Three takeaways from N.C. State football’s win over Miami as Dave Doeren sets wins record
Fans at Carter-Finley Stadium erupted in cheers with one second left on the clock Saturday night. Freshman cornerback Brandon Cisse intercepted Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke’s pass, nailing the coffin shut on the Hurricanes.
N.C. State defeated Miami, 20-6, with a lot on the line. The victory gives head coach Dave Doeren 78 wins, a program record, and his first win over Miami (6-3, 2-3 ACC). It also makes the Wolfpack (6-3, 3-2 ACC) bowl eligible with three games remaining.
The Wolfpack had lost to Miami by a combined four points in the teams’ past two meetings, including last season’s one-point setback.
There were plenty of head-scratching moments Saturday night. But, for now, the Pack will remember this game fondly.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Defense wins for the Pack
In a 24-3 loss at Duke three weeks earlier, NC State linebacker Payton Wilson apologized to the fan base for the team’s poor performance.
“That’s not what they deserve. That’s not how we should play,” Wilson said. “Everybody on this team has gotta get with the program. We’ve gotta come out here and we gotta play as hard as you can possibly play every single snap.”
He and his teammates had absolutely nothing to apologize for Saturday. In fact, the Wolfpack put on its best defensive effort of the season.
Wilson showed why he’s a contender for the Bednarik, Butkus and Nagurski awards. The grad student racked up a season-high 16 tackles, seven solo, two pass breakups and two QB hurries. He nearly had an interception in the second half, as well, stopping Miami on third down.
Wilson, however, wasn’t the only defender making big plays. He was joined by a big group. Cornerback Aydan White intercepted a pass in the end zone, stopping a would-be touchdown pass in the second quarter. Safety Devan Boykin added an interception and 39-yard return with just 3:52 remaining in the game.
Linebacker Jaylon Scott added a third-down deflection in the second quarter, forcing the Hurricanes to kick a field goal.
Three different N.C. State defenders sacked Van Dyke on top of all that.
The Wolfpack’s effort held the Hurricanes to 0-of-2 on fourth down and just 1-of-3 in the red zone, as well.
A first time for everything
The offense finally put some pieces together, though imperfectly, relying heavily on freshmen in the outing.
Running back Jordan Poole and Kendrick Poole both recorded their first career touchdowns in the win. Kevin “KC” Concepcion racked up 83 all purpose yards, including a 36-yard reception in the first quarter, as well.
While he’s not a freshman, Brennan Armstrong came into the game at quarterback multiple times to run the ball. He led the team in rushing yards with 51.
Based solely on the numbers, it wasn’t the best offensive performance as the Pack produced only 231 total yards. Sophomore QB MJ Morris threw an interception and was sacked twice, but the team got the job done and made plays when it mattered. It hasn’t always been able to say that.
Someone get Noonkester an ice bath
Punter Caden Noonkester deserves a massage and beach vacation after his outing against the Hurricanes.
The sophomore kicked five punts for 223 yards, with his longest clocking in at 48 yards. Noonkester did everything he could to help the team in the field position battle. The defense made good use of his efforts, but the offense didn’t consistently allow him to get much time to rest between kicks.
Noonkester is up to an ACC-leading 2,297 yards on 54 attempts. He averages 42.5 yards per kick. He’s gotten inside the 20-yard line 21 times, as well.
While he finished with more attempts and higher yardage totals in previous contests, including a 400-yard outing against Virginia, his efficiency made a big impact in a close game.
This story was originally published November 4, 2023 at 8:04 PM with the headline "Three takeaways from N.C. State football’s win over Miami as Dave Doeren sets wins record."
