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Tag: North Carolina State Wolfpack football

  • No. 24 NC State keeps posting 8- and 9-win years. Coach Dave Doeren is chasing a breakthrough moment

    No. 24 NC State keeps posting 8- and 9-win years. Coach Dave Doeren is chasing a breakthrough moment

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    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina State keeps putting together successful seasons that flirt with accomplishing even more. That has coach Dave Doeren firmly entrenched with a winning program yet invigorated by the thought of what else could be within reach.

    There have been four straight seasons with eight or nine wins, bringing the 24th-ranked Wolfpack to the verge of its second 10-win season ever and first since 2002. And if N.C. State can do that, it could have Doeren’s squad challenging for the Atlantic Coast Conference title.

    “What we did last year and the year before and the year before is good,” Doeren said. “Winning nine games is good. We don’t want to be good, we want to be the best at what we do. These guys understand that.”

    Doeren is entering his 12th season after becoming the program’s all-time winningest coach last season. He’s been chasing the program’s first ACC title since 1979, and this year’s team is picked to finish fourth in the expanded 17-team league.

    N.C. State returns roughly half its offensive and defensive starters, but also added a veteran class from the transfer portal that includes a new starting quarterback in Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina.

    The season comes amid a wild run of success for Wolfpack athletics: men’s basketball winning its first ACC title since 1987 and then reaching its first Final Four since 1983, women’s basketball reaching its first Final Four since 1998, and baseball returning to the College World Series.

    Doeren’s team would love to add to that list.

    “The buzz has been buzzing. Our fan base has been electric,” defensive end Davin Vann said. “I wouldn’t really call it pressure, but we’re enjoying the energy they’re bringing.”

    The new QB

    This is the second straight season that the Wolfpack will start the season looking to a transfer to lead the offense. Last year it was Virginia graduate transfer Brennan Armstrong. Now it’s McCall, a a sixth-year graduate with more than 10,000 career passing yards.

    “It’s refreshing to be in a new spot,” said McCall, who has shown a knack for avoiding mistakes. He threw 77 touchdown passes with just eight interceptions from 2020-22.

    “He’s got great touch on the football, his game-management skills, his clock management and everything — he’s a vet,” Doeren said. “And he’s a great fit for our program.”

    Top threat

    KC Concepcion grew into a starring role for the Wolfpack in the team’s second-half surge last season. The sophomore enters this year as N.C. State’s top weapon.

    Concepcion had 71 catches for 839 yards with 10 touchdowns, and he also ran for 320 yards. He closed last year with three straight games of seven catches.

    Next defensive steps

    The defense has been reliable for the Wolfpack in recent years, ranking in the top 30 nationally in scoring (20.8) and total defense (332.1).

    But that unit has multiple departed starters, notably Payton Wilson — The Associated Press league defensive player of the year, the Butkus Award winner as the nation’s top linebacker and the Bednarik Award for the nation’s top overall defensive player.

    “Just with Tony Gibson being defensive coordinator, I feel like we’re always going to have a high-caliber defense,” cornerback Aydan White said.

    Bolstered experience

    N.C. State ranked 18th nationally in 247Sports’ transfer classes, with newcomers that included a proven runner in Duke back Jordan Waters, receiver help in Ohio State’s Noah Rogers and a veteran center in Notre Dame’s Zeke Correll (31 starts).

    The Wolfpack brought in more than 40 new players this year.

    The schedule

    N.C. State opens at home against Western Carolina on Aug. 29 before playing a marquee nonconference game against No. 15 Tennessee in Charlotte on Sept. 7.

    The ACC schedule begins at No. 14 Clemson (Sept. 21), while two of the three new league schools appear on the slate with a trip to California (Oct. 19) and a visit from Stanford (Nov. 2). N.C. State faces Duke in its home finale (Nov. 9) and visits rival North Carolina on Nov. 30.

    ___

    AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://apnews.com/cfbtop25

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  • Morris, No. 24 Wolfpack rally past Hokies for 22-21 win

    Morris, No. 24 Wolfpack rally past Hokies for 22-21 win

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    RALEIGH, N.C. — For the second straight home game, North Carolina State found itself down double figures after halftime. And just as before, the 24th-ranked Wolfpack responded with grit and resilience.

    First-year quarterback MJ Morris threw for three second-half touchdowns to help N.C. State rally from 18 points down in the third quarter to beat Virginia Tech 22-21 on Thursday night.

    “The kids just don’t quit here,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said.

    Morris took over for starter Jack Chambers to lead an unexpected comeback for the Wolfpack (6-2, 2-2 Atalntic Coast Conference), who trailed 21-3 after Grant Wells’ 20-yard TD keeper with 4:02 in the third quarter.

    Instead, N.C. State somehow found a way to make its biggest comeback since rallying from 27 down to beat Maryland in 2011. It also marked the Wolfpack’s second comeback from a double-digit deficit after halftime this month, going back to a rally from 17-3 down at the break against Florida State on Oct. 8.

    This one was arguably more critical for a team that had been reeling offensively since losing quarterback and preseason ACC player of the year Devin Leary to a season-ending injury in the Florida State victory. But after looking like every yard was a struggle, Morris and the Wolfpack started pushing the ball downfield and connecting to suddenly change momentum.

    “There was a lot of things going in my head, but the one thing I tried to focus on was doing my job for the team,” Morris said.

    It started with a 35-yard deep throw from Morris to Thayer Thomas with 1:42 left in the third. Morris followed with a 7-yard score to Trent Pennix early in the fourth, then hit Thomas again on a short throw that the receiver cut up the middle of the field and scored from 18 yards out with 7:38 mark.

    After its veteran defense forced a three-and-out, the Wolfpack kept the chains moving on a final drive that ate up the last 5:35 to seal the win.

    Thomas finished with 10 catches for 118 yards and the two scores for the Wolfpack.

    Wells ran for two scores and hit Kaleb Smith for an 85-yard score in the third for the Hokies (2-6, 1-4).

    “To me, you’ve got to have a closer’s mentality in the fourth quarter,” first-year coach Brent Pry said. “You’ve got to play your absolute best. we just needed a play or two to change the outcome. And we’ll get there.”

    THE TAKEAWAY

    Virginia Tech: This one will be difficult to get past for the Hokies, who looked on their way to ending the Wolfpack’s 14-game home winning streak and giving Pry his first road win in four tries. Instead, the offense that suddenly found success attacking the Wolfpack’s veteran defense sputtered when it needed a big drive and the defense gave up three straight TD drives.

    N.C. State: The Wolfpack went through a bye week with a chance to tweak the offense to better suit the strengths of Chambers in the wake of Leary’s loss. But Morris also got plenty of reps and soon proved the more effective passer as the Wolfpack needed to get more aggressive down big — and it worked.

    POLL IMPLICATIONS

    N.C. State, which peaked at No. 10 this year, could fall out of the AP Top 25 with Sunday’s next poll after struggling to beat a two-win team. Then again, another impressive show of resilience could stand out for voters.

    HOME STREAK

    N.C. State has now won 15 straight home games since losing to Miami in 2020. That put the Wolfpack within one of tying the program record set from 1972-75 under Lou Holtz.

    PENALTY PROBLEMS

    The Hokies had 13 penalties for 69 yards. That included being flagged 10 times for false starts, with five coming in the first quarter alone.

    UP NEXT

    Virginia Tech: The Hokies return home to face Georgia Tech on Nov. 5.

    N.C. State: It’s a rematch of last year’s instate Atlantic Division thriller when No. 10 Wake Forest visits Raleigh on Nov. 5.

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    Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap

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    AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap—top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2

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  • No. 5 Clemson tops No. 10 NC State 30-20 in ACC showdown

    No. 5 Clemson tops No. 10 NC State 30-20 in ACC showdown

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    CLEMSON, S.C. — DJ Uiagalelei ran for two touchdowns and threw for a third as No. 5 Clemson won its 11th consecutive game, its 37th straight at home and took control of the ACC Atlantic with a 30-20 victory over No. 10 North Carolina State on Saturday night.

    The Tigers (3-0 ACC) started 5-0 for the seventh time in eight years and completed a two-week stretch where they bested the two teams thought most likely to block their return atop the division — first with a 51-45 OT win at No. 22 Wake Forest last Saturday and now the Wolfpack (4-1, 0-1) at Death Valley.

    Uiagalelei ignited the Tigers right before and right after the half to build a lead that N.C. State, playing in its first-ever Top 10 matchup, couldn’t overcome.

    Uiagalelei finished a 75-yard scoring drive by stretching the ball over the goal for a 1-yard score to move in front 13-10. Then, after Clemson’s defense forced a three-and-out with a pair of sacks on Wolfpack quarterback Devin Leary, Uiagalelei cashed in again with 7-yard touchdown throw to tight end Jake Briningstool.

    “Lost the turnover margin, lost the line of scrimmage, you don’t win many games like that,” Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren said.

    Clemson’s defense did the rest, holding the potent Wolfpack to just a field goal over the first 29 minutes of the second half in building a 17-point lead. The Tigers also picked off Leary and recovered a fumble when N.C. State went for it on 4th-and-13 down 10 with less than nine minutes left.

    Clemson, which hasn’t lost at home since November 2016, matched Florida State’s ACC mark of 37 straight at home set from 1992-2001. The Tigers’ 11 in a row since last season in the longest current streak in the FBS.

    “We’re definitely not there yet,” Clemson defensive end K.J. Henry said. “But I can say the mindset for four quarters definitely showed up tonight.”

    Clemson also holds tiebreakers in the division over the Demon Deacons and Wolfpack.

    Clemson and N.C. State came in with two of the highest-scoring offenses in the ACC and figured to trade trips to the end zone throughout. Instead, it was a struggled for each to find points in the first 30 minutes.

    The Wolfpack and preseason ACC player of the year Devin Leary broke through first with a 2-yard TD to tight end Cedd Seabrough late in the second quarter to go up 10-6 with less than two minutes left in the half.

    That’s when Uiagalelei got things going with his scoring run to send the Tigers into the break ahead 13-10 instead of trailing. He sealed the win with a 9-yard touchdown run with 3:04 left. Uiagalelei completed 21 of 30 passes for 209 yards and ran for a team-high 73 yards.

    Leary was 28 of 47 passing for 245 yards and an interception. He also rushed for a 4-yard TD with less than a minute left as the Wolfpack finished with their fewest points this season.

    THE TAKEAWAY

    North Carolina State: The Wolfpack have plenty of talented players, but got rattled in that time right around halftime to allow Clemson’s two touchdowns. NC State now has to cross its fingers that the Tigers lose twice in their final five ACC games.

    Clemson: The Tigers have had to prove their offense was legit all season and, while they didn’t pile up the points like in their first four games, they made enough plays to show themselves once again as the ACC’s top contender.

    BRESEE OUT

    Starting defensive tackle Bryan Bresee missed his second game of the past three after dealing with a non-football medical condition that Clemson said involved blood tests and observation. Bresee and his family are still mourning 15-year-old Ella Bresee, who died of brain cancer last month and has been an inspiration to her brother’s team with the phrase, “Ella Strong.” Bryan Bresee got good news about the tests late this week and his condition won’t have a long-term impact, Clemson said.

    UP NEXT

    North Carolina plays No. 23 Florida State at home next Saturday.

    Clemson goes to Boston College next Saturday night.

    ———

    More AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/ap—top25. Sign up for the AP’s college football newsletter: https://tinyurl.com/mrxhe6f2

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