North Carolina State University Athletics
Finley Opens 2017 with Record Passing Day
9/3/2017 9:37:00 AM | Football
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - As a sophomore in 1959, Roman Gabriel finished his first season as NC State's starting quarterback by completing an unheard-of total of 23 passes against Maryland, a mark that shattered both the school and Atlantic Coast Conference records.
It was the game that established Gabriel as the quarterback of the future, when big, rangy flingers turned football's cloud of dust into an aerial show. Gabriel did it for three years for the Pack against future NFL quarterbacks like Southern Cal's Billy Kilmer, Wake Forest's Norm Snead and South Carolina's Dan Reeves.
Since then, of course, Gabriel's record has been surpassed many times over, as offenses have evolved into high-powered engines that can move the ball down the field quickly. Dave Buckey matched Gabriel's total in 1974 against Virginia and Tim Esposito smashed it in 1983 with 31 completions against North Carolina. Shane Montgomery broke that mark with 37 in 1989 against Duke.
Philip Rivers then set what was the current mark of 38 against Wake Forest in 2003, a total that was matched by Russell Wilson against Boston College in 2010.
On Saturday, in the Pack's season-opening game in the Belk College Kickoff against South Carolina, junior Ryan Finley put himself in exceedingly good company, then surpassed them all—and nearly doubled the record Gabriel held for almost a quarter century—by completing a school-record 45 passes in the Wolfpack loss to South Carolina.
Finley, now in his second season as the starting quarterback, was excellent throughout the game, particularly in the Pack's first drive of the game, in which he took the team 75 yards in 14 plays to tie the game at 7. He was also masterful in directing the two-minute drill at the end of the first half to tie the score at 21.
All three of the Pack's first-half scoring drives went for 75 yards or more, and Finley showed play-making capabilities that weren't always needed last season, when he more often went to reliable running back Matthew Dayes instead of his inexperience receiving corps.
Saturday, despite being sacked four times and suffering a slight ankle injury, he still led the Wolfpack down the field twice in the fourth quarter and put the offense in position to win, throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to Jaylen Samuels with 12:21 to play and moving the offense inside the 10-yard line in the final minute.
The final effort came up short, and that's what stuck in Finley's mind after the game.
"I thought we moved the ball really well throughout the game," Finley said. "At the end of the day, though, you have to finish with touchdowns. We have to be at 100 percent with touchdowns in the red zone.
"When you drive all the way down there, you have to get in the end zone."
Still, despite being far from perfect on the day, the Wolfpack offense doubled the Gamecocks in first downs, rushing yards, passing yards and total offense. The Pack set a school record for plays with 99, and Samuels matched the record held by All-America wide receiver Torry Holt with 15 receptions on the day.
Finley finished the day 45-for-64 in passing, with a career-high 415 yards and a pair of passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown.
It's a foundation, he believes, the Wolfpack can build on.
"We're definitely going to bounce back," he said. "We have 11 more games left. We're not going to sit on this one. We are going to move on. We learned as an offense we can move the ball.
"We have to score touchdowns. That's on me (for not) executing when we get down there where things are more confined. But we know we can play with the best of them."
Â
It was the game that established Gabriel as the quarterback of the future, when big, rangy flingers turned football's cloud of dust into an aerial show. Gabriel did it for three years for the Pack against future NFL quarterbacks like Southern Cal's Billy Kilmer, Wake Forest's Norm Snead and South Carolina's Dan Reeves.
Since then, of course, Gabriel's record has been surpassed many times over, as offenses have evolved into high-powered engines that can move the ball down the field quickly. Dave Buckey matched Gabriel's total in 1974 against Virginia and Tim Esposito smashed it in 1983 with 31 completions against North Carolina. Shane Montgomery broke that mark with 37 in 1989 against Duke.
Philip Rivers then set what was the current mark of 38 against Wake Forest in 2003, a total that was matched by Russell Wilson against Boston College in 2010.
On Saturday, in the Pack's season-opening game in the Belk College Kickoff against South Carolina, junior Ryan Finley put himself in exceedingly good company, then surpassed them all—and nearly doubled the record Gabriel held for almost a quarter century—by completing a school-record 45 passes in the Wolfpack loss to South Carolina.
Finley, now in his second season as the starting quarterback, was excellent throughout the game, particularly in the Pack's first drive of the game, in which he took the team 75 yards in 14 plays to tie the game at 7. He was also masterful in directing the two-minute drill at the end of the first half to tie the score at 21.
All three of the Pack's first-half scoring drives went for 75 yards or more, and Finley showed play-making capabilities that weren't always needed last season, when he more often went to reliable running back Matthew Dayes instead of his inexperience receiving corps.
Saturday, despite being sacked four times and suffering a slight ankle injury, he still led the Wolfpack down the field twice in the fourth quarter and put the offense in position to win, throwing a 1-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to Jaylen Samuels with 12:21 to play and moving the offense inside the 10-yard line in the final minute.
The final effort came up short, and that's what stuck in Finley's mind after the game.
"I thought we moved the ball really well throughout the game," Finley said. "At the end of the day, though, you have to finish with touchdowns. We have to be at 100 percent with touchdowns in the red zone.
"When you drive all the way down there, you have to get in the end zone."
Still, despite being far from perfect on the day, the Wolfpack offense doubled the Gamecocks in first downs, rushing yards, passing yards and total offense. The Pack set a school record for plays with 99, and Samuels matched the record held by All-America wide receiver Torry Holt with 15 receptions on the day.
Finley finished the day 45-for-64 in passing, with a career-high 415 yards and a pair of passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown.
It's a foundation, he believes, the Wolfpack can build on.
"We're definitely going to bounce back," he said. "We have 11 more games left. We're not going to sit on this one. We are going to move on. We learned as an offense we can move the ball.
"We have to score touchdowns. That's on me (for not) executing when we get down there where things are more confined. But we know we can play with the best of them."
Â
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