Leary Gets the Start at QB at Pittsburgh

Devin Leary got the start at quarterback for NC State against Pittsburgh as expected and he immediately made the decision pay off by leading the Wolfpack to a long touchdown drive on its first possession

NC State football coach Dave Doeren tried his best to create doubt about who his starting quarterback would be for today's game against Pittsburgh.

But given Devin Leary's performance in relief of Baliey Hockman last week at Virginia Tech and the fact that Leary has been penciled in as the starter since last spring, it was hardly a secret who would get the call at Heinz Field.

As expected, Leary is the Wolfpack's starter against the 24th-ranked Panthers.

The redshirt sophomore got off to a strong start by leading State to a touchdown on its first possession to tie the score at seven.

Offensive coordinator Tim Beck did a nice job of getting Leary into a rhythm by having him throw short, safe passes to running backs Ricky Person Jr. and Zonovan Knight early in the possession and sprinkling in a healthy dose of running plays.

State overcame two potential drive-killing penalties to march 75 yards on 16 plays, a drive coverted a seven-yard third down strike from Leary to tight end Cary Angeline in the end zone.

Leary, who started six games last season, started this season on the bench after missing 20 practices during preseason camp because of contact tracing protocols. 

He watched from the sideline as Bailey Hockman started and led State to a 45-42 win against Wake Forest on Sept. 19. But when Hockman faltered at Virginia Tech last week, Leary came in midway through the third quarter and completed 12 of 16 passes for 165 yards and a score while leading the team on two touchdown drives.

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top righthand corner of the page. Also be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:

Facebook -- ACC Insider

Twitter -- @WolfpackMaven and Brett Friedlander at @BFriedACC