Blowout: Three takeaways from No. 24 NC State football’s lopsided loss to No. 14 Tennessee

Plenty of trash talk from the N.C. State and Tennessee fan bases littered social media this week, both certain their program would dominate.

Only one team backed up the statements.

No. 14 Tennessee dominated No. 24 N.C. State in the Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte on Saturday, walloping the Wolfpack 51-10.

This was the fifth meeting between the teams and the first time they were both ranked, but the Wolfpack (1-1) barely looked better than the Vols’ FCS opponent in Week 1.

It couldn’t find a rhythm on offense — fumbling twice and throwing an interception — or stop the Volunteers (2-0) on defense. It was the Pack’s worst defensive showing since since Nov. 9, 2019, when the Wolfpack allowed 55 points against Clemson.

Despite N.C. State’s defensive struggles, that unit was the only one that created points. Bishop Fitzgerald returned an interception for 29 yards in the second quarter which the N.C. State offense turned into a field goal, and Aydan White recorded an 86-yard pick six for the Pack’s lone touchdown — but that only cut Tennessee’s third-quarter lead to 37-10.

The celebration didn’t last long, though, as the Volunteers responded with a 34-yard rushing touchdown to start the fourth quarter and Wolfpack fans cleared out of the stadium.

Here are three takeaways from N.C. State’s loss in the Queen City:

Tennessee sets example of complementary play

N.C. State’s defense entered the game with one overarching goal: “You’ve got to get them off schedule.” Not only did the Wolfpack fail to meet its goal, the Volunteers made it pay.

Vols quarterback Nico Iamaleava looked comfortable for most of the game, even under pressure, finding his receivers and rushing when necessary. He finished 16 of 23 passing with two touchdowns, and added 65 yards and another score rushing.

“What makes them different? The spacing of their offense,” Doeren said. “There’s more people removed, so you have less guys that can get into the box to stop the run. They don’t have a lot of schemes. Their guys are really good at blocking the things they do. So they get good at seeing every look up front, and their quarterback can run. That adds another element. Some of the rushing yards aren’t run plays. They’re drop-back passes that he makes running rushing yards out of.”

Doeren said the team also needed to create attainable conversion downs, except it didn’t do that and the Vols put on a clinic. The two teams finished with similar times of possession, but Tennessee made the most of its opportunities on both sides.

The Vols finished with 460 total yards, including 249 rushing, and 23 first downs. They scored on eight drives. On defense, Tennessee notched 57 tackles and forced a loss of 40 yards.

Meanwhile, the Pack recorded 143 yards and only 10 first downs. It turned the ball over twice as well, allowing Tennessee to score on an 85-yard pick six and score after a fumble.

Struggling to convert short yardage situations again

A week ago, N.C. State went 7 for 13 on third downs and 1 for 3 on fourth downs when it rallied in the fourth quarter to beat Western Carolina 38-21.

Entering the Tennessee game, Doeren said the team spent additional time on short yardage situations during practice.

He was pleased with the effort, but the team had issues with technique. Doeren said the team struggled to achieve proper leverage and false stepping.

“Rips my heart out when we don’t get (the conversion) on fourth and 1. To me, that is a personal down and distance, as a guy that blocked for a living — as a college player,” Doeren said. “We put a ton of emphasis on short yardage, not just for Tennessee but for the season.”

The Wolfpack looked much improved on the first drive, converting on three of four third-down opportunities. Unfortunately, that success didn’t continue later into the game. The team did not convert on the four additional opportunities in the first half.

It carried that ineffectiveness after halftime. The Pack finished 3 of 12 on third downs, unable to convert at any point after the first drive.

Hollywood Smothers bright spot in run game

Jordan Waters started in the backfield but struggled to get going for the second game in a row, and the Wolfpack’s stat line featured negative rushing yardage for most of the first half. Then Hollywood Smothers received the handoff.

The Oklahoma transfer recorded 31 yards on three carries late in the second quarter. His efforts were not rewarded, though. McCall threw his lone interception that the Vols turned into a touchdown on the other end.

Despite losing yardage on a trio of carries in the fourth quarter, Smothers looked the most comfortable in the run game. He could — and probably should — have a bigger role moving forward. He finished with 25 net rushing yards, more than half of the Pack’s 39-yard total.