Different Opponent, Same Mentality: NC State Defense Stays Locked In

How the Wolfpack's defense carries themselves from week to week

Aug 28, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack defensive end Sabastian Harsh (54) celebrates a sack 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

NC State’s front seven dominated the line of scrimmage in its win over East Carolina last week. The Pirates couldn’t run the ball, averaging 2.9 yards a carry on the night.

The unit as a whole against the run gave up a total EPA (Expected Points Added) of -15.31, an EPA/Play of -0.55 and a success rate of 17.9 percent, which all ranked top 12 in the country according to Game on Paper.

Newcomers in graduate linebacker Cian Slone, graduate defensive end Sabastian Harsh, graduate linebacker Tra Thomas, graduate linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. and junior linebacker AJ Richardson are all new faces to the Raleigh area. It didn't look like it in week one, the unit was flowing and attacking defensive coordinator D.J. Eliot’s new scheme.

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

• “We recruited the right guys,” Eliot said. “We have high character transfers that came in and guys that were hungry, guys that had something to prove. They were guys that were ready to come together to be a great defense.”

They came from all over: Richardson from an FCS school, Slone from the Mountain West and Soares Jr. from the Big 10. All different levels of college football carry the same mindset of wanting to go out and be dominant.

Florida A&M running back Thad Franklin, Jr. (23) breaks away from Norfolk State linebacker AJ Richardson (15) during the Cricket MEAC-SWAC Challenge NCAA college football game against Norfolk State in Atlanta on Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024. | Joshua L. Jones / USA TODAY NETWORK

Domination only lasts a week in college football. It doesn’t matter what happened in week one, as in week two, it’s a different opponent. Different environment. Different game plan. So much has changed, and for the Wolfpack's week two matchup, the quality of the opponent changes.

The team will face off against a conference opponent in Virginia, but the game will be a rare non-conference matchup. Meaning it’s against a conference opponent, but the result won’t impact the ACC standings.

It doesn't mean NC State won’t be ready, but in reality, nothing changes.

• “Coach Doeren does a great job of not looking at any game as any more important or any different,” Eliot said. “Our guys were ready last week, and they’ll be ready this week because we take the same approach every week and for every opponent.”

Same approach but different challenges. The Cavaliers run an entirely different scheme than what the Pirates ran in week one. The steps to get to the same level of preparedness will look different, but the same goal for the Wolfpack – dominant.

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack head coach Dave Doeren after a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

• “Their personnel is good,” Eliot said. “Certainly at certain spots. Chandler Morris has a lot of experience at quarterback. Wide receivers are good players, and they do some good things in the run game, too. It’s more personnel that we have to be concerned about.”

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