Boston College senior running back Andre Williams breaks the tackle of N.C. State’s senior cornerback Dontae Johnson. Williams ran for a school-record 339 yards in the Eagles’ 38-21 win over the Wolfpack on Saturday. " />
Photo courtesy of the News & Observer
Boston College senior running back Andre Williams breaks the tackle of N.C. State’s senior cornerback Dontae Johnson. Williams ran for a school-record 339 yards in the Eagles’ 38-21 win over the Wolfpack on Saturday.
The N.C. State football team saw the last of its fading bowl hopes disappear on Saturday afternoon in Chestnut Hill, Mass., falling to Boston College 38-21 to drop to 3-7 and 0-7 in ACC play.
The Wolfpack had trouble containing BC’s bruising senior tailback Andre Williams, who entered the game leading the nation in rushing yards. Williams rolled up 339 yards on the afternoon, an ACC single-game record. The Eagles’ senior quarterback Chase Rettig had only 53 yards passing, but he didn’t need to do much with Williams imposing his will on the Pack’s soft defense.
Speaking of records, State set its own on Saturday. The Pack’s seven-game ACC losing streak is the longest in the school’s history.
Williams added two touchdowns on the day from 17 and 34 yards out. His backup, freshman running back Myles Willis, also scored on a 19-yard run.
This wasn’t the first time the Pack’s defense has been gashed on the ground. In its loss to Syracuse on Oct. 12, State allowed the Orange’s running back duo of junior Jerome Smith and senior Prince-Tyson Gulley to combine for 272 yards.
With BC leading 10-0 in the second quarter, senior wide receiver Rashard Smith took a swing pass into the end zone from eight yards out to cut the lead to three. That was set up by a 61-yard catch-and-run by freshman tailback Matt Dayes. Smith’s score appeared to signify that State was settling in after a tough start.
But the Pack’s defense failed to hold up its end of the bargain on the next drive. The Eagles answered with a crisp five-play, 74-yard drive capped by Willis’ touchdown run to go up 17-7.
The Wolfpack defense appeared to have atoned for its subpar play to that point by Williams’ fumble at the BC 24-yard line with more than a minute before halftime. It seemed like a golden opportunity for the Pack to carry some momentum into the locker room, but redshirt junior Pete Thomas was sacked on third down, setting up a field goal attempt for junior kicker Niklas Sade.
However, the snap went through the hands of the holder, junior punter Wil Baumann, wasting the opportunity and sending the Pack into halftime still trailing by 10.
The Pack was plagued by inconsistent play all afternoon. In many stretches, the offense sputtered when the defense played well, and vice versa.
The third quarter illustrated that point. State’s offense went into a shell, going the entire quarter without gaining a first down. But the defense held BC to just three points during that span, keeping the game within reach.
State appeared to gain the momentum yet again with some trickery as senior receiver Rashard Smith took an end-around handoff from Thomas and lofted a deep bomb to wide-open senior receiver Quinton Payton, who hauled in the 49-yard touchdown to trim the deficit to 20-14 with eight minutes to go in the game.
But in what became a recurring theme on the afternoon, the Pack let the Eagles off the hook yet again. Williams rumbled 65 yards toward the end zone on the next drive, but sophomore cornerback Juston Burris chased him down and stripped the ball short of the goal line. But BC senior receiver Alex Amidon was there to recover in the end zone for a touchdown. The Eagles went for the two-point conversion and got it to go up 28-14.
The Pack would get no closer the rest of the way, despite a late touchdown from sophomore quarterback Garrett Leatham to freshman receiver Jumichael Ramos. Ramos had a career day, hauling in five passes for 109 yards and a score. Williams scored a late 34-yard touchdown, which finished off the Wolfpack.