What a Finale

RECAP: Pack Scores 14 Points in Final 1:35 to Down UNC 34-30

By Jeff Gravley

RALEIGH, N.C. - Senior Day can be draining with the emotional pull of finality. One by one, Wolfpack players made the pregame jog to meet their parents at midfield.

Drake Thomas was there with his parents to greet his brother Thayer. After a hug from his parents, Emeka Emezie dropped to a knee on the Tuffy logo at midfield and pointed toward the sky.

Regardless of the outcome, your final game is one you'll never forget. Many (perhaps) playing their final game at Carter-Finley Stadium had a hand in a thrilling win that NO ONE will ever forget.

It was fitting that one of the longest tenured Wolfpack players scored the game's first touchdown. C.J. Riley, who came to NC State in 2016, smothered a Jordan Houston blocked punt in the end zone for a 7-0 lead just four plays into the game.

Ricky Person, Jr., announced earlier this week that this would be his final year with the Wolfpack. Person ran like a bulldozer on his first three carries, totaling 40 yards. The drive was capped by a Devin Leary pass to Trent Pennix for a 14-0 lead.

In the third quarter, NC State was down 10 and needed a spark. Leary escaped pressure and found Thayer Thomas who slipped through the Carolina defense untouched for a 26-yard score. It cut the deficit to three and energized all in red and white.

Late in the fourth quarter, the Pack faced a 9-point deficit with 2:12 on the clock. That's when Leary and Emezie went to the kitchen and started cooking on high heat. When a defensive safety shaded inside toward Thomas, Emezie was wide open on a go route. Leary hit him in stride for a 64-yard score and suddenly it was a two-point game.

Christopher Dunn, who may have played his final home game, perfectly executed and recovered his own onside kick giving the Pack possession and hope.

It also gave Leary and Emezie another chance to work their magic on a quarterback/receiver check down. This time it was a 24-yard strike where Emezie made a contested catch and toe tap for the go-ahead score and a four-point lead.

"Honestly, it doesn't feel real. You can't script that up," Emezie said of the dramatic ending.

"Good karma man, just good karma." Dave Doeren said of Emezie's last home game. "Good things happen to good people and he's one of the young men who is special. Very, very happy for him and the team."

The pass gave Leary four touchdowns on the night and 35 in his career, surpassing Philip Rivers for most touchdown tosses in a season in Wolfpack history.

"It's crazy to think how far we came as a program and how far I've come myself as a quarterback and a leader of this team," Leary said.

Needing a defensive stop to preserve a win, Derrek Pitts, Jr., hauled in a final UNC pass as the clock expired resulting in a wild 34-30 Wolfpack win.

"What a football game. What a game," Doeren said. "That's why you play until the last second runs off the clock."

For the second time this season, Pack players and coaches got to celebrate closely with their fans who spilled onto the field after the game.

No one wanted to leave the moment.

Emezie paused to take photos and soak in his last game on home turf. It was a heck of an exit for Emezie and the Wolfpack, who got to enjoy one of the most historic come back wins in the long rivalry with North Carolina.

North Carolina State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Christopher Dunn

Emeka Emezie

Jordan Houston

Devin Leary

Trent Pennix

Ricky Person, Jr.

Derrek Pitts, Jr.

C.J. Riley

Drake Thomas

Thayer Thomas

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