Thursday Football Noteboook
11/12/2015 8:36:00 AM | Football
Game Day Central | Game Notes | ACCN Affiliates
Game 10: NC State Wolfpack (6-3, 2-3) at #19 Florida State Seminoles (7-2, 5-2)
November 14, 2015 • 12:30 p.m. • ACCN/ESPN3
Tallahassee, Fla. • Doak Campbell Stadium (82,300)
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BREAKING BAD
The NC State Wolfpack has broken a couple of bad streaks on the road in 2015. On Oct. 24, the squad posted a road victory at Wake Forest for the first time since 2001. Last Saturday, Dave Doeren's squad became the first State team to win at Boston College since 1937!
It's been a decade since the Wolfpack has won at Florida State - a 20-15 win over the ninth-ranked 'Noles in 2005. During that span, NC State has defeated the Seminoles three times in Raleigh (2006, 2010, 2012).
ROAD WARRIORS
The Wolfpack will hit the road for the the sixth time this season when it travels to Tallahassee, Fla. to take on Florida State. It's only the fifth time in the last 45 years that NC State has played six road games in a season, and the 2015 Wolfpack is making the most of it.
State will enter its sixth road game of the season with a 4-1 in games played away from home. No other Wolfpack squad has had more road wins since 1957 (5-1). Â
Here's a look at the Wolfpack's best road records in school history:
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BOWLED OVER
The Wolfpack gained bowl eligibility with its win at Boston College on Saturday. This marks the second straight year NC State has earned bowl eligibility. Head coach Dave Doeren has now coached bowl eligible teams in 11 of his 14 years as a Division I coach and in four of his five seasons as a head coach.
A bowl game in 2015 would mark the 28th in school history.
STRIKING A BALANCE, SEASON 2
NC State fielded the most balanced offense in the FBS last season, rushing for 204.5 yards per game and gaining 204.0 passing yards per contest. With 5,311 yards of total offense, the difference between the rush and the pass was just seven yards (2,659 rushing, 2,652 passing).
This season, the Wolfpack is once again one of the most balanced squads in the FBS, averaging 194.9 rushing yards and 207.4 passing yards per game (1,754 rushing yards, 1,867 passing).
Here's a look at the most balanced teams (for teams with more than 1,700 rushing and passing yards for the season):
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FAST STARTS
The Wolfpack has outscored its oppponents 93-37 in the first quarter this season, 184-102 in the first half.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
One area where the Wolfpack has shown vast improvement in 2015 is in the return game.
Heading into game 10, The Wolfpack's kickoff return average of 27.3 yards per return would rank as the best in school history.
NC State boasts a 13.2 yard punt return average - a mark which would be the fourth-highest in school history.
Junior Bra'Lon Cherry currently ranks third in the ACC and 9th in the FBS in punt return average with a 13.5 mark, while freshman Nyheim Hines ranks second in the ACC, 5th in the FBS, in kickoff returns list at 29.5 yards per return.
AT A LOSS
NC State has averaged 7.8 tackles per loss per game this season - the 3rd-best mark in the ACC and the 15th-best mark in the FBS.
The Pack has 28 sacks - an average of three per game. Â
PUNT OF NO RETURN
NC State has been very stingy when it comes to punt returns in 2015. The Wolfpack has allowed just 10 returns for a total of 10 yards this season. That 0.9 yard per return average ranks 4th in the FBS and leads the ACC.
Of NC State's 47 punts on the season, only 11 have been returned (23.4 percent). Of those 11 punts returns, only two have been for positive games (10 yards by South Alabama and 5 yards by Wake Forest). The other nine punt returns against the Pack have either been for no gain or for negative yardage.
ON TARGET
One of senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett's strengths is not forcing passes that would result in a turnover. In fact, during Brissett's short two-year NC State career he owns two of the top-8 interception-free streaks in ACC history.
For his NC State career, Brissett has thrown just seven interceptions in his 620 attempts - a rate of just 1 INT for every 89 pass attempts. By comparison, in Dave Doeren's first season at NC State in 2013, Pack QBs threw 14 INTs in 426 attempts (1 INT per 30 attempts).
A season after having just five INTs for the entire season, Brissett has an even better rate in 2015. Nine games into his final campaign, he has thrown just two picks in his 250 pass attempts.
In 2015, 53 FBS quarterbacks have attempted at least 250 passes. Of those, only three have thrown two interceptions or less:
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DAYES LOST FOR THE SEASON
Wolfpack junior running back Matthew Dayes had a goal of rushing for 1,000 yards in 2015. He was just 135 yards from that goal when he suffered a season-ending injury against Clemson two weeks ago.
Even after missing the Boston College game, Dayes still ranks 31st in the FBS in rushing yards and his 865 yards for the season ranks third in the ACC and is the 15th-best mark in school history. He leads the league in rushing touchdowns with a dozen (13th in FBS).
In the Wolfpack's win over Wake, Dayes became just the sixth individual in school history to rush for over 200 yards in a game and his 205 yards ranks as the fifth-best mark in school history.
Dayes would have been the Pack's first 1,000 yard rusher since T.A. McLendon accomplished the feat in 2002. He is the first Wolfpack players since 2002 to rush for 100+ yards in five games during the season.
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.
NO GIVEAWAYS
NC State ranks 6th in the FBS in fewest turnovers this season - with a paltry seven for the season. The Wolfpack has thrown just two interceptions and has lost five fumbles (one of those was a defensive lineman who fumbled the fumble he had just recovered!).
NO TAKEAWAYS
On the flip side, the Wolfpack ranks 96th in turnovers gained in 2015 - a mark which is dramatically better since gaining four turnovers at Boston College. NC State's defense has picked off seven passes and although it has forced 17 fumbles, has only recovered four of them.
ROSE ARISES
Senior defensive end Mike Rose is currently the ACC leader in sacks with 9.5, the 4th-best mark in the FBS. He had three crucial sacks in the win over Wake Forest - with all three coming on third down plays. That mark is tied as the fifth-best mark in school history (he also had three in the win over Syracuse last season).
The Bednarik Award candidate ranks second in the ACC and ninth nationally in tackles for loss with 34. He has now recorded a tackle for loss in 16 straight games dating back to last season. Over that span, Rose has 25.5 tackles for loss for 107 yards.
Rose has 34 career tackles for loss - the No. 12 mark in school history, while his 16.5 sacks rank 10th.
COLE ON A ROLL
True freshman punter A.J. Cole is quietly having a solid season for the Wolfpack, averging 44.4 yards per punt in the Pack's conference games (he ranks 3rd in the ACC in the conference-games-only stats). His season average of 42.6 yards ranks eighth in the ACC, and he's booted a 50+ yard punt in each of the last seven games. Â
Against Clemson, he posted a 50.6 average on five punts, the 9th best mark in school history. Against Boston College, he booted a 72-yarder - the ninth-longest kick in school history.
Cole has put the Wolfpack defense in great position - literally - all season. He's placed 21 punts inside the 20 yardline - the league's 4th-best mark - and nine of his 46 punts have been inside the 10.
For the season, the opponent's average start after a Cole punt has been its own 19.9 yardline.
Game 10: NC State Wolfpack (6-3, 2-3) at #19 Florida State Seminoles (7-2, 5-2)
November 14, 2015 • 12:30 p.m. • ACCN/ESPN3
Tallahassee, Fla. • Doak Campbell Stadium (82,300)
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BREAKING BAD
The NC State Wolfpack has broken a couple of bad streaks on the road in 2015. On Oct. 24, the squad posted a road victory at Wake Forest for the first time since 2001. Last Saturday, Dave Doeren's squad became the first State team to win at Boston College since 1937!
It's been a decade since the Wolfpack has won at Florida State - a 20-15 win over the ninth-ranked 'Noles in 2005. During that span, NC State has defeated the Seminoles three times in Raleigh (2006, 2010, 2012).
ROAD WARRIORS
The Wolfpack will hit the road for the the sixth time this season when it travels to Tallahassee, Fla. to take on Florida State. It's only the fifth time in the last 45 years that NC State has played six road games in a season, and the 2015 Wolfpack is making the most of it.
State will enter its sixth road game of the season with a 4-1 in games played away from home. No other Wolfpack squad has had more road wins since 1957 (5-1). Â
Here's a look at the Wolfpack's best road records in school history:
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| Rk. | Road Record | Year |
| 1. | 5-0-1 | 1957 |
| 2. | 4-1 | 2015 |
| 4-1 | 2001 | |
| 4. | 4-2 | 2002 |
| 4-2 | 1974 | |
| 4-2 | 1967 | |
| 4-2 | 1963 |
BOWLED OVER
The Wolfpack gained bowl eligibility with its win at Boston College on Saturday. This marks the second straight year NC State has earned bowl eligibility. Head coach Dave Doeren has now coached bowl eligible teams in 11 of his 14 years as a Division I coach and in four of his five seasons as a head coach.
A bowl game in 2015 would mark the 28th in school history.
STRIKING A BALANCE, SEASON 2
NC State fielded the most balanced offense in the FBS last season, rushing for 204.5 yards per game and gaining 204.0 passing yards per contest. With 5,311 yards of total offense, the difference between the rush and the pass was just seven yards (2,659 rushing, 2,652 passing).
This season, the Wolfpack is once again one of the most balanced squads in the FBS, averaging 194.9 rushing yards and 207.4 passing yards per game (1,754 rushing yards, 1,867 passing).
Here's a look at the most balanced teams (for teams with more than 1,700 rushing and passing yards for the season):
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| Rk. | School | Rush | Pass | Diff. |
| 1. | Auburn | 1700 | 1712 | 12 |
| 2. | Iowa | 1845 | 1863 | 18 |
| 3. | Tennessee | 1866 | 1935 | 69 |
| 4. | NC State | 1754 | 1867 | 113 |
FAST STARTS
The Wolfpack has outscored its oppponents 93-37 in the first quarter this season, 184-102 in the first half.
MANY HAPPY RETURNS
One area where the Wolfpack has shown vast improvement in 2015 is in the return game.
Heading into game 10, The Wolfpack's kickoff return average of 27.3 yards per return would rank as the best in school history.
NC State boasts a 13.2 yard punt return average - a mark which would be the fourth-highest in school history.
Junior Bra'Lon Cherry currently ranks third in the ACC and 9th in the FBS in punt return average with a 13.5 mark, while freshman Nyheim Hines ranks second in the ACC, 5th in the FBS, in kickoff returns list at 29.5 yards per return.
AT A LOSS
NC State has averaged 7.8 tackles per loss per game this season - the 3rd-best mark in the ACC and the 15th-best mark in the FBS.
The Pack has 28 sacks - an average of three per game. Â
PUNT OF NO RETURN
NC State has been very stingy when it comes to punt returns in 2015. The Wolfpack has allowed just 10 returns for a total of 10 yards this season. That 0.9 yard per return average ranks 4th in the FBS and leads the ACC.
Of NC State's 47 punts on the season, only 11 have been returned (23.4 percent). Of those 11 punts returns, only two have been for positive games (10 yards by South Alabama and 5 yards by Wake Forest). The other nine punt returns against the Pack have either been for no gain or for negative yardage.
ON TARGET
One of senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett's strengths is not forcing passes that would result in a turnover. In fact, during Brissett's short two-year NC State career he owns two of the top-8 interception-free streaks in ACC history.
For his NC State career, Brissett has thrown just seven interceptions in his 620 attempts - a rate of just 1 INT for every 89 pass attempts. By comparison, in Dave Doeren's first season at NC State in 2013, Pack QBs threw 14 INTs in 426 attempts (1 INT per 30 attempts).
A season after having just five INTs for the entire season, Brissett has an even better rate in 2015. Nine games into his final campaign, he has thrown just two picks in his 250 pass attempts.
In 2015, 53 FBS quarterbacks have attempted at least 250 passes. Of those, only three have thrown two interceptions or less:
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| Player | School | Attempts | INTs |
| Dak Prescott | Mississippi State | 300 | 1 |
| Paxton Lynch | Memphis | 328 | 2 |
| Jacoby Brissett | NC State | 250 | 1 |
DAYES LOST FOR THE SEASON
Wolfpack junior running back Matthew Dayes had a goal of rushing for 1,000 yards in 2015. He was just 135 yards from that goal when he suffered a season-ending injury against Clemson two weeks ago.
Even after missing the Boston College game, Dayes still ranks 31st in the FBS in rushing yards and his 865 yards for the season ranks third in the ACC and is the 15th-best mark in school history. He leads the league in rushing touchdowns with a dozen (13th in FBS).
In the Wolfpack's win over Wake, Dayes became just the sixth individual in school history to rush for over 200 yards in a game and his 205 yards ranks as the fifth-best mark in school history.
Dayes would have been the Pack's first 1,000 yard rusher since T.A. McLendon accomplished the feat in 2002. He is the first Wolfpack players since 2002 to rush for 100+ yards in five games during the season.
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.
NO GIVEAWAYS
NC State ranks 6th in the FBS in fewest turnovers this season - with a paltry seven for the season. The Wolfpack has thrown just two interceptions and has lost five fumbles (one of those was a defensive lineman who fumbled the fumble he had just recovered!).
NO TAKEAWAYS
On the flip side, the Wolfpack ranks 96th in turnovers gained in 2015 - a mark which is dramatically better since gaining four turnovers at Boston College. NC State's defense has picked off seven passes and although it has forced 17 fumbles, has only recovered four of them.
ROSE ARISES
Senior defensive end Mike Rose is currently the ACC leader in sacks with 9.5, the 4th-best mark in the FBS. He had three crucial sacks in the win over Wake Forest - with all three coming on third down plays. That mark is tied as the fifth-best mark in school history (he also had three in the win over Syracuse last season).
The Bednarik Award candidate ranks second in the ACC and ninth nationally in tackles for loss with 34. He has now recorded a tackle for loss in 16 straight games dating back to last season. Over that span, Rose has 25.5 tackles for loss for 107 yards.
Rose has 34 career tackles for loss - the No. 12 mark in school history, while his 16.5 sacks rank 10th.
COLE ON A ROLL
True freshman punter A.J. Cole is quietly having a solid season for the Wolfpack, averging 44.4 yards per punt in the Pack's conference games (he ranks 3rd in the ACC in the conference-games-only stats). His season average of 42.6 yards ranks eighth in the ACC, and he's booted a 50+ yard punt in each of the last seven games. Â
Against Clemson, he posted a 50.6 average on five punts, the 9th best mark in school history. Against Boston College, he booted a 72-yarder - the ninth-longest kick in school history.
Cole has put the Wolfpack defense in great position - literally - all season. He's placed 21 punts inside the 20 yardline - the league's 4th-best mark - and nine of his 46 punts have been inside the 10.
For the season, the opponent's average start after a Cole punt has been its own 19.9 yardline.
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