NC State has two of the ACC’s best RBs. So why can’t the Wolfpack run the football?
Having to decide how to defend N.C. State’s offense has to feel like playing ‘Squid Game’ for opposing defensive coordinators.
Obviously, the results aren’t as severe as the popular Netflix show, but making the wrong decision versus the Wolfpack (6-2, 3-1 ACC) can be costly.
Coming into the season, everyone knew the N.C. State run game would be strong, with the combination of Zonovan Knight and Ricky Person, Jr., carrying the ball. Through eight games, teams have made a commitment to make sure Knight and Person don’t have big days.
That strategy has worked.
Knight has had just two 100-yard games this season, his last one coming against Furman in Week 3. Person has had just one, in the opener versus South Florida. N.C. State’s rushing totals have declined in the last four weeks, including a season-low 44 yards on the ground against Louisville.
With two potential All-ACC type backs, the Pack is next to last in the conference averaging 143.1 yards per game.
“It’s not on the running backs,” N.C. State coach Dave Doeren said. “They are still averaging five yards a carry. It’s a couple of things. We’re throwing the ball a little bit more because we are getting loaded boxes. Yards per carry is not a negative to our offense. How many times do you want to hand it off to a loaded box when they’ve got more than you got?”
Not too many. After a season-high 51 rushing attempts versus Clemson, the Wolfpack have averaged 27.7 rushing attempts per game. They’ve gone 3-1 in those contests. The one loss, versus Miami, the team attempted to run a season-low 22 times.
N.C. State has been committed to coming out and trying to establish the run, but teams have won the numbers game, bringing an extra defender to the line of scrimmage.
Person admitted seeing a stacked box each week is frustrating, but he and Knight have found other ways to contribute.
“If that’s in the passing game and us catching the ball out of the backfield,” Person said. “And us being out in space against a defender, I’d rather have that than us taking our chances (against a loaded box). We know we can run the ball, but most teams we’ve played have studied the film real well and are stacking the box.”
Fixing things up front
The run game situation doesn’t fall squarely on one person or one position group.
But there is a group that takes great pride in being able to run — the offensive line. The guys up front are down one man, Chandler Zavala, who is out for the season and missed the last three games. N.C. State’s rushing totals have decreased in each of those three games.
Losing the 6-foot-5, 325-pound Zavala hasn’t helped, but that’s not the sole reason the production has declined. Whatever it is, the big guys are determined to get it resolved.
“As an offensive lineman, that’s something that we pride ourselves on is being able to run the ball,” center Grant Gibson said. “We have to go out there and execute the blocks and sometimes we didn’t. I think that’s something that we’re trying to fix this week.”
This weekend, the Wolfpack will face Florida State; the Seminoles’ run defense is in the middle of the pack in the ACC, allowing 162.1 yards per game on the ground, seventh in the league.
FSU has allowed an opponent to rush for 100 yards or more in seven straight games. Massachusetts is the only team not to score on the ground against the ‘Noles this season. Person or Knight have not had a rushing touchdown in the last three games. Quarterback Devin Leary had one on the ground versus Miami two weeks ago.
Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu said the team has to just get back to the basics.
“It’s definitely something we can fix,” Ekwonu said. “I feel like the effort is there, but it’s just like technique stuff with us. I feel like once we really focus on the technique, going back to the fundamentals, we’ll be able to get the run game going again.”
Pick your poison
There is a flip side to that coin. Since teams have been loading the box, they’ve dared Leary to beat them through the air.
That hasn’t worked out well.
While teams have focused on slowing Knight and Person, Leary has found a groove and is playing some of his best ball since arriving in Raleigh. Eight defenders in the box means more one-on-one opportunities for wide receivers, and more chances for Leary to pick teams apart.
Leary’s passing totals have increased in five straight games. He hasn’t thrown an interception in six weeks and has two or more touchdowns in each of those games.
“I think you have to defensively in college football pick your poison at times,” Doeren said. “Our offense needs to be able to play the math game. If they’re going to put guys in there, we’ve got to be able to throw the ball. We’ve been able to throw the ball to win.”
Doeren doesn’t know if teams will start to drop out of the box now that Leary has shown he can beat teams with his arm. If that starts to happen, things will open up for Person and Knight. But they’ll take whatever the defense gives them, and if that leads to Leary beating teams, so be it.
“You guys know me, you know I’d love to be more balanced than we are right now. But at the same time, I’d rather win games,” Doeren said. “And if they’re going to make us throw to win, that’s what we’re going to do. But at the end of the day, there’s a bravado about being able to run the football better than you are. It’s something we take pride in, but we take more pride in winning.”
This story was originally published November 3, 2021 at 3:34 PM with the headline "NC State has two of the ACC’s best RBs. So why can’t the Wolfpack run the football?."
