First Quarter Dominance Leads to 33-16 Win Over Wake Forest

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RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State outscored visiting Wake Forest 17-0 in the opening quarter, and started ACC play with a 33-16 win Saturday at Carter-Finley Stadium in front of a sellout crowd of 58,200.

The Wolfpack (3-1, 1-0 ACC) used a dominating first quarter to jump out to a 17-0 lead. In the opening 15 minutes of play, the Pack outgained Wake Forest 214-59, including 177-62 through the air. The Pack got TDs by Matthew Dayes (6-yd rush) and Jaylen Samuels (13-yd reception) to go along with a 20-yard Kyle Bambard field goal.

The Pack added another TD in the second quarter to score on its of its first four possessions and took a 23-9 lead into the break, and also outscored the Demon Deacons (4-1, 1-1 ACC) 10-7 in the second half.

WOLFPACK SPOTLIGHT DRIVE - 1st Half
8 plays, 75 yards in 3:28 - Matthew Dayes 6-yard TD run

NC State took the game's opening kick 75 yards in eight plays to jump out to a quick 7-0 lead just under four minutes into the game. QB Ryan Finley completed 3-of-4 passes for 63 yards, including a 39-yard pass to WR Stephen Louis. RB Matthew Dayes finished off the drive with a 6-yard score, his third of the season.

After the Pack defense forced Wake into a 3 & out, NC State then kicked a 20-yard field goal to take a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter.

WOLFPACK SPOTLIGHT DRIVE - 2nd Half
9 plays, 66 yards in 4:51 - Kelvin Harmon 7-yard TD catch

After Wake Forest cut the Wolfpack lead to 26-16 in the fourth quarter, the Pack responded with a 9 play, 66 yard drive to take a 33-16 lead with six minutes left. Matthew Dayes had back-to-back rushes of 14 and 29 yards, and freshman WR Kelvin Harmon caught his second TD of the day, seven yards from Ryan Finley.

TOP WOLFPACK PERFORMERS
• QB Ryan Finley
23-for-36 for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns

• RB Matthew Dayes
24 carries for 125 yards and 1 touchdown

• WR Stephen Louis
4 catches for 102 yards

• WR Kelvin Harmon
2 catches for 43 yards and 2 touchdowns

• S Josh Jones
12 tackles, including nine solo, 1 sack, 2 pass break-ups

NOTABLES
• Since 1986, NC State has won 15 times in 16 meetings against Wake Forest in Carter-Finley Stadium. The lone loss was in 2006. NC State has also won three straight in the series, the most consecutive wins since 2000-02.

• QB Ryan Finley threw for 300 yards for the first time in his Wolfpack career. Finley is the first Wolfpack QB to throw for 300 yards since Jacoby Brissett did so against Florida State in 2014 - a span of 26 games.

• Finley has now gone 116 pass attempts without throwing an INT to start his Wolfpack career, the most consecutive passes for a Wolfpack starting QB to start his career.

• For the second time this season, NC State had a player go over 100 yards rushing (Matthew Days - 125 yards) and a player go over 100 yards receiving (Stephen Louis - 102 yards) in the same game. It so happens, that Days and Louis also both accomplished the feat at East Carolina.

• Dayes has gone over 100 yards for the third time in four games this season, and in eight of his last 12 games overall dating back to last season.

• Over the last three games, Louis has gone over 100 yards receiving twice and has averaged 108.0 yards.

• For the third straight home game to open the 2016, NC State took its opening possession in for a TD.

• With his first quarter touchdown, Matthew Dayes' now has 33 for his career, putting him tied for fourth all-time in career TDs at NC State (Torry Holt).

• Freshman WR Kelvin Harmon caught his first career touchdown in the second quarter, a 36-yard TD pass from QB Ryan Finley. He added a second TD catch in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

• So. PK Kyle Bambard's 48-yard field goal in the third quarter was a career long. His longest pf his career prior to today was 36 yards.

• NC State's 13 penalties tie as the fourth-most in school history, and the 144 yards as the most-ever against a NC State team (121).

FROM THE LOCKER ROOM
"We talked about confidence all week. Wake (Forest) is a team that wants to play a four-quarter game. They're built to control the ball and keep their defense off the field and grind you out. We felt if we could get a lead we could make them beat us left handed, per say, and so we had a good plan to get a good lead and it worked. Other than giving up some yards from a penalty stand point, we did a good job." - NC State head coach Dave Doeren

UP NEXT
The Pack returns to Carter-Finley Stadium next Saturday, playing host to Notre Dame. The game time will be announced either tonight or Sunday morning. Throughout the week and during the Notre Dame game, NC State will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of Carter-Finley Stadium.

First Quarter Dominance Leads to 33-16 Win Over Wake Forest

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Team Stats

Johnathan Alston

Jakobi Meyers

Players Mentioned

Kyle Bambard

Jacoby Brissett

Matthew Dayes

Ryan Finley

Kelvin Harmon

Josh Jones

Stephen Louis

Jaylen Samuels