When a team opens the season with a Thursday night 45-0 shut out win in a stadium that housed fans for the first time in a year, you’d think the players would come to the post game press conference boisterous and full of energy, but the Wolfpack didn’t. They were very even-keeled. It felt like guys who just did their job; who did what they were supposed to do – nothing more and nothing less.
The Wolfpack defense set the tone early – forcing the USF Bulls backwards after they got their first and only first down of the first half on the first play of the game. It was curtains after that. The defense wasn’t giving up anything – forcing three interceptions and giving up less than 300 yards in total offense for the game.
Devin Leary started a the contest a little rusty (which didn’t last very long), but that didn’t prevent the Wolfpack offense from scoring on their first drive. The ground game got going with Ricky Person Jr (105 total yards) and Zonovan Knight (168 total yards) and they were cooking with oil for the rest of the game – posting 525 yards of total offense, including 293 on the ground – the highest rushing total since 2019 vs. Western Carolina.
“We talked a lot of talk and we were getting a lot of credit,” linebacker Drake Thomas said after the win. “We’ve seen a lot of stuff on social media, but when it comes down to it and the lights are on, it’s just a matter of if you’re going perform and I think we got a good start tonight.”
“It’s just another game,” Person Jr said after his three touchdown performance. “We have to get back to it tomorrow, go watch the tape and see what we need to fix and capitalize on.
I guess that’s why the Wolfpack were so chill after the win. They know this is just a small step toward a much larger goal and to get too hung up on it would be a disservice to themselves. They expect to play stout defense. It’s not surprising that their veteran rushers both had over 100 yards. It was just another day at the office. Business as usual. And with that mentality, they’re putting the ACC on notice.
Stat Leaders
QB Devin Leary
17-of-26 for 232 yards, 2 TDs
RB Ricky Person, Jr.
16 rushes for 105 yards, 2 TDs
3 catches for 43 yards, 1 TD
RB Zonovan Knight
16 rushes for 163 yards, 1 TD
WR Emeka Emezie
5 catches for 71 yards
LB Drake Thomas
8 tackles, 1 INT
Game Notes:
- The shutout was the 10th in a season opener since the Pack joined the ACC in 1954, and the first such since 2004 in the first game of the year (Richmond, 42-0).
- The 45-point margin of victory was the most in the first game of the season since 1990 vs. Western Carolina (67-0).
- The Pack had a pair of running backs – Knight and Person – both rush for over 100 yards. It marked the first time the Pack had a pair of 100-yard rushers in the same game since 2015 (South Alabama).
- For the second straight season, NC State took its opening possession of the season in for a touchdown.