By NC STATE ATHLETICS – Five rushers totaling 211 yards and three rushing touchdowns, led by quarterback Brennan Armstrong’s 96 yards on the ground and two scores, helped the Wolfpack to a 24-14 victory over UConn to open the 2023 season.
The Wolfpack found themselves down early as the hosts found the endzone on their opening drive after Victor Rosa rushed for 18 yards, putting UConn up 7-0 following an extra point.
The Wolfpack deficit didn’t last long as Armstrong led the offense 66 yards, which was capped off by a four-yard rush by Armstrong scoring the first touchdown of 2023 and his Wolfpack career.
NC State looked to take the lead late in the second quarter as Brayden Narveson attempted a 50-yard field goal, but his kick narrowly missed, and the score remained tied at 7-7
The defense held strong for both teams as neither team scored until the Wolfpack’s Narveson had another opportunity at the end of the half. With two seconds before the break, Narveson drilled a 44-yard FG for his first FG as a member of the Wolfpack to give NC State the lead heading into the locker room.
Late in the third quarter, with the ball at the one-yard line, Delbert Mimms punched it in to extend the Wolfpack’s lead to 17-7 after taking 6:27 off the clock.
The Huskies wasted no time responding with a score of their own as Rosa recorded his second touchdown of the evening after a 71-yard rush to make it a three-point game.
The 10-point NC State lead was restored as Armstrong once again used his legs, as he picked up his second touchdown of the night after an eight-yard scamper to make it 24-14 at the end of the third quarter.
24-14 is where the game would end, as the Wolfpack defense remained stout, with Payton Wilson sealing the victory with an interception.
NC State Notes
- This is the sixth straight season the Wolfpack opened the season with a win
- NC State now leads the all-time series with the Huskies 4-0
- Since 1970, the Wolfpack has posted a 5-2 record in season openers on the road
- 108 rushing yards in the first half was more than in any of the last three full games of the 2022 season
- QB Brennan Armstrong accounted for 251 total yards. 155 Yards in the air and 96 on the ground
- Freshman KC Concepcion led the Wolfpack in receiving after accumulating 36 yards on four receptions. NC State had nine different receivers catch a pass
- For the first time since 2018 against Boston College, the Wolfpack were penalized only once
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