NC State players wanted change on offense. In Anae, they found it.

By Brian Murphy, WRAL

Dave Doeren is entering his 11th season as NC State's football coach and within a bowl-eligible season of becoming the school's all-time leader in coaching wins.

After 72 wins, including eight in an injury-plagued 2022 season that saw the Wolfpack start four different quarterbacks, Doeren sensed the need for stylistic change on offense.

"I felt like being different. It was time to do that," Doeren said at the annual ACC Kickoff in Charlotte on Thursday. "I thought the players wanted something. They felt like they had let us down a little bit with the statistics we had offensively. I think they wanted some change over there."

So when offensive coordinator Tim Beck left to become head coach at Coastal Carolina, Doeren decided on veteran coach Robert Anae, who was at Syracuse in 2022 and Virginia before that.

The Wolfpack, who relied on their stellar defense and terrific kicking game last season, are ready to mix it up And that's not just offseason talk.

"It's a completely different world," sixth-year linebacker Payton Wilson said. "I've played a lot of ball and he is one of the most creative offensive coordinators I've ever seen going against that all spring ball."

Wilson and the defense got a glimpse of Anae's offense first-hand last year against Syracuse. The Orange had 389 yards of total offense, including 179 yards rushing in its 24-9 victory against NC State. That might not seem like much, but it was more than 60 yards more than the Wolfpack allowed on average last year.

"We had the best defense in the ACC last year, and Coach Anae torched us when we went to Syracuse," Wilson said. "So when you have somebody like that you, no matter what you want, you just gotta give them the keys."

It's Anae's offense. The Wolfpack brought in offensive line coach Garett Tujague and transfer quarterback Brennan Armstrong, both of whom were with Anae at Virginia.

Armstrong threw for 4,449 yards and 31 touchdowns in 2021 with Anae as his offensive coordinator and has already been named the starting quarterback. His new offensive teammates are ready to learn and succeed in the new scheme.

"They didn't hold up their end of the bargain, they felt that," Armstrong said. "When I came in, I was just feeling the eagerness from the guys. They're ready to work."

The defense might be even more excited.

NC State was ranked No. 20 in total defense and No. 11 in scoring defense last year. The unit returns key performers in Wilson and cornerbacks Aydan White and Shyheim Battle and believes it is ready to compliment a high-octane offense.

"Our defense can handle that, and I think we proved that we can handle that," said White, a first-team All-ACC selection in 2022. "So having a risk taker on offense isn't not completely a bad idea."

Doeren needs six wins to pass Earle Edwards (78) for most at NC State. He said he wants to retire as the Wolfpack coach. But he also wants to secure that elusive conference championship. NC State has not won an ACC football title since 1979.

"I don't think that's unrealistic for us to have a top-ranked offense, defense and special teams unit the same year," Doeren said. "Maybe it's time that happens. I don't know. But that's going to be our goal for sure."