Tag: North Carolina State Wolfpack

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

Posted on | by Field Level Media

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

Sep 7, 2024; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange running back LeQuint Allen (1) prepares for contact by Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets linebacker Trenilyas Tatum (0) in the fourth quarter at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

LeQuint Allen, Syracuse look to run past NC State

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Syracuse and North Carolina State are on different ends of the momentum spectrum heading into Saturday night’s Atlantic Coast Conference matchup in Raleigh, N.C.

The Orange (4-1, 1-1) are coming off a thrilling road victory over then-No. 25 UNLV last week. LeQuint Allen scored his fourth touchdown of the game in overtime to propel Syracuse to a 44-41 triumph.

“He’s the passion of our program,” Orange coach Fran Brown said of the junior tailback. “If I could just take one person and have every single other kid on our football team act just like he is, it would be LeQuint Allen.”

The visitors held the ball for nearly 40 minutes and compiled 492 yards of offense, including 355 passing yards and three touchdowns from quarterback Kyle McCord.

“I trust Kyle a lot,” Brown said of the Ohio State transfer. “Everybody trusts Kyle.”

Meanwhile, North Carolina State (3-3, 0-2) is coming off a 34-30 loss to Wake Forest in a game in which the Wolfpack squandered a 10-point lead with under nine minutes remaining. North Carolina State played most of the game without starting quarterback Grayson McCall, who suffered a concussion on a vicious hit in the first quarter.

“We’ll give him time to go through the steps that he wants to go through before we talk any more about what the next steps are,” coach Dave Doeren said. “… Thankful that he is, for the most part, OK.”

If McCall is not available this weekend, then freshman CJ Bailey will get the start under center. Bailey completed 28 of 42 passes for 272 yards with two touchdowns and an interception against Wake Forest.

North Carolina State had won seven of the previous eight meetings before dropping a 24-9 decision at Syracuse in 2022. In a matchup where both teams were ranked in the top 20, Oronde Gadsden II caught two touchdowns to help the Orange prevail.

This season, Gadsden is one of four Syracuse players with at least 26 receptions and three touchdowns. Trebor Pena leads the way with 34 catches for 383 yards and five TDs, although Gadsden, Jackson Meeks and Allen also will challenge the Wolfpack defense through the air.

–Field Level Media

Sep 28, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (16) looks for an opening for a throw against the Northern Illinois Huskies at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

NC State braces for stern test from Wake Forest

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North Carolina State will make another attempt to stack victories together when it hosts struggling Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon at Raleigh, N.C.

The Atlantic Coast Conference matchup between in-state rivals is a chance for the Wolfpack to start looking like a top-notch team.

“We’ve got seven games with two bye weeks and two months,” North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren said of the remaining slate. “It’s going to go really fast. We’ve got to stay really mission-focused on the day we’re in and have a great week of practice.”

The Wolfpack (3-2, 0-1) will aim to gain back-to-back victories for the first time this season after topping visiting Northern Illinois 24-17 last week.

Wake Forest (1-3, 0-1) has a three-game losing streak as it prepares for its first road game of the year. Last week’s 41-38 loss to Louisiana came with some offensive highlights for the Demon Deacons, but too many glitches.

“We just have to keep these guys together and make sure they keep improving and keep working, and stick together,” Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson said.

The Demon Deacons are 1-3 for the first time in 11 seasons under Clawson.

The Wolfpack will identify areas to exploit. Doeren said it won’t be easy facing a team that has caused trouble for North Carolina State at inopportune times.

“You know who you’re getting,” Doeren said. “You’re getting a team that plays really hard, really fundamentally sound, that knows what their systems are, do a good job of punching the ball out on defense. They’re going to be in the places you think they’re going to be.”

Wake Forest has scored at least 30 points in three of its four games this season.

Meanwhile, North Carolina State’s offense has yet to fully roll. Freshman quarterback CJ Bailey will be set for his third consecutive start unless Grayson McCall is back to action following an injury three weeks ago.

Doeren said he would like to see more efficiency from other offensive players to boost Bailey.

“We’ve got to make sure that we’re not beating ourselves,” Doeren said. “There’s no doubt CJ has great energy. That kid has that every single day. I appreciate that about him.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 21, 2024; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigersdefensive end T.J. Parker (3) hits North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback CJ Bailey (16) to force a fumble during the first quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-Imagn Images

No. 21 Clemson scores early, often in rout of NC State

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Cade Klubnik threw for three touchdowns and had a long scoring run as No. 21 Clemson clobbered visiting North Carolina State 59-35 in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon at Clemson, S.C.

Klubnik was involved in three touchdowns in the game’s first 10 minutes, and the Tigers led 28-0 by the end of the first quarter. He finished 16-for-24 for 209 passing yards and 70 rushing yards.

Clemson (2-1), which blew out Appalachian State two weeks earlier before an off week, racked up 523 yards of offense. The Tigers held a 408-164 advantage in total yards through the first half, which ended with a 45-7 score.

By game’s end, the Tigers had 107 rushing yards and one touchdown from running back Phil Mafah. Antonio Williams caught two touchdown passes.

It wasn’t much of the first collegiate start for NC State quarterback CJ Bailey, who orchestrated a second-half comeback last Saturday against Louisiana Tech after starter Grayson McCall departed with an injury. But with the Wolfpack (2-2) in a huge early hole, Bailey was in tough spots throughout this ACC game.

Bailey finished 16-for-25 for 204 yards in the air, but the Wolfpack suffered its second lopsided loss to a ranked team in three weeks after a neutral-site setback to Tennessee.

Klubnik ran 55 yards for a touchdown on the fourth snap of the game. His first-quarter output grew with 31- and 2-yard touchdown passes to Williams.

Mafah’s 38-yard run later in the quarter pushed the Tigers to a 28-0 edge. NC State got on the board with Bailey’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Waters midway through the second quarter.

But Clemson racked up 17 points in the last six minutes of the half, with scoring runs by Cole Turner (18 yards) and Jay Haynes (19 yards) to go with Nolan Hauser’s 21-yard field goal on the final play before the break.

Kendrick Raphael, Hollywood Smothers and Demarcus Jones II all had second-half scoring runs for NC State, which hasn’t won at Clemson since 2002. Raphael rushed for 90 yards on 10 carries. Lex Thomas threw for 40 yards to Terrell Anderson for a touchdown with 5 seconds left.

–Field Level Media

Sep 14, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Kendrick Raphael (0) jumps over Louisiana Tech Bulldogs defensive back Demarcus Griffin-Taylor (8) during the first half at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

QB CJ Bailey leads NC State’s rally past Louisiana Tech

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Freshman CJ Bailey passed for 156 yards and rushed for a score after replacing injured Grayson McCall, sparking North Carolina State to a 30-20 comeback victory over Louisiana Tech on Saturday afternoon in nonconference action at Raleigh, N.C.

DK Kaufman accelerated the rally from an 11-point deficit with an interception return for touchdown for the Wolfpack (2-1). Kendrick Raphael added a rushing score for North Carolina State.

Jack Turner completed 19 of 36 passes for 281 yards, one touchdown and one interception for Louisiana Tech (1-1). Tru Edwards caught four passes for 148 yards and one touchdown, and Donerio Davenport added a score on the ground.

North Carolina State took a 23-20 lead on Kanoah Vinesett’s 52-yard field goal with 12:32 left in the contest. Bailey tacked on a 1-yard run to make it a 10-point margin with 7:21 to play as the Wolfpack staved off the upset bid.

Bailey completed 13 of 20 passes and was intercepted once in his second college appearance.

McCall was 9-of-13 passing for 54 yards and rushed four times for 22 yards before exiting with just over 5 1/2 minutes left in the second quarter with an undisclosed injury.

McCall was hit by Louisiana Tech’s blitzing linebacker Zach Zimos and was slow to get up. He walked off the field after the third-down incompletion and soon headed to the locker room with team trainers.

Louisiana Tech held the momentum with an 11-point halftime lead, but NC State quickly seized it in the opening minute of the third quarter.

Turner dropped back to pass and Davin Vann put on a heavy rush and hit Turner as he started to throw. The ball fluttered toward Kaufman, who grabbed it and went 33 yards for a touchdown to pull the Wolfpack within 17-13.

Later in the quarter, Raphael capped a 13-play, 76-yard drive with a 3-yard run as NC State took a 20-17 lead with 4:23 left in the quarter. Louisiana Tech tied the score on Buck Buchanan’s 20-yard field goal with 36 seconds left.

On the play after McCall was hurt, Vinesett kicked a 35-yard field goal to give NC State a 6-0 lead. Louisiana Tech scored 17 unanswered points over the final 2:41 of the quarter for a 17-6 halftime lead.

Davenport began the spree by scoring on a 5-yard run. Then Edwards caught a short pass from Turner and turned it into a 71-yard touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 14-6 lead with 1:19 left.

Buchanan tacked on a 57-yard field goal with 13 seconds left. The boot tied the school record of Matt Stover (1987), who went on to kick in the NFL for 19 seasons.

–Field Level Media

Sep 22, 2023; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack running back Delbert Mimms III (34) scores a touchdown against the Virginia Cavaliers during the second quarter at Scott Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

NC State edges Virginia on last-second field goal

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Brayden Narveson kicked a game-winning field goal from 33 yards out on the final play as North Carolina State pulled out a 24-21 victory against Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams on Friday in Charlottesville, Va.

Wolfpack quarterback Brennan Armstrong threw for two touchdowns against his former team.

Kevin Concepcion caught both scoring passes from Armstrong, who was a Virginia starter the past three seasons. The graduate-student QB completed 15 of 30 passes for 180 yards with one interception for NC State (3-1, 1-0 ACC).

Virginia quarterback Anthony Colandrea’s second touchdown pass to Malik Washington went for 3 yards with 36 seconds to play in regulation, and then he tossed a tying two-point conversion pass to Malachi Fields.

The tying drive for Virginia (0-4, 0-1) covered 66 yards in 11 plays and took 2:53. An unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty on the Cavaliers assessed on the kickoff allowed NC State to move 33 yards in five plays to set up the winning field goal.

The Wolfpack’s defense came up with interceptions on back-to-back Virginia possessions in the fourth quarter to cling to the lead. The second of those pickoffs came after the Cavaliers reached the NC State 26-yard line.

After scoring its last touchdown, NC State punted on its next three possessions to give the Cavaliers chances.

Colandrea finished 18-for-30 for 271 yards.

Virginia got field goals from 21 and 36 yards from Will Bettridge in the third quarter to close within 14-13.

Sean Brown and Aydan White made the interceptions for NC State’s defense. Brown grabbed his pick after teammate Bishop Fitzgerald batted the ball away from the intended receiver. White’s snatch came at the 1-yard line.

Concepcion racked up 116 receiving yards on six catches. His second touchdown play came with 11 seconds remaining in the third quarter as he cut through Virginia’s defense for the final 27 yards of the 48-yard play.

NC State’s rushing attack was held to 139 yards in its first game since running back Jordan Houston opted to leave the program.

Armstrong threw to Concepcion for a 12-yard touchdown for the game’s first points on the first play of the second quarter.

Virginia got even on its next possession with Colandrea throwing 8 yards to Washington.

The Wolfpack went back ahead when Delbert Mimms III ran in from 1 yard out with 28 seconds to play in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Nov 19, 2022; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Louisville Cardinals linebacker Yasir Abdullah (22) sacks North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback Ben Finley (10) during the second quarter at Cardinal Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Jawhar Jordan helps Louisville down No. 24 North Carolina State

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Jawhar Jordan scored on a kickoff return and a short run from scrimmage as host Louisville overcame offensive shortcomings to defeat No. 24 North Carolina State 25-10 in Atlantic Coast Conference play on Saturday.

Both teams had changes at quarterback because of injuries and the Cardinals adjusted better to win for the fifth time in their last six games.

Jordan rushed for 105 yards on 16 carries

Brock Domann, making his second career start for Louisville, completed 12 of 25 passes for 153 yards.

James Turner kicked four field goals for the Cardinals (7-4, 4-4 ACC)

NC State (7-4, 3-4) has lost consecutive games for the first time since 2020.

Quarterback Malik Cunningham of Louisville missed the game because of a shoulder injury sustained a week earlier at Clemson.

Ben Finley, younger brother of former NC State quarterback Ryan Finley, got most of the work in a reserve role for the Wolfpack. He completed 16 of 35 throws for 201 yards and a touchdown and one interception.

NC State went back to Jack Chambers as its starting quarterback after MJ Morris, who was the team’s third starter of the season, was still ailing from a week earlier. Then Finley came in later in the first half. So it has been a scramble at the quarterback position since ACC Preseason Player of the Year Devin Leary went down with a season-ending injury in early October.

NC State opened the second-half scoring on Finley’s 34-yard pass play to Michael Allen. The Wolfpack covered 87 in five plays to pull within 13-10.

Louisville began the scoring on Turner’s 26-yard field goal. Christopher Dunn matched it for NC State with a 30-yarder for his 21st consecutive made on what has been a perfect season.

But it wasn’t tied for long because Jordan returned the ensuing kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown. The wind knocked down the kick and Jordan picked up the ball after it rolled past him.

Turner’s 22-yarder on the last play of the first half made it 13-3.

–Field Level Media

Nov 5, 2022; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback MJ Morris (16) throws a pass during the first half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

MJ Morris leads No. 22 North Carolina State to win over No. 21 Wake Forest

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MJ Morris, who was the third-string quarterback a few weeks ago, threw three touchdown passes as No. 22 North Carolina State defeated No. 21 Wake Forest 30-21 for a victory Saturday night in Raleigh, N.C.

Darryl Jones caught two of the touchdown passes and Keyon Lesane had the other scoring catch.

ACC Preseason Player of the Year Devin Leary suffered a season-ending injury last month against Florida State. Jack Chambers became the starter for two games before Morris rescued the Wolfpack (7-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) in an Oct. 27 comeback against Virginia Tech.

NC State’s Christopher Dunn kicked field goals of 33, 51 and 25 yards. He had the game’s first and final points.

Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman threw two touchdown passes and was intercepted three times. But his 29-yard, fourth-down hook-up with A.T. Perry allowed the Demon Deacons to close within 27-21 with 6:54 remaining by completing a 99-yard drive.

By the time the Demon Deacons (6-3, 2-3) got the ball back, Dunn had booted his third field goal and just 2:54 was left on the clock.

Morris was 18-for-28 for 210 yards.

Hartman finished 29-for-47 for 397 yards. The Demon Deacons, who lost their second game in a row, were held to 17 rushing yards.

Jakeem Harris intercepted Hartman in the first quarter and Cyrus Fagan and Aydan White had pickoffs in the second half.

Wake Forest moved inside the NC State 5-yard line twice, but managed just seven points. Christian Turner scored from 2 yards out on the possession following Matthew Dennis’ missed 35-yard field goal.

Morris made two touchdown throws in the last eight minutes of the first half.

He threw 12 yards to Lesane, who held onto the ball despite a brutal hit at the goal line, for the Wolfpack’s first touchdown.

Hartman hooked up with Taylor Morin for a 24-yard touchdown play 3 1/2 minutes later. Then it was Morris’ turn again, with a 13-yard pass to Jones with 1:30 to play in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Oct 17, 2019; Stanford, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (1) and wide receiver Kyle Philips (2) celebrate after a touchdown in the first half against the Stanford Cardinal at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

UCLA, NC State take revivals into Holiday Bowl clash

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North Carolina State has come a long way the past couple of seasons, and now the program is on the verge of just its second season with a double-digit win total.

So traveling across the country to face UCLA in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 28 at San Diego seems like another challenge worth accepting.

“We want to make history, leave a legacy,” NC State linebacker Drake Thomas said. “This team is special and it would be a special way to end the season.”

NC State (9-3) won its last two regular-season games, including a remarkable comeback in the final two minutes to knock off rival North Carolina on Nov. 26. Most of the Wolfpack’s key players have announced that they’ll be on board next season, already boosting expectations for 2022.

“I think it says a lot,” NC State quarterback Devin Leary said. “It goes to prove that guys on this team aren’t satisfied with what we’ve accomplished this year. Guys want to come back and prove how much better we can be.”

UCLA (8-4) has been on an upward trend as well, and the bus ride down California’s Interstate 5 is another chance for the Bruins to show what their program is headed in the right direction.

Bruins coach Chip Kelly said the regular season was good enough “to get us in this situation to get to play football in December.” The winning record came after five consecutive losing seasons, the last three under Kelly.

Kelly has been on the sideline for the Holiday Bowl in the past as an assistant coach at Oregon. He’s hoping for a home-field type of atmosphere for the Bruins.

“We’re excited that a lot of our fans can get there,” Kelly said of the game, which will be played in San Diego’s Petco Park, a baseball stadium.

UCLA has many San Diego-area players, including leader receiver Kyle Phillips. He caught 10 touchdown passes this season and had 739 yards on 59 catches.

“He has given us everything,” Kelly said. “He is a really tough matchup and he comes up big in big games.”

UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson has thrown for 21 touchdowns with six interceptions. Although he is eligible to return next season, rumors have swirled that it could be Thompson-Robinson’s last game in a Bruins uniform after four seasons, with transfer QB Dillon Gabriel of UCF waiting in the wings.

“He’s one of the toughest guys I’ve been around,” Kelly said of Thompson-Robinson. “I think he has played his best football in the last three games. We hope he can continue to grow in this last one.”

NC State’s defense is ready for the challenge from a dual-threat quarterback.

“Defensively, we’ll be healthier than we were in the last game,” coach Dave Doeren said. “(Safety) Devan Boykin is back with us now. We hoped that we would have him.”

Leary threw for 3,433 yards with 35 touchdowns and five interceptions for the Wolfpack during the regular season. Emeka Emezie has been his top target, making 60 catches for 802 yards and six touchdowns.

NC State’s only season with double-digit victories came in 2002, going 11-3 behind QB Philip Rivers. In a San Diego connection, Rivers went out to a stellar career with the Chargers and was with the team when it moved to Los Angeles in 2017.

“We want to go win,” Wolfpack center Grant Gibson said. “We’re not taking this game lightly.”

Highly-regarded UCLA defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia is skipping the game in advance of the NFL Draft.

The only previous NC State-UCLA football meetings came with UCLA winning home games in 1959 and 1960.

–Field Level Media