Last-minute defensive stand gives NC State victory over East Carolina in season opener..!
The Wolfpack defense stuffed East Carolina on fourth-and-1 at the NC State 9 to preserve a 24-17 victory in Thursday night’s season opener at Carter-Finley Stadium.
Defensive backs Jamel Johnson and Ronnie Royal III combined to stop ECU’s Desirrio Riles after a quick catch on the play with 37 seconds remaining.
“I felt like we tarnished our reputation,” Doeren said Thursday night. “It was a game that really hurt me, seeing the way our guys couldn’t stop the run. Three hundred yards rushing, I mean, is an embarrassing thing as a head coach that considers himself a guy who knows how to play defense. And then having the actions that we did afterwards, it was embarrassing.”
NC State limited ECU to 30 yards rushing on 29 carries. The Wolfpack had three fourth-down stops, none bigger than the final one after the Pirates had clawed their way back into the contest.
NC State dominated the stats in the first quarter – outgaining ECU 144 to eight – and took a 17-0 lead less than four minutes into the second quarter.
Quarterback CJ Bailey had an 11-yard rushing touchdown and a 48-yard passing touchdown to receiver Wesley Grimes early in the second quarter.
“We started off at a good pace,” said Bailey, who completed 14 of his first 16 passes. He finished 24-for-34 for 318 yards with one touchdown and one interception. “Offense got it rolling, defense got it rolling. We just got to come out of the half way better. Part of it is me as a leader getting the offense going. We started to feel comfortable with our lead. We can’t do that.” Not against ECU. The series is filled with tight contests, including the last two – a 21-20 NC State win in 2022 and a 26-21 ECU victory in the fight-marred Military Bowl in December.
Unable to run the ball, the Pirates turned to quarterback Katin Houser. Houser caught the NC State defense scrambling on a 79-yard pass and catch touchdown to Jayvontay Conner late in the second quarter. ECU missed a long field goal as time expired in the first half.
NC State extended its edge to 24-7 on a two-yard scoring run by Hollywood Smothers (22 rushes, 76 yards) late in the third quarter.
But ECU was not done. Running back Marlon Gunn, Jr. scored on a four-yard option run on the first play of the fourth quarter and closed to within one possession on a 34-yard field goal midway through the quarter.
After NC State missed a second fourth-quarter field goal, the Pirates had their final chance, moving inside the Wolfpack 10 in the final minute.
“If we score, we’d already talked on the headsets, ‘We’re going to go for two there and go for the win,’” ECU head coach Blake Harrell said. “You’re on the road in a hostile environment and a great game, and I think that’s an opportunity to go win the game right there.”
