Fernandez Believes Stopping The Run Is Critical
When a team runs the ball effectively it does more than just control the game.
Marching down the field on the ground has a demoralizing effect on the opposition that can linger.
After allowing Notre Dame to rush for over 300 yards, NC State has to combat that first before taking on Clemson.
The Wolfpack knows the Tigers will look to impose its will the exact same way.
“That really hurt, getting 300 yards rushing put on you,” senior linebacker Jerod Fernandez said of the loss to the Irish. “We take pride in ourselves stopping the run. We weren’t effective on defense and that is something we need to work on this week to get better at.
“It was tough to watch. I actually went back and watched that game twice [Tuesday night], looking at the mistakes we made and trying not to make those mistakes again. It was little details that hurt us in that game.”
The good news for NC State and Fernandez, who led the Wolfpack with 13 tackles against Notre Dame, is that Clemson does have some similarities offensively with the Irish.
The question then becomes will the Pack have the same issues with the Tigers?
“They are a good team. I wouldn’t say issues, like nothing we can’t stop, we have just come out and play football,” Fernandez said. “They like to run the ball. When the quarterback runs they have extra gap blocking backs….we have just got to be gap-sound and stop the run.”
There is not an intricate formula for the Wolfpack to change the outcome according to Fernandez. It is a scheme grounded in the basics that will get NC State’s defense back on track.
“We have got to start fast and finish fast,” Fernandez said. “We have got to bounce back when we get punched in the mouth. We can’t just sit there and take it. We have just got to be more physical.
“Don’t repeat those mistakes and don’t get beat down. We have got to bring fight to the game.”
Playing a defending national champion may never be ideal but there are certain times where the focus of a team may be heightened.
Coming off a bitter loss is tricky. Last season it was Clemson snatching victory from defeat that sent NC State into a funk that last the following week.
Now after the Notre Dame loss, the Wolfpack faces a brutal three-week stretch that will decide whether it is a legitimate ACC contender or a team that hovers between six and nine wins once again.
The Clemson game is not just a chance to seize control of the Atlantic Division, it is a chance to pull off a clean sweep of the three inter-division schools that have tormented NC State in recent years. With wins over Florida State and Louisville, the Pack has beaten two of them already.
It is all set up for NC State to shake off the Notre Dame loss and make history. For the seniors, it is a chance to finish the job the started as the first class recruited under Dave Doeren.
“We are playing to control our own destiny,” Fernandez said. “If we beat Clemson, that is what we do. You have just got to come out and execute. It is a huge game. It is conference game to control our side of the ACC. It doesn’t get any better than that.
“It just motivates us even more. This is my senior year. It is Chubb’s senior year. Justin [Jones] senior year. A lot of guys on defense’s senior year and it is a lot of guys on this team’s senior year. To go out and execute the plan, play as best we can and get a win, there is really not more you can ask for.”
