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While Dave Doeren spent the whole week begging his team not to be put down after his big win over Clemson, it didn’t seem like much at first. The Wolfpack played as listless a first half as you’ll see, mostly on offense, and the result was a narrow 13-10 lead at half-time.
NC State finally started to perform better in the third quarter, putting together a bunch of solid running plays to put the Bulldogs on their heels. The state appeared to assert total control, building a 27-13 lead with a chance to extend it further.
But NC State failed to convert to a fourth goal in Louisiana Tech territory, and the Bulldogs quickly went the other way for a score to narrow the game down to possession again. NC State responded with their third halftime touchdown to increase to 14 midway through the fourth quarter, but gives credit to Louisiana Tech, he hasn’t backed down.
Austin Kendall played well overall and State’s defense looked tired and unresponsive for the first time this season as the game advanced down the home stretch. Tech entered the end zone with 4:43 left, once again putting real playing pressure on the Pack.
And this time the NC State offense went unanswered, putting the fate of the evening back on its defense. Louisiana Tech was working the two-minute drill well until Kendall fell with an injury and inexcusable clock management cost the Bulldogs around a crucial 30 seconds after the backup quarterback came in for a blink. eye. No one on Louisiana Tech noticed that the game clock had resumed, and Tech went from a very reasonable 41 seconds to just 11 with the ball out of State’s 30.
Fortunately, this blunder was too much for Louisiana Tech to overcome, and his last-ditch shot in the end zone was intercepted by Jakeen Harris to seal the result.
The Pack finished +2 in turnovers and committed just four penalties on the night, and those are big edges on a night where State’s execution wasn’t great. It didn’t have to be that close, and NC State could have been more opportunistic in burying the Bulldogs early in the second half, but Tech has been fiery all season and has shown exactly why they caused so much trouble. to their opponents.
The coaches will not be happy with this effort, but the Pack comes away with the victory, which allows them to turn the page and refocus for the return to the league. This team has a huge month ahead of them, and a revival like this isn’t always a bad thing.
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