In a season with its highs and lows, NC State football fittingly had its peaks and valleys against Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon, ending the year on a high note in a 23-13 win.
Between the strong aerial attack the Wolfpack (8-3, 7-3 ACC) showed at times and the inability to stop the Georgia Tech (3-6, 3-5 ACC) run game, perhaps no game encapsulates the rollercoaster ride the Wolfpack experienced this season more than this one.
NC State looked promising on the first drive, with redshirt junior quarterback Bailey Hockman throwing a dart for 12 yards to redshirt junior receiver Thayer Thomas, but momentum quickly evaporated. Luckily for the Pack, Georgia Tech didn’t get anything going in its first drive either, after getting stuffed behind the line of scrimmage on a running play by redshirt sophomore linebacker Payton Wilson.
“I’m very proud of our defense,” said junior defensive tackle Alim McNeill. “We started off the season very bland in my opinion. We knew what we were supposed to do on the field, we just weren’t executing it right. How much we’ve grown this season is incredible. We’ve been getting better and better, and the defense has really gelled together.”
After teams exchanged three-and-outs, NC State started to move the ball down the field. A third-down catch by senior receiver Emeka Emezie got the Wolfpack into the Yellow Jackets’ side of the field, but a sack by Kyle Kennard forced the Wolfpack to settle for a field goal from junior Christopher Dunn to make it 3-0.
Georgia Tech looked to get things going on its next drive. Quarterback Jeff Sims used his improvisation skills to get a first down after facing third-and-long and nearly did it again, if not for a holding penalty that wiped out the long gain.
Then, Thomas showed off his speed and shiftiness on the punt to bring the ball to the Georgia Tech side of the field once again. Junior running back Ricky Person Jr. took advantage of the short field and punched it in from 20 yards for NC State’s first touchdown of the game and a 10-0 lead.
After falling behind by two scores, the gears started shifting in the Georgia Tech offense. Sims and running back Jordan Mason started getting chunks of yardage before Sims finished off the drive with a 34-yard touchdown run to cut the Pack lead to 10-7.
A holding penalty on a kick return threatened the Wolfpack early on in its next drive, but a 33-yard strike from Hockman to freshman receiver Porter Rooks got the ball to near midfield. The backyard football strategy was used again on the drive, as Hockman chucked the ball downfield, connecting with graduate receiver C.J. Riley, who almost brought it across the goal line after a 36-yard gain. Sophomore running back Zonovan Knight finished the job, restoring the 10-point advantage for the Wolfpack.
“Our guys just kept pushing,” Hockman said. “Our offensive line blocked their tail off. If they can hold up like that, we can throw for 300 yards every week.”
As soon as Georgia Tech got the ball again, it got right down to business running the ball. Mason ran through a huge hole created by his O-line, getting close to midfield on the first play of the drive. A nice run from Dontae Smith put the Jackets close to field-goal range, but after forcing a fourth-and-short, the NC State run defense stopped Mason behind the line and forced a turnover on downs.
Emezie showed off his ballet skills, keeping his toes inbounds for a 17-yard gain on the first play of the drive. Then, redshirt sophomore receiver Devin Carter made a difficult catch of his own over two defenders close to the goal line. Georgia Tech’s defense finally took a stand, forcing another Dunn field goal.
Sims ran the ball well for Georgia Tech up to this point, but his passing left something to be desired. That changed on the next drive, as Sims threw the ball with some precision and completed three passes that went for first downs. The Wolfpack finally got some pressure on Sims and stopped the opposing team in a fourth-down situation to return to the locker room with its 20-7 lead intact.
With the ball out of the break, Sims went back to the ground game, picking up first downs with his legs to get inside the Pack 10-yard line, but a few false starts by the offensive line forced the Yellow Jackets to take a field goal.
An unnecessary roughness penalty on sophomore offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu backed up the Wolfpack, but Hockman continued his excellence throwing downfield, this time completing a ball to Thomas for 21 yards and a first down. The catch kickstarted a long drive that brought the offense on the doorstep of a touchdown and a 17-point advantage, but Person was met in the backfield on fourth-and-1, and all of a sudden, Georgia Tech had a chance to make a dent in NC State’s lead.
For the first time in the evening, Georgia Tech put together a drive that combined both its passing and running attacks. Mason and running back Jamious Griffin, a one-time NC State commit, rumbled their way to some first downs, while Sims used his arm to keep the drive alive. The mixed play-calling wasn’t enough to give Georgia Tech its second touchdown of the day, but a field goal made it a one-score game.
“That’s one of the things we take in pride in,” McNeill said. “You might get a couple of yards on us, but we won’t allow you to score [touchdowns].”
Hockman and the NC State offense got the ball to the Georgia Tech side of the field, but a sack on third down forced a punt and put the ball back into the hand of a suddenly threatening Yellow Jackets offense. Even with long scoring drives to begin the second half, the Georgia Tech offense ran out of steam, punting for the first time in the second half.
On the other side, NC State had been stopped on its first two drives in the second half, but finally put some points on the board again. A defensive pass interference penalty on GT corner Zamari Walton helped keep the Wolfpack offense on the field, and it stayed long enough for Dunn to hit his third field goal of the game and his 56th field goal as a member of the Wolfpack, the most in NC State history. Most importantly, NC State extended its lead to two scores.
“This team has grit,” said NC State head coach Dave Doeren. “They were tough together, and our team just finds ways to win. It’s a joy to coach this football team.”
Georgia Tech’s no-huddle offense managed to get to midfield and appeared to have a first down until fumbling the ball, which took an NC State bounce behind the first down marker. On fourth down, Sims threw a screen pass to Smith, but the ball slipped through his fingertips, and any chance Georgia Tech had of winning the game went through his hand as well.
A first down run by Person and a few kneel downs by Hockman gave NC State its eighth win of the season, and a school-record seventh ACC win.
“Everybody makes plays for us,” Emezie said. “This is a special team because we come together and we’re so close. That’s the best thing about it: It’s not just one guy. We need everybody.”
N.C. State wide receiver Devin Carter (88) makes the reception as Georgia Tech defensive back Juanyeh Thomas (1) defends during the first half of N.C. State’s game against Georgia Tech at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C., Saturday, Dec. 5, 2020.
