NC State Survives Week 1 Scare

NC State ultimately survived, securing a 24-17 victory over ECU along with revenge for the loss back in December.  

Kicking Woes Nearly Cost NC State the Game

One of the major issues for NC State was the kicking game. Doeren made the surprising decision to start redshirt freshman kicker Nick Konieczynski over graduate senior Kanoah Vinesett.

Konieczynski struggled as a kicker in high school and, clearly, was not ready for the college game either. After making his first attempt in the first quarter from 29 yards, he missed a pair of crucial field goals in the fourth quarter. If he had made either, the game would’ve been effectively iced, but the Wolfpack left the door open for ECU. 

Instead, Konieczynski’s misses allowed ECU to cut the Wolfpack's lead to a touchdown at 24-17. First-year defensive coordinator DJ Eliot and his unit were put into a plethora of adverse situations in the second half as the offense sputtered late.

After Konieczynski’s last missed field goal, ECU worked the ball all the way to the NC State 10-yard line. The Pirates needed a yard for a first down, but safety Jamel Johnson came up with a huge tackle to force a turnover on downs and win the game for the Wolfpack.

The Quarterback Battle

The quarterback battle started as a very one-sided one, but slowly became more exciting throughout the game. Bailey looked like a player ready to make the freshman-to-sophomore leap in a big way during the first quarter, but began running into trouble as the pressure ratcheted up. 

Bailey ultimately completed 24 of his 34 pass attempts for 318 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He also rushed for an 11-yard touchdown, darting around his offensive line for the Wolfpack's first end zone trip of the season.

ECU quarterback Katin Houser was under siege early, but exploded in the second half once he found some rhythm within the Pirates' quarterback-friendly system. He finished the night with 366 yards, 209 of which came in the second half, and a touchdown.

Two Receiver Connections For Wolfpack

Bailey's one passing touchdown came courtesy of a blossoming connection with wide receiver Wesley Grimes. The sophomore quarterback uncorked a beautiful deep ball to Grimes over the middle for a 48-yard touchdown to put the Wolfpack up 17-0. Grimes finished with four catches for 121 yards.

The sophomore quarterback established some chemistry with freshman Teddy Hoffman as well. He found the freshman five times for 93 yards.

Moving On With a Win

The win extended the Wolfpack's win streak in season openers to eight stretching back to a loss to South Carolina in 2017. Doeren continues to start seasons with wins, whether they are ugly or clean.

NC State now has a long week to prepare for another game against ACC opponent Virginia, although the game will not count towards the conference standings.