North Carolina State quarterback Bailey Hockman threw for three touchdowns and ran for another against his former team as the Wolfpack trounced visiting Florida State 38-22 on Saturday night at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C.
Hockman finished 24-for-34 for 265 yards and an interception. He began his college career in the Florida State program as a redshirt player in 2017 before departing.
Receiver Thayer Thomas, a redshirt senior, caught 11 passes for a career-high 135 yards and two touchdowns for the Wolfpack (5-3, 5-3 Atlantic Coast Conference).
The Seminoles were without starting quarterback Jordan Travis, who didn’t make the trip after sitting out the second half a week earlier against Pittsburgh with an undisclosed ailment. That left true freshman Chubba Purdy as the team’s fourth player to start at quarterback this season.
Purdy was 15-for-23 for 181 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Florida State (2-6, 1-6) has dropped three games in a row since stunning then-No. 5 North Carolina.
NC State was up 21-3 at halftime, with Hockman throwing touchdown passes of 21 yards to Emeka Emezie and 10 yards to Thomas before running 4 yards for a touchdown with 1:32 left in the half. It was Hockman’s third rushing touchdown of the season.
The Wolfpack opened the game with a 12-play scoring drive. Its second touchdown came after a failed Florida State fourth-down play, so it needed to go only 31 yards for the score. NC State held a 240-98 advantage in first-half total offense.
Zonovan Knight’s 18-yard touchdown run opened the second-half scoring. He ended up with 94 rushing yards on 17 carries.
Thomas’ second touchdown came on a 24-yard play in the third quarter.
Florida State cut the deficit to 28-9 on Jashaun Corbin’s 28-yard fourth-down run in the third quarter. Purdy’s 69-yard hookup with Ontaria Wilson and 24-yard connection with Warren Thompson gave the Seminoles a pair of fourth-quarter scores.
NC State snapped a two-game skid after losses to nationally ranked opponents North Carolina and Miami.
–Field Level Media