North Carolina State University Athletics
Fantastic Fourth Propels Pack to Opening Night Win
8/30/2024 10:35:00 AM | Football
There is always great anticipation for a season's first game. Spring ball, summer workouts and fall camp seem to slowly creep along until the opening game. Players grow tired of seeing teammates on the opposite side of drills and scrimmages.Â
They just want to compete against someone else.
NC State's football team had to wait an extra 30 minutes to get that chance due to weather, but after finally kicking off the 2024 season, the No. 24 Wolfpack finished the night 1-0 with a 38-21 win over Western Carolina.Â
The home team trailed by three heading into the fourth quarter, but final quarters are always a focus for Dave Doeren's squad. They train to succeed and draw strength when opponents may wither.
The Pack found the end zone three straight times to begin the fourth and the defense played its best ball of the night, pitching a shutout.
"We stress the fourth quarter," Doeren said following the game. "Every day in practice, we talk about being finishers, and that was something I was very proud of tonight."
Transfer running back Jordan Waters reached the end zone twice in the fourth. His first touchdown in red and white was a bruising seven-yard score followed by a dazzling sprint from 50 yards out for the final points of the night. He finished with 123 yards on 20 carries.
The offense featured a bevy of new players. Eight of the eleven who posted numbers on the offensive stat sheet weren't with the Pack a year ago.Â
But it was the familiar play of second-year star KC Concepcion that made it so difficult for Catamount defenders.Â
A year ago as a freshman, he had five 'Noah's Ark' games- catching touchdowns in pairs. Thursday, Concepcion took it a step further with a career-best three receiving scores.Â
The most spectacular came early in the fourth.Â
Lining up in the slot, KC hauled in a slant from Grayson McCall. After the catch, he quickly put his left hand in the dirt, regained his balance and shook off two tacklers on his way to the end zone for a 35-yard score.
"They were trying to cover him with a guy one-on-one at times, and we're going to win that matchup," Doeren explained. "When we have one-on-ones in the slot, you're going to see him catch a lot of passes."
Concepcion's nine catches were also a career best.Â
"I wanted to make sure there wasn't any drop-off," Concepcion said. "I just wanted to do better than I did last year."
MC to KC was a popular connection. McCall was 26-40 for 318 yards and 3 TD tosses. He now has 91 career touchdown passes and the veteran QB, with over 10,000 career passing yards, had this self-analysis after his first game with the Wolfpack.
"I had a little bit of nerves going into it," McCall said. "I didn't play my best ball, but I'm happy to be out there, play four quarters of football, and get the win. I'm able to go in tomorrow and watch the tape, and there's a lot to get better from."
Watch ... learn ... improve and, always, FINISH. It's part of the week-by-week process.
