The Wolfpack football team walked into Thursday night’s game at Carter-Finley Stadium against the two-time defending Big East champs undefeated in its first two games attempting to go 3-0 for the first time in eight years. And on Military Appreciation Day on national television, the Pack left little doubt who was the better team, winning 30-19.
The Wolfpack opened the night quickly, with redshirt sophomore quarterback Russell Wilson leading the team on a 93 yard drive on the Pack’s second possession. Wilson hit four different receivers on the drive, including the final play, a 16-yard pass to redshirt junior wide receiver Jay Smith at the 9:26 mark of the first quarter. The touchdown is the first of Smith’s career.
“You just have to take it one play at a time,” Wilson said. “That’s the way to get big drives like that—just one play at a time and keep it moving … It’s obviously great to have a great start like that, to get some completions and keep it moving.”
The Pack had a similar drive later in the half, again marching 93 yards for a touchdown in a series capped off by a 31 yard run by freshman running back Mustafa Greene.
“It’s a new adventure everytime [Greene] goes out there,” coach Tom O’Brien said. “He works extremely hard. A lot of the things now are becoming repetition to him so he’s getting where he’s supposed to be and doing what he’s supposed to do.”
But the Bearcats fought back. Cincinnati’s defense forced two turnovers by the N.C. State offense, picking up fumbles by redshirt senior wide receiver Jarvis Williams and redshirt freshman runningback Dean Haynes. Redshirt junior tight end George Bryan helped the Pack avoid more turnovers by recovering two fumbles himself, but said he still has confidence in the team’s ability to hold onto the ball.
“We just had a little off night, but it’s going to be okay because we work on [ball security] every practice,” Bryan said. “I feel confident that the guys it happened to, it won’t happen again. They’re going to come out ready and it’s not going to happen again.”
Despite the offensive woes, the Pack’s defense held strong, holding Cincinnati scoreless in its first six possessions. But on the seventh, Cincinnati junior quarterback Zach Collaros completed a 68-yard bomb to junior wide receiver D.J. Woods to break up the shutout.
But the Wolfpack responded quickly with a 7-play, 72 yard drive capped off by reshirt junior halfback Curtis Underwood’s first career receiving touchdown just before the end of the first half. A missed extra point by redshirt senior Josh Czajkowski left State up 20-7 at intermission. Czajkowski had previously made 83 straight extra point attempts.
In the second half, State’s defense continued its dominance over the Bearcat offense, notching five sacks, led by redshirt sophomore linebacker Terrell Manning, who had two.
“We brought a couple of different packages. Everybody is stunting, getting out of the way, taking on blocks. It’s clearing out a lot of alleys for the linebackers, the safeties and whoever else is coming,” Manning said. “It’s all part of the system.”
Wilson also continued to show why he is a top-tier quarterback in the ACC, going 24-40 on the night for 333 yards and three touchdowns. He also scrambled for 33 yards. The game marks the sixth time in his career that Wilson has thrown for more than 300 yards and the ninth time in his career that he has thrown for at least three touchdowns.
Greene led the Wolfpack’s rushing attack, gaining 84 yards on 16 carries. with one touchdown.
State special teams picked up its first punt block of the year when redshirt sophomore linebacker Colby Jackson blocked Cincinnatti’s Pat O’Donnell with 8:50 left in the fourth quarter to help set up a 25-yard drive ending in an eight yard touchdown pass from Wilson to junior fullback Taylor Gentry.
The Pack’s next game is Sept. 25 at Georgia Tech.
