NC State football quick hits and notes from win over Virginia Tech

Here are quick hits and notes from then No. 23/24 NC State football’s 22-21 win over Virginia Tech. The game was played in front of an announced sell-out at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh.

Column: NC State turned ugly performance into memorable rally

Tale Of Two Halves Offensively

The chart below best highlights the differences between first half and the second on offense for NC State, especially passing the football.

Also note that NC State technically lost 16 yards on a trio of kneel-downs to end the game, which counted against the rushing total in the second half.

Stat	First Half	Second Half
Points	3	19
Pass Yards	83	216
Rush Yards	47	13
Total Yards	130	229
First Downs	9	12

Call It A Comeback

Thursday evening was the biggest rally for a win for NC State football since the famous comeback from 41-14 down in the third quarter to stun Maryland, 56-41, in 2011.

Thursday was also just the third time this year that a team came back from 18 or more points down in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) this year. This was also the largest comeback in a Power Five game this season.

When factoring in NC State rallying from down 17-3 at halftime to Florida State on Oct. 8, the Pack and Houston are the only teams this year to win multiple games when down at least 14 points.

The NC State Defense Strong (Except For Third Quarter)

Once again, the numbers can help best tell the story.

Stat	Quarters 1, 2 and 4	Third Quarter
Points	0	21
Total yards	42	251
Rush yards	3	47
Passing yards	39	204
First downs	2	8

Spotted At The Game

Thursday was the annual Military Appreciation Day which NC State always turns into a memorable evening.

NFL scouts from the Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns were at the game.

Also making an appearance in the press box was Ripken the Bat Dog, who is a fan favorite for running down the kicker’s tee after kickoffs.

Halftime appearance from ⁦@RipkenTheBatDog⁩ in the press box. pic.twitter.com/XJrxD7plP7

— The Wolfpacker (@TheWolfpacker) October 28, 2022

NC State Football Freshman Watch

We will keep track of this list throughout the season to see who burns their redshirt from the 2022 recruiting class, although early indications are there may not be many.

However, at this point, quarterback MJ Morris and receiver Terrell Timmons Jr. look almost certain to exceed the redshirting limits. Morris is certain to be the new starter at quarterback for NC State after completing 20 of 29 passes for 265 yards and 3 scores.

Timmons caught his first career passes by making 2 receptions for 51 yards.

Also making his NC State debut was linebacker Daejuan Thompson, who had 2 tackles and a forced fumble on special teams.

Players can play up to 4 games to preserve a redshirt.

• Wide receiver Terrell Timmons Jr. — 4 games (Connecticut, Florida State, Syracuse, Virginia Tech)

• Quarterback MJ Morris — 3 games (Charleston Southern, Syracuse, Virginia Tech)

• Running back Michael Allen — 1 game (Connecticut)

• Defensive lineman Nick Campbell — 1 game (Connecticut)

• Defensive lineman Brandon Cleveland — 1 game (Connecticut)

• Linebacker Daejuan Thompson – 1 game (Virginia Tech)

What The Win Means

NC State football is 6-2 overall and 2-2 in the ACC, while Virginia Tech falls to 2-6 and 1-4. The Pack reached bowl eligibility for the eighth time in 10 seasons under head coach Dave Doeren, while the Hokies will have to win out to get there.

Doeren also picked up his first win in three tries against Virginia Tech. Miami is the lone team in the ACC that Doeren has yet to defeat.

NC State extended its current home winning streak to 15 games, the sixth-longest active stretch in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and one shy of tying the school record.

NC State additionally snapped a five-game losing streak to the Hokies. VT still leads the all-time series, 28-19-4. The Pack is 9-4-1 in games played in Raleigh between the two.