How NC State's Defense Graded in Georgia Tech Upset
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RALEIGH — While allowing 36 points doesn't seem like a strong defensive effort, NC State's defense played a major role in the Wolfpack's upset over the No. 8 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
NC State won the game 48-36 with major contributions from quarterback CJ Bailey and running back Duke Scott, but both players admitted the win wouldn't have been possible without the defense stepping up.
Pro Football Focus grades each member of the team's performance during the game. The model takes into account every play in the game and adds it all up to create the player's total grade. Any grade from the 70s to 80s is considered a good performance. The 60s are average. Below 60 would be poor, and above 80 would be elite.
How PFF viewed NC State's performance against Georgia Tech
The Defensive Line
- Junior defensive end Joseph Adedire - 80.1
- Graduate senior defensive tackle Chazz Wallace - 79.5
- Redshirt freshman defensive end Chase Bond - 70.0
- Graduate senior defensive end Sabastian Harsh - 67.4
- Senior defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland - 64.3
- Graduate senior defensive tackle Travali Price - 56.9
- Sophomore defensive tackle Isaiah Shirley - 55.9
The Wolfpack front faced one of its most difficult tests of the season, as Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King entered the game as one of the nation's most effective signal callers. The group created space for the linebackers to get in and make plays against the run. Bond and Wallace both put together some of their best performances of the season in rotational reps.
Harsh had a slower day, but was particularly effective in setting the edge against the run, which helped some of his teammates slow down the Yellow Jackets at pivotal points of the game. Cleveland bounced back from his string of poor performances and finished with a pair of tackles and a 71.6 tackling score.
The Linebackers
Lights out 😤#1Pack1Goal pic.twitter.com/etYNKcgIkW
— NC State Football (@PackFootball) November 2, 2025
- Graduate senior JACK linebacker Cian Slone - 71.8
- Graduate senior weakside linebacker Caden Fordham - 61.5
- Freshman outside linebacker Ke'Von Carter - 58.5
- Graduate senior JACK linebacker Tra Thomas - 49.8
- Graduate senior middle linebacker Kenny Soares Jr. - 47.8
After the game, NC State head coach Dave Doeren called Fordham's performance the veteran's best in a Wolfpack uniform. He led the team with 12 tackles, flying around to the ball constantly throughout the game. Fordham also ended the game with his first career interception. Slone put together another impressive outing with five tackles and a sack.
It was a rough night for Soares, who struggled in pass coverage often. Georgia Tech ran lots of crossing and mesh routes, forcing the Northwestern transfer into uncomfortable situations in coverage. He did finish with six tackles, however. The freshman, Carter, provided some valuable rotation snaps and tallied a pair of quarterback hurries.
The Secondary
- Redshirt freshman safety Asaad Brown Jr. - 66.9
- Senior cornerback Devon Marshall - 62.0
- Junior nickel Jackson Vick - 58.0
- Senior cornerback Jamel Johnson - 57.4
- Sophomore cornerback Brian Nelson II - 51.8
- Freshman safety Tristan Teasdell - 49.1
Brown continues to be one of the most important members of the defense in the 2025 season. After moving from nickel to safety, he's been one of the steadiest tacklers for the Wolfpack and finished the game with eight and the highest PFF tackling score on the team, an 84.9. As the Yellow Jackets continued to run the ball, Brown moved up in the defense and helped against that phase.
With a number of injuries still plaguing the secondary, Teasdell found himself in one of the safety spots for the entire game. The freshman missed a pair of tackles but did enough to keep the lid on the defense. Nelson was burned on another deep pass downfield, a trend that emerged during the Wolfpack's two-game losing streak. He'll need to be more dependable in those situations moving forward.
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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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