NC State have been spoiled recently. The last 3-4 years have seen some of the best play in the defensive secondary for any NC State football team in the last 20 years. Dave Doeren took the criticisms of that unit to heart and revamped by recruiting heavily to upgrade the defensive back, nickel and safety positions. However, departures and recent injuries have required young and inexperienced players to step in, to mixed results at best.
It’s necessary to caveat that it’s sort of still early in the season, though one quarter of the year is already done. On paper, NC State has not been continually torched by their opponents’ passing attacks, though there are several instances where teams have stretched the field against them.