The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/223560
had a good block after pulling on FSU cornerback Nicks Waisome, and sophomore center Quinton Schooley also had a nice block after pulling. Best Passing Play: NC State started dialing up the deep ball against Duke in the fourth quarter Nov. 9. Fifth-year senior quarterback Brandon Mitchell went deep down the left sideline to fifth-year senior Quintin Payton, and the wide receiver beat a Duke defender to make the catch and stiff-armed another to score a 80-yard touchdown and give the Wolfpack a 20-17 lead with 6:37 left in the game. Duke went on to win 38-20. Best Defensive Touchdown: Senior outside linebacker D.J. Green kick-started the Central Michigan game Sept. 28 in fine fashion. Green flashed his former safety skills, stepping in to pick off CMU quarterback Cooper Rush and returning it 37 yards for a touchdown to give NC State a 7-0 lead with 12:16 remaining in the first quarter. The Wolfpack went on for a 48-14 victory. Best Defensive Hit: Pittman delivered a vicious hit on North Carolina backup quarterback Marquise Williams on a twoyard ran with 4:09 left in the third quarter. Williams was taken out of the game, but eventually returned with 1:21 left in third when starter Bryn Renner suffered what turned out to be a season-ending injury. Senior middle linebacker Robert Caldwell gets an honorable mention for going toeto-toe with Boston College running back Andre Williams and driving him backward on one occasion. Best Interception: Green's interception could also go here, but senior free safety Dontae Johnson and redshirt sophomore strong safety Hakim Jones combined for an impressive one against Florida State. Jones absolutely drilled mammoth FSU wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, the ball popped loose in the air and Johnson dove to catch it at the NCSU 6-yard line in the third quarter. Johnson had two interceptions in the 49-17 loss to Florida State. Best Forced Fumble: Jones also had a pretty impressive strip and fumble recovery in the Duke game, but junior defensive tackle T.Y. McGill showcased his athletic prowess with a forced fumble and recovery in one swoop. He grabbed the ball from Maryland running back Brandon Ross — getting a tackle for loss for seven yards — and NCSU took over at its own 35 during the third quarter Nov. 30. Best Special Teams Play: NC State fifthyear senior Rashard Smith returned two punts for touchdowns this season, including a 67-yarder against Central Michigan Sept. 28. The second one proved to help spark the Wolfpack. He went 73 yards at Fifth-year senior wide receiver Rashard Smith returned two punts for touchdowns this season, including a 73-yarder at Duke that helped the Wolfpack pull even with the Blue Devils in the third quarter. photo by Ken Martin Duke Nov. 9 to tie the game 10-10 with 7:17 left in the third quarter. Smith got by two Duke players on the initial rush and then, with help from freshman wide receiver Marques Valdes-Scantling, was guided into the end zone. Luckiest Break: NC State created its own luck with a nifty trick play in the Boston College game. Redshirt junior quarterback Pete Thomas threw a backward pass to Smith, who looked off a covered Thomas and went for a 49-yard touchdown pass to Payton to cut BC's lead to 20-14 with 9:05 left in the fourth quarter. Smith, who played quarterback in high school, showed good arm strength in tossing the post pass to Payton. Unluckiest Break: Mitchell hurt his foot after leading NC State to two scoring drives to start the season opener against Louisiana Tech, Aug. 31. Redshirt junior quarterback Pete Thomas came in on the fourth series with 34 seconds left in the first quarter, and the Wolfpack went on to win 40-14. Mitchell ended up missing five games before returning for the Florida State contest, Oct. 26. The season-ending injuries to senior left tackle Rob Crisp, redshirt junior wide receiver Bryan Underwood and fifth-year senior free safety Jarvis Byrd were also difficult to overcome. Best Performance By An Opponent, Offense: Boston College senior running back Andre Williams set an ACC record with 348 rushing yards on 42 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns in the Eagles 38-21 home win Nov. 16. Best Performance By An Opponent, Defense/Special Teams: Duke redshirt freshman cornerback DeVon Edwards had a spectacular second half against NC State to lead the Blue Devils to a 38-20 win. Edwards returned a kickoff 100 yards to give Duke a 17-13 lead with 3:45 left in the third quarter. He then returned back-toback interceptions for touchdowns within 16 seconds of each other for the final points of the game. On the first pick, he deflected Brandon Mitchell's lunging pass, and then caught it and sprinted 25 yards for a score. He then took Pete Thomas' errant throw 45 yards back to the end zone. ■ 34 ■ the wolfpacker 32,34.Year in Review.indd 34 12/5/13 3:40 PM