MATT CARTER L ast year's quarterback battle went all the way to the season opener against William & Mary. The plan was to operate a potential two- quarterback system between Ryan Finley and Jalan McClendon, who were both redshirt sophomores at that time. Whoever was the most productive in the preseason scrimmages was going to start, and in this case that was Finley. He would get the first two series before McClendon received his chance. Finley led NCSU on touchdown drives of 70 and 75 yards, and McClendon threw a pick on his first possession. The dual-quarterback system was effectively shelved at that point and Finley, who finished the game 17-of-21 passing for 174 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions, became the pri- mary quarterback for the rest of the season. He finished the season by completing 243 of 402 passes (60.4 percent) for 3,059 yards with 18 touchdowns and eight intercep- tions. His passing yards (sixth), completions (sixth), attempts (sev- enth) and completion percentage (ninth) all ranked in the top 10 in school history for a single season. Yet there is room for Finley to improve, said offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Eli Drinkwitz. One area in particular: running the football. Finley ran for 94 net yards a year ago. "We want to be tougher in the run game when our number is called," Drinkwitz noted. "That was just the focus for all the quarterbacks, whether Ryan, Jalan, Woody [Cornwell], Matt McKay, any of them. That is a goal. "Any time you can become more athletic and become more of a threat running the football at the quarterback position, it changes what the defense is going to do. As a football player and as a quarterback, we want them to be an athlete. That is something we've been working on." Finley has established himself more as a passer and offensive manager. "His accuracy is what sets him apart," Drinkwitz said. "His prepa- ration and his mental side of the game is very good. He handles his preparation knowing the game and seeing it and understanding what we are trying to. He knows how to attack defenses. "I think he is in a rhythm and more comfortable with his surround- ings, and his settings and teammates. Everybody is used to each other now. I think there is more familiarity, and when you are familiar with people, you can get in to a rhythm. When you get into a rhythm, things usually happen easier for you." Although McClendon lost out on the starting job, he still played an integral role in the offense in key games. He provided NC State with a noticeable lift in the home win over Notre Dame, rushing 10 times for 56 yards during the adverse weather conditions created by Hurricane Matthew's landfall on the southeast North Carolina coastline. McClen- don also completed both his pass attempts for 14 yards and picked up a game ball for his effort. In the road victory at UNC, McClendon completed 2 of 5 passes for 23 yards and ran seven times for 42 yards. The key for the physically gifted McClendon to compete for more playing time will be improving his accuracy and decision-making that led to the four interceptions he threw in 30 pass attempts against just one touchdown. "Jalan is a great young man," Drinkwitz added. "His parents did a great job raising him. He is very respectful and is team-oriented. I don't know if there is any one particular thing, but I know he is very hard on himself. You can't be one of those guys to keep pushing him because he is already harder on himself than you can be. Year-By-Year Passing Stats Year Yards TD INT 2016 3,387 20 12 2015 2,740 20 6 2014 2,652 24 6 2013 2,890 14 15 2012 4,031 31 17 2011 3,120 32 12 2010 3,655 28 14 2009 3,275 32 13 2008 2,678 20 14 2007 2,948 14 23 ■ By The Numbers 3 Games in which redshirt junior quarterback Ryan Finley had three touchdown passes last year, including the 41-17 win over Vanderbilt in the Camping World Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La. 4 Games with more than 300 passing yards last season for Finley, highlighted by a 340-yard performance in the 35-20 win at Syracuse. That tied for the fifth -most games surpassing the landmark in one season in school history and is already tied for fifth most all time at NCSU. 135.2 Passing efficiency registered by Finley in 2016, seventh best in a single season for the Pack and would rank third all time if it held up throughout his career. ■ Preseason Analysis **** Among country's best; *** Among ACC's best; ** Solid or has potential; * Too unproven Starters *** Redshirt junior Ryan Finley ranks third in passing yards (3,059) and completion per- centage (60.4 percent), fourth in efficiency rating (135.2) and fifth in passing yards per game (235.3) last season among returning quarterbacks in the ACC. Those numbers include the Notre Dame contest, during which Finley completed just 5 of 12 throws for 27 yards when Hurricane Matthew made passing near impossible. Experience *** Before arriving at NC State, Finley played eight games and started the first three in the 2015 season for Boise State, so he has 16 career starts to his credit. Redshirt junior Jalan McClendon played in 10 games last season, and unlike most reserves that see action when the game has become lopsided he saw reps in crucial situations. Depth **½ At some point, McClendon will need to prove he can run the offense and be more than a designated run threat out of the backfield when he is in the game. He has the physical tools to pull it off and probably the strongest arm on the team. The key will be his decision-making and accuracy. Overall grade *** NC State is in a good spot at the quarterback position with a pair of signal-callers who have seen extensive action, and in the case of Finley proven he can compete at the ACC level and win games. Given all the losses the ACC took at the quarterback position after last season, in - cluding draft picks Mitch Trubisky at UNC, Deshaun Watson at Clemson, Brad Kaaya at Miami and Nathan Peterman at Pittsburgh, Finley now can take his place among the best quarterbacks in the conference. Quarterback Roster STARTER No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 15 Ryan Finley R-Jr. 6-4 210 Phoenix After starting three games for Boise State in 2015, matriculated to NC State as a graduate transfer and won the starting job for the Wolfpack. RESERVE No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 2 Jalan McClendon R-Jr. 6-5 221 Charlotte Physically gifted reserve who finished last season rushing for 145 yards (fourth high - est on the squad) and a pair of scores while completing 53.3 percent of his passes (16 of 30) for 176 yards with a touchdown and four picks. WAITING IN THE WINGS No. Name Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown 14 Woody Cornwell R-Jr. 6-2 210 Lake Junaluska, N.C. Walk-on from Tuscola High has yet to attempt a pass for NC State. 13 Matthew McKay Fr. 6-3 200 Raleigh Was a three-star prospect from Wakefield High, where he threw for 5,932 career yards and 58 touchdowns, and rushed for 2,386 yards and 39 scores. Enrolled early and also had offers from, among others, Pittsburgh and West Virginia.