Examining N.C. State's crazy plays-per-game numbers

(Almost 80 plays a game from this guy? Who knew?)

In this story that ran Friday, we examine Chad Morris’ offense and the advantages that can come from the accelerated pace in the Hurry Up No Huddle approach.

Dabo Swinney believes that one of the big advantages of this attack is that no one else in the ACC runs it. We know all about the difficulties faced by a defense that has to prepare for Paul Johnson’s offense on one week’s notice, and Swinney thinks that this offense – and all the funky stuff that comes with it – will present some of the same headaches.

We went back and compiled last year’s plays-per-game averages in the ACC, and this is what it looked like:

1. N.C. State 77.3
2. Duke 72.6
3. Miami 72
4. Virginia 71.8
5. Georgia Tech 70.8
6. Clemson 66.5
6. UNC 66.5
8. Virginia Tech 65.2
9. FSU 64
10. Wake 63.4
11. Maryland 63.2
12. Boston College 62.6

First impression: Last year’s ACC title game participants finished eighth and ninth in plays per game, and two bottom-feeders (Duke and Virginia) finished second and fourth. So jacking up the tempo isn’t the only way to win games, and more plays don’t necessarily translate into more wins.

The most interesting thing to me is N.C. State’s 77.3 plays per game. That’s a staggering clip, and to be honest I had no idea until this week that the Wolfpack were that high last season.

Take a look at the nation’s Top 10 in plays per game, and N.C. State is right up there with per-play juggernauts Tulsa, Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Oregon – and ahead of Auburn.

I recall N.C. State going up-tempo at times, including their game at Clemson, but mostly their pace seemed conventional and deliberate. And in 2009, their plays-per-game rate was at a far more normal 70. Seven more plays per game is monstrous.

So, how to explain the Wolfpack coming extremely close to the 80 plays per game that HUNH coaches like Morris and Auburn’s Gus Malzahn strive to reach, without using the breakneck pace and trying to snap the ball with 18-20 seconds left on the play clock?

Let’s examine some other numbers to try to make sense of it:

-- N.C. State ranked seventh nationally in third-down defense, allowing opponents to convert just 33.1 percent of the time. The Wolfpack were also first in the ACC in opponents’ first downs per game with just 16.1. If you’re consistently getting off the field, you give the offense more opportunities.

-- N.C. State attempted 544 passes and completed 319. That’s a good completion percentage of 58.6, but it’s also a lot of clock stoppages that come after incompletions.

-- N.C. State led the ACC in first downs with 23.3 per game. That’s a lot of momentary clock stoppages.

-- N.C. State ranked second in the ACC in rush defense, giving up just 114.3 yards per game on the ground and 3.4 yards per carry.

-- N.C. State ranked first in the ACC in fewest penalties with 36.4 penalty yards per game. Penalties can be a killer on both offense (killing drives) and defense (sustaining them).

-- N.C. State also gained 20 fumbles last season, by far an ACC high.

The Wolfpack managed to put up ideal hurry-up numbers without hurrying up, and all this goes a long way toward explaining how they won nine games.

LW