NC State football returned to Carter-Finley Stadium to take on Clemson for its homecoming game, and the Pack gave fans a reason to celebrate Red and White Week.
The Pack toppled Clemson in a 24-17 victory, marking the second consecutive win over the Tigers in Raleigh. The Wolfpack benefited from outstanding individual performances and disciplined football.
One-man show
Offensive coordinator Robert Anae made it clear that his offense is a one-man show with the game freshman receiver Kevin Concepcion had against Clemson. The wideout was the team’s leading rusher with 51 yards and the top receiver with 83 yards, contributing 134 of the 202 total yards gained by the NC State offense.
The Charlotte native also supplied the explosive plays the Wolfpack offense has been missing all season. His first came when he took a handoff 50 yards to the Clemson 10-yard line, setting up a touchdown that he caught three plays later. Then, in the third quarter, Concepcion took a slant 72 yards to the house to put the Pack up 24-7, which was ultimately the game-winning touchdown.
Concepcion is a special talent. Now the question is if he will be able to keep this up considering he will be the first name on opponents’ scouting reports. No one else on the offense stepped up against Clemson, so it’ll be interesting to see if future opponents try to make other players beat them and take Concepcion out of the game completely.
Payton Wils‘HIM’
It’s time to start building a statue for graduate linebacker Payton Wilson. You’ve probably heard this before, but Wilson is always a force to be reckoned with. Like every week, Wilson made play after play. He recorded eight tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss.
Not only was Wilson a key part in containing Clemson’s rushing attack, but he also scored his first career touchdown when he intercepted Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik and took it to the house.
Wilson was on pace to have his best game of the season, but he sustained an injury in the third quarter and did not return. There is no way of knowing how severe the injury was, but he stood on the sideline the rest of the game with his helmet on cheering on his teammates. The Tigers’ offense had more success after Wilson left the game, and it goes without saying losing him would be detrimental to the Wolfpack’s success.
Disciplined football
Head coach Dave Doeren emphasized his squad needed to play with more discipline after the Duke loss when NC State committed 11 penalties for 87 yards. The red-and-white did just what its coach asked, only being flagged for two penalties for six yards.
It’s a cliche used by most coaches, but it’s often true — the team that commits fewer penalties almost always wins the game. Much like what NC State did against Duke, Clemson committed penalties that kept Wolfpack drives alive and offensive penalties that set it back.
Boomkester
Punters are people too.
Special teams can win you football games, and redshirt sophomore punter Caden Noonkester, better known as “Boomkester,” proved that point against the Tigers.
Noonkester punted nine times for a total of 369 yards, with four being placed inside the 20-yard line. His best punt of the day was also his biggest punt, when he launched the ball 52 yards and pinned Clemson on its own 8-yard line with just over four minutes to go in the game.
That punt ended up being a key reason NC State won the game; Clemson had to drive down the entire field to tie the game and was unable to do so.
