NC State’s 41-31 win over Appalachian State on Saturday night came with a clear takeaway from the offensive snap counts: the Wolfpack finally looked comfortable using Duke Scott and Davion Gause together in the backfield.
That wasn’t just a cosmetic shift. NC State ran 82 offensive plays, and Scott and Gause were both heavily involved throughout the night. Scott logged 42 snaps, Gause was right behind him at 39, and that near-even split marked the first time this season the Wolfpack truly leaned into a two-back approach instead of riding Scott as the clear workhorse with Gause in a supporting role.
Scott made the biggest impact. The third-year running back turned 25 carries into 148 yards and two touchdowns, good for 5.9 yards per attempt. His 25 rushes were a new career high, and his 42 snaps backed up how central he was to the offense.
Gause also set a career high, finishing with 39 snaps for the UNC transfer. He wasn’t nearly as efficient as Scott, but he still handled 13 carries for 49 yards. More than anything, the usage told the story: NC State appeared committed to playing both backs and letting the offense flow through that pairing.
Up front, the Wolfpack’s starting offensive line never left the field. All five starters played every one of the 82 offensive snaps, giving NC State the kind of stability that helps everything else work.
CJ Bailey was on the field for nearly the entire game at quarterback, playing 78 snaps, while Keenan Jackson continued to be the clear top option at wide receiver. Jackson was on the field for 75 snaps, easily leading the receiver group and reinforcing his status as WR1.
Behind Jackson, the rotation got a little more interesting. Chance Robinson played 34 snaps, narrowly ahead of Victor Snow at 33 and Joshisa Trader at 30.
Robinson’s workload was a career high, though it didn’t lead to much production through the air. He was targeted twice and caught one pass for 13 yards.
Tyran Warren, meanwhile, made his limited time count. The Alcorn State transfer played 16 snaps and caught all three of his targets for 36 yards. That was more receiving yardage than Robinson, Snow or Trader produced, despite Warren playing far less.
Ashton Locklear also cashed in on a small role. The walk-on was on the field for just six snaps, but one of them turned into a 10-yard touchdown, the first of his career.
One player whose role stayed surprisingly small was Davion Dozier. After the pregame buildup, he played only two snaps, which was a season low. Dozier, who caught 20 passes for 448 yards and five touchdowns for Appalachian State last season, is now four games into his NC State career without any sign that the staff plans to expand his role.
Preston Douglas kept climbing, though. He isn’t a wide receiver, but he has become one of Bailey’s most trusted targets. Douglas set another career high with 65 snaps against Appalachian State, and for the second straight week his playing time jumped again.
Unlike some others whose snap totals haven’t led to much, Douglas was very much part of the passing game. His seven targets led the Wolfpack, and his five catches also topped the team. Through four games, he sits second on NC State with 14 receptions and 167 receiving yards, and he’s quickly becoming one of the most important pieces of the passing attack.
In Other News...
NC State Gets A Wake Forest Setup Fans Are Tired Of Seeing
NC States Week 6 trip to Wake Forest now has a familiar early start, with the ACC setting the game for noon on The CW. Its the kind of kickoff Wolfpack fans have seen far too often in conference play, the sort that turns a league matchup into a morning routine and leaves little room for any buildup once Saturday arrives.
The timing adds another layer to a game that already carries some recent history. NC State has won four of the last six meetings with Wake Forest, but the most recent home game in the series went the other way, and the Demon Deacons come in 3-1 under new coach Jake Dickert. For the Wolfpack, it is another chance to handle a rival that has given them problems in this spot before, even if the television slot is one they would probably rather avoid. [Read more 🡒]
NC States Louisville Game Plan Just Got Much More Complicated
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For NC State, the challenge now is less about one opponent and more about two possible versions of the same offense. If Kienholz cannot go, Louisville could turn to backup Davin Wydner or Briggs Cherry, forcing the Wolfpack to account for a different rhythm, different tendencies and a different kind of preparation right up until kickoff. [Read more 🡒]
NC State Had Several Players Step Up When This Game Got Tight
NC State got the kind of win that can settle a team down for a week, even if it took a little more work than it appeared it might early on. The Wolfpack beat App State 41-31 and moved back to .500, with several players making sure the night did not turn into one of those frustrating losses where a lead slips away and nobody can quite stop the momentum.
Keenan Jackson, Popo Aguirre, Jackson Vick, CJ Bailey and Duke Scott all had a hand in keeping the game pointed NC States way when App State pushed back late. It was the sort of effort the Pack will want to bottle going forward, because the margin tightened, the pressure rose and the game still ended with NC State finding enough answers on both sides to finish the job. [Read more 🡒]