The next runner does not always receive a handoff
Micah Ford scored four rushing touchdowns in Stanford’s 34–7 win over Elon on October 17, tying the program’s single-game record. One came on a five-yard direct snap, after he secured the ball and reached the edge; another covered 81 yards.
NC State visits Stanford on Friday, October 23, after a bye. Ford’s performance supplies a concrete preparation question: how does a defense preserve the edge against a back receiving the snap directly without losing the assignments required when Stanford uses a conventional handoff or throws?
A recent strength still needs a different application
In its previous game, NC State held Wake Forest to 84 rushing yards on 36 attempts. It nevertheless lost 38–14 while allowing 303 passing yards. Simply directing more defenders toward the run would not constitute a complete answer to the next opponent.
Popo Aguirre led the Wolfpack with twelve tackles, and Ziggy Moore added nine. Elijah Satchell recorded the team’s only sack. Those individual efforts show the defense had players reaching the ball; the final result shows why locating one form of production does not remove the need to defend another.
Do not let one formation dictate every response
Stanford’s passing game also produced a 27-yard touchdown from Davis Warren to Sedrick Irvin against Elon. That matters to the preparation even though Ford’s four scores provide the most conspicuous headline. A defense must recognize which threat is present rather than react to every alignment as a replay of the longest run.
NC State is 3–3 overall and 1–2 in the ACC; Stanford is 3–4. An FCS result does not predict how Ford will perform against the Wolfpack. It does identify an assignment worth rehearsing carefully. The useful goal is an edge response that stays connected to the interior and coverage around it, so a direct-snap run does not force the defense to choose between overcommitting to the highlight and leaving the next ordinary play unprepared.
Sources & reporting
- NC State Athletics: official Wake Forest box score ↗
- Stanford Athletics: Elon recap, October 18 ↗
- NC State Athletics: Stanford game center ↗
- NC State Athletics: Wake Forest recap, October 10 ↗
This article adds independent analysis to publicly available reporting. We did not conduct the interviews or report the game firsthand. Report a factual error.