NC State football grades vs. ECU: Why Dave Doeren nearly earned an F in nail-biter win

GREENVILLE — NC State football survived falling in a Week 1 matchup against ECU, barely.

The No. 13 Wolfpack watched as East Carolina kicker Owen Daffer missed a last-second 41-yard field goal attempt wide right to secure a 21-20 win at Dowdy Ficklen Stadium.

Here are the grades for the victory:

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Offense

Quarterback Devin Leary struggled in his first game since being selected the ACC preseason player of the year.

The junior completed 17 of 33 passes for 211 yards with a touchdown and a costly fourth-quarter interception that led to the last-second field goal attempt.

More: NC State survives last-second field goal attempt against ECU

NC State scored 21 points in the first half but was held scoreless in the second. Sophomore Demi Sumo-Karngbaye was a bright spot, rushing for a team-high 79 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries.

The offense sputtered on two straight possessions with the ball on ECU's 1-yard line: the first ending on a Jordan Houston fumble and another turnover on downs.

Thayer Thomas led the wide receivers with 58 yards and a score on four catches. The offensive line had several offsides penalties.

Grade: C

Defense

The Wolfpack defense forced ECU quarterback Holton Ahlers into two first-half interceptions but struggled to get off the field in crucial situations.

The Pirates converted on 9 of 17 third-down plays, and their offense did enough to nearly steal a win.

The loss of Payton Wilson, who left the game with an upper-body injury in the first half, will loom large over the defense this weekend.

There were plenty of Week 1 mistakes, but more mistakes than expected for this seasoned Wolfpack defense.

Grade: C+

Special Teams

Junior Jasiah Provillon blocked an ECU punt into the end zone that was recovered by Sean Brown to give NC State a 14-7 lead with 1:34 left in the first quarter. Kicker Chris Dunn went 3-for-3 on extra points.

Grade: A+

Coaching

With the ball on ECU's 1-yard line, NC State's coaching staff called for four consecutive runs from Sumo resulting in a goal-line stand for the Pirates midway through the fourth quarter. Doeren and company had a chance to kick a field goal on fourth and one to extend the lead to 24-14 but kept the ball in Sumo's hands.

Grade: D-

David Thompson is an award-winning reporter for the USA Today Network covering NC State and Duke athletics. He can be reached at dthompson1@gannett.com, at 828-231-1747, or on Twitter at @daveth89.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: NC State football grades vs. ECU: Dave Doeren flirts with F in win