RALEIGH, N.C. – Despite outperforming Power Four foe North Carolina State University in nearly every offensive metric, NIU football dropped to .500 Saturday after coughing up four turnovers.
NIU (2-2, 0-1 MAC) lost the turnover battle by four as redshirt junior quarterback Ethan Hampton lost two fumbles and threw a pair of interceptions in a 24-17 shortfall to NC State (3-2, 0-1 ACC) at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.
“It’s extremely difficult to win games if you don’t win the turnover battle,” said NIU head football coach Thomas Hammock. “Even with the turnover battle being what it was, we still had a chance at the end.”
SACKS AND STUFFS
Hampton hadn’t taken a sack during the first four weeks of the season. After four quarters on Saturday, Hampton had been sacked four times and stripped on two of them. Even senior running back Antario Brown – one of the best rushers in the Group of Five – was stopped behind the line of scrimmage on multiple occasions.
Hammock credited NC State for its defensive scheme and game plan.
“They have a tremendous, structured defense, and that creates a lot of confusion,” Hammock said of NC State. “They all-out blitzed us. If they bring one more than you can pick up, there’s not much you can do.”
DEFENSE DOMINATES (AGAIN)
After giving up an eight-play, 64-yard scoring drive on NC State’s first possession, NIU’s defense held the Wolfpack to 171 yards and allowed just 3 points on possessions that didn’t start near its own goal line. The only team to allow fewer yards and points against NC State this season was then-No. 14 University of Tennessee.
“Our defense gave us a chance to stay in it and keep competing,” Hammock said.”
The Huskies limited the Wolfpack to 1-of-11 on third-down conversions. Freshman quarterback CJ Bailey finished 13-of-20 passing for 108 yards and a touchdown while being sacked twice.
Senior safety Nate Valcarcel, who recorded a sack on Bailey, thought about the what-ifs in terms of NIU takeaways.
“I feel like I had one that I could have got … and we had a dropped pick,” Valcarcel said.
After a three-and-out by the NIU offense on the first possession of the game, NC State opened the scoring with Bailey’s second-career rushing touchdown. Bailey connected with redshirt freshman wide receiver Noah Rogers on back-to-back plays for gains of 14 and 34 yards to set up Bailey’s one-yard rushing touchdown on a QB keeper.
NIU responded with a touchdown on its next drive – but not one scored in any traditional manner.
After advancing into NC State’s red zone, Brown took a direct snap out of the wildcat formation and charged into the pile of linemen. Brown reached the 1-yard line before NC State redshirt junior linebacker Caden Fordham forced the ball loose, causing it to bounce forward into the end zone. Senior fullback Brock Lampe – located in the right place at the right time – leapt onto the ball to score his second career touchdown.
“I saw the ball pop out into the end zone, just hopped on it,” Lampe said. “I’m glad that it worked out for us.”
The next NIU offensive drive didn’t work out as well for the Huskies. Three plays into the series, NC State senior safety DK Kaufman, who dropped an easy interception on NIU’s first offensive drive, strip-sacked Hampton and recovered the fumble for a 2-yard scoop-and-score. But according to Hammock, Hampton was doomed from the snap.
“They brought Cover Zero plus one – with the corner – so there’s no answer for that.” Hammock said.
The Huskies went three-and-out on their next two possessions. NC State redshirt sophomore kicker Kanoah Vinesett tacked on a 37-yard field goal to give the Wolfpack a 10-point lead with 4:55 left in the first half.
NIU fired back with a nine-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to cut the Wolfpack lead back down to a field goal. Hampton launched a deep pass while taking a big hit for a 42-yard completion to senior wide receiver Andrew McElroy. Hampton later cashed in with a 6-yard passing touchdown to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Cam Thompson with 1:45 left in the first half, allowing NIU to enter halftime trailing 17-14.
NIU forced a three-and-out on NC State’s first possession after halftime, but disaster quickly struck again for the Huskies.
Hampton was strip-sacked for the second time on the first play of NIU’s first possession of the second half. NC State graduate student defensive end Davin Vinn sacked Hampton to jarred the ball loose and junior defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland recovered the fumble on the NIU 2.
“He’s got to climb the pocket or throw the ball away,” Hammock said. “We have to reserve the right to punt, especially with a defense that’s playing like that.”
The NIU defense pushed the Wolfpack backward on the very next play before Bailey found sophomore wide receiver Kevin “KC” Concepcion for a 3-yard touchdown pass – Concepcion’s first receiving touchdown since he caught three in Week 1.
Both teams traded punts before NIU went on a 14-play, 48-yard scoring drive that ended with a 50-yard field goal by senior kicker Kanon Woodill to make it a one-score game. Hampton later threw his second interception of the season to NC State junior cornerback Devon Marshall – a turnover for which Hammock put responsibility on Hampton’s intended receiver on the play, Thompson.
“The picks go on the quarterback, but the receiver has to make sure the ball is not intercepted,” Hammock said. “The receiver needs to make sure it’s either your ball or nobody’s ball.”
The defense forced another three-and-out, giving the Huskies one more chance to tie the game. NIU made it 56 yards down the field before Hampton threw his second pick on the game’s final play – this one to redshirt freshman nickelback Tamarcus Cooley – as part of a last-gasp Hail Mary attempt toward the end zone.
Now sitting on back-to-back losses following a 2-0 start, Hammock said the team plans to move ahead the same way it always has: as one.
“We’re going to stay in it, because the whole team has worked together to get to this point,” Hammock said. “We’re going to stay committed to one another in the process of getting better, and we will move forward from this day.”
