North Carolina State University Athletics
Thursday Football Notebook
9/17/2015 8:24:00 AM | Football
Full TV Listings for American Sports Network
Game 3: NC State Wolfpack (2-0) vs. Old Dominion Monarchs (2-0)
September 19, 2015 • 7 p.m. • American Sports Network (ASN)
Norfolk, Va. • Ballard Stadium (20,118)
HIT THE ROAD, PACK
After opening the season with two resounding home victories, the Wolfpack will be on the road for the next two Saturdays - travelling to Norfolk to face Old Dominion on Saturday and then heading south to Mobile to play South Alabama on Sept. 26.
The Wolfpack has won its last three games away from Carter-Finley Stadium, defeating Central Florida (34-27) in the Bitcoin Bowl, stomping UNC (35-7) in Chapel Hill and winning at Syracuse (24-17).
BRILLIANT BRISSETT
Senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett has been exceptional in the first two games of 2015. He's currently leading the nation in completion percentage with a blazing .844 mark (a mark that would stand at .911 if not for three drops last week).
In his 14 career games, Brissett has posted a 62.4 completion mark, the second best career mark in school history. His 2015 passing efficiency mark of 183.4 ranks 12th in the FBS and his career mark of 141.72 is also the second 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).
BALANCING ACT, SEASON 2
NC State field the most balance 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).
The Wolfpack has picked right up where it left off in 2015, with just seven yards differences between the two modes of moving the ball.
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THREE & OUT
One reason that the Wolfpack's time of possession has been so high in the first two games is that the defense is not allowing first downs. The Wolfpack is tied for second nationally in first downs allowed (20), has forced three & outs on 14 of 23 opponents drives and has forced 17 punts in two games.
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* - Does not count clock running out at end
TIME IS ON OUR SIDE
The Wolfpack offense is currently the most greedy in the FBS, with a division best 40 minute time of possession average per game. Â
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 last week against Eastern Kentucky, as the offense was on the field 40:04.
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 three times in 27 games.
The last two games mark the first time since time of possession was kept for every game starting in 1981 that NC State has posted back-to-back 40+ minute ToP.
HAPPY DAYES
Running back Matt Dayes has had a stellar start to his junior campaign, posting back-to-back 100+ yard rushing games and scoring five touchdowns. He is currently is tied for the ACC lead and fifth in the FBS in scoring.
In the opener, Dayes rushed for a career best 126 yards and led the Wolfpack in rushing and receiving (5-65). He ranks second in the ACC and 15th nationally with 151.5 all-purpose yards per game.
Dayes has rushed for 242 yards in first two games of 2015. That total is the most for a Pack player in the first two games of the season since Joe McIntosh did it in 1983 - more than a decade before Dayes was born!
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.
Dayes led the Wolfpack with both 1,278 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns and won team Offensive MVP honors in 2014. Â
BRISSETT STREAKING (AGAIN!)
Jacoby Brissett threw 187 passes without being picked off in 2014 - the seventh-longest streak in ACC history. He currently has another streak going, as he has not thrown an interception in his last 129 attempts, over 22 quarters, dating back to the Georgia Tech game on Nov. 8, 2014 (the Wolfpack's last loss). In the five games games since, he's thrown for eight touchdowns.
Last season, of Brissett's paltry five picks, only one came in a road game. He posted 122 attempts in true road games, 148 attempts including the bowl game.
Here's a look at the current streaks in the FBS:
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BE WARY OF CHERRY
In the postgame locker room following Saturday's home win over Eastern Kentucky, head coach Dave Doeren praised junior wide receiver/treturn specialist Bra'Lon Cherry on his improved play. Cherry is currently the ACC leader in punt return average (21.4). Â
The junior returned four punts for 74 yards in the win over EKU. He would have been the first Wolfpack player to go over the 100-yard mark on punt returns since 2004 if not for a somewhat questionable block in the back call).
Although Cherry's punt return numbers might not seem significant at first glance, look at it this way: Against EKU, Cherry was 4-74 on punt returns. During the entire 2014 season, the Wolfpack as a team posted just 62 punt return yards on 17 attempts!
STAY FIRST-Y
Not only does defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable bear a striking resemblance to the 'most interesting man in the world,' but his defense is making sure that opponents stay thirsty for first downs.
The Wolfpack currently ranks seventh nationallly in third down conversion defense, allowing opponents to convert at just a .143 rate (3-21). The Pack defense also held tough on the one fourth-down attempt against it this season.
TOUCHDOWN BROWNE
Heading into the 2015 campaign, tight end Benson Browne had more degrees (two) than career catches (none). The graduate student, who has earned undergraduate degrees in psychology and communication, has even things out in the first two games, however.
Browne recorded his first career reception in the third quarter of the opener - a seven-yarder on first down. His second career catch was in that same drive, when he caught a one-yard touchdown pass.
He only had one catch in the win over Eastern Kentucky - a 5-yarder - but it, too, was for a TD.
MR. DEPENDABLE
The ever-versatile Matt Dayes, a preseason candidate for the Doak Walker and Paul Hornung Awards, has had the ball in his hands 291 times in his career - 215 rushes, 48 receptions and 28 kickoff returns.  In those touches, Dayes has had two miscues - a fumble on a KOR vs. Syracuse that was recovered by the Wolfpack - and one dropped pass (vs. Richmond in 2013).
WIN STREAK
NC State has won its last five games, dating back to last season. That streak ties with Clemson for the longest current streak in the ACC.Â
Since the 2002 campaign, when the Wolfpack opened the season 9-0 en route to an 11-3 campaign, the only other time State has won five straight was the last game of 2009 (victory over UNC) and the first five games of 2010.
Game 3: NC State Wolfpack (2-0) vs. Old Dominion Monarchs (2-0)
September 19, 2015 • 7 p.m. • American Sports Network (ASN)
Norfolk, Va. • Ballard Stadium (20,118)
HIT THE ROAD, PACK
After opening the season with two resounding home victories, the Wolfpack will be on the road for the next two Saturdays - travelling to Norfolk to face Old Dominion on Saturday and then heading south to Mobile to play South Alabama on Sept. 26.
The Wolfpack has won its last three games away from Carter-Finley Stadium, defeating Central Florida (34-27) in the Bitcoin Bowl, stomping UNC (35-7) in Chapel Hill and winning at Syracuse (24-17).
BRILLIANT BRISSETT
Senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett has been exceptional in the first two games of 2015. He's currently leading the nation in completion percentage with a blazing .844 mark (a mark that would stand at .911 if not for three drops last week).
In his 14 career games, Brissett has posted a 62.4 completion mark, the second best career mark in school history. His 2015 passing efficiency mark of 183.4 ranks 12th in the FBS and his career mark of 141.72 is also the second 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).
BALANCING ACT, SEASON 2
NC State field the most balance 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).
The Wolfpack has picked right up where it left off in 2015, with just seven yards differences between the two modes of moving the ball.
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| Year | Rush Avg. | Pass Avg. | Diff. | Rush Yds | Pass Yds | Diff. |
| 2014 | 204.5 | 204.0 | 0.5 | 2,659 | 2,652 | 7 |
| 2015 | 225.0 | 221.5 | 3.5 | 450 | 443 | 7 |
THREE & OUT
One reason that the Wolfpack's time of possession has been so high in the first two games is that the defense is not allowing first downs. The Wolfpack is tied for second nationally in first downs allowed (20), has forced three & outs on 14 of 23 opponents drives and has forced 17 punts in two games.
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| Opponent | 3 & Outs | Opp. Drive |
| Troy | 6 | 10 |
| Eastern Kentucky | 8 | 13* |
TIME IS ON OUR SIDE
The Wolfpack offense is currently the most greedy in the FBS, with a division best 40 minute time of possession average per game. Â
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 last week against Eastern Kentucky, as the offense was on the field 40:04.
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 three times in 27 games.
The last two games mark the first time since time of possession was kept for every game starting in 1981 that NC State has posted back-to-back 40+ minute ToP.
HAPPY DAYES
Running back Matt Dayes has had a stellar start to his junior campaign, posting back-to-back 100+ yard rushing games and scoring five touchdowns. He is currently is tied for the ACC lead and fifth in the FBS in scoring.
In the opener, Dayes rushed for a career best 126 yards and led the Wolfpack in rushing and receiving (5-65). He ranks second in the ACC and 15th nationally with 151.5 all-purpose yards per game.
Dayes has rushed for 242 yards in first two games of 2015. That total is the most for a Pack player in the first two games of the season since Joe McIntosh did it in 1983 - more than a decade before Dayes was born!
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.
Dayes led the Wolfpack with both 1,278 all-purpose yards and 13 touchdowns and won team Offensive MVP honors in 2014. Â
BRISSETT STREAKING (AGAIN!)
Jacoby Brissett threw 187 passes without being picked off in 2014 - the seventh-longest streak in ACC history. He currently has another streak going, as he has not thrown an interception in his last 129 attempts, over 22 quarters, dating back to the Georgia Tech game on Nov. 8, 2014 (the Wolfpack's last loss). In the five games games since, he's thrown for eight touchdowns.
Last season, of Brissett's paltry five picks, only one came in a road game. He posted 122 attempts in true road games, 148 attempts including the bowl game.
Here's a look at the current streaks in the FBS:
Â
| Quarterback | School | Attempts | Quarters |
| Skyler Howard | West Virginia | 161 | 18 |
| Brandon Silvers | Troy | 155 | 29 |
| Mitch Leidner | Minnesota | 153 | 20 |
| Dak Prescott | Mississippi State | 139 | 11 |
| Jacoby Brissett | NC State | 129 | 22 |
| Luke Falk | Washington State | 127 | 9 |
BE WARY OF CHERRY
In the postgame locker room following Saturday's home win over Eastern Kentucky, head coach Dave Doeren praised junior wide receiver/treturn specialist Bra'Lon Cherry on his improved play. Cherry is currently the ACC leader in punt return average (21.4). Â
The junior returned four punts for 74 yards in the win over EKU. He would have been the first Wolfpack player to go over the 100-yard mark on punt returns since 2004 if not for a somewhat questionable block in the back call).
Although Cherry's punt return numbers might not seem significant at first glance, look at it this way: Against EKU, Cherry was 4-74 on punt returns. During the entire 2014 season, the Wolfpack as a team posted just 62 punt return yards on 17 attempts!
STAY FIRST-Y
Not only does defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable bear a striking resemblance to the 'most interesting man in the world,' but his defense is making sure that opponents stay thirsty for first downs.
The Wolfpack currently ranks seventh nationallly in third down conversion defense, allowing opponents to convert at just a .143 rate (3-21). The Pack defense also held tough on the one fourth-down attempt against it this season.
TOUCHDOWN BROWNE
Heading into the 2015 campaign, tight end Benson Browne had more degrees (two) than career catches (none). The graduate student, who has earned undergraduate degrees in psychology and communication, has even things out in the first two games, however.
Browne recorded his first career reception in the third quarter of the opener - a seven-yarder on first down. His second career catch was in that same drive, when he caught a one-yard touchdown pass.
He only had one catch in the win over Eastern Kentucky - a 5-yarder - but it, too, was for a TD.
MR. DEPENDABLE
The ever-versatile Matt Dayes, a preseason candidate for the Doak Walker and Paul Hornung Awards, has had the ball in his hands 291 times in his career - 215 rushes, 48 receptions and 28 kickoff returns.  In those touches, Dayes has had two miscues - a fumble on a KOR vs. Syracuse that was recovered by the Wolfpack - and one dropped pass (vs. Richmond in 2013).
WIN STREAK
NC State has won its last five games, dating back to last season. That streak ties with Clemson for the longest current streak in the ACC.Â
Since the 2002 campaign, when the Wolfpack opened the season 9-0 en route to an 11-3 campaign, the only other time State has won five straight was the last game of 2009 (victory over UNC) and the first five games of 2010.
Players Mentioned
Coach Doeren Signing Day Presser (Dec. 3rd)
Wednesday, December 03
FB Players Postgame Presser vs UNC
Sunday, November 30
Coach Doeren Postgame Presser vs UNC
Sunday, November 30
Coach Doeren Weekly Press Conference (Nov. 24)
Monday, November 24