'Marshall Island' Puts Together Career Performance Against FSU
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RALEIGH — The NC State staff told Devon Marshall he would be getting the most difficult assignment of the game during Wednesday's practice and team sessions. The senior cornerback went above and beyond in his preparation for Florida State wide receiver Duce Robinson, who entered Friday's game with three-straight 100-plus yard performances.
He hadn't visited 'Marshall Island' yet. Back in October, the Wolfpack's No. 1 defensive back gave himself that nickname. While the rest of the defense struggled throughout the 5-5 start, Marshall was a constant standout. Friday was another level, however.
Welcome to the Island
Robinson, listed at 6-foot-6 and over 200 pounds, made Marshall look tiny at 5-foot-11. What's the saying, small but mighty? The cornerback proved that adage to be true, dominating Robinson right out of the gate. FSU quarterback Tommy Castellanos repeatedly targeted his oversized wideout to no avail. Marshall stood tall.
The Seminoles seemed to be locked in on Marshall as a potential mismatch and couldn't have been more wrong. The cornerback broke up two passes on the first drive of the game, establishing himself early.
"He set the tone for us," head coach Dave Doeren said.
BALL HAWK @Devon8274 #1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/phNQcdwVc2
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) November 22, 2025
As Florida State marched comfortably down the field with its rushing attack in its first drive, Marshall stayed ready. On second-and-9 well into Wolfpack territory, Castellanos dropped back and fired a pass intended for Robinson. Like a plane flying into the Bermuda Triangle, it was caught up in the storm and intercepted by Marshall. That was all the corner needed to get himself going.
Marshall wrapped things up in the 21-11 win with his second interception of the night on the last play of the game and ensured himself a spot in the Wolfpack history books. He became the first NC State defensive back since David Amerson in 2011 to record six pass breakups and two interceptions in a game. Amerson finished that season with a whopping 13 interceptions.
Marshall's Mindset
The assignment wasn't going to be an easy one. Castellanos looked for Robinson nine times when Marshall lined up on the other side. He completed just two of those passes for 40 yards, 34 of which came on one play. The Wolfpack's alpha of the secondary never showed fear. He trusted his preparation instead.
"The receiver raised his chest a little bit. I knew when I was playing off where he lined up inside, like outside the numbers," Marshall said. "I was just playing ball. I've been playing corner for a long time, so I could kind of feel things out."
DEVON MARSHALL is playing out of his mind!!! pic.twitter.com/Yb55MaQd4d
— Grant Speaks (@GrantSpeaks1) November 22, 2025
The Florida State offense struggled to find its footing in the game. Marshall's leadership in the secondary was a major reason why. He quickly identified that the Seminoles were rattled after junior nickel Jackson Vick came up with a massive hit that was reviewed for targeting, but ultimately deemed clean. Marshall sensed the momentum shifting.
"They seemed kind of shaken. We held them to three points going into the half. As a defense, we didn't let them get started or get rolling today. I think they were frustrated, for sure, the whole game," he said.
NFL scouts set to be in for Florida State at NC State:
— Noah Fleischman (@fleischman_noah) November 21, 2025
Atlanta Falcons
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills x2
Denver Broncos
NY Giants
NY Jets x2
Pittsburgh Steelers
Senior Bowl is also coming today
While it was likely the last thing on his mind, Marshall picked quite a night to play the way he did. With a national TV audience and at least nine NFL scouts in attendance for the game, there's no doubt he improved his stock for the next level. However, the cornerback's main goal was to rinse the bad taste from his mouth after NC State's defense allowed 34 points the week prior.
"It feels good. After last week, as a defense, we knew we had to step up and play our best ball. Everyone on the team did that today, so I'm proud of us," he said.
Not one person in the Murphy Center after the game was prouder of Marshall's performance than Doeren. Without the standout outing from the cornerback, the Wolfpack could be facing a do-or-die final week against North Carolina. Instead, that's a massive game for other reasons and NC State wasn't the latest victim on Robinson's highlight tape.
"Devon played his butt off, man," Doeren said. "If he's not player of the week in the ACC, they ain't got blinders on because that was a hell of a performance by him."
The coach threw the ball in the conference's court and will eagerly await to find out if his star cornerback gets the recognition he deserves for architecting one of the great defensive performances in Wolfpack history.
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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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