NC State keeps the pressure on, drops NIU to 2-2

RALEIGH, N.C. — Thomas Hammock knew what was coming.

Problem is, in most instances, there was little way to stop it.

NC State threw a steady stream of pressure at quarterback Ethan Hampton — enough, in fact, to knock Northern Illinois back to .500.

“They have a tremendous structure defense that creates a lot of confusion,” the Huskies coach said following Saturday’s 24-17 loss at Carter-Finley Stadium. “They out-blitzed us. If they bring one more than you can pick up, there’s not much you can do.

“They had a tremendous scheme and game plan.”

Hampton, who hadn’t been sacked all season, was taken down four times and hurried many more. Two of those resulted in fumbles that led to touchdowns.

Ultimately, those turnovers were enough to tip the scales.

“I told (NC State coach Dave Doeren) afterwards, ‘You live and die by Cover Zero,’” Hammock said. “They made a play, got us backed up and behind, and obviously we didn’t recover at that point.”

Much that had gone right in their seismic upset of Notre Dame went wrong against NC State, and the Huskies paid dearly. NC State — coming off a blowout loss to ACC powerhouse Clemson — racked up 12 tackles for a loss, costing NIU 72 yards. The Wolfpack also forced four turnovers, though a few weren’t necessarily the quarterback’s fault.

“They definitely presented some challenges and different looks,” said fullback Brock Lampe, who recovered a fumble for a first-quarter touchdown. “I think we matched up pretty well with them. I don’t think they (were more physical) than us. We’ve just got to strain more and put together drives.”

On the second play of the second quarter, with the Huskies facing a third and 6 from their 16, Hampton was hammered off a blindside blitz by Donovan Kaufman. It was enough to jar the ball loose, and Kaufman did the rest by scooping up the fumble for a 2-yard score and a 14-7 Wolfpack lead.

Hampton also lost a fumble early in the third quarter at his own 1, giving way to another touchdown. This one, a 3-yard grab by Kevin Concepcion three plays later, extended it to 24-14.

“The first one he had no chance,” Hammock said. “They brought the Cover Zero plus one with the corner. There’s no answer for that.”

And the second?

“(That) was him,” Hammock said of Hampton. “He’s got to climb the pocket or throw the ball away. Throwing the ball away is OK. We have to reserve the right to punt, especially with a defensive that’s playing like that.”

Hampton finished 14 of 29 for 159 yards, two interceptions and a touchdown pass, while Antario Brown ran for 114 yards on 28 carries.

Even with those two turnovers, the Huskies made things interesting. After pulling back within a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, the Huskies drove to the NC State 34 late. However, Tamarcus Cooley picked off Hampton’s Hail Mary attempt on the final play.

And so, the Huskies squandered a gutsy effort by their defense. The Wolfpack managed just 171 total yards and converted only one of 11 third downs. Much of that production came on their game-opening eight-play, 64-yard drive scoring drive.

Now the Huskies must regroup as they shift their focus to next week at home against UMass.

“Everyone likes to win these games,” Lampe said, “but this game doesn’t help or hurt our chances to win a MAC championship. I think that’s the team’s goal. We’re going to come out fired up against UMass.”