NC State wants to be sharper, more efficient as Charleston Southern comes to town

N.C. State defensive coordinator Tony Gibson used one word to describe the Pack’s emphasis in practice this week: “Tackle!”

No surprise there. The Wolfpack defenders were caught empty-handed more than a few times last Saturday in a 21-20 win over East Carolina.

“That was my biggest fear going into last week, and it happened to us for a lot of different reasons,” Gibson told reporters this week. “Our angles were bad. They were out in space a lot. We’ve definitely got to get better with that.”

The Pirates’ yards-after-contact or yards-after-catch were a bit eye-opening against a defense of the Wolfpack’s caliber and experience. ECU also caught the Pack out of position at times. That’s why the whistles were louder and intensity level higher this week as the Wolfpack, now 18th in the AP Top 25, prepared for FCS Charleston Southern.

“We had a very challenging week of practice, very competitive week of practice,” NCSU coach Dave Doeren said Thursday. “It was very spirited and there was a lot of mind-set change, in my opinion.”

Doeren said the Pack had 26 missed tackles in the game, which he described as “absolutely pathetic.”

Sound tackling, Gibson said, is a matter of both good execution and good concentration.

“You have to be at a good base, and our guys were trying to hit everything full speed,” he said. “And then it started snowballing on us. We missed one and then we missed two and then we missed eight and then we missed 10.

“We just have to get better. We have to have better body control. The thing I emphasize is, give up a yard to get a guy down. Don’t let a five-yard hitch turn into a 20-yard gain. And that’s what happened to us.”

The Pirates had 10 “explosive” plays in the opener — five runs of 10 or more yards and five catches of 20 or more yards. On one play, ECU running back Keaton Mitchell turned a short pass into a 37-yard gain late in the game that allowed the Pirates a chance at a winning field goal. Owen Daffer missed the kick from 41 yards.

“Tackling really hasn’t been an issue, then we came out in the first game and missed so many tackles,” linebacker Jaylon Scott said. “We have to focus on wrapping up and driving out feet instead of just diving at tackles. We were diving at ankles and legs. Our defense knows our tackling has to improve this week.”

Gibson was pleased with the play of Scott, who got a lot of work as starter Payton Wilson again was limited because of an injury. Scott, a junior, finished with a team-high eight tackles on 46 plays.

“He looked leaner, looked like he was in shape. He graded out well,” Gibson said.

The Wolfpack will look to be sharper and more efficient against Charleston Southern in their home opener at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Buccaneers were beaten 52-38 by Western Carolina in their season opener last week, but they passed for 392 yards and will test the Wolfpack tackling.

Like Gibson, offensive coordinator Tim Beck had a one-word mantra in practice this week: “Finish.”

“We’ve got to finish blocks, we’ve got to finish runs, got to finish drives, got to finish third down,” Beck said. “We’ve just got to finish, you know?”

How to watch NC State football game

The game, which has a 12:30 p.m. start, will be televised regionally by Bally Sports South, with Tom Werme handling the play-by-play, James Bates the analysis and Lindsay Rowley as the sideline reporter. It’s also available on the Bally Sports app streaming service.

New stadium amenities

One new look: Wolfpack fans will notice the C. Richard Towers on the west side of Carter-Finley have been renamed “TowneBank Center” after a $5 million gift to NCSU athletics.

N.C. State has made some stadium upgrades, looking to expand the fan experience.

There is new LED stadium lighting, and NCSU has planned some light shows for the season with a serious Wolfpack tint — think a lot of red. Other amenities include more food trucks and beverage options at the “Raleighwood” section on the north end of the stadium; more menu options at concession areas; and other enhancements on the concourse area.