It was ugly, but it's a pic.twitter.com/8osCdUZSbr
— Chris Hathcock (@NCStateMicMan) August 30, 2014
The following from the N&O about sums it up:
Just when it looked like N.C. State was headed towards a ninth straight loss, Brissett and the Wolfpack offense found another gear for its first win since last September.
Down 17-3 at the half and 20-10 to start the fourth quarter, the Wolfpack took its only lead of the game on Brissett’s 35-yard touchdown pass to running back Matt Dayes with 1:37 left in the game.
Brissett also hit sophomore receiver Bra’Lon Cherry for a pair of touchdowns in the second half and N.C. State’s defense, despite giving up 246 yards on the ground, came up with a big turnover that aided the fourth-quarter comeback.
It was Brissett who made the difference in the second half after a sluggish start. He was 18-for-23 for 213 yards with three touchdowns in the second half, compared to 10-for- 17 for 78 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.
Brissett wasn’t interested in taking any of the credit for the win, though. He was quick to praise his offensive line, which didn’t give up a sack in the second half, the defense, running back Shad Thornton (10 carries, 73 yards) and receiver Bo Hines (nine catches, 85 yards).
[snip]
On the first play of the fourth quarter, the Eagles led 20-10 and then held the Wolfpack on fourth-and-1 from the 9-yard line.
Quarterback Kevin Ellison, who ran for 116 yards and threw for 184, led the Eagles down to the Wolfpack 1-yard line on the subsequent drive. On second-and-goal from the 1, Ellison lost his footing and then lost the ball. N.C. State defensive tackle Monty Nelson came out of the pile with the ball.
Brissett led a 12-play, 99-yard drive to cut the Eagles’ lead to 20-17. Brissett completed six passes on the drive, including three to Hines, before finding Cherry wide open in the middle of the field for an 11-yard score.
The Eagles responded with a quick drive into Wolfpack territory but with Ellison shaken up after a 52-yard run, they had to settle for a 31-yard field goal and a 23-17 lead with 3:35 to play.
Brissett went 8-for- 9 on the final drive and hit Dayes down the right sideline for the game-winning score. Last year, with Brissett sitting out after transferring from Florida, that might have ended with a turnover and a loss but not with Brissett.
See the game winning TD below:
Those boys rallied and saved us all from a monster meltdown. Good work with the #STATEment
— statefansnation (@statefansnation) August 30, 2014
Carter-Finley magic, baby!!!! We usually get about 1 of these a year. (Richmond last year).
— statefansnation (@statefansnation) August 30, 2014
