Offense in Tune in 41-10 Win Over UConn

Recap: Pack Breezes Past UConn, 41-10 | Final Stats

RALEIGH, N.C. – The very first play of the game was a good indicator of what the night would hold on the offensive side of the ball for NC State.

Devin Leary sent a deep ball toward Thayer Thomas who made a subtle, in-stride adjustment to make the catch. From there, Thomas won the race to the end zone resulting in a 75-yard touchdown, the longest of his career.

It also was the first time since 1991 that the Wolfpack scored on their first play of the game. That play was also a 75-yarder, but a ground gainer from running back Anthony Barbour.

The first five offensive drives for NC State were as sharp as the uniforms they wore. In black helmets with red jerseys and red pants, the Pack scored 31 points the first five times they had the ball. Demie Sumo-Karngbaye completed a 20-yard run into the bright red end zone, then Christopher Dunn drilled a 48-field goal for a 17-0 lead after the first.

In the second quarter, Leary worked with one of his long-time targets, Devin Carter. They connected on a slant route where Carter made a contact catch, broke out of a tackle and took it to the 1-yard line, where he was ruled out of bounds. The mission was completed on the next play, a Devin-to-Devin combo with Carter keeping the ball high above the defender for the touchdown. It was his first score of the season and he finished the night with a season-high five catches for 63 yards.

"I think it's just the perfect timing," Carter said of his offensive productivity. "We work really hard at practice. Whenever you practice something, it relates to the game. It just clicks. It just happens."

"It's good to see Devin get in a rhythm," Dave Doeren said. "We wanted to see guys make contact catches and it's great to see Devin Carter play that way. The ball got spread around to numerous receivers and guys were catching the ball well."

Carter, Darryl Jones, Keyon Lesane, and Porter Rooks each caught five passes, which was more than they had in the previous three games. Lesane and Rooks hauled in their first collegiate touchdown. It's a tangible reward for the work they have put forth in practice and previous games.

"For both of them to score tonight was great," Doeren explained. "They're guys who just work hard and do the right thing. Both of them have worked through a rotation where they're behind other players. Now they're playing more and more. It was good for them to get rewarded and make the play."

With the 41-10 win over Connecticut, NC State completed its nonconference schedule and continued to build toward a much-anticipated meeting with Clemson next week in Death Valley.

"We're hitting on a lot of the cylinders that we wanted to," Doeren said. "We're in a good spot."

By: Jeff Gravley

North Carolina State University Athletics

Related News

Players Mentioned

Devin Carter

Christopher Dunn

Darryl Jones

Devin Leary

Keyon Lesane

Porter Rooks

Demie Sumo-Karngbaye

Thayer Thomas

Related Videos