Gameday Blog vs. NC State

11/15/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football

Nov. 15, 2008

6:46 p.m. - Final Score NC State 21, Wake Forest 17
Well, the Deacs now have to pull for a number of different things to happen, like a UNC win today and a Boston College win over Florida State tonight.

Be sure to check out media relations assistant director Chad Crunk's game story and Scott Wortman's post game notes for the complete wrap-up.

We'll be back with you next Saturday on Senior Day from BB&T Field as the Deacs look to rebound against the Eagles from Boston College.

6:44 p.m. - Final Score NC State 21, Wake Forest 17
The loss was the first for Wake in the last 11 games vs. in-state opponents. Wake has now also lost 10 of 11 to the Wolfpack at Carter-Finley.

After the team went stood in front of the Wake Forest band for the alma mater, the Deacs were forced to make the slow walk across the entire length of the field to the locker room.

6:38 p.m. - Final Score NC State 21, Wake Forest 17
The rain has stopped and so has the Wake Forest two-game win streak.

6:37 p.m.
After Williams had a would-be touchdown grab go through his hands, the Deacons faced a 4th and 6. Skinner was flushed from the pocket and couldn't find anyone open and was tackled for a loss.

State takes over with just 41 seconds left and will take a pair of knees to run out the clock.

6:34 p.m.
Skinner hit Williams on the left sideline for a 4-yard gain down to the 25. He failed to get out of bounds and the Deacs had to burn its second timeout with 1:00 to go.

6:33 p.m.
Back-to-back passes to Boldin and Williams have the Deacs down the 29 with 1:13 to go. 2nd and 10.

6:31 p.m.
After a bad snap, Skinner scrambled for the first down into NCST territory at the 45. 1st and 10 with 1:30 to go.

6:30 p.m.
After a first down, the Deacs faced a 3rd and 4 at its own 49. Skinner dropped back to pass and was sacked for a 4-yard loss. Wake takes timeout with 1:37 to talk about the upcoming 4th and 8 play.

6:28 p.m.
The defense comes up big again. After a rush for six yards on first down, Wilson threw a ball away and for three yards, forcing a punt. The Deacs have it again with all three timeouts left. The drive starts at the Wake 33 with just over 2:30 to play.

6:25 p.m.
NC State's Willie Young blew right through the line and wrapped up Skinner for a nine-yard sack. Skinner didn't have any time to even start the play as Young was on him right away.

Popham's punt was fair-caught at the NC State 28 with 4:38 to play.

6:22 p.m.
After an incomplete pass and a swing pass to Boldin that resulted in a one-yard loss, the Deacs face a 3rd and 11 from its own 43 with 5:46 left.

6:20 p.m.
On a huge 3rd and 9 from its own 18 yard line, linebacker Aaron Curry broke through the line and sacked Wilson for a 5-yard loss. It forced an NC State punt that wound up rolling dead at the Wake Forest 44.

Your right where you want to be if your Wake, with good field position and all three timeouts remaining. Skinner has led the Deacs on five 4th quarter comeback in his career and he has 6:17 left to pull off his sixth.

6:12 p.m.
A pair of incomplete passes a a three-yard run was all Wake could muster on its drive which resulted in Popham's third punt of the game. It was a good one, as it traveled 53 yards and was downed on the NC State six yard line. That's where the Wolfpack will take over with 8:58 to play in the game.

6:08 p.m.
Wake will start with the ball at its own 38 with just over 10 minutes to go in the game. By the way, the rain continues to fall and it seems to have picked up in intensity.

6:05 p.m. - NC State 21, Wake Forest 17
Wilson used his legs to get the Wolfpack down the to Wake 8 yard line and on 3rd and 3, he used his arm to find Anthony Hill in the back of the endzone for an 8-yard scoring strike. Wilson had 29 yards rushing on a drive that covered 69 yards on 11 plays in 4:43.

At the end of the 3rd in Maryland, UNC still leads 15-14.

6:01 p.m.
NC State picked up another first down on a 2-yard plunge by Eugene. The Pack has the ball 1st and 10 at the Wake Forest 29 yard line.

5:59 p.m.
State has moved into Wake Forest territory as Wilson has continued to pick up yardage on the ground.

5:54 p.m. - End of the Third Quarter
We've come to the end of the third here at a soggy Carter-Finley Field. NC State took the kickoff out to its 30-yard line where it will start 1st and 10 as the fourth quarter begins.

5:52 p.m. - Wake Forest 17, NC State 14
Pendergrass had three straight runs with his 3rd down attempt being stuffed for a short loss. Popham then came on and hit his fourth-straight field goal attempt. It was from 24 yards out, giving Wake a three-point lead.

5:49 p.m.
On 3rd and 9, Wilson was flushed from the pocket and as he was running, the ball was knocked out of his hands by one of his lineman. The ball was then pounced on by Boo Robinson at the NC State 13-yard line. John Russell had the sack on the play.

It's 1st and 10 for the Deacs with the short field.

5:44 p.m.
After a false start penalty on 3rd and 6 made it 3rd and 11, Skinner scrambled from the pocket but was sacked for an 8-yard loss back to midfield. Popham's punt was fair caught at the NC State 17 yard line where the Wolfpack will take over for its second drive of the half. There is just 3:18 to play in the third quarter.

Up in College Park, UNC continues to lead Maryland 15-14 with just under 10 minutes left in the 3rd quarter.

5:40 p.m.
The Deacs have picked up a 3rd first down on the drive, moving into NCST territory. Also good to see running back Josh Adams making his first appearance since the Miami game. He has been hampered an ankle injury the past few weeks.

5:38 p.m.
As the Deacs pick up a first down on another pass to Williams, media relations director Steve Shutt made the observation that head coach Jim Grobe has put on a jacket because of the rain. The temperature has also dropped since the first half.

5:33 p.m.
On 3rd and about five, Wilson hit Jamelle Eugene on a swing pass but Chip Vaughn made a nice open field tackle, forcing an NC State punt. Pierson's punt rolled dead on the Wake 17 yardline.

The Deacs take over for their second drive of the half.

5:29 p.m.
Pendergrass gained a total of 37 yards on the drive but he needed 38 as the Deacs went for it on 4th and 1 from the NC State 17 but was stuffed by the middle of the Wolfpack line.

It's now 1st and 10 for State with just under 11 minutes to go in the 3rd.

5:25 p.m.
As the rain begins to fall here at Carter-Finley, Pendergrass is starting to dig in. He has picked up a pair of first downs and has gained 28 yards so far on the drive.

A couple of other quick notes. Big thanks to Scott Wortman of the Media Relations office for the halftime notes. Also, Brad Darmofal, assistant AD for ticket operations at Wake Forest has joined us in the press box (he was a former NC State intern).

5:23 p.m.
And we're off. The Deacons have the first possession of the second half. After a face mask penalty, the Deacs have it out to their own 45.

5:20 p.m. - Halftime Notes
Deacons Score Quickly
- Wake Forest used quick scoring drives to score its two first-half touchdowns. The Deacons went 91 yards in 1:29 to score in the first quarter and then went 68 yards in 1:26 to register a touchdown just before halftime. - The second-quarter scoring drive was Wake Forest's quickest drive that originated in opponent territory and ended in a touchdown since the Army game on Sept. 15, 2007. Against the Black Knights Wake went 55 yards in 1:02, and Josh Adams scored on a 10-yard run. - The Deacons have had three such drives this season, all of which have come in the last two games.

WR Boldin Hits Williams For TD Pass; Scoring Drive Goes 91 Yards
- Wake Forest scored its first touchdown of the game when WR D.J. Boldin hit fellow WR Marshall Williams for a 64-yard touchdown pass. - Boldin became the first non-QB at Wake Forest to throw for a TD since WR Nate Morton threw a TD pass to QB Riley Skinner against Clemson in 2006. - The drive covered 91 yards on five plays in 1:29. It was the Deacs' longest drive since Wake drove 97 yards for a touchdown against Liberty on Sept. 30, 2006. Oddly enough, Morton hit Skinner for a touchdown on that drive against Liberty. - The 64-yard scoring strike was the Deacons' longest play from scrimmage this season. The previous long was a 58-yard TD pass from Skinner to Devon Brown last week vs. Virginia.

Riley Skinner Throws First Interception Since Navy
- Skinner threw his first interception since the Navy game when Jeremy Gray picked off a tipped pass in the second quarter. Skinner had not thrown an INT in his previous 141 pass attempts. - Skinner has thrown an INT in just two games this season. Wake entered today's game just 7-6 all-time (0-1 in 2008) when he throws an interception. - Skinner hit WR D.J. Boldin just before halftime on a seven-yard touchdown pass for his 32nd career touchdown pass.

Miscellaneous Notes
- DE Matt Robinson recorded his 11th career sack in the first quarter. He is now in a four-way tie for eighth all-time on the Wake Forest career list. - Today marked the first time in four contests that the Deacons have not scored a touchdown on their first possession of the game. It was the first three-and-out on Wake's first possession since the Navy game and just the third of the season (at Florida State). - WR Marshall Williams already has a career-high for receiving yards with 84 yards on three catches. - Redshirt freshman TE Cameron Ford made his first career catch on Wake's final drive of the first half.

5:09 p.m. - Halftime Stats

Skinner is 10-of-16 for 108 yards with one touchdown and one pick. Wilson is 11-for-24 for 125 yards and one touchdown.
Brandon Pendergrass leads the Deacons with five carries for 17 yards while Skinner tops the squad with two carries for 20 yards. NC State is led by Wilson's 44 yards on seven carries.
Nine different players have caught a pass for the Wolfpack with Williams and Brown each snagging a pair of balls. For Wake, Boldin has four catches for 43 yards and a TD while Marshall Williams has caught three passes for 84 yards and a score.
State has 14 first downs compared to nine for Wake.
The Pack has run 44 plays for a total of 204 yards and the Deacs have run 26 plays for 214 yards.
Wake is averaging 8.2 yards per play and NCST is averaging 4.6 a play.
Therefore, NC State holds the time of possession advantage at 19:44 to 10:16.
The Wolfpack is 8-for-11 on 3rd downs while Wake is 3-for-5.

5:00 p.m. - Halftime
First the first time this season, the Deacs enter the locker room tied at the half. Wake is also 5-2 under Grobe when it heads to the locker room tied.

Also, North Carolina leads Maryland 15-14 with 1:30 left in the half in a crazy game in College Park.

4:49 p.m. - Wake Forest 14, NC State 14
Skinner dropped back and hit Boldin over the middle his 32nd career touchdown pass. The drive last just 1:26 and covered 68 yards in just seven plays. The Deacs' first scoring drive also lasted just 1:29.

4:57 p.m.
On 2nd down, Skinner scrambled out of the pocket and hit Chip Brinkman down the sideline for a 32-yard gain into Wolfpack territory. After a pair of short completions, Skinner took off for a 19-yard gain down to the NCST 15-yard line. He then found redshirt freshman Cameron Ford for his first career catch. It was an 8-yard gain and the Deacs take timeout with with 10 second left. 2nd and 2 from the Wolfpack seven yard line.

4:52 p.m.
Devon Brown took the kick from his own endzone and ran it out 32 yards to give the Deacs a 1st and 10 on its own 32 with 1:31 to go in the half. This drive could be key for Wake as they also get the ball first after halftime. A score here could go a long way.

4:49 p.m. - NC State 14, Wake Forest 7
Wilson took off on a QB draw and found his way up the middle into the endzone for the Wolfpack's second touchdown of the day.

The drive lasted 12 plays and covered 82 yards in 5:32. Wilson rushed for a total of 39 yards on the drive.

4:44 p.m.
Make that 14 first downs. Wilson found Andre Brown on a crossing route down to the Wake four yard line after Wilson scrambled for another his second straight first down. 1st and goal for the Pack with 1:42 left in the half.

Up in College Park, Maryland holds a slim two-point lead at 14-12 with 5:30 left in the second quarter.

4:40 p.m.
State had moved into Wake territory and on 2nd and 15, Wilson scrambled for 26 yards down to the Wake 26 yard line. It's now 1st and 10 for the Wolfpack with 3:29 to play in the half. The first down was the 12th of the half for the Pack.

4:36 p.m.
Skinner's pass was tipped by an NC State defender and found the hands of Jeremy Grey for Skinner's first INT since the Navy game, which spanned a career-high 141 attempts.

NC State now has it 1st and 10 on its own 41 with six minutes to go until halftime.

4:31 p.m.
Another note, the Wake 91-yard scoring drive last quarter was the longest scoring drive since the Deacs went 97 yards to pay dirt vs. Liberty in 2006. Interestingly enough, that was the same drive that Morton hit Skinner for the touchdown.

Anyway, back to the game. Wake picked up a first down and has it out to its own 38.

4:27 p.m.
This time, Wake held back on the punt rush Pierson banged a good 52-yarder that was downed on the Wake 9 yard line. Kevin Patterson had a big pass break-up on a long second down pass. The ball was again in the hands of Spencer but the big hit from Patterson jarred it loose. Wake takes over 1st and 10 from its nine with 12:37 to play in the half.

Another interesting note, this is the first time in four games that the Deacs failed to score on their first possession. It was also Wake's first 3-and-out on its opeing possession since the Navy game and just its third 3-and-out on their first possession on the season

4:21 p.m.
On 3rd and 20, Wilson found himself with all day to throw but great down field coverage by the Wake secondary forced him to throw it away.

However, NCST lineup up in punt formation on 4th and 20 and as Bradley Pierson let loose with his punt, corner back Alphonso Smith nearly missed the block and roughed Pierson. The result was an automatic first down for the Pack.

4:19 p.m.
Wow! A second drop by Spencer on another long potential pass completion.

4:15 p.m. - End of the First Quarter
Quick Note - Wake only had the ball for 3:16 in the opening stanza while NC State had the ball for 11:44 and Wilson was able to find seven different receivers in his seven completions.

4:13 p.m. - Wake Forest 7, NC State 7
A little trickery! Boldin took the end-around pitch and found Marshall Williams wide open down the middle of the field. Williams hauled it in and walked into the endzone for the 64-yard score.

Boldin is the first Demon Deacon non-QB to throw for a touchdown since wide receiver Nate Morton against Clemson in 2006. Morton found Skinner for the touchdown.

The scoring drive covered 91 yards on just five plays in 1:29. The 64-yard play was the longest play of the season for the Deacs.

Also, the Tar Heels punched it in to take a 12-7 lead up in College Park.

4:08 p.m.
On 3rd and 9, Skinner found DJ Boldin for a 25-yard gain and Wake's first 1st down of the game. Skinner lofted a perfectly thrown ball over the middle linebackers. Wake is out to its own 36 yard line.

4:06 p.m.
Finally! On 3rd and 5, sixth-year senior Matt Robinson broke through the middle and made his 11th career sack, which now ties him for 8th all-time in school history.

The sack took the Pack out of field goal position and they were forced to punt.

Wake takes over after the punt on its own 9 yard line.

We'll also try to keep you abreast of that little game happening up in College Park, Md. Currently, Maryland leads 7-5 over North Carolina.

4:02 p.m.
Another terrific run by Wilson, avoiding Wake Forest tacklers like a game of Frogger to convert State's sixth straight 3rd down.

NCST has the ball down to the Wake 33 yardline. The Pack has gained 112 yards compared to just five for Wake through the first 11 minutes.

Another bad sign for the Deacs, Wake is 0-2 this season when the opponent scores on the opening drive (Navy and Maryland).

3:58 p.m.
State converted its fifth straight first down on a crossing pattern. Linebacker Aaron Curry missed a sack on the play but it was a good play by Wilson to avoid his rush.

3:56 p.m.
On State's first play of the drive, Russell made a perfect down on a post route down the middle of the field but the potential touchdown pass was dropped by Owen Wilson. The Deacs avoid disaster for the time being.

NC State has the ball out to its own 38 after picking up a first down.

3:52 p.m.
Skinner's pass on 3rd and 9 was broken up at the last minute. He had Marshall Williams open down the right sideline but a NCST defender made a good play on the ball.

The Wolfpack take over on its own 27 yardline after a 43-yard punt from Shane Popham.

3:49 p.m.
Hopefully everyone is settled in now. Wake Forest will now get the ball for its first drive of the game. C.J. Washington took the kickoff out to the Wake 25 yardline.

3:46 p.m. - NC State 7, Wake Forest 0
Quarterback Russell Wilson found tight end George Bryan for an 11-yard touchdown pass oon 3rd down. Bryan found himself wide open in the middle of the Wake Forest defense.

The opening drive covered 67 yards on 12 plays in 5:31. The Wolfpack converted four straight 3rd downs on the drive.

3:45 p.m.
NC State has moved into Wake territory after a couple of key 3rd down conversions. It's currently 3rd and 8 at the Wake Forest 11

3:37 p.m.
I can tell you that Wake won the toss and elected to defer to the second half.

The Wolfpack took the opening kickoff and have picked up a first down out to their own 44 yard line.

3:35 p.m.
Welcome to the gameday blog from the Carter Finley Stadium on the campus of NC State. Sorry for the late start, transportation issues bit us on the way over but that is a story for another blog. Here's to a better day all around.

Blog by media relations assistant Gary Petit.