A late missed FG by Cal and a defensive stand by the Pack lead to a State win
Miscues and ball insecurity almost cost NC State a third straight game on Saturday at California, but a late missed field goal by the Bears followed by a defensive stand from the Wolfpack led to an NC State win. The 24-23 victory marks the first ACC win of the season for the Wolfpack.
Cal, on the other hand, drops to 0-4 in ACC play with those four losses coming by a combined 9 points. Rough stuff for the Bears.
State found themselves in an early hole as Cal scored on a 49-yard TD run on the opening drive of the game. NC State put together a 12-play, 56-yard drive on their second possession of the game, but despite having 1st & goal at the Cal 2 yardline were unable to punch it in, instead settling for a short field goal to cut it to a 7-3 game. Can’t get too cute with the play calls that close in.
The next Pack possession featured yet another 12-play, 56-yard drive, with this one also resulting in a field goal attempt. Unfortunately, Kanoah Vinesett’s 53-yarder sailed wide and the game remained at 7-3.
State got the ball back quickly thanks to a fumble, recovered by Isaiah Crowell, and the Pack covered the 34 yards in just 6 plays. A 2-yard TD pass from C.J. Bailey to K.C. Conception put the Pack ahead 10-7.
Cal had a 40-yard return on the ensuing kickoff, setting up a short field that led to 41-yard game-tying field goal.
Late on the Bears field goal drive, NC State used a timeout to try and salvage some time for one last drive before the end of the half, hoping to double-dip on drives with the Wolfpack set to get the ball back to start the 2nd half. That backfired.
A quick 3-and-out, completed with a 25-yard punt, gave Cal a short field. Quick strikes put the ball down inside the Wolfpack 10-yardline, but the Wolfpack defense did what it needed to to force a field goal. Still, that resulted in a 3-point halftime deficit for the visitors.
State fumbled on the first drive of the second half, which Cal turned into another 3 points and a 16-10 lead. Things stayed there until late in the 3rd quarter, when Jalen Coit fumbled a punt, giving Cal the ball at the Wolfpack 16 yardline. The Bears quickly punched it in from there, and all looked lost for State.
That was when the Pack put together their best two drives of the game at the most crucial time.
Down 13, State put together a 8-play, 75-yard TD drive, highlighted by a 29-yard pass to Justin Joly on a 3rd & 1, with a 28-yard pass from Conception to Hollywood Smothers on the ensuing play. With the game into the 4th quarter and needing 7 points instead of 3, the Pack went for it on 4th & goal from Cal 1 yardline. Dacari Collins, who came up with a big 11-yard catch on the prior play, came down with the catch in the endzone to pull it to a 6-point game.
After forcing a punt, the Pack went 80 yards on the next play in just 7 plays. Joly had another huge play on the drive – this one a 23 yarder. On 3rd & 7 at the Cal 41, Bailey threw over the Cal blitz to connect with Smothers, who took it to the house and put State up 24-23.
Cal put together a long, methodical drive on the next possession, using 13 plays to move all the way down to the Pack 10 yardline. State forced a field goal attempt, which Cal’s kicker pushed wide right.
State was unable to run out the clock and had to punt it back to Cal. From there, however, the Pack defense showed up huge, with Davin Vann almost single-handedly ending the game, registering a sack on 1st down and pressures on 3rd & 4th down to end the game.
State needed that win badly. It puts that Pack at 4-4 overall, making bowl eligibility a more likely scenario. It may not be the season we all dreamed of, but it’ll have to do.
I’m just glad for the win. Let’s enjoy it.