NC State football vs Charleston Southern first look: Pack, Bucs look to ‘clean up’ play

This may not be the best of weeks for Autry Denson, Charleston Southern’s football coach.

Denson must first dissect his team’s 52-38 loss to Western Carolina in Charleston Southern’s opener Saturday. Quarterback Ross Malmgren passed for 392 yards and five touchdowns, only to have WCU’s Carlos Davis throw for 433 yards and six TDs.

There’s also the pressing matter of Charleston Southern’s next game — Saturday at N.C. State.

The Wolfpack, ranked 13th in the AP poll, came away with a 21-20 victory at East Carolina in the season opener, but left the game feeling ornery and generally displeased about most things other than winning.

The Pack did not score in the second half after taking a 21-7 halftime lead. The Wolfpack twice was stuffed by ECU’s defense at the goal line in the fourth quarter. There were penalties and other mistakes.

Had ECU’s Owen Daffer not pushed and missed his 41-yard field-goal kick in the final seconds, it would have been a miserable bus ride back to Raleigh for the Pack.

“It was the first game of the season, we’ve got a long road ahead of us and we’ve got plenty of more noise to make around the country,” tight end Chris Toudle said Saturday. “This is going to be a learning lesson, but as long as we come out with a ‘W’ we’re happy.”

The Wolfpack will look to remedy those opening-game problems this week in its home opener at Carter-Finley Stadium — be sharper, better. Thus, Denson’s problem.

Denson, who set rushing records as a player at Notre Dame and later was an assistant coach for the Irish, sounded much like N.C. State coach Dave Doeren in breaking down his opener.

“A lot of self-inflicted things,” Denson told the Charleston Post and Courier. “I am proud of the way the kids fought all the way to the end but we have some things to clean up.”

“Clean up” will be the operative words at both N.C. State and Charleston Southern practices this week.

The Wolfpack could get a better pregame read on the Buccaneers than usual. Quarterback Jack Chambers transferred to NCSU after three years as the starter at Charleston Southern and should have a good handle on much of the personnel the Pack will face on the Big South Conference team.

The Buccaneers finished 4-6 in 2021 but did have a close game at ECU, losing 31-28 as Chambers threw for 405 yards and two scores.

Game key: Quarterback pressure

Where was the heat? The Wolfpack defense did not have a quarterback sack and was credited with two QB hurries against the Pirates. ECU’s Holton Ahlers threw 41 times for 255 yards and was mobile enough in the pocket while also burning the Pack a few times with runs.

Malmgren is not Ahlers. He was making his first start Saturday since 2019 while Ahlers is a fourth-year starter for the Pirates and his offensive line protected him well enough.

Malmgren’s final numbers against Western Carolina were impressive: 30-of-45 passing, and his five TD passes tied the school record. Malmgren teamed up with running back TJ Ruff on a 54-yard TD throw and also had a 55-yard completion to Cayden Jordan.

The Pack will look to make things uncomfortable for Malmgren, a 6-3, 220-pound redshirt sophomore who played in two games last season. Malmgren was sacked five times by WCU.

Charleston Southern (0-1) at N.C. State (1-0)

When: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

Where: Carter-Finley Stadium, Raleigh

TV: Regional Sports Network