NC State football extended its winning streak to four games, taking down Virginia Tech 35-28 in a surprising offensive shootout. With the win, the Pack also claimed its first victory in Blacksburg, Virginia, since 2004. 

The Wolfpack’s offense was sparked once again by two players — graduate quarterback Brennan Armstrong and freshman receiver Kevin Concepcion — and the defense showed signs of mortality against the Hokies. Here are some key takeaways from the Pack’s fourth straight win.

The sequel is better in this case

Many fans were not pleased to hear the news that sophomore quarterback MJ Morris is redshirting the season because they knew Armstrong would be the lead signal caller once again. And there was good reason for despair — Armstrong had struggled to protect the ball and produce big plays his first time around, but his second go as quarterback has exceeded everyone’s expectations.

Entering the game against Virginia Tech, the Pack’s offensive plan was always going to be running the ball against a Hokies team that ranked 10th in the ACC in rushing yards against per game. Armstrong once again led the charge on the ground with 21 carries for 89 yards. The Virginia transfer punished the defense, seeking contact on every carry. His bowling ball style of running earned him two rushing touchdowns for the game.

With Armstrong finding success on the ground, the passing game opened up and he thrived for the second straight week. Eighteen completions for 206 yards may not sound like amazing numbers, but he got the ball out on time and made the correct reads to keep the chains moving. The captain of the offense also threw two touchdown passes, including a 28-yard laser to Concepcion.

It can’t be overstated how impressive Armstrong has been these past two weeks given all the adversity he went through. He could have easily quit on his team after getting benched, but instead, he continued to get better, and that hard work has paid off.

One name only

Concepcion has officially entered the rare air where everyone recognizes his last name without needing to hear his first name. He accomplished this feat by becoming the team’s best playmaker as a true freshman, taking his game to a completely different level against the Hokies.

Armstrong and Concepcion started to build chemistry before the Virginia transfer was benched, and the two picked up right where they left off as Concepcion hauled in seven receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns.

Wolfpack fans are used to this by now, but the freshman was also one of the most effective runners on the team, receiving nine carries for 44 yards. He had the best yards per carry on the team, and his elusiveness from the backfield makes him just as good of a runner as he is a pass catcher.

What can’t Concepcion do? Well, before the game, the only thing Concepcion hadn’t done on offense was throw the ball. But the freshman got his chance to try out for the Pack’s starting quarterback job when he threw a touchdown to graduate tight end Trent Pennix in the third quarter.

The Achilles heel

If there has been one thing to complain about when looking at the Pack’s defense, it tends to give up explosive touchdowns. Although, since the loss against Duke where it gave up a few backbreaking long touchdowns, the defense hadn’t allowed a touchdown over 20 yards. But the Achilles’ heel made its return against Virginia Tech and kept the Hokies in the game.

The first explosive touchdown came off a creative play that fooled the entire defense — the Hokies’ quarterback sprinted out left with the entire offensive line pulling and at the last second, pitched it backward to his receiver, who took it 47 yards for a touchdown. More credit should go to the offense for a perfectly executed play, but defensive coordinator Tony Gibson won’t let that excuse fly with his unit.

Already having a 40-plus-yard touchdown run under their belts, the Hokies decided to go through the air for their next long touchdown. It was once again another perfectly executed play by the Hokies’ offense. The Virginia Tech receiver ran a great route down the sideline, and his quarterback threw a perfectly placed ball right over the shoulder for a 42-yard score.

These are the types of plays that haunted the Pack’s defense early in the season but had faded away until recently. With how well the defense has been playing lately, this could just be seen as a fluke, but Gibson’s unit will have to correct the mistakes that led to these plays because UNC-Chapel Hill quarterback Drake Maye will expose them next week if not corrected.