NC State football returned to Carter-Finley Stadium for its second-straight and penultimate home game of the season; backed by the undying energy of its fans, the red-and-white took down Miami 20-6 to clinch a postseason bowl appearance.
The Wolfpack (6-3, 3-2 ACC) played physically tough defense, making multiple red zone stops en route to its second-straight ACC win against Miami (6-3, 2-3 ACC). Just like it did against Clemson, the Wolfpack offense accumulated fewer yards than its opponent but still managed to come out of Carter-Finley with a win.
Timely turnovers
Throughout the game, NC State tallied three interceptions, one fumble recovery and a turnover on downs — all crucial plays that helped hold the Hurricanes’ offense to just six points. Forcing two of these turnovers while Miami was in the red zone created big momentum swings for the Pack.
After sophomore quarterback MJ Morris was strip sacked, Miami was given prime field position to get at least three more points and take back the lead after NC State scored its first touchdown of the game.
However, junior cornerback Aydan White picked off Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke in the endzone and gave the Wolfpack back the football. This was Van Dyke’s first of three interceptions on the night and gave life back to NC State as it avoided going down early to a Miami team that was averaging 35.4 points per game.
While down 10-6 with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Miami had moved the ball into the red zone and got to the Wolfpack three-yard line, needing just one yard for a new set of downs. However, on 4th and 1, the Pack answered the call, stuffing Miami at the line of scrimmage to get the ball back.
This big turnover on downs swung the momentum back in NC State’s favor. The resulting drive went 97 yards down the field and a 31-yard touchdown run from freshman running back Kendrick Raphael capped it off.
Once again, the Pack’s defense has proven to be the backbone of this team, and when the team can force turnovers like it has all season, NC State has a fighting chance to win games week after week.
KC and the Wolfpack band
Ask any Wolfpack fan and they’ll tell you that freshman wide receiver Kevin Concepcion is the best weapon NC State has on offense. The freshman has 422 more yards and 30 more receptions than the second-leading receiver on the team. He’s also the fifth-highest rusher on the team, averaging 8.6 yards per carry.
Once again, Concepcion proved why he has been the go-to guy not just for Morris, but for the entire offense. He totaled 83 yards — 61 receiving on five receptions and 22 yards rushing on six attempts. His longest play of the game came from a pop pass from Morris that went for 36 yards.
Concepcion’s 83 yards on the night made up 36% of the team’s total yards. Offensive coordinator Robert Anae has been using him in unique ways, slowly making the Wolfpack offense less and less predictable.
Combining his speed and elusiveness, Concepcion has a dynamic yards-after-catch ability that gives the offense the spark it needs to put up points time and time again. As of Nov. 1, Concepcion leads all freshman pass catchers in receptions, yards and touchdowns and is a semi-finalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year award.
Brennan’s back?
With eight carries and 51 yards rushing, graduate quarterback Brennan Armstrong was the leading rusher for the NC State offense. For the first time in many games, Wolfpack fans were cheering when Armstrong ran with the ball instead of booing every time he stepped onto the field.
Anae found a way to utilize Armstrong in the run game effectively compared to the last couple of games where he did very little running the ball. He was given the ball on crucial downs where the Wolfpack needed short yardage. Using his big frame and speed, Armstrong wasn’t afraid to put his head down and lower his shoulder, and it paid off for him.
Maybe it wasn’t the season Armstrong envisioned when he came to NC State for his last year of NCAA eligibility, but at least he’s finding ways to positively impact the game again and receiving love from the Wolfpack fanbase.
NC State put up a stellar performance to give head coach Dave Doeren his 78th win to make him the winningest coach in program history. With just a couple of games left, the Wolfpack will need to continue to put in the work and improve to finish out the season strong.
