Despite a late scare in the fourth quarter, NC State football rode a strong game from its defense and receiving corps to a 28-23 win over Boston College at Carter-Finley Stadium for its fifth win of the season.
The Wolfpack’s (5-0, 2-0 ACC) defense was the star of this one, finishing with six tackles for loss and three sacks, and holding the Eagles (4-2, 1-1) to 105 first-half yards. The Pack turned the ball over four times with two picks, a fumble and a muffed punt, but the defense only allowed the Eagles to cash in for 10 points. Graduate linebacker Germaine Pratt led the way with 13 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble that he recovered himself.
Graduate quarterback Ryan Finley completed 25 of 34 pass attempts for 308 yards, two touchdowns and a rare two interceptions. Junior Kelvin Harmon led the way with nine catches for 128 yards and a score, followed by redshirt junior receiver Jakobi Meyers with 10 catches for 99 yards and a score.
“We found a way to win against a really good team and I knew BC wouldn’t quit,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “I thought defensively our guys played about as good they could in the first half, and in the second half just didn’t finish some drives. Offensively the turnovers hurt us.”
The Pack got its ground game going for the second straight week, with senior Reggie Gallaspy racking up 104 yards and two scores on 25 carries, and freshman Ricky Person picking up 92 yards on 17 carries, though he did fumble in the fourth quarter.
“Reggie’s ball security is the best we have, and obviously when Ricky [Person] fumbled the ball you’re going to go with the guy that’s never done that,” Doran said. “Ricky played a good football game but that’ll be a play he learns from.”
The Wolfpack committed its fourth turnover of the game early in the fourth quarter with Person fumbling the ball. Boston College wasted no time moving the ball down field, capping off a scoring drive with an 11-yard toss from Boston College quarterback Anthony Brown to running back Ben Glines, who started in place of the injured AJ Dillon.
Following a failed two-point conversion attempt, the Eagles remained down by 12. After forcing a Wolfpack punt, Boston College drove to NC State’s 2-yard line, where Pratt forced and recovered a fumble.
That fumble would prove important, as the Eagles blocked an NC State punt for a touchdown to make it 28-23 with 3:33 left. The Eagles went for the onside kick but the Wolfpack recovered it and picked up a couple key first downs to run out the clock.
“I just ripped the ball out of his hands,” Pratt said. “… Any turnover is huge at any given moment. As you can see they blocked the punt, it was huge for them. I think it was huge for us to stop them from putting points on the board.”
The Wolfpack offense wasted no time establishing itself in the game, scoring on it’s first drive of the game. Following a few impressive catches on the sideline from Harmon and graduate receiver Stephen Louis, senior Gallaspy punched the ball in from the three yard line to open the scoring for the Wolfpack.
“… We knew that big plays were bound to happen for us to seal games.” Harmon said. “A lot of guys came up clutch: Steph [Louis] had a huge catch. You just need to know that as a receiver you’re going to make a big play.”
After a stop by the defense, redshirt freshman receiver Thayer Thomas fumbled the following punt resulting in Boston College getting the ball back deep in Wolfpack territory. The defense bailed Thomas out, holding the Eagles to just a field goal.
The defense was in bail-out mode for much of the first half. Finley threw an uncharacteristic two picks, including one at the goal line, but the Wolfpack forced a three and out after both.
“Tough as nails,” Doeren said about the defense. “The kids are playing hard, they believe in what they’re doing and are playing together. They don’t care who makes the play or who gets the credit, they just play hard and they bought in this game plan.”
Gallaspy then pushed the Wolfpack’s lead to 14-3 with his second rushing touchdown of the game.
With just under two and a half minutes left in the first half Finley and the Wolfpack offense took over looking to score again before getting the ball back to start the second half. Following an impressive series of passes to Harmon down the right sideline Finley found Meyers for the 9-yard touchdown, giving the Pack a 21-3 leading going into the half.
After the Pack’s opening possession in the second half resulted in a goal-line stall and blocked field goal, the defense again came up with a big stop.
Harmon and Finley continued their connection later in the third quarter with Finley dropping a dime to the third-year wideout for a 34-yard touchdown.
Boston College scored its first touchdown of the game in the third quarter.
NC State will now head into its bye week at 5-0 before heading to Death Valley to face Clemson in two weeks.
“I think winning games like this is important,” Finley said. “If it happens again, you have a sense of ‘been there, done that.’ That was definitely important for us to be able to run the clock out like that and be in those pressure situations.”
Senior running back Reggie Gallaspy Jr. carries the ball against Boston College on Saturday, Oct. 6 at Carter-Finley Stadium. Gallaspy Jr. totaled 104 yards on 25 carries and 2 touchdowns as the Wolfpack won 28-23.
