Wolfpack Rewind: Demonized by the Deacons

Here's a look back at the good, the bad and the offbeat from Saturday's 44-10 loss at Wake Forest

Jeremy Brevard/USAToday sports

THE GOOD

There wasn't much good to be found on a day in which State set a season low with just 265 yards of offense, didn't complete a pass in the fourth quarter, gave up 44 points, committed three turnovers and 10 penalties while losing to an in-state rival. But since we've got to find something, how about this -- of the Wolfpack top five tacklers Saturday, four were either true freshmen or redshirt freshmen. Linebacker Payton Wilson led the way withy 11 stops, safety Jakeen Harris had eight, linebacker Drake Thomas had eight (to go along with 1.5 sacks) and cornerback Malik Dunbar had six. That probably doesn't mean much in the short term, but at least provides hope in the big picture as those young players continue to contribute and develop.

THE BAD

Take your pick. In this case, we'll go with turnovers. When a team is struggling offensively as mightly as the Wolfpack -- its 265 total yards were 99 fewer than its previous season low of 364 against Syracuse on Oct. 10 -- the last thing it needs to do is make it easier for the opposition to score against it. But that's exactly what State did Saturday. It turned the ball over three times on a fumble and two interceptions. Each time, the Deacons turned the mistakes into points. The most costly of the turnovers came early when Keyon Lesane was stipped of the ball on a kickoff return immediately following Wake's first touchdown. The Deacons got back into the end zone two plays later, putting State in a 14-0 hole before its offense could get onto the field for its second possession. Leary was then intercepted by Amari Henderson, leading to yet another Wake touchdown that basically turned the rest of the game into a formality.

THE OFFBEAT

For the second time this season, the Wolfpack went an entire quarter without completing a pass. Devin Leary, making his first career start, misfired on all eight of his atempts during the fourth period on the way to a 17 of 45 performance. Back on Sept. 21 against Ball State, Matthew McKay went 0 for 4 in the third quarter. That day, at least, State's special teams made up the difference by scoring or setting up two touchdowns in a 34-23 win.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Redshirt freshman Payton Wilson continued to write his impressive comeback story from knee surgeries that forced him to miss the better part of two seasons by leading the Wolfpack with 11 tackles against the Deacons, including one for a loss. He also had a pass breakup.

STAT OF THE WEEK

Wake's 44 points are the most score against the Wolfpack in an ACC game and the second-most in the 113-game series between the schools. The previous conference record was 38 in 1986, 2003 and again in 2007. The overall record is 54 points in 1943, when the teams were members of the Southern Conference. The 34-point margin was the Deacons' biggest in an ACC game in BB&T Field history. State has lost eight of its last nine games played on Wake's home field dating back to 2003.

UNSUNG HERO

True freshman linebacker Drake Thomas stepped into the void created when starter Isaiah Moore left the game with an injury and had the best game of his young career. The kid brother of State wide receiver Thayer Thomas finished the game with eight total tackles, including 1.5 sacks, 2.0 for losses and one pass breakup.

INJURY REPORT

An injury list that started the day with 11 players on it got even longer Saturday. The war of attrition continued on the Wolfpack's second possession, when leading rusher Zonovan Knight left the game and was taken for x-rays after taking a direct snap and gaining two yards on a third-and-one play. The good news is that he was seen on the sidelines during the second half in street clothes, walking normally with no crutches, casts or boots. Knight's replacement Trent Pennix, who averaged 8.8 yards per carry while rushing for 44 yards, also left the game with an undisclosed injury while on the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Isaiah Moore was also sidelined. No details were given about the nature or extent of their conditions.

“It’s code red. We’ve got a lot of guys out. There was 11 starters out when we got to this game, and I don’t know the status on any of those guys that got hurt. We’re down to the bottom in some position groups." Coach Dave Doeren

"We came out ready to play. We kind of jumped on them early, went up 24-0 and then kind of softened up on defense a little bit. What was really critical was the last four minutes of the first half and the first four minutes of the second half. We had the long drive, we kicked the field goal with 23 seconds left, so we got three. Then we started with the ball in the second half and that 10-point swing really changed the rest of the game." Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson

“For any football player not being able to produce, it’s frustrating as a player obviously," Leary said. "We don’t really take it out on ourselves, we just understand that we need to get better. It’s a learning experience and now we are onto the next week.” Quarterback Devin Leary

NEXT UP

It doesn't get any easier for the Wolfpack, which will now have to deal with undefeated defending national champion Clemson. The Tigers come to Carter-Finley Stadium next Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC.