Explosive Plays Early, Strong Third Quarter Lead Pack to 35-17 Win at Pitt

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PITTSBURGH, PA. – A stout third quarter defense and back-to-back touchdown drives in the third and fourth quarters, led #20 NC State to its sixth straight win, 35-17 at Pittsburgh. The Wolfpack (6-1, 4-0 ACC) starts 4-0 in conference action for the first time since the 2002 season, and also reaches bowl eligibility in the fewest games since that same season.

NC State broke a 14-14 tie with 14 unanswered points spanning the third and fourth quarters. First Jakobi Meyers caught a three-yard Ryan Finley TD pass and Jaylen Samuels rushed in from a yard out on the next possession to build the Pack's lead to 28-14 early in the fourth.

In the third quarter, NC State limited Pitt to just 47 yards of offense (5 rushing, 41 passing), and caused three three-and-outs on the Panthers' four drives.

After a Pitt field goal, NC State iced the game with a 40-yard Samuels TD rush with 2:01 left.

Pitt opened the scoring with a 33-yard TD pass with five minutes to go in the first quarter, the first time NC State faced a deficit in ACC play this year.

But the Wolfpack answered with back-to-back explosive plays from RB Nyheim Hines. First it was a 93-yard TD run to even the score, then on his next touch he returned a punt 92-yards for his second TD and the Pack's first lead 14-7 with less then a minute to go in the opening quarter.

The two teams went into halftime tied 14-14 as the Panthers tallied the lone points in the second quarter.

WOLFPACK SPOTLIGHT DRIVE – 1^st half
2 plays, 83 yards in 0:28 – Nyheim Hines 83-yard TD run

After Pitt went up 7-0, NC State quickly answered to tie the game in the first quarter. After an incompletion, RB Nyehim Hines went up the gut, broke a tackle about 10 yards downfield, and scored an 83-yard TD run.

WOLFPACK SPOTLIGHT DRIVE – 2nd half
5 plays, 66 yards in 2:00 – Ryan Finley to Jakobi Meyers 3-yard TD pass

With the score deadlocked 14-14 late in the third, NC State went ahead for good with a Ryan Finley to Jakobi Meyers 3-yard TD pass. The Pack covered 66 yards in five plays, highlighted by a Finley to Kelvin Harmon 43-yard pass on the first play.

STAT LEADERS
• QB Ryan Finley
14-of-25 for 198 yards, 1 TD

• RB Nyheim Hines
249 yards of total offense (135 rushing, 5 receiving, 94 PR, 15 KOR), 2 TDs

• WR Kelvin Harmon
3 catches for 113 yards

• H-Back Jaylen Samuels
6 rushes for 62 yards, 2 TDs
4 catches for 28 yards

• LB Germaine Pratt
9 tackles, 1 TFL

• DE Darian Roseboro
5 tackles, 3 TFLs

NOTABLES
• Nyheim Hines' 83-yard TD run was the seventh-longest in school history and the longest play from scrimmage of the season for NC State.

• Hines' 92-yard runt return for a TD was the second-longest in school history, and the longest since 1926 (NC State Hall of Famer Jack McDowall).

• For the third straight game, Hines went over 100 rushing yards. Today he finished with a career-best 135 yards.

• In the first quarter alone, Hines posted 200 yards of total offense (93 rush, 92 PR, 15 KOR).

• WR Kelvin Harmon went over 100 yards receiving for the fourth time this season (113 yards). He now has the most games with at least 100 yards in a season since Jerricho Cotchery had seven in 2003.

• With a pair of fourth quarter rushing scores, Jaylen Samuels moves into third place in school history with 41 careers TDs (23 rushing, 18 receiving).

• QB Ryan Finley extends in INT-free streak to 313 attempts, dating back to last year's Miami game.

• Pitt got on the scoreboard first with a first quarter 33-yard TD pass. The Wolfpack had not trailed at any point in its first three ACC games this season, and today was the first time NC State had trailed since the first drive of the Furman game, a span of 15 quarters.

• In his first start of the season, CB Mike Stevens recorded his third career interception, first of the season.

• The win at Pitt was the first for NC State at Pitt in five all-time attempts, the try was in 1987. The win was also the first matchup as ACC foes between the two teams.

UP NEXT
NC State will have its bye week next weekend, before stepping out of conference play with a trip to #16 Notre Dame on Oct. 28.

Explosive Plays Early, Strong Third Quarter Lead Pack to 35-17 Win at Pitt

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Team Stats

Ryan Finley

Players Mentioned

Ryan Finley

Kelvin Harmon

Nyheim Hines

Jakobi Meyers

Germaine Pratt

Darian Roseboro

Jaylen Samuels

Mike Stevens

Players Mentioned

Ryan Finley

Kelvin Harmon

Nyheim Hines

Jakobi Meyers

Germaine Pratt

Darian Roseboro

Jaylen Samuels

Mike Stevens