After winning two of its previous three games, the NC State football team lost to the No. 16 Florida State Seminoles Saturday on the road, 34-17.
The Wolfpack (6-4, 2-4 ACC) scored 17 points in the first quarter, but did not score for the rest of the game, as the Seminoles (8-2, 6-2 ACC) scored 27 unanswered points to shut down any hopes of an NC State comeback. FSU sophomore running back and Heisman candidate Dalvin Cook ran the ball 22 times for 138 yards and two touchdowns, while the entire Wolfpack offense carried the ball 31 times for only 79 yards and one touchdown.
NC State got started quickly, with graduate defensive end Mike Rose sacking Seminoles’ quarterback Everett Golson on the first play of the game, forcing and recovering the fumble on the 10-yard line. But despite the favorable field position, the Pack only came away with a field goal to take a 3-0 lead on its opening drive.
However, NC State went three-and-out on its next drive and was forced to punt out of its own end zone, giving the Noles great field position at the 24-yard line. Cook scored two plays later on a 13-yard rush that broke Florida State’s single season rushing record and gave the Noles a 7-3 lead with 8:40 remaining in the first quarter.
The Wolfpack responded by going on a methodical 15-play, 75-yard drive capped off by a 2-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jacoby Brissett to sophomore fullback Jaylen Samuels to give the Pack a 10-7 lead.
On FSU’s next drive, junior cornerback Jack Tocho, who has battled injury problems throughout the season, tipped Golson’s pass and caught the ball off the deflection for his first interception of the season, giving the NC State the ball on the 30-yard line. It capitalized on a 1-yard quarterback sneak by Brissett to take a 17-7 lead with 24 seconds left in the first quarter.
As the Noles drove down the field, Golson once again turned the ball over, with redshirt junior cornerback Niles Clark coming away with the interception this time. Golson was benched for the remainder of the game following his third turnover of the game. He had committed just one turnover coming into the game.
With junior Sean Maguire at quarterback, the Noles topped off a six-play, 64-yard drive with a 30-yard rush by Cook to close the gap 17-14. FSU then kicked a 40-yard field goal on its next possession to tie the game at 17 going into halftime.
FSU turned the ball over three times going into halftime, while NC State had zero.
In the third quarter, the Noles went 74 yards in 12 plays but were held to just a field goal to give them a 20-17 lead. Samuels fumbled the ball on the following drive, allowing FSU to take over at the 44-yard line. The Noles ended the drive with a 27-yard touchdown pass from Maguire to wide receiver Kermit Whitfield to extend the lead to 27-17.
With both offenses struggling to move the ball for the remainder of the quarter, sophomore defensive end Bradley Chubb picked off Maguire’s pass at NC State’s 32-yard line with 30 seconds left in the third quarter, FSU’s fourth turnover of the game.
On fourth down, freshman punter A.J. Cole III threw a 9-yard pass to sophomore tight end Cole Cook for the first down to save the team from going three-and-out after the turnover. However, it didn’t amount to anything, as the stagnant Wolfpack offense was once again forced to punt on the next set of downs.
On the ensuing drive, sophomore safety Shawn Boone hurt his knee during a play, allowing Whitfield to get wide open on the out-route for a 45-yard score to put FSU up 34-17, all but putting the game away with only 9:35 left in the game.
The Pack drove down the field to the 1-yard line on the final drive of the game, but time ran out before it could put any points on the board.
NC State has a much more favorable matchup at home against Syracuse Nov. 21, where it looks to try and match its regular season win total from last year.
