Opponent Breakdown: NC State Wolfpack Offense

Louisville faces off with NC State this weekend which will be their first game against a team that currently has a winning record. It will be a test for a team that has been the more talented team each week and has yet to truly put together a complete game. The Wolfpack come into this game off of a close win over Virginia where they struggled to do much of anything on offense. Dave Doeren is in his 11th year and this year’s offense has been lacking in a lot of areas for a coach that is starting to wear out his welcome a bit with the fans.

I’ve openly questioned just how good Brennan Armstrong is for a few years now and from what I’ve seen this season, I’ll continue to do so. Armstrong is a “gamer”. He plays tough and he can make some plays with his legs that compliment his ability as a passer. But I just don’t see what others see when it comes to his passing ability. He doesn’t have a big arm and he is inaccurate too often.

Armstrong has been solid this season and I will give him credit for playing well without much help at all. He has looked good on the short and intermediate throws and I think that the offense will do more to focus on those types of plays as they just don’t have many deep threats. Louisville will have to shore up its defense in the middle of the field this weekend.

Running back is a revolving door of a position for the Wolfpack. Jordan Houston waited his turn for a few years to become the starter but then hit the transfer portal before the game last week. Marcel Allen got the most carries last week, so I’m assuming we will see the same this week. As with Boston College, it may not matter much as the Wolfpack just doesn’t run the ball well. Armstrong is their leader in carries and yards and it’s not very close.

KC Concepcion is a name that we should all get used to. The true freshman is the top receiver on the team and one of the top-ranked receivers in the conference in terms of receptions. He is a legit threat with the ball in his hands but they haven’t yet found a way to truly unlock him. He is only averaging 59 yards per game and about 10 yards per catch. UofL can’t let them figure it out this weekend.

The rest of the group has been fairly productive but no one truly stands out as a major threat so far. Keyon Lesane is a returning starter who has shown in the past that he can make plays. Bradley Rozner is a transfer from Rice who is a big target and a guy that they have targeted in big moments, and he has delivered. The real threat here, in my opinion, is true freshman, Juice Vereen. I loved him in high school as a recruit and he has been getting a lot of looks so far.

State has done a good job protecting Armstrong with some of their five sacks being due to him holding the ball too long. Where they haven’t done a good job is avoiding tackles for loss. The Wolfpack are among the worst in the country in tackles for loss allowed and it shows up in their rushing numbers. UofL hasn’t done much to force negative plays but if there is a game where that could change it would be this one.