Postgame Observations: Virginia Tech 45, State 24
BLACKSBURG, Va. -- If you're a fan of NC State athletics who has been following its teams for any length of time, then you're familiar with the Law of the Wolf.
It's the theory that says when things look to be at their best for teams representing the Wolfpack, that's usually when they turn out the worst ... and vise versa.
Well, the down side of the equation proved to be true once again as State strutted into Lane Stadium brimming with a confidence boosted by the fact that it would be facing a depleted Virginia Tech team only to limp home after suffering a 45-24 beatdown at the hands of those shorthanded Hokies.
It was a game that had a lot of similiarities to last week's season opening win against Wake Forest.
Only in reverse.
Here are some postgame observations on what when wrong and where coach Dave Doeren's team goes from here:
- Just as the Wolfpack came out flying in its season opener last week, scoring the first three times it touched the ball, so too did the Hokies. Playing without starting quarterback Hendon Hooker -- one of 24 players listed as inactive because of COVID-19 related quarantines -- Tech scored on its opening three possessions of the new season to jump out to a quick 17-0 lead.
- Like State last week, the Hokies did much of their damage on the ground. Running back Khalil Herbert -- a transfer from Kansas -- peeled off 31 yards on the first play of the game and Tech never looked back. It amassed 314 yards on the ground, aided by a Wolfpack defense that had trouble tackling and got consistently burned on its perimeters.
- Granted the defense was without three key starters -- linebacker Payton Wilson, safety Tanner Ingle and cornerback Teshaun Smith, all of them out with football injuries unrelated to the coronavirus pandemic. And granted they were on the field far too long thanks to an offense that mustered less than 100 yards in the first half. But there were fundamental problems both in scheme and excecution that were exposed and exploited regardless of who was on the field, starting with the aforementioned tackling issues. State has given up 42 and 45 points in its first two games of 2020. Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson and his staff have a lot of work to do for State to have anything close to resembling a successful season.
- Speaking of that offense, the veteran line of Joe Sculthorpe, Justin Witt, Grant Gibson, Tyrone Riley and Ickey Ekwonu that got so much praise last week either got caught reading its press clippings or simply isn't as dominant as it looked against Wake Forest. The group had a hard time handling Tech star Rayshard Ashby in particular while allowing six sacks. No syrup bottles this week.
- The shine also came off last week's quarterbacking hero Bailey Hockman as well. He completed just one of his first seven passes for four yards and an interception. And it was clear from coordinator Tim Beck's run-heavy play calling that he didn't have the same confidence in Hockman that he did for the first three quarters last week.
- The big question is why it took so long for Beck and coach Dave Doeren to make the change to Devin Leary. The redshirt sophomore was named the team's starting quarterback last spring, but had to sit out last week's opener after missing 20 days of preseason camp while in contact tracing protocol. But he got a full week of practice in leading up to Saturday's game and was able to play. But it took a second Hockman interception and an insurmoutable third quarter deficit for Doeren to finally put him into the game. Leary showed way he was named the starter by zipping a fourth-and-nine pass to Devin Carter for a 35-yard gain on his first seasons before hitting C.J. Riley in the end zone for a touchdown. He led the Wolfpack to another score later, finishing his night by going 12 of 16 for 165 yards.
- The bottom line is that the Hokies were the more physical team on both sides of the ball and it was reflected on the scoreboard. It's also a stark realization that while State might be able to play on even terms with the Wake Forests of the world, it still has miles to go to before it's ready to challenge anyone in the ACC's upper echelon -- which is one more reason it's a good thing Clemson and Notre Dame aren't on this year's schedule.
- There was at least one bit of good news to come out of Saturday's game. Redshirt freshman safety Khalid Martin, who was taken from the field in an ambulance with what appeared to be a very serious injury, is reported to have been "alert and conscious" while being transported to a hospital in nearby Roanoke with what is being described as a hip injury. Let's hope it's not as serious as it looked.
So where does State go from here?
Well, the obvious answer is Pittsburgh, where it will play the Panthers next week.
How it responds and what kind of effort it gives once it gets there will depend on the adjustments that are made during what will be an important week in this early season.
Who knows? Now that the level of expectations have been lowered from last week's winning euphoria, perhaps the Law of the Wolf will kick in again -- only this time in State's favor.
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