CJ Bailey completed 13 of 20 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown, while adding 22 rushing yards and a score on the ground, as NC State escaped with a 24-17 win over visiting Northern Illinois on Saturday at Raleigh, N.C.
The Wolfpack offense mustered just 171 total yards, but the defense forced four Northern Illinois turnovers. Noah Rogers caught two passes for 48 yards, as NC State (3-2) wrapped up its nonconference schedule.
Ethan Hampton completed 14 of 29 passes for 159 yards one touchdown and two interceptions for Northern Illinois. Antario Brown rushed the ball 28 times for a game-high 114 yards, as the Huskies (2-2) dropped their second straight after an impressive win at Notre Dame.
Early in the second half, NC State’s Darin Vann’s sack cause Hampton’s to fumble on his own 1-yard line. Three plays later, Bailey found Kevin Concepcion for a 3-yard touchdown pass, giving the Wolfpack a 24-14 lead with 11:46 left in the third quarter.
Kanon Woodill’s 50-yard field goal cut into the Huskies’ deficit with 14:46 remaining. The Huskies’ defense forced a Wolfpack punt with 4:23 left, but Devon Marshall picked off Hampton on the following Northern Illinois play.
After a three-and-out from NC State, Hampton led the Huskies to the Wolfpack 34-yard line, but was intercepted by Tamarcus Cooley’s on the game’s final play.
After a Northern Illinois punt on the game’s first possession, Bailey’s 34-yard pass to Rogers advanced the ball to the Huskies’ 2-yard line. Two plays later, Bailey rushed in the Wolfpack’s first score, a 1-yard touchdown with 6:15 left in the first quarter.
Northern Illinois answered with a seven-play, 75-yard drive that was capped with a game-tying touchdown. On third and 2 from NC State’s 3-yard line, Brown fumbled into the end zone, but Northern Illinois’ Brock Lampe fell on it for the Huskies’ touchdown with 2:23 left in the first quarter.
Following a Wolfpack punt, Hampton was strip-sacked on his own 16-yard line by DK Kaufman, who scooped the ball and returned it for an NC State touchdown with 14:09 remaining in the second quarter.
After Kanoah Vinesett’s 37-yard field goal extended NC State’s lead to 17-7 with 4:55 left in the first half, Hampton connected with Andrew McElroy for 42 yards to the Wolfpack 6-yard line. Hampton then found Cam Thompson for a touchdown, cutting Northern Illinois’ halftime deficit to 17-14.
–Field Level Media
