BY TIM PEELER
RALEIGH, N.C. – Andre Brown scored three touchdowns, freshman linebacker Thomas Barnes scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery on the third play of his collegiate career and placekicker Steven Hauschka kicked a 49-yard field goal as NC State rolled over Wofford Saturday evening at Carter-Finley Stadium.
First-year head coach Tom O'Brien's first career win for the Wolfpack came in front of 56,039 spectators at Carter-Finley Stadium and ended the Wolfpack's nine-game losing streak, the longest in football since 1959.
“We got the 800-pound gorilla off our back,” O’Brien said. “Now, we have to start a winning streak.”
Sophomore quarterback Harrison Beck, who committed six turnovers against Boston College, completed the game without a miscue in leading the Wolfpack offense the first three quarters of the game. The passer from Clearwater, Fla., completed 11 of his 20 passes in the first half and finished the game at 16-for-32 for 113 yards.
“I think Harrison was OK tonight,” O’Brien said. “We didn’t ask him to do a lot. I think he did fine. We didn’t throw for a lot of yards, but we did OK.”
Brown, the Wolfpack’s primary tailback with junior Toney Baker out of action because of knee injury, churned out more than 100 yards before halftime. He scored the Wolfpack’s first two touchdowns on plunges of 2- and 1-yards, respectively, and finished the game with 133 yards on 13 carries.
It was the fifth 100-yard rushing game of Brown’s career, but his first since gaining 113 last season against Florida State, the Wolfpack’s last victory before Saturday.
“I guess I will have to start getting some more 100-yard games so we can get some more wins around here,” Brown said, jokingly. “Really, it just starts with those big [offensive linemen] up front. The more they do, the more I do.”
Barnes, a freshman from Dublin, Ga., seeing the first action of his college career in place of injured LaRue Rumph, picked up a fumble by Wofford quarterback Ben Widmyre at the 5-yard-line and returned it for the score on the first play of the second quarter. It was the Wolfpack’s first defensive touchdown of the season.
“I saw Willie Young tackle the quarterback, the running back slipped and I just scooped it up and scored,” Barnes said.
Barnes saw more action because linebacker Nate Irving did not play and was thrust into action when LaRue suffered an ankle injury.
“I knew I was going to get some snaps in this game, but I didn’t realize I would play almost the entire game,” said Barnes, who made eight tackles on the night.
Wofford scored its first touchdown of the game with 6:32 remaining in the third quarter when Whitmire hit junior wide receiver Andy Strickland on a 61-yard touchdown pass. Strickland scored the Terriers’ other touchdown on 14-yard pass from halfback Mike Rucker.
NC State sophomore Jamelle Eugene scored his first touchdown of the season on a one-yard run in the third quarter, following Corey Tedder’s recovery of a dropped punt at the goal line.
Beck wasted little time in putting points on the board for the Wolfpack, taking the game’s opening drive down the field for 74 yards. Beck completed all four of his passes on the drive, which ended with Brown’s first touchdown with 5:48 remaining in the first half.
“”We came out with some energy,” Beck said. “We came out with some life. We didn’t come out like we were in a coma or something and we were able to move the football.”
Wofford’s wishbone attack gained ground all night long, a total of 353 yards in total offense, but was derailed by the Terriers’ frequent mistakes at the line of scrimmage. Wofford committed 15 penalties for 108 yards in the contest.
NC State returns to Carter-Finley Stadium next Saturday to face Clemson in a noon ACC contest.
Courtesy: Peyton Williams/NC State
