The NC State football team won its last regular season game and clinched bowl eligibility for the third-straight season as it took down archrival UNC-Chapel Hill, 28-21, Friday at Kenan Stadium.
The Wolfpack (6-6, 3-5 ACC) gashed the Tar Heels (8-4, 5-3 ACC) on the ground, rushing for 259 yards, led by senior running back Matt Dayes, who played his final regular season game for NC State and led the Pack with 26 carries for 104 yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
“I know in the past it was rough for us,” Dayes said. “There were a lot of games that we should have won. We were just thankful that we were able to finish this one.”
The Pack opened up the playbook on its first drive, as redshirt sophomore quarterback Ryan Finely tossed it to junior tight end Jaylen Samuels, who launched a 59-yard touchdown pass to redshirt sophomore wide receiver Stephen Louis, the Pack’s leading receiver on the day with four catches for 124 yards and a touchdown.
“Coach [Eli] Drink[witz] told me that it was going to be the fifth play of the game, so I knew it was coming early,” Samuels said. “I knew I could be the spark of the game. They weren’t expecting me to throw the ball.”
State’s ability to pressure the quarterback paid off in this rivalry game. Senior defensive back Dravious Wright knocked the ball loose from junior quarterback Mitch Trubisky on a blitz and junior defensive end Bradley Chubb recovered, giving the Wolfpack possession at the opposing 29-yard line. The drive was highlighted by redshirt sophomore backup quarterback Jalan McClendon’s run for 12 yards to set up a 1-yard touchdown rush by Dayes to put the Pack up 14-0.
“I told them last week after the game that we were going to win this game; I guaranteed a win,” redshirt junior safety Josh Jones said. “I believe in my brothers; I believe in my coaching staff. It was just confidence in this team, knowing that we can go out there on any given day and line up against anybody and get the win.”
The Pack’s offense continued to look lethal in the second quarter of play, as State started its first drive of the quarter with a 53-yard strike from Finely to Louis to bring the Wolfpack deep into UNC territory. Dayes rushed up the middle for an 18-yard touchdown on fourth down, putting the Wolfpack up 21-0. The score tied Dayes for third all-time in school history for most rushing touchdowns.
UNC wouldn’t stay quiet for long, and a costly fumble by the Pack helped North Carolina get right back into the game. The Heels recovered the ball and took advantage, as a short pass from Trubisky to senior wide receiver Ryan Switzer, who burned the Pack through the air with 13 catches for 171 yards and a touchdown in this game, put the Heels on the board.
Rivalry games always tend to get chippy and this one was no different. Finley threw an incomplete screen pass to Dayes; however, players on the field initially thought it was a fumble. The pigskin rolled 30 yards down the field and was touched by just about everyone until UNC finally pounced on it. Following the play, a scuffle broke out near midfield, clearing both benches and resulting in a brawl where multiple flags were thrown. UNC sophomore defensive tackle Jalen Dalton was ejected for throwing a punch at an NC State player.
The Wolfpack picked up the second half right where it left off, as it ran the ball a total of eight times for 32 yards in its opening drive. The trick plays also kept coming, as Dayes lined took the direct snap from the wildcat and handed it off to Samuels, who dashed into the endzone for a 4-yard touchdown.
North Carolina began finding some success through the air to open the final quarter. Trubisky lofted a 45-yard bomb to Switzer, who yet again torched the Wolfpack secondary. UNC moved the ball quickly in a drive that cumulated in a 7-yard touchdown grab by junior wide receiver Thomas Jackson to bring the Heels within two scores.
The Wolfpack defense looked to be the unsung hero in this game, as it held the Heels to a fourth down on Carolina’s 46-yard line. UNC wouldn’t go away that easily though, and it converted on fourth down. Trubisky flung the ball half the length of the field to stud senior receiver Bug Howard who reeled it in for a touchdown to bring the Heels within one score. However, the Pack defense stood tall and forced a turnover on downs on UNC’s final possession before the team salted away the rest of the game.
“In the Miami game, we came out and played fast as a defense in the first half, but we didn’t finish,” Jones said. “What we’ve got to continue to work on defense is to keep putting our foot on the gas; don’t let up. We’ve got to learn how to continue to finish the game, execute and make plays.”
The win will send NC State to a bowl game for the third straight year, but head coach Dave Doeren said the focus was on something else for this game.
“To me, it’s not about that,” Doeren said. “It’s about these players and these coaches hanging together amidst a lot of heart-breaking days, negativity and doubt. We didn’t [doubt]. The guys just kept fighting for each other; they know where our program is headed. That’s what this is about.”
Stephen Louis, a sophomore wide receiver, celebrates after the victory over UNC-CH. Louis scored the first touchdown of the game for the Pack on Friday in Kenan Stadium. The Wolfpack defeated the Tar Heels 28-21.
