Tag: NC State Football

NC State ran 1 of the worst trick plays in college football history against Georgia Tech

Oh NO.

NC State ran one of the worst trick plays of all time in college football against hosting Georgia Tech on Thursday night.

In a terrible play design that should be banished from the face of the Earth, the Wolfpack shifted its formation to send most of its offensive line out wide and just put the center and quarterback out for a long snap.

Well, Georgia Tech linebacker E.J. Lightsey positioned himself to make the play of the night when a quick toss from NC State quarterback CJ Bailey bounced off wide receiver KC Concepcion’s hands and hopped right into Lightsey’s possession for a fumble recovered for a touchdown.

You have to feel awful for the NC State players because why in the world would you run a play like this? The whole formation looked doomed from the start, so the ugly finish wasn’t a huge surprise.

Let’s never do this again, NC State. Please.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN. 

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1372]

NC State quarterback announces his retirement from football due to injury

NC State quarterback Grayson McCall announced his retirement from the sport on Wednesday, citing medical advice following a recent injury.

Grayson McCall, who entered the 2024 college football season as the starting quarterback for the NC State Wolfpack, announced his retirement through an Instagram post on Wednesday.

“I have battled injuries my whole career, but this is one that I cannot come back from,” McCall wrote. “Brain specialists, my family, and I have come to the conclusion that it is in my best interest to hang the cleats up.”

McCall had not played since an October 5 game against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons when he took a scary hit to the head. A trio of defenders closed on him at the same time, knocking off his helmet during the tackle. He was carted off the field and taken to a hospital, but he was released later that same day.

It was the second time McCall left a game and went to a hospital with a head injury over the past two seasons. As the quarterback for Coastal Carolina in 2023, he spent a night in a hospital after a hit against Arkansas State last October.

“I look forward to taking my passion and love for the game into the coaching space to serve and lead the next group of kids with a dream,” McCall wrote on Wednesday.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DBfFNXKp2Y5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The Blue Devils are scheduled to play NC State in Raleigh on November 9.

Upsets highlight ACC football early kickoff games in Week 6

It’s looking more and more like it’s Clemson vs. Miami for the ACC after Louisville fell to SMU on Saturday.

This story was updated to add new information. 

It’s looking more and more like a two-team race in the ACC between the Clemson Tigers and Miami Hurricanes.

The 22nd-ranked Louisville Cardinals, the league’s only other ranked team in Week 6, fell at home to the SMU Mustangs, 34-27, Saturday at L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium.

SMU (5-1) started hot and got out to a 24-13 lead at halftime. Louisville came to life in the second half but a critical stop by the Mustangs’ defense on 4th and 1 from the SMU 19-yard line early in the fourth quarter allowed SMU to take over on downs.

The Mustangs then drove 89 yards on 11 plays, highlighted by a 19-yard run by Brashard Smith that included a fumble that was initially awarded to Louisville but which was overturned on video review. Four plays later, LJ Johnson Jr. carried it into the end-zone from a yard out for a 34-27 SMU lead with 6:39 to play.

RELATED: What channel is Clemson vs Florida State on today? Time, TV schedule for Week 6 game

Tyler Slough was picked off in the end-zone on fourth down on the Cardinals’ next drive with 2:30 to play. SMU got two first downs to run out the clock for their seventh straight road victory dating back to last year.

Elsewhere in the early slate of ACC action, the NC State Wolfpack fell 34-30 to Wake Forest in Raleigh, giving Dave Doeren’s team three losses to fall to 3-3.

Boston College fell 24-14 in Charlottesville to the Virginia Cavaliers. Bill O’Brien’s Eagles fell to 4-2 while the Hoos improved to 4-1.

Clemson (3-1) takes on the Florida State Seminoles (1-4) at 7 p.m. ET at Doak Campbell Stadium. The game can be seen on ESPN.

RELATED: Staff score predictions for Clemson-Florida State Week 6 matchup

Following Clemson-Florida State, Miami (5-0) faces the California Golden Bears (3-1) beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET in Berkeley on ESPN.

NC State head coach Dave Doeren on Belton’s ejection for spitting at a Clemson player

Doeren touches on his player’s ejection for spitting.

During Clemson’s 59-35 victory over NC State on Saturday, Wolfpack offensive lineman Anthony Belton was ejected for spitting on Clemson defensive lineman Tre Williams. The incident occurred late in the second quarter, and Belton was immediately tossed from the game. On Monday, NC State head coach Dave Doeren addressed the matter in his press conference, confirming that Belton will not start in the upcoming game against Northern Illinois as a result of his actions.

“I was really disappointed in Anthony Belton’s response,” Doeren said. He acknowledged that emotions can run high, but emphasized that retaliation is never acceptable, stating, “The guy that responds and retaliates is always the one that gets penalized.” Doeren added that Belton’s ejection put unnecessary strain on the team, and he’ll face the consequences this week.

Despite the incident, Doeren expressed confidence in Belton’s character. “He’s a great young man that made a bad mistake. He’ll learn from this, and our hope is he’ll grow from it,” Doeren said.

It’s on to the next one for both teams.

USA TODAY Sports experts offer predictions on Clemson vs NC State

Here’s how USA TODAY Sports experts think will win Clemson vs NC State.

The Clemson Tigers will open ACC play Saturday when the NC State Wolfpack visit Death Valley for a noon ET kickoff.

It will be both teams’ first conference test of 2024. The Tigers (1-1), ranked No. 19 in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll, will be facing a Wolfpack (2-1) squad that has won two of the past three meetings in the series since 2021, including last year’s 24-17 win in Raleigh.

Oddsmakers have Clemson listed as a 20.5-point favorite to win, per BetMGM Sportsbook, and the staff at USA TODAY Sports seem to agree with those odds.

In their weekly college football predictions released Thursday, the six-member panel of Dan Wolken, Paul Myerberg, Eddie Timanus, Scooby Axson, Jordan Mendoza and Erick Smith all predicted the Tigers to win Saturday’s game against the Wolfpack.

NC State starting quarterback Grayson McCall will miss Saturday’s game as coach Dave Doeren turns to true freshman CJ Bailey, a three-star recruit out of Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Fla.

On the injury front for Clemson, Tigers coach Dabo Swinney repeated this week that defensive tackle Peter Woods was still “day-to-day,” as was sophomore wide receiver Tyler Brown.

Woods was injured on a chop block in the first half of Clemson’s 66-20 victory over Appalachian State on Sept. 7. Brown was limited to just five snaps in the game due to an ankle injury.

RELATED: Dabo Swinney dishes on the ACC’s response to the chop block on Peter Woods

“He was out there (Monday),” Swinney said at his weekly press conference on Tuesday. “He is getting better every day. We’ll see how it goes Saturday.”

Saturday’s game between Clemson and NC State can be seen on ABC.

Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and opinions. 

Former Clemson wide receiver Dacari Collins on returning to Death Valley

Collins is locked in for Saturday.

Dacari Collins, a former Clemson football wide receiver, shared his thoughts with the media ahead of NC State’s upcoming matchup against the Tigers. Collins, who transferred to NC State in 2023, was asked if playing in Death Valley again would feel strange. His response was simple: “No, it’s just a game.”

As NC State football prepares for Saturday’s noon kickoff at Clemson, Collins mentioned that while the Wolfpack coaches have talked about the noise and atmosphere at Death Valley, it’s not something that concerns him. He explained that during games, he’s always focused, so the crowd won’t be an issue. “When I’m playing, I’m locked in,” he said.

So far this season, Collins has caught seven passes for 78 yards. After arriving at Clemson as a four-star recruit in 2021, he decided to transfer last year. In 2023, he recorded 14 receptions for 212 yards and two touchdowns. He also had one catch in last season’s game against Clemson, which NC State won.

Collins will look to make a splash in his return to Clemson, even if he’s acting like it’s not a big deal.

Clemson-NC State football game gets one of ESPN’s top broadcast crews

Here’s who will be on the call for ESPN Saturday when the Clemson Tigers host NC State in Death Valley.

One of the most widely known college football broadcast teams will be on the call for this weekend’s ACC matchup between No. 19 Clemson and the NC State Wolfpack in Death Valley.

ESPN’s No. 2 broadcast team of Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Greg McElroy (analyst) and Molly McGrath (sideline) will have the call of Clemson-NC State, which is set for a noon ET kickoff on ESPN. ESPN announced its Week 4 broadcast assignments on Monday.

It’s the second time the McDonough-McElroy booth will call the Tigers (1-1) this season; they also called Clemson’s season-opening 34-3 loss to the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

RELATED: Dabo Swinney shares an injury update on Peter Woods ahead of NC State

Clemson moved up one spot in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 rankings, reaching No. 19 in the Coaches Poll. The Tigers had a bye following their 66-20 victory over App State on Sept. 14.

NC State (2-1) is coming off a 30-20 win at home against Louisiana Tech over the weekend. The Wolfpack will be without starting quarterback Grayson McCall this week, coach Dave Doeren announced Monday.

Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and opinions. 

NC State football starting quarterback Grayson McCall out against Clemson

NC State catches a bad break for Week 4 against Clemson.

NC State football head coach Dave Doeren shared that quarterback Grayson McCall is “day-to-day” and won’t be available for the game against Clemson football this Saturday. Freshman CJ Bailey will step in as the starter.

McCall got injured in the second quarter of NC State’s 30-20 victory over Louisiana Tech and didn’t return. Before leaving the game, he completed 9 of 13 passes for 54 yards and ran for 22 yards on four attempts. Bailey took over and went 13 for 20 in passing, accumulating 156 yards, though he did throw an interception. He also added a rushing touchdown, gaining 27 yards on four carries.

Doeren mentioned that redshirt freshman Lex Thomas will be the backup quarterback in McCall’s absence. McCall, who transferred to NC State from Coastal Carolina earlier this year, was a highly sought-after player in the transfer market.

Clemson and NC State will face off at Death Valley this Saturday at noon, and the game will air on ABC.

How to buy No. 22 North Carolina State vs. No. 15 Tennessee college football tickets

In just one of two matchups featuring top-25 teams in Week 2, NC State hosts Tennessee and tickets still remain for as little as $70.

After an exciting week of college football, fans can turn their attention to Week 2.

One of two games between ranked teams this weekend, No. 15 Tennessee travels to No. 22 North Carolina State on Saturday, Sept. 7.

The Wolfpack overcame an early deficit and opened the season with a 38-21 win over Western Carolina.

The Vols had less trouble with Chattanooga, dispatching the Mocs 69-3.

Now these two undefeated teams will put their records on the line in Charlotte and limited tickets are still available.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NC St vs. Tennessee football tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/RlB0DXe”]

How to buy NC State vs. Tennessee football tickets

At the time of publication, the cheapest available Tennessee vs. North Carolina State tickets would cost you $70.

When: Saturday, Sept 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Charlotte, NC

Tickets: $70 on StubHub

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop NC St vs. Tennessee tickets at StubHub” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/RlB0DXe”]

How to buy No. 15 Tennessee vs. No. 22 North Carolina State college football tickets

In just one of two matchups featuring top-25 teams in Week 2, the Tennessee travels to NC State and tickets still remain for as little as $70.

One of two games between ranked teams this weekend, No. 15 Tennessee travels to No. 22 North Carolina State on Saturday, Sept. 7.

The Vols had little trouble with Chattanooga, dispatching the Mocs 69-3 on Saturday.

The Wolfpack played a closer game and overcame an early deficit and before pulling away from Western Carolina 38-21.

Now these two undefeated teams will put their records on the line in Charlotte and limited tickets are still available.

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Tennessee vs. NC State football tickets” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/RlB0DXe”]

How to buy Tennessee vs. NC State football tickets

At the time of publication, the cheapest available Tennessee vs. North Carolina State tickets would cost you $70.

When: Saturday, Sept 7 at 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Charlotte, NC

Tickets: $70 on StubHub

[afflinkbutton text=”Shop Tennessee vs. NC State tickets at StubHub” link=”https://stubhub.prf.hn/l/RlB0DXe”]

We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. Vols Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.