RALEIGH, N.C. – The NC State football team outscored Florida State 16-0 in the second half to battle back for a 19-17 win at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday night.
FIRST HALF (Florida State 17-3)
After a pair of scoreless possessions from the Wolfpack and Seminoles, NC State defensive lineman Davin Vann helped the Pack defense force a three-and-out when he beat his man on the right side of the offensive line to sack Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis for a 10-yard loss.
The Pack offense built off the defense’s momentum, capping off a 7-play, 38-yard drive with a 38-yard field goal by Christopher Dunn to make it 3-0.
NC State’s defense then came up with another key stop, forcing the Seminoles to turn it over on downs with a fourth-down stop at its 23-yard line on the first play of the second quarter.
The Seminoles took their first lead with a quick two-play, 85-yard drive when Travis connected with Mycah Pittman for a 14-yard touchdown. Travis opened the scoring drive with a 71-yard quarterback keeper to advance into the red zone.
The ‘Noles extended their lead to a game-high 14 points with a pair of scores in the final minute. The Seminoles scored their second touchdown of the night with 48 seconds remaining to make it 14-3 before kicker Alex Mastromanno converted a 47-yard field goal as the clock expired to make it 17-3 at the break.
SECOND HALF (NC State 19-17)
NC State’s offense marched right down the field to open the second half, trimming Florida State’s lead to 17-10 when Devin Leary connected with Darryl Jones for a 10-yard touchdown pass to cap off a 10-play, 84-yard drive.
Dunn helped cut Florida State’s lead down to one point with his second and third field-goal conversions of the night, connecting on tries from 40 yards and 53 yards to make it a 17-16 game.
Backup quarterback Jack Chambers, who entered the game in the third quarter following an injury to Leary, led the Wolfpack on three scoring drives, all of which ended with Dunn field-goal conversions. Dunn’s 27-yarder with 6:33 remaining in the fourth quarter proved to be the game-winner.
NC State’s defense posted back-to-back stops to seal the victory. Florida State’s first drive following Dunn’s game-winning kick lasted just one play when Shyheim Battle picked off Travis’ pass with 6:24 left.
Another key interception, this time from Devan Boykin in NC State’s own end zone, sealed the victory for the Pack with 38 seconds remaining.
STAT LEADERS
QB Devin Leary
10-of-23 for 130 yards, 1 TD/1 INT
RB Jordan Houston
24 rushes for 90 yards; 2 catches for 41 yards
WR Darryl Jones
2 catches for 19 yards, 1 TD
LB Drake Thomas
14 tackles, seven solo stops, two TFL, two pass breakups
NOTABLES
- For the first time in program history, NC State has defeated Florida State three straight times.
- NC State trailed 17-3 at the half before outscoring Florida State 16-0 in the second half to win 19-17. The Pack last came back from a 14-point deficit on Aug. 30, 2014 when it battled back from a 17-3 halftime deficit to Georgia Southern to win 24-23.
- Florida State’s offense posted 10 first downs and 294 yards in the first half, but NC State’s defense limited the Seminoles to just 93 yards and five first downs in the final 30 minutes. Four of the five first downs and 65 of the 93 yards came on FSU’s final drive before NC State recorded the interception.
- NC State extended its home winning streak to 14 games, which ranks as the fifth-longest active streak in the FBS.
- Christopher Dunn knocked in four field goals against the Seminoles, including tying his career-high with a 53-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. Dunn’s four field goals tied a career-high, which he also accomplished in games against Florida State in 2018 and 2019. Dunn is now a perfect 11-for-11 on the season.
- Darryl Jones hauled in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Devin Leary on the Pack’s first possession of the second half. It was Jones’ first-career touchdown reception as a member of the Wolfpack.
- Devan Boykin sealed the win for the Pack with an interception in the end zone with 38 seconds remaining. It was Boykin’s first-career interception.
UP NEXT
NC State will hit the road for its second ACC road contest of the season, facing off against No. 22 Syracuse on Saturday. Kickoff at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York, is set for 3:30 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network.
