Thursday Football Notebook
10/1/2015 9:26:00 AM | Football
List of ACC Network Affiliates
NC STATE VS. LOUISVILLE
The Wolfpack and the Cardinals will meet for the second time as conference foes on Saturday, a game which will mark the fifth in series history. The squads first met in 1951 with Louisville winning the first two contests at its home stadium - 26-2 in 1951 and 35-14 in 1993. The teams met for the only time in Carter-Finley Stadium in 2007, when the Cards took at 29-10 victory.
In 2011, the Wolfpack earned a 31-24 win over Louisville in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, N.C. Last season, NC State lost at Papa Johns Stadium, 18-30, but despite the final score, Dave Doeren felt that the game was a turning point in his team's season. The Wolfpack pulled within five points with less than 3 minutes remaining in the contest, and then went on to win four of its next five to close out the season.
AG DAY
For a third straight year, NC State Athletics and its multimedia rights partner, Wolfpack Sports Properties, will pay tribute to agriculture in the state of North Carolina by hosting "Ag Day" festivities on Saturday.
Ag Day is dedicated to recognizing North Carolina's agriculture/agribusiness industry and celebrating those who work hard to improve the state's health and economy. The event is anchored by the NC State College of Agriculture & Life Sciences (CALS).
NATIONAL LEADERS
Two members of the NC State squad are currently leading the FBS in a statistical category this week.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett is the national leader in completion percentage with a .779 mark four games into his senior campaign. The candidate for several national awards, Brissett has now thrown 189 straight passes without an interception, ranks 14th nationally in passing efficiency.
Running back Matt Dayes, another candidate for national awards, is the FBS leader in rushing touchdowns with nine for the season. He ranks seventh in overall scoring and 20th in rushing yards per game.
BRISSETT STREAKING (AGAIN!)
In just 17 games as an ACC quarterback, Jacoby Brissett now holds two of the top eight interception-free streaks in ACC history.
Brissett threw 187 passes without being picked off in 2014 - the seventh-longest streak in ACC history. He has currently gone 189 straight without a pick, tied as the second-best current streak in the FBS and now the seventh-best in league history.
The senior has been INT free for 30 quarters, dating back to the Georgia Tech game on Nov. 8, 2014 (the Wolfpack's last loss). In the six games games since, he's thrown for 11 touchdowns.
Last season, of Brissett's paltry five picks, only one came in a road game. He has 172 pass attempts in true road games, 198 attempts including the bowl game.
CURRENT FBS INTERCEPTION FREE STREAKS
WIN STREAK
NC State enters the Louisville game holding the longest current win streak in the Atlantic Coast Conference, having won its last seven games dating back to last season.
It marks the most consecutive wins for the Wolfpack since the 2002 campaign, when the Wolfpack opened the season 9-0 en route to an 11-3 campaign.
The Wolfpack has won its last five games away from Carter-Finley Stadium, winning at South Alabama (63-13) and at ODU (38-14) this season, and defeating Central Florida (34-27) in the Bitcoin Bowl, stomping UNC (35-7) in Chapel Hill and winning at Syracuse (24-17) in 2014.
NC State's five straight victories away from its home field marks the most since a stretch from 1973 to 1974 and only the third time in school history that has been accomplished (also won 5 in stretch from 1962-1963).
LOSING LEFT GUARDS
The left guard position has not been a very safe one for the Wolfpack four games into the 2015 campaign. Three different players have started at the spot so far this season, while three players at the spot have suffered injuries.
In game 1, backup right guard Garrett Bradbury went down with an injury and did not return until last week. Graduate Alex Barr, a returning starter on the o-line, started the first two games at left guard before suffering an injury in game 2 versus Eastern Kentucky. With Bradbury out, Bryce Kennedy stepped up to start game 3 at Old Dominion.
Before the first half was over at Old Dominion, Kennedy went down with an injury, so starting left guard Joe Thuney moved over to guard and Tyler Jones came in at tackle. In game 4 at South Alabama, Jones got the nod at left guard.
40 x 4
NC State has scored 40+ points 11 times during Dave Doeren's 29-game tenure as head coach, including two streaks of four 40-point games in a row. Prior to Doeren's arrival, the Pack had never scored 40 or more in four straight games.
LIMITING EXPLOSIONS
The Wolfpack defense has allowed just 823 yards in four games this season - a paltry average of just 205.8 yards per game. That total defense mark ranks third in the FBS this week and is 13 yards better than the team in fourth place.
Of that 823 yards allowed, 494 yards (60%) have come on 16 'explosive' plays (10+ yard rushes, 20+ yard passes). Outside of those 16 plays, the defensive has allowed just 329 yards on 179 plays - an average of 1.8 yards per play.
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
NC State ranks third nationally in total defense this week, with just 205.8 yards allowed per game.
The Wolfpack ranks fifth nationally in first downs allowed (42)
BRILLIANT BRISSETT
Senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett has been exceptional in the first four games of 2015. He is back to leading all FBS QBs in completion percentage with a blazing .779 mark despite playing while ill at Old Dominion.
In his 17 career games, Brissett has posted a 63.4 completion mark, second only by a small margin in school history to Philip Rivers' .63.6. His 2015 passing efficiency mark of 170.3 ranks 14th in the FBS and his career mark of 145.37 has now passed Rivers as the best mark ever for a Wolfpack QB.
Brissett, a preseason candidate for the Manning, O'Brien and Unitas Awards, opened his senior campaign against Troy by completing 12 straight passes before an incompletion and posted a .913 completion mark. The last time a Wolfpack player posted a percentage as high was Terry Jordan vs. UNC in 1992 (23-25, .920).
GETTING POSSESSIVE
The Wolfpack offense continues to be the most greedy in the FBS, with a division best 39:16 minute time of possession average per game.
NC State held the ball for 41:34 in the season opener - the highest time of possession in 93 games (since a 43:07 ToP in an OT win at Miami in 2007). That game marked the second in Dave Doeren's Wolfpack tenure that the Pack posted a 40+-minute time of possession. In his first game as head coach for the Pack, his offense held the ball 40:45 vs. La Tech (2013).
The Pack repeated the feat against Eastern Kentucky, as the offense was on the field 40:04, and then against vs. ODU with 40:12.
Before Doeren's arrival in Raleigh, the Pack had only held the ball more than 40 minutes twice in 235 games (2007 vs. Miami and 40:26 vs. FSU in 2002) dating back to the 2007 season. Since Doeren's arrival, it's happened four times in 29 games.
Since time of possessions began being kept for every game in 1981, no Wolfpack squad had ever posted back-to-back 40+ minute games - the 2015 squad did it in three straight contests.
HAPPY DAYES
Running back Matt Dayes has had a stellar start to his junior campaign, posting four consecutive 100+ yard rushing games and rushing for an FBS leading nine touchdowns. At the beginning of his junior campaign, he has moved into sixth-place in school history in touchdowns with 27 and his nine rushing touchdowns already tie for 13th for a single-season in school history just four games in!
He currently ranks second in the ACC in touchdown scoring and ranks seventh in the FBS in overall scoring. He ranks second in the ACC (20th in FBS) in rushing with 113.5 yards per game and third in the league (25th nationally) with 147.5 all-purpose yards per game.
Dayes is the first player since Joe McIntosh in 1981 to top the 100-yard rushing mark in four straight games. His 77-yard TD run at South Alabama was the ninth-longest in school history and the longest for a Pack player since 2001.
Last season, Dayes was one of just three players nationally with more than 300 yards rushing, receiving and in returns (Jamal Morrow of Washington St. & Temple's Jahad Thomas were the others). He was the ONLY player nationally to reach those marks and also boast five or more touchdowns rushing and receiving in 2014.
TOUCHDOWN, JAYSAM!
Fullback/tight end/touchdown scorer extraordinaire Jaylen Samuels seems to have the magic touch when it comes to finding the endzone. The sophomore currently ranks second in the ACC (to teammate Matt Dayes) in touchdown scoring with eight touchdowns in 2015.
Although he is tied for ninth in the FBS in scoring, Samuels' touchdown-to-touch ratio might be leading the nation. "JaySam" has eight touchdowns in just 32 touches (12 rushes, 20 receptions) in 2015. In the season opener, he scored three touchdowns in just four carries.
For his career, Samuels averages 10.7 yards every time he touches the ball. He currently leads the Wolfpack in receptions with 20, a mark which ties for sixth in the ACC.
Game 5: NC State Wolfpack (4-0, 0-0) vs. Louisville Cardinals (1-3, 0-1)
October 3, 2015 • 12:30 p.m. • ACC Network/ESPN3
Raleigh, N.C. • Carter-Finley Stadium (56,700)
October 3, 2015 • 12:30 p.m. • ACC Network/ESPN3
Raleigh, N.C. • Carter-Finley Stadium (56,700)
NC STATE VS. LOUISVILLE
The Wolfpack and the Cardinals will meet for the second time as conference foes on Saturday, a game which will mark the fifth in series history. The squads first met in 1951 with Louisville winning the first two contests at its home stadium - 26-2 in 1951 and 35-14 in 1993. The teams met for the only time in Carter-Finley Stadium in 2007, when the Cards took at 29-10 victory.
In 2011, the Wolfpack earned a 31-24 win over Louisville in the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, N.C. Last season, NC State lost at Papa Johns Stadium, 18-30, but despite the final score, Dave Doeren felt that the game was a turning point in his team's season. The Wolfpack pulled within five points with less than 3 minutes remaining in the contest, and then went on to win four of its next five to close out the season.
AG DAY
For a third straight year, NC State Athletics and its multimedia rights partner, Wolfpack Sports Properties, will pay tribute to agriculture in the state of North Carolina by hosting "Ag Day" festivities on Saturday.
Ag Day is dedicated to recognizing North Carolina's agriculture/agribusiness industry and celebrating those who work hard to improve the state's health and economy. The event is anchored by the NC State College of Agriculture & Life Sciences (CALS).
NATIONAL LEADERS
Two members of the NC State squad are currently leading the FBS in a statistical category this week.
Quarterback Jacoby Brissett is the national leader in completion percentage with a .779 mark four games into his senior campaign. The candidate for several national awards, Brissett has now thrown 189 straight passes without an interception, ranks 14th nationally in passing efficiency.
Running back Matt Dayes, another candidate for national awards, is the FBS leader in rushing touchdowns with nine for the season. He ranks seventh in overall scoring and 20th in rushing yards per game.
BRISSETT STREAKING (AGAIN!)
In just 17 games as an ACC quarterback, Jacoby Brissett now holds two of the top eight interception-free streaks in ACC history.
Brissett threw 187 passes without being picked off in 2014 - the seventh-longest streak in ACC history. He has currently gone 189 straight without a pick, tied as the second-best current streak in the FBS and now the seventh-best in league history.
The senior has been INT free for 30 quarters, dating back to the Georgia Tech game on Nov. 8, 2014 (the Wolfpack's last loss). In the six games games since, he's thrown for 11 touchdowns.
Last season, of Brissett's paltry five picks, only one came in a road game. He has 172 pass attempts in true road games, 198 attempts including the bowl game.
CURRENT FBS INTERCEPTION FREE STREAKS
| Rank | Quarterback | School | Attempts | Quarters |
| 1. | Dak Prescott | Mississippi State | 191 | 18 |
| 2. | Jacoby Brissett | NC State | 189 | 30 |
| Brandon Silvers | Troy | 189 | 33 |
WIN STREAK
NC State enters the Louisville game holding the longest current win streak in the Atlantic Coast Conference, having won its last seven games dating back to last season.
It marks the most consecutive wins for the Wolfpack since the 2002 campaign, when the Wolfpack opened the season 9-0 en route to an 11-3 campaign.
The Wolfpack has won its last five games away from Carter-Finley Stadium, winning at South Alabama (63-13) and at ODU (38-14) this season, and defeating Central Florida (34-27) in the Bitcoin Bowl, stomping UNC (35-7) in Chapel Hill and winning at Syracuse (24-17) in 2014.
NC State's five straight victories away from its home field marks the most since a stretch from 1973 to 1974 and only the third time in school history that has been accomplished (also won 5 in stretch from 1962-1963).
LOSING LEFT GUARDS
The left guard position has not been a very safe one for the Wolfpack four games into the 2015 campaign. Three different players have started at the spot so far this season, while three players at the spot have suffered injuries.
In game 1, backup right guard Garrett Bradbury went down with an injury and did not return until last week. Graduate Alex Barr, a returning starter on the o-line, started the first two games at left guard before suffering an injury in game 2 versus Eastern Kentucky. With Bradbury out, Bryce Kennedy stepped up to start game 3 at Old Dominion.
Before the first half was over at Old Dominion, Kennedy went down with an injury, so starting left guard Joe Thuney moved over to guard and Tyler Jones came in at tackle. In game 4 at South Alabama, Jones got the nod at left guard.
40 x 4
NC State has scored 40+ points 11 times during Dave Doeren's 29-game tenure as head coach, including two streaks of four 40-point games in a row. Prior to Doeren's arrival, the Pack had never scored 40 or more in four straight games.
LIMITING EXPLOSIONS
The Wolfpack defense has allowed just 823 yards in four games this season - a paltry average of just 205.8 yards per game. That total defense mark ranks third in the FBS this week and is 13 yards better than the team in fourth place.
Of that 823 yards allowed, 494 yards (60%) have come on 16 'explosive' plays (10+ yard rushes, 20+ yard passes). Outside of those 16 plays, the defensive has allowed just 329 yards on 179 plays - an average of 1.8 yards per play.
THE TOTAL PACKAGE
NC State ranks third nationally in total defense this week, with just 205.8 yards allowed per game.
The Wolfpack ranks fifth nationally in first downs allowed (42)
BRILLIANT BRISSETT
Senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett has been exceptional in the first four games of 2015. He is back to leading all FBS QBs in completion percentage with a blazing .779 mark despite playing while ill at Old Dominion.
In his 17 career games, Brissett has posted a 63.4 completion mark, second only by a small margin in school history to Philip Rivers' .63.6. His 2015 passing efficiency mark of 170.3 ranks 14th in the FBS and his career mark of 145.37 has now passed Rivers as the best mark ever for a Wolfpack QB.
Brissett, a preseason candidate for the Manning, O'Brien and Unitas Awards, opened his senior campaign against Troy by completing 12 straight passes before an incompletion and posted a .913 completion mark. The last time a Wolfpack player posted a percentage as high was Terry Jordan vs. UNC in 1992 (23-25, .920).
GETTING POSSESSIVE
The Wolfpack offense continues to be the most greedy in the FBS, with a division best 39:16 minute time of possession average per game.
NC State held the ball for 41:34 in the season opener - the highest time of possession in 93 games (since a 43:07 ToP in an OT win at Miami in 2007). That game marked the second in Dave Doeren's Wolfpack tenure that the Pack posted a 40+-minute time of possession. In his first game as head coach for the Pack, his offense held the ball 40:45 vs. La Tech (2013).
The Pack repeated the feat against Eastern Kentucky, as the offense was on the field 40:04, and then against vs. ODU with 40:12.
Before Doeren's arrival in Raleigh, the Pack had only held the ball more than 40 minutes twice in 235 games (2007 vs. Miami and 40:26 vs. FSU in 2002) dating back to the 2007 season. Since Doeren's arrival, it's happened four times in 29 games.
Since time of possessions began being kept for every game in 1981, no Wolfpack squad had ever posted back-to-back 40+ minute games - the 2015 squad did it in three straight contests.
HAPPY DAYES
Running back Matt Dayes has had a stellar start to his junior campaign, posting four consecutive 100+ yard rushing games and rushing for an FBS leading nine touchdowns. At the beginning of his junior campaign, he has moved into sixth-place in school history in touchdowns with 27 and his nine rushing touchdowns already tie for 13th for a single-season in school history just four games in!
He currently ranks second in the ACC in touchdown scoring and ranks seventh in the FBS in overall scoring. He ranks second in the ACC (20th in FBS) in rushing with 113.5 yards per game and third in the league (25th nationally) with 147.5 all-purpose yards per game.
Dayes is the first player since Joe McIntosh in 1981 to top the 100-yard rushing mark in four straight games. His 77-yard TD run at South Alabama was the ninth-longest in school history and the longest for a Pack player since 2001.
Last season, Dayes was one of just three players nationally with more than 300 yards rushing, receiving and in returns (Jamal Morrow of Washington St. & Temple's Jahad Thomas were the others). He was the ONLY player nationally to reach those marks and also boast five or more touchdowns rushing and receiving in 2014.
TOUCHDOWN, JAYSAM!
Fullback/tight end/touchdown scorer extraordinaire Jaylen Samuels seems to have the magic touch when it comes to finding the endzone. The sophomore currently ranks second in the ACC (to teammate Matt Dayes) in touchdown scoring with eight touchdowns in 2015.
Although he is tied for ninth in the FBS in scoring, Samuels' touchdown-to-touch ratio might be leading the nation. "JaySam" has eight touchdowns in just 32 touches (12 rushes, 20 receptions) in 2015. In the season opener, he scored three touchdowns in just four carries.
For his career, Samuels averages 10.7 yards every time he touches the ball. He currently leads the Wolfpack in receptions with 20, a mark which ties for sixth in the ACC.
Players Mentioned
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