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Brayden Narveson kicks NC State past Virginia on final play

Wolfpack wins ACC opener on 33-yard FG as time expires

Published

September 23, 2023

Brayden Narveson gave NC State a 24-21 win over Virginia with a 33-yard field goal as time expired. (Photo/graphic courtesy of NC State University athletics).

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia shot itself in the foot repeatedly down the stretch, and NC State used the foot of Brayden Narveson to beat the Cavaliers on the last play of the game Friday.

Narveson hit a 33-yard field goal as time expired to lift the Wolfpack to a 24-21 win.

Virginia had blocked Narveson’s first attempt from 48 yards out, but officials whistled defender James Jackson for an illegal leaping penalty. The flag moved the ball up 15 yards, and the graduate student from Scottsdale, Ariz., put his second kick through the uprights to push the Pack to 3-1 on the season, 1-0 in ACC play.

Virginia (0-4, 0-1) lost for the seventh consecutive time.

“ACC wins are hard to come by. Winning on the road is not easy,” NC State coach Dave Doeren said to media after the game. “Very proud of our kicker for making that kick. The psyche you have as a kicker when you have one blocked, even though it was a penalty, to be able to step back in there and knock that through in the rain, I thought that was a great moment for Brayden.”

**Kevin Concepcion scored TDs in each half, his second coming on a 48-yard catch-and-run. Photo/graphic courtesy NC State University athletics.**

NC State led 14-7 at the half, getting points on a 12-yard touchdown pass from Brennan Armstrong to Kevin Concepcion and a 1-yard scoring plunge from Delbert Mimms III.

Virginia had chances to tie and/or take the lead in the third period. But the Cavs had to settle for field goals after two drives deep into Pack territory stalled, one at the NCSU 3 and the other at the 19.

The Pack responded quickly after the second Virginia field goal. Armstrong found Concepcion for his second touchdown of the night – this one a beautiful catch-and-run over the middle that eventually covered 48 yards to the end zone. Concepcion finished the game with six catches for 116 yards, a breakout for the true freshman.

NC State’s Sean Brown and Aydan White picked off passes in the fourth quarter. But Virginia got the ball back one last time and scored with 36 seconds remaining on an Anthony Colandrea to Malik Washington pass from the State 3.

That made the score 21-19 Wolfpack. The Cavs were whistled for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the scoring play, moving the 2-point try to the 18. Yet, Virginia somehow found a way to convert when Colandrea completed a pass on the run to Malachi Fields. Tie game, 21-21.

But another flag flew on Virginia, this one on Colandrea for celebrating on the field without a helmet. That moved the kickoff back 15 yards, and NC State capitalized with a 35-yard return by Julian Gray to the Cavs’ 48. Two Armstrong runs and an incompletion pushed the ball to the Virginia 30 with three ticks remaining.

NC State brought on Narveson, who is now 4-of-6 on the season in field goal attempts. Virginia committed 45 yards worth of penalties during its roller coaster final minute. A chance to force overtime resulted in a deflating home defeat. NC State won its first game with a walk-off field goal since the 2013 season.

Armstrong finished 15-of-30 for 180 yards, two TDs and an interception in his return to Charlottesville, where he played from 2018-22. Armstrong also had a team-high 64 rushing yards.

NC State linebacker Payton Wilson swarmed the ball all night and finished with 13 tackles. Teammate Caden Fordham had 12. Lineman Red Hibbler added 1.5 sacks.