How much the ACC will fine NC State following a field storming after win over No. 8 Georgia Tech

As NC State redshirt freshman running back Duke Scott plunged into Carter-Finley Stadium’s west end zone with just over four minutes to play against No. 8 Georgia Tech, the Wolfpack student section could feel the top-10 win brewing on the opposite end of the field. 

The student section, clad in a combination of black and red, moved into position on the railing of the east end zone. They stood there for the remainder of game action, but by the time graduate linebacker Caden Fordham nabbed the game-sealing interception, the students flooded the field to cap a 48-36 win over the previously unbeaten Yellow Jackets. 

It started a more than 60-second stream of bodies flowing onto the brand-new natural grass playing surface that filled most of the sod with jubilant fans after the Wolfpack’s second-ever top-10 win under coach Dave Doeren. 

But how much will NC State’s celebration cost the athletic department? A $50,000 bill from the ACC is likely to make its way to Boo Corrigan’s office after the fans stormed the field before Georgia Tech’s players and staff were able to exit through the visiting tunnel, according to the conference’s league policy. 

It will be the first time NC State has received such a fine from the league office, which is likely to be issued on Sunday.

Although the Wolfpack will have to foot the bill, it’s likely to do so without hesitation after it was able to outscore the Yellow Jackets’ high-powered offense in the shootout. 

Sophomore quarterback CJ Bailey was 24-of-32 passing for 340 yards with 2 touchdowns, while he also rushed for 34 yards with another score on five carries. Even though the captain did his part, Scott posted a career-best effort with 196 yards and a touchdown on 24 attempts to pace NC State’s offense. 

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Noah Rogers, meanwhile, led the Wolfpack with seven receptions for 72 yards. Freshman wideout Teddy Hoffmann and senior tight end Cody Hardy each caught a touchdown pass in the victory. 

While the game was dominated by offense, NC State’s defense did enough to earn the win as it limited Georgia Tech to three field goals, despite the Yellow Jackets reaching the red zone six times. Fordham tied his career best with 15 total tackles, while he added his first-career interception. Graduate linebacker Kenny Soares added 14 tackles, along with graduate outside linebacker Cian Slone and redshirt freshman defensive back Asaad Brown’s 10 stops each.