NC State Barely Holds on at Home 31-28
The NC State Wolfpack defended their home field this afternoon in a competitive ACC matchup against the Louisville Cardinals, winning 31-28. CJ Bailey led the offense going 24-40 with a career high 373 passing yards, two touchdowns and a interception, helping NC State produce 493 total yards. A downpour fell throughout the game, yet the Wolfpack and their fan base stayed composed.
In the first half, the Wolfpack controlled the ball more offensively for 18:15, running 38 plays compared to the Cardinals’ 29. CJ Bailey was very efficient through the air, completing 11 of 17 for 155 yards and a touchdown to Keenan Jackson, which put NC State up 10-0 in the second quarter. The Wolfpack only gave up a touchdown when Louisville answered right back on a 1:21 drive, as quarterback Lincoln Kienholz threw a 33-yard pass to Lawayne McCoy. NC State’s defense also came up clutch late in the second quarter, sacking Kienholz and preventing Louisville from adding more points before halftime. The biggest concern was the running game: Jayden “Duke” Scott had only 13 yards on five carries, Will Wilson had 17 yards on four carries, and Davion Gause had 17 yards on seven carries, yet the Wolfpack led 13-7 at the break.
The second half turned into a back-and-forth battle; Louisville came out aggressively on offense, scoring twice in the third quarter to erase the deficit. The Wolfpack scored twice as well, including a 34-yard touchdown from CJ Bailey to Tyran Warren and a 1-yard rush touchdown by Will Wilson. Then came the fourth quarter, and then next thing you know, Louisville broke loose for a 70-yard touchdown run by Issac Brown, tying the game 28-28 with 12:37 left. NC State responded with a 28-yard field goal by Kanoah Vinesett with 5:34 left to take the lead, 31-28. From then on NC State’s defense forced Louisville to turn the ball over on downs, while to offense ran out the clock to secure the win.
The reason behind NC State’s win was simple the offense made enough plays when it mattered most relying mainly on the passing game. They didn’t dominate Louisville but played a smart, physical game, won the turnover battle the defense forced three turnovers turning those takeaways into 18 points. NC State controlled the clock running 84 plays and possessed the ball for 37:20, compared to Louisville’s 55 plays and 22:40. They managed to survive Louisville’s explosive plays and made the biggest plays to close out this closely contested ACC game under composure.
Next up for the Wolfpack is another ACC matchup against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons on October 10th, back at Carter-Finley Stadium at 12 noon. The Deacons are coming off a juggernaut 57-3 victory against Stanford.