N.C. State Archives - National Football Post

N.C. State beats Florida State to become bowl eligibile

Posted on 22 November 2025 | by Field Level Media

CJ Bailey threw for two touchdowns and kept North Carolina State out of trouble for the most part while the Wolfpack defense, along with strange plays on special teams, took care of the rest in a 21-11 victory over Florida State on Friday night in Raleigh, N.C.

Bailey, who struggled last Saturday in a blowout loss at Miami, completed 18 of 25 throws for 152 yards with no interceptions as NC State (6-5, 3-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) became bowl eligible. Running back Hollywood Smothers rushed for 84 yards on 21 carries.

Florida State (5-6, 2-5) must win its regular-season finale Nov. 29 at Florida to gain bowl eligibility.

The Wolfpack held Florida State quarterback Tommy Castellanos to 203 yards on 16-for-32 passing.

With the Seminoles trailing 14-3, Castellanos connected with Duce Robinson for a 9-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter, and then it really got interesting.

After NC State’s ensuing possession was halted, a bizarre play turned favorable for the Wolfpack. Punter Caden Noonkester’s punt was so short that it struck a Florida State player in the helmet, bouncing so far back toward the line of scrimmage that Noonkester recovered the ball.

Then the next possession fizzled, so the Wolfpack, still holding a 14-11 lead, punted again, with Squirrel White fumbling on the return and NC State recovering at the Florida State 16-yard line.

This time, the Wolfpack converted on Bailey’s 12-yard throw to Justin Joly in the end zone on a fourth-and-6 play with 1:47 to play.

Robinson, a standout receiver, was targeted several times by Castellanos, but they didn’t connect for a completion until the fourth quarter.

Leading 14-3, the Wolfpack looked poised to put the game out of reach in the fourth quarter by moving into Florida State territory. But a third-down sack pushed them out of field goal range, so NC State punted.

Florida State then marched 86 yards on 10 plays with Castellanos hooking up with Robinson for the team’s first touchdown of the night. Castellanos threw to Jayvan Boggs for the two-point conversion.

NC State scored late in the first quarter on Bailey’s 23-yard pass play to Terrell Anderson. The Seminoles countered in the opening minute of the second quarter on Jake Weinberg’s 46-yard field goal.

NC State controlled the ball for most of the third quarter, converting that time into points with Will Wilson’s 1-yard scoring run with 4:17 left in the frame.

–Field Level Media

Nov 18, 2023; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback Brennan Armstrong (5) runs from Virginia Tech Hokies defensive lineman Norell Pollard (3) during the second quarter at Lane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

QB Brennan Armstrong leads N.C. State past Virginia Tech

Posted on 19 November 2023 | by Field Level Media

Quarterback Brennan Armstrong ran for two touchdowns and tossed a pair to Kevin Concepcion, propelling North Carolina State to a 35-28 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday in Blacksburg, Va.

In their final road contest this season, the Wolfpack (8-3, 5-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) built a two-touchdown lead in the second quarter and held on for their fourth straight win.

Armstrong was 18 of 26 for 203 yards. He rushed 21 times for 89 yards.

Concepcion caught seven passes for 63 yards. The dynamic wide receiver also threw a TD.

The Hokies (5-6, 4-3) saw Kyron Drones complete 17 of 30 passes for 225 yards with three TDs and one interception.

Da’Quan Felton caught seven passes for 87 yards and two scores, while Stephen Gosnell had one TD catch.

The Hokies will try to become bowl eligible in their season finale next Saturday at the rival Virginia Cavaliers.

A transfer from Virginia, Armstrong set up the visitors with a 21-yard throw to Trent Pennix to the Virginia Tech 12 on the first play of the second quarter.

The quarterback soon rolled to his left and tossed his first TD to Concepcion, a 3-yarder, at 12:04 for a 7-0 lead.

On the Wolfpack’s next series, Armstrong ended an eight-play, 60-yard drive by calling his own number from the 1 and ducking in for a 14-0 lead at 4:46.

After a 50-yard return by Bhayshul Tuten on the ensuing kickoff, the Hokies found momentum by turning to a bit of trickery on the first play.

Drones rolled to his left and pitched the ball on a reverse to Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw, who dashed untouched 47 yards down the right side only 20 seconds after Armstrong’s score.

Armstrong was at it again to end the half when he answered with a perfect 28-yard strike to Concepcion, leaving the Wolfpack with a 21-7 halftime lead with 18 seconds remaining.

In the third, Armstrong rushed in for his second TD at 9:03, but Drones followed by hitting Felton from 42 yards just 53 seconds later to make it 28-14.

Concepcion added to the Wolfpack’s advantage by taking a handoff and finding Pennix for a 17-yard reception at 5:53 in the third quarter.

Felton and Gosnell had TD receptions in the final quarter.

–Field Level Media

CFP names NC State AD Boo Corrigan as chair

Posted on 25 January 2022 | by Field Level Media

North Carolina State athletic director Boo Corrigan will serve as the chair of the College Football Playoff selection committee for the 2022 season.

Bill Hancock, the executive director of the CFP, announced Corrigan’s appointment on Tuesday, along with the addition of four new members to the 13-person panel. Corrigan succeeds Iowa AD Gary Barta, who has been chair for the past two seasons.

“We are pleased that Boo will serve as chair,” Hancock said in a statement. “He was an important member of the committee last year, and in this new role he will serve as a great manager inside the room and a wonderful spokesperson to the media and fans.”

Newcomers to the committee include Navy AD Chet Gladchuk, Michigan AD Warde Manuel, former Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe, and former USA Today sports reporter Kelly Whiteside. They will replace Barta, Georgia State AD Charlie Cobb, former Notre Dame coach Tyrone Willingham and former sports writer Paola Boivin on the committee, as each of their three-year terms expired.

The son of former Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner Gene Corrigan, Boo Corrigan is entering his second of three seasons on the committee. Corrigan is in his third year at N.C. State. He was previously AD at Army West Point from 2011 to 2019.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my first year on the committee,” Corrigan said in a statement. “It was a privilege to serve alongside the other members. I’m honored to be asked to serve as committee chair and look forward to working with an outstanding group of individuals who are deeply committed to college football.”

Since its inception in 2014, the committee has determined the four-team College Football Playoff field. Corrigan will now be the face and voice of the committee as the CFP rankings are revealed over the last six weeks of the season.

–Field Level Media

Sep 18, 2021; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei (5) waits for the snap against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

Slipping in polls, No. 9 Clemson visits hungry NC State

Posted on 21 September 2021 | by Field Level Media

After a close call last week in a 14-8 victory against upstart Georgia Tech, No. 9 Clemson hopes to continue its recent mastery over North Carolina State Saturday in an early Atlantic Coast Conference Atlantic Division showdown in Raleigh, N.C.

Clemson has won 15 of its last 16 games against the Wolfpack, including eight in a row. The teams had played every year since 1971 until the series was suspended last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Clemson outscored the Wolfpack 96-17 in their previous two games in 2018 and 2019, but the Tigers are only a 10-point favorite this week.

“We want to compete with everybody, particularly a team that’s won the league as many times as they have,” N.C. State coach Dave Doeren said. “They’ve got bragging rights. They’ve earned that.”

Clemson (2-1, 1-0 ACC) is built around a defense that returned nine starters, and that experience has been evident through the first three games. The Tigers have the only FBS defense in the nation that has not allowed an offensive touchdown this season.

It marks the first time that Clemson has not allowed an offensive touchdown in the first three games of the season since 1950, but Clemson coach Dabo Swinney is guarded about his team’s first true road game of the season.

“We’ve got a huge challenge this week going on the road against a very good N.C. State team,” Swinney said. “They’re complete. This has got to be one of the most experienced teams in college football. They play hard, they play tough.”

N.C. State (2-1, 0-0), which is coming off a 45-7 victory against FCS opponent Furman, has been led by quarterback Devin Leary, who has passed for 794 yards and six touchdowns against two interceptions.

Running back Zonovan “Bam” Knight is fourth in the ACC in rushing at 99.3 yards per game.

“Offensively their quarterback is a baller,” Swinney said. “He’s an excellent thrower, he’s athletic, he moves around, he can run well. They’re very physical in the run game with two great running backs.

“Their defense — they look like us on tape. They’re stingy; they’ve not allowed a rushing touchdown all year.”

Clemson, meanwhile, has struggled offensively following the departure of quarterback Trevor Lawrence and running back Travis Etienne to the NFL. The Tigers are averaging only 22 points per game — about half of what they averaged last season en route to a sixth straight ACC title and College Football Playoff appearance.

Quarterback D.J. Uiagalelei has struggled, completing only 59.3 percent of his passes with two interceptions and one touchdown. Freshman running back Will Shipley has had an instant impact with 168 yards and four touchdowns over the last two games, but senior backup Lyn-J Dixon on Monday announced that he’d be transferring from the program.

After last week’s uninspiring performance against Georgia Tech, the Tigers dropped to No. 9 in the polls, but Doeren isn’t buying major slippage from Swinney’s program.

“It’s more about us,” Doeren said. “They’re going to have what they have, have the coaches they have, the salaries they have, the fans that they have, all of it. Clemson is a very proud place and they should be.

“We’re going to celebrate who we are here, celebrate our fans and the city of Raleigh, what we have to talk about. I think sometimes you get too caught up in comparisons. The bottom line is we want to be the best we can be here, and to be the best N.C. State possible we have to go out, not beat us and play as hard as we can for each other, see where that puts us.”

–Field Level Media

Dec 27, 2019; Bronx, New York, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Dave Clawson coaches against the Michigan State Spartans during the second quarter of the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Wake Forest talking ‘title’ before visiting Wolfpack

Posted on 15 September 2020 | by Field Level Media

It might seem early in the season for such a conversation, but Wake Forest appears ready to talk about a certain championship.

The Demon Deacons are determined to repeat as the mythical Big Four champions, signifying the top team among in-state Atlantic Coast Conference teams.

That quest begins Saturday night against host North Carolina State at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C.

This will mark the season opener for NC State, which had a surge in coronavirus cases late last month, causing the postponement of a matchup at Virginia Tech.

The Wolfpack are looking to bounce back after a miserable 4-8 campaign in 2019.

Wake Forest (0-1, 0-1 ACC) could use the diversion in attention toward the in-state rivalry after suffering a 37-13 setback to No. 1-ranked Clemson in last Saturday night’s opener.

“I think there’s a lot of positives to build on,” coach Dave Clawson said after the takedown at the hands of the Tigers. “… We had very few penalties. We didn’t turn the ball over. We just had some missed opportunities. We had a lot of good players play a lot of football for the first time.”

Meanwhile, the Wolfpack players are anxious to take the field.

“We have a little bit of rust,” NC State tight end Cary Angeline said. “I definitely think we’re ready for Wake Forest. … A few weeks back, we didn’t know if we were going to play.”

Seeing Wake Forest play last weekend only made the Wolfpack hungrier to be in a game. It also provided a chance to observe the first opponent with a scouting mindset.

The Demon Deacons have won the past three meetings with NC State. The only time Wake Forest has won four straight in the series came from 1951-54.

Among positives this week, Clawson said the Demon Deacons mostly avoided the injury bug in the Clemson game. He said multiple players should be available who missed the opener because of injuries or coronavirus-related tests.

“Hopefully we can be close to full strength as we try to start defending our Big Four championship,” he said.

Last year, Wake Forest posted home victories against North Carolina, NC State and Duke. That was the first time the Demon Deacons swept those opponents since 2007, though for many recent seasons they didn’t face North Carolina because of post-ACC expansion scheduling.

NC State is 6-1 in openers under coach Dave Doeren. This will be the first opening game against an ACC foe with Doeren in charge.

NC State announced this week that redshirt junior linebacker Isaiah Moore will wear jersey No. 1, which goes to a player displaying special character and leadership. He’s also a team captain.

“Isaiah has led our team both athletically and socially,” Doeren said. “He is a great person, player and teammate. He has overcome many obstacles and continues to shine in the face of adversity as a leader who brings strength to the Pack.”

Wake Forest receiver Taylor Morin, a redshirt freshman, racked up team bests with nine receptions for 93 yards in the Clemson game. He scored the team’s only touchdown on a 1-yard pass from third-string quarterback Mitch Griffis late in the game.

Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman, who’s in his third season, has never played against NC State.

NC State has new coordinators with Tim Beck (offense) and Tony Gibson (defense).

“He has done a good job of making it easy on us,” Angeline said of Beck.

–Field Level Media