From thrilling nights at Carter-Finley Stadium to ACC Championships, October had it all. And more importantly, October had more than enough jaw-dropping and heart-stopping plays to keep us all on the edge of our seats. Here are this month’s top plays from the wide world of NC State athletics.
5. First-class Cabezas
It’s never too late to score your first goal of the season, and sophomore midfielder Noe Cabezas’ first was as timely as ever.
The sophomore’s strike came at a crucial moment, getting the NC State men’s soccer team on the board first in a heated match at home against the Syracuse Orange. After he received a pass, Cabezas advanced on goal and fired a booming shot from outside the box, burying it past the keepers’ near post.
While this was Cabezas’ first and only goal of the 2022 regular season, it was surely a memorable one.
4. Thomas’ go-ahead touchdown
Graduate receiver Thayer Thomas played an integral role in NC State football’s thrilling comeback against Virginia Tech in primetime, finishing with 118 yards and two touchdowns on 10 receptions.
Down 21-16, Thomas scored the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. After catching a screen pass, the speedster turned on the burners and took it to the house, finishing off the Pack’s thrilling comeback.
3. MJ Morris jumpstarts comeback
After finding itself down 21-3 against an ACC bottom-dwelling Virginia Tech team at home, it couldn’t get much worse for NC State football.
Then MJ Morris took over.
The true freshman quarterback sparked the 18-point comeback by dropping it in the bucket to Thayer Thomas on a picture-perfect throw. Catching the graduate right in stride, Morris’ expertly placed pass past the opposing Hokie defender allowed Thomas to waltz into the endzone for the first NC State offensive touchdown in three weeks.
2. 28 and counting for women’s XC
Junior Katelyn Tuohy and senior Kelsey Chmiel led the No. 1 women’s cross country team to its seventh-straight ACC championship on Friday, Oct. 28.
Tuohy and Chmiel both broke the 19:30 barrier in the 6k to finish first and second, respectively. Finishing over a minute faster than her performance at last year’s ACCs, Tuohy blew past the competition to take gold at 19:08.9. Senior Samantha Bush and sophomore Brooke Rauber also finished in the top-10 to seal NC State’s conference championship.
With the win, the women’s cross country team is now tied for the longest-running conference championship streak of any ACC school. Should the Wolfpack nab another title in 2023, its eighth-consecutive win will mark its 29th overall since 1978.
1. Devan Boykin saves the day
All signs pointed to Florida State handing the red-and-white its first home loss since 2020. With the Seminoles down 19-17 but in prime position to kick a chip-shot field goal, it was all but over.
However, instead of FSU running the clock down, kicking the winning field goal and upsetting the then No.14 Wolfpack, the unthinkable happened.
As Seminole quarterback Jordan Travis unexpectedly dropped back to pass, he floated a ball toward the end zone. As the ball sailed through the air for what seemed like an eternity and Carter-Finley Stadium went silent, it was sophomore nickelback Devan Boykin who was in the right place at the right time, intercepting Travis in the endzone to save the day.
As dread instantly turned into ecstasy and FSU’s bizarre kill shot turned into a turnover, Boykin’s heroic pick made Carter-Finley explode. His game-saving play turned a loss into one of the most memorable games of the 2022 season, earning him the number one spot on our list.
