NC State Bounces Back In Raleigh As They Edge Ball State
After suffering their first loss of the season on the road at West Virginia NC State returned to North Carolina’s state capital and got back in the win column.
NC State used two huge special teams plays in each half and downed visiting Ball State, 34-23, at Carter-Finley Stadium.
NC State opened the scoring with a 39-yard Christopher Dunn field goal in the first quarter. Ball State answered on the ensuing possession with an 11-yard TD run to take its lone lead of the game. Dunn's second field goal of the quarter made it a 7-6 score after the first. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/9/21/special-teams-plays-crucial-in-packs-34-23-win-over-ball-state.aspx
NC State scored the first pair of touchdowns in the second quarter to build a 20-7 halftime lead. Ricky Person, Jr., rushed in from three yards out midway through the quarter, then Matthew McKay had a five yard run in the final two minutes. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/9/21/special-teams-plays-crucial-in-packs-34-23-win-over-ball-state.aspx
Thayer Thomas took back a Ball State punt 76 yards for a score to push the Pack's lead to 27-7 early in the third quarter. The Cardinals tacked on two field goals to cut the lead to 27-13 at the end of the third. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/9/21/special-teams-plays-crucial-in-packs-34-23-win-over-ball-state.aspx
A third straight Ball State field goal made it 27-16 with 12:21 left in the contest. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/9/21/special-teams-plays-crucial-in-packs-34-23-win-over-ball-state.aspx
Another huge special teams play came when WR Max Fisher blocked a Ball State punt midway through the fourth quarter, and gave the Pack the ball on the seven-yard line. Three plays later, McKay scored his second rushing TD of the game. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/9/21/special-teams-plays-crucial-in-packs-34-23-win-over-ball-state.aspx
Ball State cut the lead to 34-23 with 4:49 left with a 75-yard scoring drive, and that proved to be the final score of the contest after a Chris Ingram interception sealed the game. “according to https://gopack.com/news/2019/9/21/special-teams-plays-crucial-in-packs-34-23-win-over-ball-state.aspx
Instead of bouncing back like NC State Ball State had a setback in North Carolina’s state capital.
The Ball State defense performed admirably in Saturday night's game on the road in ACC country. “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
The Cardinals forced the first two NC State turnovers of the season, turned the Wolfpack over on downs another time and couldn't be faulted for any second-half points. “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
But two NC State touchdown drives before the break and two huge special teams plays in the second half propelled the Wolfpack to a 34-23 victory at Carter-Finley Stadium. “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
"Really proud of the effort of our defense; I thought in the second half they were fantastic," Ball State head coach Mike Neu said. "We were really defending a lot of plays in the first half, and our guys did a good job coming out in the second half and getting off the field."
A Caleb Huntley touchdown run with 4:49 left pulled Ball State (1-3) back within two scores, and Ray Wilborn recovered Ryan Rimmler's well executed onside kick that followed. BSU looked primed to pull even closer after moving into the red zone on Drew Plitt's 35-yard hookup with Yo'Heinz Tyler. “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
But Plitt's throw to the end zone three plays later was batted around and picked off. It was the end of the night for the Ball State offense, which managed the first touchdowns surrendered by the Wolfpack in their last three home games. “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
Plitt, the nation's third-leading passer entering the weekend, surpassed 300 yards for the third straight game. He attempted a career-high 57 passes and hit 35 of them. Ball State outgained NC State (3-1) in total yards but lacked a little balance, managing just 84 yards rushing on 30 attempts, though Huntley averaged 4 yards a pop on 13 carries. “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
Rimmler made three second-half field goals, including two from 43 yards, to keep Ball State within striking distance. But it was also in the special teams area where NC State did its damage. “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
Thayer Thomas returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown less than two minutes into the third quarter, and Max Fisher blocked a punt to swing the fourth-quarter momentum seemingly moments after the BSU defense had come up with a big fourth-down stop. “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
NC State quarterback Matthew McKay ran in for a touchdown three plays later to give the Wolfpack at 34-16 lead with 8:41 left. “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
"We had a couple opportunities where we needed to finish the deal, and we didn't get that done," Neu said. "The effort is fantastic, the heart, all that stuff is good. Each guy knows that we have a few plays that we need to make in order to have a chance to change that outcome." “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
Ball State led 7-6 after midway through the second quarter thanks to Justin Hall's touchdown on a jet sweep and a defensive performance that held NC State to field goals on two red zone trips. Ray Wilborn also picked off a tipped pass for the first takeaway this season by an NC State opponent (secondary mate Bryce Cosby had another interception in the second half). “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
But things flipped down the stretch in the second quarter. The Cardinals offense, which moved the ball to the tune of 134 yards on its first three drives, managed just 33 yards over its final three first-half possessions. NC State, meanwhile, began to find its footing. “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
The Wolfpack put together touchdown drives of 55 and 82 yards to turn a one-point deficit into a 20-7 lead at the half. They stretched the lead to 27-7 on Thomas' punt return touchdown.”according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
McKay scored two of NC State's touchdowns with his legs and finished 17-of-30 for 175 yards through the air. Ricky Person Jr. ran for a game-high 71 yards and accounted for the Wolfpack's other offensive touchdown. “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
Hall and Riley Miller both caught eight passes to lead the Ball State receivers. And one game after setting a career-high with 17 tackles against Florida Atlantic, Ball State senior linebacker Jacob White broke it with 18. “according to https://ballstatesports.com/news/2019/9/21/football-defensive-effort-gives-cardinals-chance-in-34-23-loss-at-nc-state.aspx
NC State will now prepare to head to Tallahassee where they will take on Florida State on Saturday.