How can Blue Devils decelerate Hollywood Smothers, NC State offense

[ad_1] Per week after Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff rushed for 4 touchdowns in Tulane's 34-27 win over Duke soccer, the Blue Devils now put together to face the ACC's main rusher in NC State's Hollywood Smothers.

Smothers is coming off a career-high 164 yards dashing within the Wolfpack's 34-24 win over Wake Forest on Thursday, Sept. 11, essentially the most for an N.C. State again since 2018. Three video games into the season, Smothers has 380 yards and three touchdowns on 63 carries, main the convention and rating third amongst Energy 4 operating backs.

The NC State offense additionally enters the sport with back-to-back video games the place it posted 200+ yards dashing.

So what's going to it take for a Duke protection that ranks 88th nationally in opposition to the run, permitting a mean of 147 yards per recreation, to gradual him down? Defensive lineman and group captain Aaron Corridor saved it easy.

"Being bodily on blocks and leveraging tackling," Corridor stated on Tuesday, Sept. 16.

"... We all know that our commonplace is to leverage and tackling. We're not doing a fantastic job of that proper now. So that is what we'll increase as a way to get off the sphere."

Smothers, a redshirt sophomore, carried the ball 5 instances for 13 yards in Duke's 29-19 win over NC State in 2024 at Carter-Finley Stadium. Smothers completed the season dashing for 571 yards and 6 touchdowns, averaging 6.4 yards per carry.

"I believe they've a very gifted again that they know," Duke head coach Manny Diaz stated on Monday, Sept. 15. "Plenty of their ability was actually younger a 12 months in the past, they usually're all again now, and the linemen, they are not dumb. They know once they obtained a man behind them that may make an explosive play."

The Wolfpack even have dual-threat quarterback CJ Bailey below heart, a sophomore who has handed for 719 yards with 5 touchdowns and an interception. Whereas Smothers leads the Wolfpack's operating recreation, Bailey is available in behind him with 21 carries for 84 yards and three touchdowns.

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Bailey was sacked twice final season in Duke's contest vs. NC State, throwing for 184 yards and one landing, including 36 yards on the bottom to steer the Wolfpack.

Bailey and his receiving corps can even present a check to Duke's move protection, which Diaz stated "is way from the place it was," a 12 months in the past.

"We'll must develop up in a rush in our secondary, particularly if we're going through the very best passing offense, the very best quarterback, and a gaggle of vast receivers, tight ends, operating backs that we have performed over the course of this 12 months," Diaz stated.

Duke's protection can even look to enhance on third downs, the place it at the moment ranks No. 97 within the NCAA. On the season, the Blue Devils protection is permitting opponents to attain on 41.9% of third down makes an attempt.

"We're simply letting folks prolong drives, which is unacceptable," defensive coordinator Jonathan Patke stated on Monday, Sept. 15. "It’s one thing we’ve obtained to get fastened."

Duke vs. NC State is ready to kick off at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, from Wallace Wade Stadium (ESPN2). Duke will likely be in search of its third-straight win over NC State whereas the Wolfpack will likely be in search of their first win in Durham since 2008.

Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as a part of the USA TODAY Community. Attain her at asnyder@gannett.com or comply with her @annaesnydr on X, previously often known as Twitter.