Tar Heels Close Season With Third Consecutive Defeat

North Carolina State wasted no time, taking a 7-0 lead after eating up nearly five minutes on the first drive. CJ Bailey would connect with Wesley Grimes on a quick screen pass for a 15-yard, walk-in touchdown. North Carolina would fail to respond, suffering a quick three-and-out while only taking up over a minute off the clock.

5 Minutes Remaining

North Carolina State constructed another clock-shooting drive this time, using twelve plays to go 76 yards. Will Wilson would cap off the drive with a seven-yard rushing touchdown to increase the Wolfpack's lead to 14-0 with 3:26 remaining in the first quarter.

Second Quarter

Early in the second quarter on the Tar Heels' ensuing drive, Gio Lopez led a much-needed scoring sequence. The junior quarterback connected with Jordan Shipp in the back corner of the end zone on a dime, hitting the sophomore receiver for a 20-yard touchdown. North Carolina would trail 14-7 with a little over 13 minutes left in the quarter.

North Carolina's defense continued to get thoroughly dissected by Bailey and North Carolina State's offense. The Wolfpack went on an 11-play, 75-yard drive that was once again concluded with a Wilson rushing touchdown. North Carolina State leads 21-7 with 7:12 remaining in the first half.

5 Minutes Remaining

After conceding another touchdown drive, Lopez and the Tar Heels were on the brink of letting the game slip away. North Carolina supplied its defense with an extended rest, with an 11-play drive. However, after Lopez took a drive-killing sack, the Tar Heels played for a field goal by gaining the lost yards on a quick pass. North Carolina would convert a 49-yard field goal, but it felt like a waste of a well-constructed drive. The Tar Heels would trail 21-10 with 1:49 remaining before halftime.

Even with time constraints and only one timeout remaining, Bailey was able to march down the field, leading North Carolina State to its fourth scoring drive of the half. The second-year starter would locate Justin Joly for a one-yard score with less than 20 seconds left before halftime, giving the Wolfpack a 28-10 lead.

Third Quarter

It what felt like a must-score drive, the Tar Heels were faced with an early third-down scenario. North Carolina's coaching staff dialed up a toss and later back to Lopez. The third-year quarterback squared his feet for a deep shot but slipped and fell. The Tar Heels were forced to punt after a 14-yard loss.

Luckily, the Wolfpack were not able to take advantage of the literal slip-up, as Merkart Abou-Jaoude recorded his first sack of the game, pushing North Carolina State to third-and-long, which it did not convert.

A scary moment, as Lopez was sacked and then landed awkwardly, causing his leg to bend in the wrong direction. He was assisted off the field without being able to put any weight on his left leg.

5 Minutes Remaining

Losing Lopez was a gut punch and morale killer for the Tar Heels, but backup quarterback Max Johnson steadily moved the offense down the field. Unfortunately, North Carolina was unable to hit paydirt and was forced to settle for another field goal. The Tar Heels trail 28-13 with 3:16 remaining in the third quarter. North Carolina State would enter the fourth quarter within striking distance in the Tar Heels' red zone.

Fourth Quarter

The first play in the final quarter was a 15-yard rushing touchdown by Wilson, which was his third of the game. The Wolfpack would lead 35-13.

With the game already decided, North Carolina's only objective was to run out the rest of the clock and leave the game without any significant injuries. Even that couldn't stop the Wilson from scoring. He added his fourth rushing touchdown of the game, extending North Carolina State's lead to 42-13 with 5:34 remaining.

The Tar Heels would score a meaningless touchdown in the final minute before failing the two-point conversion.

Final: NC State 42, North Carolina 19