NC State's New Pass Rush Pair Makes Immediate ACC Statement

NC State redshirt senior Sean Brown called his shot at the beginning of fall camp. The defense for the Wolfpack this season would be different in 2025.

“As a defense, we just want to fly around,” Brown said. “Wreak havoc on the offense and just create more turnover.”

The front seven of NC State’s defense lived up to Brown's statement. The havoc-minded unit was unleashed on the Pirates' offensive attack early on in the game. After one quarter, ECU only had eight total yards of offense. Throughout the game, the negative plays accumulated for the Pirates, and it was usually the same two players causing the disruption.

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack defensive end Chase Bond (92) celebrates a sack against East Carolina Pirates quarterback Mike Wright Jr. (11) during the first half of the game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Mountain West, Ready for ACC

Graduate edge rushers Cian Slone and Sabastian Harsh were in the Pirates' backfield all night long. ECU’s rushing attack wasn’t able to get going in the slightest. The team ran the ball 28 times and only totaled 53 yards, averaging 1.9 yards per carry.

According to Pro Football Focus, Harsh led NC State in total pressures, run stops and quarterback hurries. Slone wasn’t far behind as he was second in run stops, hurries and total pressures.

Final prep#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/NOxwAKwYfN
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) August 28, 2025

The two share a familiar story, not causing havoc, but both were a part of the Mountain West a season ago. Harsh on Wyoming and Slone on Utah State. The two were impactful on their respective teams, both earning All-MW honors in some capacity in their time in the conference.

Now, as members of the Wolfpack in a Power Four conference like the ACC, both wanted to continue that dominance. Clearly, on Thursday night, they did.

August 31, 2024; Tempe, Ariz.; USA; ASU runningback DeCarlos Brooks (25) runs through a tackle from Wyoming defensive lineman Sabastian Harsh (54) during a game at Sun Devil Stadium. | Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

“That’s my boy,” Slone said. “He was on my visit when I first committed here. He’s an outstanding player. There's no one who plays harder, who plays more physically than Sabastian Harsh. It was an honor playing on the other side of him; we both made a pretty good impact in the game.”

Pirates attempt to counter

The Pirates ran a tempo offense for the majority of the night to try to slow the pass rush down from the Wolfpack. Mixed in with the tempo, ECU ran a lot of RPOs (run/pass option), plays where ECU quarterback Katin Houser would get the ball out quickly, negating the pass rush.

NC State fan — Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack fans during the first half of the game against East Carolina Pirates at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

With all the obstacles in their way, it didn’t matter. Slone and Harsh kept coming with a relentless mindset every play they were on the field. Stopping the pass isn’t their job, and the Pirates found success down the field. But when the ball was handed off, it was a stone wall.

“They’re definitely keeping us on our toes,” Slone said. “But I just say the conditioning that we put in the offseason and all the work we’ve put in up until this moment got us all really prepared.”

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