With Their Back Against the Wall, NC State Comes Alive in the 2nd Half Against LA Tech

Going into halftime, NC State was trailing Louisiana Tech 17-6.

All-ACC Cornerback Aydan White didn’t dress today. Brandon Cisse, the Wolfpack’s other starting Cornerback left the game after the 2nd play on defense.

Starting Quarterback Grayson McCall didn’t come back in the game at the 2:41 mark in the 1st half due to injury. True Freshman CJ Bailey threw an interception on his 3rd pass attempt.

The Wolfpack headed into the locker room looking like their season was unraveling right before their eyes.

In the 1st half, Louisiana Tech had 202 yards of total offense, and NC State had 117.

The NC State team that came out in the 2nd half looked like a team that we haven’t seen thus far in 2024.

When your back is against the wall, leaders have to step up, and that’s exactly what Defensive End Davin Vann did. Within the first minute of the 2nd half, he hit Louisiana Tech Quarterback Jack Turner as he was throwing, which led to Safety DK Kaufman returning an interception for a touchdown.

After going 6 consecutive quarters without scoring an offensive touchdown, Running Back Kendrick Raphael ran the ball in from 3 yards out at the 4:23 mark in the 3rd Quarter.

Bailey played like a veteran, leading NC State to outscore the Bulldogs 24-3 in the 2nd half. He was 13 for 20 for 156 yards, and he ran the ball 4 times for 27 yards and a touchdown.

It was a tale of two halves. In the 2nd half, NC State had 244 yards of total offense, and held the Bulldogs to 122.

NC State won the turnover battle 2 to 1, and won the time of possession battle by over 13 minutes.

The Wolfpack’s defense looked more like what we have come to expect from a Tony Gibson defense. 71 of LA Tech’s 324 yards came off of a 71-yard touchdown pass, that should have been called back due to a block in the back on Corey Coley.

NC State overcame a 11-point deficit, which is the biggest comeback for the Wolfpack since 2022.

NC State didn’t meet expectations for the third consecutive week. They were 20.5-point favorites, and only won by 10. With that being said, if the Wolfpack can ride the momentum of the 2nd half performance against the Bulldogs, it will bode well as they prepare to head to Death Valley against Clemson next Saturday.