NC State Looks To Bounce Back In Home Opener As They Host Marshall

After playing in Charlotte at Bank Of America Stadium to open the season against South Carolina and getting defeated  NC State will be hoping for a different outcome Saturday when they have their home opener against Marshall at Carter Finley Stadium.

The Wolfpack has played the Thundering Herd just three times, all in the early 90s and all three games at home. All three games were also fairly close. In 1991, the Wolfpack had to score twice in the final 60 seconds of the game to pull out a 15-14 victory and run its record to 7-0. State trailed 14-3 with three minutes remaining. After driving down the field for a touchdown, the Pack got the onsides kick and had one last shot. On the final drive, quarterback Geoff Bender was off on a 4th-and-long, but an offsides call on Marshall gave them one more play and the offense ended up scoring. In 1993, QB Terry Harvey and NC State had to score twice in the final 10 minutes to come back from a 17-10 deficit, while the defense shut out the Herd in the second half. The Pack would end up winning 24-17. In 1995, the Wolfpack had a little more breathing room with a 33-16 victory. In the game, Harvey because the fourth NC State quarterback to cross the 4,000-yard passing mark for his career. FROM HERD TO PACK: Years before assistant head coach for defense/cornerbacks coach George Barlow joined the Pack, he was a member of the Herd. Barlow played for Marshall fron 1986-90, earning all-conference honors at safety. He holds the Thundering Herd record for interceptions in a single game - pulling down three against East Tennessee State in 1989. Barlow was a leader of the 1987 Marshall squad that played for the IAA title, losing by a point to Louisiana Monroe in the championship game. WHAT’S UP, DOC?: A familiar face will be on the sidelines of Carter-Finley Stadium for the home opener, but he will be on the opposite side of the field this time around. Marshall head coach Doc Holl. "according to https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/gopack.com/documents/2017/9/5/Game_2_MarshallNotes.pdf

As for NC State's last game, they were close but close just wasn't good enough against South Carolina.

own by seven late in the fourth quarter, NC State drove down to the USC 10-yard line in the final seconds but was unable to find the equalizer as the Wolfpack fell to South Carolina 35-28 in the Belk College Kickoff in Charlotte. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
A back-and-forth first half saw the two teams tied 21-21 at the break. NC State posted 343 yards of total offense and 19 first downs in the opening half behind QB Ryan Finley's stat line of 27-of-34 completions for 296 yards – one passing TD, one rushing score. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
South Carolina scored 14 unanswered points in the third quarter to take a 35-21 lead into the fourth. The Wolfpack punched the ball in on fourth down and pulled within seven with 12:21 left in the game. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
NC State got the ball back at its own 28-yard line and took the ball 62 yards down into South Carolina territory. But the Gamecocks held the Pack to three incompletions and a sack on second down to seal the game, "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
WOLFPACK SPOTLIGHT DRIVE
14 plays, 75-yards in 5:51 Ryan Finley's  six-yard TD run "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
After South Carolina took back the opening kickoff 94-yards for a TD, NC State responded with its own touchdown drive on its first offensive possession of the season. QB Ryan Finley capped a 14-play, 75-yard drive with a six-yard keeper. On the drive, Finley was 5-of-7 for 52 yards passing to go along with the rushing score. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
STAT LEADERS
QB Ryan Finley – school record most completions, personal-best passing yards
45-of-64 and 415 yards, 2 TDs "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
H-Back Jaylen Samuels Stephan Louis "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
15 catches for 85 yards, 1 TD "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
WR
10 catches for 114 yards "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
CB Jonathan Alston – First career game played at CB
1 INT, 1 sack, 3 tackles "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx

QB Ryan Finley set a new school record with his 45 completions, the fifth-most in ACC history. Finley also set a personal-best with 415 yards passing, the 11th-most in school history.
 
H-Back Jaylen Samuels  15 receptions tie the NC State school record for most catches in a single game. (Torry Holt vs. Wake Forest in 1998). The 15 catches were also one behind the ACC record of 16. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
The Wolfpack scored on its opening offensive possession of the season for the third straight year. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
True-freshmen to make their NC State debut: Emeka Enzie  (WR), Raven Sanders (ST), Joshua -Fedd Jackson (ST), Chris Ingram  (ST). "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
Other NC State players to make their Wolfpack debuts: Brock Miller  (ST), James Valdez  (ST), Justin Witt  (starter at RT), Joe Sculthorpe  (OG),  Dylan Autenrieth (TE), Carson Wise  (ST), Philip Walton (ST), Shug Frazier (DT),Isaiah Stallings  (ST), Deshawn Stephens (ST)C.J. Riley (WR). "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx
 
 NC State's 99 total plays set a new school record – besting the previous game-high of 98 offensive plays against Maryland in 2010. "according to http://www.gopack.com/news/2017/9/2/football-pack-comeback-in-season-opener-falls-short.aspx

As for Marshall's last game against Miami University (Ohio),  

Only 12 seconds elapsed before Marshall's Keion Davis made his presence felt at Joan C. Edwards Stadium when he sauntered into the end zone at the end of a 99-yard touchdown on the opening kickoff of Saturday night's game against visiting Miami University. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Later, Davis walked into the NCAA record books. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Davis, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound redshirt junior, became the 20th player in NCAA history with a pair of kickoff returns for a touchdown in the same game, which helped Marshall to a 31-26 win against its longtime rival Miami in front of a crowd of 22,463. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

"Wow, what a game, huh?" Marshall coach Doc Holliday said. "My goodness." "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

The win is the Thundering Herd's fourth consecutive in the series and ninth in 10 tries overall against the RedHawks. Marshall held on for the win despite on 10 points from its offense. Marshall gained a boost from Davis' two first-half touchdowns on special teams and later received another jolt when sophomore cornerback Chris Jackson intercepted a pass and returned it 72 yards for a touchdown. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

"That game was won because of our strength staff and what happened since January," Holliday said. "I told (the players) Friday if we played tremendous on special teams we'd win the game. That's what we did." "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Davis set the tone after Marshall won the coin toss and elected to receive. He raced 99 yards for the touchdown on the kickoff return, the fourth time in program history a player has returned a kick at least 99 yards. Davis has accounted for two of them. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

"I told them we had to start fast," Holliday said. "We did." "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Davis' second kickoff return for a touchdown came with the Herd leading 14-13. This time he outran the opposition 97 yards for a score, the 21st time in college football history a player has returned two kickoffs for a touchdown in the same game. Notre Dame's Raghib Ismail accomplished the feat twice, meaning only 20 players can claim a share of the NCAA record. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Davis is the first player in Marshall history to return two kicks for TDs in the same game. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

"Everybody has those first-play jitters," Davis said of the 99-yarder. "That was big; that was huge. They kicked it to me, the other 10 guys executed and I did what I did." "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Davis' two kickoff returns were sandwiched around a pivotal 11-play, 98-yard scoring drive by Marshall. The Herd started at its own 2 and carved up the Miami defense before junior quarterback Chase Litton  found junior receiver Tyre Brady for a 22-yard touchdown to give MU a 14-10 lead. On the play, Litton extended his NCAA-leading streak of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 22 games, and Brady scored for the first time as a member of the Thundering Herd. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

"We had a boundary call and once I saw the safety not rotate I knew I was going to my open side," Litton said. "I kind of rolled out a little bit and stopped ... and put it in a spot where he can get it. He's a tremendous football player who is going to win a lot of games for us this year." "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Jackson's "pick 6" came with 5:30 left of the third quarter, the first scoring after the Herd led 21-13 at the half. Jackson stepped in front of a Gus Ragland pass and followed a massive block from defensive end Davon Durant to get into the end zone. It was Jackson's third career touchdown, and it gave Marshall a 28-13 lead. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Miami made it a one-possession game when Ragland found tight end Ryan Smith for an 11-yard touchdown with 2:05 left of the third quarter to make it 28-20. Marshall's Karre V who handled kickoff, punt, field goal and extra point duties for the Herd, made a 27-yard field goal with 11:31 left of the fourth quarter to push the lead to 11 points, 31-20. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Miami answered again, this time on a 19-yard touchdown connection from Ragland to Smith with 8:01 left. The RedHawks had two more offensive possessions after that, but the Herd defense for a Miami punt and then batted down a pass in the end zone to secure the opening game win. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Litton finished 20 of 30 passing for 208 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He moved into the Top 10 in Marshall football history in career passing yardage, passing Brian Anderson (2007-10). "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Litton's long pass of 49 yards went to redshirt freshman Willie Johnson who was making his return to the Herd after having his true freshman season cut short by an injury. Johnson finished with team highs in receptions (seven) and yards (88), both of which were also career bests. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

The Herd's next three leading receivers were all making their Marshall debuts: Marcel Williams  (five catches for 30 yards), Brady (three receptions for 54 yards) and running back Trey Rodriguez (three catches for 17 yards). Rodriguez paced the team in rushing with 18 carries and 54 yards, including a long run of 14. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Vedvik, a senior, dazzled as Marshall's do-everything kicker. He made his first career field goal, had two of his four punts downed inside the 20 and five of his six kickoffs went for touchbacks. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Defensively, redshirt freshman safety Brandon Dayton led the team with 12 tackles in his first career start. He also forced a fumble. Junior linebacker Chase Hancock and sophomore defensive end Marquis Couch each had a sack. Hancock also recorded 10 tackles. "according to http://www.herdzone.com/sports/m-footbl/recaps/090217aac.html

Will NC State get in the win column for the first time this season? Will NC State route Marshall or will Marshall make it a competive game?

Kick-off is set for 6 pm. The game will be televised on ACC Network Extra. "according to http://www.gopack.com/schedule.aspx?path=football