The Wolfpacker: An Independent Magazine Covering NC State Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/98466
seconds remained in the game. State trailed 18-17 when Sade was asked to win the game with a 43-yard field goal. With room to spare, Sade split the uprights and the Pack survived with a 20-18 victory. Play Of The Year: Carter-Finley Stadium exploded when Glennon connected with Underwood on a short underneath pass against the Noles for the game winner. FSU junior defensive back Terrence Brooks delivered a jarring late hit to try to separate Underwood from the ball, but all Brooks succeeded in doing was drawing a 15-yard personal foul flag. Best Running Play: The longest rushing play of the year came at Miami Sept. 29 when redshirt sophomore tailback Tony Creecy took a handoff around the left side for a 43-yard scamper, setting up his own one-yard plunge into the end zone on the next play. Best Passing Play: A little more than halfway through the second quarter versus UNC, Glennon rolled out of the pocket and looked down the field to see Palmer running literally all by himself behind the secondary. Glennon uncorked a pass that traveled more than 60 yards in the air to Palmer, who calmly hauled in the reception and ran it in for an 83-yard touchdown. The score was the ninth-longest pass in Wolfpack history. Best Defensive Play: FSU was leading NC State 16-10 with less than 11 minutes to go and driving when the Seminoles faced a third-and-two at the NCSU 19. Florida State fifth-year senior quarterback EJ Manuel ran a bootleg to the right, but when the play was swallowed up, he tried to turn around and reverse field. Instead, he ran right into the arms of pursuing junior defensive back Dontae Johnson for a sack at the 32, a 13-yard loss that pushed the Noles out of field goal range. Best Defensive Touchdown: Believe it or not, there was only one defensive touchdown this season for NC State, and it did not come until the regular-season finale against Boston College Nov. 24 in Raleigh. Junior cornerback David Amerson provided it after Boston College redshirt junior quarterback Chase Rettig's pass was deflected by redshirt freshman corner Juston Burris. Amerson scooped the ball out of the air for an interception and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown with just 27 seconds left before halftime to put NCSU up 14-3 at the break. Best Defensive Hit: There was not a lot of hitting going on in the Clemson game while the two teams combined to pile up 1,351 total yards. But NC State fifth-year senior safety Earl Wolff did get one clean shot on Clemson redshirt junior signalcaller Tajh Boyd, leveling Boyd on a quarterback draw late in the fourth quarter. The hit was hard enough to send Boyd to the sideline for a play. Best Special Teams Play: NC State redshirt freshman defensive end Mike Rose is not typically on the punt block team, but he trotted out onto the field with 2:27 to go in the fourth quarter against FSU and the Noles leading 16-10. He took the place of injured redshirt sophomore fullback Logan Winkles. Rose used every inch of his 6-4 frame to stretch out and block the punt, setting up NC State with a short field on what would prove to be the game-winning drive. Best Kick Return: Palmer made sure that there would be no doubt about the Wake Fifth-year senior wide receiver Tobais Palmer starred on special teams this season, returning a kickoff for a touchdown versus Wake Forest and also bringing back eight kicks for 277 yards at Clemson. photo by ken martin 36 ■ the wolfpacker 34,36,38.FB Year In Review.indd 36 12/11/12 2:36 PM