NC State Wolfpack Offensive Players to Watch vs. Texas Tech
Defense was far from a strength for the Red Raiders in 2021. The defense allowed 422.3 yards per game of total offense, while giving up 33 points per game.
Simply put, the Red Raider defense was not very good last season, which could be a problem for them ahead of their matchup against the NC State Wolfpack. While the Red Raider defense struggled to stop anyone, the Wolfpack offense was one of the best in college football.
N.C. State averaged 33.1 points and 415 yards per game, with their 33.1 points per game good for 28th out of 130 FBS teams. If the Red Raiders aren't careful, they could find their defense getting torched all night long in this matchup.
Yesterday on RedRaiderReview.com we previewed the Wolfpack as a team, including projected starters. Today we will provide a few offensive players to watch for when the Red Raiders hit the road. As well, stay tuned throughout the summer as we provide a weekly breakdown of Texas Tech's 2022 schedule.
Now, here are some Wolfpack offensive players to watch for in September:
Quarterback Devin Leary
Leary was the catalyst behind a potent Wolfpack offensive attack in 2021. In 12 games he threw for 3,433 yards and 35 touchdowns, with only five interceptions. He completed 65.7% of his passes, which was good for 25th in FBS.
His best performance came against the Wolfpack's toughest competition season, Wake Forest. While the Wolfpack fell short against Wake Forest, Leary threw for 408 yards and four touchdowns, completing 62.7% of his passes.
Running Back Jordan Houston
Houston's 2021 stats don't jump off the page at you as overly impressive, as he only had 20 carries for 83 yards and one touchdown. But he was behind two running backs who combined for 1,389 yards and eight touchdowns. As the potential lead back in 2022 Houston should see a major uptick in production for the Wolfpack.
Wide Receiver Thayer Thomas
Thomas was the Wolfpack's second leading receiver last season, hauling in 51 receptions for 596 yards, averaging 11.7 yards per catch. While Thomas was not the team's leading receiver yardage wise, he was the favorite touchdown target of Leary, catching a team leading eight touchdowns. That chemistry between Leary and Thomas will benefit both this season, and could see the duo light up the stat sheet against the Red Raiders.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.