Courtesy GoPack.com
CLEMSON, S.C. – The No. 10 NC State football team dropped its first game of the season in a 30-20 defeat at No. 5 Clemson Saturday night at the Tigers’ Memorial Stadium.
First Half (Clemson 13-10)
The Wolfpack (4-1, 0-1 ACC) started on defense, holding Clemson to a field goal on its opening possession. After Clemson reached the Pack’s 3-yard line, NC State did not allow another yard on the drive, stuffing three rushing attempts before Tigers’ kicker B.T. Potter converted a 20-yard field goal.
NC State also tacked on three points on its opening possession, driving 78 yards on 15 plays before Christopher Dunn split the uprights on a 20-yard field goal to make it 3-3 with 19 seconds remaining in the opening quarter. The Pack converted a fourth-and-1 on the drive when quarterback Devin Leary plunged forward for 2 yards on a quarterback sneak.
Clemson (5-0, 3-0 ACC) pulled ahead 6-3 when Potter drilled his second field goal of the night, converting a 46-yard attempt with 5:47 remaining in the half.
The Wolfpack grabbed its first lead of the night with less than two minutes remaining in the half when Leary connected with Cedd Seabrough for a 2-yard touchdown. The Leary-to-Seabrough connection capped off a nine-play, 75-yard drive that churned 3:56 off the clock.
The Tigers answered with their first touchdown to take a 13-10 lead entering the halftime break.
Second Half (Clemson 30-20)
After NC State’s offense opened the half with three-and-out, Clemson extended its lead to 10 when DJ Uiagalelei found Jake Briningstool for a 7-yard touchdown to make it 20-10.
The Wolfpack trimmed Clemson’s 10-point advantage to seven when Dunn nailed a season-long 49-yard field goal to cut it to 20-13 with 9:06 left in the third quarter.
After a pair of scoreless drives apiece, Clemson capitalized on an interception with a 44-yard field goal from Potter to make it 23-13 with 14:16 left in the fourth quarter.
Still facing a 23-13 deficit, the Wolfpack advanced to the Clemson 36-yard line with less than 10 minutes remaining. The Tigers, however, forced a stop when the Pack was unable to convert on 4th-and-13 from the Clemson 39-yard line.
Clemson scored its final touchdown of the game with a Uiagalelei 9-yard keeper with 3:04 remaining.
The Wolfpack tallied the contest’s final score when Leary rushed in from 4 yards out for the touchdown. Leary’s 4-yard score capped off an eight-play, 75-yard touchdown over 2:11 to make it 30-20 with 53 seconds left.
STAT LEADERS
QB Devin Leary
28-of-47 for 245 yards, 2 TDs (1 rushing), 1 INT
RB Jordan Houston
7 rushes for 32 yards
WR Thayer Thomas
9 catches for 84 yards
WR Devin Carter
3 catches for 54 yards
LBPayton Wilson
11 tackles, six solo stops, one TFL
NOTABLES
- Cedd Seabrough snagged his first-career touchdown pass in the second quarter. It was also just his second catch in an NC State uniform.
- NC State’s first offensive drive of the game was also its longest (in terms of plays) of the season. The 15-play, 78-yard drive resulted in a 20-yard field goal from Christopher Dunn.
- Dunn converted both of his field goal attempts to remain perfect on the season (7-for-7). His 49-yarder in the third quarter was a season-long.
- Payton Wilson paced the Wolfpack with 11 tackles, while fellow linebacker Isaiah Moore ranked second with nine tackles and led the Pack with 2.5 tackles for loss. All three Wolfpack linebackers (Wilson, Moore and Drake Thomas) finished with eight tackles or more.
- Leary’s 4-yard touchdown scamper in the fourth quarter marked his third rushing score of the season. He now has five rushing touchdowns in his career.
UP NEXT
NC State returns to Raleigh for a Saturday night showdown against Florida State. Kickoff at Carter-Finley Stadium is set for 8 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network.
