North Carolina State University Athletics
Road Win Leads to 1-0 Start to Season
9/4/2022 11:26:00 AM | Football
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RALEIGH, N.C. - It is the sermon you hear from Pack players and coaches. Finish the day 1-0.
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That's exactly what the Wolfpack did by the slimmest of margins.
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This was a football team starving to experience game day. It had been 281 days since they last played; longer for injured players Payton Wilson, Cyrus Fagan, C.J. Clark, Chandler Zavala and Isaiah Moore. Â
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Talk about a long wait, it had been 15 years since the Wolfpack won at East Carolina. It's been a tough place to play with a 1-3 record on the Pirate's home turf prior to the win.
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There is a connection between the game in 2007 and the one played Saturday. In both games, NC State blocked a punt for a touchdown. The most recent came in the first quarter when Jasiah Provillon stretched out to block the punt, Sean Brown smothered it in the endzone for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.
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In two quarters of play, the Wolfpack had a blocked punt for a score and two interceptions; one by Tyler Baker-Williams and the other came from Shyheim Battle.
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What had been seen behind the closed doors of practices and scrimmages was the emergence of running back Demie Sumo-Karangbaye. A special teams player a year ago, the guy known as Sharko, was in full view as a running back for the Pack on Saturday.
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He showcased patience, explosiveness, and shiftiness in his debut. His first career touchdown gave the Wolfpack a 21-7 lead before the half. His most memorable run came in the final quarter. A quick shift to the right, cutback left, running by and through defenders down to the one-yard line. On the day, Sumo-Karangbaye rushed for 79 yards on 14 carries.
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"Very impressed," Dave Doeren said of Sumo-Karangbaye. "He was the bright spot of the day outside of our special teams. Hard to tackle, runs through contact, and took care of the ball so a huge bright spot there."
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A scoreless second half for the Wolfpack left the door open for the Pirates. Momentum was dressed in purple. But sometimes things unfold in sports that you've never seen before.
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Wide left and wide right.
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East Carolina missed two kicks at the end of their final two drives. As the potential, 41-yard game-winning field goal sailed wide right, there was a short burst of Wolfpack celebration that quickly turned into an exhale of relief.
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They finished the day 1-0.
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Quarterback Devin Leary described the scene after the game. "There was a weird feeling in the locker room, honestly," he said. "Guys were happy that we won. Guys were satisfied that we were able to pull it off, but at the same time guys were mad. Guys were saying it was a reality check for us."
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There is plenty of work to do before the home opener Saturday against Charleston Southern. But at least it can be done with a 1-0 record.
By Jeff Gravley
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RALEIGH, N.C. - It is the sermon you hear from Pack players and coaches. Finish the day 1-0.
Â
That's exactly what the Wolfpack did by the slimmest of margins.
Â
This was a football team starving to experience game day. It had been 281 days since they last played; longer for injured players Payton Wilson, Cyrus Fagan, C.J. Clark, Chandler Zavala and Isaiah Moore. Â
Â
Talk about a long wait, it had been 15 years since the Wolfpack won at East Carolina. It's been a tough place to play with a 1-3 record on the Pirate's home turf prior to the win.
Â
There is a connection between the game in 2007 and the one played Saturday. In both games, NC State blocked a punt for a touchdown. The most recent came in the first quarter when Jasiah Provillon stretched out to block the punt, Sean Brown smothered it in the endzone for a touchdown and a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.
Â
In two quarters of play, the Wolfpack had a blocked punt for a score and two interceptions; one by Tyler Baker-Williams and the other came from Shyheim Battle.
Â
What had been seen behind the closed doors of practices and scrimmages was the emergence of running back Demie Sumo-Karangbaye. A special teams player a year ago, the guy known as Sharko, was in full view as a running back for the Pack on Saturday.
Â
He showcased patience, explosiveness, and shiftiness in his debut. His first career touchdown gave the Wolfpack a 21-7 lead before the half. His most memorable run came in the final quarter. A quick shift to the right, cutback left, running by and through defenders down to the one-yard line. On the day, Sumo-Karangbaye rushed for 79 yards on 14 carries.
Â
"Very impressed," Dave Doeren said of Sumo-Karangbaye. "He was the bright spot of the day outside of our special teams. Hard to tackle, runs through contact, and took care of the ball so a huge bright spot there."
Â
A scoreless second half for the Wolfpack left the door open for the Pirates. Momentum was dressed in purple. But sometimes things unfold in sports that you've never seen before.
Â
Wide left and wide right.
Â
East Carolina missed two kicks at the end of their final two drives. As the potential, 41-yard game-winning field goal sailed wide right, there was a short burst of Wolfpack celebration that quickly turned into an exhale of relief.
Â
They finished the day 1-0.
Â
Quarterback Devin Leary described the scene after the game. "There was a weird feeling in the locker room, honestly," he said. "Guys were happy that we won. Guys were satisfied that we were able to pull it off, but at the same time guys were mad. Guys were saying it was a reality check for us."
Â
There is plenty of work to do before the home opener Saturday against Charleston Southern. But at least it can be done with a 1-0 record.
By Jeff Gravley
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Players Mentioned
NIC
/ Football
CB
/ Football
SAF
/ Football
DT
/ Football
SAF
/ Football
QB
/ Football
LB
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WR
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LB
/ Football
OG
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