RALEIGH, NC – NC State’s defense is as good as advertised.

Devin Leary and his offense?

They were supposed to be as flashy as the light show that entertained the Carter-Finley Stadium crowd between the third and fourth quarters of Saturday’s 27-14 win against Texas Tech. To this point, they’ve performed more like a 60-watt bulb trying to illuminate an entire room.

Leary, Preseason ACC Player of the Year, and his teammates have been good enough to get the 13th-ranked Wolfpack through the first 3 games of the season unscathed.

But in their two wins against FBS competition – a 1-point escape against East Carolina and Saturday’s pedestrian win against a middle-of-the pack Big 12 team – neither the star quarterback nor the attack he leads has come close to meeting their lofty preseason expectations.

It’s not as if Leary has been terrible. He was 15-of-23 for 121 yards and no interceptions against the Red Raiders.

He just hasn’t been in sync.

Of the 3 touchdowns State scored, 1 was scored on an 85-yard interception return by cornerback Ayden White and another came on a 38-yard pass by wide receiver Thayer Thomas. The longest of the touchdown drives covered only 43 yards.

“Devin was frustrated. I know he can play better,” coach Dave Doeren said afterward. “The guys gotta help him, too. … He’s got to put the ball where they can catch it and they’ve got to catch it for him. He can play better, they can play better, we can call plays probably better. It’s never 1 guy.”

Whether it’s an issue with his young receiving corps that clearly misses last year’s go-to guy Emeka Emezie or an offensive line that isn’t giving him enough time to throw effectively, something is clearly amiss. Perhaps offensive coordinator Tim Beck isn’t showing the entire playbook in anticipation of opening it up 2 weeks from now at Clemson.

Whatever the case, the Wolfpack have only 1 more shot at fine-tuning before things get real.

The good news is that they should have ample opportunities to do so next week against UConn, arguably the worst FBC team in the country.

There were a few signs of progress, particularly the play of running back Demie Sumo-Karngbaye.

The redshirt freshman became the team’s primary ballcarrier after Jordan Houston went down with an injury early in the third quarter. He ended running for 54 yards and a touchdown and catching 4 passes for 93 yards and a score.

He also had a teaching moment midway through the third quarter when he had the ball punched from his grasp at the 1-yard line just as he appeared to be headed into the end zone on another touchdown run.

His continued development will be a key to the Wolfpack’s hopes of ending 43-year ACC championship drought. Or at the very least, the second double-digit win season in school history.

But it’s hardly the only one.

Despite appearances to the contrary, Sumo-Karngbaye believes State’s offense isn’t that far off.

“I feel like we’re there,” he said. “But there’s always room for improvement.”

In the Wolfpack’s case, it’s more like an entire house, not just a room.

At least the defense has been good enough to carry them while the offense searches for answers. It was at the top of its game on Saturday.

Three interceptions, 2 of which were by White, 4 sacks and just 270 yards allowed kept Texas Tech from posting any kind of credible threat once State jumped out to an early lead.

It’s a defense that, while already good, got an added boost from the return of middle linebacker Payton Wilson. The preseason All-ACC selection, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury that was aggravated in the season opener at ECU, returned after a week off to lead the Wolfpack with 10 tackles.

Wilson is only 1 of 10 returning starters on a unit that allowed the second-fewest points in the ACC last year.

“I expect our defense to be a strength,” Doeren said. “When you have that many guys back, you should be. Offensively, as we continue to work through some of those things, we’ll have explosive plays and guys will have the rhythm and timing we need.”

The weapons are certainly there. But the clock is ticking. Faster with each passing week.

Ready or not, the bright lights will soon be coming on and the stakes will be raised. The only question once that happens is whether Leary and his offense will have the capability to shine or if they’ll be blinded by the glare.