Listen to “Pulse of the Pack” Wednesdays from 7-8 p.m. on WKNC 88.1 FM, follow them on Twitter @pulseofthepack.
Football (5-3, 1-3 ACC)
A strong offensive showing from the Wolfpack wasn’t quite enough as the now top-ranked Clemson Tigers picked up 623 yards of total offense en route to a 56-41 victory. However, the biggest loss last Saturday came when Matt Dayes left the game with a foot injury in the first half. The Pack announced yesterday that Dayes’ injury requires season-ending surgery, and what looked like NC State’s best position at the beginning of the year now seems to be the most vulnerable.
However, the second half of last week’s game showed that the State offense can still produce with its top two running backs gone. Jacoby Brissett began to get rid of the ball faster, and sophomore Jaylen Samuels provided an occasional run to keep the Pack offense moving and the Tiger defense on their toes. If sophomore Dakwa Nichols and freshman Reggie Gellaspy can step in and add another dynamic to the Wolfpack run game, the Red and White offense could rebound against Boston College this Saturday with only a minor setback.
Men’s Soccer (8-6-3, 1-4-3 ACC)
NC State’s 1-4-3 regular season conference record landed them in the 10th and final spot in the ACC Tournament. On Wednesday night, the Pack travelled to Syracuse to take on the Orange in the opening round. State failed to find the net in a 2-0 loss, and a normally stout Wolfpack back line allowed 11 shots. NC State now awaits an at-large bid into the 48-team field for the NCAA Tournament. As of November 6, the Pack rank 27th in the NCAA RPI poll.
Women’s Soccer (4-15, 0-10 ACC)
The Lady Pack ended their 2015 campaign against #22 Duke last Sunday. The Blue Devils cruised past the Red and White with four first-half goals. Duke added a final tally in the second half to finish off NC State 5-0. The Wolfpack say farewell to seniors Alyson Brown, Shannon Cleaver, Carolina Gentry, Jenna Kalwa, Michelle Oestreich, Brittany Stanko and Dayna Tomayko.
Volleyball (14-10, 3-9 ACC)
Much like last season, a strong non-conference season transitioned into a tough ACC schedule for the Wolfpack Women’s Volleyball team. State collected its third conference win of the season last Friday with a 3-2 decision over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but the Pack fell 3-0 in its Sunday match against the #23 Louisville Cardinals. Freshman Becky Porter displayed the future potential of NC State Volleyball with 73 assists, 15 digs and two blocks on the weekend to garner ACC Freshman of the Week honors. Porter became the second Wolfpack freshman to earn the award after Blayke Hranicka did so in September.
