Wilson, Ingle Will Be Available Against Pitt
NC State football coach Dave Doeren offered some good news on Thursday for a defense that can use all the positives it can.
During his final meeting with the media before Saturday's game at Pittsburgh, Doeren announced that linebacker Payton Wilson and safety Tanner Ingle will both be available to play against the Panthers after missing last week's game at Virginia Tech with injuries.
Doeren wasn't as sure about the status of another safety, junior college transfer Rakeim Ashford, who is still listed as day-to-day with a shoulder issue.
The addition of Wilson and Ingle back into the lineup will provide a needed boost to a defensive unit that has surrendered an average of 440 yards and 43.5 points per game through the first two weeks of the season. The latter figure ranks last among the ACC's 15 teams.
"They're two of our best players," Doeren said. "Obviously Tanner is our captain in the secondary and has a lot of game experience. He's a really good tackler, cover player, blitzer. So he brings a lot to the table.
"Payton is one of the best players on our football team when he's healthy. It's nice to have them both back in the lineup at those two spots. We're very thin in the secondary right now, so getting Tanner back is a big deal."
While Doeren was happy to provide details about the state of his defensive backfield against the 24th-ranked Panthers on Saturday, he wasn't nearly as open about the situation in his offensive backfield.
Specifically at quarterback.
While all signs point to Devin Leary getting his first start of the new season following an encouraging performance in relief of Bailey Hockman last week at Virginia Tech, the Wolfpack coach still isn't ready to tip his hand on who he plans to start.
"Ive said this probably 20 times now, but we need both of them," Doeren said. "Bailey has gotten better. It’s been a good week. It’s been a hard week in practice for both of them.
"Coach (Tim) Beck really gets after them in practice. He puts a lot of tough looks in their faces and makes them compete everyday. They’re going to continue to get better, and you guys will see on game day who it is."
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
