Thursday Football Notebook

Game 2: NC State Wolfpack (1-0) vs. Eastern Kentucky Colonels (1-0)
September 12, 2015 • 6 p.m. • ESPN3
Raleigh, N.C. • Carter-Finley Stadium (57,600)

EARLY ACTION
NC State played more freshmen than any school in the FBS in the first weekend of 2015, as a total of 23 rookies (10 true and 13 redshirt) saw action in the win over Troy (the Pack is tied with Florida State, which also played 23 freshmen). During Doeren's tenure with the Wolfpack, 34 true freshmen have played, and that action hasn't just been as role players or on special teams.

In 2013, 11 true freshmen combined to start 18 games. In 2014, 13 true freshmen combined to make 32 starts. In the season opener this season, two true freshmen (punter A.J. Cole and placekicker Kyle Bambard) got the nod. That 52 total starts by true freshmen in the last 26 games!

KEEPING TIME
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).

The Troy game marked the second in Dave Doeren's Wolfpack tenure that the Pack had 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).

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 twice in 26 games.

PRACTICALLY PERFECT, Part 1
After week one, the most accurate passer in the FBS is the Wolfpack's Jacoby Brissett. The senior signal caller, who is on the preseason watch lists for the Maxwell, Unitas and Manning Awards, completed 21-of-23 in the season opener versus Troy - a .913 completion mark.

Brissett opened his senior campaign by completing 12 straight passes before an incompletion. He threw for 196 yards in the victory, along with two touchdowns and connected with 10 different receivers (1 RB, 1 FB, 6 WR, 2 TE).

The last time a Wolfpack player posted a percentage as high was Terry Jordan vs. UNC in 1992 (23-25, .920).

PRACTICALLY PERFECT, Part 2
Heading into week one, head coach Dave Doeren stressed the importance of 'not beating ourselves' in terms of penalties and turnovers. The Wolfpack was close to perfect in that first category, drawing just one yellow flag in the opener.

That marked the fewest penalties for the Wolfpack in a season opener since the 1989 opener vs. Maryland (a 10-6 NC State win). It was the lowest in a game since the 2009 Duke contest, when State had no penalties.

The game marked the fifth time in the Dave Doeren era that the Wolfpack has posted two or less penalties. Last season, the Pack had four penalties in the opener and in 2013, had five in the first game of the season.

PERFECT
Another rarity in a season opener, the Wolfpack did not turn the ball over in the win over Troy. The Wolfpack defense, however, forced two Trojan turnovers. Nickel Dravious Wright had a SC Top 10 Play-of-the-Day when he knocked the QBs helmet off on a six-yard sack and caused and recovered the ensuing fumble. Later in the game, CB Mike Stevens pulled down his first career interception.

In Dave Doeren's career, his teams have posted a 23-5 mark when posting less turnovers than the opponent.

FAMILY TIES
Eastern Kentucky defensive end Noah Spence, a transfer from Ohio State, is the son of former Wolfpack outside linebacker Greg Spence and the nephew of former NC State basketball player Phil Spence, who played on the 1974 National Championship Team.

SENSATIONAL SOPHOMORES
Nine of the Wolfpack starters in the opening game of 2015 were sophomores. A total of 14 sophomores saw action versus Troy, Of the 64 players who saw played versus Troy, 37 were either freshmen or sophomores.

Last season, freshmen and redshirt freshmen played in a combined 235 games and made 52 starts.

BALANCING ACT
Head coach Dave Doeren said when he was named head coach at NC State that he wanted to field a "balanced" offense. His second Wolfpack squad did just that, tallying 2,659 yards on the ground and 2,652 through the air - a difference of just seven yards! That made the Wolfpack the nation's most balanced offense in 2014.

Doeren says his staff's aim is to continue to be balanced in 2015. In the season opener, the Wolfpack rushed for 251 yards and passed for 199.

FENCE 'EM IN
On the day he was introduced as NC State's head coach in December of 2012, head coach Dave Doeren said it was "upsetting" to see "all the great players from the state of North Carolina" starring for other programs.

"We will fight for every kid who we think belongs here," Doeren said then. "If we don't get one, it's not going to be for a lack of effort."

A look at his first two full signing classes (2014 & 2015) shows that Doeren has kept that promise, as the Wolfpack has signed some of the top players in North Carolina each year.

In February, The Pack signed 12 players from North Carolina, including four of the top eight rated players in the state (all four of whom were ranked in the top-300 nationally). Those 12 signees were also ranked in the top-five of their position group in the state, including eight in the top-three.

In 2014, Doeren and his staff signed 16 North Carolina players. Five of those young men were ranked as the top player at their position in the state, while seven overall were ranked among NC's top-25 players.

WONDERFUL WALK-ONS
NC State has boasted a strong walk-on program during Dave Doeren's short tenure. Eleven (current or former) walk-ons saw game action in 2014 and 10 played during his first season at NC State.

In just 38 months, Doeren has awarded scholarships to 10 different walk-ons, including five players on the current squad: Ben Grazen, Nick Lacy, Gavin Locklear, Ernie Robinson and Charlie Twitty.

SELLING OUT
Wolfpack Nation has shown its excitement and support once again as 2015 season tickets and mini-packs are sold out. NC State fans purchased the second-highest number of season tickets in program history - 35,065 - with over 3,000 new season tickets being sold. Wolfpack fans have shown their loyalty to the tune of a 96 percent renewal rate.

North Carolina State University Athletics

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Kyle Bambard

Jacoby Brissett

Ben Grazen

Gavin Locklear

Mike Stevens

Charlie Twitty

Dravious Wright

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