Oct 19, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack wide receiver Kevin Concepcion (10) warms up before the game against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Former NC State WR KC Concepcion transferring to Texas A&M

Former North Carolina State wide receiver Kevin “KC” Concepcion is transferring to Texas A&M.

He confirmed the transfer on his Instagram account Sunday.

Concepcion, who has two years of eligibility remaining, caught 124 passes for 1,299 yards and 16 touchdowns, and rushed for two more, in 25 games over two seasons for the Wolfpack. He was the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023, when he set program records for a freshman with 71 receptions and 10 TDs.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 189 pounds, Concepcion is ranked by 247Sports as the No. 15 player overall and No. 6 receiver in the transfer portal.

Texas A&M already has added receivers Micah Hudson, a transfer from Texas Tech, and Mario Craver (Mississippi State). The Aggies have 10 transfer commitments.

Concepcion also considered Alabama, Colorado, Florida State, Miami and South Carolina.

–Field Level Media

Dec 28, 2024; Annapolis, MD, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack wide receiver Wesley Grimes (6) is hit by East Carolina Pirates linebacker Dameon Wilson (23) and Pirates defensive back Gavin Gibson (5)  during the first half of the Go Bowling Military Bowl at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

86-yard run carries East Carolina past NC State in Military Bowl

East Carolina’s Rahjai Harris broke off a dazzling 86-yard touchdown in the final two minutes of a record-setting night, and the Pirates snapped a three-game losing streak to the North Carolina State Wolfpack with a 26-21 win in the Military Bowl in Annapolis, Md, on Saturday.

With East Carolina trailing 21-20, Harris zipped around the left end, cut back and outran the Wolfpack secondary at 1:33 to give the Pirates (8-5) their fifth win in six games.

The Pirates’ Dontavius Nash intercepted a deflected pass by quarterback CJ Bailey as the Wolfpack (6-7) attempted a rally past midfield. A short brawl broke out between the teams with 38 seconds left.

Harris, a senior, set his career high and a Military Bowl record with 220 rushing yards on 17 carries.

Quarterback Katin Houser went 18-of-29 passing for 147 yards and two interceptions. He rushed for 84 yards on 13 attempts with two touchdowns.

Bailey completed 19 of 26 passes for 230 yards with three scores and an interception, while Hollywood Smothers rushed for 139 yards on 15 carries.

Tamarcus Cooley recorded two interceptions for the Wolfpack, who lost for the third time in four games.

On third-and-6 later ECU’s opening series after stopping NC State on a fourth-and-1 at the Pirates’ 24, Houser called his own number and rumbled in untouched from 19 yards to cap a 75-yard drive for a 7-0 lead with 4:43 remaining in the first quarter.

Smothers’ 44-yard run put NC State in position for its first points, but Kanoah Vinesett pulled a 34-yard field goal wide left at 13:34 of the second.

East Carolina kicker Noah Perez answered on the next possession by drilling a 24-yard field goal with 7:17 to go for a 10-0 advantage.

The Wolfpack finally capitalized with their best drive of the half by going 78 yards in 11 plays. Bailey ended it with a pass of 8 yards to Dacari Collins with 1:58 left, but Perez booted a 42-yarder with six seconds left for a 13-7 halftime lead.

In the third, Houser kept the Pirates a perfect 4-for-4 in scoring on their possessions by dashing in from 4 yards at 9:17 for a 20-7 lead while the defense continued to hassle Bailey.

However, Bailey fired two scoring passes early in the fourth quarter, striking from 15 yards to Justin Joly on fourth-and-2, and then using a trick play to hit Smothers for a 33-yard score to take the one-point lead at the 9:49 mark.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels players and North Carolina State Wolfpack players fight as State tries to put a Wolfpack flag at midfield after the game at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

ACC fines, reprimands four schools for sportsmanship violations

North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia and Virginia Tech were fined and publicly reprimanded by the Atlantic Coast Conference on Monday following altercations at their respective rivalry games on Saturday.

The amounts of the institutional fines were not released, but the Raleigh News & Observer reported that the maximum penalty in the ACC bylaws is $25,000.

NC State defeated North Carolina 35-30 on Saturday, after which the Wolfpack were one of several teams around the country to plant a flag on the hosts’ field. North Carolina players got into a postgame fight with NC State players.

Players from Virginia and Virginia Tech got into a fight before their game, which Virginia Tech won 37-17.

“In both cases, the actions violated the ACC Sportsmanship Policy,” the league said in a statement. “The unsportsmanlike behavior that was displayed is unacceptable and tarnishes the passionate on-field play between these institutions.

“The funds from the imposed institutional fines — which are the maximum allowed by the league’s bylaws — will be placed into the Weaver-James-Corrigan-Swofford Postgraduate Scholarship account.”

Michigan and Ohio State each were levied $100,000 fines by the Big Ten Conference for a postgame fight between their teams after the Wolverines upset the Buckeyes in Columbus.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Tylee Craft (13) scores a touchdown as North Carolina State Wolfpack cornerback Devon Marshall (16) and linebacker Sean Brown (0) defend in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

NC State beats North Carolina for fourth straight time

CJ Bailey threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns as visiting North Carolina State reached bowl eligibility by beating Atlantic Coast Conference rival North Carolina for the fourth consecutive season 35-30 on Saturday in Chapel Hill.

Bailey, a true freshman, completed 14 of 20 passes and also rushed for 54 yards on 14 carries. Hollywood Smothers paced the rushing attack with 83 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, while also picking up 34 receiving yards on three catches for the Wolfpack (6-6, 3-5 ACC).

Jacolby Criswell threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns on 18-of-33 passing for the Tar Heels (6-6, 3-5 ACC). Omarion Hampton totaled 253 yards of total offense and two touchdowns on 26 touches.

The Wolfpack are assured of a non-losing regular-season record for the 10th time in 12 seasons under coach Dave Doeren.

The loss marked the final regular-season game for the Tar Heels under Mack Brown, who is in his sixth season of his second stint leading the program. It remains unclear if Brown will coach North Carolina in its bowl game.

With 1:51 left to play, Hampton snagged a short shovel pass from Criswell, knifed through the teeth of the defense, outran five defenders and dragged another into the end zone, covering 47 yards. His 40th career touchdown leaves him third in program history — and the extra point gave North Carolina a one-point advantage.

But NC State quickly responded, driving 75 yards in just six plays and 86 seconds. The drive was highlighted by Bailey connecting with Noah Rogers, covered by two defenders, for 44 yards. Smothers capped the possession with a 2-yard scamper.

The Wolfpack scored on all six of their possessions in the second half. For the game, they led in time of possession by about 11 minutes.

After the game, several players from both sides were involved in a fight on the field.

The Tar Heels played the majority of the game without one of their top pass rushers, Kaimon Rucker — who has six sacks and an interception this season — after he was hit by an NC State player away from the action on a play in the first quarter.

Rucker had to be carted off the field and did not return. The team said he suffered a lower body injury.

The Wolfpack got on the board first thanks to a 2-yard touchdown run by Smothers. The score was set up by Wolfpack edge rusher Davin Vann, who took possession back for NC State with a strip sack. Vann picked up his sixth force fumble of the season after entering the weekend leading FBS.

–Field Level Media

Nov 21, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Aaron Philo (12) runs the ball against the North Carolina State Wolfpack in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech edges NC State on Aaron Philo’s late TD run

Aaron Philo scrambled for a go-ahead 18-yard touchdown with 22 seconds left, helping Georgia Tech beat North Carolina State 30-29 in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Thursday in Atlanta.

Trailing 29-23 with 1:30 remaining, Philo orchestrated a seven-play, 75-yard drive that included two 18-yard rushes, the latter being the game-winner. NC State’s Collin Smith lined up for a potential game-winning 58-yard field-goal attempt with six seconds left but missed wide left.

Philo’s heroics came soon after Hollywood Smothers put the Wolfpack ahead 29-23 on a 53-yard touchdown run with 1:30 left.

Philo completed 19 of 33 passes for 265 yards and an interception, adding 57 rushing yards as Georgia Tech (7-4, 5-3) won its second straight. Eric Singleton Jr. caught five passes for 106 yards.

CJ Bailey completed 17 of 30 passes for 147 yards for NC State (5-6, 2-5) and was picked off three times. Bailey rushed for 83 yards and three scores, while Smothers finished with 79 yards on the ground as the Wolfpack fell for a second straight game.

Holding a 13-7 halftime lead, Philo’s 49-yard pass to Singleton set up Aidan Birr’s 45-yard field goal at the 3:55 mark of the third. NC State cut its deficit to 16-14 with Bailey’s 28-yard touchdown run on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Later in the third, Philo’s 38-yard pass to Singleton advanced the Yellow Jackets to NC State’s 12-yard line. Philo was then intercepted in the end zone by Bishop Fitzgerald, who returned it to the Wolfpack’s 18-yard line.

Trailing by two with 6:53 left, Bailey gave it right back to the Yellow Jackets, as Romello Height returned the third Georgia Tech takeaway to NC State’s 3-yard line. Haynes King extended the Yellow Jackets’ lead to 23-14 on the next play with a scoring rush at the 6:40 mark.

NC State then drove 75 yards in just over 2 1/2 minutes as Kendrick Raphael’s 25-yard run was followed by Bailey’s 1-yard rushing score — his third of the game.

After forcing a three-and-out, the Wolfpack took their first lead on Smothers’ 53-yard run. Bailey ran in the 2-point conversion to give NC State a 29-23 lead.

Georgia Tech opened the scoring as Bailey’s attempted handoff to KC Concepcion was tipped in the air and intercepted by E.J. Lightsey, who returned it for a 21-yard touchdown at the 7:18 mark of the first quarter.

NC State answered with a nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive, capped with Bailey’s 16-yard rushing touchdown with 2:37 left in the first quarter. Georgia Tech ended its next two drives with Birr’s field goals of 44 and 41 yards, respectively.

–Field Level Media

Nov 9, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King (10) throws a pass against the Miami Hurricanes in the second quarter at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Georgia Tech ready for home finale in Thursday clash with NC State

A pair of well-rested teams will meet Thursday in Atlanta, when Georgia Tech hosts North Carolina State in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Neither team has played since Nov. 9, with each coming off bye weeks.

The last time Georgia Tech played, the Yellow Jackets (6-4, 4-3 ACC) delivered one of the biggest upsets of the college football season, knocking off then-No. 4 Miami in Atlanta, 28-23.

In the program’s first win against a top-five team since 2009, Georgia Tech became bowl-eligible for the second straight season — the first time the Yellow Jackets have done that since qualifying for 18 straight bowl games from 1997-2014.

Georgia Tech aims to build on that momentum on Thursday, when it vies for its first win against the Wolfpack since 2019.

“We’ve had a couple extra days to get our guys healthy,” Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key said. “To me, your signature win is your last win and you’re only as good as your next one. We’re focused on putting together the best plan for NC State and having that be our most electric game of the season.

Key played for Georgia Tech from 1997-2000 and said Thursday night home games were some of his fondest memories.

“To give these seniors one last, lasting memory of Bobby Dodd Stadium, it can’t be more important,” Key said.

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King is coming off a two-touchdown performance (one passing, one rushing) against Miami, while Jamal Haynes ran for 83 yards and a score. King has passed for 1,600 yards and nine touchdowns this year, along with 446 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground. Haynes has rushed for a team-best 681 yards and nine touchdowns.

Standing in the way of a celebratory senior night is North Carolina State (5-5, 2-4), out to clinch a fifth straight bowl bid.

Last time out, the Wolfpack had their season-best two-game winning streak snapped in a 29-19 home loss to Duke. North Carolina State managed just 268 total yards as true freshman quarterback CJ Bailey was held to 184 passing yards.

At the tail end of a disappointing season, the Wolfpack still have an opportunity to finish their year on a high note.

“It’s how you finish. That’s what we’ve been talking about,” North Carolina State head coach Dave Doeren said. “You’ve got two opportunities, and you need at least one to be in a bowl situation. How we finish matters, and now we’ve got to do it against a team that’s peaking.”

Bailey, who took over for injured starter Grayson McCall, leads the team with 1,794 passing yards and 12 touchdowns, while sixth-year running back Jordan Waters has rushed for 400 yards and four scores.

–Field Level Media

Nov 2, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA;  North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Jordan Waters (7) celebrates a touchdown in the second half against the Stanford Cardinals during the second half at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

NC State bids to continue ascent in encounter vs. Duke

North Carolina State and Duke have been going in opposite directions in recent weeks heading into their Atlantic Coast Conference game Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C.

The Wolfpack (5-4, 2-3) have won two in a row to get their season back on track going into their home finale.

“We have 20 players on our team that are out of eligibility,” North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren said. “After this game, they’ll never walk through that tunnel with their uniform on again to play a game.”

The Blue Devils (6-3, 2-3) have lost back-to-back games against nationally ranked opponents, falling to SMU and Miami.

“I think we’ve shown that in spurts we can play with anybody,” Duke coach Manny Diaz said.

The Blue Devils led in the second half of both of their most recent ACC road losses, to Georgia Tech and Miami (53-31 last Saturday). So there’s plenty to build on for Duke.

“To go challenge ourselves to go be in this position again,” Diaz said.

North Carolina State’s last two games have resulted in triumphs against ACC newcomers Cal and Stanford, but now the Wolfpack have a date with a neighboring rival.

Last year, Duke defeated the Wolfpack 24-3 at home, though North Carolina State responded by winning its next five games.

For Wolfpack running back Jordan Waters, he’ll try to be on the winning side for the second year in a row but in a different uniform. He played in parts of five seasons for Duke before transferring to North Carolina State. He’s the Wolfpack’s leading rusher with 375 yards, while his five total touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving) rank second on the team.

North Carolina State has been humming on offense as freshman quarterback CJ Bailey continues to adjust to being the clear-cut starter. He has thrown for 11 touchdowns compared with four interceptions. The Wolfpack’s 59-28 victory against Stanford last week marked the most points the team has scored against an ACC foe.

Duke’s offense has been erratic at times. But Diaz said signs of growth came in the past two games when the opponents switched out of man-to-man coverages in the secondary. Yet now, he said, the Blue Devils must show a better attack against zone coverages.

Diaz was a North Carolina State assistant coach for six seasons (2000-05) under former coach Chuck Amato.

Because they were in opposite ACC divisions for years, this will be just the fourth time in Doeren’s 12 seasons that the Wolfpack play Duke. The home stadiums for the teams are 22 miles apart.

“Now we get to play every year,” Doeren said. “That will add to that.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (16) warms up during the first quarter against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

CJ Bailey, NC State hope to pick on Stanford’s pass defense

Stanford will aim to snap a five-game losing streak on Saturday when it travels to Raleigh, N.C., for its first-ever meeting with North Carolina State, which is coming off a bye.

The last time NC State (4-4, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) was in action was Oct. 19, when it went to the West Coast and beat Cal 24-23. That game was the fourth start for true freshman quarterback CJ Bailey, who threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns in the first conference win for the Wolfpack this season.

Bailey entered the year backing up graduate transfer Grayson McCall, but the former three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year announced last week that his football career is over. McCall, who played parts of five seasons at Coastal Carolina before joining NC State, was carted off the field on Oct. 5 after a play in which his helmet popped off while being hit by three Wake Forest defenders. It was the second concussion McCall suffered this season.

“I have battled injuries my whole career, but this is one that I cannot come back from,” McCall wrote in a post on his Instagram, adding that “brain specialists” suggested he “hang the cleats up.”

Even though he is no longer playing, McCall aims to be a coach someday and still is spending time with NC State’s football team every day, filling a role as a valuable mentor to Bailey.

“I’ve been better because of him. I feel like I’ve grown out of my title as a freshman because of him,” Bailey said of McCall. “He’s been a great leader. I try to mimic everything. I’ve been watching him and observing. He’s been in my ear and helping me out.”

Bailey passed for at least 300 yards passing in each of his past two games, making him the first NC State freshman to do that since Philip Rivers.

It’s likely that Bailey could have another impressive day under center, as he and the Wolfpack face a Stanford team that ranks 112th out of 133 FBS teams in scoring defense — allowing 31.5 points per game. The Cardinal (2-6, 1-4) also have the 12th worst passing defense in the country, as they are allowing 270.9 yards per game through the air.

Stanford is coming off a 27-24 home loss to Wake Forest in which the Demon Deacons connected on the go-ahead field goal with less than two minutes to play. A potential game-winning drive by the Cardinal was ended by an interception with 22 seconds left.

Quarterback Ashton Daniels led Stanford in rushing and passing that game with 268 yards of total offense.

Stanford’s struggles are not for a lack of aggression and experimentation. The Cardinal has gone for it on fourth down 25 times, tied for the fifth most in the FBS.

“When you’re trying to build a program, all the losses hurt, but you have to respond and be resilient,” second-year Stanford coach Troy Taylor said.

–Field Level Media

Oct 5, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA;  North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback Grayson McCall (2) gets tackled without his helmet by Wake Forest Demon Deacons linebacker Quincy Bryant (9) and linebacker Dylan Hazen (24) during the first half of the game at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

NC State QB Grayson McCall (concussions) retires from football

North Carolina State quarterback Grayson McCall said Wednesday night that he is retiring from football after his latest head injury.

McCall sustained two concussions this season and hasn’t played since being carted off the field against Wake Forest on Oct. 5. His helmet flew off from the hit and he was briefly unconscious before taken to a hospital for evaluation. He was released later that night.

Last season, while playing for Coastal Carolina, McCall sustained a season-ending concussion in an Oct. 21 game at Arkansas State. On that occasion, he was taken off the field via ambulance and hospitalized overnight.

“Unfortunately, my dream has been cut just short,” McCall wrote on Instagram. “As you all know, I have battled injuries my whole career, but this is one that I cannot come back from.

“I have done everything I can to continue, but this is where the good Lord has called me to serve in a different space. Brain specialists, my family, and I have come to the conclusion that it is in my best interest to hang the cleats up.”

McCall was a three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year at Coastal Carolina before transferring to the Wolfpack after last season.

He passed for 518 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions in four games for NC State. McCall sustained his first concussion of this season against Louisiana Tech on Sept. 14 and missed two games before returning against Wake Forest.

Overall, McCall passed for 10,523 yards and 91 touchdowns against just 16 interceptions in 46 games over parts of six college seasons. He completed 69.6 percent of his passes and is the most decorated player in Coastal Carolina history.

“Every time my feet hit the grass, I left every single ounce of myself on that field,” McCall said. “I always played my hardest and to the best of my ability because I never knew what play would be my last. I have no regrets throughout my career and that is something I can be proud of.”

McCall will remain an active player with the team for the rest of the season. The Wolfpack (4-4, 1-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) are next in action against visiting Stanford on Nov. 2.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack wide receiver Kevin Concepcion (10) secures a catch against defensive back Craig Woodson (left) during the second quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

NC State scores two TDs in fourth quarter, edges Cal

True freshman quarterback CJ Bailey threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns as North Carolina State notched its first Atlantic Coast Conference win of the season with a 24-23 road victory over Cal on Saturday in Berkeley, Calif.

Bailey completed 25 of 36 passes as the Wolfpack (4-4, 1-3 ACC) pulled to .500 overall and notched their first road win. NC State’s offense also was boosted by Hollywood Smothers, who had 112 yards of total offense on 13 touches (25 yards rushing, 87 receiving).

After NC State took a fourth-quarter lead, Cal (3-4, 0-4) used 13 plays to drive 65 yards in about five minutes to set up a go-ahead 28-yard field-goal attempt, but Derek Morris’ kick from the left hash sailed wide right. Cal got one more chance to drive for a potential game-winning score with 59 seconds left, but the Golden Bears stalled on a fourth-and-5 at their 39, gaining only 3 yards.

It’s the fourth consecutive loss for the Golden Bears, each by five points or less.

Fernando Mendoza steered the offense by completing 30 of 42 passes for 282 yards. Jack Endries hauled in nine passes for 101 yards.

The Wolfpack took their first lead of the day early in the second quarter when wideout Kevin Concepcion took a direct snap and punched it into the end zone from 2 yards out. Cal responded with three field goals and a 7-yard touchdown run from Jaivian Thomas to take a 23-10 advantage into the fourth quarter.

NC State then opened the final frame with two scores, as Bailey found Dacari Collins for a short passing touchdown, and followed that by connecting with Smothers for a 41-yard catch-and-run for a score. Kanoah Vinesett’s extra point gave the Wolfpack a narrow 24-23 lead with 6:32 to play.

Cal won the turnover battle 2-1 and held NC State’s rushing attack to 29 yards on 30 attempts. The Golden Bears struggled on third downs, though, converting 2 of 14. The Wolfpack was 8 of 17 on third down, 2 of 2 on fourth down.

Golden Bears offensive lineman TJ Session was carted off the field near the end of the game with an undisclosed injury.

NC State running back Jordan Waters did not travel with the team to Cal due to an illness.

–Field Level Media