Pack Seeks Improvement Against Georgia State

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	NC State (1-0) vs. Georgia State (1-0)
Date	Saturday, Sept. 8
Time	12:30 p.m.
Location	Raleigh, N.C.
Stadium	Carter-Finley Stadium
TV	RSN (Regional Sports Network)
Streaming	ACC Network Extra
Radio in NC	Wolfpack Sports Network
National Radio	Tunein, Sirius 108, XM 381
Live Stats	GoPack.com
Social Media	@PackFootball, PackFootball

RALEIGH, N.C. - Many college football coaches over the years have often stated that the greatest leap of improvement occurs from the first game to the second game of any given season. NC State is hoping that age old belief will come to fruition on Saturday when the Wolfpack (1-0) hosts Georgia State (1-0) at Carter-Finley Stadium.

Kickoff is set for 12:30 p.m., and the game will be televised by RSN (Regional Sports Network).

Not surprisingly, the Pack's best performers in last week's season-opening 24-13 win over James Madison were mostly veteran players. Others, especially those who were seeing their first significant action in college football, figure to be more comfortable this week.

"The challenge is to improve as coaches, as a team and as players," said Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren. "We need to be a better version of what we put on tape last week and take the mistakes off. Whatever you put on tape in week one, obviously it's your resume.

"The teams you're playing are going to test you and see if you can fix those things and get better. Just like Georgia State has things on film that want to do better. We'll want to see if they are and they're probably going to do the same thing to us. That's what coaches do."

Both teams would like to get off to better starts. In its 24-20 victory over Kennesaw State, Georgia State trailed 14-0 before scoring a pair of touchdowns in the final minute of the first half. The Panthers then needed an eight-yard scoring pass from quarterback Dan Ellington to Diondre Champaigne with 41 seconds remaining to secure the victory.

The Wolfpack will be looking to put more points on the scoreboard, as despite some long, sustained drives, the Pack was shutout in the first and third quarters against JMU.

"Starting games and halves fast is something we take pride in and we didn't do that," Doeren said. "We had good drives, but just didn't finish them."

Doeren also expressed concerns over NC State's rushing offense and first down production. Of the Pack's 31 first down plays, a total of 18 of those plays gained three yards or less. With the running game producing 2.9 yards per rush, the Wolfpack offense found itself off schedule on many possessions.

"Our rushing offense was less than four yards per rush which for us is unacceptable," said Doeren. "It's something that is being addressed and talked about."

Despite the misfires on first down, NC State still managed to convert 11-of-16 third down plays, a tribute to quarterback Ryan Finley who completed 29-of-43 passes for 309 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.

A total of 19 players saw their first action in an NC State uniform last week, including eight true freshmen, eight redshirt freshmen and three transfers.

"The speed of the game was faster than high school," said true freshman nickel Tanner Ingle. "I was just excited to get out there. With 60,000 people coming to see you play, it's a lot different than high school."

Although Georgia State has been playing football for just nine years, the Panthers have enjoyed recent success under coach Shawn Elliott, winning eight of their last 11 games. Receiver Penny Hart, a preseason All-American, ranks first in the nation among active FBS receivers in career receiving yards per game (83.1) and receptions per game (5.64). Hart led the Sun Belt Conference with a school record 74 catches for 1,121 yards and eight touchdowns last year.

It will be a homecoming this Saturday. Georgia State athletic director Charlies Cobb was a four-year letterwinner as an offensive lineman with the Wolfpack from 1987-90. He also served as an associate athletic director at State between 1998-05.

"It's another good test," Doeren said. "A lot of kids on that roster will be playing against guys on our team they've probably played against. There are some guys on their roster from Georgia and Florida that our guys know. It will be a fun opportunity to go out and compete against them."

With a 12:30 p.m. start, the Wolfpack Sports Network will open its coverage at 10:30 a.m. with the Lowes Foods Countdown to kickoff. In hour two of the pregame show, veteran network analyst Johnny Evans will take questions from fans on 'Ask the Analyst.' Questions to Johnny can be submitted via Twitter@packradio or by clicking HERE.

Tune in to 'One with Wolfpack Football,' NC State's weekly TV show starting Sunday night. A list of times and stations, as well as episodes of previous shows, is available HERE.

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Players Mentioned

Ryan Finley

Tanner Ingle