Tough to put that NC State football win over UNC into words

How can you possibly describe what happened for NC State football Friday night against North Carolina, which the scoreboard showed was a 34-30 victory?

What else can you say except, for one night at least, the Wolfpack can have nice things.

After a dominating first quarter by the Wolfpack, the Heels controlled the game for almost the entire next three quarters, scoring 24 straight points to take a 24-14 advantage and seemingly putting the nail in the coffin with a 50-yard field goal by Grayson Atkins against the wind that put UNC up 30-21 with just 2:12 left in the contest and the Pack down to one timeout.

The crazy thing: NC State scored two touchdowns in less than a minute of game clock time and won the game without having to use said timeout.

Statistically speaking, when Wolfpack redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary was sacked for an eight-yard loss on first down of NC State’s next-to-last drive, UNC had a 99.9 percent win probability.

UNC certainly felt that way. They received a sideline warning after Atkins’ boot because its team acted like it had just kicked a game-winning field goal with two seconds left.

Yet, what is 100 percent true is that the preseason top-10 Heels squad finished the regular season 6-6, only bowl eligible because of its late-season win over a 1-10 Wofford team from the Football Championships Subdivision.

Meanwhile NC State is 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the ACC. It still has a chance of getting a spot in Charlotte for the ACC Championship Game on Dec. 4. Whether it gets there or not, however, this season will be remembered forever fondly, and this game will take its lore in the pantheon of the rivalry.

From NC State’s perspective, the final two minutes will be remembered perhaps more than Russell Wilson’s 2-yard Hail Mary in 2010. The ending of the game was a convergence of good fortune shining on the Pack after little went right for 58 minutes.

How else can you describe blocking a punt only to have it picked up and rushed for a first down against you? Or UNC’s gutsy quarterback Sam Howell, who put on a tremendous performance in warrior fashion, having a ball flutter when his arm was hit right towards tight end Kamari Morales at the 6-yard line while Wolfpack defenders seemed oblivious to what probably could have been an interception?

Or redshirt senior Daniel Joseph crushing Howell from behind for a sack fumble but the ball bounces back to the offensive tackle Joseph beat on the play? Or NC State sophomore safety Jakeen Harris with a potential pick six dropped on third goal at the 4-yard line with less than eight minutes left and UNC at that point ahead, 24-21?

It seemed like this game was destined for another Wolfpack letdown, and NC State fans may even add, in classic form, considering how much was on the line.

Perhaps the football gods finally awoken to the fact that NC State was overdue for a bounce or two. So instead of Howell’s potentially last pass of his UNC career being a walk-off touchdown throw, it was an interception in the end zone to set off a joyous Wolfpack celebration.

UNC proved not to be a spoiler. Instead it was just another victim in a season full of them at Carter-Finley Stadium, where the Pack scored its first unbeaten year since 1986.

It’s a game that NC State fans should enjoy for more than a night, a day or a week. Remember it for a long time.

Following the game, Doeren was asked what it would mean if NC State did actually get to the conference title game. He said that he could “not put that into words right now.”

“I’m tired,” Doeren said, before chuckling. “That was a hell of a football game right there. I just want to go enjoy the win with my family.

“Wolfpack fans, have a hell of a night. We definitely made it great to be in red. Don’t have to listen to all those people in blue talk for another year. It’s a good night for that.”

It’s understandable that Doeren is tired not only after a game like that, but after a season like this has been. The 9-3 record has been filled the ups, like beating Clemson in a double overtime thriller, and the downs, like losing the key game at Wake Forest with so much on the line.

But there was no moment though like the one NC State experienced Friday.

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