Breaking Down NC State's Week 4 Defensive Grades
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RALEIGH, N.C. -- A little over a week after holding Wake Forest scoreless in the second half of a win, NC State's defense completely collapsed against Duke on the road, allowing 45 points, 24 of which came in the second half.
After talking throughout the week about playing a complete game from important leaders like linebacker Sean Brown and head coach Dave Doeren, the Wolfpack did anything but that.
The Blue Devils took control of the game at the end of the second quarter and never let go. The Wolfpack offense couldn't keep up as the defense crumbled in critical moments, failing to contain explosive plays via the pass and run.
Pro Football Focus grades each member of the team's performance during the game. The model takes into account every play in the game and adds it all up to create the player's total grade. Any grade from the 70s to 80s is considered a good performance. The 60s are average. Below 60 would be poor and above 80 would be elite.
How PFF viewed NC State's performance against Duke
Defensive Line/Pass Rushers
- Senior JACK linebacker/edge rusher Cian Slone - 77.0
- Junior defensive end Joseph Adedire - 70.6
- Senior nose tackle Brandon Cleveland - 68.0
- Redshirt freshman defensive end Chase Bond - 64.6
- Graduate senior JACK linebacker/edge rusher Tra Thomas - 63.4
- Graduate senior defensive end Sabastian Harsh - 60.8
- Senior defensive tackle Chazz Wallace - 59.5
- Sophomore defensive tackle Isaiah Shirley - 45.8
- Graduate senior defensive tackle Travali Price - 44.7
The defense was a mess across the board and the defensive line struggled to generate pressure consistently enough to truly have an effect on Duke quarterback Darian Mensah. Slone lasted just 12 snaps before leaving with an injury in the first half. Already missing Harsh due to a suspension, the line was simply out of sorts. Cleveland was the top performer on the line who played more than 20 snaps.
The Secondary
- Senior cornerback Devon Marshall - 74.3
- Sophomore cornerback Brian Nelson II - 71.0
- Redshirt freshman safety Brody Barnhardt - 64.9
- Redshirt freshman nickel Assad Brown Jr. - 62.4
- Graduate senior safety JJ Johnson - 54.7
- Junior cornerback Jamel Johnson - 47.6
- Redshirt freshman safety Ronnie Royal III - 29.6
Outside of Marshall and Nelson, the secondary struggled throughout the game. Marshall continued to prove himself as one of the strongest cornerbacks in the conference, allowing just two receptions while being targeted five times. The younger Royal continued to struggle as he learns the differences between the college and high school levels.
The Linebackers
- Senior Caden Fordham - 69.7
- Graduate senior Kenny Soares Jr. - 67.8
- Graduate senior Sean Brown - 64.2
- Freshman Ke'Von Carter - 63.5
While Fordham improved his pass coverage numbers, Brown continued to have problems covering receivers in the loss. The veteran linebacker finished with a 35.7 pass coverage grade, the second-lowest on the team. He also allowed several critical first-down receptions. Soares blew the game when he ran the wrong direction and failed to stop up running back Anderson Castle before he ran 66 yards for a touchdown to put the Blue Devils up two scores.
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Tucker Sennett graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Sports Journalism from the esteemed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. A former basketball player, he has gained valuable experience working at Cronkite News and brings a deep passion for sports and reporting to his role as the NC State Wolfpack Beat Writer On SI.
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