The NC State football team’s comeback efforts were halted after falling in a huge first quarter hole against UNC-Chapel Hill, losing 45-34 to its bitter rival Saturday.
This game seemed over before it truly got started, as the Heels (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, State outscored UNC 27-10, but it wasn’t enough.
“I take ownership for the first quarter,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “We weren’t ready for it. Our players kept fighting, our coaches made adjustments and I thought we played a lot better [as the game went on]. We were down 35-7, but our guys just kept battling.”
The Tar Heels totaled 308 yards in the first, 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.
“It was just the tackling,” graduate defensive end Mike Rose said. “When you look back on why we lost this game, it was [poor] tackling.”
UNC scored back-to-back touchdowns to take an early 14-0 lead with 9:06 remaining in the first quarter, traveling 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 run 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’ next drive alive and led to a 53-yard TD 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 take a 28-7 lead with 1:48 left in the first quarter.
Just when the first quarter was coming to a close, linebacker Andre Smith intercepted Brissett’s deflected pass 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 remaining in the first quarter.
The Wolfpack finally stopped the Heels in the red zone, 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 49 seconds left in the half.
On the Tar Heels’ first play after the break, 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 gained momentum, driving 97 yards down the field in nine plays that ended in another touchdown rush by Brissett. After a failed two-point conversion, 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 their lead to 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. Sophomore linebacker Airius Moore recovered at the 25-yard line, but again, NC State settled 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.
Hood garnered 21 carries for 220 yards and two touchdowns while Logan gained 100 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries for UNC. 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.
“When you give up 374 yards rushing, even though we ran for over 300 yards, it’s difficult to win a game,” Doeren said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been a part of a team that won [while allowing that many yards].”
The Wolfpack looks to bounce back in a to-be-announced bowl game after becoming eligible for the second-straight season under Doeren.
