Game thread: NC State at Florida State
PREGAME
It's hot here in Tallahassee. I mean steamy hot, still over 90 degrees an hour before kickoff. Stamina and depth are going to be factors tonight as the Wolfpack takes on the Seminoles at Doak-Campbell Stadium. ...
One of the big questions coming into the game is how State coach Dave Doeren will handle his quarterback situation tonight. Matthew McKay is getting the start, but backup Bailey Hockman figures to see significant action against the team he played for during his freshman season ...
Hockman was getting his throws in before the game getting ready ...
Wolfpack wins the toss and as coach Dave Doeren suggested earlier in the week, it will take the ball first and try to get a jump on FSU's fast-starting offense -- which has outscored its opponents by a 56-9 margin in the first quarter this season.
And now it's time for Chief Osceola and his horse .... You can have the whole running down the hill and touching the little rock thing. THIS is by far the best pregame tradition in the ACC ...
FIRST QUARTER
Surprise starter at running back for State ... Freshman Jordan Houston is in the backfield for the first possession, presumably a reward for his strong second half performance last week against Ball State ...
FSU starting quarterback James Blackman came out and called the pregame coin toss, but he's not going to play tonight because of a sprained left ACL. Backup Alex Hornibrook gets the nod ...
After both teams stalled on their first two possessions, Hornibrook drives the Seminoles to the Wolfpack 18, where LB Payton Wilson makes a big stop for a loss on third down. Ricky Aguayo kicks a 37-yard field goal to give FSU an early 3-0 lead with 5:40 left in the period. ...
Each of State's three talented running backs has each got a series to start the game. After Houston, Ricky Person got the second possession with leading rusher Zonovan Knight now coming in to take series No. 3
Although McKay completed a 17-yarder to Emezie (on a very nice catch), the young QB is still having trouble throwing down field. Second down pass went to no one. Third down throw almost intercepted. State punts for the third straight time to start the game ...
A Larrell Murchison sack, a near sack on third down and a shanked punt sets State up at the FSU 30 with 2:23 left in the half ...
And Hockman is in the game ...
An interference call on FSU's A.J. Lytton on a third down throw gives the Wolfpack a first down inside the 15
End of 1 ... FSU 3, State 0
SECOND QUARTER
State fails to take advantage of another great scoring opportunity as Hockman trips over center Grant Gibson coming out from center and falls down for a five-yard loss on third and 2 ... Christopher Dunn with a 29-yard field goal that ties it at 3 with 14:20 left in the half. ...
The Wolfpack has had trouble putting pressure on the quarterback the past two weeks, but not tonight. Larrell Murchison already has two sacks and there have been several other opportunities where Hornibrook has been hit or pressured. Another 3 and out by the State defense gives the Wolfpack the ball back at its own 39 with a chance to do more damage ...
But after gaining two first downs, Knight has the ball stripped from him and FSU recovers at its own 35 ...
The Wolfpack defense is playing lights out tonight. Another sack, this one by LB C.J. Hart, completes yet another 3 and out for the Seminoles and the turnover doesn't hurt. State gets the ball back at its own 40. The Wolfpack now has four sacks already tonight (two by Murchison, one by McNeill and one by Hart) ...
There's the downfield passing game that's been missing this season ... Hockman hits Devin Carter on the near sideline for a 33-yard gain and the Wolfpack has it first and goal from the six ...
But again, the Wolfpack can't punch it in. A swing pass to Person loses three and a throw to the end zone for Angeline is incomplete and Dunn kicks a 26 yard field goal. State leads 6-3 with 6:25 left in the half, but it has left points out on the field that it might need later on ...
With all the pressure State has been getting on Hornibrook, FSU has changed things up to help get the ball out of his hands quicker. It paid off with completions of 22 and 13 yards. Then, on a third and 8 from the Wolfpack 43, the Seminoles QB hits speedy Tamorrion Terry on a slant that he takes to the house for a 10-6 FSU lead ...
Another missed opportunity for the Wolfpack ... fourth-and-one from the FSU 31 and Person is stopped short. Tried to go inside, nothing there, bounced it outside and stopped for a three-yard loss. Short yardage situations have been a problem this far this season ....
Things are falling apart in a hurry for State late in the half ...
After failing to convert the fourth down, the Wolfpack helps FSU extend a drive by committing a roughing the passer penalty (on Xavier Lyas). Then, it gives the Seminoles another 15 yards on a late hit by Tanner Ingle before wide receiver Ontaria Wilson beats his man deep for a 37-yard TD and all of s sudden, FSU is up 17-6 ...
Well, I guess that was a fitting way to end a very self-destructive quarter for the Wolfpack. After Devin Carter makes a great play to get out of bounds with 1 second left, Dunn shtoinks a 42-yarder off the left upright … Halftime score: #FSU 17, #NCState 6
THIRD QUARTER
The good news is that the Wolfpack has survived a long kickoff return to start the half and a 47-yard field goal attempt to still only be behind by 11 ...
The bad news is that it failed to covert another short-yardage situation, this one a third-and-one from its own 10. Adding to the misery is a serious injury to running back Ricky Person Jr. The sophomore had an air cast applied to his left foot and was taken off the field on a cart with what appeared to be a serious injury ...
Two more sacks, including 1.5 by Murchison, and State now has eight for the game (3.5 by Murchison). The problem is, without the offense pitching and putting together anything resembling a scoring drive, all those sacks really don't mean much. ...
Keep in mind, this is a FSU team that gave up 44 points to Louisiana-Monroe a couple weeks ago. State has just 12 yards of total offense in the third quarter. And the Wolfpack's second half woes continue ...
Terry with his second touchdown catch of the game for FSU, this one a nine-yarder. And it's now 23-6 Seminoles. Not over, with a full quarter to go, but unless State starts showing some signs of life offensively -- and quickly -- this lead looks pretty insurmountable ...
End of 3 ... FSU 24, State 6
FOURTH QUARTER
FSU is trying its best to help State stay in this one. That's two roughing the passer penalties on this drive, helping the Wolfpack move inside the red zone for the first time in the second half. ...
And now a targeting call on the Seminoles ....
As much help as they're giving the Wolfpack, State will still need to figure out a way to get the ball into the end zone on its own -- something it hasn't done yet today and only onec offensively in the last three second halves ...
State still has life .. Hockman hits Emezie with a 3-yard pass for the touchdown to make it 24-13 with 13:04 still left. It's Hockman's first career touchdown pass and Emezie's first score of the season ...
There is a swarm of moths that have been flying around the lights all night, many of which have lit on the window of the press box. Some are as big as birds. Quite unnerving ...
State's defense had done such a good job of containing FSU star running back Cam Akers all night. He had just 42 yards on his first 16 carries. Not sure if it was fatigue from a defense being on the field too long in this heat, a missed assignment or what, but Akers just went 41 yards on this last attempt for a touchdown that all but puts this one out of reach. ...
The Wolfpack's last gasp ends with a pass Tabari Hines should have caught on fourth-and-long near midfield with just over 7 minutes left ...
Thayer Thomas is one tough kid. He just took a huge hit while up in the air and defenseless. That's about the third or fourth time tonight he's gotten clobbered and yet, he always gets up and comes back for more. Like I said. one tough hombre ...
And speaking of beatings .... Hockman has taken some big hits tonight too. And that's in addition to the three roughing the passer calls the Seminoles have taken ...
And just as I write that, Hockman comes out of the game limping and is replace by Devin Leary ... the third quarterback used by the Wolfpack tonight. Leary completes his first career pass, an 11-yarder to Cecil Powell, then hits running back Trent Pennix with a five-yard completion on his second throw. ...
Symbolic of the entire evening for the Wolfpack … Leary hits Fisher for a first down inside the five … but he fumbles into the end zone and FSU recovers.
That will put a wrap on this one ... Florida State 31, NC State 13. Wolfpack falls to 3-2 (0-1) ACC with a well-timed open date coming up next week.
