Noel Thomas was 22nd in the country in total receiving yards. He averaged 11.79 yards per catch (YAC wasn't available)
Receiving Yards | FBS Football Statistics - NCAA.com
Here is the yards per catch for the top 21 receivers in the country (ranked by total receiving yards)
1) Trent Taylor 13.25 ypc
2) Zay Jones 11.05
3) Taywan Taylor 17.65
4) Richie James 15.47
5) Carlos Henderson 18.72
6) Dede Westbrook 19.05
7) Corey Davis 15.46
8) Amba Etta-Tawo 15.77
9) Anthony Miller 15.09
10) James Washington 19.43
11) Mike Williams 13.89
12) Tanner Gentry 18.42
13) Nicholas Norris 17.34
14-T) Michael Gallup 16.74
14-T) Thomas Sperbeck 15.9
16) Cody Thompson 19.83
17) Chad Hansen 13.58
18) Austin Carr 13.85
19) Courtland Sutton 16.39
20) KD Cannon 13.97
21) Keevan Lucas 14.57
22) Noel Thomas 11.79
There was only one person with fewer yards per catch.
Mean: 15.78
Not only are his YPC at the bottom, he and Jones (who had 158 receptions, or 13/game) are the only two under 12. They are the outliers at the bottom. Take away the top two, Washington & Johnson over 19 each, and bottom two, Jones & Thomas (under 12 each) and the results don't change much.
Mean: 15.84
How does someone who averages near the bottom of the top receivers (by yards) have a YAC number that greatly inflates a QBs stats? (rhetorical question, it doesn't).
Need more? Okay.
Passing Yards per Completion | FBS Football Statistics - NCAA.com
Shirreffs: 166 completions, 2010 yards = 12.11 yards per completion.
Thomas averaged 11.79 YPC.
Shirreffs' 66 other completions went for 831 yards, or 12.59 YPC.
So as good as Noel Thomas is, his YPC brought Shirreffs' numbers down. So how does Thomas' YAC inflate Shirreffs' numbers? (rhetorical, it doesn't).
FYI, by definition YAC is included in YPC, this isn't an apples

ranges comparison.
What's scary is how ineffective the offense would have been without Noel Thomas, but that's the result of poor OL play, a mediocre rushing attack, mediocre QB play, and a terrible coaching staff. Shirreffs' numbers statistically aren't that bad considering how terrible the entire offense performed.
63rd in Yards Per Completion (middle of the stats)
55th in Yards Per Game (middle of the stats)
81st in efficiency (bottom third, Richard Lagow was 69th)
The NC State FB outperformed plenty of other D1 QBs while playing through injuries, with little run support, ineffective blocking, and some of the worst coaching in the country.
I expect Pindell to win the job, but if he had any help beyond Noel Thomas, we would have seen a much better QB.