Season Rewind
12/27/2017 7:03:00 AM | Football
RALEIGH, N.C. - Entering the 2017 football season, expectations were high for those outside the Wolfpack program. And like every year, the expectations of those inside the program were even higher.
The Wolfpack entered preseason camp with nine senior defensive starters, including preseason All-American Bradley Chubb. On the other side of the ball, quarterback Ryan Finley was back, along with four returners on the offensive linemen, and all-purpose backs Jaylen Samuels and Nyheim Hines.
The hard work in the summer offseason program, on the practice field and in the film room all paid off as NC State finished 8-4 and in second place in the ACC Atlantic division, posting the league's third-best overall record.
NC State finished ranked in the final College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in school history at #24. The Pack also posted six ACC victories for the first time since 1994 and tied the school record for conference wins in a single season.
After a season-opening 35-28 loss to South Carolina in Charlotte, the Wolfpack reeled off six straight wins and cemented its presence in the top-25, reaching as high as 14th in the AP poll - its highest ranking since 2003.
The winning streak started with back-to-back home wins over Marshall (37-20) and Furman (49-16).
The Pack got a signature victory in late September, leaving Tallahassee with a 27-21 win over No. 12 Florida State. Jumping out to a 10-0 lead after the first quarter, a fourth-quarter TD sealed the road win to start ACC play, the Pack's first road win over a ranked foe since 2008 and the first over a ranked foe overall since 2012.
NC State returned to the friendly confines of Carter-Finley Stadium for a pair of ACC wins in a span of five days.
The Pack started with a 33-25 win over Syracuse, scoring on four of its first five possessions and building a 26-7 halftime lead.
Then in a primetime Thursday night game on ESPN, NC State picked up a second win over a ranked team, defeating No. 17 Louisville and reigning Heisman Trophy winner QB Lamar Jackson, 39-25. The Pack scored TDs on back-to-back drives spanning the third and fourth quarters, and clinched the game on a 25-yard interception return in the closing minutes.
With a 35-17 road win at Pittsburgh, NC State sat at 6-1 and a perfect 4-0 mark in conference action going into its bye week and consecutive games against top-10 foes. NC State's 6-1 start tied as the third-best for a Wolfpack squad since joining the ACC in 1953.
The Pack dropped its next two contests, first at No. 9 Notre Dame (35-14) then at home to No. 6 Clemson (38-31).
At Notre Dame, NC State took a 14-7 lead on the second play of the second quarter, but the Irish then scored 28 unanswered to snap the Pack's six-game winning streak. Against Clemson, the Pack held a slight 21-17 lead, but the Tigers outscored the Pack 21-10 in the second half. NC State kicked a field goal to cut the lead to a touchdown with 1:50 left, but ran out of time on fourth down after working the ball down to the Clemson 28.
The Pack closed out the regular season winning two of the final three contests.
A 30-24 loss at Wake Forest was sandwiched by a 17-14 road win at surging Boston College and a home finale 33-21 win over rival UNC.
NC State's 20 seniors went out with a home win in their final game at Carter-Finley Stadium, in large part to Hines scoring on touchdown runs of 54 and then 48 yards on back-to-back offensive plays in the second half.
NC State enters the bowl season as one of only 12 schools nationally – 1 of only 2 in the ACC – to have both a 3,000-yard passer (Ryan Finley – 3,200) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Hines – 1,040). With seven more yards by Kelvin Harmon in the bowl game, the Pack will boast a 3,000-yard passer, 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver for only the second time in school history.
NC State has now had back-to-back seasons with a 1,000-yard rusher (Matthew Dayes last year). NC State has had a 1,000-yard rusher in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1977 and 1978 campaigns, and it marks only the fourth time ever that NC State has fielded 1,000 yard rushers in consecutive seasons and only the second time ever it was accomplished by two different players.
Numerous Wolfpack players went on to receive both national and conference honors after the season.
Defensive end Bradley Chubb won the Nagurski Trophy (nation's best defensive player) and the Hendrick Award (nation's best defensive end) – a first among any Wolfpack defender in school history. A consensus All-American as well, Chubb beÂcame only the second Wolfpack defender to be honored as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
On the offensive side of the ball, both Hines, Samuels and OT Will Richardson saw their names appear on All-American lists. The duo also joined Chubb as first-team All-ACC selections.
Samuels earned third-team All-American honors from the Associated Press. Samuels leads the Wolfpack in receptions going into the bowl game with 69. That mark ranks 22nd nationally, and is the second-highest total among non-wide receivers.
In his first season at tailback, Hines garnered second-team All-American honors by the AFCA. Hines led the Pack in rushing with 1,040 yards and also was fifth in receivÂing with 25 catches. On special teams, Hines had a combined 610 yards in kickoff and punt returns. He totaled 10 total touchdowns.
Richardson led the Wolfpack offensive line that allowed just six sacks in ACC play.
