The NC State football team’s comeback efforts were halted after falling into a huge first quarter hole against the North Carolina Tar Heels, losing 45-34 to its bitter rival Saturday.
This game seemed to be over before it even started, as UNC-Chapel Hill (11-1, 8-0 ACC) took a 35-7 lead over the Wolfpack (7-5, 3-5 ACC) at the end of the first quarter. From the second quarter on, the Pack outscored UNC 27-10, but it wasn’t enough. The Tar Heels totaled 308 yards in the quarter, 214 of which came on the ground, while NC State tallied just 134 total yards. North Carolina ended the game with 374 rushing yards and four touchdowns while averaging 9.1 yards per carry.
The Tar Heels started off quickly, scoring back-to-back touchdowns to take an early 14-0 lead with 9:06 remaining in the first quarter. They went 164 total yards in its first two drives that resulted in a 5-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Quinshad Davis and a 42-yard touchdown rush by running back T.J. Logan.
The Wolfpack then fired back on the next possession. Sophomore fullback Jaylen Samuels got wide open in the seam for a 64-yard pass, and senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett finished with an acrobatic 4-yard touchdown to close the gap 14-7.
However, NC State couldn’t keep the momentum going, as an unnecessary roughness penalty against the Pack on third down kept the Heels drive alive, scoring on the next play on a 53-yard pass to wide receiver Mack Hollins. North Carolina once again scored on back-to-back possessions, with Logan scoring on a 40-yard rush to give it a 28-7 lead with 1:48 left in the first quarter.
Just when you thought the first quarter was coming to a close, linebacker Andre Smith intercepted Brissett’s pass off the deflection and took it to the 4-yard line. Running back Elijah Hood scored three plays later to give UNC a 35-7 lead with 51 seconds still remaining in the first quarter.
The Wolfpack finally stopped the Heels in the red zone on the next drive, with redshirt sophomore linebacker Jerod Fernandez intercepting quarterback Marquise Williams’ pass on the 9-yard line. NC State then drove 79 yards in 14 plays capped off by a 16-yard touchdown pass from Brissett to redshirt junior tight end David J. Grinnage to cut the lead to 35-14 with 57 seconds left in the half.
On the Tar Heels’ first play of the half, sophomore defensive tackle Kentavius Street forced a fumble that was recovered by graduate cornerback Juston Burris at the 12-yard line. However, the Pack only came away with a field goal to make it a 35-17 game.
NC State once again got some momentum going as it drove 97 yards down the field in nine plays that ended in another touchdown rush by Brissett. However, the two point conversion failed, so the score was 35-23 with 3:45 remaining in the third quarter.
The Heels responded by going on an 11-play, 73-yard drive capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Hood to extend the lead 42-23 with 14:29 left in the game. It was the first time UNC scored since the first quarter.
On UNC’s next possession, the Pack forced yet another fumble, this time on Williams, recovered by sophomore linebacker Airius Moore at the 25-yard line. Again, NC State responded by settling for a field goal to make it 42-26 with 9:35 remaining.
The Wolfpack’s onside kick attempt failed, giving North Carolina great field position on the 31-yard line. The Tar Heels then kicked a field goal to once again make it a three-possession game with 5:30 left in the game to put the icing on the cake.
Hood garnered 21 carries for 220 yards and two touchdowns while Logan gained 100 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries for UNC. For NC State, Brissett passed for 206 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, and led the team in rushing with 128 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries.
With the Wolfpack losing its final game of the regular season, it looks to bounce back in its bowl game after becoming bowl-eligible for the second straight season under head coach Dave Doeren.
Junior Cornerback Jack Tocho fails to make a diving tackle during a long UNC touchdown run in the first quarter. Tocho finished the game with 4 total tackles. The NC State Wolfpack fell to the UNC Tarheels, in the last home game of the season, 45-34 at Carter-Finley Stadium on November 28, 2015.
